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Writer's pictureKristina David

The Metal Allergy Newsletter: Holiday Survival Guide


The holiday season is here. This can be a difficult time for some of us, especially if you are new to this lifestyle. The holidays are all about getting together and sharing delicious food. It's a complete bummer when we have to say no to our favorite dishes. Although this year may look different for a lot of us due to the pandemic, I'm still looking forward to recreating many family recipes that I love with a low nickel twist. In hopes of make your holiday season a little more enjoyable and a little less stressful, I've decided to create a guide for the holidays. I would also like to thank you for being a part of this community. I find so much strength in helping others with this allergy. It's one of the many silver linings I have found with this allergy.


Food Guide


PROTEIN


Enjoy: any fresh, natural chicken, turkey, lamb, beef, duck, eggs, etc.. Fish is okay if it is fresh, ideally it's frozen at sea and rapidly defrosted.


Avoid: processed, aged, cured, smoked, dried or canned meat or fish and mollusks shellfish (clams, mussels, oysters & scallops). Avoid nuts, seeds & beans.


FRUITS & VEGETABLES


Enjoy: most fresh fruit & vegetables are fine to enjoy except for those listed below. Tip - wash well, peel and boil to decrease the amount of nickel.


Avoid: kale, collards, spinach, mature lettuces, green beans, tomatoes, avocados, raspberries, pineapple, coconut & anything canned. If you are sensitive to histamine avoid citrus fruits, eggplant, strawberry, banana, pear & papaya.


GRAINS


Enjoy: white rice, white pasta, gnocchi, quinoa, white bread & corn-based products.


Avoid: whole wheat, brown rice, or any highly processed products that contain soy.


CONDIMENTS


Enjoy: mayonnaise, homemade gravy and sauces that do not contain soy or tomato, salt, fresh herbs & spices (easy on the spices if you are in a reactive state).


Avoid: tomato-based sauces, anything with soy, chocolate and highly processed ingredients you can't pronounce.


FATS/DAIRY


Enjoy: fresh dairy products, butter, olive oil, avocado oil (most oils are low in nickel).


Avoid: processed dairy with gums/fillers/additives. Some people are sensitive to soybean oil. If you have a histamine intolerance avoid aged or fermented dairy such as sour cream, yogurt & kefir.



Tips For Going Out


Take extra vitamin C.


Stay hydrated.


Don't go out starving, eat a snack before.


Bring a low nickel dish if you are going to someone's house.


Eat a very low nickel diet leading up to an event.


Bring your own nickel-free utensils, use a barrier cream or hold utensils with bar napkins.


Avoid acidic dishes if they were cooked in stainless steel.


Avoid nuts, seeds, beans, soy, whole grains, tomatoes & CHOCOLATE.


Wear a mask and enjoy!



Alcohol Guide


From a nickel perspective most alcohol is fine to enjoy as long as it's not from a can; however, many of us have histamine issues.


Enjoy: hard alcohol that isn't aged - vodka, tequila, rum, whiskey etc.


Avoid: if you have histamine issues avoid wine, beer, aged hard alcohol, mixers that contain citrus, olives & tomato juice.





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