Nightshade Free Diet

nellie1967
nellie1967 Posts: 8 Member
edited November 6 in Food and Nutrition
I was told today by my doctor that he believes that eating a nightshade free diet would be helpful for me for inflammation problems.
Can anyone suggest websites with healthy recipes that are nightshade free?

Replies

  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    I'd go and get another Doctor one that actually uses Science (sorry to sound harsh). There is no medical evidence linking 'Nightshade' foods to anything. Actually the only thing that links the vegetables counted as Nightshades is the fact that they grow in the shade and they contain solanine. Solanine is sometimes mentioned as causing inflamation and arthritis to date there has been no peer reviewed scientific research showing any link.
  • histora
    histora Posts: 287 Member
    http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=62

    Doesn't have recipes, but it does have a good idea of what foods are in the nightshade family and how to best prepare them if you just hit low-nightshade.

    Also, watch out for any meds called B&O or belladonna and opium...sometimes used for bladder and urinary issues.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Haha - I take it there is a 'nightshade' brand in the US - thought you meant the poison for a minute - it's late here, I should go to bed :)

    ETA : no, just read it again - is it a group of vegetables?, I'm very confused.
  • Jazz_Hands
    Jazz_Hands Posts: 55 Member
    Haha - I take it there is a 'nightshade' brand in the US - thought you meant the poison for a minute - it's late here, I should go to bed :)
    Sadly, there isn't....

    Apparently it's a classification of plants? In which case, I'm with fatdoob on this one.
  • Howbouto
    Howbouto Posts: 2,121 Member
    OP you may want to look to the primal/paleo group. There is a whole subgroup that does AIP (auto immune protocol) aka nightshade free. They will likely be able to help you get to recipe sites. As for the naysayers, my theory it is not going to hurt you to try it for a month to see if it helps. It is better than being in pain or on medications with awful side effects. Good luck.
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    No recipe list here either. I avoid nightshades for the most part in my diet because I also have inflammation/autoimmune issues.

    Tomatoes
    Potatoes (sweet and yams are fine)
    Eggplants
    Curry leaf
    Bell Peppers
    Some Chili Peppers

    As you can see the list isn't so large that it makes cooking impossible or anything.

    You can make your own no-matoe sauces for pasta, and some companies even make pre-jarred stuff.

    Use Yams instead of Potatoes and use a different veggie besides Bell Peppers and eggplant. It's not too hard.
  • nellie1967
    nellie1967 Posts: 8 Member
    Thank you all so much! Lots of good information for me to look into!:smile:
  • DSTMT
    DSTMT Posts: 417 Member
    Haha - I take it there is a 'nightshade' brand in the US - thought you meant the poison for a minute - it's late here, I should go to bed :)

    ETA : no, just read it again - is it a group of vegetables?, I'm very confused.

    Yeah I've never heard of this either
  • SephiraRose
    SephiraRose Posts: 766 Member
    Possibly eat organic foods, especially produce.
  • cherub_72
    cherub_72 Posts: 45 Member

    Tomatoes
    Potatoes (sweet and yams are fine)
    Eggplants
    Curry leaf
    Bell Peppers
    Some Chili Peppers
    If this is the list of foods you should avoid...not bad! I don't know about your diet but the only thing on that list that may cause me some discomfort is potatoes but I am pretty much reducing those down to nothing since the calorie value is to high for how long they actually stick with me.
  • Jade0529
    Jade0529 Posts: 213 Member
    OP I was looking this up the other day. I found this site. It has lots of great links (purple highlighted text) with even more info

    http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2013/06/23/nightshade-free-survival-guide/
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,218 Member
    If you have chronic inflammation to the point that intervention is required and the Dr. is telling you to stop eating nightshades I would probably want to talk to another Dr.
  • Lizzard_77
    Lizzard_77 Posts: 232 Member
    The book Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo covers Autoimmune protocol including nightshades and low-histamine foods. Her website is http://balancedbites.com/

    http://empoweredsustenance.com/ has GAPS and SCD recipes which I believe are also nightshade free.

    http://www.againstallgrain.com/ has some nightshade free recipes.

    The paleo/primal group is a great resource, there are loads of folks over there with experience and recipes. Good luck with it, I healed my joint inflammation through proper diet. It can be done!
  • waldermom
    waldermom Posts: 5 Member
    Nellie-

    It can be a tough change to make. I had to give up gluten about a decade ago, but after a sudden weight gain (inflammation) My nutritionist told me I had to give up nightshades, too. Potatoes and tomatoes hurt, because I had just learned how to cook again. But you get there... I eat a lot of sweet potatoes.

    But the toughest and most pervasive issue is the paprika and "spices" that are included in almost everything- especially condiments. I make all my own salad dressings. You need to find a mustard that does not have "spices" in the ingredient list. Same for mayonnaise, if you use it. Is there a way for members to exchange recipes? I have a recipe for fauxmato sauce, faux ketchup, 1000 dressing, that allows you to make sandwich spread, barbecue sauce based on the ketchup, a yummy honey mustard dressing, etc.

    I have to chop sweet pickles because I can't find a relish that does not add red peppers because it "looks pretty". The mayo I use now is Kraft light Mayo. Mustards are Maille, Maille dijon, and Lowensenf. Whenever I find myself in a new or interesting grocery store, I spend a lot of time reading ingredients in the condiment aisle. Oh! vinegars are my new best friends- balsamic, marin, white wine, red wine, and my favorite, good old Heinz apple cider. I haven't managed to perfect a raspberry vinaigrette yet, but I always have raspberry vinegar brewing in the fridge.

    There are some good internet sources listed here- I have gotten recipes from a couple Lizzard_77 mentioned. You can often just Google nightshade free "whatever" recipe and get results.

    http://www.plantoeat.com/blog/2013/04/a-nightshade-free-spice-pantry/ has a great list of spices and spice mixes to try.

    Best of Luck!
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    www.thepaleomom.com has quite a few recipes (or mods) on her website.
  • rmkramer003
    rmkramer003 Posts: 115 Member
    I am allergic to nightshades so I have been figuring out how to cook foods for awhile. The AIP stuff on the Paleo websites help a lot. I use Heinz Mayo, because it is the only one I have found without Paprika. I have found a couple of restaurants that don't make me sick because they know the food processes involved with actually making the food. Of all places, McDonald's is the only fast food burgers I can eat (as long as they don't have anything but cheese on them), all the other ones make me sick. Target has a brand of Salad dressing (Annie's Organic) in which many don't contain nightshades. Walmart has a brand now too, but I don't remember what the name is. I just know they have a creamy onion dressing and a poppy seed dressing that I like. Also the Walmart brand spicy brown mustard is nightshade free, but I have not found any yellow mustards that are.

    The biggest thing is to read the labels on everything that isn't a single ingredient food. Anything that says: Natural flavors (if it isn't a dessert), spices, modified food starch (almost always potatoes) avoid. Tobacco is also on the list of nightshades, but may not affect you if you don't smoke or live with a smoker. ladynocturne said "some chili peppers" but it is all chili peppers. Also Goji berries, which have been gaining popularity as a "superfood".
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  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    I have Crohn's disease and nightshades really aggravate my intestines
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I predict a lot of home cooking in your future. Tomatoes are in everything! Tomatoes were on the "forbidden" list when my doctor was trying to get to the bottom of my son's migraines. I like the idea of a "nomato" sauce. If you have this on hand you can adapt many recipes that you come across.


    http://www.food.com/recipe/basic-nomato-sauce-tomato-free-tomato-sauce-359835
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