Following this diet could help ease migraine pain
Migraines make life hell for up to 15 per cent of the UK population and are three times more common in women than in men. On top of the debilitating, throbbing headache, symptoms can include nausea and vomiting, visual disturbances and sensitivity to light, sounds and smells. Sufferers can be bed-ridden for up to three days by an attack.
Triggers are said to include everything from adverse weather to energy-saving light bulbs, but foods are most widely accepted to be significantly contributing factors to a migraine attack.
By watching what you eat and following some simple dietary pointers, sufferers can dramatically reduce their chances of having an attack or reduce the severity of the migraine if they are stuck down.
"Watching what you eat, along with ensuring you get enough rest, cutting stress levels and using a licensed herbal medicine traditionally used to relieve migraines, can help reduce the severity and regularity of attacks in migraine in many cases," said leading nutritionist and naturopath Max Tomlinson.
"Migraine headaches might be a sign that you are allergic or sensitive to some of the foods you are eating, or to some of the chemicals you come into contact with daily. The list of potential food triggers is huge. The solution is to turn to a health food diet, eating only freshly-prepared meals and staying away from the unnatural chemicals in processed and packaged foods."
He added that people should also be aware of the common causes from a naturopathic point of view, including high blood pressure, bowel problems, low blood sugars, grinding teeth, poor sleeping position, poor alignment of the spine or neck, and a lack of oxygen.
There are herbs that can help migraine, such as feverfew which is a well-known traditional treatment for migraines. In clinical trials, feverfew has reduced the severity, duration, and frequency of migraine headaches in double blind trials with migraine patients. Feverfew is now available in a registered form, which means it is checked for quality and safety by the government’s medicine agency - you can detect a licensed product by looking for the nine digit number preceded by the letter THR on the back of the box.
Eat To Beat Migraine
Careful with caffeine - caffeine causes dilation of the blood vessels. Withdrawing it causes blood vessels to contract, creating headaches of epic proportions. Stick to the healthy alternatives like water, fresh juices and warming herbal teas.
Keep hydrated - your body tries to warn you that a drink is needed by creating a dull headache which can become a migraine. Up your intake of water-rich foods like fruits and vegetables to help.
Go salt-free - high blood pressure is known to cause migraines in some people. As salt can increase blood pressure, cutting it out can help cut the risk of migraine.
Sticky blood - your blood can become ‘sticky’ (called platelet aggregation) from a poor diet. This means it does not flow properly and can elevate blood pressure. Foods rich in vitamin E, including avocado, wholegrains, and hazelnuts, and the Omega 3 fish oils, found in oily fish like salmon, can help improve circulation.
Vital fibre - waste products sit in the lower intestines and can create toxic headaches. We need to consume around 40 grams of fibre a day to keep our bowels regular, clean and clear, but most manage just 20 grams. Eat regular daily portions of fibre-rich healthy foods like brown rice, prunes, beans, lentils and fresh, raw vegetables.
Blood sugars - foods laden with sugar and white flour wreak havoc with energy levels, artificially raising blood sugars rapidly, triggering an emergency response from the body resulting in a sharp drop in blood sugars. This can cause a warning headache alongside hunger pangs. Regular, small meals and snacks focusing on healthy foods, like oats, porridge and baked sweet potatoes, release sugar slowly.
Magic magnesium - magnesium is essential for nerves and muscles. A deficiency can contribute to migraine headaches. Apples, apricots and brown rice are all rich in the migraine-taming mineral.
L-tryptophan - is an essential amino acid that works alongside magnesium to ensure proper functioning of the nervous system and can help to reduce the muscle migraine. The best healthy food sources are brown rice, cottage cheese and soya.
Migraine-Busting Recipe
Lemon baked halibut with garlic braised chicory
Serves 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
2 heads of chicory (180g/6oz), quartered
1 fat garlic clove, peeled and crushed
100ml/3fl oz/1/2 cup vegetable stock (no salt)
2 x 170g/6oz Pacific halibut steaks
1/2 medium lemon, very thinly sliced
2 tbsp chopped almonds, lightly toasted
1 Preheat the oven to 200ºC/fan 180ºC/400ºF/gas 6.
2 Place the chicory in a single layer on the bottom of a medium-sized baking dish. Whisk the garlic into the vegetable stock and pour over the chicory. Bake in the top part of the oven for 30 minutes, turning the chicory over half way through the cooking time. Add a little extra stock if the dish becomes dry.
3 Sit the halibut steaks on top of the chicory and lay the lemon slices over the top of the fish. Return to the oven and cook for a further 8-10 minutes, until the fish is just cooked.
4 Carefully transfer the halibut to two plates using a fish slice. Sprinkle the toasted almonds over the chicory before serving. Press the flesh of the lemon slices with a knife to squeeze any remaining juice into the halibut, then lift off and discard.
Tagged in Migraines