The skanner., May 30, 2012, Page 18, Image 18

Healthy Food
Foods that Soothe
Headaches
e a d a c h e s a re
th e re s p o n s e
o f n o c ic e p -
tiv e a re a s o f s c a lp
a n d b ra in to a s tim u -
lu s , h o w v e r th e re a re
th o u s a n d s o f c a u s e s
of
such
stim u li.
M o s t fo o d s s e e m to
h a v e s o m e m e d ic i-
n a l p ro p e rty a s w e ll
a s ju s t h a v in g e n e r-
g y. I n c o n n e c t i o n
w ith h e a d a c h e s v a ri-
o u s fo o d s h a v e e ff -
e c ts th a t h a v e n o w
b e e n re s e a rc h e d b y
c h e m is try.
H
Headache-Fighting Foods
1 . H y d r a t i o n b y e a tin g w a te r-ric h fo o d s lik e w a te rm e lo n
w ill c o u n te ra c t d e h y d ra tio n , a m a jo r c a u s e o f h e a d a c h e s .
A n d ju s t d rin k in g m o re w a te r fix e s th a t to o .
2 . F o o d s ric h in m a g n e s i u m re la x b lo o d v e s s e ls : s p in a c h ,
o a tm e a l, w h e a t, g a rlic ; a lm o n d s , b a n a n a s , d rie d a p ric o ts ,
a v o c a d o s , a lm o n d s , c a s h e w s , b ro w n ric e , le g u m e s a n d
seeds.
3 . F o o d s c a n h e lp ra is e s e r o t o n i n le v e ls to re m o v e
h e a d a c h e s . Yo u r b o d y m a k e s s e ro to n in fro m try p to p h a n
w h ic h is fo u n d in tu rk e y, b la c k e y e d -p e a s , E n g lis h w a ln u ts ,
a lm o n d s , s e s a m e o r p u m p k in s e e d s , w h o le g ra in s lik e ric e
a n d in a g la s s o f w a rm m ilk ,
4 . F o o d s ric h in c a l c i u m a re n e e d e d fo r y o u r b ra in to
fu n c tio n e ffic ie n tly : s p in a c h , b ro c c o li, k a le ; fa t-fre e p la in
y o g u rt w ith b e n e fic ia l p ro b io tic s a n d n o a d d e d s u g a rs .
5 . S p i c y fo o d , if y o u r a c h e is fro m s in u s c o n g e s tio n , h e lp
o p e n th e a irw a y s a n d d e c re a s e p re s s u re : try c a y e n n e p e p p e r,
g in g e r, s a ls a a n d h o t p e p p e rs .
6 . S e s a m e S e e d s a re ric h in v ita m in E w h ic h h e lp s to s ta -
b iliz e e s tro g e n le v e ls , im p ro v e s c irc u la tio n . A ls o S e s a m e is
ric h in m a g n e s iu m , a h e a d a c h e -p re v e n tin g e le m e n t.
7 . S p i n a c h h e lp s d e c re a s e b lo o d p re s s u re , try u s in g
s p in a c h le a v e s in s te a d o f le ttu c e in s a la d s .
8 . C a f f e i n e is a v a s o c o n s tric to r: it w ill re d u c e th e s iz e o f
th o s e b lo o d v e s s e ls th a t y o u e x p a n d e d la s t n ig h t w ith a lc o -
h o l! H o w e v e r to o m u c h c o ffe e m a k e s m a tte rs w o rs e s in c e it
is a ls o a d iu re tic , in c re a s in g d e h y d ra tio n .
9 . A n d fo o d s ric h in p o t a s s i u m c a n h e lp a lle v ia te h a n g -
o v e r h e a d a c h e s : a b a k e d p o ta to w ith th e s k in le ft o n c o n -
ta in s 7 2 1 m g p o ta s s iu m . A b a n a n a is 4 6 7 m g p o ta s s iu m .
Headache Missing Foods
A lo w -c a rb o h y d ra te d ie t d e p le te s g ly c o g e n th e m a in
s o u rc e o f b ra in e n e rg y, a n d a ls o c a u s e s flu id lo s s b y d e h y -
d ra tio n . S o fix th a t w ith th e h e a l t h y c a r b o h y d r a t e s in
w h o le -w h e a t b re a d , o a tm e a l, fru it o r y o g u rt.
S k ip p in g m e a ls a n d fa s tin g a re h e a d a c h e trig g e rs b e c a u s e
fa llin g b l o o d s u g a r l e v e l s m a y c o n trib u te to s y m p to m s . S o
a v o id d ra s tic c h a n g e s in y o u r d ie t. W h a te v e r y o u try, e a s e
in to it.
Headache Triggering Foods
a . F o o d s c o n ta in in g t y r a m i n e c a n trig g e r h e a d a c h e s : a -
g e d a n d s m o k e d p ro d u c ts lik e a g e d c h e e s e . s a la m i, s a u e r-
k ra u t a n d p ic k le s . F e rm e n te d s o y p ro d u c ts lik e s o y s a u c e
a n d M S G c o n ta in ty ra m in e . It is a ls o p re s e n t in n u ts , a n d
b e a n s lik e p e a n u ts , fa v a b e a n s , b ro a d o r Ita lia n g re e n b e a n s .
b . F o o d s w ith t a n n i n s c a n b rin g o n h e a d a c h e s : re d w in e ,
b la c k w a ln u ts , c h o c o la te , v a n illa a n d ra s p b e rrie s . A ls o te a if
y o u d o n ’t p u t m ilk in it.
Page 6
The Portland Skanner
M ay 30, 12012