Understanding and awareness of these certain foods and triggers can be extremely empowering!!
Case Study of Erin H.
I wanted to share with you a remarkable case study of one of my recent clients Erin who was a migraine sufferer since she was 19. She came to see me at 52 years of age with where her migraines frequency had increased from 6 to 8 migraines a year to 1-2 migraines per week. She had been to many neurologists who had tried many different medications and was taking Amitriptyline and Topamax to try to get the migraines under control. Erin had no pattern to her headaches however expressed that barometric pressure seemed to be a big factor.
When we met for her initial consultation she had stated that her diet was unrestricted, with the exception of foods like chocolate, processed meats and reducing her wine intake. Aside from the barometric pressure, many women whom I see also report that perimenopause and hormones may be migraine triggers as well.
Food Elimination Diet
We discussed Erin’s lifestyle and reviewed her current eating and choices. I discussed trying a food elimination diet which was never approached.
A food elimination diet is a process of eliminating one particular food or a combination of foods from an individual’s diet.
The theory behind this strategy is to reduce a person’s exposure to highly reactive foods that can be inflammatory or trigger inflammation like a migraine. I have found this to be a very powerful and effective strategy to help with many clients.
I provided the lists of foods to start avoiding based on her current way of eating and personal habits and we made a deal to eliminate these foods for a period of 2 weeks. We also discussed stress management through yoga and meditation.
Results:
Erin returned after 2 weeks with some improvement, having experienced lesser intensity and only 1 mild migraine within the 2 week period, with agreement to continue for another 2 weeks. After seeing her approximately 1 month later, she had reported that she had been migraine free for a period of 7 days to date.
Summary:
The food elimination diet exemplifies a new approach and one that can be very effective yet sometimes not considered. I have used this approach with many clients with great success.* Reduction in severity and frequency of migraines has been a common experience with many. Understanding and awareness of these certain foods and triggers can be extremely empowering!!
*Disclaimer: This is the experience of an individual and by no means reflects the results of every migraine sufferer. As one knows, migraine factors are quite complex and multifactorial.
Images Source: unsplash.com | c/o Alexander MIls and Kosal Ley
