Yasmina Ykelenstam's cookbooks-or food ideas

[Strawberry]

Has anyone bought either one of them?

I have been thinking of buying one of the books, but the few recipes I have seen require far too much energy in food prep than I can do. I was wondering if she has "starter" recipes for when one is so ill and weak that preparing food is difficult. If I can never get back to being able to cook, I fear her book will be a waste of money for me.

I have come to realize that all my easy prep foods are high histamine, which is probably why I constantly have allergies, itch, ache, etc. The more I read, the more I realize I could possibly have MCAS. I TRY to eat, but I just keep getting worse with all my symptoms. I have to try something different, I'm at the end of my rope. I;m hungry, dammit.

 

[Firefly_]

I get a lot of food ideas and recipes for my restricted diet off of Pinterest. You might find some of her recipes or others for a low histamine diet there.

 

[JaimeS]

Pinterest is the best: https://www.pinterest.com/kirinin/recipes-gluten-free/

 

[Old Bones]

Has anyone bought either one of them?

I have been thinking of buying one of the books, but the few recipes I have seen require far too much energy in food prep than I can do.

@Strawberry I purchased her Paleo Anti-cookbook about six weeks ago, but haven't used it for a number of reasons. First, I still haven't recovered enough to feel much like cooking, after experiencing an extreme histamine reaction from eating the wrong foods at Christmas. So, it is easier to prepare familiar and very simple foods. Some of the ingredients (especially seasonings and some vegetables) are rather untypical. Although they may be available in speciality food stores, they certainly aren't where we shop close to home. My husband is doing almost all of the grocery shopping these days, and I don't want to complicate his life any further. Regardless, I didn't find most of the recipes particularly appealing. And, with dietary restrictions in addition to avoiding histamines, too many of the recipes include ingredients I can't eat for other reasons (eg. non-gluten flours, flax seeds, nuts, root vegetables). Also, not being particularly technologically-inclined, I tend to forget about on-line book purchases, and even if I remember them, I don't recall how to access them without guidance.

Personally, I think that if you have good computer search skills, looking for recipes on-line (those that involve ingredients you like, and can easily source) is a better choice. I, too, am "at the end of my rope", wondering what I can safely eat to accommodate all of my conflicting dietary needs.

 

[Timaca]

I did buy one of her books and printed it out on my computer. Unfortunately, the pages weren't numbered so it's hard to find anything. (Maybe she's changed that since I bought it. I would certainly ask her if the pages are numbered before buying a book!) I really haven't used it (at all). I agree with Old Bones in that some of the ingredients are atypical or the foods aren't something that I normally eat.

I am eating mostly low histamine (tonight I experimented with a minestrone soup that I added 2 tablespoons of tomato pasted in and a few small tomatoes). We'll see how I feel tomorrow!!! I have some recipes you can look at on my blog. http://www.youseasonwithlove.com/the-recipes-3/

What I eat can be found in this blog post. I seem to be able to tolerate a few more foods (like I can actually eat rice!)....so I'm hoping to make some yummy recipes.... Like I said, we'll see how the minestrone soup worked. I made it without the tomato paste and just put in a few small tomatoes and did fine.

Strawberry (and Old Bones) what are you able to eat now?

Best,

 

[Strawberry]

@Old Bones you remind me that everyone all has their own different food issues. So there is no "one cook book to rule them all."

@Timaca As far as I am concerned, I can eat everything but wheat (a dr diagnosed allergy) but I can occasionally get away with a little. I'm not celiac. But I often have a very runny nose, I always have rash and sore throat, and I wonder if food is what is bothering me and keeping me so miserable. I do enjoy high histamine food... (Thanks for the links!)

I understand foods need to be fresh, but I can only afford to have groceries delivered two times per month. Besides, I still don't know if I have MCAS or not. I am in the "trial" phase with Dr Kaufman.

I know Yasmina likes her herbs, which is what I was wondering about as they could be a good addition to healing. But if you guys say they are hard to find or next to impossible to find.... Besides, I ordered fresh basil, and it arrived less than desirable looking, let alone FRESH. So it went into the freezer veggie bag to make into broth. WHEN I HAVE THE ENERGY. UGH.

BTW, I am thinking (and have thought this many times before) to petition the moderators for a food and recipes forum. With sub forums for all the different diets.

 

[JaimeS]

BTW, I am thinking (and have thought this many times before) to petition the moderators for a food and recipes forum. With sub forums for all the different diets.

I'm trying to do a recipe round-up on the blog, but it's not the same. I second this motion!

-J

 

[Strawberry]

I'm trying to do a recipe round-up on the blog, but it's not the same. I second this motion!

-J

I remember now! Wasn't it a GF bread? I was going to have my daughter bake some over winter break, but she didn't have time.

Okay, you just pushed me over the cliff. I want a food forum! When it is just recipes, it is easy to search the internet and find something. But when we are limited so severely with fatigue... THAT is my number one problem with recipes. I remember a while ago someone posted a recipe for a soup or something that involved chopping a vegetable for 30 seconds, then laying down for 20 minutes. Then chopping another vegetable, and laying down for 20 minutes. It is so sad, yet so true! I not only have to plan in advance to have the needed groceries delivered, but then to have the meat out of the freezer and thawed, and then enough energy to make it. And hope not to burn it because you forgot it. And lastly to get it into containers and into the freezer is usually where I am well beyond the do not pass sign.

 

[Timaca]

I didn't think I had food sensitivity issues at all. But I decided to go on an elimination diet and 3 weeks later I felt SO much better it was amazing!!! So I'm still trying to figure it all out but food is definitely an issue for me.

I like the idea of a recipe section!! How about we come up with the sub forums? Like:
Gluten free
Dairy free
Gluten and dairy free
Top 8 allergen free (wheat, milk, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, soy, peanuts, and eggs)
Or must make it Top 10 allergen free and include corn and seeds to the above list.
Vegan
Paleo


What would you add or subtract to that? Can they even make separate subforums do you think??

 

[Firefly_]

Food forums a great idea!

 

[Firefly_]

Right now I'm in hell on a paleo reset diet. Nothing but meat, veg, a little fruit, a little nuts. I'm alotta nuts right now. I might kill for a cheeseburger, sigh.

 

[JaimeS]

I remember now! Wasn't it a GF bread?

Yup! And mine is pretty easy, I promise.

I like the idea of a recipe section!! How about we come up with the sub forums? Like:
Gluten free
Dairy free
Gluten and dairy free
Top 8 allergen free (wheat, milk, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, soy, peanuts, and eggs)
Or must make it Top 10 allergen free and include corn and seeds to the above list.
Vegan
Paleo

This stuff was suggested but the conversation continues in a new thread, since it is off-topic for this thread. I don't mean to kill the party! Please continue the discussion over here.

 

[Strawberry]

Right now I'm in hell on a paleo reset diet. Nothing but meat, veg, a little fruit, a little nuts. I'm alotta nuts right now. I might kill for a cheeseburger, sigh.

Wow, a cheeseburger DOES sound good. What if it has that fake cheese (American) on it and no bun? Sorry to be a little temptress.

Since you are a few months ahead of me with testing through Dr Kaufman, would it be a good idea for me still to try this? I would imagine that all I have to do is have an avocado and some leftover refrigerated chicken from yesterday and I would be back to square one for a blood test. How do you handle your meat and vegetables? Do you have to go to the store several times a week?

Meat, veg, and nuts is almost all I eat anyway, although definitely not FRESH. I get groceries delivered two times per month, and sometimes it takes days before I get the meat into individual portions and frozen. I would love to hear how you are doing this. Do you cook it and then freeze it? Freeze upon purchase and cook after a quick thaw? Buy that day what you will eat that day?

 

[JaimeS]

I get groceries delivered two times per month, and sometimes it takes days before I get the meat into individual portions and frozen.

Freeze the nuts, too! It's easy -- they don't stick together, so you don't have to portion them out. Additionally, they are so oily that you can remove a handful from the freezer and eat immediately -- at least, that is what I do with walnuts, cashews, and pecans without any trouble.

They last forever this way, and the good-quality fats don't oxidize.

-J

 

[Strawberry]

Freeze the nuts, too!

-J

Oh good grief! I have to freeze my nuts TOO???

What I don't get about this diet that I have learned from Yasmina, is that everything has to be eaten FRESH. Including onions, etc, and now apparently, my NUTS. I don't know where Yasmina is from, but where I am from (this is said with pure sarcasm), things are only harvested once a year. And then stored. If you are lucky you can get things off season from South America. So the onion or squash I buy next month will have been harvested the same time as the onion and the squash I bought last month.

I do understand the food I cooked last night and put into the fridge will have higher histamine today than if I put it into the freezer last night. But how does it work with fruits and vegetables (and NUTS) that are harvested once a year and stored (traditionally) in cellars for up to a year?

I also understand that the 10 day old broccoli I forgot in the fridge probably was high histamine when I cooked it the other day, but broccoli isn't a storing vegetable. I deserved any itching and sneezing I got from that. I'm just too cheap to have thrown it out. And I was hungry.

Sorry about the 10 year old humor over nuts. It IS Friday. I do realize they can go rancid if stored improperly. It was just my inner 10 year old!

 

[JaimeS]

I don't know where Yasmina is from, but where I am from (this is said with pure sarcasm), things are only harvested once a year. And then stored. If you are lucky you can get things off season from South America. So the onion or squash I buy next month will have been harvested the same time as the onion and the squash I bought last month.

LOL, I have no idea if frozen nuts retain their histamine-less qualities in this manner... all I know about is oxidation. I'm a chemist. A chemist!

-

I also understand that the 10 day old broccoli I forgot in the fridge probably was high histamine when I cooked it the other day, but broccoli isn't a storing vegetable. I deserved any itching and sneezing I got from that. I'm just too cheap to have thrown it out. And I was hungry.

I do this toooo. It's about to go bad? TIme to make soup!

-J

 

[Firefly_]

Wow, a cheeseburger DOES sound good. What if it has that fake cheese (American) on it and no bun? Sorry to be a little temptress.

Since you are a few months ahead of me with testing through Dr Kaufman, would it be a good idea for me still to try this? I would imagine that all I have to do is have an avocado and some leftover refrigerated chicken from yesterday and I would be back to square one for a blood test. How do you handle your meat and vegetables? Do you have to go to the store several times a week?

Meat, veg, and nuts is almost all I eat anyway, although definitely not FRESH. I get groceries delivered two times per month, and sometimes it takes days before I get the meat into individual portions and frozen. I would love to hear how you are doing this. Do you cook it and then freeze it? Freeze upon purchase and cook after a quick thaw? Buy that day what you will eat that day?

To start with, dr Kaufman didn't prescribe this diet, my functional med doc did. I send my husband to the store quite a bit (I'm so, so lucky!). Lately I've also been going and using the store scooter (damn those sidelong looks from the ignorant masses lol).

I've also participated for several years in a fruit and veggie co-op so I get a lot of different produce every 2 weeks. Then on my good days I make up my own mayo and ranch, cook up a bunch of fish and veggies, soups, etc the freeze them in individual packets. Also get a tub of chicken livers (only liver I can tolerate and supposed to eat it twice a week) and freeze individual servings on a cookie sheet then bag them up. The meat is always frozen right after we get it then defrosted day of cooking. I'm trying to talk my DH into getting some chickens and a cow so I can control the quality better, but baby steps. He already has so much to do. I just get super optimistic when I have a stretch of good days and think, hey I can feed chickens and gather eggs, then bam, I get a couple of bad ones and it brings me right back down to earth. I am very very grateful though for anything I can do. And I guess it's a blessing that I haven't mopped in over a year?! I just let my 1 year old granddaughter do it with her knees

All that being said, all of this wouldn't have been possible 6 months ago, I couldn't even stand in the shower, so I'm not sure how a person in worse shape and with no help would manage.

 

[Firefly_]

Freeze the nuts, too! It's easy -- they don't stick together, so you don't have to portion them out. Additionally, they are so oily that you can remove a handful from the freezer and eat immediately -- at least, that is what I do with walnuts, cashews, and pecans without any trouble.

They last forever this way, and the good-quality fats don't oxidize.

-J

Yeah, I always freeze my nuts so they don't get rancid cause I usually buy in bulk, and I have friends with pecan trees so I get a buttload. It's great!

 

[JaimeS]

Yeah, I always freeze my nuts so they don't get rancid cause I usually buy in bulk, and I have friends with pecan trees so I get a buttload. It's great!

Luckkyyy! Nuts are so expensive! And I go through them like mad, especially lately now that I'm avoiding carbs as much as I possibly can.

I do the same, re: cooking. Bunch at once. I cook about once a week and freeze things. I was disappointed because I made a 'sweet' the other day that I couldn't really use... it turned out so bad! So today I cooked again, for the second time this week. I tried an Indian-spiced coconut milk custard, matcha macaroons, and a lemon poppyseed cake that was paleo. The first was a disaster (the spice profile turned out totally wrong, despite following the recipe exactly), the second was a qualified success (they taste good but I had to adapt the recipe liek whoa), and the third is in the oven.

Good days are good, man. Only 1.5 hours in bed today.

-J

 

[Mel9]

Yeah, I always freeze my nuts so they don't get rancid cause I usually buy in bulk, and I have friends with pecan trees so I get a buttload. It's great!

What
a great idea!