What good is Mexican food if you can't have the majority of the ingredients in it?  Tortilla chips without salsa?  Something must be done about this!  So, I did it. 

Here is a Mexican dinner with salsa minus the tomato and onion:

I took 3 large green bell peppers and broiled them for a total of 10 minutes (five minutes on each side).



I then pulled them out of the oven and set them on the counter to cool.

While the broiled bell peppers are cooling, I chopped up some red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and shallots (no onions!) to throw on the grill.

My husband Bryan will be perfecting these along with some chicken breast on the grill.  He is the master of that culinary piece of equipment.

I then go back to the broiled bell peppers and remove the core along with some unwanted seeds.

I then quarter them and toss them and any juices into my food processor.

I puree them up.

Then I added 2, 7 oz. cans of chopped green chiles to the processor.

I added 4 cloves of chopped garlic to the processor.

I pureed them all up together.

I then oiled the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil and tossed in my pureed concoction.

I had my stove on medium heat.

Then I got real daring and decided to throw in a chopped jalepeno!

I added this into the puree already in the saucepan.

I measured out 2 cups of chicken broth.

 I added the broth into the puree and turned up the heat on the stove for about 5 minutes.

I reduced the heat to medium and let simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes.

Now is the perfect time to have my "grill master"  aka Bryan put the meat and veggies on the grill.

And I will chop up some fresh cilantro.

Then I have the grill master start slicing up the chicken breast.

Then I begin to assemble my meal.

Starting with a blank slate, the corn tortilla.

I pile on the grilled chicken and veggies and then smother it in the green sauce.

I top it with chopped cilantro and then eat it.

Once the sauce cooled I poured it into a large Tupperware dish to be refrigerated and used it all week to dip some blue corn tortilla chips into...Yum, Yum, Yum!

It ended up being mild enough that the kids could eat it.  I probably could have added a seconded jalapeno to increase the heat.

We enjoyed this Mexican dinner without a headache!

Today marks a very special day for me personally.  It was a year ago today that I started my Migraine Plan.  I remember the day so vividly because like most days last March, I was in the midst of a really bad migraine.  I was attempting to manage my pain without the help from my good old crutch, the triptans (If you aren't familiar with my Migraine Plan.  Eliminating triptans, an abortive migraine medication that causes rebound headaches when used too frequently, is part of the plan). It was day two of this migraine and my husband and I  had dinner plans with friends whom we hadn't seen in months and I wanted so desperately to be a normal spouse and friend that night.  I wanted to be the person my husband married and the fun girl that could have a cocktail and laugh and enjoy dinner and friends.  I wanted to be "myself" and not what I had become with this illness.  Who wants to sit at home in a dark room with an icepack on their head praying for relief from pain? (stupid question, right? NOBODY)  Here were a few of the thoughts racing through my ice-packed wrapped mind that day:

1.  Is it possible this headache will disappear before the sitter gets here?
2.  Do I cancel the sitter and send my husband to dinner alone and stay home manning two small children by myself in my current state of health?
3.  Could I just take a triptan and possibly go to dinner pain-free?

The headache didn't magically disappear.  I didn't cancel our sitter.  And well, that leaves the third question...

Eventually, the time had come to start getting ready for the evening.  Like a good little trooper I began the ritual of showering and dressing for dinner (the headache still pounding away).  I was alternating my ice wraps religiously hopeful for a miraculous recovery.  The sitter arrived and my decision to stay the dinner course was set in motion.  On our way to our friends we stopped at a store to buy beverages.  Bryan went in  to purchase the drinks leaving me in the car unattended with the air-conditioner blasting on my face.  The pain was getting more intense and nausea was beginning to kick in.  Like most drug addicts I had my "stash" tucked away in my purse.  At this point,  all willpower was lost and I took the triptan, closed my eyes and laid back in the passenger seat.  Bryan returned from his shopping trip and I admitted to him my failure.  It was about a 20 minute drive to our friends house.   By the time we arrived I had already started getting relief.  Needless to say I was able to be physically present that night, but most of my focus was on my condition and not enjoying the company of my friends and spouse.

The next day was met with much anxiety awaiting the "rebound affect" to occur.  I approached each hour with caution and stuck to my self-imposed diet restrictions.  The impending attack never came.  The prodrome stage of the migraine phased out and another migraine didn't plan a surprise attack.  I had braced myself for the worse and the worse never showed up.  Another day passed and no headache.  A week passed and no headache.  A month came and went without a headache.    It's now been a year!  I am so very thankful.

I feel so grateful for so many things in my life.  I feel extremely blessed to have found a way to manage this illness.  I am blessed by the support of my family and friends.  So, for all of you that counted those migraine-free days along with me, please know how much I love all of you! 

Who doesn't love a good Chicken Soup?  Over the winter months this has been a staple in our house.  Store bought  soups are potentially a dangerous trigger for the migraine brain with MSG, onion, and who knows what other ingredients are added to our detriment.   My husband is a huge fan of chicken noodle soup and historically bought a prepackaged mix and added his own chicken.  Those prepackaged mixes run the same MSG and ingredient risks as the canned version.  He also loves the thicker egg noodle and those in the freezer section come with a list of unpronounceable preservatives as well.  Since cans, premade mixes, and even the noodles are risky for me, I have become pretty adept at throwing together a delicious concoction of chicken noodle soup using ingredients I stock in my pantry along with whatever vegetables are in my fridge at the time.

The Mayo Clinic reports some other interesting information regarding the soup's impact on our health.  According to them, chicken soup might also help relieve cold and flu symptoms.  And here is how: 

1.   The soup acts as an anti-inflammatory by inhibiting the movement of neutrophils.  Neutrophils are immune system cells that participate in the body's inflammatory response (we migrainuers love a good anti-inflammatory).

2.  The soup temporarily speeds up the movement of mucus, possibly helping relieve congestion and limiting the amount of time viruses are in contact with the nose lining.

Besides it health perks...it's just plain yummy.

My soup starts with boiling up the chicken in my fridge or freezer in about 12 cups of water.

Here I used 3 large chicken breast.

Then I gather up the veggies in my fridge and pantry that I think will be yummy in my soup. 

Here are mine today:

Carrots
Green Bell Pepper
Shallots (no onion here)
Spinach
Garlic

I wish I had some celery today... no such luck.

Start Chopping!

Put the pan on medium heat.

Add the carrots

Toss in the bell pepper.

Don't forget to add a little olive oil to your veggies while they cook.

Chop up the garlic (I used 4 cloves).
Add to pot.

Chop up the shallots (3).

Add to pot.

So, the noodles take a little time.  I cheated today because I had some prepared egg noodle dough in my freezer.  All I had to do was thaw it out.  I recommend when you make the noodle dough, you make enough to freeze half the batch.  Then next time you can cheat too!

To make the dough:
1.  I used 2 cups of flour and added 1/4 tsp. of salt and mixed it up in a big bowl.  

2.  I made a hole in the center of the flour and added in 2 eggs.  

3.  I took off my rings and mixed it into a crumbly mess.  

4.  I added about 1/4 cup of water and continued to mash it up and knead it until I got a dough ball that looks like it can be rolled out.

I dusted my cutting board with extra flour and plopped the little dough ball in the middle of the cutting board.

I dusted up the rolling pin too.

I rolled out the dough really thin.

Then I used a pizza cutter to cut it into the shape and size I wanted.

I went with more of a dumpling shape.

I shredded the chicken up with 2 forks.

Don't toss the broth!

Now I strain the chicken broth while adding it into my veggies. 

I don't like all the weird white foam or congealed fat in my soup.

I add the shredded chicken back into the pot.

I turn up the heat from medium to high.

I want the water to be boiling as I add in the noodles.

I start adding in the noodles.

I  try to spread them out so they don't end up sticking together.

Season it up.

I used salt (I probably use more than I should) and pepper.

A little thyme (ok, maybe a lot).

A little sage.

I didn't forget the spinach.

I put it in very last...it doesn't take long to cook (mere seconds).

We have now come full circle!  Here it is, yummy and ready to eat.

Ok,  I will also admit that I add crushed red pepper flakes to my bowl.

My children don't appreciate spice like I do so I don't season the entire pot with it.

Feel free to enjoy without a headache.

Have you ever heard of an abdominal migraine?

When I was in my 20s and early 30s I suffered from severe abdominal pain and cramping that would last for hours at a time.  During these painful intestinal aches it was all I could do to go about my normal business.  Along with the stomach pain I felt washed out, pale, tired and sickly.  All I wanted to do during the pain was to seek a dark quiet bedroom and rest in the fetal position. When I sought care for this paroxysmal pain in my 20's I was diagnosed with irritable bowel and put on a prescription drug called Midrin.  Needless, to say the Midrin didn't stop the attacks and eventually over time and with a change in work environment (switching from night shift to day shift in nursing) the painful episodes stopped.  They returned in my early 30's. After dealing with them for a lengthy period of time I sought out a gastroenterologist. I was scoped and tested and worked up for everything from  lactose intolerance to crohn's disease.  Eventually the GI specialist gave up and told me they couldn't find anything wrong with me.  In my mid to late 30's these abdominal migraines converted into a "typical migraine".  For me the typical migraine is unilateral severe head-throbbing pain with sensitivity to light and sound accompanied by eventual vomiting.  When I started having 12 day long migraines where I couldn't stand without vomiting, I picked up a book called the "The Migraine Brain" by Carolyn Bernstien in an attempt to better understand my illness.  In that book is a chapter entitled "Kinds of Migraines".  That was the first time I had ever heard of an abdominal migraine and I immediately had an "ah-ha moment". 

Abdominal migraines are often misdiagnosed (as you can see by my experience).  Diagnostically, the Abdomial Migraine usually occurs in children and isn't diagnosed until a "typical migraine" appears in their history.  The requirements for diagnosis are at least five attacks of abdominal pain lasting 1 to 72 hours unsuccessfully treated.  The abdominal pain is midline, around the belly button (that is my technical term) or poorly localized.  The pain can be dull with a moderate to severe intensity.  The pain is accompanied by things like anorexia (who wants to eat when your belly hurts all the time?), nausea, vomiting, pallor.  The pain can't be attributed to any other disorder.  The abdominal migraine is a sudden episode of intense, acute periumbilical pain that lasts more than one hour.  It has intervening periods of health.  The pain interferes with normal activities and is associated with anorexia, nausea, vomiting, headache, photophobia, and pallor.  There is no evidence of an inflammatory, anatomic, metabolic, or neoplastic (cancerous) processes that explain the subject's symptoms.  The diagnosis is established by history, which includes the above symptoms with wellness between episodes and no alternative causes, and a family history of migraine among relatives.

I am hopeful that using my Migraine Plan will also relieve the pain of those experiencing abdominal migraines.

This blog is dedicated to Lynet and her son.  This migrainuer is so hopeful for you both!


 

Migraine-friendly snacks can be hard to come by especially when traveling.  As I have previously revealed adherence to my Migraine Plan can be difficult when traveling and one of my migraine snack staples is pumpkin seeds also known as Pepitas.  We migrainuers can't have nuts, but we can have seeds and my research on the pumpkin seed yields very favorable qualities to the migrainuer.  These little seeds are a great source of protein, iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and potassium.  There are differing accounts of some of the nutritional data.  One source states a fourth a cup of pepitas provides over 20% of the recommended daily intake of iron and 185 mg of magnesium, nearly 50% of the recommended daily intake.  The nutritional facts on my "Go Raw" bag differs from this information, but regardless of the variation in percentage of the recommended daily intake, both illustrate that the pumpkin seed is a good source for iron and magnesium.  The pumpkin seed also contains a decent amount of L-tryptophan (1 gram of roasted seeds contain 5.69 mg and 1 gram of its protein contains 17.2 mg).

Both Magnesium and L-trytophan have links to migraines.  Studies show that  serum magnesium in migraine patients is significantly lower than the normal population and is related to the frequency of migraine attacks.  Studies also suggest that migraines are related to a deficiency of serotonin in the brain.  L-tryptophan is the precursor to serotonin and therefore it is thought it may play a role in migraine prevention.  Since these lovely little seeds provide good sources for both of these things they are a staple in my traveling snack bag (also because they are quite yummy).  I am not suggesting that I cured myself by eating pumpkin seeds.  I am simply sharing some interesting and informative information on a migraine-friendly snack favorite. Oh, and they are also a great salad topper.

The following are just a few other interesting therapeutic uses of the pumpkin seed:
1.  Used to  prevent hardening of the arteries 
2.  Used to regulate cholesterol levels
3.  Used for it's anti-hypertensive effects
4.  The oil has been used as an effective treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia
5.  The oil has also been a documented folk remedy for use in patients with tapeworms.

Happy Pumpkin Seed Eating!

It's a commonly held belief that stress causes migraines.  However, I did have one neurologist (who will remain nameless) tell me that I was ridiculous to think that stress was causing my migraines.  He then went on to inform me that women in war-torn countries endure stress, not women in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Needless to say this neurologist offered no suggestions  to help manage my stress.   Throughout my migraine journey I have encountered several suggestions to reduce stress in my life.  One Dr. (who believed in the physiological effects of stress) actually performed a test on me (ANSAR) that documented that my sympathetic autonomic nervous system was in overdrive.  The sympathetic nervous system mediates our fight or flight response, the response to stress, pain, or cold.  While the parasympathetic branch is responsible for energy conservation and restoration.  Ideally, these systems should be balanced. When I asked this Dr. what I was supposed to do in order to balance myself, he recommended meditation or prayer as a possible solution.  I had come across meditiation as a suggestion for migraine relief previously, yet my little knowledge about how to meditate left me paralyzed at the thought of attempting it.  The idea of quieting my mind with a goal of thinking of absolutely nothing for a set amount of time became stressful, thus negating it's purpose.  Many physicians and stress relief experts find similarities between prayer and meditation-- and prayer I can do. 

I debated posting anything regarding prayer as it seems very personal and possibly controversial.  Although, I did reveal church outings in my Migraine Plan, I didn't speak specifically to prayer.  Whatever your religious beliefs (unless you have none at all) you can pray or meditate and  remain unoffended by the fact that I pray.  Studies have shown that prayer and meditation can have an impact on stress and pain.  A study by Dr. Herbert Benson at Harvard Medical School was one of these studies.  He determined that the body responds to praying, meditating, hypnosis, and other relaxation techniques by lowering heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate.  His study showed the body achieves a state of relaxation where there is a decreased need for oxygen and a decreased production of carbon dioxide.  These things are the opposite of what occurs in the body under stress.  Through these techniques we can consciously decrease stress and aid in healing.  For this migrainuer prayer is a cheap and fulfilling way to cope and reduce stress.  All I need is a quiet room and some solitude.

Many times in a chronic state of migraine my prayers were mere pleads for mercy or negotiations with a higher power to reduce my pain in return for my undying committment.   Today my prayers are a time of quiet reflection of thanks and gratitude for the relief I have received.  It is a time and place for me to connect spiritually and share responsibility and religuish control for things in my life that I can't control.  My prayer today, while I type this blog, is that the message contained in this site will relieve the pain and suffering of a fellow migrainuer.

Can I get an Amen?

My flight with the overly perfumed passenger last week got me thinking about specific odors that are migraine triggers for me.  Do floral scents trigger migraines for you?  I can vividly recall a beautiful floral bouquet being sent to my hospital room after just having a child.  It didn't take long until I could no longer stand the odor of the bouquet.  I reached out to my sister for help and had her relocate the flowers to a different hospital department.  Hopefully, they were fully appreciated in their new home.  I love the way fresh flowers look, I just prefer not to smell most of them.  Is there a way to enjoy their beauty without suffering from their floral scents?  There may be hope.   I have found that sticking to my Migraine Plan has decreased my sensitivity to certain things, one of which is odors.  That being said, certain floral scents still seem a bit risky to me and it may be that I still haven't recovered from the memory of my postpartum bouquet (or last weeks plane ride).

Do you ever wonder why a floral scent triggers migraines?  Here is my conclusion after some research.  The scent of a flower is a chemical that is produced in order for the flower to survive.  The flower can actually change the chemical it emits in order to either attract pollinaters or repel predators.  The odor is a chemical messenger that is dissolved in the air.  We unsuspecting migrainuers inhale it and it interacts with receptors in our bodies that transmit it through the nose and olfactory bulb and then on to the limbic system (part of the brain).  The limbic system is tied directly to the pituitary and hypothalamus glands which control hormones that affect heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, and hormone balance.  The hypothalamus produces growth hormone, sex hormones, thyroid hormone, and serotonin.  The fluctuation or change in hormones is well established as a trigger for many a migrainuer.  Our weary heads are triggered by the changes created by sniffing our flowering friends (or fellow airplane passengers).

What can we migrainuers do about floral scents?  When we have the opportunity we can let our loved ones know about our sensitive snouts.  When we get the stinky bouquet it may be an opportunity to educate our  friends about what flowers we can tolerate.   There are a number of flowers that give off barely any scent at all.  The following flowers I can enjoy without triggering a headache:

Tulips
Anemones
Poppies
Ranunculus
Calla Lilies
Amaryllis
Protea
Hydrangeas
Orchids

Traveling makes this migrainuer a little anxious.  There are numerous factors that can create complications with adherence to  my Migraine Plan when traveling.  I try to plan for all of these factors accordingly.
 
Factor 1.  Sleep changes: My flight left at 7 am in the morning, which means I needed to be at the airport by 6 am. 

--Solution: I set my  alarm for the latest possible time that I could in order to get to the airport and check-in on time.  This meant I  had my bags packed the night before with the exception of items I needed to use the morning of the flight.  My work bag was packed and ready to go, all chargers, phones, and laptops were packed up and all I had to do was put them in my car.  I attempted to get to bed earlier than usual to try to offset the early awakening.  This may have been a great idea had I been successful in getting to bed sooner.  My net sleep lost ended up being one hour.

Factor 2.  Airplane travel:  Flight travel means changes in altitude, barometric pressure, cabin oxygenation, and humidity.  Cabin humidity levels are usually 10-20% and normal indoor humidity levels are 30-65%.  My little migraine brain likes stability in all these things.  Changes in altitude alters blood oxygenation making my vessels compensate by constricting and expanding depending on barometric changes, potentially initiating a headache. 

--Solution:  I hydrated well in order to fend off dehydration and hoped for the best.  I avoid caffeine and alcohol while flying.

Factor 3.  Unpredictable food selections: When traveling on business or even for pleasure for that matter food options are different from those I keep in my home.  Meals are eaten out and I can't control whether or not lemon is squeezed onto my grouper or whether or not my spinach is cooked with parmesan cheese (I think I was tyramined and glutamated last night). 

--Solution: I pack snacks and try to pick the most migraine-friendly selections offered.  I stuck some snacks in my checked luggage and I passed on the alcohol last night.

Factor 4.  Being stuck next to a woman on my flight who overdosed on her perfume bottle.  I hadn't counted on this factor.

--Solution: I hold my breath for the 2 hour flight.  Ok, that wasn't a possibilty.  Lucky for me, I was wearing a scarf this day.  In hindsight, I may make this a travel staple.  I was able to pull my scarf up over my nose and create a barrier between myself and her offensive odor.  My need to be migraine-free trumps the need to look cool.

I did the best I could to prevent a headache from creeping into my trip.  As you can see it's almost impossible to control all the factors, but I did the best I could.  Around 7 pm on my travel day a headache started to appear and I immediately took some ibuprofen.  On day 2 of my trip I woke up without a headache and feeling good...another migraine avoided!