Although it may be a difficult “pill” to swallow, you must change your diet to control your migraine. Migraine is a disease, not a headache! And just as with diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, one must make lifestyle changes, including dietary changes, to successfully manage migraine. Every headache sufferer who decides to seek treatment with me participates in the migraine diet program.
Headache sufferers come to the diet class believing they will have to change everything about their eating habits. This is simply not true. I work with patients to incorporate menu ideas that include their favorite food from the foods allowed list. It is important that they bring their food diaries to each visit. For my part, I offer patients food substitutions, help them with menu planning, advise them about snacking, and even give suggestions for eating out. I also work with individuals to make the diet more nutritionally balanced.
Many of us are concerned about our weight and would like to drop a few pounds. This is more difficult for those for those with migraine. Several of the medications used to treat migraine increase the appetite. The migraine dietary restrictions prohibit the use of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and NutraSweet® (aspartame) which are found in most, if not all, 'diet' and 'low fat' food products. Over the last 30 years, I've developed a diet that not only is easy to follow, but is also nutritionally sound. There are no special supplements to purchase. I discourage the use of low or no fat, sugarless or diet food products. But worry not -- reducing carbohydrate intake to help eliminate blood sugar fluctuations (and thereby to help reduce headache frequency) naturally results in weight loss. Yes, weight and headache control! Does this sound too good to be true? Well it's not, it just takes a little knowledge and a lot of determination. And for those with frequent headaches, eliminating all the foods found on the foods to avoid list –– at least until we have headache control.
Incorporating the migraine diet into the treatment of those who suffer with headaches has gained popularity throughout the medical community. I am humbled (but also very proud!) that physicians in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, California, Alaska and Hawaii actively refer their patients to www.gottaheadache.com to purchase my books on the subject.
If you'd like to learn more about the migraine diet, I will be taking new appointments in the Denver Area beginning February 28th, 2022. I also offer diet counseling visits, for those who wish to continue their usual headache care with their personal physician. You can make an appointment by calling our Scheduling Office at (303) 265-3390, and for simple questions you can leave a comment here and I'll try to get back to you quickly!