Hormones – the roller coaster of the menstrual cycle is a significant trigger for too many female migraine sufferers. And I’m not sure whether an alpha male’s higher testosterone levels fall under the category of “hormonal effect on” or “emotional” trigger for migraine headaches. (Update since the last sentence was published: men suffering from migraines seem to have higher estrogen levels. Time to correct that.)
Before you think that gearing down for a few days or weeks per month is lost time, think again. This downtime can not only be very therapeutic and essential, but it turns the time when you are living the consequence of treating your body the best way you and your therapists know-how into an even more productive state.
Three classic wise habits are: get enough sleep, manage your stress levels (good and bad, by the way), and get enough exercise.
To plan your countermeasure schedule, The Migraine Trust offers a downloadable headache diary template with instructions for filling it out. Look for other self-help migraine foundations and study their headache diaries to see which is the best fit for your needs.
Superimpose perhaps three months’ worth of data over your regular schedule, and plan therapies according to your preference – either it’s when you are feeling best and the energy from the pleasurable experience buoys you, or you need them when you are at your worst in the grips of an attack and need that hand up from the quicksand of pain you are caught in.
There are some amazing yoga exercises. Your attempts to attain the pretzel-like formations of limbs and abdomen will temporarily distract you from any migraine pain. Best of all, despite yourself, the body benefits from this effort. Look up “yoga positions to relieve menstrual symptoms.” If your body is tensing up because it’s smarter than you and senses a migraine before your intellect does, then these exercises will counteract that tension and stretch you into pain relief.
This is another case where migraines will teach you to keep your body at optimal equilibrium since both rising or lowering estrogen and progesterone levels are factors in triggering migraine attacks.
It’s called “estrogen dominance” – elevated estrogen levels – both in women and men – are another factor in increased migraine attacks.
(And just to keep your attention: the dip in estrogen before a period can trigger migraines!)
Beware of raising your natural estrogen levels artificially – and check with your doctor which apply to you:
- inorganic meats from animals that have been fed hormones.
- too much alcohol – contributes to hormone imbalance. Caffeine can contribute to estrogen dominance in certain persons.
- high-fat dairy products. What’s a substitute that can give the same feel on the tongue, with less fat? Example: instead of full sour cream, replace half with plain yogurt.
- too many processed and refined foods contain additives, preservatives or artificial ingredients (example: artificial flavors). Follow the comedian’s advice who said that he didn’t eat what he couldn’t pronounce when reading labels.
For women who choose contraceptive medications, check with your doctor or migraine specialist to find the one that is best adapted not to worsen the migraine condition.
One way to regulate estrogen dominance is to improve gut health. A fiber-rich diet that is low in fat is advisable.
Look at how to increase fiber in your diet and choose as many options as possible to keep your digestive tract healthy.
Migraines rob you of a lot of productive time. So anything that gives you a superior result and saves you time is a good option. Example: you need a quick, delicious, nutritious, fiber-rich breakfast. The thought of the smell of cooking breakfast does not appeal to you.
You can prepare a week’s worth of mason jars filled with uncooked oats, chopped whole fresh almonds (the leanest nut around), ground flaxseed, bran, chia, vegetable or cereal milk, cinnamon or vanilla, allspice, dried raisins or currants. Prepare a week’s worth of jars and refrigerate. The ingredients will soak up the milk, and it’s like eating a delicious smooth pudding. Add cut fresh fruit daily: bananas (mineral content helps absorb nutrients) and a flavorful fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, mango – whatever you like). This raw! raw! raw! breakfast will have you feeling rah! rah! rah! in about 10 days. You will see a big difference in your digestion, your mood and your energy level.
A midday salad of mixed cruciferous vegetables with a dressing made unctuous with avocado instead of oil (the little fat in avocado is probably far less than a couple of tablespoons of salad oil) will supply you with the phytochemicals that block estrogen production. Bonus: the raw cruciferous vegetables help keep your digestive tract squeaky clean.
It bears repeating and putting into practice three classic wise habits: getting enough sleep, managing stress levels (good and bad, by the way), and getting enough exercise. We constantly neglect them – to our disadvantage.
