Whew!  Safe here in Tulsa after a tornado originated very close to my home and touched down near friends last night in Broken Arrow.  This weather is scary and exhausting.

Last week was a rough one for those of us living in Oklahoma.   Depending on where in Oklahoma you were life was a little more fragile but emotions and grief  were high no matter where you were.  We all know the risk that comes with living in this part of the country.  However, we also become a little numb to the warnings after years of getting in our closets.   The tornado drills at schools start at a very young age.  We are trained early to file ourselves into the hallways away from the windows, to get as close to the center of the structure as possible and then to curl up into a little ball and place our hands over our heads and then wait.  We are instructed to locate the safest room in the house.  In my case that room has typically been a closet.  Even though we follow the safety protocols that have been drilled into us since elementary school most of us do so expecting to come out of the closet at the end of the storm to learn the tornado passed through without insult or injury to anyone.  The Moore Tornado last week put all of this training into perspective as well as stripped away the numbness that had built up over the years and left most of us raw and exposed to the emotions that lay in the wake of the devastation. 

So, whether it was tears of sadness and pain from losing precious lives or whether it was tears of amazement in awe of the generosity and miraculous resolve of the human spirit, tears were shed.  As if the barometric pressure changes weren't enough for the migrainuers living in Oklahoma the past few weeks the outburst of tears and strong emotions were a  problem as well.  The knowledge that a good hard cry will most likely precipitate a migraine attack prevents me from allowing myself a good hard cry.  When I feel the tears begin to swell I quickly distract my brain and gather my emotions to become this stoic little robot the migraines have created.  My heart is extremely heavy on the inside but in no way shape or form can I allow myself to relax and let the tears turn into an uncontrolled cry.

Why would crying cause a migraine? 
I believe, along with several scientist that it is worth looking further into for some answers.  There is not much in the literature on crying being a precipitating factor for migraines.  In an attempt to examine the role of crying as a trigger these scientists enrolled 163 migrainuers in their study.  Crying was identified as a trigger by 55% of participants.   In this study the only other triggers listed greater than crying were stress, anxiety, and menstrual periods.  These scientists concluded that since the physiology of crying is not well documented or understood, but it seems to be a migraine trigger, crying warrants further research.

Here are some of my hypotheses with regards to why crying may trigger migraines:
1.  Intense emotions start the process.  This stressful state may be enough on its own to be a trigger. 
2.  Physiologically there is an increase in pulse and respirations, muscles in the head, face, and neck become tense.  This tension may irritate the trigeminal nerve which is linked to migraines. 
3.  The tears themselves may contribute to water loss and hence have a dehydrating effect.  
4.  Crying causes facial and sinus congestion which is a trigger for many a migrainuer.

Typically, I like to present solutions on this blog.  I am not sure we can always stave off a good cry and maybe you could try hydrating if you can't hold back the tears.  So, my solution to my tears and tornados is contributing to the rebuilding of the areas devastated by last weeks storms.   If you haven't already contributed here are some links that might be helpful:
1.  Lifechurch.tv has ways to help either through donations or volunteer on their site
2.  Donate to the United Way Oklahoma Tornado Relief
3.  Volunteer Opportunities on OKStrong
4.  Donate to OKStrong
5.  Also, participating Starbucks will be taking donations this week for OKStrong in exchange for a free cup of coffee!

Prayers to all those that have suffered as a result of this storm.  If you can handle some tears my friend Lisa lost her brother last week in Moore and the rescue worker who found his body was her angel through this tragedy.  Here is a link to their story: http://newsok.com/article/3833849.
 

Could our ability to forgive improve our health?  We all have had experiences where someone has greatly offended us or mistreated us in some way.  Sometimes our greatest offender is ourselves.  Many of us have made mistakes or done things we aren't necessarily proud of doing.  Sometimes we are our own worst enemy when it comes to our willingness to forgive.  How we respond to these events may determine both our health and our happiness.  

How easily do you forgive yourself and others? 
Do you constantly relive the experiences over and over again with anger or resentment? 
Or are you one of the lucky few who are able to let go and forget the incident all together? 

I remember many years ago my grandmother and I having a discussion on whether or not we forgave or forgot.  At the time I was pretty certain that I forgot certain trespasses.   However, when considering it now, I think in order to forget about a specific incident you have to be willing to not think of it at all.  If you aren't thinking of it, you must not be bothered by it enough to be dwelling on the incident with anger and irritation.  We all have events that makes us fume when we begin to remember the hurt or in some cases our own stupidity.  I now view my forgetfulness as a very refined coping mechanism:)

When the rumination of the hurtful events is frequent it can impact overall health. This sort of chronic re-experiencing of the event coupled with an environment filled with constant reminders of the offenses makes it extremely difficult to forgive or forget.  When we force ourselves to  replay the event again and again in our heads we are not just experiencing it psychologically but scientist say we also show physical signs of stress while remembering the event.  The experts (Worthington, Sandage, and Berry 2000) define unforgiveness "as a combination of delayed negative emotions (resentment, bitterness, hostility, hatred, anger and fear) toward a transgressor."  The repeated exposure to ruminations of offenses causes one to be stuck in negative emotions and live under the conditions of a hyperaroused stress response.  Since stress plays a huge part in migraines, I believe forgiveness might be helpful to migrainuers and quite frankly everyone. 

Research in the field of forgiveness as it relates to health is fairly new.  Harvard researchers report that mentally nursing a grudge exhibits the physical consequences of muscles tensing, an increase in  blood pressure, and an increase in sweating.  Other studies show that through forgiveness there are improvements in blood pressure and heart rate as well as a decreased workload for the heart.  A small study on people with chronic back pain found that those who focused on converting anger to compassion experienced more of a decrease in pain and anxiety than the control group. 

Stanford University is home to the largest intervention study of interpersonal forgiveness-- "The Stanford Forgiveness Project".  Researchers involved in this study believe forgiveness to be similar to the ability to see one's life through a positive lens. We could all benefit from the health benefits correlated to a decreased stress response (especially the migrainuer).  Part of the project's design includes training in managing life's unfortunate offenses and using forgiveness to make peace with ourselves and our pasts.  Their methodology includes these 9 steps to forgiveness, in case you want to train yourself:
 

I think these people at Stanford might be pretty smart.   Forgiveness may be a path to greater peace and understanding
that can benefit us both physically and psychologically.

My husband has been anxiously awating a popcorn post.  So, here it is:

How can I possibly do this snack justice?  We snack on this in the evenings multiple times a week (almost nightly).  It is truly a part of our lives.  I have made my husband as addicted as I am to this wonderful delicacy.  I arrived home from my tennis match on Tuesday night around 10pm to find that he had just finished making some, and there was a bowl reserved for me!  It's true love, I tell you.

So, what makes popcorn so wonderful for this migrainuer.  Well first and foremost, my lengthy list of migraine dietary restrictions and my attempt at being gluten-free with my son limit my yummy snack options.  But here are some other qualities that make popcorn a great snack food:
1.  Popcorn is a wholegrain shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.  A 30g serving is equal to a daily serving of brown rice or whole-wheat pasta.
2.  It contains three times more fiber than sunflower seeds.  It keeps you feeling fuller longer and balances blood sugar levels.  It helps to lower the bad cholesterol (LDLs). 
3.  It has a dose of B vitamins.
4.  It is it's extremely large polyphenol count that is thought to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.  Polyphenols are antioxidants that decrease free radicals which are known to cause cancer and heart disease.  The hull (not the white part) is what contains all these wonderful polyphenols.
5.  Recent research shows that popcorn contains a potent antioxidant called ferulic acid.  This wonderful little substance has shown to have therapeutic effects against cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases because of it's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.  That's right migrainuers--I said anti-inflammatory activity!

Not everyone buys into all these benefits due to the fact that because popcorn is so fibrous it may just go through are intestines without all these wonderful things being fully absorbed.  It is also cautioned that there are better sources of polyphenols and fiber in fruits and veggies.

The next thing you need to know is not all popcorn is created equally.  Let's start by talking about the kernel itself. There are estimates that the majority of corn in the United States is grown from genetically modified seeds (90%).  Buying certified organic popcorn is the best way of knowing you aren't eating a "frankenkernel".   In our pantry right now you would find Arrowhead Mills kernels and Skinny Pop Popcorn (which is already popped and bagged) both of these products claim to be free of GMOs.  There is much controversy about the safety of genetically modified produce.  If given the choice, I choose organic.

If selecting a safe popcorn kernel wasn't something that is stressful enough, now consider the method of popping it. 
1.  Microwaving:  Much of the popcorn consumed by Americans is microwaved.  The microwaving isn't necessarily bad. Its the packaging, flavoring, and potential extraneous ingredients that might be bad.  Most microwave popcorn bags are lined with perfluorochemicals (PFCs) which are associated with cancer and reproductive issues.  The butter flavoring used in many microwave popcorn brands is diacetyl.  This chemical has been known to cause lung damage in both factory workers and consumers.  There are websites the can walk you through microwaving your organic kernels in a safe brown bag at home if this is your preferred method.  It is not mine.
2.  Air-popping:  This requires a air-popping machine.  If you own a machine you can pop your organic kernels this way as well.  This method probably makes the popcorn with the least calories.  I do own one of these, but I prefer the last method of popping because in my opinion it yields the most tasty popcorn EVER!
3.  Stove-top method:   This is how we do it. 
 
For this I use a 3.5-quart stainless steel or some other non-Teflon pan with a lid. I cover the bottom of the pan in olive oil, about 3-4 tablespoons (many people recommend coconut oil or ghee).  Olive oil is my oil of choice simply because that is what is in my pantry all the time. 

I then put 3 kernels in the pan and turn the heat up to medium-high on my gas stove. 

When the 3 kernels start to pop I go ahead and add 2/3 cup of kernels to the pan, place the lid on it and shake it around
coating the kernels in the oil.  Then I wait... and they begin to pop.  I shake the pan a little now and then as the kernels keep popping to avoid a possible burn. 

It doesn't take long at all and the popping begins to slow so I remove the pan from the heat.  I pour the popped corn into a
bowl (2 different bowls usually) and then I add some salt.

I timed this batch and it took about 3 minutes of actual popping until the batch was complete.  I only shook the pan 3 times during the popping and there was no burning, which is key to any good popcorn batch.  I can eat this popcorn knowing that  it is not genetically modified, it contains no PFCs and no diacetyl.  Most importantly to me, I can eat this popcorn knowing it won't trigger a migraine.

In my head, I am accompanying the title of this post  with the humming of C&C Music Factory's song "Things That Make You Go...Hmmm".  If you weren't a teenager in the early 90's this song may mean nothing to
you.  Otherwise, feel free to sing this post in the above mentioned melody. You could also run the video in the background while you read.

Probably like most migrainuers, when suffering from pulsating head pain I was always trying to figure out
what was different about me that gave me these horrible headaches.  I am certain, since all the neuroscientists out there haven't quite got a grasp on it, that a little nurse in Oklahoma can get it figured out on her own (that is
sarcasm of course).

Migraines are way to complex for the answer to lie simply in prostaglandins, but in my search for my
issue I found lots of research on migraines and prostaglandins out there.  So, below are some question and answers about prostaglandins in my attempt to fill in some gaps about their relationship to
migraines.  This information might also be interesting if you take aspirin or any other anti-inflammatory product that is similar in therapeutic action.

Hmmmm, what is a Prostaglandin?
They are a group of lipid compounds derived from fatty acids. They are not endocrine hormones, but
are autocrine or paracrine which are locally acting messengers.  This means instead of being made in one gland and secreted through the blood stream to travel through the body to their destination, they are made in all
kinds of tissues and their targets are located near the area where they are secreted.

Hmmm, what is Cyclooxygenase?
Cyclooxygenase is an enzyme that starts the chemical reaction to make a prostaglandin.  There are two kinds of cyclooxygenase.  The first one produces your baseline amount of prostaglandins.  The second cyclooxygenase responds in the case of an injury to produce extra prostaglandins.

Here is my rough illustration for the chemistry involved:)
          

These little quiches are fun, migraine-friendly, and easy to make.  In my mini quiche creation I used organic turkey bacon without nitrates or nitrites (important for the migrainuer), spinach, shallots instead of onions (a substitution must for the migrainuer), and green chiles.  The ingredient combinations could really be endless.  I thought about adding cheese (American for the migrainuer) but decided they really didn't need it.  I was right.  Other possibilities would have been bell peppers in lieu of the green chiles.  They could also be made veggie only.  Like I said the possibilities are endless!  

To make 9 mini quiches I started with:

3 slices organic turkey bacon (migrainuers can't have nitrates or nitrites)
1 shallot chopped (shallots replace onions for the migrainuer)
1 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup diced green chiles
10 eggs
My MISTO filled with olive oil to grease the muffin tin (I will explain the MISTO later if you are unfamiliar)

I preheated the oven to 350 degrees.
I cut the 3 bacon slices into little pieces.
I diced up the shallot.
I chopped up a cup of spinach.

In a skillet I cooked the 3 slices of cut bacon on medium heat for 5 minutes.

I added in the shallot and onion and cooked for another 5 minutes and then removed from heat.

In a mixing bowl I combined 2 whole eggs with 8 egg whites (the 10 eggs).

I whisked them together with a 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.

I then got out my MISTO.

If you are unfamiliar with the MISTO, it is a little self-pumped mister that I personally have filled with olive oil (it can be filled with the oil of your choice).  I pump the lid multiple times and then spray olive oil on whatever I like.  I like to use it to coat veggies before I put them on the grill or use it to mist over popcorn (when air-popped). 

In this case, I like to spray it on the muffin tin so that the eggs won't  stick to the pan.

After MISTOing the pan, I filled it with the bacon, shallot, and spinach mixture.

I then topped it with the chopped green chiles.

I poured the egg mixture into the muffin tin.

I put them in the oven on 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Here is what they looked like when they came out of the oven.

I let them cool for about 5-10 minutes and then they popped right out of the muffin tin without problems!