Contents
- 1. Keep records on a daily basis
- 2. Eat every two to three hours
- 3. Increase your protein intake
- 4. Reduce the time between waking up and eating
- 5. Avoid caffeine
- 6. Try to eat at the same time
- 7. Remember about sugars and artificial sweeteners in all foods and drinks
- 8. Cut back on sweets
- 9. Choose natural carbohydrates
- 10. Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids
- 11. Drink plenty of water
- 12. Enjoy your meal
It turns out that with the help of special nutrition, you can, if not get rid of migraine, then control it.
People suffering from migraines can only sympathize. It’s scary to imagine what it’s like to experience such torment on a regular basis, and sometimes wake up with it. You won’t drink pills every day. Food comes to the rescue!
Headache Coach Jen Mundo created a nutritional system based on 22 years of clinical research by chemist and professor Rudolfo Low, who knew firsthand about the problem.
Dr. Lowe has suffered from migraines since childhood. Wanting to get rid of headaches, the man began to observe the cause-and-effect relationship of migraines in himself and other people and conduct clinical studies to test his hypothesis. She turned out to be true.
When people prone to migraines eat foods that contain simple carbohydrates such as refined sugar, corn syrup, fructose, and maltose, they get migraine attacks.
“What’s the connection here?” – many might think. In fact, the logic is quite clear, and if expressed in ordinary language, the process goes something like this.
All the food we eat is broken down into glucose. Some are used immediately and some are stored as fat. When the pancreas is overactive, it secretes too much insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar. As a result, excess insulin eats up too much sugar and results in low blood sugar levels.
Lack of sugar – lack of energy. To increase it, the adrenal glands secrete “fast” hormones adrenaline and catecholamine. These energy boosters cause the blood vessels to constrict, which triggers the release of lipids, which are involved in the expansion and inflammation of the blood vessels in your head. The dilated blood vessels come in contact with the surrounding nerves, send signals to the brain, and voila, the migraine has begun.
The conclusion is very simple – it is necessary to control the amount of sugar entering the blood. An important caveat is to control, not give up completely! So what are the basic guidelines for a healthy diet for migraine tendencies?
1. Keep records on a daily basis
At first, you need to keep a food diary to keep track of how your body has reacted with a headache. So over time, you will come to an individual calculation of the amount of sugar.
2. Eat every two to three hours
This rule is useful not only for migraines, but also for a healthy diet in general. Why does everyone tirelessly talk about such an interval of eating in small portions? The point is in the surges of insulin, the effect of which was already mentioned earlier. To make the body as comfortable as possible, the following meal schedule is offered: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack.
3. Increase your protein intake
You should start your day with a protein meal – this will increase your blood sugar levels. Avoid sugary foods to prevent migraines, and choose protein foods such as eggs, dairy, soy, fish, chicken, meat, beans, and nuts. It is recommended to include protein in all meals.
4. Reduce the time between waking up and eating
It is best to eat as soon as possible after waking up. Don’t forget that if you are exercising in the morning, you need to eat first! These rules apply to your schedule no matter when you get out of bed. Your day begins when you wake up.
5. Avoid caffeine
Some will find it very difficult to adhere to this recommendation. Not only because in our time there is a cult of coffee, but because caffeine is found in the same tea, energy drinks, chocolate and even some medicines. You shouldn’t rape yourself and arrange “shock therapy” for the body – we cut the number of forbidden foods slowly, with careful tracking.
6. Try to eat at the same time
For people with irregular schedules or those who do not always have the opportunity to prepare their own food, this item is especially difficult. However, you should still try not to skip meals and not “accumulate” appetite. If you have long events scheduled, make sure you have a container of food and a bottle of water in advance.
7. Remember about sugars and artificial sweeteners in all foods and drinks
Given the dependence of migraines on blood sugar levels, it is important to monitor the composition of food labels. Sometimes even the most unsweetened foods can contain a “killer” dose of sugar, for example, ketchup, juices, sauces, canned vegetables.
8. Cut back on sweets
Cakes, pastries, ice cream, sweets, chocolate – it’s all very tasty and … very harmful. Remember the consequences: sugar – insulin jump – headache.
9. Choose natural carbohydrates
Eat natural carbohydrate-rich foods with protein foods, such as whole grains, potatoes, and pasta. A balanced diet will even out your blood sugar levels and help you digest protein.
10. Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids
Unsaturated fats, called omega-3 fatty acids, obtained from animals and plants, are an essential part of the human diet. It is also a very good addition to the migraine diet. Omega-3s are beneficial for people with headaches because they tone and relax the smooth muscle tissue that makes up the cardiovascular system. Fatty fish, avocados, nuts, butter, dairy products – you can easily indulge your favorite treats. Many of them are also rich in magnesium, which has a positive effect on migraine prevention.
11. Drink plenty of water
Water is the source of life and wellness. Remember to carry a bottle of water with you whenever possible and drink about 2 liters a day. Water (!) Is not coffee, tea, juice or other liquids.
Dehydration makes you tired and tired – don’t ignore your thirst or wait to feel it.
12. Enjoy your meal
It’s likely that after you’ve learned how many of your favorite foods you will have to give up, you feel a little desperate – don’t! Remember that you need to focus only on your own feelings and be in harmony with your body. Therefore, it is worth concentrating not on “no”, but on those tasty and healthy “cans”, the choice of which is quite varied. Health is a balance of useful and desirable.