ANTI-HEADACHE TECHNIQUE #3-A: A PROVEN REMEDY FOR HYPOGLYCEMIA HEADACHE
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is one of the most common and dependable migraine triggers. It can also set off a less severe “hunger” headache in non-migraineurs.
Hypoglycemia can be caused in one of three ways; by skipping meals, especially breakfast; by dieting; and by eating meals high in refined carbohydrates (white flour, sugar and other sweeteners) along with fats and caffeine.
Hypoglycemia headaches frequently appear after sleeping late on weekend mornings and so failing to eat breakfast at the usual time. Skipping meals, or eating junk food on the run, are also common causes. Any foods high in white flour and sugar, or other sweeteners, when washed down with coffee or cola drinks, send blood sugar levels skyrocketing. We feel wonderfully alert and filled with energy. But not for long!
The body consumes refined foods so swiftly that only an hour or so later, the blood sugar level plummets and we suddenly feel drained and depleted of energy. The low blood sugar causes our muscles to tense and this, in turn, sets off a reactive dilation in blood vessels in the head. Long before our next meal is due, we have a full-blown headache.
Fortunately, in most non-migraineurs, a hunger headache can be ended in a few minutes by drinking a large glass of orange or grapefruit juice. But fruit juice doesn’t help once a migraine is triggered.
Luckily, hypoglycemia can be prevented altogether by adopting a simple three-step nutritional program. And whether your headaches are migraine or simple “hunger” headaches, both will vanish along with the hypoglycemia.
• Step 1. Get up at the same time every day and eat a full-sized breakfast. If you must sleep late on weekends, wake up at your usual breakfast hour, eat a snack, and return to sleep.
• Step 2. Eat all meals evenly spaced out and at usual meal hours. Avoid skipping any meals.
• Seep 3. Eat a diet high in complex carbohydrates (meaning high in fiber) and low in fat. Stop all refined carbohydrates and drastically cut down on oils and fats. Instead, switch to fresh fruits and vegetables plus whole grains, seeds, and legumes. You may also have a small, once-daily serving of deep sea fish, or of chicken or turkey without the skin. Non-fat, plain yogurt or very low-fat cottage cheese are other good sources of whole protein.
Breakfast is the best time to eat fish, poultry or low-fat dairy products since animal protein is slow to digest and it helps stabilize blood sugar levels through much of the day. Fats of all kinds should be minimized as lipids can interfere with insulin metabolism, a condition that often leads to low blood sugar.
By contrast, a diet high in fiber stabilizes blood sugar levels and helps the body’s insulin to function normally.
Three small surveys of hypoglycemic migraineurs made in Britain each showed that changing to a high-fiber, low-fat diet reduced incidence of migraine attacks by approximately 75 percent, and also diminished headache intensity.
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Tags: Herbal