Migraine info.

This should be in my pointless advice blog, but I have had a lot of requests for it so here you go!

Here is my amateur list of migraine triggers (with help from google and my personal experiences). Of course you have to find what works and doesn't work for you. I recommend keeping a "migraine" diary. Record what you do, how much sleep you get, and everything you eat. I have found some of my triggers this way. It is horribly boring, but effective (in all honesty I stopped doing mine and I should start it again). If you can find even one thing (no matter how small) that triggers the migraine- it is so worth knowing so you can avoid the pain!

Here is what I have compiled- migraine triggers:

*Stress
*Too much sleep, or not enough
*Overstimulated senses, including noises that are too loud, scents that are too strong, or lights that are too bright. (that is definitely one of mine, ugh!)
*Hormonal changes
*Physical exertion (or lack there of) or abrupt lifestyle changes
*Environmental factors
*Medications
*Dietary habits, such as fasting, not eating enough times during the day, or becoming dehydrated
*foods or drinks containing Tyramine (will go into detail later)
*Nitrates, a food preservative (will go in to detail later here, too)
*cold foods, such as ones that cause brain freeze
*Caffeine (of course if you have a lot of caffeine on a daily basis, having a lack of may trigger a headache)
*Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)-
*Tannins (will go into detail here)
*Sulfites or sulfides (again detail)
*Aspartame (NutraSweet)
*High levels of potassium

Foods to avoid, or at least take into consideration when eating them. I recommend eliminating a few out of your diet for a few weeks, see how you do, then try a few others. Obviously if you take everything out you will never eat again (and skipping meals can trigger one!). Also, if you're not sure if it contains something, read labels!

Cheese:
Blue Cheese
Brie
Cheddar
Stilton
Feta
Swiss
Parmesan
canned cheese (euww!)
Gorgonzola
Mozzarella
Muenster
Processed cheese

What has Tyramine:
Beans:
Fava, Garbanzo, Lima & Pinto beans
Onions
Olives
Pickles
Avocados
Nuts
Raisins
Beer
red wine
sherry
vermouth
aged, canned, cured or processed meats
canned soups

What has Nitrates (processed meats):
Ham
Bologna and processed lunch meats
Hot dogs
Bacon
Sausage
Pepperoni
salami
other meats that are aged, canned, cured, marinated, tenderized
sausages (including chicken, turkey and soy sausages)
pastrami
jerky (beef and turkey)
corned beef
all other beef/poultry/pork/wild game/fish that has been cured, smoked, pickled, canned or preserved with nitrites.

What has Caffeine:
coffee
tea
iced tea
soda
chocolate (my favorite)

What has Monosodium Glutamate (MSG):
often found in Chinese restaurant food
many snack foods
prepared foods
seasoning products
*Note that MSG may be labeled as hydrolyzed vegetable/soy/plant protein, natural flavorings, yeast extract and Kombu. MSG can also be hidden in broth and stock products.

What has Tannins:
Tea
red-skinned apples
pears
apple juice
cider
red wine

What has Sulfites (check labels):
commonly found in wine, more so in white wine
most dried fruits
canned vegetables
many processed foods

Other foods:

champagne, and dark or heavy drinks
paprika

Many fruits and vegetables and some that contain high levels of potassium. There are just too many to list (as you can see). These you just have to experiment with to see what agrees with you and what doesn't. Also keep in mind how they are prepared when eating them.

Fruits:
tomatoes
Oranges
grapefruits
lemons
limes
pineapples
Bananas
raisins
red plums
canned figs
avocados
tangerines
tangelos
apples
pears
cherries
peaches
apricots
grapes
strawberries
raspberries
cranberries
blueberries
gooseberries
blackberries


Vegetables:
Broad beans
navy beans
pea pods
sauerkraut
Soy Beans
carrots
beets
turnips
radishes
rutabagas
garlic
peas
lentils
all other beans
Brussels sprouts
broccoli
cabbage
cauliflower
squash
cucumber
pumpkin
zucchini
lettuce
spinach
kale
chard
potatoes
chili peppers
garden peppers
eggplant


Breads:
yeast-risen bread products
yeast

Dairy:
home Yogurt
Sour Cream



courtesy of: http://www.curesandherbs.com/migraine-foods-to-avoid.php
http://womenshealth.aetna.com/WH/ihtWH/r.W===23/st.48340/t.48381.html#Foods_To_Avoid http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21596506/
http://www.drugs.com/news/health-tip-things-trigger-migraines-18488.html
http://www.acu-cell.com/dis-hea.html