When I finally was referred to a migraine specialist, I was told by this specialist to avoid processed foods.  Which is easier said than done in our culture.  Salads has been something that I no longer order at restaurants mainly because of the salad dressing but also because of ingredients in the salad themselves (no onion, no cheese, no tomatoes for me).  But I can have salad at home when I can control all ingredients including the dressing ingredients.  I took a photo of the ingredient list of a bottle of typical store bought Italian salad dressing to better explain why as a migraineur I avoid these dressings.  Try not to hurt your eyes trying to focus in on these ingredients in my photo!  Besides the fact that I can't do parmesan or Romano cheese or onion as a migraineur, its the last few ingredients that make my brow furrow.  Propylene Glycol Alginate? Potassium Sorbate? and Calcium Disodium EDTA?

Propylene Glycol Alginate is used by the chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries as an antifreeze when leakage might lead to contact with food. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies propylene glycol as “generally recognized as safe” for use in food. It is used to absorb extra water and maintain moisture.

Postassium Sorbate   is mainly used as a preservative to prevent mold, fungi and yeast growth that can cause foods to spoil. This chemical can easily be produced and is cheap which makes it an ideal choice for many industrial applications as well. While the material is generally considered safe for consumption, it can be harmful if it is used excessively. 

Calcium Disodium EDTA is used as a preservative.  It prevents air from spoiling food. It is known to cause skin reactions and GI upset. It may have mutagenic or reproductive effects. EDTA  is a chemical that binds minerals and metals such as chromium, iron, lead, mercury, copper, aluminum, nickel, zinc, calcium, cobalt, manganese, and magnesium. When they are bound and removed from the body.  I find this one particularly interesting as a migraineurr because of the effects of mineral removal, especially magnesium removal.  Magnesium is low in many migraineurs and many Dr.'s recommend migraineurs to take a magnesium supplement.

I guess my point is that probably no one should be consuming these chemicals especially in large amounts or on a regular basis.  As a migraineur, I am learning for some reason the effects that these chemicals have on my body seems to have more apparent effects than my family and friends that don't have migraines.  However, I do wonder if there may be hidden effects on them that just don't happen to manifest as migraines?

Italian Salad Dressing for Migrainuers
1 Cup Canola Oil
1/4 Cup White Distilled Vinegar
A few shakes of Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 Teaspoon Honey
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Oregano
1/4 Teaspoon Parsley
Dash of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Ground Black Pepper
1 Pressed Garlic Clove
2 Tablespoons Chopped Shallots (I use my food processer)
2 Tablespoons Chopped Red Bell Pepper (I use my food processer for this one too)

**This will need to be stirred well or shaken before using.

The anxiety I now associate with visual alterations is indescribable.  Maybe I am the only person that experiences little white floaters in my line of vision, but I thought everyone did.  Seriously, for a long time I thought everyone had these and they just came and went sporadically.  Don't worry I have had my eyes checked fairly regularly over the years.  So, I am quite certain I don't have any retinal detachment going on.  No, not retinal detachment or any other actual eye disease, just strange brain activity (and I am not certain that is better).

These visual disturbances start with a little white spot on just one side of my visual field.  It's either on my right or left eye...but never both at once.  It's there when my eyes are open and it's there when my eyes are closed.  I can't run and hide from it or blink it away.  As the time ticks by, the little white spot starts to elongate.  It gradually becomes  curved flickering white line in the upper lateral quadrant of my visual field.  Eventually the flickering line pushes up and out of my visual field entirely.  The entire process lasts about 30 minutes for me.

This particular visual disturbance is very elusive to me.  It doesn't always precede a pounding headache.  Sometimes it comes alone and it disappears without any pain.   Sometimes it appears when my alarm goes off in the morning, which makes me wonder if it is healthy to have a startling noise wake me from my deeply needed slumber. 

What I experience is a "classic" presentation of an ocular migraine or aura.  The flickering lighted line is known as a "scintillating scotoma".  If you are like me you have wondered how this visual alteration occurs.  What makes me see spots?  The experts believe that this is a neurovascular event.  It involves the firing of nerve cells in the brain and nerve cell activity affecting the blood flow in the brain.  There is an overstimulation of cell firing and then a depression of activity in the brain.  You may hear the term "cortical spreading depression" used to describe this cell firing behavior change.  The process begins with blood vessels spasming and constricting blood flow.  This constriction affects the conductivity between nerve cells causing a disruption along the visual cortex (part of the brain responsible for seeing).  As the disrupted firing crosses the visual cortex it causes us migrainuers to see the flickering lighted line.  It takes around 20 minutes to completely cross the visual cortex wich corresponds with the length of time spots are seen.  If your symptoms end with the scintillating scotoma, it probably means the electrical cell disturbance stopped at the end of your visual cortex.  If you are unfortunate enough to experience other symptoms: facial or extremity numbness and tingling or nausea and vomiting it means the electrical disturbance wasn't finished when it got to the end of your visual cortex and decided to go ahead and mess with other areas of your brain as well.

**The picture shown is an artist's rendition of a scintillating scotoma found on Wikipedia.  You can see more examples of what a scintillating scotoma looks like by clicking here.






 

One lazy weekend afternoon my husband and I were cleaning the kitchen and doing laundry while watching the food network.  The show was highlighting various restaurant prepared meatloaves.  My husband thought it would be a great idea to create our own meatloaf meal.  Most meatloaf recipes are dangerous for a migrainuer.  They contain ingredients like ketchup, onions, Worcestershire which are migraine triggers.  My daughter and I took the meatloaf creating to another level by packaging our meatloaf into a muffin tin before baking it.  It turned out wonderfully.  We had individual serving sized meatloaves which were great reheated.

The ingredients for Migraine-free Meatloaf Muffins:
1/2 cup of milk
2 eggs
1 cup of bread crumbs
1 finely chopped shallots
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground beef
shredded American cheese to top it off (optional)

This migrainuer's shopping tips:
I have become a little bit of a food snob since being a migrainuer revealed so many hidden food additives as triggers.  I eat a diet that avoids "extra" and "unnecessary" ingredients.  Therefore when I purchase milk, eggs, cheese and beef I try to buy organic.  If I cant find certified organic beef, I buy beef without hormones and antibiotics.  When I purchase seasonings I make sure the ingredients contain only the intended seasoning and not "natural flavoring" or "MSG" or any other preservative.

Preparation and cooking:
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.  I gather my ingredients and chop my shallots and garlic
3.  I combine all the ingredients listed above with the exception of the cheese (which is optional as a topping) in a big bowl.  
4.   I take off my rings, roll up my sleeves and start mashing it all together with my hands. 
5.   I spoon the beef mixture into a greased muffin tin.
6.   I make little thumbprints in the middle of the beef muffins, and stuff them with cheese. 
7.  I put the muffin tin in the oven and bake them for 25 minutes.


**I served them with some sautéed zucchini and mashed potatoes.  Both kids and husband approved. 

           







                    

**Pictured: BPA free drinking cup along with disposable plastic water bottle.

Fairly recent research suggested a connection between drinking out of plastic bottles and increased association with migraine: Exposure to Bisphenol A Exacerbates Migraine-like Behaviors in a Multibehavior Model of Rat Migraine.  The study results showed an increase in what the researchers identified as migraine-like behaviors in rats (decreased locomotion, light and sound aversion, altered grooming habits, and enhanced startle reflexes).  Results also showed alterations in estrogen signaling and changes in nociception (basically pain receptor processing).

BPA is a chemical in plastics.  It is in plastic bottles, dental sealants, medical devices, lining of canned goods, etc.  Most of us, 90% have BPA present in our bodies.   This is primarily due to consumption of food that has been in containers made with BPA.  It is considered an environmental estrogen because it acts like estrogen in the body.  In the body it can cause estrogen levels to rise and change the internal hormonal balance which may trigger a migraine as well as cause other problems.

I do know that fluctuations in estrogen levels is a trigger for most people with migraines.  I don't think plastic is the main reason for my migraines, however, I consider it a potential trigger.  Back when I started my migraine plan, I started eating mostly real foods, no packaged foods, very rarely a canned item (green chilies is the only item I can think of that I consume from a can).  So, it may be possible that I inadvertently eliminated most of my BPA exposure when I changed my diet.  When I am at home I usually drink from a glass or mug, not plastic cups and I am not a huge consumer of plastic bottles.  That being said when I am in an airport I always buy a plastic water bottle (maybe I should start supplying my own drinking container when traveling).

I guess migraines aren't the only problem associated with BPA. The FDA used to say BPA was safe, but changed their statement in 2010 stating that studies show "current levels" of human exposure are safe.  They have also expressed concern over the potential effects on the brain, behavior, prostate glands in fetuses, and young children. Here is a list of potential problems according to WebMD:

1. Hormone Disruption
2. Brain and behavior effects
3. Cancer
4. Heart problems
5. Possible connection to "obesity, diabetes, ADHD, and others."
6. Possible risk to developing bodies of infants and young children.

When I started my Migraine Plan a year and a half ago, I eliminated a lot of BPA simply as a result of preparing all of my own food.  I started eating a lot more whole and organic produce and meats and a lot less packaged and canned foods.  It looks like data shows more than one reason to reduce BPA exposure.  Here's my plan to do that:

1. I will make sure plastics I am using are BPA free. Get rid of plastics with the number 3 and 7 on the bottom, which are more likely to contain BPA.
2. I will use non-plastic or BPA free food containers and bottles for drinking and food storage.
3. I will not ever heat plastic items...this causes BPA to leach out.
4. I will get rid of plastic items that are old and cracked or scratched.
5. I will not to use canned items or choose brands that use BPA free cans.

I came across a scary social media advertisement lately that looked like this...

Scary because as a mother of small children...we do eat hot dogs in our house.  That being said as a result of my migraine influenced diet, I purchase organic hotdogs without nitrates or nitrites.  Nitrates and nitrites are a published migraine trigger.  But the statement made in the picture definitely made me think about and research the facts surrounding hotdogs and childhood leukemia.  This picture above was based on the following research conducted at University of California Medical School: Processed Meats and the Risk of Childhood Leukemia.  There has been other research that has conflicting results: Food Consumption by Children and the Risk of Childhood Acute Leukemia.  The one thing the health community does agree on is that processed meats, including bacon, deli meats, and hot dogs are linked to increased colorectal cancer.  They aren't sure what exactly the main culprit is, but experts recommend steering clear of the preservatives sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate.

As Americans we live in a culture where packaged foods is more common than not.  The food industry is always looking for ways to increase shelf life and reduce cost.  The additives that accomplish these goals affect some of us differently than others.  Sodium nitrate and nitrite are added to meats to preserve the color and decrease bacterial growth.  Sodium nitrite is used in the curing process to slow the development of botulism, add flavor, keep the meat pink, and increase shelf life.  Sodium nitrate is converted to sodium nitrite in our bodies and fights botulism.  Both nitrate and nitrite create nitrosamines when combined with protein rich foods which leads to cell damage in our bodies.

What does all this have to do with migraines?   I realize cancer and migraines are too very different things but apparently the culprit in both cases are believed to have something to do with nitrates and nitrites--not necessarily hot dogs.  When we consume these preservatives nitrite becomes nitric oxide.  Nitric oxide binds hemoglobin (iron-containing oxygen-carrying protein in our blood).  Once bound to our hemoglobin it decreases the amount of oxygen that hemoglobin can carry.  Nitric oxide is also a vasodilator.  It causes blood vessels to enlarge and dilate.  When this dilation occurs in the blood vessels in our heads it can trigger a migraine.  There is also a theory that the nitric oxide stimulates the release of calcitonin, a hormone that affects the nerves in brain vessels.

Many people will start the new year with a resolution (statistically 45% of people) to change many things about themselves.  Out of these individuals very few will achieve their resolution (8% of people).  That all being said, according to the Journal of Clinical Psychology people who explicitly make a new year's resolution are ten times more likely to achieve their goal.  75 percent of people maintain their resolution through the first week, 71 percent past two weeks, 64 percent past one month, and 46 percent past 6 months. 

My thoughts and feelings on this subject lean toward the idea that you must try to change something in your life if you want to see a difference in your life.  If you are doing all the same things this year expecting a different result, I think you are going to be disappointed.  My belief is that I can control the pain and frequency of migraines by controlling my diet and lifestyle.  I think it would be wise to evaluate the way I did things last year and see if there is room for improvement.  If my "goal" is to reduce the pain and frequency of migraines, what behaviors can a change to accomplish that "goal".

Are there certain aspects of my life I can change in order to improve my migraine lifestyle?

Here are some questions I am asking myself:
Food: Am I eating right? Have I eliminated packaged foods?  Am I eating whole foods?
Sleep:  Am I getting enough sleep?  Do I have a consistent bedtime and wake time?
Hydration:  Am I drinking enough water? Or am I drinking too many caffeinated beverages?  Am I drinking any artificial sweeteners?
Exercise: Am I exercising regularly?  Am I exercising at an intensity that will increase endorphins?
Stress Reduction: Am I reducing our daily stressors?  Can I reduce the importance of "the little things" and focus on what is important?  Are my finances causing stress and is there a way to modify that stress?  Do I need to DEclutter my house or get organized?
Happiness:  Do I have a hobby, sport, or activity that adds joy to my life? Am I surrounding myself with happy people?  Do I have a positive attitude?

If I am honest with myself, I would say there is room for improvement in some of these areas.  Some things I am very consistent with and others I have a tendency to slack on.  But when I look at my responses to these questions it helps me to see an area where I can develop my New Year's Resolution around.   Once I have set a goal, I will try to hold myself accountable.  If I slack some...I will try to get myself back on track.  Like I said if I don't try at all, then I definitely will not succeed.  I have my 2014 planner ready and it's time to start tracking my progress:)

Good luck to everyone in the New Year.  I hope this year finds you free from migraines and making positive changes to eliminate them.

So, if you have been trying to follow a migraine-free and gluten-free diet, you know how hard it is to find a sweet treat.  With the holidays upon us I was reminded of the famous Chex Mix Muddy Buddies.  These can be made into a migraine-free tasty little desert snack as long as you whip it up yourself.  And the good news is...it's easy and quick.

I took 9 Cups of Corn Chex (Rice Chex works as well) and dumped them into a big mixing bowl.
I melted 1 cup of white chocolate chips with 1/4 cup of butter in the microwave. 
I stirred it until it was smooth and then added in 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
I spooned this mixture on top of the Corn Chex.
I took my hands (washed thoroughly:) and coated the cereal in the white chocolate mixture.
I then sprinkled 1 cup of powdered sugar over the Chex Mix and tossed with my thoroughly washed hands.
I think crushed candy canes would be a fun addition to this mix for the holidays as well.
Then I eat it...in moderation of course;)

A post Thanksgiving brunch took place this past weekend with my family.  I wanted to take something to help my mother-in-law and contribute to the meal.  So, I prepared a baked apple oatmeal.  This dish is slightly sweet (it has brown sugar in it), but also contains oats (fiber), egg (protein), milk (protein), and apple (fruit and fiber).  I consider it a decent breakfast by itself, and a migraine-free breakfast as well. 

We are snowed in this week with school closed and I plan on making it again for a snow day breakfast:)

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups whole oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter that has been melted and then cooled
t teaspoon vanilla extract
1 apple thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:
1. I melt butter to cool.
2. I preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. I grease a square baking dish (I used an 8X8 Pyrex dish).
4. I combine the oats, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and sugar in a bowl.

5.  I whisked the milk, egg, butter, and vanilla extract together.

6. Slice the apples and arrange on the bottom of the greased Pyrex dish.

7.  I spread the oat mixture evenly over the apples.

8. I pour the milk and egg concoction evenly over the oats.

9.  I put the dish in the oven and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. 
10.  When it is finished baking, I remove it from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.

11.  Now I eat it.  This dish can be saved in the fridge and reheated the next day or for an afternoon snack if there is some leftover:)

You wouldn't think that being thankful and chronic migraine should go hand in hand, but I believe they are absolutely necessary.

Seeing as how it's November and everyone is counting their blessings and being grateful, it made me think about how and what we are thankful for as Chronic Migrainuers.   I am not suggesting that we would be thankful for the pain, because that would be just plain ludicrous.  However, we all have fantastic things in our lives to be thankful for outside of migraine.  

One of the tasks that many a migraine patient takes on with part of their treatment is the task of keeping a migraine journal.  UGH is how I feel when I think about marking my calendar with every day that I have a migraine.  UGH is how I feel as I right down every possible thing that could trigger my migraines.  UGH is how I feel when I look back at all the events that I missed or just pushed on through in horrible pain.  I don't know about you all, but this is a lot of UGH's.  At some point I just quit writing it all down and obsessing about it.  Looking back at the calendar and seeing that 22 out of the last 30 days were spent in pain is just down right depressing.  And I for one do not want to be depressed.  Quite the opposite, I want to feel happy and blessed.  Every day I count my blessings.   I usually start my day thanking God for my exceptionally beautiful and supportive family members and friends.  Frankly, without them I would not have survived the years I spent in pain.  Then I just go down the list of all the wonderful things in my life.  I literally count my blessings.  And I never forget to be thankful for my health and how great I feel today. 

I am so thankful that I get to spend everyday of my life with these people:

Research on gratitude confirms that being thankful has a strong correlation with greater happiness.  Gratitude elicits positive emotions, it can improve health, it can help people deal with adversity and it can enhance personal relationships.  Most of the research on gratitude has been conducted by Dr. Robert A. Emmons and Dr. Michael E. McCullough.  One of
the studies they conducted hit close to home for me.  You will see why when you read their study design: 
    
    The participants were divided into groups and asked to write down some sentences each week.  The groups were given a different topic on which to write.  One group wrote down the things that they were grateful for during the week.  A second group wrote down daily irritations or things they didn't like that occurred that week.  The third group wrote down significant occurrences with no emphasis placed on whether the event was good or bad.  The groups participated for ten weeks.  At the end of ten weeks, the grateful group felt more optimistic about their lives, they exercised more and had less trips to the doctor than the other groups.

It doesn't seem like rocket science that if we think about happy things we will be more happy than if we think about
depressing things.  I believe that how we choose to perceive the world around us determines our own reality.  We as individuals have the opportunity to create our own beliefs about our lives and thus our own reality.  I decided at some point to make sure that recognized the great things about my life more often than I was acknowledging the painful parts.  Hopefully I am gaining some health benefits from it:)

What is the perfect dish for a slightly chilly fall Sunday?
Migraine-free Gumbo of course! 

I love some gumbo, but it is much too risky for me to sample someone else's recipe.  There could be all kinds of crazy migraine triggers packed into this delicious dish in a restaurant.  So, here is the recipe I use...

Ingredients:
The roux:
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup gluten-free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour)

The gumbo:
1.5 cups chopped shallots (shallots aren't a trigger...onions are a trigger)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped bell peppers
1 pound nitrate, nitrite and MSG free Andouille sausage cut into 1/2 inch slices (found at natural food store)
1.5 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3 bay leaves
4 chicken breasts
18 large shrimp cut into bite size pieces (make sure your shrimp is preservative-free)
1 tablespoon Migraine-Free Dry Spicy Rub
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 cup chopped green onions (green onions aren't a trigger...onions are a trigger)

In a large pot on stove I put 4 chicken breasts and the sausage in 7 cups of water.  I bring them to a boil then reduce to medium heat and cover.

I start the roux.  I put the vegetable oil and gluten-free flour on medium heat in a large pot on stove.  I stir this consistently for about 35 minutes until it turns dark chocolate brown.

I serve this gumbo over white rice.  I have been using a Jasmine rice lately that is easily prepared in about 20 minutes. I usually start cooking the rice as soon as I complete the roux.  The rice is simply prepared per the instructions on the bag.

Next I start chopping.  I chop the celery, bell peppers and shallots, and green onion.  I cheat on chopping the shallots and toss them into my mini food processor after removing the skin.

I now begin to peel and prep the shrimp.  Which basically entails peeling them and cutting them in thirds and the sprinkling them with some Migraine-Free Dry Spicy Rub.

When the chicken is cooked all the way through remove it and the sausage and cut both into bite size pieces. I make sure to save the water from the chicken and sausage. I add the water back in later after straining off the white fatty froth.   I cover the chicken in the Dry Spicy Rub.

I add the celery, bell peppers and shallots into the roux. I cook on medium heat until they begin to soften (about 5 minutes).

I add in the sausage, salt, cayenne and bay leaves.

I add back in the water from the chicken and sausage while straining off the white fat that has gathered at the top of the water.  I bring this to a boil and then turn down heat to medium-low heat uncovered.

I add in the shrimp and let it cook until they are completely pink and cooked.  I add in the parsley and green onions at the very end.  I serve this yummy concoction over the rice.  The fact that this a migraine-free gumbo makes it taste that much better:)