Migraine Free Cooking

Wurly

Hi all,

I've just been diagnosed as suffering with severe migraines... Anyone else have the same problem? If so, what do you eat??? So many things to eliminate.. Thankfully I don't eat meat so that's one less thing to eliminate. Anyone have any migraine-free recipes to share? Thanks.

Dizzyblonde

Moved from Cooking & Recipes. I think this is more suited to Nutrition & Diet.

tattykitty

Wurly wrote: »

Hi all,

I've just been diagnosed as suffering with severe migraines... Anyone else have the same problem? If so, what do you eat??? So many things to eliminate.. Thankfully I don't eat meat so that's one less thing to eliminate. Anyone have any migraine-free recipes to share? Thanks.

Sorry to hear about the diagnosis...migraines are a bitch. :mad:

Other folk here can correct me, but i believe different things trigger migraines in different people, and it's quite an individual thing? Certainly where diet is involved, it's probably a bit of trial and error (and perhaps harder to identify the culprits, compared to other causes - for example, I'm sensitive to prolonged lack of sleep and strobe/flickering lights, which was pretty quick and easy to figure out).

I believe some of the more common offenders are red wine, coffee, chocolate and cheese. I personally am likely to suffer a migraine if I eat cheese for more than a couple of days in a row, ditto chocolate. Thankfully I'm okay with wine and coffee!

Hopefully others will have more to say - all the best.

Mrs Garth Brooks

I used to suffer from migraines. I say used to as I cut out the foods that caused them. My biggest is MSG in packs of crisps, soups, seasoning. You have to read packets to avoid buying it. Also onions. I love them but I even get migraines from the smell of them. As for cooking, I usually go for the simplest of things like spuds, veg and chicken or fish. No chinese as they normally have MSG.

Also other things like sweetners and fizzy drinks. And maybe even alcohol. I used to be able to drink anything years ago. And now, even after one drink, I would be dying the next day and spend the whole day puking. After 1 bottle of miller. Im thinking its more migraine related rather a terrible hangover.

Im ok with chocolate. Yay.

But its very much trial and error.

Its not all food that causes them. Certain smells like bleach can do it.

Lucyn

As the others have said, it's invidual to each person but I'll tell you how I got on.

I used to have a migrane nearly every three to four weeks. I practically had shares in Nurofen. Now I might have one to two a year! My culprits were:

• MSG - in a LOT of food especially processed, also in chinese (big no-no!)
• Soft drinks especially orange - the brighter the colour, the more artificual crap in it
• Processed food in general - when I stopped eating it and made everything from scratch I felt better immediately. Don't be put off - it's not as hard as you think. It's quicker to make an lovely fluffy omlette with cherry tomatoes, spring onions and grated cheese then it is to heat the oven, take a pizza out of the freezer and wait for it to cook. It won't take long for your body to actually tell you it's feeling less sluggish, more energy etc.

The usual culprits of cheese, chocolate, red wine and citrus don't apply to me thank god. In fact if I've a sicky tummy, a little square of milk chocolate can actually help settle it!

Now my migranes are brought on from lact of sleep and stress. If I feel one coming on I try to 'catch' it. I drink gallons and gallons of water and literally flush it out of my system (sorry if that's a bit much but it works and as any migrane sufferer knows, we'll try anything). Also I find carbohydrates work for me when I'm trying to 'catch' it. A bowl of plain wholegrain pasta, some mashed potatoes, a bowl of porridge. I've no idea why but if I have that early enough (obviously before I'm really bad - sicky tummy bad) if can help. Not always practical I know - if I'm at work, driving etc

I would suggest you start with cutting out chinese food, soft drinks and MSG immediately. See out you feel then. I'm almost certain you'll notice a difference. Then you can gradually start cutting out processed food.

I could go on forever but I won't! PM me if you like - I've loads of practical suggestions depending on your lifestyle and receipies (freezer meals, food on the run, single cooking, family cooking, natural flavours -herbs, spices, lemon etc)

Best of luck with it. Migranes are so debilitating but I've controlled mine soley with nutrition and as a result I'm fascinated with the effect nutrition has on the body and I love to show other people what I've discovered.

Above all, learn how to listen to your body. It will tell you what you need and when (sounds crazy but trust me!)

HTH

siochain

I know of cases where elimination of wheat really helped reduce the frequency and intensity.

Wurly

Thank you all so much for your help and advice. It's been a slow process and i'm still incredibly ill with them. I am however finding the 'nasties'. Oranges, soy sauce and chocolate (sob) being the main culprits.

gavtron

Sorry about your diagnosis, I've suffered with migraines all my life and it's a real bitch!

Funny reading what triggers it for others in the thread, almost the same for me, MSG, too much coffee, wine, white chocolate, peppers, ice cream, orange juice...a few other ones that aren't so common I've found as triggers are:

Fermented foods e.g. sauerkraut, kefir (found out by eating/drinking too much of these)
If i over do it on nuts and seeds...picked this tip up from Robb Wolf. You should check out his website/podcast he covers the topic of migraines a few times!

I've never found excessive meat consumption to bring on one though, but you're probably a vegetarian anyway?

El_Dangeroso

Histamine intolerance has been implicated in chronic migraines.

That would explain chocolate, cheese etc, but also might help you uncover hidden triggers:

http://www.histamineintolerance.org.uk/about/the-food-diary/the-food-list

rubadub

Loads of takeaways would have MSG, lots of Chinese places know they have bad name for it so I have seen some specifically say no MSG on the menu, but have no seen it in other takeaways. Not that they do use it, and I also would not trust any place to be MSG free if they claim it.

I heard those new Knorr stock ads saying no added MSG and got suspicious.
http://www.knorr.com/product/detail/246077/beef-stock

No MSG added*
Low fat
Cholesterol free

*This product contains no added monosodium glutamate beyond small amounts naturally occurring in autolyzed yeast extract and soy sauce.

Its sort of like saying
No sugar added*
*except the naturally occurring sugar in sugar cane which we semi process and add.

donmaga1

Wurly wrote: »

Hi all,

I've just been diagnosed as suffering with severe migraines... Anyone else have the same problem? If so, what do you eat??? So many things to eliminate.. Thankfully I don't eat meat so that's one less thing to eliminate. Anyone have any migraine-free recipes to share? Thanks.

I was in a RTA 5 years ago.

I get 4-6 migraines a month and a headache 3-4 days a week if I am lucky. I was told by my neurologist to try not to take painkillers as i will get a rebound headache.
I started to get a massage on my back and drink more water.
I was told that headaches can be triggered by low or poor water in your system and the fluid in your spine needs the water that is not there. Your body may be a little out of sorts and a massage once a month should help.

It sounds a little out there but it works. Give it a go for 3-4 months. it is a slow process but it is worth it.

Now I get a bad headache about 2-3 times a month.

It is worth a try.

Eat less red meath and processed food. NOTHING for a tin. No Booze (until headache go) Oily fish 2 times a week. Take omega 3 and flaxseed oil. You vit-d level could be low.

Hope this helps.

Vojera

I used to be crippled with migraines, but by paying attention to the time of day they were occurring I figured out they were caused by the pint of milk I was drinking with my lunch. I cut out the milk and instantly stopped having migraines.

Perhaps keep a note of when you get them and what you ate that day. It could help you narrow down what's causing them.

Wurly

Hey folks - thanks for all your replies.

I'll just explain a little more. I don't have migraine pain. I have chronic MAV which is migraine associated vertigo. So my symptoms are severe dizziness, detachment, heart palpitations, vision problems, numbness of touch, hearing imbalance, etc etc.

I have been advised from my physio to cut out ALL foods that are known to cause migraine. He says I need to get back to baseline first before re-introducing foods. At present, I have my symptoms constantly and have done so for the past 14 weeks. Every second, they're there. But there are peaks where it's practically unbearable. So i'm on beta blockers to calm it down but its early days and i'm also having this physio.

Also, id like to point out that i'm a vegetarian so fish and fish oils are a no-no. Obviously no meat either.

So im not eating: chocolate, caffeine, citrus fruits, cakes/pastries/bread, yoghurt, MSG, soy sauce, all nuts, cheese, wheat or alcohol. I know! Merry Christmas, right?:mad:

If anyone had any recipes or ideas for dishes that didn't include any of these things, i'd be so thankful. Feels like I cant eat anything.:(

donmaga1

You could try Iron and Zinc supplements.

For me when I got off headache tablets I was in a bad way for a couple of LONG weeks. It was worth it.

Are you seeing a specialist?

Wurly

donmaga1 wrote: »

You could try Iron and Zinc supplements.

For me when I got off headache tablets I was in a bad way for a couple of LONG weeks. It was worth it.

Are you seeing a specialist?

Yeah, he's a senior physiotherapist in the eye and ear that specialises in dizzy people.;)

The exercises are tough but i'm getting better at them so hopefully an improvement is starting..

I've heard magnesium, co-enzyme q10 and vitamin b2&6 are also good so i'm popping those daily.

I'll give the iron and zinc a go too, thanks.

donmaga1

Magnesium I have found out is very good. Heart surgeons are using it on patients who have had a by-pass. It is the new aspirin. magnesium helps keep your veins soft.

I have started to take Vit b also.

El_Dangeroso

donmaga1 wrote: »

Magnesium I have found out is very good. Heart surgeons are using it on patients who have had a by-pass. It is the new aspirin. magnesium helps keep your veins soft.

I have started to take Vit b also.

That is a really great tip actually, best way I have found to take magnesium is in a bath with epsom salts, cheap as chips in the pharmacy.

I've taken Mg by pills and sprays and nothing works as good as epsom salts.

Fantastic for making you go to sleep also.

pampootie

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

That is a really great tip actually, best way I have found to take magnesium is in a bath with epsom salts, cheap as chips in the pharmacy.

I've taken Mg by pills and sprays and nothing works as good as epsom salts.

This caught my eye. Can I ask what you mean by you found the best way to take it was in a bath? As in you found the most benefit was from absorbing it rather than ingesting it? Curious

El_Dangeroso

pampootie wrote: »

This caught my eye. Can I ask what you mean by you found the best way to take it was in a bath? As in you found the most benefit was from absorbing it rather than ingesting it? Curious

Just that the sense of whole body relaxation is very noticeable, followed by the most deep refreshing night's sleep. I haven't had that effect consistently from the tablets.

Plus the tablets can mess with my tummy, even the very absorbable form (magnesium glycinate).

foxinsox

Wurly wrote: »

Hey folks - thanks for all your replies.

I'll just explain a little more. I don't have migraine pain. I have chronic MAV which is migraine associated vertigo. So my symptoms are severe dizziness, detachment, heart palpitations, vision problems, numbness of touch, hearing imbalance, etc etc.

I have been advised from my physio to cut out ALL foods that are known to cause migraine. He says I need to get back to baseline first before re-introducing foods. At present, I have my symptoms constantly and have done so for the past 14 weeks. Every second, they're there. But there are peaks where it's practically unbearable. So i'm on beta blockers to calm it down but its early days and i'm also having this physio.

Also, id like to point out that i'm a vegetarian so fish and fish oils are a no-no. Obviously no meat either.

So im not eating: chocolate, caffeine, citrus fruits, cakes/pastries/bread, yoghurt, MSG, soy sauce, all nuts, cheese, wheat or alcohol. I know! Merry Christmas, right?:mad:

If anyone had any recipes or ideas for dishes that didn't include any of these things, i'd be so thankful. Feels like I cant eat anything.:(

I had severe vertigo too, and all the lovely accessories along with it. It is a bitch!

Besides all mentioned already:

Lots of water.

Avoid busy shops, streets, especially busy places with florescent lighting. You can't avoid completely but try to shop when it's quieter.

Even if you feel dizzy and out of it, force yourself to walk, I walk around a football pitch. It's all about your field of vision and eyeline, perceptions etc. Balance will improve the more you do this.

No stress.

Sleep well.

When I was sick first I couldn't leave my house for six weeks because I was so dizzy.

Year and a half later I am so much better.

Diet is important, if I eat any of the already mentioned stuff I'll be dizzy and disoriented.

Time is a great healer. Your body will most likely heal and fix itself in time.

I know it's miserable feeling and so hard to explain to anyone.

Best of luck.