Your diet is a key contributor to how your body feels in every aspect of life, which is why it’s imperative that a thorough look at the food you eat on a consistent basis is considered when addressing health challenges.
Inflammation is an incredibly important area of concern when it comes to any pain experienced in the body, including migraine headaches. Like many symptoms we experience, there can be a number of contributing factors; however, food is inevitably a heavy-hitting player, one that if adjusted can make a huge difference in a person’s quality of life.
At our practice, we are committed to helping our patients understand the significance of inflammatory foods – those foods that contribute to aches and pains felt each day. One of the leading causes of pain for individuals is migraines. In fact, The US National Center for Health Statistics indicates that roughly one out of every seven Americans are suffering from migraines each year.
What if you could decrease the severity of your headaches? You can. If you are experiencing frequent migraine headaches, consider your consumption level of the following foods:
All grains and grain products, including white bread, whole wheat bread, pasta, cereal, pretzels, crackers, and any other product made with grains or flours from grains, which includes most desserts and packaged snacks.
• Partially hydrogenated oils trans fats) found in margarine, deep fried foods (French fries, etc.) and almost all packaged foods.
• Corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, and foods made with these oils such as mayonnaise, tartar sauce, margarine, salad dressings, and many packaged foods.
• Soda and sugar are inflammatory. If you eat dairy or soy, they should be consumed as condiments, not staples.
• Meat and eggs from grain-fed animals (domesticated animal products). Modern meat is problematic because the animals are obese and unhealthy; they are loaded with saturated fats and contain too many proinflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. Grass-fed meat or wild game are our best choices. Otherwise, we should eat lean meat, skinless chicken, omega-3 eggs and fish. Lean cuts of meat and lean hamburger meat are available at most grocery stores, and even extra-lean is sometimes available.
As we share with our patients in The Deflaming Guidelines book, “the best eating thought to embrace is that, with every bite we take, we are either deflaming or inflaming. This is a fact we all must accept, so we should all do our best to eat mostly anti-inflammatory foods.” Take a serious look at the foods you consume and see whether you are contributing to the chronic pain you are experiencing. Learn more about “deflaming” your diet by visiting, www.drshabkrish.com.