Adding Foods Back Into Your Diet

This diet does not have to be a life-long sentence of doom. After you have eliminated all triggers from your diet for about 4 months, or as long as it takes to heal, you can add triggers back in one at a time to see which foods are your personal triggers. Remember, the diet must be strictly adhered to in the beginning. Even if you find, like me, that every food on the list is a trigger for you, it does not mean that you can never eat your favorite foods again. When I began this diet three years ago, I felt so much better that I didn't eat anything on the avoid list for a whole year. When I started to add triggers back in one at a time, MSG was a very obvious trigger, but tyramine was not. For awhile, I thought tyramine was okay for me, but the more I ate it, the more my muscles ached and I became run down and tired. For me, MSG is a much more obvious trigger than tyramine, but for others that may be reversed. The pain of a migraine is such a negative memory to me that I do my best to avoid MSG at all costs, but I could probably have small amounts of it once in a great while if I choose to, as long as there are no other triggers to raise my threshold level. The trick is to not eat triggers very often or in very large amounts. I told someone on twitter the other day that I never eat MSG. Then, I read my words and realized that I need to relax a little. I've been following the diet for three years, and I could probably use a little wiggle room. So, I went to a Mexican restaurant with my family and ordered an enchilada with beans and rice on the side. My husband was overjoyed! Well, I decided to only eat two or three bites of the enchilada and then eat the rice and beans just to be safe. I didn't have a headache! So, a few days later I decided to dip some vegetables in STORE BOUGHT vegetable dip (sparingly, of course). Again, no symptoms! Keep in mind, there were no storms overhead, no hormonal disturbances, and little stress in my life at the time. Also, I had been getting enough sleep and drinking plenty of water. So, after you have followed the diet initially, you may be able to eat some of your favorite foods again once in awhile. I probably could have eaten the whole enchilada if I had relaxed. My husband found it quite humorous. So, don't begin the diet thinking there is no way you could follow it for the rest of your life. Chances are not every trigger will be a problem for you, and even if it is, try to change your line of thinking. Your body will continue to change as you age, which means your headaches will probably change as well. And, can you continue to go on living as you are? Do you really want to take triptans, shots, narcotics, or any heavy medications long term? Don't be afraid to give diet, using Dr. Buchholz's 1-2-3 method, a chance. It is well worth it.