Avoid the common trigger foods completely
Biofeedback training is available at the psychiatry or psychology departments of university medical centers, or look in the yellow pages under psychologists, biofeedback, or physicians specializing in psychiatry. Believe it or not, you will be able to influence the blood flow to your brain, and the result can be more control over your headache. The biofeedback instructor will put a temperature monitor on your index finger that will signal you when you have relaxed enough to open up blood flow to your fingertips. If steps one and two did not diminish your migraines, an elimination diet can help you identify whether an unusual trigger is causing your problem. If your migraines have diminished or ceased, you can reintroduce the trigger foods one at a time to assess their effect. Biofeedback is a technique for controlling blood flow through relaxation, and it helps both migraines and tension headaches. Use hot or cold compresses and massage the blood vessels at the temples.
Lie down in a quiet, dark room, and sleep if you can.
It causes much more trouble than it is worth. Again, avoid the temptation to get calcium from milk, yogurt, or any other animal source. Researchers reported a case of a woman who was able to stop an early migraine by chewing 1,200 to 1,600 mg of elemental calcium. Calcium might be able to treat migraines as well as prevent them. It can be repeated every few hours, up to about two grams per day.
Fresh powdered ginger, 500-600 mg (about one-quarter teaspoon), in a glass of water has been helpful in anecdotal reports. 43 Experience will tell you whether these foods help. Some people find that they actually crave starchy foods during migraines and that digging into toast, crackers, pasta, potatoes, or other starchy foods reduces the headache or nausea and can even shorten the attack. Yes, wheat products are migraine triggers for some people, but if you can tolerate them, they might actually help. Have a starchy food, such as rice, potatoes, crackers, or bread. The dose is one to two cups of strong coffee at the first sign of an attack. If a migraine occurs, try the following: Although caffeine can be a migraine trigger for some people, for others it works as a treatment. Regular physical activity will keep calcium in your bones where it belongs. If you wish, you can take 1,000-2,000 mg per day of elemental calcium, with 200 IU (5 meg) of vitamin D.
Calcium: Reduce calcium losses by avoiding animal protein, caffeine, tobacco, and excess sodium and sugar. Magnesium: 400-700 mg per day total (foods plus supplements, if used) or 200 mg per day as elemental supplement alone.
Ginger: one-half to one teaspoon (one to two grams) of fresh powdered ginger per day. Try these supplements, in consultation with your doctor: Feverfew: 250 mg per day or two to three fresh leaves. Minimize hormone shifts by avoiding animal products, keeping vegetable oils minimal, and keeping the natural fiber in grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits.
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