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Headaches can be debilitating. Aside from the pain, you will feel headaches which will adversely impact the quality of your life. They can also leave you dented financially as you keep spending money on drugs. Your social life can also be greatly impaired because of constant headaches.
WHO reports that close to 75% of adults aged 18-65 had headaches in 2015. 30% of this lot also reported migraines which is a common headache disorder. Migraines are quite common in the world today. Individuals with
Migraines are reported to suffer from anxiety and depressive disorders. Ignoring them is synonymous with sentencing some people to lives of hardship and pain.
Migraines are caused by several factors including sleep disruptions, high-stress levels, diet choices, and at times weather changes. The quickest way of dealing with any medical condition is to monitor the triggers. Identification of triggers makes it easier to deal with a problem.
Reports indicate that dietary triggers are often and commonly reported as a cause of migraine. Your resolve in paying attention to what you eat could save you from experiencing a migraine. If you are unsure of your triggers, keep a diary and record the moments you have one. Record the events leading to the migraine including what you ate and sleep patterns. These will make your work easier.
A healthy diet is your body’s first defense, and can it help you avoid a migraine. You do not want to be in the middle of a meeting and feel nauseous. However, migraine comes with other effects that could wreck your day. Keep reading if you wish to know what to eat or avoid as preventive measures against migraines.
Diet Dos
Eat Fresh Foods
Eating fresh foods has been hailed as being beneficial to our health for a long time. Doctors continually repeat that fresh foods give us fiber, minerals, and vitamins crucial for our bodies. These are crucial for great health. Such diets reduce one’s risk or vulnerability to lifestyle diseases.
Reports indicate that fresh foods can also help prevent migraines. Every doctor will include fresh foods while describing a healthy diet. Fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and lean proteins are said to be great for individuals trying to prevent migraines. Fresh foods do not contain preservatives which could be a trigger for some people.
The body needs its daily dose of nutrients and minerals. These can only be found in fresh foods.
The advantage of fresh foods to your body is that it gives you control. For fresh foods, you will have to prepare your meal by yourself. This means you control what goes into your dish or bowl. This control is crucial as you can choose what you wish to eat.
Foods that are laced with preservatives, on the other hand, take this control away. Consumers are thus unsure of what nutrients, chemicals, and minerals they are taking. You need to avoid such foods if you are serious about fighting your migraine.
Some fresh foods could also be triggers. Also, some processed foods may not be on your trigger list. As you are preparing your diet plan, develop patterns between your migraine and what you eat. This is the easiest way to ditch foods that are triggers for you.
Drink a Lot of Water
You probably have heard the phrase that you should drink about eight glasses of water every day. Have you stayed true to the phrase or it is just a cliché to you? Well, if it is just a cliché, then you need to change that.
One common trigger for migraines and headaches, in general, is dehydration. The instruction to take eight glasses of water a day is not a conspiracy theory. Your body needs it.
A study has confirmed that dehydration is a leading cause of headaches. The study further indicates that lack of water prolongs migraine attacks. Taking water is a necessary and healthy behavior that you need to adopt.
The amount of water will vary depending on certain factors. If you are exercising or the weather is hot, you may need more water than the eight glasses.
Water has other advantages or functions in your body. These include transporting nutrients, digestion, creation of saliva, and absorption. Taking water is quite necessary if you wish to live a healthy and long life. Develop the habit of taking the eight glasses and then keep a record of your migraine. We guarantee you that there will be a change in the pattern.
Increase Omega-3 Fatty Acids Intake
Omega-3 fatty acids play quite a crucial role in our bodies. There various foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Some of these foods include fish, especially salmon, tuna, sardines, and herring. Nuts such as walnuts, flaxseed, and chia seeds are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Plant oils like canola oil, soybean oil, and flaxseed oil are also in this group. Finally, there are fortified foods like juices, soy beverages, yogurt, and milk. Eating the above foods will help you increase your omega-3 fatty acids intake.
The other question on your mind is how will these be of help? A study done on people with migraine helped to shed light on the importance of omega-3 fatty acids. After being supplemented with 1 g of omega-3 fatty acids, the frequency of headaches decreased. A 74% reduction in the duration of headaches was also reported.
Making diet changes to suit your health needs is encouraged. If you have migraine often, make some changes and monitor the frequency of their occurrence. Making major diet changes can be beneficial to your health. However, you may need to liaise with your doctor or ask for guidance from professional nutritionists.
Keep a Diary
We are all different, and our bodies respond differently to different things. What you may be allergic to could be someone else’s favorite dish. Knowing which foods are triggers for you is quite difficult. Every meal you have contains different things. It is thus difficult to know which component is causing your migraine.
One way to solve this problem is by keeping a diary. Your diary should contain a detailed breakdown of what you have and your experiences after. Write down the food you took, your sleep pattern, food cravings, and your menstrual cycle for ladies. Make it as detailed as possible. This will help you trace the cause.
The diary should help you develop a pattern. If you had something and you almost always have migraines later, then identify that as a trigger. The next step is taking that component out of your diet. If the frequency of the migraine will reduce, then you should avoid that component.
Another way you can know whether something is a trigger for you is by having a food reactivity test. There are times when you will not get clear results. The best next thing is having this test. If you react to foods, then they need to be off your diet. Your health comes first, and you need to practice healthy living.
Diet Don’ts
Do Not Skip Meals
People skip meals for different reasons. Some are practicing intermittent fasting, while others could be taking on the autophagy process. Regardless of the reason, skipping meals can be harmful to your health.
Skipping meals is a major cause of migraine. Ever heard of hypoglycemia? Well, this is a condition where your body has low blood sugar. The eventual effect of this is an increased frequency of headaches and migraines.
When you skip a meal, your blood sugar levels drop. Your body will respond to this. Irregular meals will also cause your body to respond to the imbalance.
Developing a pattern that works best for you is crucial to avoiding migraines. Such a routine will also lead to migraines. A healthy pattern involves regular small healthy meals rich in fresh foods.
You must watch out for your blood sugar levels. Whenever you eat, always keep in mind the effect of the meal you are having. Throwing in a snack between meals is highly recommended.
Beware of Simple Carbs
Everyone likes candy, right? Soft drinks are selling by their billions around the world, right? Well, do you know that these also impact your health greatly? Candy, soft drinks, table sugar, milk products, and syrups are all examples of simple carbs. All these are major causes of migraines.
When you eat simple carbs, your blood sugar levels spike, your body reacts to this by producing more insulin which then leads to a drop in blood sugar. The eventual effect is what is known as reactive hypoglycemia. This leads to headaches and migraines.
Your brain requires a constant supply of glucose. When the brain is deficient in glucose, you end up feeling faint and having headaches. High-sugar foods like simple carbs will lead you down this path. You need to start having healthy diets. Eliminate simple carbs in your diet, and you will end up living a stress and migraine-free life.
Watch Your Caffeine Intake
For most of us, caffeine is part of our life. What many do not know is that they have a relationship with migraines. One big advantage of caffeine is that it helps relieve pain. People with headaches and migraines are advised to have caffeine-containing drinks like tea.
The normal amounts we take as we go about our day are safe. The one cup of tea or coffee you have will never harm you in any way. However, the moment you ham on caffeine, you will have problems.
Using caffeine regularly induces physical dependence. This is what many people call caffeine addiction. Experts have never fully considered the over-dependence of caffeine as an addiction. When you quit caffeine, you will experience some withdrawal symptoms.
These symptoms may include migraines as well as anxiety. This migraine usually starts hours after the last cup or shot of caffeine and may last for days.
In life, you have to proceed with moderation. Over-indulging in something never results in anything good. Do not over-indulge in caffeine. Limit your intake and get to enjoy your days and nights.
Avoid Long Intervals between Meals
As you may know by now, having a regular eating pattern is a healthy practice. You need to keep watch on your blood sugar levels. Long intervals between meals lead to low blood glucose levels. The eventual effect is that your chances of developing migraines increase.
One remedy for this is having small but frequent meals. Ensure that you have regular meals. Combine this with exercise and develop a regular sleeping pattern. In the end, you will reduce your migraine.
At night, you can also schedule times for snacking. However, while snacking, ensure that you practice healthy eating. Do not eat unhealthy foods in the name of snacking. These will trigger migraines. Snacking helps ensure that your blood sugar is at normal levels, thus preventing hypoglycemia.
Well, there you have it. Your diet matters a lot. You should also involve your doctor and learn more about migraine. Do not implement any extreme measures without consultation.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional consultation or advice related to your health or finances. No reference to an identifiable individual or company is intended as an endorsement thereof. Some or all of this article may have been generated using artificial intelligence, and it may contain certain inaccuracies or unreliable information. Readers should not rely on this article for information and should consult with professionals for personal advice.
