Free Pain Relief Newsletter  Click Here Pain Relief Articles - Migraines Exercise:  A Natural Reliever For Chronic Low Back Pain 4 Natural Home Remedies to Ease the Pain of Sunburn Getting A Grip on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Exercise Your Way To Pain Relief Benefits of Alternative Medicine Neck Pain Management Migraines - Food and Diet Tendonitis Pain Relief Treating Arthritis - Naturally Getting Well With Smell Guided Imagery - The Healing Power of Imagination The Healing Power of Food Healing With Herbs Healing With Movement Healing With Water Self-Healing With Homeopathy Laughter Is Good Medicine Treat Your Own Back Pain Healing With Your Mind Migraines - Food and Diet Migraines – Food and Diet One of the frequent causes of migraine is food.   Determine food allergies by fasting for a week, then adding one food at a time to your diet. Reactions can occur from twenty minutes to two weeks after ingesting the irritating food. The most common allergens associated with migraines are cow's milk, wheat (gluten), chocolate, eggs, oranges and the additive MSG. Avoid aged protein foods, such as hot dogs, cheese, sausages, cold cuts and smoked or pickled fish, as they contain tyramine, a vasoactive amine, which has been shown to trigger migraine attacks. Tyramine is also found in alcoholic beverages. Red wine should be avoided not only because of its tyramine content but also because it contains flavonoids which inhibit the activity of the enzyme which normally breaks down tyramine and other vasoactive amines in the body. Reduce the intake of animal fats. The arachidonic acid they contain tends to increase blood clotting, which is associated with migraines. Instead, eat foods which tend to inhibit blood clotting, such as fish, unrefined flax, walnut or pumpkin seed oil, garlic and onion. A predominantly vegetarian diet will keep acid-forming foods to a minimum. Raw wheat germ provides vitamins B3 and B6 which help balance serotonin levels, a hormone affecting constriction of blood vessels. Green, leafy vegetables and beets provide iron. General Recommendations Methods of strengthening liver, gallbladder, and spleen. When migraines occur, eat soupy grains, soft foods, and soups. Avoid foods that are difficult to digest or those rich in fat. Avoid constipation and if necessary take an herbal laxative. Foods to Eat Brown rice soup with carrots, onions, and miso Carrot juice (especially good for liver and gallbladder) Miso soup with vegetables (especially good for spleen) Rye broth or congee Black sesame seeds Flaxseeds Chia seeds Soybeans and their products (such as tofu and tempeh) Dark green vegetables   Foods to Avoid Animal products Fried and oily foods Spicy foods Coffee Caffeinated tea Alcohol Tobacco   Try limiting or eliminating the following foods and see if it reduces the frequency or intensity of your headaches. Dairy products Buttermilk Cheddar Gruyere Brie (and other ripened cheeses) Sour cream Chocolate milk Yogurt Meat and Fish Cured, smoked, or processed meats and fish, such as bacon, bratwurst, beef jerky, corned beef, hot dogs or corn dogs, pepperoni, pork and beans, Spam, sausage, smoked fish, pickled herring Lunch meats, including those made with turkey, such as bologna, ham, liverwurst, pastrami, salami Fresh meats such as chicken livers, pork Fruits and vegetables Avocados, bananas, beans (garbanzo, lima, navy, pinto), citrus fruits (grapefruit, oranges) and their juice, nuts (and nut butters), onions, papayas, pea pods, raisins, sauerkraut, seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower) Yeast breads and cake (including raised doughnuts) Beverages Alcohol (especially beer, bourbon, red wine, and sherry), coffee, tea, chocolate, caffeinated sodas Condiments MSG (frequently present in Chinese foods, canned and processed foods), soy sauce, vinegar Pickled foods