Thursday, May 13, 2010

Tasty Bagel Sandwich (Meatless)

A very sweet person who wishes to remain anonymous wrote in with this recipe. It sounds wonderful! I can't wait to try it. Bonus, it's vegetarian!

1 bagel, hollowed out slightly in the middle and toasted
1/2 finely chopped apple
1/4 cup dried blueberries, cherries, or other allowable fruits (sulfite free)
1/2 tsp cinnamon mixed with 1/2 teaspoon sugar or splenda granular
2-3 tablespoons softened cream cheese or ricotta cheese

Mix all ingredients except the bagel and spoon into the hollowed out bagel. Enjoy!

Food Intolerance and Migraine Triggers

I have made some changes to this post since the original. I would like to thank my friends in the scientific community for your help with this subject.

Migraine triggers are not food allergies; they are more like intolerances. The terms food allergy and food intolerance seem to be grouped together casually as though they are the same, when in fact, they are quite different. In true medical, scientific literature, food allergies are labeled so because the body can generate, in some people, an immune response to certain foods. In the case of migraine triggers, there is no immune response within your body. In other words, migraine triggers are not mediated by the immune system. It is for this reason that triggers cannot be found through pin prick tests, blood tests, or any other similar type of tests. So, how do triggers work? The more you have in your system, the more likely you are to have a headache. So, by avoiding dietary triggers, more unavoidable triggers are less likely to cause a headache, too. I do not want to give away all of Dr. Buchholz's step 2 relayed in his book, so it is important that you read it. However, I will tell you that the more triggers you avoid, the better you feel. In the beginning, it is important to avoid all dietary triggers to let your body heal. After that, the trick is to keep your trigger level as low as possible, and since your body does not generate an immune response to triggers, you may eat your favorite foods once in awhile again. The trick is to only eat them when there are few to no other triggers clouding your system. It is for these same reasons that food triggers do not have to cause a headache every time they are eaten, which can also make them difficult to pinpoint. Dr. Buchholz's method is the only one I've found that can truly eliminate and find all personal triggers for each headache sufferer. Everyone is different, after all, and his method is designed to find your personal triggers. If you haven't read Heal Your Headache: The 1-2-3 Program for Taking Charge of Your Pain by David Buchholz, M.D. yet, you are missing a real treat.