Migraines and Food
How To Use Food To Prevent Attacks

Written and verified by Holly Hazen

I’ve done more dieting than can be imagined for my migraines and food has become my number one focus to be proactive and improve my overall health and well-being.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner and all snacks are pre-planned so I never risk causing another Migraine.

My life revolves around migraines and food and avoiding my triggers.

I avoid alcohol, white sugar, white flour, wheat, gluten, dairy, lunch meats, citrus fruits, fermented products, shall I go on?

But "what is left to eat" you ask?

Now we all know that this list is not for everyone, everyone is different and we can be allergic to anything ... and everything at some points in our life. But that would be another website!!!

Here is some food for thought about what we can eat that is actually beneficial to reducing migraines.

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Here are some beneficial foods you can eat

You might think that things that taste like dust or have NO flavor at all are all considered beneficial for the migraine headache diet. Things like:

• Buckwheat and rice crackers

• Millet and rice crackers

• Rice crackers (try with cashew paste – it's yummy)

• Quinoa and buckwheat grains – also gluten free
  
  

But there are ways to make them yummy with a variety of toppings like avocado, hummus and tomato.

I have recently discovered dehydrated vegetable crackers that are made with vegetables and nuts. Very nice!

Try eliminating gluten and dairy to see if your attacks reduce... more on that later.

Migraines and food... you might need to experiment with these

There are things with flavor we DO get to eat! Cooked foods are easier to digest than raw, so do an experiment and see what your body likes best.

If you can tolerate these they are also great support for your thyroid:

• Organic Coconut Oil, and prawns

• Organic Eggs

• Green tea
  
  

If you eat fruit, try having some nuts or something with fiber and protein to slow the absorption of sugar. This will lower your Glycemic response and reduce the potential of hypoglycemia.

I believe, but don’t quote me, that most meat and protein is safe for migraine sufferers.

And lots of green vegetables. Fresh leafy green veggies are considered safe for most of us.

Believe it or not there are also foods that actually help fight pain. Please see the list of links below for for a more extensive list.

What foods help with migraine headaches? 

Pierre Jean Cousin recommends beneficial foods in his book Food is Medicine for a local muscle tension or stress headache or severe migraines.

Here are some yummy – healthy foods he recommends as beneficial to reduce your migraine headaches:

He says to avoid the common migraine headache triggers like alcohol, coffee, cheese, etc. And some added ones I found interesting “food with additives “E” numbers”, monosodium glutamate, sweeteners and tea. Ok, back to what we can have!

He suggests we drink: fresh apple or apricot juices, camomile, fennel-seed, or mint infusions.

There are four recipes for infusions, but I can’t give them all away – you will just have to buy his book! The simplest recipe, I think, that Pierre Jean Cousin suggests is Ginger Tea. Ginger also aids digestive problems among other things.

I have altered the recipe to suit me (I don’t use table sugar) so I hope it suits you too.

Mr. Cousin has a macrobiotic leaning. I’ve already told you about using Umeboshi plums and Kuzu for migraines, some of my, what I feel, are secret remedies.

I've written more about that here:

• Chinese Cure for Migraine Headache

• Macrobiotics and Migraine Headaches Diet

• This Simple Spice Really Can Help Stop Pain
  
  

Now... what do you know about: sugar, gluten, the Paleo diet or the Vegan diet?

So have you done your research? How do you know who to believe and what studies might apply to us as migraineurs?

There are very accomplished physicians in the United States: Frank Lipman, Mark Hyman, and Joel Kahn that often discuss these areas and fill us in on the right way to eat for our optimal health. Yet they all differ slightly. It can get confusing... but maybe I can help you keep it simple.

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Reference for Migraines and Food: Cousin, P.J. (2001) Food Is Medicine. Duncan Baird Publishers: London, UK. pp. 76-77, p.119. 

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