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.

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. 

           







                    

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.

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:)

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:)

The key to making a migraine friendly spicy rub for fish or meat is just that...make it yourself.  Many store bought rubs and spices come with some ingredients that we migrainuers can do without--namely MSG.  Why would they add MSG to their seasoning mixes?  Well, for a number of reasons.  The first being that it adds depth and fullness to the flavoring.  It is thought to intensify or enhance salty and sour tastes.  What these manufacturers don't realize is even though it may be tasty it causes lots of us to experience adverse symptoms as a result of adding this flavor enhancing migraine trigger.  Remember MSG has a lot of aliases: hydrolyzed protein, autolyzed yeast, and sodium caseinate to name a few.

Here are the ingredients for my Dry Spicy Rub:

4 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
3 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all of this in a small dish and mix them together.  This may be stored with your seasonings in an airtight container for up to 3 months.  Make sure to date your container.

How I use my Dry Spicy Rub:
I use this rub to season fish and meat before grilling or cooking.  I also like adding it for some spicy flavor to soups, stews, gumbo, etc. (you get the point).  I sprinkle the rub onto the meat and "rub" it in covering the entire meat.  I try to add this about 30 minutes prior to cooking or grilling.  It can be left on up to 24 hours before cooking.  I also have been known to put a few dashed of this in my chicken noodle soup after it is prepared and just before I eat it.

If you like shrimp, asparagus, and pasta...you will love this pasta dish!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of Olive Oil
4 cloves of garlic peeled and diced
2 shallots finely chopped (shallots replace onions for most of my migraine-friendly recipes.  Onions are too high in tyramine for this migrainuer)
1 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. dried tarragon
1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp
A package of almost any pasta will work with this dish

Start by buying shrimp that has no preservatives (see previous post related to migraine induced by sodium tripolyphosphate). See example below of shrimp without preservatives or antibiotics.  The only ingredients should be shrimp as far as I'm concerned.

 

Once you have purchased you migraine-friendly shrimp, you can start peeling and deveining them.

Next I start boiling water for the pasta of choice (I usually prefer a gluten-free angel hair).  Any pasta will work for this dish. I just prepare per the package instructions and then set aside.

For ease and because I was feeling lazy, I dumped the shallots and garlic into my food processor and pulsed them together.

In my pan I heated the oil at a medium heat and tossed in the shallots and garlic

While those are cooking I prep the asparagus, and then toss them in with the shallots and garlic.  I add in both the tarragon and the black pepper.

And at last, I toss the prepared shrimp in with the asparagus and cook until the shrimp are completely pink.  When the shrimp are completely cooked I toss in the cooked pasta to soak up the oil and flavors.  Then I serve it into a bowl straight from the pan.  The tarragon and black pepper give this dish a really nice flavor.  ENJOY without a migraine!

I just wanted to take time to share a "favorite" with fellow migrainuers today.  We all know how difficult it is to find migraine friendly foods and granola can be especially difficult due to nuts, preserved dried fruits, and coconut.  I have found a product that is delicious and migraine friendly and so I feel obligated to share this treasure.  The brand is "Kind" and they make multiple flavors of granola (some of which contain coconut and nuts so beware of those flavors).  The flavor is "Maple Quinoa and Chia Seeds".

The brand "Kind" highlights that their products contain ingredients that you can see and pronounce, which is vital to the migrainuer.  This product is also gluten-free.  Gluten can be a migraine trigger for some people and more and more people are switching to a gluten-free lifestyle.  They also state this is a non GMO product.  I can rest assured I am not eating franken oats:).

Here is what Kind says about their products and I happen to agree with them:

Not all of their products are migraine-friendly (they contain nuts, coconut, chocolate, etc.).  Maple Quinoa Clusters with Chia Seeds is a granola that is delicious when eaten as a cereal with milk.  I add some fresh blueberries to mine in the morning.  I have also been known to munch on it dry for a afternoon snack.  I must disclose that I am not receiving any incentive for plugging this product.  I just happen to be overly excited about a store-bought product that is migraine-friendly and yummy too!

Here is a link to Kind's website if you want to check them out.  In my research of their site I also learned you can't purchase this product directly from them, but you can get it from Swansonvitamins.com.  I am not sure why it is unavailable from the manufacturer, but my local grocer is carrying it.  It appears the manufacturer's site does offer another flavor of migraine-friendly granola: "Cinnamon Oat Clusters with Flax Seeds".  I haven't sampled this flavor, but would give it a try if my favorite becomes unavailable at my local store.

If you are looking for a vegetarian migraine-friendly recipe...this may be what you need.  My 5 year old daughter loves these artichokes, which is evidence that an adult palette is not required for this meal.

Artichokes
2 whole artichokes
Minced garlic
black pepper
salt

I prepared the quinoa per the package instructions... making enough to yield 3 cooked cups of quinoa.  Basically I brought it to a boil and then let it sit there.

To prep the artichokes I cut off the pointed end with a serrated knife and placed them in a pan to boil.  I made sure they cooked at a boil for 15 minutes.  At the same time I preheated the oven to 400 degrees (I will put the artichokes in the oven once they are seasoned later in recipe).

I chopped up the produce:
1. Sliced the green onion thin
2. Diced the green and red bell pepper
3. Chopped the pear into bite size or smaller pieces
4. Diced the celery into thin pieces

I added all of these wonderful things into the cooked quinoa.  Then I added the 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds, 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, 3 tsp. agave nectar, and 1 tsp. of salt (I usually add more salt) and mixed it all together.  This quinoa pilaf is ready to eat!

Back to the Artichokes:
Once the artichokes are finished boiling, I removed them from the water and placed them on a cutting board. I cut them in half with a serrated knife.  Then I put them on sheet pan with their hearts exposed.   While exposed I misted them with olive oil with my "Misto" then I seasoned them by sprinkling minced garlic, fresh ground black pepper, and sea salt on them (If you don't have a "Misto" just brush them in olive oil).  Then I placed them in the preheated oven (400 degrees) for 15 minutes.  I left my oven light on to make sure they didn't get too crispy.

If you thought I was done grooming this four little "chokes" you were wrong.  I removed them from the oven and then gave them all a cute little hair cut.  If you have never prepared or eaten an artichoke this is how I do it.  I take a regular spoon from my cutlery drawer and spoon out/off all of their hair being very careful not to take a piece of their sweet little hearts off with their hair.  Then I remove all the "crispier" leaves leaving only the yummy ones with a little heart on them (pictured). 

If you have never eaten an artichoke prepared this way, you pull each leaf off and eat the tender white heart off each leaf (as in the one pictured) one at a time until you have no leaves left.  At this time it will be just you and the heart--the best
part.  You can eat all the heart you want.  It's a very sad ending for the artichoke but a wonderful experience for the eater.  And to quote my now seven year old son, who was 3 at the time of the quote, "Lehman's aren't quitters, we are eaters"! 

I served these artichokes on top of the pilaf for a vegetarian and migraine-friendly dinner. 

**This pilaf goes great with both fish and meats as well.