The Health Diva

Start developing a headache diary, you can begin to understand what might be triggering your headache.

One client of mine always got a headache on the weekends, when she felt relaxed! She began to notice a pattern that she had probably been avoiding noticing. The cause was caffeine withdrawl Monday to Friday she worked in an office and drank 8-10 cups of coffee per day! And at the weekend she rarely drank coffee.

The solution was to avoid coffee, and switch to organic decaffeinated drinks. Seams simple but, this small measure made a world of difference, most people aren’t quite as simple however keeping a diary of foods, drinks, and for women mark your cycle, hormonal changes around ovulation and before a period can be big triggers.

Caffeine is an addictive drug. Heavy caffeine users may:

• become psychologically dependent (believing that the drug is an essential part of their lives)
• develop tolerance (requiring more caffeine over time to get the same effects)
• undergo a withdrawal syndrome if they don’t get it

Withdrawal symptoms include headache, drowsiness, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. Many people discover that they are dependent on caffeine when they go for a day or 2 without coffee and develop splitting headaches.

Caffeine withdrawal headaches are nasty, but will pass after a few days, and you will feel so much better … no pain no gain!

Food reactions can also be big head ache triggers, common food reactions include: Alcohol, cheese, chocolate, nuts, wheat, yeast, citrus fruits, tomatoes, MSG, nitrates, eggs, and  milk.

It’ s worth booking an appointment with a qualified nutritionist to discuss food intolerance testing, to eastablish if any foods are aggravating your symptoms.

Other dietary triggers include Blood Sugar fluctuations.

Many individuals start to feel headachey and shakey if they go to long without eating.

Your body uses glucose as its main fuel. The brain requires a constant supply of blood glucose and will signal the adrenal glands to release a hormone called adrenaline whenever blood glucose levels are low. The adrenaline then signals the liver to convert the carbohydrates it stores (from the foods we eat) into glucose and release it into to bloodstream.

Blood glucose remains too low and the brain won’t be able to function normally, and can trigger a headache.

Eat small amounts of food on a regular basis, try to avoid quick fixes such as sugary snacks and caffeinated drinks these tend to cause sugar spikes which can leave you feeling worse later on.

Drink plenty of water; dehydration is a common headache factor. Dehydration is the reason we get hangover headaches! Make sure you have a little water with your whiskey x