Ooh, My Aching Head

 Headaches can be caused by many things, including illness, stress and lack of sleep. They may also be triggered by several common foods, and simply changing your diet could be the most effective treatment. Once you and your doctor have ruled out other potentially more serious causes for your headaches, take a look at what you eat every day and see if eliminating common trigger foods eliminates your headaches.



Dietary modifications that exclude common food triggers may help you pinpoint just what is causing your headaches. Although the list of potential food triggers is long, the most common are chocolate, red wine, caffeine, MSG, Aspartame, cured meats, aged cheese, nuts, nitrate, sulfites, alcohol and ice cream.

Recent studies show that omega-three fatty acids, the kind found in fish oil, may help prevent migraines. Caffeine, found in coffee, tea and colas, as well as more "hidden" sources like chocolate and some medications including Anacin, Excedrin, Actifed can exacerbate headache.

Headaches may also be triggered by chronobiologic factors (sleep schedules), hormonal changes, environmental factors, head or neck pain (of another cause), physical exertion, stress and anxiety and trauma to the head. Dietary factors such as alcohol and tyramine containing foods are also known triggers. Tyramine is an essential amino acid made in the body. It is a protein found in foods, which is chemically broken down and used by various cells in the body. Tyramine cannot be found on food labels, but its sister chemical phenylalanine can and should be avoided.
 

Food Groups Foods Allowed Foods to Watch/Caution  Beverages • Decaffeinated coffee and colas • Caffeine sources should be limited to 2 cups a day including coffee, tea, colas • Fruit juices, club soda   • Wine (especially red) • Beer • Vermouth • Champagne • Non-alcoholic fermented beverages   Milk • Whole • 2% • Skim   • Chocolate • Buttermilk   Dairy Products • Cottage cheese • Velveeta, American or synthetic cheese • Yogurt in 1/2 cup preparations or less   • Ice Cream • Aged or processed cheeses including cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, parmesan, romano, brick, brie, camembert, gouda, gruyere, emmantaler, stilton, provolone, roquefort, blue • food containing cheese such as pizza, macaroni and cheese, yogurt and sour cream Meats, Poultry, Fish • Freshly prepared meats, fish, poultry • Eggs • Tuna fish • Freshly prepared meats, fish, poultry • Eggs • Tuna fish Vegetables Asparagus, string beans, beets, carrots, spinach, pumpkin, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, broccoli, potatoes, onions cooked in foods, Chinese pea pods, navy beans, soy beans Raw onions, fava or broad beans, lima beans, pea pods, snow peas, pickles, olives, sauerkraut Fruits Apples, applesauce, cherries, apricots, peaches Limit to 1/2 cup per day: oranges, grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, lemon, lime, avocados, bananas, figs, raisins, dried fruits, papaya, passion fruit, plums Breads, Cereals • Commercially prepared yeast products leavened with baking powder such as biscuits, pancakes, coffee cakes, etc. • All cooked and dry cereals • All pasta • Homemade yeast breads • Fresh coffee cake • Donuts • Yeast and yeast extracts • Sourdough breads • Breads or crackers containing cheese, chocolate and nuts Flavor Enhancers / Food Preservatives   • Foods containing MSG, nitrates, nitrites, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, Chinese foods, • Instant foods such as canned soup, TV dinners • Processed meats • Potato chips • Self-basting turkeys • Many boxed food items   Nuts and Seeds   • All nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds

Suffering from Headaches !  Get a Diet Plan Customized for Yourself  >>