Does anyone else get procrastination, or feel unmotivated and highly distracted from food reactions?

I have a serious procrastination problem. And well I hate to not own up to being "lazy" or unmotivated, I think it's largely due to histamine. I'm currently working through a million food sensitivities...I've been 6 months on a low fat vegan diet, mostly raw food, and my food sensitivities are getting a lot better. I've gone from comatose from bananas to just feeling a bit wired from them. There is not one food I can eat without feelng some effects of histamine.

I work full-time but have to take online courses. I've been taking one course at a time. And I seriously waste so much time daydreaming and procrastinating. However, if I'm having a good day, I can get a lot of work done. Today was not one of those days...It took me all day (12 hours) to do complete 9 questions for 1 chapter. This should have taken about 1 hour.  I do not have ADD, but it's like the histamine or my mast cells make it seem like I do sometimes...

Hi Bebop,

You are definitely not alone in your symptoms.  Some meds are better than others for brain fog and other feelings you describe.  The older antihistamines, like Hydroxyzine (Atarax), cross the blood-brain barrier and can be more helpful than some of the newer ones that don't get into the brain.

Histamine can cause fatigue and so can certain foods.  If you can't eat anything without reacting at least a little, then the issue likely could be finding a way to heal your GI system.  I was helped by taking l-glutamine, bromelain, and probiotics.  l-glutamine helps repair the lining of the intestines.  Bromelain helps with digestion of fats and proteins and, if taken without food, is anti-inflammatory.  Probiotics are getting a lot of press lately, and it's no doubt they help re-balance the immune system and keep the GI system running smoothly.

Now that I'm doing better, I can eat most foods unless I'm in a flare.  I also try to practice rotational eating and try not to have the same foods more than once every 2-3 days, but that's hard when you don't have very many foods you can eat.  

I began taking turmeric with bromelain 3 times a week about 1 1/2 years ago, and it's helped clear my head a lot, not to mention taken away a lot of pain and stiffness.  I don't forget things anymore (at least not more than a normal person) and rarely feel impaired.  Focusing on work is no longer difficult.  I'm pretty sure it's the turmeric.  Of course check with your doctor(s) if you're going to try anything new.

It sounds as though you're doing a great job figuring out your triggers.  One hint:  Certain foods can contain mold, and that can be a trigger in itself.  Dried fruits, canned fruits and vegetables, aged cheeses, fermented and cultured foods can all have high levels of molds and enzymes that can trigger symptoms.  Also, some foods cross-react with pollens, so if you react to pollens, you might want to look up the foods that cross react with those particular ones.  For example, people with ragweed allergy sometimes react to melons.

Another problem some people have is reacting to the antibiotics given to animals they've eaten.  For example, a lot of cattle are given Cipro and similar meds that leave residues in the meat.  If you think that might bother you, then organic or solely grass-fed meat might be more tolerable.

Finally, if you're taking vitamins, some people have trouble with niacin, even the non-flushing form, as well as some other B vitamins.  B-12 however, is a good supplement to take if you test deficient, and it helps clear the head as well as increasing energy.

Don't know if any of these suggestions will help you, but as you get better, the brain symptoms should lessen.