Latest news with #MeganMcKenna
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Megan McKenna shares heartbreaking tribute to beloved family member: ‘I will miss you forever'
Megan McKenna has shared the loss of a family member with her fans, saying that she will 'miss them forever'. The TV personality revealed on Instagram that she has been 'hit hard' by the death of Daisy, her dog, who died aged 17. McKenna shared a reel of touching moments shared between the pair, including them cuddling and out on walks, to her three million followers on Sunday (25 May). The montage is set to the song 'Crazy' by Patsy Cline, which the star said she would often sing to her pooch but replace 'crazy' with 'Daisy.' 'Daisy, thank you for being by my side through every tear, laugh and milestone', McKenna said in another post.
The Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Heartbroken Megan McKenna shares devastating loss with fans, saying ‘I will miss you forever'
MEGAN McKenna has been left heartbroken after a devastating loss to her family. The former Towie star and country singer, who is now living in Germany after the birth of her son, posted the heartbreaking update on Instagram as she said goodbye. 6 6 6 The star shared that her beloved dog, who she referred to as her 'first baby' has died, after 17 years as her trusty sidekick. Sharing a slideshow of photographs of her beloved pooch, she wrote: 'I've been putting this post off for a few weeks because it becomes real when I do. But I lost my first baby Daisy and it hit me so hard. 'She passed away with me holding her in my arms. My sister and mum next to me. I sang her to sleep like I always did when she needed comforting.' 'It breaks my heart even typing this out,' Megan said. 'Daisy, Thankyou for being by my side through every tear, every laugh and every milestone from my teenage years into my 20's and even 30's. '17 years old and you still jumped and run around like a little lamb. I can't explain how much I will miss my little baby. 'You got me through so many hard times growing up. I couldn't have stayed on my own in my house without your little fluffy self next to me.' 'You gave it a right go my little bubs. I know you're playing in heaven with Nanny & Granddad now,' Megan added. 'Thankyou for teaching me how to be a mummy. I'm a pro with Landon because of you, your little dinners, bath time, walkies and cuddles. 'You was the best Daisy. You was my baby. You will always be in my heart. I will miss you forever.' Loved ones and followers quickly flocked to her comments section to pay tribute and share their condolences to Megan after her heartbreak. Megan McKenna shows off incredible post baby body in bikini just six months after giving birth and hitting back at mum-shamers MAFS star Ella Morgan said: 'I'm so sorry Meg. Sending you all my love, thoughts and hugs in what I can only imagine is an incredibly emotionally tough time for you all' 'I miss her so much. She'll be loved forever,' added her sister Milly. Friend Lauren added: 'She really was the best 🐾 what an amazing mummy you were to her! Love you so much 💔💔 I know how hard this has hit you. But she'll always be with you ❤️❤️❤️ xx' Her fiancé Oliver also shared his condolences, posting two love hearts. 6 6 6
The Sun
10-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
When I broke out in an agonising rash that left me bleeding docs blamed scabies – but 3 common foods were to blame
I COULDN'T sleep, I couldn't concentrate at work and I was cancelling social plans. I felt like my body was covered in ants due to a persistent itch - but I was completely unaware of a little-known allergy to foods in my daily diet. 6 6 It was January 2022 when I suddenly developed the most frustrating itchiness all over my body; one moment it was my head, the next it was my leg. This wasn't just a little tickle. It was persistent and impossible to ignore. And when I did ignore it, the itchiness would grow and grow. A specialist mentioned that it might be scabies and so for several days, I lathered the cream on and washed my bedsheets every morning. I did two rounds of scabies treatments, but still the itchiness persisted. On a trip to Austria in March 2022, I broke down in tears as my incessant scratching was causing my skin to bleed. It took a (very expensive!) trip to an Austrian dermatologist to discover I had urticaria (the medical term for hives). My body was covered in these hives. And I was then told it caused by a histamine intolerance. Ever wondered why you don't quite feel right after eating certain foods such as cheese or chocolate? Or, feel as though your skin is itchier than normal after drinking red wine? Megan McKenna blasted the Prime Minister today for 'abandoning' a vow to create an 'allergies tsar' Perhaps yoghurt, beer and champagne - which are fermented foods - have left you bloated and struggling with digestive issues, despite the fact you've always eaten them? Or, like me, you have never even connected the dots. Histamine tolerance can also cause a runny nose, brain fog and fatigue. "It can even impact mental health, with reported symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia and panic attacks," says Dr Mohamed Najja from Jorja Healthcare Group. Some foods act as histamine liberators, meaning they trigger the body to release more histamine, even if they don't contain much themselves. Laura Southern nutritional therapist at London Gynaecology The little-known problem primarily impacts women and tends to occur more frequently with age, often in the 40s and 50s but anytime from the age of 30. 'Histamines are chemicals that your immune system makes," explains Dr Najja. "They are released by white blood cells during an immune response, helping to respond to allergy triggers (such as pollen or certain foods)." 6 6 6 Histamine intolerance, he says, refers to an excess of histamine in the body. The body struggles to process or eliminate excess histamine. It can lead to a range of symptoms that may mimic allergies. But while allergies involve your immune system response, releasing histamines to get rid of whatever it sees as a threat (even if it's harmless), histamine intolerance, in contrast, is a problem with the body's ability to process histamine. "When histamine is released then the blood flow to the area increases, causing inflammation such as redness, swelling and itchiness," he says. The symptoms of histamine intolerance Symptoms of histamine intolerance can vary from one person to another. However, Dr Najjar says that common symptoms include: Abdominal pain and bloating Changes of bowel movement, which could include diarrhoea, nausea, gas and reflux. Skin rashes, flushing or hives Headaches Dizziness Fatigue Brain fog Runny nose or nasal congestion Shortness of breath or wheezing Heart palpiations Mental health effects A 2019 study in the journal Intestinal Research found participants suffering from histamine intolerance experienced an average of 11 symptoms. What foods trigger symptoms or antihistamine intolerance? When I got dianogsed, I had to laugh at the fact I was consuming foods and drinks daily that trigger histamine intolerance daily. At the time, I was shotting apple cider vinegar in the morning, drinking a fair bit of champagne and was eating spinach, tomatoes and chocolate every day. High histamine foods include aged cheeses such as parmesan and blue cheese and cured or smoked meats, such as salami and smoked salmon. Fermented foods such as soy sauce and miso also don't help. Aged, fermented and processed foods contain high levels of histamine because histamine forms during bacterial fermentation or food decay. Alcohol, especially red wine, champagne and beer, pickled or canned foods, beans and pulses, salty snacks and chocolate are all no-gos. 6 Laura Southern, nutritional therapist at London Gynaecology says: 'Some foods also act as histamine liberators, meaning they trigger the body to release more histamine, even if they don't contain much themselves." The list of histamine liberators are often 'healthy' foods. They include vinegar, tomatoes, citrus fruits, spinach, strawberries, and nuts, especially walnuts, cashews and peanuts. 'Some foods block DAO, the enzyme that breaks histamine down," says Laura. "These include energy drinks, black and green tea and alcohol.' Laura adds: 'Histamine levels in food can vary based on storage time and processing. 'Histamine is often a 'gut' problem, so foods that damage the lining of the gut, or support the 'bad' bacteria in your gut can cause histamine reactions or make them worse. "These foods are UPFs, sugar, fried foods, processed meats, alcohol and sweeteners.' Hormones, particularly oestrogen, play a big role in the development of histamine intolerance, according to Tara Ghosh, a certified Hormone and Women's Health Coach. Therefore, she says, a lot of women may notice that menopause and perimenopause can make histamine issues worse. 'Having too much oestrogen in relation to progesterone leads to something called oestrogen dominance which can cause our allergies to be way worse or indeed appear out of nowhere for the first time," she says. Generally, oestrogen is on a downward slope during perimenopause, but with unpredictable peaks. 'While oestrogen is on a rollercoaster as we age, progesterone plummets,' Tara says. Tara explains that oestrogen increases histamine and is linked to slowing down the production of the DAO enzyme which clears histamine from our body. As well as hormones, some medications and gastrointestinal issues such as irritable bowel disorder can actually get in the way of DAO working properly. How to treat histamine intolerance The NHS doesn't offer a histamine intolerance test, but you can buy them online. However, Dr Najjar advises against doing them without the support and expertise of a qualified medical practitioner. You may take antihistamines when your body is reacting to histamines - and, after being put on strong ones, I was given a long list of foods that I had to remove from my diet. Although you can take antihistamines, Tara claims: 'Most antihistamine treatments are just a band-aid, blocking your histamine receptors. 'What we need to think is, 'why is my allergy bucket so full and causing me this hell?' 'Reduce dairy, gluten, sugar and alcohol as these are inflammatory and limit fermented food (such as kombucha and sauerkraut), avocados, spinach, tomatoes, chocolate and citrus fruit as these stimulate histamine.' Tara adds: 'High levels of the stress hormone cortisol correlate with high histamine so find ways to calm your nervous system every day and prioritise your sleep. "A high dose vitamin C supplement can also break down histamine.' A process of eliminating potential histamine-rich trigger foods and then slowly reintroducing them, can help you discover where your tolerance lies. In a matter of days, my skin calmed. The itching ceased and I felt like a free woman! Still to this day, I am strict on what I eat and if I know I'll be drinking champagne or wine, or eating smoked salmon or anything fermented, I will take an antihistamine to prepare myself. My histamine intolerance dictates what I eat and drink and every day I have to stop and think before I put anything in my mouth. Honestly, the itchiness isn't worth it. So what can you eat? Laura says that low-histamine staples include fresh meat and poultry (not processed or leftover), freshly cooked fish and eggs (especially the yolks). Gluten-free grains like rice and quinoa, most fresh vegetables (like courgette, carrots and broccoli) and leafy greens (except spinach) are all okay. 'Vitamin C and B6 are crucial for DAO activity," says Laura. "I often suggest foods such as parsley, fresh greens, peppers, blueberries, chicken, turkey and sunflower seeds.' She adds: 'The gut plays a huge role in histamine regulation so I also encourage anti-inflammatory and gut-supportive foods such as freshly cooked root vegetables, herbs such as ginger, turmeric and thyme and omega-3-rich oils from flax or chia seeds." Laura adds that the freshness of your foods plays a part - even food that's been left in the fridge for a day could trigger symptoms.
