This is continued from Nine Effective, Natural, Proven Ways to Heal Migraine Headaches (Part 1)
#3 Try a healthy diet
Have you noticed your eating patterns lately? Do you stress more on a junk diet or do you prefer a healthy one. Did you know that the kind of food and the intervals at which you eat are important determinants in keeping you healthy and migraine-free? Maybe you can create a routine for yourself – eating three hearty meals a day or eating six small healthy meals a day. You can chose whatever suits you more. Know more on what kind of food to eat.
Doctors say chocolate, wine, cheese, processed meat, MSGs (a preservative in many foods), yeast, nuts, pickles, peanut butter, and avocados aren't very healthy, and especially for a migraineur. It might be a little difficult to go off these foods if they are among your favorites, but with consistent efforts, you can definitely do it. How about substituting these with a healthier alternative that tastes and feels the same as your favorites?
Plenty of water intake prevents dehydration, which is yet another trigger. Dr. Shiksha Thakur has a unique "sweet" treatment for you. A sweet dish like milk cake (you can substitute it with a cup of cold milk on days you don't have sweets at home) when taken in the early morning can help offset headaches. For those who smoke, you might want to consider quitting this habit. Once in two days, you can chose apples and bananas over other fruits. Mangoes are to be eaten in moderation.
#4 Stretch a little to ease migraines
There is nothing bad about being heavy and curvy if it doesn't interfere with your health. But your weight can cause migraine headaches directly and indirectly, and exercise will come in handy for you. Just a few minutes of a fast yet smooth morning walk coupled with low-impact asanas like Veerbhadrasana and Gomukhasana can help. However, you need to take care of your neck while performing any asanas as it is quite sensitive in migraineurs and a little jerk can trigger migraines. Avoid back stretches and forward-bending poses. Know more yoga postires that help cure migraine.
#5 Sleep well
If you are in pain, sleeping in a dark room can be very comforting. Sleeping at the same time every night keeps migraines at bay. Dr. Shiksha advises her patients to sleep for at least 7 hours, preferably between 10 PM and 6 AM. Know more on how meditation can improve sleep.
#6 Take a break from work before it breaks you
As a migraineur, you must know that you shouldn't stretch yourself too much. If it has been long since you last went on a holiday, then now is a good time to do that with your family, or even alone. A smart option that will prove to be healing and relaxing for you is the aesthetically and naturally beautiful Art of Living International Center in Bangalore.
Here, firstly, you can learn a few relaxing techniques (mentioned in the next point) that have been scientifically proven to be effective in considerably reducing and/or eliminating migraines. Secondly, you can also consult trained and experienced doctors and therapists who can heal your migraine non-invasively.
Read more tips in the sequel to this piece
Written by Ravisha Kathuria
Based on inputs by Dr. Shiksha Thakur, Ayurvedic physician and Nadi Parikshak and Mamta Singh, International writer, author (Migraines for the Informed Woman: Tips from a Sufferer), and holistic health therapist based out of Qatar
