Eating Right for Alleviating Headache
Could there be a connection between your gut and migraine? Apparently there is, according to some healthcare experts. Headaches have more to do with the basics like diet, exercise and sleep if you go by their book. There is good reason to believe that if you are light on your digestive system and have proper eating habits then your migraine symptoms will fade. Take these tips:

* Your best bet to avoid migraine is to eat a well balanced diet, preferably fresh and non-processed. Eat fresh juicy fruits like apples, pears, pineapples, peaches and melons.

* Avoid fruits like grapes and oranges because they are too acidic and not good for your headache.

* Drink fruit juices in small quantities through the day. Sweeten your juice with sugar as it helps calm the stomach.

* Eat a variety of grains, fruits and vegetables. These are the three basic food groups. Specific foods you may want to include in your diet are fish, fish oil, spinach, broccoli, oatmeal, wheat, garlic, ginger, peppermint, cayenne pepper. These will help you bring down migraine levels.

* There are some foods that are known to trigger headaches by constricting cerebral blood vessels. They are: Alcoholic drinks, vinegar, caffeine, chocolate, some flavors, non-fresh meat, citrus fruits, yeast, nuts, beans, raisins, soy, and cheese. Simply observe yourself after you eat any of these. If it triggers or exacerbates your headache, stay away from it next time. Tyramine and histamine found in alcohols definitely cause headaches.

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Eat three or four small meals rather than two big ones. Variations in blood sugar levels may cause headache.

* Avoid foods that are hard to digest.

* Eat foods that are at room temperature.

* Sit down for a while after meals. Keep your head straight.

* Don't drink water during meals. Drink it between meals.

* Drink adequate water throughout the day; about 6-8 glasses.

* Incorporate foods with tryptophan, like wheat germ, granola, cottage cheese, egg, chicken and turkey.

* Take supplements of magnesium and riboflavin from time to time.

* Add fresh root ginger to your food.

* Headaches could recur if your body has low levels of important vitamins and minerals, like niacin and vitamin B6. Eat foods that are naturally rich in both niacin and vitamin B6. Good dietary sources are chicken, fish, peas, milk and butter.

* Calcium and magnesium may together help in the prevention of headaches. Dietary sources of calcium are dairy products, tofu, green leafy vegetables, peas and beans. Dietary sources of magnesium are green leafy vegetables, wheat germ, fish and beans.

* Eat salads with fresh garlic bulbs.

* Some relief from headache can be found in parsley and peppermint, spearmint, lemon and chamomile tea.

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