Nutrition for EDS and MCAS, Functional Support for the Whole Body

When you live with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), or any complex chronic illness, nutrition isn’t just a wellness buzzword, it’s a lifeline.

These conditions affect nearly every part of your body, from your connective tissue to your immune system to your nervous system. That means what you eat (and how your body processes it) can directly influence how you feel.

At Connective Wellness, our approach to nutrition is functional, not formulaic. We go beyond standard meal plans or food tracking to look at how your body’s systems interact, and how food can support healing across the board.

The EDS–MCAS–Nutrition Connection

If you’ve ever felt like your body is in a constant state of inflammation or unpredictability, you’re not imagining it. Both EDS and MCAS can lead to:

• Collagen instability

• Histamine overload

• Autonomic nervous system dysfunction

• Gastrointestinal issues

• Nutrient malabsorption
  

Here’s where nutrition comes in:

• Support for connective tissue
  Nutrients like vitamin C, copper, zinc, glycine, and proline help your body make and repair collagen

• Mast cell stabilization
  Anti-inflammatory foods, low-histamine meal planning, and natural compounds like quercetin and luteolin can reduce MCAS flares

• POTS and dysautonomia
  Hydration strategies, electrolytes, and blood sugar stability can make a big difference

• Gut healing
  A low-inflammatory approach can calm digestion, ease constipation or diarrhea, and support microbiome balance
  

Common Challenges with Food and Chronic Illness

Many people living with EDS or MCAS don’t just struggle with symptoms, they struggle with food itself.

• You react to “healthy” foods
  What works for others may send you into a flare. Spinach, avocado, fermented foods? They’re high histamine or high oxalate, and they might not be safe for you right now.

• You’ve been dismissed
  Doctors often overlook nutrition entirely, especially in connective tissue disorders. You might have been told it’s just anxiety, or to “just eat better.”

• You’re overwhelmed by conflicting advice
  Google gives you five different diets. None of them work. You end up eating the same three safe foods on repeat and dreading every meal.

We see you. You’re not being dramatic, and you’re not alone.

What Functional Nutrition Actually Looks Like

Functional nutrition isn’t about strict rules or trendy plans, it’s about working with your body’s needs, not against them.

Here’s how we do it at Connective Wellness:

• Root-cause insight
  We look for patterns in your symptoms, labs, and history that explain what’s really going on

• Nervous system awareness
  We factor in dysautonomia, neurodivergence, and trauma responses that influence your digestion and food tolerance

• Tailored meal support
  We help you figure out what you can eat—and how to do it in a way that’s sustainable and enjoyable

• Compassion-first care
  We know you’re doing your best. We meet you where you are
  

Nutrition Coaching with Lived Experience

Lauren Prince, co-founder of Connective Wellness, is a Certified Functional Nutrition Coach, and a patient.

“I didn’t just study this. I lived it,” says Lauren. “For years, I was reacting to food and nobody could tell me why. It wasn’t until I learned how histamine, connective tissue, and gut health intersected that I started healing.”

Our coaches understand what it means to navigate multiple diagnoses, food reactions, and conflicting advice. That lived experience shapes every client session.

Services We Offer

If you’re ready to take the guesswork out of food, our Lifestyle Health & Functional Nutrition Coaching may be a perfect fit.

We offer:

• 1:1 Nutrition Coaching Sessions (virtual or in-person)

• Safe food mapping and meal planning

• Support for low-histamine, anti-inflammatory, or mast-cell-friendly diets

• Collaboration with your other providers at Connective Wellness

• Personalized supplement recommendations based on labs and history

Whether you’re trying to reduce flares, calm your gut, support energy levels, or just feel human again, we can help.

Learn more about our nutrition coaching services

Healing Begins with Food, but It Doesn’t End There

You deserve care that sees the full picture. At Connective Wellness, nutrition is just one part of a bigger journey, a journey toward feeling safe in your body again. Let’s find a way of eating that actually works for you, not against you.

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