Common Diet Mistakes:

Not Avoiding Processed and Aged Foods:
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make on this diet is forgetting to avoid processed and aged foods. Remember, even though a food may only contain a few ingredients which seem harmless, if that food is highly processed, our body will not know what to do with it. Fast food burgers are a great example of this. In their ingredients, they may only contain salt, meat, and a preservative (within the burger itself). However, the burgers are highly processed which by nature means they contain MSG. Burgers and burger substitutes bought at the supermarket pose the same problem.

Fermenting fruits and vegetables, and even meats, starts a process which creates more tyramine within that food. On the other hand, canning (without fermenting), freezing, and drying these items slows the aging process down. So, canned and frozen fruits and vegetables (as long as they aren't on the avoid list) should be fine as long as they are not flavored or fermented.

Not Eating Meals Prepared at Home:

I see many people try this diet who continue to eat out all the time. You may continue to eat out if you wish, but you have to be particular in what foods you order and what restaurants you choose. This can make the diet quite limiting. You cannot continue to eat fast food for sure, and many restaurants are not much better. Sauces and gravies are not prepared from scratch, but rather from a base containing MSG, and forget about soups or casseroles. While eating out, you are limited to simply prepared meals with no sauces or gravies, and very limited seasonings if any at all. So, your mouth may get bored. Plus, it's not easy to tell what is in your food, so you may not always know what you are getting. It's better to make a lifestyle change and learn to cook at home. You can make your own gravies, sauces, seasonings and spices, casseroles, burgers, condiments, etcetera, and it is not as difficult or time consuming as you may think. Another plus to eating at home is that it is much less expensive.

Not Following Step 1 of the Program:

For this program to work, all steps must be followed. Step 1 of Dr. Buchholz's program involves eliminating rebound causing medication. Every diet and every preventive measure and medicine in the world won't help you if rebound is still getting in the way. It's only painful for a short while. Yes, I went through it too, so I do know the pain involved. It was well worth it, believe me. I'm much happier now than I was when I was dependent on caffeine and medication. I hear people say to me often "I get headaches every day, so it can't be rebound." If you are taking medication to abort your headache every time or nearly every time you get one, and they are happening often, you probably have rebound headaches.

Not Avoiding Caffeine:

Caffeine can help a headache in process, but it is a rebound causing medication. That's right, caffeine is a drug. That's why many headache medicines on the drug market (prescription and non-prescription) contain caffeine. Caffeine not only makes effective headache medications work faster, but it constricts dilated blood vessels, which is what is causing your painful headache in the first place (there are other factors involved as well). However, once the caffeine wears off, your blood vessels dilate back to a degree greater than they were previously. This is, essentially, rebound headache. You've heard people talk about caffeine headaches, or needing caffeine early in the morning in order to get rid of the stuffy, full, or groggy feeling in their head. It takes more and more caffeine to keep the blood vessels constricted to a comfortable degree. So, to assume that caffeine is not a trigger for you, may not be completely accurate.

Trying to Avoid Gluten:

While following a gluten-free diet can be helpful for many people, it is not the best diet for migraine sufferers. If you have been diagnosed with celiac disease, then the gluten-free diet is the one you should be following. If not, then by following a gluten-free diet you are eliminating some unnecessary foods which can provide you needed nutrients, and you are not eliminating foods which should be eliminated. A great example of this is tyramine. Tyramine can be found in citrus fruits, nuts, onions, and other foods which are perfectly fine on a gluten-free diet. It also allows for chocolate, which is a well-known migraine trigger because it contains caffeine, theobromine, phenylethylamine, and possibly tyramine as well. You may find some relief by following a gluten-free diet, and some people will have full relief, because by following the diet you are essentially eliminating many sources of MSG. However, for those of you with more triggers, the migraine-free diet is the better one to follow. You'll be eliminating all possible headache triggers at once, then adding them back in later one by one to find your personal triggers, which I'll talk about more below.

Free glutamate (not the same as gluten from wheat protein), found in tomatoes, mushrooms and peas can be a trigger for some, but it is not high on the trigger list. Feel free to leave these in your diet unless you strongly suspect them. If so, eliminate them for two to four weeks. Then, if you see no improvement, add them back in. Remember, pre-made tomato sauces contain onion and/or onion powder and possibly other triggers which can start a headache. It is best to make these from scratch in your own kitchen.

True, Not Every Trigger is a Problem for Everyone, But...

Did you start a food diary to keep track of everything you were eating, but nothing seemed to add up? Part of the reason for this may be due to rebound headache, as mentioned above. The more likely reason, though, is that triggers are extremely hard to pinpoint. Triggers do not have to cause a headache every time they are eaten. It's possible that you can eat chocolate one day and be just fine, but on another day there is a huge storm brewing overhead, you're stressed at school or work, and you have other dietary triggers stacked up in your system as well, causing the chocolate to be the last straw. It all depends on how many triggers and what amount of those triggers are causing you problems at once. Also, a trigger does not have to cause a headache the same day it is eaten. It can wait to strike for up to two days later. So, with the many unavoidable triggers constantly around you, including lack of sleep as well, dietary triggers are extremely hard to pinpoint. All triggers must be eliminated at once, then added back in one at a time for several days at full force to find out if the trigger is a culprit. Nothing can be added back in, though, until you feel fully healed. By eliminating dietary triggers, you are lowering the trigger level in your body which makes unavoidable triggers (even hormones) less likely to cause a headache for you.


Some of this information comes from information I have learned through the process of writing my cookbook entitled Migraine-Free Cooking!, and some of it comes from Heal Your Headache: The 1-2-3 Program for Taking Charge of Your Pain by David Buchholz, M.D.

Do you miss cinnamon rolls?

There is a simple cinnamon roll substitute that has been popular in homes of the mid-west for years. Fresh cinnamon rolls contain tyramine due to the fresh risen yeast and may also contain other triggers in the dough. If you make them yourself at home and wait 24 hours to eat them, then you are okay. However, if you want a quick cinnamon roll substitute that is a little bit more healthy, here is a simple trick.

Cinnamon-Sugar Toast

4 pieces bread, trigger-free (100% whole wheat or whole grain is healthier)
butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon plus 2 teaspoons sugar or Splenda granular, mixed

Toast the bread and immediately spread a very thin layer of butter over the top. Shake the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the butter, then shake off the excess. Enjoy!

My cookbook is now available!

Please see a preview of my cookbook here. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed creating it.

Tips for Dining Out

Several of you have asked me what to eat when dining at a restaurant. Actually, I don't really know because there is no perfect choice. Most items are probably going to have a seasoning or sauce that makes it hard to choose. So, pick the best possible option. Avoid special sauces, gravies, casseroles, and soups as they may contain MSG. Even MSG-free menus can have hidden MSG in them. Choose grilled meats instead of breaded meats. Choose grilled or sauteed vegetables instead of fried vegetables. Salads are good, but leave off the cheese and croutons. Fish is okay as long as it isn't pickled or breaded. So, grilled salmon is probably better than a fried fish sandwich. Pancakes, eggs and fruit are a good option, but leave off the bacon and sausage. I hope this helps. It's all about making the best possible choices.

Recipes from other Migraine Sufferers

I was contacted by someone else who has had great success with Dr. Buchholz's 1-2-3 Program, and wanted to know if I would like some more recipes. Sure!!! Thank you, Helena, for your recipes! The following recipes were created by Helena Caffrey. If you have read Dr. Buchholz's book and have recipes you would like to share, please contact me by e-mail. If they are migraine friendly, I may post them on my blog, and would of course give credit to you. My goal is always to make this diet more accessible to everyone. So, the more recipes there are available, the better!

Macaroni and Cheese

1 package elbow noodles or egg noodles
milk
butter
sliced high-quality american cheese, torn into pieces
salt and pepper

1. Boil noodles as directed on package. Drain.
2. Return noodles to pot. Add milk, butter, and cheese. Stir until butter and cheese are melted.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.


Pizza

olive oil
2 large tortillas
ricotta cheese
Gunderson's spaghetti sauce or Buchholz's ragu sauce
vegetable toppings, optional - bell peppers, cooked spinach, sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced black olives, others

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Grease pizza pan or cookie sheet with a thin layer of olive oil.
3. Place 2 tortillas on top of each other. Spread on ricotta cheese and then spaghetti or ragu sauce.
4. Add any desired vegetable toppings.
5. Bake for 10 minutes.


Soda Bread (from Marion Maxwell's A Little Book of Irish Baking)

3 c white flour (I use flour that doesn't contain malted barley flour)
1 t, heaped, baking soda OR 3 t baking powder
1 t salt
12-14 oz milk + (2 1/2 t cream of tartar OR 2 t white distilled vinegar) - buttermilk substitutes (cream of tartar can cause headaches for some)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Dust bottom of a 7' iron casserole dish with lid or 2 bread loaf pans with flour.
3. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar. Make well in center and gradually add milk while stirring until well blended.
4. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead lightly to form a smooth round (or 2 ovals).
5. Place dough in dish or pans. Cut a cross in the top.
6. Bake for 50 to 55 min or until bottom sounds hallow when tapped.
7. Wrap bread in a cloth to cool.

*Recipes are created or provided by Helena Caffrey, Indianapolis, IN.

Cookbook in final stages!

I've been in contact with a publishing/editing expert this week, with over twenty-five years in the publishing business, in order to have my cookbook professionally edited and designed for you. I'm so excited! If you don't mind answering, I have a couple of questions for you in order to make sure the book is completely ready. What are some of the most common questions you hear people ask about migraine, and what are some questions you have? Also, what are some elements you look for in a migraine-free cookbook? Thank you sincerely for your help.
-Heidi

New recipe! Enchiladas!

The cookbook has taken so long to publish that I thought I would give you another recipe. This is not a recipe I give away lightly. It is one I treasure! I hope you love it as much as I do. Enjoy!

ENCHILADAS!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 shallots, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 cooked, shredded chicken breasts, or 1 taco filling recipe
1/4 cup + 3/4 cup "salsa with tomato and herbs" recipe
1 7 ounce can chopped green chilies, drained (check ingredients)
4 ounces cream cheese or neufchatel cheese
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
7-8 soft flour or corn tortillas
3-4 slices high-quality American cheese, optional
1/2 cup chicken stock or water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Saute' shallots and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for approximately 2 minutes, or until shallots are tender. Add 1/4 cup of the salsa, the chilies, cream cheese, cilantro, and chicken. Add the chicken broth, then stir and heat thoroughly. You may stir in the American cheese at this time if you wish. Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Fill tortillas with chicken mixture and place side by side, seam side down in dish. Top with remaining salsa. Bake approximately 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Other recipes can be found on my website at migrainefreecooking.com.