| Years ago, I suffered from seriously awful | | | | helps to keep a log and look for tie-ins. |
| migraines. (Is there any other kind?) | | | | For instance, I had a friend who would always get |
| I became aware of the cause and effect that | | | | a migraine within about half an hour of eating an |
| food can have. After I eliminated the foods that | | | | orange. After she saw the connection, she |
| triggered my migraines, they became much less | | | | stopped eating oranges. It was easy for her to |
| severe and much less frequent. Over the years | | | | know the cause of her migraine, because it came |
| since, I have continued to eliminate more "trigger" | | | | so quickly after the orange. |
| foods as I suspected them. | | | | A few of the more common food triggers are: |
| So, how do foods cause migraines and other | | | | - wine |
| pain? | | | | - aged cheese |
| Some foods can cause inflammation (irritation and | | | | - pork |
| swelling.) Inflammation in your tissues causes | | | | - shellfish |
| muscle aches and pains. In your blood vessels, | | | | - citrus fruit |
| inflammation can cause a migraine. | | | | - nuts, especially pistachios |
| Food can also cause an allergic reaction. Some of | | | | - peanuts |
| us have serious allergic reactions which can put us | | | | There are lots more than this. And, not everyone |
| in danger. When we discover such an allergy, for | | | | gets a headache from the same foods. I've seen |
| instance to peanuts, of course we stay away | | | | fruits on lists of migraine triggers that I ate |
| from peanuts. | | | | frequently which never caused a migraine for me. |
| We must also stay away from the foods that | | | | Sometimes you can get away with eating small |
| "trigger" our headaches or migraines. | | | | amounts of a food, like nuts, as long as you don't |
| Sometimes we can identify a "trigger" food. If a | | | | do it too often. Sometimes, you won't be able to |
| food causes a symptom like a stuffy nose, or | | | | eat any at all. |
| headache, or lots of mucus (causing throat | | | | You might remember the good old days when |
| clearing,) that's a clue. The reaction might occur | | | | sugar was in your soda pop, gum, cereals and ice |
| very soon after eating something, but sometimes | | | | cream. Read the labels now, and chances are |
| the head pain won't come for a while. That | | | | really good you will find high fructose corn syrup |
| makes it harder to figure out. | | | | and artificial sweeteners, instead. |
| You might have a lot of food triggers or you | | | | You have to read labels to find out what |
| might only have some of the more common | | | | ingredients besides the ones you expected are |
| ones. | | | | being fed to you. |
| Sometimes it isn't actually the food--it is chemicals | | | | There are many causes for migraines and |
| and other ingredients that are added to the food. | | | | headaches. Muscles and soft tissues are related to |
| MSG is a common additive which causes stuffy | | | | most headaches but food, food additives, |
| noses, migraines and headaches. Artificial | | | | hormones, posture, sleeping and work habits also |
| sweeteners also are common migraine triggers. | | | | play a part. |
| You might not realize that what you are eating is | | | | And, as you see, lots of times your headache or |
| actually causing a large part of your head pain. It | | | | migraine starts with what you put in your mouth. |