ARE YOU FEEDING THAT MIGRAINE?

If you have suffered a migraine before or experiences occasional migraine episodes, this post will be very helpful to you.

In a business meeting, a man rejected a cup of coffee because according to him, coffee gives him headaches. The man next to him called him coy, and just local. The story indeed made me laugh and I wondered if being a coffee drinker is a sign of confidence.

THE TRUTH is that the non-coffee drinker has discovered what works best for him and probably understands the effects that the things he eat or drink have on his health. When it comes to migraine and other headaches, there are two types of diets-

1.     The headache trigger foods- that can start the migraine reaction, and

2.     The headache fighting foods- that put the body in optimal migraine fighting shape, and can either relieve migraine or help you cope.

Some headache trigger foods include

• alcohol (even red wine)
• caffeine
• chocolates
• nuts (especially peanuts)
• yeast (especially in breads and other foods and drinks)
• some flavorings (like vanilla may contain alcohol)
• all alcoholic and fermented beverages
• all foods with tyramine ( all fermented, salted or pickled foods like aged cheese, fermented soy products like soy sauce and all nuts.)
• foods with tannins ( tea, red wine, chocolate, vanilla, black wallnuts and most herbal products.)

*NOTE. Different people have different triggers; it is therefore very important for you to understand what triggers your migraine and eliminate or cut down on them.

Headache fighting foods. In the world of diet cures for headaches/migraines, the best advice is simply to eat a well-balanced diet with plenty fresh, non-processed foods. That includes a variety of grains, fruits and vegetables. Here are some specific foods that are believed to be useful in cutting down the migraine pains.

• cayenne pepper
• ginger
• peppermint
• fish and fish oil
• oat meal
• wheat
• garlic
• calcium and magnesium rich foods.

What about fasting and skipping meals?

Yes they are surefire triggers for many people, possibly because of dropping blood sugar levels. Try to eat small amounts of meals throughout the day and avoid skipping meals. Remember that fresh is best- eat it fresh and cut down on processed foods. Avoid making sudden drastic changes in your diet, whatever change you want to make, ease into it and eat a well-balanced diet.

****Am pleased to let you know that Nutritionalert has been nominated for two categories(Best Fitness or Health Blog and Most Educational Blog ) in the ongoing Nigerian Blog Awards. Visit HERE and vote for Nutritionalert.