I had another “super poof” inflammatory gain this week brought on by still getting used to the new meds, the heat, weather changes from Hurricane Fred and eating erratically this week – often with only meal late late in the evening. This is so frustrating.

I looked back and this trend has been going on since I got sick in February. Look at these flares and gains. I think, whatever I got sick with in February (for almost 9 weeks), truly screwed up something with my Mast Cell and it has just not settled down.

So it’s time to try a pretty aggressive change of plans. Trying little things, small elimination trials, new meds – none of it is working so that doesn’t leave much wiggle room.

Between a super high BP, trouble breathing or doing any kind of normal life activities and my doctor being concerned that I am actively in stroke risk territory… I am going to change the only things I can control which are my food and immediate environment.

I have spent days trying to balance things around my various conditions which often directly contradict each other…it is mind boggling…

So in the end, I went back to my Swiss and German Mast Cell disorder information and I think this is what I’m going to try…

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FOOD CONTROL CHANGES
Tracking – Calories only – it is just too hard to stay within a specific program guideline given all the restrictions this will entail… I will be switching to Calorie Command to still be accountable.

4 salad plate meals (no regular big plates, no OMAD [one meal a day] ) – smaller meals to reduce the amount of histamine triggers consumed at one time and limit reactivity during the reintroduction trial phases.

WEEK 1 – Potato/Rice Reset – only potatoes (all types), rice (all types), water and pink or sea salt allowed. Provides super bland food to reset gut and inflammation markers. Boring but recommended…

WEEK 2 – Reintroduction Phase 1 – reintroduce up to 2 foods/meal that are [0] on the list. Whole foods only (minimally processed with no additives, preservatives, fillers) Score reactivity and adjust scores on chart as needed.

WEEK 3 – Reintroduction Phase 2 – continue [0] food reintroduction + add up to 1 additional [1] level food/meal.

WEEK 4+5 – Reintroduction Phase 3 – continue [0] and [1] level foods reintroduction + add up to 1 additional [2] level food/day (per day, not per meal).

WEEK 6+7 – Reintroduction Phase 4 – continue [1] food reintroduction + add up to 1 additional [2] level food/meal.

WEEK 8 – Trial Introduction Phase – Introduce 1 food marked [3] in 3 separate meals over 2 days to test individual reactivity. Score and chart accordingly.

WEEK 9 – 3 days Potato Rice Reset followed by 4 days of Phase 3

WEEK 10, 11+12 – Trial Introduction Phase – Introduce 1 food marked [3] in 3 separate meals over 2 days to test individual reactivity. Score and chart accordingly.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL CHANGES
6 weeks – extremely limited outdoor exposure / contact – basically shelter in place guidelines – avoid going out when possible, avoid exposure to heat and environmental pollutants – reduce Cooking for Sandy to 1 visit a week (still 3 meals just all taken on one day), get Tracy to help with grocery delivery. Reassess in 6 wks.

I can’t control the weather but I can control my exposure to it, getting overheated (which I did several times this week), my exposure to reactants when I go out into public – perfumes, cleaning products, car exhausts etc…

Extreme? Maybe but I have to do something… And this is the rabbit hole plan for now… To Wonderland and Beyond!

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If you aren’t familiar with my situation, basically I live with several autoimmune issues… an “inflammatory overstimulation response” brought on by my basic blood cells thinking they are Spartan Warriors and attacking everything in sight.

[Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or MCAS is my main issue but also fun things like Fibromyalgia, POTS, Histamine Intolerance, Insulin Resistance and on and on… ]

My weight fluctuations are not water weight, not sodium retention and the gains do not go away until the cells calm down and the actual muscle inflammation decreases. When a flare happens, everything swells – my eyes, my hands/feet, my actual muscle tissue and organs … I can, and do, put on up to 20lbs in a bad flare and this can take 3-4 weeks to lose again.

Foods, chemicals, weather changes, environmental elements… literally, sometimes just existing, fires them up. Some things I can control and otherwise it is a #justkeepswimming kinda life.

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📚 RESOURCES 📚
MAST CELL ACTIVATION SYNDROME
https://www.mastzellaktivierung.info/en/symptoms.html

FOOD LIST I WILL BE USING
https://www.mastzellaktivierung.info/downloads/foodlist/21_FoodList_EN_alphabetic_withCateg.pdf

HISTAMINE INTOLERANCE
https://www.healthline.com/health/histamine-intolerance

INSULIN RESISTANCE
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/insulin-and-insulin-resistance

FIBROMYALGIA
https://www.healthline.com/health/fibromyalgia/signs-of-fibromyalgia

POTS
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16560-postural-orthostatic-tachycardia-syndrome-pots

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MY TOP 3 WORST INFLAMMATION TRIGGERS
These are not the same for everyone and in 90% of people they don’t trigger a reaction – but if you are constantly dealing with being bloated, headaches, muscle or joint pain or digestive distress – they may be worth considering as potential inflammation triggers.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
https://www.eatthis.com/artificial-sweeteners-side-effects

WHY “NATURAL FLAVORS” ARE A NO NO FOR ME
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/natural-flavors#TOC_TITLE_HDR_7

CARRAGEENAN (Another big no no)
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/carrageenan

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