Food Cures (54 page)

NUTRIENTS AND FOODS TO AVOID…

• Chocolate, cheese, and other foods containing
  tyramine
  or
  phenylethylamine.
  Although many other foods contain these 2 amino acids, the following specific foods can often be powerful migraine triggers: chocolate (and anything made with cocoa), aged or fermented cheeses (including Cheddar, bleu, brie, and all hard cheeses and “moldy” cheese), yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, soy products (including tofu, tempeh, miso, and foods made with soy protein/isolate), soy sauce, red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar (including salad dressings, and condiments made with vinegar), sauerkraut, relish, pickles, breads made with yeast extracts (including fresh baked bread, bagels, doughnuts, sourdough, pizza dough, soft pretzels, and coffee cake), organ meats (including liver, kidney, and pates), processed meats and fish (any smoked, pickled, cured, aged, or canned), beans (specifically lima, fava, navy, Italian or broad, and lentils), all nuts (including peanuts, cashews, almonds, and nut butters), seeds (specifically pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame), eggplant, avocado, onions, citrus fruits (pineapple, oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, tangerines, and clementines—and all of their juices), bananas, grapes, raisins, plums, papaya, passion fruit, and raspberries.
  
• Alcohol.
  Beer, red wine, sherry, and vermouth contain large amounts of tyramine, which can cause migraines. In addition, all alcohol can cause dehydration, which also can trigger headaches.
  
• Avoid eating leftovers:
  Because tyramine content increases over time,
  especially
  if food is improperly stored, avoid eating leftovers containing any of the “off limit” foods.
  
• Tea, red skinned apples and pears, apple juice and cider, coffee, and red wine, which contain
  tannins.
  
• Deli meats and other food containing
  nitrites.
  These include pepperoni, bacon, hot dogs, sausages (including chicken, turkey and soy sausages/bacon/hotdogs that list nitrites in their ingredients), bologna, pastrami, jerky (beef and turkey), corned beef, and all other beef/poultry/pork/wild game/fish that have been cured, smoked, pickled, canned, or preserved with nitrites.
  
• Wine and other foods containing
  sulfites.
  This preservative is commonly found in wine (more so in red), most dried fruits are typically preserved with sulfites (including prunes, figs, apricots, etc.), canned vegetables, and many processed foods.
  
• Additives.
  Check labels carefully and avoid foods that contain monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP), kombu extract, any products claiming to have “natural flavor” or “natural flavorings.”
  
• Aspartame.
  Can trigger migraines in some people. Avoid all foods made with this artificial sweetener (also known as Nutrasweet and Equal).
  
• Caffeine.
  People with sensitivity to caffeine can develop migraines after drinking black tea, green tea, coffee, cola soft drinks, or other caffeinated soft drinks. But caffeine can also be used to stop a migraine that is just beginning—that’s why many over-the-counter migraine medications contain caffeine. Test your personal response to caffeine. If it gives you headaches, avoid it. Otherwise, try drinking one cup of coffee or two cups of strong black tea at the start of your next migraine to see if it helps. In 2005, German researchers reported that when people took a combination of 250 milligrams of aspirin, 200 milligrams of acetaminophen, and 50 milligrams of caffeine (an average 8-ounce mug of coffee has 100 milligrams caffeine) at the start of their migraines, they had better and faster pain relief than people who did not take the caffeine.
  

NUTRIENTS AND FOODS
THAT MAY REDUCE MIGRAINE FREQUENCY

The list of potential trigger foods seems long, I know, but remember it’s just a list of possibilities—most likely, when you’re done systemically eliminating and then reintroducing these foods, you will find there are just a few things you need avoid. Now for the good news—some nutrients you should try to eat more often:

LIQUIDS

Dehydration is a common migraine trigger. When everyone seems to be rushing from house to work to meeting to the gym and back home again without much thought to food or drink, migraine sufferers need to stay hyper-vigilant about how much liquid they drink. While the latest government guidelines say that most people can allow thirst to guide how much they drink, migraine sufferers should aim to pre-empt thirst. Try to drink about nine 8-ounce cups of liquid a day if you’re a woman, or about thirteen 8-ounce cups a day if you’re a man. Eight ounces is a lot less than you think! I ask my clients to fill their favorite drinking glass with water, then transfer to a liquid-measuring cup to see exactly how many ounces they drink each time they fill the glass. Please remember that water is the single best way to stay hydrated—it is inexpensive, calorie-free, and efficient. The worst hydrating liquids are sodas, sugary fruit drinks, sweetened tea or coffee, and juices because they add too many calories to your daily diet (and in some instances are often migraine triggers).

OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS AND OLIVE OIL

Adding some healthy fats into your diet may help reduce inflammation, which is part of what is thought to cause the pain of migraines. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in large quantities in fatty fish and fortified foods, and monounsaturated fats found in olive oil have both been shown to reduce the frequency, duration, and severity of headaches. I recommend eating fresh wild salmon high in omega-3s two to three times per week, and adding other omega-3 foods as a regular part of your diet. Try to use olive oil or canola oil instead of butter in your cooking whenever possible.

RIBOFLAVIN

Riboflavin—also called vitamin B
₂
—is involved with the body’s production of energy at the level of the cell. Some research suggests that people with migraines may have a genetic defect that makes it difficult for their cells to maintain energy reserves, and this lack of basic energy could trigger migraines. Many neurologists recommend that their migraine patients take riboflavin supplements along with their prescription medications. Although it is difficult to get enough riboflavin to prevent migraines from food sources alone, I recommend adding some additional riboflavin-rich foods to your diet. If you would like to try riboflavin supplements, I recommend a 400 milligram dose or a combination product called
MigreLief
. See the Supplements section, next page, for more information.

MAGNESIUM

Magnesium deficiency has been linked to migraines. Getting enough magnesium through diet or supplements may help to prevent all kinds of migraines, but seems to be particularly valuable for women who get menstrual migraines. Eating a diet high in magnesium is safe, and will contribute to headache prevention. However, studies of the effects of magnesium on migraine have used supplements, not food sources. If you would like to try magnesium supplements, I recommend a combination product called
MigreLief
. See the Supplements section, next page, for more information.

BONUS POINTS

• Eat regularly.
  Anyone who skips a meal risks developing a headache, but migraine sufferers are particularly sensitive to the effects of low blood sugar. Don’t let a crazy schedule stop you from eating regularly—at least every five hours, but it’s possible you need to eat more often than that. Look at it this way…if you don’t take the time to eat lunch and then get a migraine, you’ll lose a lot more than your lunch hour nursing the headache. My friend who suffers migraines claims to eat like a cow—she grazes all day long, rarely going more than two hours without eating something—
  and
  like a bird, with just the tiniest portions at each sitting. She carries a small snack and a small bottle of water in her purse at all times so she can keep well-fueled and well-hydrated. Although it took a little experimentation, she has made frequent eating work for her, keeping migraines at bay without weight gain.
  
• Lose weight, if you are overweight.
  A study published in a 2006 issue of the journal
  Neurology
  looked at the relationship between weight and migraines. After interviewing more than 30,000 people, the researchers discovered that weight had no relation to whether a person suffered migraines. However, people who were overweight had more frequent and severe migraines…and the more overweight, the worse the migraines. This study relied on telephone interviews, so we don’t know whether these results would hold up in a clinical setting, where the participants could be examined and evaluated by a doctor. But the relationship makes sense. Fat creates inflammation, and inflammation contributes to migraines, so it’s not a big leap to think that fat could make migraines worse.
  
• Quit smoking.
  Smoking increases inflammation and can trigger migraines, so quitting could be a quick way to get rid of pain. If you need a more potent reason, how about stroke? Smoking increases the risk of stroke, and some types of migraine—migraine with aura—can also increase the risk of stroke, even in people under age 50. Adding the two together can be disastrous.
  
• Exercise gently, but regularly.
  Intense or unusual exercise can cause migraines…but regular exercise can reduce the frequency or severity of headaches by reducing tension. The trick is to warm up before exercising, and, if you are new to physical activity, to start slowly. Try walking, gentle cycling, or swimming to start.
  
• Practice relaxation.
  Because stress can trigger migraines, relaxation can help prevent them. Relaxation can be as simple as taking a bubble bath, listening to music, or spending an afternoon fishing. But more structured relaxation programs are custom-designed to put body and mind at ease. I recommend practicing yoga, progressive relaxation, or meditation for at least 30 minutes each day. Look for classes at your local community college or hospital wellness center.
  
• Get enough sleep, without oversleeping.
  In these over-busy, over-scheduled times, it is so easy to sleep too little or develop an erratic sleep pattern. But if you suffer with migraines, you need to pay attention to this detail. Both lack of sleep and too much sleep can trigger migraines, so it is important that you make your sleep pattern as regular as possible…no matter how busy you are.
  
• Consider physical therapy along with acupuncture, biofeedback, or massage.
  There are lots of different physical treatments that can help control or even prevent migraines. Research shows that physical therapy, when performed by a licensed physical therapist, is effective at treating migraines when paired with acupuncture, biofeedback, or massage. Acupuncture is an ancient Asian therapy that involves the placement of hair-thin needles into the skin along energy pathways called
  meridians
  . The precise placement of needles will reopen blocked energy meridians, thereby reducing pain. Biofeedback uses sensitive electronic measuring devices to teach the body how to control muscle tension, heart rate, and other “automatic” body processes that we usually think are not controllable. It is a way to help disrupt that chain of action and reaction that starts with stress, and ends with a migraine. Massage is…well, absolutely relaxing and wonderful. Although more research is needed before a definitive case can be made for any of these treatments, they all look promising.