The tricky signs of hidden histamines & how to reverse them. (life changing)

Welcome back to class as we continue to connect the dots on Histamines! 

Meet Flora.

florae \ˈflȯr-ˌē, -ˌī\
:bacteria and microorganisms in the body of humans intestinal flora.

While I would love to share how we infuse 'sea flora' in to our beautiful food-grade skincare line - today we're talking about the GUT (and much more). 

Think of your gut FLORA as an inner garden; just with any garden,– when you let the weeds take over, it get's a little ugly.

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Beauty & Wellbeing  -  Begins in the Belly.

Hista What?

If you missed our first look at histamines, you can review it here.
For the cliff note version, continue to read below.

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GUT HEALTH
+
LOW HISTAMINE FOODS 101 

It's no wonder!  

Our gut is where 70% of the immune system lies, where we metabolize hormones, where we make enzymes, and where we make nutrients.  This is why what goes in our digestive system can impact our mood, health, brain and skin so profoundly. 

Proper nutrition and a gut clean up is the true root of healing for glowing healthy skin and a resurrection of healthy hair growth.  

FIRST, we take a FIELD TRIP back to understanding  the origin of Histamines and the role they play.

Histamines are essential.

Our body naturally makes histamine, but are also introduced through our diet.  Histamine can trigger common allergies, as well as play a essential role in helping us regulate sleep and digestion.

  The Two Enzymes that Impact a Histamine Imbalance

These two enzymes, especially DAO, bind & break down histamine, preventing excess histamine.

The Reaction:  When you are unable to metabolize histamine or eat foods high in histamines - allergy like symptoms can occur.  (ie: redness of the skin, hives, congestion or a runny nose, swelling, fatigue, diarrhea, and other symptoms)  can occur.

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Getting to the ROOT

with

Diet and Lifestyle Choices

The Microbiome Connection
Your micro-biome and gastro health is critical.   This is where your natural enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO) production occurs.   * This enzyme is what breaks down histamines. * 

Leaky Gut
Histamine intolerance can occur without a leaky gut, but there is a common link to the release of particles in the body and blood - increasing leaky gut exacerbates and the symptoms of histamine intolerance.

DNA & Genetics
Histamine intolerance is partially genetic and people with certain genes seem to be more predisposed.

Predispo... - WHAT?
A genetic predisposition of poor methylation or unable to obtain the key vitamins (B6, B12, iron, copper and vitamin C) - causes symptoms flare up.

Gas, bloating and constipation?  Hypothyroidism + Hashimoto's + SIBO

What do these three things have in common?
They may be caused by SIBO which is correlated with the Histimine im-balance and thyroid production.   SIBO is an inflammatory condition in the GI tract and is caused by an overgrowth of yeast and bacteria.  50% of those with hypothyroidism have SIBO.

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Here are a few hints of histamine high foods to avoid.   
Download this 'done for you' food guide checklist to create ease and clarity on your next field-trip to the store.  

• Fermented foods  
• Cow's milk and most cultured dairy (such as cheeses & yoghurt)
•  Vinegar products (vinegar, pickles, ketchup, mustard)
• Artificial colors + Artificial preservatives
• Long cooked bone broth

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Lifestyle & Nutrition Tips

• Avoid eating canned foods and ready meals
• Avoid eating ripened and fermented foods (older cheeses, alcoholic drinks, products containing yeast)
• Avoid leftover meat products

Supplements

*Cleanse + Favor Vitamin C
There's a good reason we use THE BIG C in our Evoq skin line.
It's a powerful antioxidant!  We’ve already schooled you on cleansing for spring (you can find it here).  

*How Vita C works? Rather than blocking histamine from binding to receptor sites ( what pharmaceuticals do), Vitamin C prevents histamine from forming in the first place. 

*Honey
FIND A LOCAL HIVE.  Allergies are noticeably decreased by incorporating raw and local honey into the diet.  You can also get this through bee pollen. I love Premiere Research Labs Bee Pollen

*Quercetin
This antioxidant can be found naturally in apples, onions and other produce. Research proves its an effective natural allergy remedy because it is able to lessen the respiratory side effects caused by inflammation in the airways. 

*Stinging Nettle
This plant is a common herb and shows its power in clinical studies revealing that 58% of people rated nettle as more effective than other allergy medications they’ve tried.

*Bromelain
It's best when treating the respiratory distress and other symptoms often associated with allergies, primarily by blocking the action of agents causing inflammation and swelling. 

*Probiotics  
The following probiotics either contain histamine reducing or histamine neutral strains. Best strain? Probiotic that contains Bifidobacterium infantis and B. longum. 
 
*Liver Support
Supporting the liver with herbs like milk thistle, artichoke leaf, wasabi, and sarsaparilla.

*DAO Supplementation
DAO supplements supply the enzyme that breaks down histamine. 

*Luteolin
This flavone is helpful in lowering inflammation, which is often at the core of histamine intolerance. According to a 2000 study in the journal of Pharmacology, luteolin has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It also inhibits the activity of mast cells, which release histamine.

*Ginger
In studies, ginger has shown to inhibit histamine release and protect from peptic ulcers. As a culinary herb, you can easily add it to your diet and reap its benefits.

Adaptogens
They have the unique ability to bring stress hormones up when they’re too low, and bring them down when they’re too high. So essentially, they always know what to do to keep your body in the proper balance. This dual action is what make adaptogens a fabulous option among histamine supplements.

**EVOQ CBD Oil

Our *NEW* EVOQ CBD Curing Concentrate is built with 300mg of ACTIVE medicinal cannabinoids and Full Spectrum Terpene natural boosters to instantly calm and balance your immune system.

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Hope you enjoyed and made it to the end!  

Consider specialized testing — such as organic acid, stool, gluten sensitivity and food allergy testing if the above strategies don’t help you get to the bottom of flora gut dysfunction. You might have to work with a Functional Medicine practitioner to effectively test and treat imbalances in your gut. 

NEXT we review how histamines effect women's everyday aging and the secret tools to fight back. 

xo Love + Health + Beauty      -  Kassandra

Eczema and Your Gut

Eczema and Your Gut

If you are plagued with eczema, you know just how frustrating and debilitating this condition can be. You try all the creams and lotions samples from your dermatologist– to no avail. You finally turn to steroids, which immediately improve your condition, but slowly destroy your body and health in the process. You are disappointed to discover that almost to the day that you stop steroid therapy, your eczema comes back. But even worse, chronic steroid use causes dysbiosis (abnormal gut flora), which is the prime cause of eczema!

This situation is true even for infants and children. Infants inherit their gut flora from their mothers. Since millions of mothers suffer from dysbiosis, millions of infants suffer from eczema right from the start. For infants, kids, and adults the gut flora-that thick, beneficial-bacteria layer that covers your intestinal lining-is the very cradle of your immune system.

When this flora and the intestinal lining become damaged from prescription drugs, antibiotics, sugary and processed foods, and chemicals, dysbiosis (the overgrowth of harmful bacteria) is the result. Chronic indigestion, diarrhea, cramps, constipation, colitis, Crohn’s disease and more are the direct result of dysbiosis. But more insidious is that the immune system becomes damaged, and you end up becoming immune compromised.

In simple terms, your immune system is divided into two divisions known as T-cell type 1 and T-cell type 2. T-cell type 1 serves as a barrier to infection and invasion anywhere the body comes in contact with the outside world-for example, through the skin and mucous membranes. This system uses biochemicals such as interleukin-2, immunoglobulin A, gamma interferon, and more to keep invaders out of your body.

When you develop dysbiosis (abnormal gut flora), this system is weakened, letting foreign microbes and toxins into your body. Your body responds by over stimulating the T-cell type 2 system. This system kicks into high gear using its own set of biochemicals such as interleukins, alpha interferon, and immunoglobulin E (IgE). IgE is the master of allergic reactions.

Once this scenario takes place-when T-cell 1 is underactive, allowing foreign invaders into your body, and T-cell 2 kicks into high gear, the result is predictable. You end up with chronic viral infections, allergies (often severe and to everything), chronic fatigue syndrome, candidiasis, asthma, and eczema. Other dysbiosis syndromes include, but are not limited to, arthritis; chronic inflammation and pain; menstrual problems; mental and emotional problems including, but not limited to, attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, autism, schizophrenia syndrome, and depression; and much more.

So if you suffer from chronic eczema, you need to fix your gut. It is difficult to overestimate just how critical the state of your gut flora is when it comes to all these dysbiosis syndromes, including eczema. Most of the syndromes spring from severe nutritional deficiencies that come automatically when your gut is host to happily growing abnormal bacteria. When this is the case, your gut simply cannot absorb the nutrients your immune system and your body need to stay healthy and strong-no matter how good your diet is, or how many “vitamins” you take.

Cure Dysbiosis to Cure Eczema

You have to normalize your gut and give it what it needs to bring back a healthy and normal flora. Only then will you be able to finally balance your immune system, turn up your T-cell 1 system, and turn down your T-cell 2 system. Normalizing your gut will start to turn off the over stimulated and allergic reactions in your skin and body. And once your gut is on the way towards normalization, you will slowly recover from the major, powerful, and multiple nutritional deficiencies that cause endless suffering for all persons with dysbiosis. With a normalizing gut, and the proper nutrition, you will once again be able to absorb the nutrients needed to end eczema, allergies, and all the other nutritional deficiency syndromes from which most Americans suffer.

So start today.   At the very least, begin to help yourself by changing your diet immediately. Eat only real, whole foods, no processed foods, and give your gut a rest by eliminating all gluten (anything made from wheat, rye, barley, and oats) for 6 months. Start taking a probiotic to feed your gut the healthy, beneficial bacteria that it needs.

Contact Kassie today to test and discuss any needs for supplemental products to help heal your "gut" and clear your skin.

Reference:  By Dr. Bruce West

Probiotics - Inner Health for Outer Beauty

Probiotic literally means “for life”, and unlike the foreign bacteria which cause illness and infection, probiotics can play an important role in promoting intestinal health. Probiotics are similar to the good bacteria which occur naturally in the digestive tract and can be beneficial in treating a range of ailments, including skin conditions such as acne and eczema.

Healthy intestinal flora is essential for the effective digestion of food. By promoting healthy bacteria, probiotics aid the proper absorption of nutrients and minerals, and help establish a barrier against a variety of harmful bacteria, allergens, free radicals and pollutants.

Poor bacterial ecology can exacerbate hormonal, digestive and immune imbalances. These imbalances can in turn effect virtually all chronic skin diseases. Dandruff, candida, leaky gut syndrome and acne are just some of the skin conditions which may be associated with a lack of friendly bacteria in the digestive tract. Rosacea and eczema - skin ailments often related to stomach acid and nutrient deficiencies, food sensitivities, and faulty fatty acid metabolism - may also be exacerbated by low levels of healthy intestinal bacteria.

Supplementing your diet with super strain probiotics will help cleanse the digestive tract and promote a clear complexion. Kassie of Kasia Organics Skin Care suggests introducing  Immuno Viva Probiotic + for healthy gut flora, along with a diet rich in living foods, fresh organic fruit and vegetables and plenty water.  These nutrients not only nourish and feed the skin, they also cleanse the intestinal tract, and as your gut becomes healthier, so too will your complexion. A foundation of Salon Kasia and Beautiful Health is directly related to your internal health.

Part of this could be due to the fact that some of the incredible statistics about your intestine read like a "Ripley's Believe It or Not". Did you know that:

	About 80% of your immune system lives in your gastrointestinal tract.
	500 different species of bacteria live inside you.
	About one hundred trillion bacteria live inside you -- more than TEN TIMES the number of cells you have in your whole body.
	The weight of these bacteria is about two to three pounds.
	Some of these bacteria are referred to as "good", but others do not provide any benefit. The ideal balance between them is 85% good, 15% "other".

Note: Choose your probiotics supplements carefully. Not all probiotic supplements will have the same qualities.

At Kasia Salon, we have noticed many positive skin changes under the influence of an essential fatty acid and gastro-intestinal supplementation.

**  KASIA INFORMED BEAUTIES LOVE.....

Immuno Viva Probiotic Plus!

Did you know?

• Topical skincare products address about 20% of your skin’s needs.
• The other 80% comes from proper nutrition.

Immuno-Viva’s nutritional supplements help to heal and strengthen cellular membranes and protect cells’ internal structures. They work synergistically with Kasia Organic Skincare’s topical products to improve the health of skin, hair and nails.

Good health begins with good digestion. Immuno-Viva® Probiotic+ delivers a robust blend of probiotics, or "good flora," to help promote healthy, regular digestion.*

• Seven types of probiotics promote healthy digestion*
• Cranberry seed extract promotes urinary tract health*
• Antioxidants promote overall health*

Probiotic+ uses patented Biotract technology which protects the probiotics from harmful effects of gastric acid, so they survive until they reach the GI tract. Our probiotic blend contains 10 billion CFU/serving at time of manufacture.

Learn more about Probiotic Plus and Immuno Viva HERE.

Kassie Kuehl/Kasia Organic Salon

www.kasiaorganicsalon.com