text: things to avoid when you have shingles? i just came down with a pretty mild case of shingles and i am wondering if there are certain things i should avoid such as the sun that might make it worse. also can i spread them to another part of my body by touching them? foods containing high concentrations of l- arginine ( an amino acid). shingles are a related virus to herpes/chicken pox. almonds are very high in this.