Posted on June 02, 2016 by Kate Halsall

can your LIFESTYLE AND DIET HELP PREVENT MIGRAINES

A couple of weeks ago I was diagnosed with Vestibular Migraines (vertigo migraines). I had nausea, dizziness and loss of control/feeling in the right side of the body. I’m not going to lie, I was scared (and thought I was having a stroke!). I also initially felt that the diagnoses was wrong – I wasn’t having any headache symptoms, no visual impairment, no ringing in my ears – and they’re the symptoms I had always previously associated with a migraine. Wrong. There are so many types of migraines out there, and they don’t all adhere to our common beliefs of what a migraine is. Also, after speaking to some of our clients and gym members, many of you suffer with a type of migraine. As this has been my first “official” one, I’m keen to mitigate the chances of having another one anytime soon – and maybe finding help for all of us. As a personal trainer, I’m more interested in answering the question….’can your lifestyle and diet help prevent migraines?’

Are There Foods To Avoid?

It’s a good question – and it’s the first one I had. I’ve spent some time researching this and honestly the information is conflicting. Initially the information I found said avoid the following:

  • Alcohol (especially red wine)
  • Chocolate
  • Caffeine
  • Cheese
  • Bread
  • MSG
  • Aspartame
  • Nuts

This obviously didn’t help as I don’t have most of these things in my diet anyway. BUT –  everyone has their own migraine triggers. What triggers a migraine for one person, may not be the same trigger for another. Also, there are some pieces of research which concluded that there was no real evidence between the links between certain foods/drinks and migraines. In addition there are also some pieces of advice which contradict these “triggers” – see below!

Are There Foods To Include?

Virtually everything I have read agree on 2 things which can reduce the repetition or length of migraines, or the lack of these nutrients could be triggers for migraines:

  • Riboflavin (B2)
  • Magnesium

This is where it gets a little contradictory as sources of riboflavin include cheese and almonds! Luckily there are other sources of Vitamin B2 and a link is attached below to help you select your foods! There’s also a link below for foods containing magnesium. It is also important to stay hydrated.

Lifestyle Factors?

It is commonly believed that migraines can be brought on based on stress, lack of sleep, type of contraceptive pill, anxiety, smoking, lack of exercise and so on…

In Summary……

What is widely suggested is for you to find your own triggers. Make a note of your migraine episodes and what you have eaten and drunk that day, whether you’re having enough sleep, what your stress levels are at the time and so on. This may help to identify what you need to change in your lifestyle or diet. I’ve also been researching a natural supplement called feverfew….but I’m not medically qualified so whilst I may experiment with this (and blog about it), I can’t officially recommend it!

If you have tried things which have successfully helped you with your migraines, let us know!

Picture: https://pixabay.com/en/headache-flash-woman-face-388876/

Further Reading:

https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/handle/10355/3508

http://nutritionreviews.oxfordjournals.org/content/70/6/337.abstract

www.nhs.uk/ipgmedia/national/migraine action/assets/migraineandfood.pdf

https://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-high-in-riboflavin-vitamin-B2.php

https://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-high-in-magnesium.php