Anti Migraine Diet and Lifestyle Plan

What are some important elements of an anti migraine diet and lifestyle plan?

Headaches are one of the few things that modern medicine has not yet been able to understand entirely. However, as anyone who has ever had a migraine knows (and as those of us who suffer from chronic migraines know all too well), the fact that we do not know as much as we might like to about these phenomena does little to ease the discomfort they cause - which sometimes seems like a phenomenon unto itself due to its intensity.

For many people, the prevailing wisdom in the past few years as to what causes headaches / migraines, and thus the proper course of treatment, has centered on neurotransmitters. In particular, serotonin has been thought to play an integral role in the development of headaches and migraines. This has led to serotonin-based treatment methods.

The problem, however, is that, particularly for migraine sufferers, there is likely to be some degree of "rebounding". That is, due to the fluctuating levels of serotonin in the body, intense migraines can develop. A John’s Hopkins University neurologist, Dr David Buchholz, has developed a view that most medications geared at migraine relief are counterproductive for this very reason - they cause the migraines to return with a vengeance.

Fortunately, Dr Buchholz developed a different way to deal with migraines, and the bonus is that it also happens to be far more natural than remedies based upon medication. In his book Heal Your Headache, Dr Buccholz introduces his "1-2-3 Program for Taking Charge of Your Pain" - the quintessential migraine diet.

Step one of his plan is based upon eliminating "quick fixes" and emphasizes the importance of removing drugs from your life.

Step two focuses on recognizing your personal migraine triggers and removing those that you can do something about; for instance, you might not be able to do anything about a hectic work environment, but in your anti migraine diet, you can avoid foods that provoke migraines for you.

Some foods that commonly trigger migraines are: cheese, alcohol (especially red wine), certain fruits, caffeine, chocolate, soy beans, nuts, yeast, MSG, foods with nitrates, aspartame, and sauerkraut (and other aged foods). Most of these foods should be avoided in anti migraine diets. Of course, triggers tend to differ amongst individuals, so the integral part of step two is figuring out what works and doesn’t work for you personally.

Ideally, if you implement the first two steps correctly, you should not need to go on to step three. For people to whom steps 1 and 2 fail to provide adequate relief, step three involves daily preventative medicine. Dr Buccholz recommends healthy lifestyle choices to accomplish this.

Specifically, he advises consistent good habits: adequate sleep every night, nutritious eating in your anti migraine diet, and regular exercise. Skipping meals can also trigger migraines, so being certain to eat three meals a day that are no more than six to eight hours apart can be a vital aspect of migraine prevention.

Dr Buccholz also explains that exercise is a great way to prevent and control headaches, as it relieves stress whilst increasing your migraine threshold by means of the chemicals released during exercise.

There are rather extensive listings available of foods that must be avoided in your anti migraine diet when trying to prevent this ailment. Although it is certainly worthwhile to take in this information, and to avoid the foods listed (as many of them are rather unhealthy anyway), the best means by which to decrease migraines is by developing a personalized approach to headache management.

Paying close attention to your migraine patterns or the foods that produce a physical reaction for you can help you to avoid those foods in the future - and eventually, will become the pillars of an anti migraine diet plan that allows you to avoid migraines altogether.

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