Table TalkMigraines

Nosh Menu System

Nosh Menu System Migraines

I hope our Table Talk on the connection between Nutrition and Migraines has given you scientifically validated hope and inspired you to become your own best health care provider to prevent, and reverse Migraines from robbing you or your loved ones of life and health. This document was created to serve as a reminder of some of the main takeaways and give you a jump start into bridging the gap between KNOWING what to do for your health, and DOING it! Our NOSH MENU SYSTEMS are a strategy for individuals who want to put what they’ve learned in our courses to use. They serve as a springboard for implementing what you have heard today. This particular Nosh Menu System is quite different from the usual. Our goal for Migraine sufferers is to have them implement an elimination diet…which means eating very few items at a time…and definitely no recipes. As you begin to get the hang of how the elimination diet works, and your headaches begin to dissapate, you’re going to want to check out our other Nosh Menu Systems that have delicious recipes and lots of REAL FOOD to eat to keep your headaches at bay. Check out all of the recipes on whitneyskitchen.com for more inspiration!

Disclaimer• Please understand that this talk is NOT a substitute for a medical treatment

program. Consult with your doctor before implementing any new lifestyle changes.

• If you are currently on a treatment regimen for cancer, are overweight, have any health problems or are on prescription medication, please consult your doctor before making any modifications to your diet or exercise routines and, of course, follow your doctor’s recommendations because they are personalized to you and your situation.

• Whitney’s Kitchen is not a platform to promote any social political or religious agenda. We are all about introducing individuals to best practices in Lifestyle Medicine and empowering them to become their own best health care provider.

• A migraine headache is a severe throbbing or pulsating pain usually confined to one side of the head. The pain is so intense, that many sufferers experience nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, focus issues and even speech and reading difficulties.

• Over 45 MILLION Americas suffer from Migraine headaches.

• Doctors report this is THE most common complaint they treat in their offices.

• The Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine Journal states there is a connection between strokes, seizures and migraines and therefore the symptoms are not to be treated lightly.

• Your body is like a factory that takes in raw materials, makes products, and produces waste. When this factory can’t remove the waste, things can go bad, and diverse symptoms can erupt. Headaches are your brains reaction to toxins.

• Medications and even some natural remedies contribute to the build up of toxins, even as they offer their relief.

• While medications like the triptans, aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol®), ibuprofen, barbiturates, and other powerful narcotics may provide relief, they don’t treat the cause of the headache, and they carry a HEAVY load of possible side effects.

Table Talk Take Aways

• So we’ve got a cyclical problem going on! Our brain reacts to cellular waste, and toxins by producing inflammation which we interpret as a migraine. We take medications to relieve the symptoms which halts the detox process The detox process is never complete.

• Migraines are, by and large, a food-borne illness. The concept is really so simple. If we take away the foods causing the problems…we take away the illness.

• 93% of children who suffered from frequent migraines were able to rid themselves of headaches after removing the trigger foods.

• 85% of adult migraine sufferers were headache-free after avoiding the top ten most common foods known to cause migraines.

• The first step is to eat a diet high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. Where do these things come from? Plants.

Table Talk Take Aways cont.

• Rice, especially brown rice

• Cooked green vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, Swiss chard, or collards

• Cooked orange vegetables, such as carrots or sweet potatoes

• Cooked yellow vegetables, such as summer squash

• Cooked or dried non-citrus fruits: cherries, cranberries, pears, prunes (but not citrus fruits, apples, bananas, peaches, or tomatoes)

• Water: Plain water or carbonated forms, such as Perrier, are fine. Other beverages—even herbal teas—can be triggers.

• Condiments: Modest amounts of salt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract are usually well-tolerated.

Pain Safe FoodsPain-safe foods have been researched heavily and are shown to virtually never contribute to

headaches or other inflammatory processes.

Common triggers often cause headaches in susceptible people. Just as some food sensitivities manifest as a rash on your skin, migraine sufferers have a reaction in the blood vessels and nerves. Here are the common food triggers, also known as the “Migraine Dirty Dozen," in order of importance:dairy products including:

• skim or whole cow’s milk, goat’s milk, cheese and yogurt.

• chocolate

• eggs

• citrus fruits

• meat-includes beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, etc.

• wheat (bread, pasta, etc.)

• nuts and peanuts

• tomatoes

• onions

• corn

• apples

• bananas

• Certain beverages and additives are also among the worst triggers. Don’t have any alcoholic beverages, but especially red wine. Stay far away from caffeinated drinks. Be sure not to have any msg, Nutra Sweet or nitrites (found in sausage, bacon, and lunch meats)

Common Trigger Foods

Week One and Two:

Eat ONLY from the pain safe list. Avoid the common triggers completely. Foods that aren’t on either list can be eaten freely. The key is to be very religious in avoiding the common triggers. When these diet changes makes your headaches disappear or become much less frequent, the next step is to confirm which foods are your triggers. Drink only water.Week Three and Four: Keep eating what you were eating from week one and two. Reintroduce the eliminated foods one at a time, every two days, to see whether any symptoms result. Start at the bottom of the list (bananas), and work your way up to the riskier foods, skipping any that you do not care for.

As you do this, have a generous amount of each new food, so you will know without a doubt whether or not it causes symptoms. If it doesn’t cause a problem…keep it! Eliminate ANYTHING that causes a headache again. Then, after a week or two, try the suspect food once again for confirmation. Keep your diet simple so you can detect the effect of each newly added food. You don’t need recipes for this approach. Just food.

When you’ve figured out which foods are triggers for you, then you can begin doing your own research with the beverages on the common triggers list. Please keep your body free of msg, nitrites and nutria sweet.

Pay attention to how your body feels when you eat. Bottom Line: STOP EATING, DRINKING, SMOKING AND TAKING the items that are leaving you with a throbbing headache!

Our Simple Elimination Diet

I wish I could tell you this was going to be one of the easiest things you have ever done…and that your results will be instantaneous! But I’m all about reality. There is a good chance that things may get worse before they get better. Remember that only toxic substances can chemically relieve headache symptoms quickly. Therefore it stands to reason that feeling better quickly may not be our goal. There is a chance that you may actually feel WORSE when you begin to reject the toxins and add in more nutrient dense, plant based foods. Although difficult, this is a good sign! Tell your doctor about your elimination diet and work out a plan to purposefully taper your medications and allow the nutritional therapy to work it’s magic.

A Difficult Truth

As a registered WK participant, you are connected to a vibrant community of individuals actively living the lifestyle that will teach you to become your own best health care provider. Join us on our private Facebook page to be encouraged by our community and receive some practical tips and tricks from people just like you, living with the understanding that there is NO ONE BETTER at being YOUR health care provider…than you! Check in with your human resources department to see when the next live course will be at your workplace. We’re here to help in any way you need.

What’s Next

~Whitney Cabrera, RN

“Welcome to our kitchen, where the pantry is your pharmacy, the stove is your

laboratory and health happens….at the kitchen table.”