Heal Your Headache

Heal Your Headache by David Buchholz truly saved my life. Based on the breakthrough understanding that virtually all headaches are forms of migraine—because migraine is not a specific type of headache, but the built-in mechanism that causes headaches of all kinds, along with neck stiffness, sinus congestion, dizziness, and other problems—Dr. Buchholz’s Heal Your Headache offers a simple, transforming program.

Program

• Avoid the “Quick Fix.” Too often painkillers only make matters worse because of the crippling complication known as rebound.
• Reduce your triggers. The crux of the program: a migraine diet that eliminate the foods that push headache sufferers over the top.
• Raise your threshold. When diet and other lifestyle changes aren’t enough, preventive medication can help stay the course.

That’s it. In three steps, you can turn your headache problems around. In my case my pain killer consumption was already reduced to taking only Advil, I had already removed all prescription medication so I will focus on the diet as it was the step that helped me the most.

Heal your Headache Reduce your triggers

Dr. David Buchholz lists the following foods and food additives as common triggers for migraines:

• Tyramine-rich foods: aged cheese, smoked fish, soy products, red wine, and overripe fruits.
• Artificial sweeteners: aspartame, saccharin, and cyclamate.
• Nitrates and nitrites: found in cured meats such as bacon, hot dogs, and deli meats.
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG): a flavor enhancer found in many processed and restaurant foods.
• Caffeine: in coffee, tea, chocolate, and some soft drinks.
• Alcohol: particularly red wine and beer.
• Skipped or irregular meals: leading to low blood sugar levels.
• Food preservatives: sulfites, benzoates, and other preservatives.

Reduce Triggers Step by Step

• Elimination Diet: the elimination diet includes removing common headache triggers above.
• Reintroduction: After completing the elimination diet, patients can slowly reintroduce foods back into their diet to determine which foods may be triggering their headaches. I would personally advice to introduce slowly and one at the time. Try it for at least 2 weeks, better if you can introduce 1 per month. That way you can test it based also on all hormonal changes.
• Maintenance: maintain the diet that works best for the individual and avoid foods that trigger migraines. Regular monitoring of headache triggers and adherence to the diet is key to reducing the frequency and severity of headaches. I had to do the full cleanse a couple of times, depending on how well you manage your threshold you might need to do it too.