Trigger Warning! Avoid These Foods if You Get Chronic Migraines

migraines It can seem like everyone around you is in the process of dieting or trying to eat better. Most people know that the food you eat has a direct impact on their health, but most focus on how it impacts their weight. But did you know that the way you eat can also help restore your health, lessening the effects of chronic migraines, diabetes, and other chronic complaints. As any health center will tell you, eating a healthy, balanced diet, cutting out added sugars where you can from your meals, and detoxing will have a remarkable effect on how you feel, both physically and mentally. If you balance a better diet with getting enough sleep, staying well-hydrated, and exercising, you may find yourself with more energy, less stress, and a better lifestyle overall.

How Could Eating Better Be a Chronic Migraines Treatment?

Everyone who suffers from chronic migraines or chronic tension headaches knows how fast their day can halt in their tracks. They can often feel debilitating, taking away your focus and impacting how they sleep. Around 70% of those who suffer from chronic pain said they had difficulty concentrating and almost 80% said they felt depressed at some point or another. And given that according to a recent survey from the National Institutes of Health, around 15% of Americans said they suffered from headaches or migraines, it’s a serious problem.

If you suffer from chronic migraines, there are certain foods you should cut down on or avoid altogether. Some of these include:

  • dairy
  • nuts (including peanuts)
  • foods or beverages with fake sugars (like aspartame)
  • foods with MSG (monosodium glutamate
  • alcoholic beverages (red wine especially)
  • apples
  • chocolate
  • citrus

You can usually tell if these will trigger a migraine if you eat a food and notice a migraine coming on. If cutting these foods out of your diet reduce your migraine, you’ll know they’re ones to avoid.

However, green veggies that are rich in Vitamin A, C, and fiber such as Swiss chard or collard greens can help stave off a migraine. Nuts and seeds can help help boost magnesium levels, keeping that migraine at bay. Whole grains can also help with their high levels of complex carbohydrates and fiber. And, staying hydrated is a powerful migraine blocker, especially as migraines are often triggered by dehydration.

What Other Measures Can I Take to Reduce My Migraines?

  • Apart from eating better, also make sure you’re eating! Skipping meals and binge eating later to make up for it (or simply not making up those meals) is not good for your body and can be a migraine trigger.

  • Regulate your sleep — getting not enough sleep or too little sleep can be bad news for your migraines.

  • Hit the gym, or incorporate more activity in your lifestyle. Whether that means taking a walk at lunch, taking the stairs, or finally fitting in a yoga or zumba class to your schedule, exercising can help you feel better overall and may reduce your chance of migraines.

  • Take some you time. Stress is a common trigger for migraines. Learning to meditate or let go of some of that stress can help you avoid regular migraines.

Don’t let chronic pain get in the way of your life. Change parts of your lifestyle that might be contributing to your chronic pain. A better diet, more sleep, exercise, and emotional or spiritual exercises like meditation could have positive impacts on all aspects of your life. This might be the wake-up call you need to finally take that step towards changing your lifestyle for the better.