Written by Lyn-Genet Recitas, Sports Nutritionist
Lyn-Genet Recitas, Sports Nutritionist, HHP NMT, is the NY Times and International Bestselling author of The Plan and The Metabolism Plan a groundbreaking anti-inflammatory nutritional protocol which has been published in over 15 countries. She’s been featured on Dr. Oz, Huffington Post, CBS, NBC, Fox News, Women’s Running, Fitness, Vogue, Marie Claire, Elle, and Prevention.
Migraines are awful. Simply unbearable. In fact, migraines are listed as the 6th most disabling illness in the world, with over 1 million hospital visits in the U.S. alone. I suffered from migraines for years, and like many of you know, the drugs don't work. They only mildly dull the pain. The good news? I successfully treat people all over the world to rid themselves of this pain and reclaim their life and here's how I do it.
The 5 factors you can take control of and be pain-free from migraine
Hydration
Dehydration is a major migraine trigger. 75% of most Americans are dehydrated and this can cause many other health issues. The rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight in ounces. This means that if you weigh 160 lbs, you should drink 80 oz.
Find and then remove the foods that cause inflammation for you
Reactive foods are foods that do not work for your chemistry and cause a rise in histamine which will affect your sex hormones and your thyroid. Histamine is a migraine trigger as is unbalanced hormones and thyroid dysfunction
You can identify your reactive foods by reading the metabolism plan
Every person is eating at least 3 healthy foods that do not work for them. Here are some surprising higher inflammatory foods: strawberries, cooked salmon, Greek yogurt, cauliflower, turkey, and roasted almond butter, to name just a few! I will list the most reactive foods below
Hormonal imbalance
Up to 18% of all women suffer from debilitating headaches and women suffer from migraines three times as much as men. This is due in part to hormonal fluctuations. Now you know that inflammatory foods can unbalance hormones, so this will be part of your hormone management. Find and remove the foods that cause inflammation for you.
Acupuncture is incredibly helpful as a treatment for hormonal imbalance, and there are many herbs, such as red raspberry leaf and vitex, that can help, too. Check with your healthcare practitioner.
Muscular tension
These areas are usually tight and imbalanced: trapezius, cervical spine, sub occiput, and muscles of your jaw such as masseter and pterygoids. Seeing a physical therapist who specializes in manual therapy is key. The massage will help to loosen the muscles and the rehabilitative exercise will help to bring back balance. TMJD – clenching your haw is a big trigger and a mouthguard won't help. It just stops you from grinding your teeth into nubs! Make sure your PT specializes in intra-oral massage and teaches you this technique to do at home. Literally a couple of minutes at night is all you need!
Sinusitis and seasonal allergies can be a huge trigger and cause migraines to increase in frequency and intensity. I have my clients take MSM for 6 weeks to decrease histamine response to allergens. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a sulfur-containing compound found in plants, animals, and humans.
MSM is often used by people looking for a natural way to relieve joint pain, reduce inflammation and chronic sinus infections, and boost immunity. The major anti-allergic property of MSM is caused by its ability to act as a "shield" between you and your allergens. MSM works as a histamine inhibit or at least as well as the traditional antihistamines, without the negative side effects.
This simple list has helped thousands become migraine-free and regain their health!
Read more from Lyn-Genet Recitas
Lyn-Genet Recitas, Sports Nutritionist
Lyn-Genet Recitas, Sports Nutritionist, HHP NMT, is the NY Times and International Bestselling author of The Plan and The Metabolism Plan a groundbreaking anti-inflammatory nutritional protocol which has been published in over 15 countries. She’s been featured on Dr. Oz, Huffington Post, CBS, NBC, Fox News, Women’s Running, Fitness, Vogue, Marie Claire, Elle, and Prevention. Lyn-Genet and her staff of doctors and nutritionists have helped hundreds of thousands of men and women reach their best health by finding their chemical responses to food, not counting calories. The Plan is an effective way to lose weight, improve health and reverse the aging process.
