Headaches and Your Diet

Did you know there is a diet to help prevent headaches? There is. It turns out that certain foods will make you more susceptible to headaches and migraines.

Not only are there foods that will promote headaches but there are foods that will help make them go away. Who knew?

There's nothing as annoying as a headache. You're unable to concentrate or think clearly when your head is pounding and your eyes feel like they want to fall out of your head.

The good news is that headaches are rarely caused by a serious ailment. It doesn't make your head hurt less but it's good to know.

Cheese is one of the foods that can trigger a major headache for those with a sensitivity to tyramine.

The cheeses you need to avoid are:

• Blue Cheeses
• Brie
• Cheddar
• Feta
• Gorganzola
• Mozzarella
• Muenster
• Parmesan
• Processed cheese
• Stilton
• Swiss

Wait, these are not the only foods that should be avoided by tyramine sensitive people.

• artificial sweetener
• avocados
• bananas
• beans (some types)
• beer
• buttermilk
• canned soups
• chocolate
• citrus fruit
• dried fruit
• kiwi
• MSG
• nuts
• organ meats such as chicken livers
• papaya
• peanut butter
• pickles
• pineapple
• pizza
• potato chip products
• processed meats
• olives
• onions
• raspberries
• red wine
• sauerkraut
• smoked or dried fish
• sourcream
• fresh baked yeast goods
• yogurt

Believe it or not being overweight, or mildly obese (body mass index of 30), increases your chance of having headaches by 35%. If your body mass index is 40 or above your chance of having a headache increases by 80%.

If you are a rigid, obsessive person, this too can increase headache susceptibility. You need to relax a little.

Certain odors can trigger a headache, such as paint or a strong perfume.

Dehydration is also one of those causes of headaches. So grab a bottle of water and sip it throughout the day.

Skipping a meal can often cause headaches, I know it does for me. Keep a protein bar or healthy snack close by just in case,

Too much caffeine as well as trying to stop intake of caffeine can cause terrible headaches. One of the worst headaches I ever had (beside migraines) was when I stopped drinking caffeinated coffee.

Not getting enough sleep can make your head pound a bit. Try to get your 7 to 8 hours a night.

Fortunately there are foods out there that can help with headache pain. They help dull it or take the edge off. Some of these foods even help banish your headache.

To help your headache try eating;

white beans

baked potato

cucumbers

sunflower seeds

oat bran

tofu

pumpkin seeds

tomatoes

salmon

sardines

spinach

fish oil

barley

watermelon

Foods high in potassium, such as a baked potato.

Foods high in a potassium and magnesium combination such as bananas.

Foods that help you re-hydrate quickly such as watermelon or cucumber.

Foods containing the natural enzyme bromelain, a natural pain reliever, such as pineapple

coffee can help get rid of headaches by helping reduce the size of blood vessel, but be careful too much coffee can make it worse.

cherries have a compound called quercetin, which has strong anti-oxidant, anti-allergy, and anti-inflammatory properties. This compound helps block pain

salmon is full of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce the frequency, duration and severity of headaches.

Spicy foods such as salsa and hot peppers can help ease the pain of a sinus headache. The spiciness helps clear your sinuses.

Magnesium rich food such as cashews, avocados, bananas help relax tense blood vessels