Can a better diet help headaches?

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Posted at 12:02PM, 25 January 2013 by Roxanne Fisher - Writer/Sub-editor, bbcgoodfood.com

Around 10 million people in the UK suffer from some sort of headache. Symptoms range from a dull ache to debilitating migraine. For one of my clients, a working mum, it had been a long-standing problem. Her GP diagnosed 'tension headaches', and she was keen to find an alternative to over-the-counter painkillers.

She skipped breakfast to squeeze in the school run, and grabbed snacks rather than eating at set times. Her diet lacked magnesium (low levels of this mineral are associated with tension headaches) and she often didn't sleep well.

My advice to the client was:

Eat breakfast within an hour of waking - wholegrain cereal with fruit, granary toast with sugar-free nut butter, or eggs with spinach or watercress - and eat every 3-4 hours to stabilise blood sugar levels.

Base meals and snacks on low-GI carbs such as rye crackers, wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta or basmati rice, combined with lean protein like chicken, turkey, fish and low-fat dairy.

Eat magnesium-rich foods, such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and peas.

Snack before bed to help improve sleep - good choices include porridge, oatcakes topped with low-fat cream cheese, a plain yogurt with nuts and sliced banana.

The results:

Setting her alarm 10 minutes earlier gave my client time to have breakfast; she then started to build in the other changes. Within three months she reported fewer headaches with less severe symptoms.

Recipe suggestions:

Brown loaf
Almond butter
Baked dippy eggs
Oven-baked Thai chicken rice
Wholewheat pasta with broccoli & almonds
Chicken & vegetable stew with wholemeal couscous
Open sandwiches - smoked salmon & avocado on rye
Perfect porridge

Dietary advice is never a substitute for a professional medical diagnosis so always visit your GP or medical practitioner to rule out any medical condition before attempting to manage symptoms via diet.

Do you suffer from headaches or have you made any dietary changes that have helped ease symptoms? Let us know below.

Comments

Wikkiwoodles

18 February, 1:37PM
Wikkiwoodles

Love this blog... i suffer from tension headaches and will try this out.

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