Migraine Meals
Pictured here is a meal I made for my family that contained gluten-free pasta, chicken, roasted red bell pepper,
spinach, garlic, and shallots. My entire family ate their entire meal this night including my four year old daughter. My plan is to post recipes that are migraine-friendly to be shared on my blog. My mother-in-law will be very happy about this and I know it will be helpful for other family members as well to recognized things that are triggers
for migraines.
If you read through my Migraine Plan you are probably wondering what I can eat. This was exactly what I thought as a read through the list of potential migraine food triggers. Ironically, my diet consisted of a majority of the foods that I eliminated from my diet. In my attempts to eat healthy, I consumed citrus, nuts, yogurt, bananas, beans, soy, tomatoes, and onions on a daily basis, all of which can trigger a migraine.
I should also mention that I went gluten-free as well. I don't believe that gluten is migraine trigger for me, but there have been numerous anecdotal tales along my migraine journey of gluten being the culprit of migraine problems for some. To be fully transparent, I cheat on occasion and eat gluten. One gluten-containing product that I don't eat is freshly baked breads due to their yeast content.
spinach, garlic, and shallots. My entire family ate their entire meal this night including my four year old daughter. My plan is to post recipes that are migraine-friendly to be shared on my blog. My mother-in-law will be very happy about this and I know it will be helpful for other family members as well to recognized things that are triggers
for migraines.
If you read through my Migraine Plan you are probably wondering what I can eat. This was exactly what I thought as a read through the list of potential migraine food triggers. Ironically, my diet consisted of a majority of the foods that I eliminated from my diet. In my attempts to eat healthy, I consumed citrus, nuts, yogurt, bananas, beans, soy, tomatoes, and onions on a daily basis, all of which can trigger a migraine.
I should also mention that I went gluten-free as well. I don't believe that gluten is migraine trigger for me, but there have been numerous anecdotal tales along my migraine journey of gluten being the culprit of migraine problems for some. To be fully transparent, I cheat on occasion and eat gluten. One gluten-containing product that I don't eat is freshly baked breads due to their yeast content.
Recipe links:A typical food day for me:Breakfast:
Option 1. cereal or oatmeal with blueberries or blackberries or strawberries and milk Option 2. Eggs (I like them all...scrambled, sunny-side-up, an omelet perhaps) with gluten-free toast Lunch: Option 1. A sandwich with organic nitrate and nitrite free lunch meat, American cheese with mustard and spinach Option 2. Tuna salad (tuna, mayo, celery, salt and pepper) with gluten-free crackers Typical Dinner: If I want to keep it simple I use the "3 choice combo"... 1. A meat selection (chicken, steak or fish), 2. An appropriate vegetable selection (squash, green beans, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, or brussel sprouts) 3. And a carbohydrate (rice, pasta, potatoes, or quinoa) Snacks I love: Popcorn (I make this on the stove with canola oil and then add only salt...so yummy) Organic blue chips Apples Pears Grapes Migraine Messenger food tips: 1. If I can't pronounce the ingredient I am skeptical and don't eat it. 2. I read ingredients on seasonings. They may contain MSG. 3. I have become familiar with other names for MSG (Glutamic acid, calcium glutamate, natrium glutamate, yeast extract, anything hydrolyzed, calcium caseinate, and textured protein) 4. Soups and salad dressings can't be trusted unless they are homemade. 5. If I am eating out, I am not shy about asking about whether or not MSG or onions are in the ingredients. They are used to season too many things. |
Migraine Food Triggers Explained:Migraine dietary triggers can be controversial. I am not certain exactly how all these chemicals act in my body to produce a migraine, but eliminating them eliminated my migraines. I will say I had tried a similar diet 3 years prior but I was on a slew of medications at the time prescribed at the Houston Headache Clinic as well as hormonal contraception and did not benefit from the dietary changes. For some reason it was a combination of both the medication and dietary eliminations that made me migraine-free. I wonder sometimes if it might be that these triggers act cumulatively building up in my body and thus creating the chronic state of migraine that I experienced. Now days I can sneak some dietary triggers in on occasion without repercussions. However, I do so very cautiously and only in small amounts. Soy sauce is one that I have learned that I personally can't play around with because I will most certainly suffer.
The chemical culprits include: caffeine MSG tyramine nitrates nitrites theobromine phenylethylamine aspartame alcohol Chocolate contains caffeine, theobromine and phenylethylamine. I haven't even once tested these waters since I quit consuming it last March. I find avoiding packaged goods is the best way to avoid MSG. If I am desperate for a chip I eat organic blue chips or plain (no seasoning except salt, pepper, or vinegar) chips. MSG is even hiding in water and oil packed tuna sometimes as hydrolyzed protein. MSG is everywhere and has many aliases: hydrolyzed protein textured protein malt extract maltodextrin soy protein sodium and calcium caseinate gelatin yeast extract. Nitrates and Nitrites are found in processed meats. I have been able to find a brand of deli meats called Applegate that doesn't contain nitrates or nitrites that is organic and that I can consume without incident. Tyramine can cause nerve cells in the brain to release norepinephrine. Having high levels of tyramine as well as excess norepinephrine may be what is causing headaches. Tyramine is found in aged and smoked meats, aged cheeses, beer (more in tap beer), red wine, sauerkraut, soy sauce, miso soup, yeast extract, and nuts. Citrus fruits are a problem because of tyramine not because of vitamin C or citric acid (which is ok for my head). Onions and podded beans contain tyramine. I substitute leeks and shallots and green onions in recipes to make them migraine friendly. Alcohol is a problem for mainly two reasons. It dehydrates me and it contains tyramine, sulfites, and phenols. With alcohol and vinegars I stick to clear distilled products. Vodka in moderation is my cocktail alcohol of choice. In salad dressings I use clear white vinegar. Aspartame is found in diet drinks and lots of chewing gum. Here I take the better safe than sorry approach. Since I was told not to consume it while I was pregnant, it made me wonder if it might not be safe for a fetus, it might be best to avoid it all together. |