The Book That Changed The Game

So, sometime last summer, my friend Trish mentioned to me that she saw someone on the Dr. Oz show who talked about food triggers and migraines.  I promptly forgot about that comment until about the end of September when I had suffered a migraine almost every day since early August.  My medicine, which usually worked, stopped working.  I was desperate.  So, one morning before the cycle began, I remembered this comment, and googled the item.  What I found was a book called Heal Your Headache - The 1 2 3 Program For Taking Charge of Your Pain by David Buchholz, MD.  I ordered it and had read it in the next several days.  This program is the reason I feel so well these days.  I followed the instructions to the letter, and still do.  It isn't easy, and especially in the beginning, it is not for wimps or complainers.  But, I highly, highly encourage any who are suffering migraines to read it. 

Briefly, I had to stop taking all my migraine meds and OTC stuff for headache cold turkey.  Also, pretty severe omissions from my diet.  All caffeine, including decaf stuff, almost all processed foods, most cheeses, yogurt, nuts, citrus fruit and juice, onions, tomatoes, are about half the list of stuff that are no longer part of my diet.  I eat fresh food and I cook about 3 times as much as I used to.  But, I feel well more.  Quality of life is WAY higher.   And, I know right away when I've made a mistake with the diet since I get a migraine about 4-5 hours after eating.  Eating out is a challenge.  I basically take a thermal pouch filled with food I've prepared almost every time I leave the house just to be sure I'll have safe food in case I'm out longer than I predict. 

It is true that I have given up on what I see as tastier food.  I have made this sacrifice voluntarily.  It is good for my body.  When I eat the other stuff, I stay sick (migraine and other symptoms) and I suffer for it.  No amount of chocolate is worth the pain it used to bring on for me. 

Here is the HUGE benefit.  The clean-up of my diet has lowered my physical pain level.  There are some days when I'm not in pain much at all.  I could not say that before.  I used to rely on a cane and used a wheelchair about 25% of the time.  Now, I am so much more mobile.  I have not sat in my wheelchair since beginning the program.  One time, I left the house and forgot my cane.  That says volumes about how much better I'm feeling.  I have been on it for just over 2 months. 

Please read the book.  There is so much junk in all that packaged food.  Just omitting MSG alone is hard because it's everywhere.  I now cook out of only a few cookbooks and one is especially for migraine trigger free cooking.   I make my own bread, potato chips, granola bars, instant oatmeal, crackers, and lots of others.  I have found it to be fun now that I am past the pain in the butt part of it. 

Happy, Happy Days All!