Are Headaches and Migraines Holding Your Life and Performance Hostage?

For 28 million Americans, headaches and migraines can be a debilitating condition.  As many as 40% of migraine patients report intense pain that keeps them from performing routine daily tasks.  

Migraine headaches are a neurological issue that result from a combination of blood vessel enlargements and the release of toxic endocrine chemicals from nerve fibers that coil around the blood vessels that cause inflammation and pain.  Lasting a few hours to as long as several days, migraines begin as a dull ache at the front of the head and then intensifies as it shifts positions to other parts of the head.  For many patients the pain is aggravated by physical exertion and can bring about increased sensitivity to sounds and lights, nausea and vomiting. 

Some common triggers for migraine headaches include fatigue, lack of sleep, malnutrition, excess emotional stress.  However, there are a lot of overlooked triggers such as sensitivity to specific chemicals commonly found in processed foods and traditional household cleaners,  high/low blood pressure and low blood sugar. 

There are some natural and "green" solutions to the common problems and triggers!

• Yoga, Chiropractic, exercise, massage and deep breathing/relaxation exercises help calm the mind and reduce stress.
• Ginger intake helps in controlling migraines and even nausea/vomiting completely.
• Eating green leafy vegetables like spinach and carrots helps a lot.
• Sound sleep is very important when trying to minimize a migraine.
• The Digestive System must be in working order to insure that food intake is being digested properly and the Immune System is functioning properly.  Foods rich in fiber must be preferred as fiber helps regulate blood sugar levels and sweeps away waste in the intestines so that nutrient absorption can occur.
• Fried and processed foods must be completely avoided.
• Also avoid vice products like cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.

Because migraine headaches are a neurological issue, neurotoxic chemicals must also be avoided as well (see my link above about traditional household cleaners).  Neurotoxicity can result from exposure to substances used in chemotherapy, radiation treatment, drug therapies, certain drug abuse, and organ transplants, as well as exposure to heavy metals, certain foods and food additives, pesticides, industrial and/or cleaning solvents, cosmetics, and some naturally occurring substances. Symptoms may appear immediately after exposure or be delayed.  These neurotoxins don't necessarily have to be ingested through food.  They are also readily absorbed by your body's largest organ - the skin - and can manifest in a variety of other health issues resulting from the destruction of neurons (nerve cells)!

Can you think of some examples where migraine headaches have affected your life?  They could have been triggered by environmental factors you haven't considered before.

For example...

10 years ago, a good friend of mine's teenage daughter had a migraine headache that lasted for a year and a half!   It turned their family upside down and they tried everything from acupuncture and chiropractic to medication.  Finally, a blood test revealed that she had extremely elevated levels of pesticides in her bloodstream.  

Several traditional household cleaners and solvents contain registered pesticides and neurotoxins, including Clorox Bleach, Formula 409, Lysol/Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, Tide Detergent, Windex Glass Cleaner, Cascade Dish Detergent, Crest/Colgate Toothpaste, and even some cosmetics made here in the United States contain pesticide residue.  Recognize any of those products?

My friend thought she was doing the right thing by keeping a clean home and using these types of products sold on the shelves in our stores.  Little did she know that she was only making her daughter's headaches worse.  When she heard and implemented what I teach in my Nutrition and Detox Workshop, her daughter's headaches went away within 2 weeks!  The only time she gets headaches now is when she either stays at a friend's house or a hotel that uses strong chemicals to clean with.

Migraine headaches are just one health condition triggered by malnutrition and neurotoxicity.  Your body wants to be healthy and in order to achieve that, it needs to be in a healthy environment.  If you are in/near the Charlotte, NC area and would like to book a Nutrition and Detox Workshop for your staff, co-workers, friends or family, contact me at 704-770-8214.  Allow 90 minutes for the entire Workshops to include questions and answers.  I look forward to serving you in the best way I know how - EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT!