Your Food Triggers
Hi,
So I'm wondering what you all have found are your food triggers, either full-on or occasional? I'm still working on figuring mine out for sure, but here are a few I know.
Always trigger:
1. Cured meats are the biggest. Even ham stock, as I know as of this morning.
2. Fermented foods like sauerkraut and pickled foods.
3. Alcohol
Often trigger:
1. Aged cheese
2. Soy
Sometimes trigger if extra susceptible:
1. Chocolate
2. Nuts
3. Slightly aged cheese
Common triggers that don't for me:
1. MSG
2. Caffeine
3. Citrus
- What a neat conversation to get started. Thank you for sharing the foods that set you off. I think everyone has a pretty unique list of trigger foods.
These days I feel like there are far more foods on my cannot eat list than those I can, unfortunately. I eat veggies (except corn, potatoes, tomatoes), fruits, almond milk, herbal tea, chicken, and fish. No grains, beans (except lentils), processed foods, sugar, dairy, alcohol, or gluten. Every now and then, to indulge, I'll make some popcorn and add some dark chocolate chips (which thankfully don't trigger me). But outside of that, I find I'm best off being pretty strict with my diet.
Here is a helpful list of foods that may be best to avoid (and to try) when considering an elimination diet to discern migraine triggers: https://migraine.com/blog/elimination-diet-foods-to-eat-foods-to-avoid.
Again, thanks for this post! Warmly - Holly (team member)I also sometimes don't know how to explain it to others. I don't want to call it an allergy at a restaurant, for example. That feels unkind, since that means they'll have to do all the extra stuff they have to do for someone with a true allergy to make sure there isn't even a touch of anything. So true- seems everyone is embracing a gluten-free way of life not because they have to, but because they want to. It does make it easier for those living with celiac. When I did my elimination diet, I found that removing gluten improved my overall sense of well-being and when I reintroduced it, I felt a drag on my energy. When I ate something with a lot of gluten (a pancake) I got a big fat migraine attack. My doctor said this qualifies me as being gluten intolerant - not allergic to it- so ultimately for me, it's optional. I'm sorry for your sister as I know celiac can be a real challenge. Warmly - Holly (team member)
- a great start in managing migraine disease! Many use a detailed journal to keep their triggers listed as well as the symptoms it causes. Have you begun a diary? Mostly I tend to stay away from nightshades, MSG, and some acidic fruit. Some of the worst for me. Here's a link to a site that has a sample available. https://migrainetrust.org/live-with-migraine/self-management/keeping-a-migraine-diary/ Sending you pain-free thoughts. Rebecca (team member)
