Migraine Management

While a headache can mess up your day, a migraine can ruin it. This complex neurological condition involves a variety of changes within the brain that can cause severe pain. Migraine pain is described as throbbing or pulsating, usually on one side of the head, and can be accompanied by sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, and vomiting, says Fred Cohen, M.D., a headache specialist at Mount Sinai Medical System.

Migraine Solutions

Though it’s unclear what causes migraines, neuro-inflammation likely plays a role, says Dr. Cohen. Treatments focuses on calming this immune response. One option is triptans, which constrict the brain’s blood vessels, reducing inflammation. Another is gepants, which are designed to target a chemical messenger involved in migraine attacks.

There are also preventive strategies that aim to reduce migraine frequency and severity, including oral medications, injections, and even Botox, which was originally developed for medicinal reasons. Still, if you suffer from frequent migraines and need relief, here are three natural fixes Dr. Cohen suggests.

Magnesium

Cheap and without many side effects, magnesium is a common migraine treatment, says Dr. Cohen. Studies have shown that people with migraines often have reduced magnesium levels in their brains’ blood flow. Try taking a daily magnesium supplement (between 400mg and 600mg) made up of magnesium glycinate, which tends to be gentler on the stomach.

Acupuncture

Studies have shown that acupuncture can decrease the frequency of migraine attacks, says Dr. Cohen. This technique is believed to relieve pain by stimulating nerves that are particularly small and sensitive, leading to the release of the body’s own painkillers in the brain. Acupuncture may also enhance the body’s healing processes and improve blood flow.

Caffeine

Coffee lovers’ favourite stimulant can be a treatment in moderation but a trigger in excess, says Dr. Cohen. Caffeine reduces inflammation, which can lessen migraine pain. It can also help painkillers work faster and keep pain away longer. Research shows that one to two servings of caffeine may reduce headaches throughout the day. Reactions to caffeine vary from person to person, so try to keep your caffeine consumption as consistent as possible. Drinking too much caffeine can lead to dehydration, which can trigger a migraine.

WHEN SHOULD YOU SEE A DOCTOR?

If you have frequent headaches that involve moderate to severe pain or that significantly impact your like, talk to a doctor. Enduring head pain isn’t necessary, and reaching out to your doctor is a step toward relief, says Dr. Cohen.

Colourful, Creative Cooking!

I am sure you have all been subject to well-wishing parents or grandparents telling you to eat more fruits and vegetables in order to stay strong and healthy. And I don’t think anyone can’t fault their intentions. Fruits and vegetables not only provide colour and appeal to an otherwise uninspired plate of food, but they also provide much needed fibre, vitamins and energy.

Fibre promotes the development and maintenance of a healthy gut microbiome, regularity in stool patterns and blood sugar or energy control.

It is well known that certain colours of fruit and vegetables provide certain vitamins.

·       For example, dark green leafy vegetables provide a punch of vitamin K, while orange fruits and vegetables supply vitamin A.

·       Interestingly, the pigments that give fruit and vegetables their vibrant colours are in fact also bioactive compounds that offer unique health benefits that cannot be provided by the other colour groups. This finding has pointed to the variety of fruit and vegetables being as important as the number of servings you eat. Striving to hit your five-a-day? Try getting in your five colour groups a day too!

Reds

Red fruit and vegetables like tomato, strawberries, watermelon and red peppers contain the carotenoids lycopene and beta-cryptoxanthin. It has been found that lycopene reduces one’s risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and various cancers, such as breast, cervical, lung and throat cancer. Beta-cryptoxanthin offers, in addition, reduced risk for bladder cancer and hip fractures.

Orange/Yellow

Orange and yellow varieties like carrots, pumpkin, mango and cantaloupe contain the carotenoids beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. These carotenoids uniquely increase HDL-cholesterol (the type of cholesterol that is protective against heart disease), as well as reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, fracture risk and endometrial cancer.

The pale yellow flavonols found in bananas, onion, garlic, apples, gooseberries, cauliflower and turnips have been found to uniquely improve exercise performance.

White

White fruits and vegetables don’t simply lack pigment. They in fact contain pigments called flavones, which can be found in white potato, dragon fruit, white nectarines, cabbage, and the flesh of blueberries. Flavones specifically reduce the risk of liver cancer, while also reducing the risk of smoking-related cancers.

Blue/Purple

The bluey-purple kinds like red cabbage, blueberries, eggplant, plums and black grapes contain tannins, betacyanins and betaxanthins. These pigments have multiple unique benefits, such as reducing the risk of hypertension and type 2 diabetes, while also improving inflammatory markers.

Green

Green fruits and vegetables contain chlorophyll, which uniquely improves seasonal allergic rhinitis.

In conclusion

The unique benefits of different bioactive pigments really solidify that a variety of fruit and vegetable intake can aid in enhancing overall health.

Hopefully this new insight will encourage you to get more creative with your meals to include a wider variety of colour!

Are you all out of oomph?

We all have those days when we’re out of energy. The to-do list is never ending but, seemingly, our motivation is not. There’s plenty we want to do, yet somehow we can’t bring ourselves to get started. Even plans that seem fun can become a bit of a bind. We’re not depressed, or stressed, we’re just out of oomph, and unsure how to re-start the engines.

There can be any number of reasons why we lose our pizazz and, although frustrating, we need to recognise that this enforced slow-down is actually a protective mechanism of the brain.

Our bodies and minds are intensely clever and attuned to our needs, even when we aren’t. When we experience a challenge, but push on through it, our brains deliberately reduce our motivation to continue, in order to force us to confront what is happening.

This cause could be a physical issue that needs addressing – fatigue from a virus that we worked through instead of resting; a vitamin deficiency caused by a diet high in convenience but low in nutrition; or just a plain old lack of sleep.

When we feel unable to jump into action, our body is saying ‘Pay attention to me; I need something!’

But it doesn’t just apply to physical health. Our brains are designed to keep us safe at all times and, as such, are alert to threats.

If we’ve been pushing on with a task or a situation whilst ignoring a gut feeling that something isn’t quite right, then our brains will reduce our zeal and hold off committing to action until we figure out what’s wrong. When we’re struggling to get going, it could be that our brain knows something is off.

Sarah Bostock, an experienced personal and professional coach, says that when something doesn’t align with our values, we quickly lose vitality: ‘Purpose and motivation connect to our ideals. If we can see the reason for our actions and how it aligns with our needs, then that brings with it a sense of drive.

Our oomph is connected to how visible that sense of purpose is to us. When we dip in energy, it’s often because we don’t feel connected to the things that matter most to us.’

 

This is why, whilst it can be tempting to try to remedy our mood with action, it won’t help us feel better. In fact, Bostock warns that ignoring how we feel, and driving ourselves forwards, may make us feel worse. We need to understand what has led to our lack of vivacity in order to get it back.

‘It’s helpful to sit with that uncomfortable feeling, as it can start to stir something in us,’ advises Bostock. ‘That in itself may evoke a change in direction that can help us find a renewed sense of energy.’

So, rather than ploughing on, Bostock tells us to explore our feelings further. ‘If we can sit with knowing that we don’t have our mojo right now and be curious about it, rather than engage in negative self-talk, then we can understand what’s underneath this feeling, which in turn will tell us what we need to do’.

 

The self-talk comment hits home hard. Know you are not alone in feeling frustrated and cross with cross with yourself when you cannot find your motivation. Why it is that we aren’t nicer to ourselves when we are already feeling low? ‘There are blueprints of behaviour that we applaud,’ says Bostock, ‘and being low in energy is not one of these.

‘If we don’t feel we are living up to these blueprints, and constantly compare ourselves to what we feel we should be achieving, that can fuel negative self-talk. It also means we’re spending what little energy we do have focusing on what we haven’t done or achieved, rather than switching our focus to a more positive mindset’.

The conversation reminds me that humans are behavioural creatures, and our actions and motivations are heavily influenced by our reward systems. If we don’t reward ourselves for completed tasks, then our brains have little motivation to do them again. Imagine a friend asked you to look after her kids for a few evenings as she has to work night shift, then didn’t offer you thanks. How excited would you be to do the same again?

We need to celebrate the wins along the way to ensure that we are constantly replenishing motivation. These rewards don’t need to be big or expensive. Treating ourselves to a break with a cup of hot chocolate, or dancing to our favourite song, can be enough to boost our brain and replenish our enthusiasm. The more we do it, the more oomph we build, giving us a store for the future.

Given that our mood and energy constantly fluctuate, then, how can we protect ourselves and notice the dips before we feel completely out of oomph? ‘Discipline’ was not quite the compassionate response we are expecting to this question, but Bostock describes the importance of building good habits when we are well, in order to protect us when we are feeling lower in energy.

 

‘We want to soothe our inner critic by being our own cheerleader. Building a discipline of regular practices that support our energy, and making time for daily reflection, protects us from running out of oomph’.

If you’re reading this when your energy is already low, seek out the company of others. Sometimes we feel that, unless we are on sparkling form, we shouldn’t be around others in case we bring the mood down, but Bostock reminds us: ‘We can get a lot of energy from others. We can have a thinking partner, who we can bounce ideas off.

'It doesn’t mean you immediately have to do something, but talking about it can stop us feeling stagnant, helping us to feel positive about the future.’

If your oomph is so low that you are struggling to get out of bed, then spend some time today daydreaming about what you will do when you have your energy back. Reminding our brains that this is temporary – that we will have energy again, and that we will be doing more in the future – can make us feel happier and more optimistic, which in turn lifts our energy.

It’s okay to be out of oomph every now and then. Trust your brain and body; they know what they are doing. Show yourself kindness and patience, and tune in to what’s happening for you right now. Once you know what it is that you need, you can get excited for when you get back your get-up-and-go.