Nutrition

Should You Go Gluten-Free?

The phrase “gluten-free” seems to be everywhere these days. There are books, blogs, websites, gluten-free bakeries, menu items, and so on. Gluten-free foods are even being placed on the shelves of chain grocery stores! With all the talk, you may be wondering if living gluten-free could benefit you?

This week’s blog will provide you with 5 reasons you should go gluten-free and some tips for those of you willing to give it a try!

1. Gluten intolerance is linked to over 50 different diseases!
Did you know that depending upon where in your body gluten does it’s damage, it can trigger rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, anxiety, autoimmune diseases, reflux and a variety of nutritional deficiencies such as calcium, which can lead to osteoporosis, migraines and epilepsy. There are over 200 associated conditions and symptoms attributable to gluten sensitivity.

2. Research shows increased risk of death in those with Gluten Intolerances
Gluten Intolerance covers a wide spectrum of disorders. It can range from inflammation to full blown celiac disease. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at 30,000 patients and examined death rates in three groups:

1. Those with celiac disease (intestinal damage shown in biopsy) – 39% increased risk of death
2. Those with positive blood tests but no intestinal damage – 35% increased risk of death
3. Those with inflammation only – 72% increased risk of death

Shockingly, those showing only inflammation died at a much higher rate than the general population, from all causes. Research asserts that this is due to the fact that they never quit eating gluten. For those who are on a gluten-free diet it is crucial that adherence is complete, that damaged tissue is repaired and that nutrient deficiencies are corrected or risk of death due to inflammation is heightened.

3. Only 1 in 9 with gluten sensitivity have digestive symptoms
Though most people think that if they have a gluten sensitivity they will experience digestive distress, this isn’t always the case. Food intolerance can show up in a variety of ways in the body—meaning gluten can affect any part of the body — not just the digestive tract. This wide-ranging affect is partly what makes it so difficult to diagnose.

Any part of the body can be affected through three mechanisms:
• The direct effect of gluten peptides on tissue inside or outside the GI tract.
• Nutrient deficiencies (hundreds of effects depending upon which nutrients are not being absorbed).
• Associated autoimmune responses.

4. Gluten intolerance: 21 million suffer and don’t know it — Are you one?
A whopping 99% of those with gluten caused health conditions go undiagnosed. You can determine whether you have a gluten intolerance by taking a simple Food Allergy Test. These tests range in price but are usually between $275-$350 dollars. If you do not wish to spend the money and are willing to put in a little work you can find out if you are intolerant for free, through something called an Elimination Diet.

An elimination diet is a method of identifying foods that an individual cannot consume without adverse effects. Elimination diets typically involve entirely removing a suspected food from the diet for a period of time from two weeks to two months, and waiting to determine whether symptoms resolve during that time period. The diet relies greatly on trial and error to identify specific allergies and intolerances. Typically, if symptoms resolve after the removal of a food from the diet, then the food is reintroduced to see whether the symptoms reappear.

5. It’s never been easier to go gluten-free
For those of us living in Ottawa, going gluten-free is becoming easier and easier. There are many health food stores within the Ottawa area that offer delicious alternatives to gluten breads, pastries, or so on. Furthermore, plenty of restaurants are now offering gluten-free menu items, and more and more gluten-free cookbooks and blogs are popping up, providing you with thousands of delicious gluten-free meal ideas!

Now that you know WHY you should go gluten free- here are some tips that will make the process much easier…

Tips for Going Gluten Free

Going gluten-free can be confusing at first. Keep it simple until you get your bearings. Focus on whole, naturally gluten-free foods.

• Say yes to fresh produce. If you’re a vegetarian, you’re in luck. You already love veggies of all kinds, so go for it. Do your bunny food thing. And don’t forget fresh seasonal fruit.
• Omnivore? Plain fresh meat, chicken, eggs and fish are all naturally gluten-free (However – watch out for added broths, seasonings and marinades). Choose organic and free-range grass fed bison and beef for Omega 3.
• For starches think potatoes (white, gold, red, blue) and sweet potatoes. All gluten-free.
• Rice is gluten-free. Whole grain brown rice is especially good for touchy digestion.
• Try quinoa for a fun, complete protein “faux grain”. It cooks up quickly- faster than rice- and cozies up to the flavors, herbs and spices you add to it.
• Dairy? Here’s the bad news. Some celiac savvy physicians suspect a whopping fifty percent of celiacs are also intolerant of- or allergic to- the proteins in milk, casein and whey! If dairy is fine for you, cultured plain organic yogurt is gluten-free; however, flavored yogurts could be trouble- especially those with added granola or flavors made with barley.
• Plain, aged block cheeses are generally safe; start with a wedge of good Parmesan and aged cheddar; both are high in calcium and have zero lactose. Fresh goat cheese is delicious; and tangy, and there are many varieties of real cheese that are safe (Again- check labels for additives, fillers or flavorings- these are possible culprits). Despite the popular myth that blue cheese is not safe, most blue cheeses are gluten-free.
• Going to miss your lunch-time sandwich? Do: wraps made with corn, teff or brown rice tortillas, lettuce wraps, rice paper wraps, and even toasted gluten-free waffles!
• There are several gluten-free breads available with a wide variety of quality and taste. Some are better than others, however it is for you to be the judge. Many new offerings are cropping up. And remember toasting makes almost any gluten-free bearable.

Do you have any gluten-free recipes or tips you’d like to share? Comment below. 

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What exactly is in the food you eat? Do you know?

Because of stricter food labeling laws, most ingredients now have to be listed on food packaging. But, how do you know what all those ingredients mean? How do you
know if what you’re eating is good for you? The fact is, most of the time we can’t even pronounce the words on the ingredients list!

We have become a fast food nation. Almost 90 percent of the money we spend on food is used to buy processed foods – 90 percent! Pop something in the microwave and voilà … dinner is ready!

But, I have to ask, what are all those chemicals doing to our minds and our bodies? And what are the long-term repercussions for ourselves and our families of ingesting foods that have so many hidden calories and unhealthy fats and additives designed to chemically alter the food so it will taste better and last longer?

The FDA currently lists approximately 2,800 international food additives and about 3,000 chemicals which are deliberately (and legally) added to our food supply. When you consider the number of chemicals used to grow and process food, it is possible that we will consume between 10,000 and 15,000 chemicals a day by the time our food reaches our stomach. Just pause for a moment and really think about that. Ask yourself, “Is that the kind of thing you really want to be feeding your family?”

Now, we all know that manufacturers use food additives to make food taste better and last longer – color, flavor, texture, stability, enhanced nutrient composition, and resistance to spoilage are just some of the characteristics that additives give our food. Before you reach for your next package of processed food, you might want to familiarize yourself with these de?nitions – some of them may change your mind.

Anti-microbial agents – preservatives that prevent spoilage and inhibit the growth of microbes such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Less harmful examples include acetic acid (vinegar) and sodium chloride (salt), but nitrates and nitrites are also used to preserve foods. The problem is, these anti-microbial agents may be creating super bugs, which are learning to procreate in ways that
are resistant to anti-microbial agents and rendering us sick as our bodies have not learned to deal with them.

Antioxidants – preservatives that prevent rancidity of fats in foods and other damage to food caused by oxygen. Some examples of preservatives are ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and tocopherols (vitamin E). While these vitamins can be used by our bodies, the synthetic kind or those derived from genetically-modified foods are not recommended because of their potential dangerous health effects.

Artificial colors – food coloring is added to foods to enhance its appearance. Food colors are a mix of vegetable dyes and synthetic dyes approved by the FDA for use in foods. Some of these were primarily deemed safe and then later de-listed; others are still being studied. Some have already been linked to ADD and ADHD in children.

Artificial flavors, flavor enhancers – chemicals that mimic natural flavors. They are just that, “chemicals”.

The FDA decides what additives can legally be added to foods. To obtain permission to use a new additive, a manufacturer must test the additive and satisfy the FDA that it is effective (it does what it is supposed to do) and can be detectedand measured in the final food product. Then the manufacturer must study the effects of the additive when fed in large doses to animals under strictly controlled conditions to prove it is safe for consumption. It is important to note that while the FDA has the final say in what is approved, it is the manufacturers (the ones who will make money by selling the product) who provide the evidence for the safety of the additives. Does that sound right to you?

With all of the many chemicals and additives that we ingest each day through processed foods, there has been growing concern over their health impact on North Americans. Some of the major health concerns include: Obesity, Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Cancer. There is a wealth of information out there on additives, so it’s important to do your homework. You can also contact your local health department to find out what information they might have on food additives. Taking a few hours now could add years to your life down the road.

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Is the hidden MSG in our food making us fat?

We’ve all heard about the health risks associated with the food additive MSG (Mono-Sodium Glutamate), but did you know that MSG hides behind 25 or more names? The harmful substance is concealed in everything from a fast food burger to your Tim Horton’s coffee. This week’s blog will provide you with the reasons why MSG may be contributing to your poor health and weight gain and give you a list of ingredients to stay away from!

During his research, John Erb, author of ‘The Slow Poisoning of America’, discovered that in hundreds of studies around the world, scientists were creating obese mice and rats to use in diet or diabetes test studies. They make these creatures morbidly obese by injecting them with MSG when they are first born. The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing rats (and perhaps humans) to become obese. Shocking, isn’t it?

What’s even more shocking is the amount of foods that contain this harmful substance. Take a look through your kitchen pantry and refrigerator. Are any of the following in there?
• Campbell’s soup
• Lays flavored potato chips
• Ramen Noodles
• Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper
• Heinz canned gravy
• Swanson frozen prepared meals
• Kraft salad dressings
Given the poor reputation of the substance, most companies are not likely to contain MSG in their listed ingredients but it doesn’t mean that it’s not there. “Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein”, “Accent”, “Ajinomoto”, “Natural Meat Tenderizer”, and “Natural Flavoring” are all names for Monosodium. So, while the products listed above may not list MSG as an ingredient it’s there, just concealed by another name.

Most of us are aware of MSG presence in Asian take-out food but did you know that it’s also in most other fast foods?
• Burger King
• McDonald’s
• Wendy’s
• Taco Bell
• Denny’s
• Kentucky Fried Chicken
All of these restaurants have items on their menu containing MSG! What’s worse, most will deny that they do and can get away with is because MSG isn’t a listed ingredient.

So, why is MSG in so many of the foods we eat?
In ‘The Slow Poisoning of America’, Erb states that MSG is added to food for the addictive effect it has on the human body.
MSG manufacturers themselves admit that it addicts people to their products. It makes people choose their product over others, and makes people eat more of it than they would if MSG wasn’t added. Using MSG, in this case, makes sense—well, at least from a corporate standpoint. If consumers become addicted to certain products then obviously, they will be buying more.

The Scary Facts
Since its introduction into the American food supply fifty years ago, MSG has been added in larger and larger doses to the pre-packaged meals, soups, snacks, and fast foods we are tempted to eat every day.
The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to food and claim that it is safe to eat in any amount. But how can they claim it’s safe when there are hundreds of scientific studies indicating that there is a link between obesity and MSG? And that’s not all!
Many of the studies mentioned in John Erb’s book link MSG to diabetes, migraines and headaches, autism, ADHD, and even Alzheimer’s.

Clearly, taking the precautions necessary to avoid MSG is important if you want to remain healthy. However, it’s no easy task; especially, for those of you dependent on quick, processed foods. My best advice is to eat as natural and organic as possible. And when that’s not possible, read the ingredient label to ensure that there is little to no MSG in what you are about to consume.

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The Top 12 Health and Dietary Habits That Contribute to Headaches – Part 2

Last week I put up a blog about the effects that diet can have on headaches. Through my education and past experiences I found out the top 12 health and dietary habits that contribute to headaches. Some of these habits may surprise you. My recommendation is that you first read through each one of these habits and then decide if each habit could be contributing to your headaches in any way. Now I understand that you won’t know for sure if each one is contributing at the time that you read it the first time, but you’ll probably have an intuitive feeling about it immediately or even an internal revelation as time goes on. If the habit could possibly be contributing to your headaches because it is your habit, circle it. One by one, work on eliminating the habits that are circled, noticing your progress. The more habits you can eliminate, the more you are moving towards a headache-free life, life as usual with no headache pain!

1.  Bad sleep habits cause headaches

 Sleeping on your stomach or with your pillow bunched up is a sure way to a headache. What happens is that your neck becomes twisted for long periods of time as you sleep, putting pressure on the nerves, blood vessels and vertebrae in your cervical (upper) spine. That pressure sends messages to the brain that there’s something that needs to be addressed, and a pain signal is sent to your head. Presto! You have a headache and your neck hurts as well.

The solution is sleeping on your back with a pillow that supports your neck fully. You may also sleep on your side, but check with us at the office about the proper sleeping position that won’t create headaches. If you bring in your pillow to our office, I’ll check it to see if it’s part of the reason you have headaches. For example, a pillow that is too thin or too fluffy will contribute to headaches because it doesn’t support the cervical curve in your neck. The cervical curve is a natural S-shaped curve in your neck. If the pillow is too flat, that pillow flattens your cervical curve. If the pillow is too fluffy, it exaggerates your cervical curve.

In the past 20 years, chiropractors have used a complete range of cervical pillows to fit the necks of those who are young and old.

2. Too much caffeine and/or chocolate causes headaches

Scientists don’t know exactly what it is about caffeine that can cause a headache, but they do know that there is a clear connection. The big question is what is too much coffee? If you’re drinking six cups a day, that’s too much! Four cups a day is too much! Three cups of coffee a day may be too much as well. For some people, any coffee is too much; the caffeine triggers a headache and keeps them away from a headache-free life.

If you are drinking too much coffee, it’s important that you decrease your coffee consumption slowly. DO NOT STOP COFFEE COLD TURKEY! If you stop drinking coffee cold turkey, you will get a headache and it won’t be just an ordinary headache. It will be a monstrous headache!

The best way to cut your coffee consumption is to decrease slowly by 1/2 cup a day.

The same principle can be applied to chocolate. If you eat chocolate every single day three times, decrease it one time a day. Chocolate contains caffeine and you can develop that monstrous headache from its withdrawal.

3. A diet that contains too much monosodium glutamate (MSG), NutraSweet, Aspartame, diet sodas   causes headaches

Very clever researchers discovered that certain chemicals, especially MSG added to Chinese food is a strong headache trigger in many people.

Foods that contain MSG might not necessarily list “MSG” or “monosodium glutamate” on the label. Instead, you’ll see: hydrolyzed vegetable protein, natural flavorings, sodium caseinate, yeast extract, hydrolyzed yeast, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed oat flour, calcium caseinate, hydrolyzed plant protein, hydrolyzed protein. Protein isolates of any type may contain MSG, even soy protein. If you eat processed foods, it will be rare for you to see a label without one of these! Every fast food chain uses it in their food ingredients!

You may lose to gain. What I mean by this is that you may lose your present life in the meal department to gain a headache-free life. What you gain is learning how to cook and prepare foods from scratch. You gain the freedom to do things you couldn’t do before and you can do them without restriction. You gain the affection lost by family members who didn’t understand your headaches.

In a few months, you will have adapted so much to your new diet, that your family and friends will want to come over to see what you’re cooking that tastes so good! Natural food cooking is different than what it was like a decade ago. It’s easier to find cookbooks, share recipes, and find near ready-made alternatives at the health food stores and whole food superstores.

NutraSweet and aspartame are unnatural sugars synthesized in the laboratory. There have been thousands of reports about headaches and even brain tumors linked to aspartame.

The “sugar-free” label really isn’t so sweet after all. Avoid anything that has a list of chemicals in it! If you’re truly serious about eliminating your headaches, try one week without any chemicals. That includes diet sodas, which are nothing more than a chemical concoction!

When you go one week without chemicals, you will be amazed at how different you feel and besides that, you will have a week free from headaches. Tell me what happens because I will want to write it down so other patients will be motivated.

4.  Low blood sugar from not eating regular meals causes headaches

When you don’t eat regular meals, you get energy from stored fats and carbohydrates. This happens automatically in response to low blood sugar from not eating. Keep a journal of your diet and look for a pattern of headaches that appear when you don’t eat breakfast, skip lunch or dinner, or go to bed hungry. The best diet you can eat is one that supplies you with three meals a day and snacks in between.

5.  Low blood sugar from eating too many carbohydrate foods in a meal causes headaches

Carbohydrate foods are foods such as breads, pasta, cakes, cookies, candy, muffins, rice, beans, whole grains, tacos and tortillas. Starchy vegetables such as peas, corn, potatoes, acorn squash, and other winter squashes also contain high levels of carbohydrates. Milk products are another good source.

It’s okay to have carbohydrate foods in your diet, but limit them to a maximum of three or four servings per meal. Some people must limit them to one or two to become headache-free. Watching your diet for the number of carbohydrates eaten in any one meal can be a big revelation into why you have headaches. Too many carbohydrates cause headaches by raising insulin levels that lower blood sugar too fast and also increase inflammation in the body.

Here’s an example of too many carbohydrates in a meal:

Oatmeal with raisins, orange juice, a muffin, and an apple.

You may think that the oatmeal meal is a healthy meal but it contains too many carbohydrates. The headache-free breakfast would be oatmeal with milk and an apple. You could even add an egg to this new meal.

Here’s another example:

Steak, big baked potato with butter, green beans, peas, corn, salad, and apple pie a la mode.

Here’s your headache-free meal:

Steak, 1/3 to 1/2 baked potato with butter, green beans, salad, one-fourth slice of apple pie a la mode.

 6.  Low blood sugar from not enough protein in the meal or in the diet causes headaches

Many people believe that it’s not a good idea to eat red meat, so they eliminate it from their diet. Grass-fed red meat is an excellent source of nutrients, including omega-3 fats that prevent headaches! The problem is that when many people eat less meat, they don’t substitute other protein foods for the red meat. Other protein foods include fish, chicken, turkey, wild meats, eggs, cheese and dairy products.

If you don’t have enough protein in a meal, your body cannot repair itself. Without enough protein in a meal, the composition of that meal is primarily carbohydrates and fat. And we already know what too many carbohydrates in a meal can do: cause a headache!

Make sure you eat some form of protein at every meal. Even adding one or two eggs for breakfast can change your life and your headaches! See how good your day goes when you have enough protein! Eat at least three ounces (about the size of a computer mouse) at each meal and you’ll have the minimum amount you need each day.

7.  Food allergies cause headaches

Food allergies will trigger a headache quickly. If you’re allergic to a food, whether it’s yeast, milk, peanuts, wheat, or sugar, it’s possible that you will have a headache after eating that food. In children suffering from migraines and epilepsy, eliminating offending foods will result in a reduction of seizures.

What makes food allergies more complicated is that a food essentially stays in the body for four days so you could be reacting to a food eaten four days ago!

While you may not necessarily be allergic to a certain food, you can still be sensitive. Many of us are sensitive to foods and don’t even know it. Food sensitivities differ from allergies as a true food allergy requires the presence of IgE antibodies against the food, while a food sensitive does not. Nonetheless, symptoms can be rather similar. Oftentimes food sensitivities can result in fatigue, headaches, skin irritations, respiratory issues, nausea, abdominal cramping, and so on. It is important to remember that food sensitivities differ from allergies, and as such cannot be tested for in the same manner. If you have any of the symptoms above, ask your doctor or naturopath if they feel a food intolerance test would be right for you.

8.  Faulty elimination causes headaches

For a minute, think back to a time when you were constipated. How did you feel? Miserable! I must tell you how important it is to have a bowel movement at least twice daily. If you don’t, you are constipated!

What happens inside the body when you are constipated is not pretty! All that waste matter sitting inside your intestines is rotting! Forgive me for being so graphic, but I want you to understand this. There is a process in the body called diffusion that happens inside the cells that works like this: wherever you have a higher concentration of something, it will flow to an area of lower concentration. When you have a high concentration of wastes in the intestines, they start “polluting” the rest of the organs in your abdomen. This is part of the reason why so many men have prostate problems!

Those wastes in your colon are in such a high concentration that they start “flowing” to other places in the body. Countless patients have told me over the years that part of the reason why they got headaches was because they were constipated.

So stop carrying around those old meals as a suitcase in your colon and start feeling better. You will clearly have fewer headaches as a result. Some simple ways to do this:

  1. When you get up in the morning, drink two to three 8-oz glasses of water within five minutes. This will result in a bowel movement within about 30 minutes.
  2. Consume food high in natural fiber (such as various seeds, vegetables, and fruit)
  3. Obtain a colon cleanse formula and use it for at least six weeks.
  4. Take a probiotic daily for proper digestion and absorption and to maintain a normal flora.
  5. Add 3 oz. aloe vera juice to every meal.

 9.  Dehydration causes headaches

Your body uses water to dissolve EVERYTHING except fats and fat-soluble vitamins. When you don’t have water, you can’t dissolve toxins and get them out of the body. Your blood has a high percentage of water. When your water levels are only 5% lower, your efficiency suffers by 30%. Aim for 1 oz. water for every 2 pounds you weigh. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you need a minimum of 75 oz. water per day. That’s equivalent to a little over nine 8-oz glasses water. If you drink three in the morning when you wake up, you only have six more to go for the rest of the day. That’s easy!

10.  Malnutrition causes headaches

Vitamin and mineral deficiencies cause headaches. I’m not going to go through every one of the vitamins and mineral deficiencies that do this because you’ll rush out and try to buy them. The problem with that thinking is that it doesn’t work. You must have balanced nutrition, a balanced amount of vitamins and minerals to make nutrients work. A good vitamin/mineral supplement plan is important.

11. Stress causes headaches

I understand that you may be experiencing a very difficult time in your life; during difficult times, there’s a lot of stress. For every problem, there’s a solution. Some of the top ways to beat stress are:

  1. Exercise! When you exercise, you purposefully stress your body, teaching it how to overcome this stress. That’s why you feel so good after exercising!
  2. Let all your frustrations be dissolved by taking a walk in the mountains or by visiting a lake or river. Go somewhere peaceful; the energy of that place will be transferred to you.
  3. Play an instrument or listen to music or sing.
  4. Pray.
  5. Jump up and down on a rebounder and yell at the top of your lungs! With three or four screams, you’ll notice the stress is gone.
  6. Add an extra B vitamin to your diet: pantothenic acid. This B vitamin, which is vitamin B5, helps support the adrenal glands and makes a big difference in stress levels in three days. Take 500 mg.
  7. Laugh belly laughs!.

12. Processed foods cause headaches

 Processed foods cause headaches by causing inflammation; the more inflammation, the more frequent you’ll have headaches. The way that processed foods cause inflammation is by the chemicals in them called advanced glycation end products, or AGEs. These AGEs are worse than free radicals, causing mini explosive reactions inside the body’s organs that lead to aging, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and inflammation.

Once you commit to not eating processed foods, your life actually becomes simpler and you end up saving money on the grocery bill. Your lunch and dinner meals are similar: protein food (meat), grain, vegetable, and fruit for dessert. The simpler they are, the easier they are to prepare. For example, one meal could be chicken breast, brown rice, green beans with almonds, applesauce, and beverage.

While you’re cutting out processed foods, you’ll also start to notice that you aren’t aging fast anymore. Your waistline is returning without trying. You have more energy and more concentrated brain power. And you’re headache free!

 

 

Diet that Reduces Inflammation

A diet that controls inflammation is high in antioxidants from fruits, vegetables and foods in that category that are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Incorporate these foods in your diet and monitor the number of headaches you have.

 

Fruits:   Apples, acerola berries, fresh pineapple, guavas, grapefruit and rhubarb, kiwi fruit, lemons, limes, oranges, kumquats, black currants, blueberries, raspberries, mulberries and strawberries, papaya, cherries, and tomatoes

 

Vegetables:  Spinach, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, cabbage, bok choy, onion, leeks, garlic, green onions, broccoli, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, brussel sprouts.

 

Herbs & Spices:  Basil, oregano, mint, cloves, turmeric, cayenne peppers, chili peppers, parsley, rosemary.

 

Fish and Meats:  Cod, halibut, salmon, snapper, bass, whitefish, herring, trout, sardines, grass-fed beef, pork, naturally raised (not on grain) chicken and turkey.

 

Whole Grains:  Brown rice, whole wheat, buckwheat, barley, rye, millet, spelt.

 

Fats:  Extra virgin olive oil, avocado, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts.

 

 

Natural Remedies that Help Decrease Headache and/or Inflammation

Ginger

Ginger contains over 500 different compounds, many of them which are anti-inflam-matory in nature. Try a 500 mg capsule when you feel a headache coming on, or about one third of a teaspoon. Cook with ginger regularly. One simple recipe is to braise beef or chicken strips with broccoli and one-half cup diced or sliced ginger. Use pineapple juice as a sweetener in this dish.

 

Omega-3 fats

The average American has eaten too many omega-6 fats in their diet over the last 20 years that has resulted in a widespread omega-3 fat deficiency. Omega-3 fats prevent inflammation in the body. The tie in to a headache is that inflammation can lead to a headache. Make sure you have omega-3 fats in your diet by adding two to four capsules of 500 mg EPA withDHAdaily.

 

Antioxidant Vitamins

Did you know that increasing your vitamin C intake could reduce inflammation in the body by 45%? That’s what researchers reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in March of 2006. A level of 2000 mg is a good start to decreasing inflam-mation in the body that may be related to headache. You can always increase it later. Make sure, also, that you get at least 400 IU vitamin E in your supplements daily. Vitamin E is responsible for reducing inflammation of the muscles, which may occur in the neck and cause headache.

 

Magnesium

This vital mineral has been found in deficiency levels in those who have migraines. It’s an essential mineral for contraction of the blood vessels. Adding 300-400 mg magnesium per day is probably safe, however, without a hair analysis test to see where all your mineral levels are, you’re taking shots in the dark.

 

Feverfew

This herb has been used traditionally for treating headaches. Use as directed on the label.

 

Germanium

Germanium has been used to oxygenate the system and provides pain relief in many different situations. When using it, take it on an empty stomach, and never at the same time with any prescription medications. 200 to 300 mg may prove extremely helpful.

Now it’s Time to Eliminate Those Headaches

Remember that you must decrease all the reasons for having a headache in the first place, not just use a supplement as a remedy. Address the 8 health and dietary habits discussed in the beginning of this report and use the supplements to fill in the gap and you headaches should decrease. Keep in mind, however, that these tips may only address the symptoms, Chiropractic however can addresses the cause. I urge you to make an appointment today to visit your local chiropractor for your Headache Assessment and still living a headache-free live!

Dr. NathalieBeauchamp, B.Sc., D.C. is an Ottawa based chiropractor, a certified personal fitness trainer, a professional natural figure/bodybuilder, a wellnessconsultant, lecturer and local TV personality She is the co-author of the published book—Wellness On The Go: Take the Plunge- It’s Your Life! and the creator of the Roadmap to Wellness, an online coaching program, designed
to teach clients how to live a wellness lifestyle. She is the owner of Beauchamp Chiropractic: A Creating Wellness Center, and is the recipient of the 2009 Chiropractor of the Year award from the Chiropractic Leadership Alliance.  You can reach Dr. Nathalie’s Wellness Centre at 613-837-2883.

 

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