General Ulysses S Grant wrote in his memoirs during the dark days of the civil war, "I was suffering
very severely with a sick headache. I spent the night bathing my feet in hot water and mustard, and putting mustard plasters on my wrists and the back part of my neck, hoping to be cured by morning".
Grant suffered from migraine headaches, and like the millions of American's today who see their physician for headache, there was no real cure. We spend billions of dollars annually trying to ease the pain, yet science with all its advanced technology is not able to offer a cure. Drugs may mask the pain, but they can not prevent the recurrence of the problem. Drugs taken on a regular basis may also cause long range physical damage. While searching for pain relief from headache, the stomach or liver may be damaged, causing a worse problem than the first.
I used to suffer severely from migraines. I had at least one a week, sometimes twice. Usually 2-3 days in duration. I'd been hospitalized for migraines, as long as 3-5 days at a time. I used to have daily headaches, even if not to a migraine strength, they were severe enough to take medication. I used to take on average, a bottle of 100 IB tabs a WEEK. Finally, when they no longer did any good for my headaches at all, the Dr admitted me to the hospital again, to DETOX my Liver, yes!!! Detox from taking Ibuprofen. WOW, I wasn't a drug addict, and this really disturbed me. Now I no longer can take IB, and rarely take Exederine. And unfortunately Tylenol doesn't do anything more than candy for me. My body's become immune.
Then I changed my diet, and started to listen to my body and what it's telling me I'm deficient in nutritionally. I started taking my NeoLife nutritionals according to the self evaluation (you'll find in an earlier blog post). The headaches actually stopped. Oh, with stress from time to time, I'll still get a headache, but it's rare. I used to live with that constant daily pain, and now that it's gone, and I get a headache, it's very noticeably uncomfortable. When my husband started his treatment beginning with removal of his kidney for stage 4 kidney cancer, that whole week I had a severe migraine, yes I know it was stress and worry. I had attempted through the hospital wellness center, a 1 hour tension (shoulders & neck) massage. A 1-1/2 hr acupuncture treatment. A 1 hr treatment with a D.O. Doctor, then back to a 1 hr massage again. NO relief. Which surprised me as I do believe in alternative medical treatments over medications now. Once we were home, after 10 wks at the hospital, I was able to sleep in my own bed, go back to my own routine, and finally breathe and relax enough the headaches went away again.
The reason drugs can't cure migraine headaches is because migraines are usually related to what we eat, or something in our environment. I had medication that cost me $150.00 per pill! Yes, it would take the migraine away, for a short spell, and it would return. My environment was stress over my husband, worry about his outcome, being away from what was familiar and safe. My diet had changed to whatever I ate through the hospital restaurant. We all know how good hospital food is. Until we change our diet or environment, we can never put an end to the constant recurrence of this painful, debilitating condition. The old saying is still true, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Before my husband's cancer, we had raised our 5 children. Although there were no major teenage problems, the hectic routine of a family that size, was still stressful, and mom's usually ate on the run or at the sink and not as healthy as they pushed for their children to be eating in meals. That was the beginning of my migraines, daily headaches, and yes, it was sleep deprivation, poor diet habits, and hectic rushed routines.
Types of Headaches
Only a small percentage of headaches are caused by physical abnormalities such as brain tumor or I've been treated by chiropractors, usually I leave with more pain, but eventually it subsides. I've been in 2 car accidents, side & rear ended, and do have disk damage, but not worth the side effects and complications of surgery. I do work at a computer, so a desk typing for hours. And we do drive 1,100 miles one way to take my husband to his cancer center for treatments about 10x for this year, so long driving. I do wear eye glasses as well. So, living with headaches seems inevitable I suppose.
injury. Another larger percentage is caused by stress. Stress headaches are usually of the tension variety. Tension headaches result in the tightening of the muscles at the base of the skull. They are painful, but not "life-threatening" like migraine. A couple of aspirins often relief the pain, and the day can still turn out ok. Eyestrain causes some headaches. Others are caused by misalignment of the spinal column. Disks between the vertebrae of the neck may be worn and misshapen, throwing the spinal column out of alignment. This pinches delicate nerves and produces pain in the neck and head. A certain position at a desk or machine, for example, can result in this kind of chronic pain, or driving an automobile for long distances (truckers).
Perhaps more common and more miserable is the migraine headache. This type cannot usually be relieved by a couple of aspirins. It brings about a major physical upset which can result in a day or more of depression, throbbing pain and nausea. You just want to find a hole to crawl into, and tell the rest of the world to go away. While other types of headaches are common, this blog is aimed primarily at the migraine headache, and what can be done to prevent it. What's worked well for me.
Causes of migraine headaches
Many of us have had undesirable reactions to certain foods. Wheezing, itching, hyperactivity and headache can all be caused by what we eat. food related headaches are of this "migraine" variety. They cause the arteries of the brain to swell up and remain painfully distended for hours -- or days. This results in depressing pain that you cannot escape. The throbbing which is often part of the migraine is caused by the surging blood as it stretches the artery even farther.
Many people have this problem but never suspect that food might be the cause. So they continue eating the very food or foods that cause the headache, and unknowingly bring on the very pain they dread most.
Sodium Nitrate is another source of migraine headache. This is the culprit in the "hot dog headache". Nitrates and nitrites are used to preserve or cure meats such as hot dogs, bacon, ham, salami, corned beef, and lunch meats. The purpose of the chemical is to keep the meat bright red. But it can also dilate your blood vessels and cause a headache. If you are also allergic to MSG, it doubles your chances of getting a headache, because these same prepared meats are dosed with MSG.
Tyramine is a food substance that dilates blood vessels and causes headaches. It is found in aged cheese and red wines. The hangover headache after drinking alcoholic beverages may be due to a sensitivity to the "amines" in the wine. Other Tyramine-high foods include pickled herring, sausages, beef and chicken liver, Italian broad beans and sauerkraut.
Chemicals sprayed on fruits such as grapes can cause headaches. Sprays on fruits grown in the US disintegrate rapidly and usually cause no misery by the time the fruit comes to market. But foreign fruits which are not subject to US regulation can be the source of terrible headaches to the migraine sufferer.
Other common migraine triggering substances include: vanilla, chocolate, yeast, cow's milk, corn, dextrose, citrus, cola, eggs, pork, shellfish, wheat, and tomatoes.
Low Blood Sugar is a common cause of migraine headache. "When the sugar content of the blood drops, blood vessels swell, causing vascular headaches such as migraines," says Dr Seymour Diamond in his book "Advice From the Diamond Headache Clinic". International Universities Press, Inc. 1982. Eating candy, skipping meals, or lying in bed late in the morning can trigger this type of migraine headache. (Early to bed, early to rise... there is wisdom in our grandmother's sayings).
Formula IV, Formula IV Plus, or Stress 30-- It makes good sense to use Formula IV or Formula IV Plus, or Stress 30 whether we are susceptible to migraine headaches or not. A rich supply of natural B vitamins, plus the added bonus of the Tre-En-En grain Oil Concentrates enable all the cells of the body to function better. We use nutrients more efficiently, and eliminate wastes as we should. in addition, these products increase the activity of the adrenal glands. These are pluses for everyone, and especially for the migraine sufferer. The adrenals help handle stress brought on by both food and environment. A strong system equipped to handle stress is the goal of every wise person. To the migraine sufferer it is essential.
Vitamin C -- This vitamin makes nutritional sense for the migraine sufferer. If ingested foods or chemicals are reacting in the system like poisons, Vitamin C can help detoxify them, and minimize the damage.
Salmon Oil -- Salmon oil has been found to reduce the problems of migraine headaches in many difficult cases. Two recent studies in large hospitals confirm that fish oil stops migraine headaches in some people who have not been able to obtain relief by any other means. This makes it worth a try for all migraine sufferers to see what NeoLife's Salmon Oil can do for them.
Super Ease or NouriShake Protein -- A glass each morning for breakfast to help control blood sugar levels. Headaches often begin with a drop in blood sugar levels.
Conclusion:
If you are a migraine headache sufferer there is hope. Try leaving out the things that cause troujble, and begin using the nutritional products that help bolster the stystem. See if you are not feeling much better as a result. Start today on the path to better health, smarter nutritional choices, removal of toxic foods and chemicals in your environment, reducing stress, and as needed supplements of a highest quality purity such as NeoLife. It does no good to have synthetic artificial nutritional's that simply pass through you without benefiting your health and only wasting your money.
http://neolife.com/en-us/home/
Sponsor #32-260985
Grant suffered from migraine headaches, and like the millions of American's today who see their physician for headache, there was no real cure. We spend billions of dollars annually trying to ease the pain, yet science with all its advanced technology is not able to offer a cure. Drugs may mask the pain, but they can not prevent the recurrence of the problem. Drugs taken on a regular basis may also cause long range physical damage. While searching for pain relief from headache, the stomach or liver may be damaged, causing a worse problem than the first.
I used to suffer severely from migraines. I had at least one a week, sometimes twice. Usually 2-3 days in duration. I'd been hospitalized for migraines, as long as 3-5 days at a time. I used to have daily headaches, even if not to a migraine strength, they were severe enough to take medication. I used to take on average, a bottle of 100 IB tabs a WEEK. Finally, when they no longer did any good for my headaches at all, the Dr admitted me to the hospital again, to DETOX my Liver, yes!!! Detox from taking Ibuprofen. WOW, I wasn't a drug addict, and this really disturbed me. Now I no longer can take IB, and rarely take Exederine. And unfortunately Tylenol doesn't do anything more than candy for me. My body's become immune.
The reason drugs can't cure migraine headaches is because migraines are usually related to what we eat, or something in our environment. I had medication that cost me $150.00 per pill! Yes, it would take the migraine away, for a short spell, and it would return. My environment was stress over my husband, worry about his outcome, being away from what was familiar and safe. My diet had changed to whatever I ate through the hospital restaurant. We all know how good hospital food is. Until we change our diet or environment, we can never put an end to the constant recurrence of this painful, debilitating condition. The old saying is still true, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Before my husband's cancer, we had raised our 5 children. Although there were no major teenage problems, the hectic routine of a family that size, was still stressful, and mom's usually ate on the run or at the sink and not as healthy as they pushed for their children to be eating in meals. That was the beginning of my migraines, daily headaches, and yes, it was sleep deprivation, poor diet habits, and hectic rushed routines.
Only a small percentage of headaches are caused by physical abnormalities such as brain tumor or I've been treated by chiropractors, usually I leave with more pain, but eventually it subsides. I've been in 2 car accidents, side & rear ended, and do have disk damage, but not worth the side effects and complications of surgery. I do work at a computer, so a desk typing for hours. And we do drive 1,100 miles one way to take my husband to his cancer center for treatments about 10x for this year, so long driving. I do wear eye glasses as well. So, living with headaches seems inevitable I suppose.
Perhaps more common and more miserable is the migraine headache. This type cannot usually be relieved by a couple of aspirins. It brings about a major physical upset which can result in a day or more of depression, throbbing pain and nausea. You just want to find a hole to crawl into, and tell the rest of the world to go away. While other types of headaches are common, this blog is aimed primarily at the migraine headache, and what can be done to prevent it. What's worked well for me.
Causes of migraine headaches
Many of us have had undesirable reactions to certain foods. Wheezing, itching, hyperactivity and headache can all be caused by what we eat. food related headaches are of this "migraine" variety. They cause the arteries of the brain to swell up and remain painfully distended for hours -- or days. This results in depressing pain that you cannot escape. The throbbing which is often part of the migraine is caused by the surging blood as it stretches the artery even farther.
Many people have this problem but never suspect that food might be the cause. So they continue eating the very food or foods that cause the headache, and unknowingly bring on the very pain they dread most.
Things that "trigger" migraine headache
MSG (Mono Sodium Glutamate) causes migraine headaches. This is a dangerous misery maker to the susceptible person. Over 20,000 tons of MSG are manufactured yearly in the US and put into our food. It is used extensively in Chinese cooking, and is probably the most notorious headache-producing chemical in the world. It produces its mischief by dilating blood vessels in about 20% of the people exposed to it, and can begin producing a headache within an hour after eating as little as 3 grams -- the exact amount of MSG in a 7 ounce bowl of wanton soup. In the grocery store it is sold under the name "Accent". I t is put into most commercially produced frozen dinners, soups, salad dressings, and prepared meats of every kind such as sausages and wieners. It's even sold as a "seasoning" for adding to your meats you cook "Accent".Sodium Nitrate is another source of migraine headache. This is the culprit in the "hot dog headache". Nitrates and nitrites are used to preserve or cure meats such as hot dogs, bacon, ham, salami, corned beef, and lunch meats. The purpose of the chemical is to keep the meat bright red. But it can also dilate your blood vessels and cause a headache. If you are also allergic to MSG, it doubles your chances of getting a headache, because these same prepared meats are dosed with MSG.
Tyramine is a food substance that dilates blood vessels and causes headaches. It is found in aged cheese and red wines. The hangover headache after drinking alcoholic beverages may be due to a sensitivity to the "amines" in the wine. Other Tyramine-high foods include pickled herring, sausages, beef and chicken liver, Italian broad beans and sauerkraut.
Chemicals sprayed on fruits such as grapes can cause headaches. Sprays on fruits grown in the US disintegrate rapidly and usually cause no misery by the time the fruit comes to market. But foreign fruits which are not subject to US regulation can be the source of terrible headaches to the migraine sufferer.
Other common migraine triggering substances include: vanilla, chocolate, yeast, cow's milk, corn, dextrose, citrus, cola, eggs, pork, shellfish, wheat, and tomatoes.
Low Blood Sugar is a common cause of migraine headache. "When the sugar content of the blood drops, blood vessels swell, causing vascular headaches such as migraines," says Dr Seymour Diamond in his book "Advice From the Diamond Headache Clinic". International Universities Press, Inc. 1982. Eating candy, skipping meals, or lying in bed late in the morning can trigger this type of migraine headache. (Early to bed, early to rise... there is wisdom in our grandmother's sayings).
Sinus Headaches
Sinus headaches are related to swelling of the mucous linings of the sinus cavities that surround the eyes and nose. These delicate tissues are vulnerable to assault from both the environment and food. Pollen's are a common irritant from the environment as well as dust and molds. Food allergies also contribute their share of sinus headaches. Milk is quite often the "bad guy" here. Excluding milk from the diet for a period of time will give an opportunity to see whether it is the offender or not.
What to do
After this extensive list, the headache sufferer's natural question is, "what can I eat?" Fortunately he or she is not sensitive to all these foods. Usually it is to only a few of them. Finding out which ones cause the damage and eliminating them from the diet brings speedy and blessed relief.
You may wish to try a food elimination experiment to see if certain foods trigger your headaches. If you do, remember this, any food must be eliminated from the diet for at least 4 days before it makes a difference in the way you feel. It takes 4 days for the food we have eaten to pass completely through our system and be eliminated. So you have to stay away from suspected triggers long enough to allow them to be completely eliminated. If this relieves the headache problem, you can introduce them back into the diet one at a time to see if you can discover which one or ones actually do the damage. Suggested you simply use a week calendar, starting on a day you'll remember, a weekend, or Monday, and go for 1 week without ALL the foods listed. Then slowly introduce 1 or 2 of the foods, back into your diet. If you get a headache, remove these foods, and try 1 to see which of them triggered the headache. Then continue to other foods you've removed, until you're aware of all the foods usually eaten, that have triggered your headaches.
Food allergy miseries compound with repetition
There is another important factor in this headache cycle. Since it takes four days to process foods and chemicals out of your system, an "accumulative" affect takes place when you eat the same food, to which you may be sensitive, every day. You not only have one day's worth of the offender in you, but two, three, or four compounding the problem. This gives your system no relief from the stress. You are always overloaded, and after a while the body cannot handle the stress any more. Then you begin to experience the miseries of food or chemical allergy. Sometimes you can weather one onslaught of an offending food during the four day cycle without serious, or even noticeable affects. But do it twice or three times and you get n "overload". All your lights start blinking and you have had it until the body can eliminate some of it from the system. This is where I like using the 3 day detox program once a month (which works for me personally). It's simple, through NeoLife, take your supplement in morning, again evening, for 3 days. Day 1 & 2 you're eating only raw veggies and fruits, no juices (unless you're making a smoothie without sugar, just fruits or veggies), and plenty of liquid especially water. Day 3 you return to a "light" diet meal, and then start to adjust your routine to a healthier daily diet program. This allows your body to "cleanse" and "empty" so it's able to absorb the nutrients needed.
Food Rotation needed
Because of this, it is especially wise for the migraine susceptible person to rotate his or her foods regularly. Favorite foods eaten almost every day can become time bombs ticking away inside just waiting to cause trouble. But we can change this if we do two things:
- Rotate all our foods, not eating the same food more often than once a week. This lets us eliminate the offender, and allows our system to rest and father strength against food stresses. If you eat out for work lunches daily, change it up daily. Do a salad bar, a wrap, a soup, another ethnic food, don't go to the same location for the same "usual" each day. If you love to cook, try new recipes, change the main course meat daily, try ethnic foods, introduce something exotic daily of a fruit or vegetable. I love BountifulBaskets.org Here you get mostly organic for $15, or all organic for $25, you get a literal laundry basket size amount of 1/2 vegetables and 1/2 fruits, and usually something unusual-unique-interesting to try. There are online groups for recipes to these more exotic foods also. You simply go to the link, place your order in your state to a location near you usually on Monday. Saturday is a pick up station, you go to get your pre-paid (at time of ordering) basket (up to 3 baskets), and they always have additional case lot add on's as well. Very economical for the person who says they can't afford to eat healthy or organic. And then they expect participants to offer support by working a drop off station every month or so. This is an every other week event. Drop off stations, you unload the semi of cases of foods, separate them into baskets, then as the customer comes up with their order sheet, you fill their order, they walk away. Takes about 30 minutes to do near 100 orders as they always have several people working all the stations.
- Eliminate chemicals and foods entirely which we know trigger our headaches. Check all labels at the store to insure that the offenders are not brought home in the grocery sack. When eating in restaurants, ask about the known offender and try to order things without it. Ask if or what they use MSG on. These two precautions may by themselves bring about a marked reduction in frequency and intensity of headaches. Rotate your style of restaurant, what you usually order as a favorite, change up trying new things. Keep it lighter, it's easy to over eat when it's placed in front of you. When cooking at home, try recipes over prepackaged meals. It usually doesn't take any longer, and it has more flavor and healthier for you. There are great programs for Freezer Meals such as through "WildTree" company that sells seasonings and healthy grape seed oil. They even do a Freezer Meal party, you bring your meat & containers, and they provide the seasonings (small price), you work together making meals for a week. These are great for the working mom, fast to take out & cook, or place in a crock pot on low to be ready when you get home.
Environmentally caused headaches
While we introduce most headache triggering substances through our food supply, we cannot overlook the additional dangers presented in our air and water. Breathing them in, and drinking them in our water can also be devastating to the sensitive person. Perfume, tobacco smoke, mold and dust attack us from the air. Waterborne chemicals and poisonous heavy metals invade through the water. Everyone needs an air and water purifier to avoid the ravages of these chemicals. There are many water filters, Reverse Osmosis, and Ion water treatment systems on the market today. The same for air purifiers. If you are lucky enough to live in the country, and have a good water well as we do, you have natural magnetization from the earth (which only lasts 24 hrs outside the earth). Our water tastes & tests good and the well happens to be about 850 feet deep. We also have an RO system, since our water is soft (has some sodium) to use when I water my house plants, pets, make tea, etc. But I can cook with the tap water. I personally can't take city water with all their chemicals added, so I'll drink bottled water and bring it on trips. We also live on a hill on 40 acres, so we have a home wind generator (very windy on a hill), and a ground source heat pump system, which provides our heat and AC at low rates, and there is no propaine or natural gas in our home. We have an electrostatic air filter system as well. And hard wood & tile floors except a couple area room rugs, most windows since we're in the country are without curtains (except bedrooms), and have between glass shades. So even dust is reduced (I'm also a clean house keeper). Doing all you can to prevent allergies, to provide the healthiest environment you can. I realize there are many who don't own their home, who live in cities, or rentals and don't have as much control over their environment. Do what you can, keeping your home clean, dusting & vacuuming regularly at least once a week, preferably a couple times a week especially if you're in a "dirty air" location or have pets. Having air HEPA purifiers and water purifiers. Washing your curtains regularly as you do your bedding (because of dust).
Next, I'll post some links to Facebook groups I have, that offer recipes to removing toxins from your daily living, and replacing with very easy recipes that are effective cleaners, safe around babies & pets, and quick to make. I make my own laundry soap, cleaners, diffuser blends, shampoo, shaving cream for my husband, deodorant, lip balm, lotions. It's a fun day in the kitchen making batches that often last months. For about $4 I can make about 5 gallons of laundry soap that works in my front loading HE washing machine.
Looking for these recipes on the links below.
Looking for these recipes on the links below.
Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/debbiezimbelman/next-generation-clinical-grade-essential-oils/
Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/HealthyHomeWithEssentialOils/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/HealthyPersonalCareProducts/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CookingWithEssentialOilsRecipes/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OilsForTheOutdoorManandWoman/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/HealthyWeightWithEssentialOilsNutrition/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BasicsOfEssentialOils101/
http://ClinicalGradeEssentialOils.myameo.com
We have already discussed what should be kept OUT of the body to help prevent them. Now we need to consider what should be added to the diet to help fortify us against this terrible condition. Here are some things that tend to strengthen us against the headache syndrome:What can I do to prevent migraine headache?
Formula IV, Formula IV Plus, or Stress 30-- It makes good sense to use Formula IV or Formula IV Plus, or Stress 30 whether we are susceptible to migraine headaches or not. A rich supply of natural B vitamins, plus the added bonus of the Tre-En-En grain Oil Concentrates enable all the cells of the body to function better. We use nutrients more efficiently, and eliminate wastes as we should. in addition, these products increase the activity of the adrenal glands. These are pluses for everyone, and especially for the migraine sufferer. The adrenals help handle stress brought on by both food and environment. A strong system equipped to handle stress is the goal of every wise person. To the migraine sufferer it is essential.
Vitamin C -- This vitamin makes nutritional sense for the migraine sufferer. If ingested foods or chemicals are reacting in the system like poisons, Vitamin C can help detoxify them, and minimize the damage.
Salmon Oil -- Salmon oil has been found to reduce the problems of migraine headaches in many difficult cases. Two recent studies in large hospitals confirm that fish oil stops migraine headaches in some people who have not been able to obtain relief by any other means. This makes it worth a try for all migraine sufferers to see what NeoLife's Salmon Oil can do for them.
Super Ease or NouriShake Protein -- A glass each morning for breakfast to help control blood sugar levels. Headaches often begin with a drop in blood sugar levels.
Conclusion:
If you are a migraine headache sufferer there is hope. Try leaving out the things that cause troujble, and begin using the nutritional products that help bolster the stystem. See if you are not feeling much better as a result. Start today on the path to better health, smarter nutritional choices, removal of toxic foods and chemicals in your environment, reducing stress, and as needed supplements of a highest quality purity such as NeoLife. It does no good to have synthetic artificial nutritional's that simply pass through you without benefiting your health and only wasting your money.
http://neolife.com/en-us/home/
Sponsor #32-260985
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