Take Control of Your Migraines by Changing What You Eat

18 05 LH Migraines Influenced By What You Eat - Take Control of Your Migraines by Changing What You Eat

Millions of people suffer from migraines on a regular basis. There are many reasons why the often-disabling event occurs, with food being amongst the top culprits.

Diet links back to a number of conditions, affecting a lot about an individual’s wellbeing. When it comes to migraines, the responsibility pinned on food differs. Some stats say that diet is responsible for around a third of headaches, while other reports, such as from Dr. Fred Freitag of the Milwaukee Medical College of Wisconsin, say that food could be responsible for up to 60% of migraines.

The finger of blame is pointed at a vast range of food types and additives, from amino acid salts to chocolate, cheese, and alcohol. When you add caffeine into the mix, the responsibility of diet for migraine occurrence only goes up.

Top Foods to Avoid for Migraine Control

The two big foods to avoid, when trying to prevent migraines, are caffeine and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Just a couple cups of coffee a day can be enough to start triggering migraines, while MSG can be a little difficult to spot in foods, put also plays a pretty big role.

To lower your risk of migraines, there are other key foods to avoid as well. Primarily, these are foods that contain tyramine, an amino acid. Some foods that you could consider eliminating from your diet, or closely monitoring, include:

  • Sour cream
  • Ripened cheeses
  • Alcohol
  • Certain nuts
  • Tofu and other soy-based foods
  • Broad, fava, and lima beans
  • Fruits – figs, citrus fruits, papayas, avocados, and raisins
  • Cured meats

Behind the Scenes

The reasoning behind the link between food and migraines is believed to be due to the stimulating effect that certain foods have, causing the constriction of brain blood vessels. Why this can trigger some people, and not others, is believed to be because some people don’t have the enzyme that is needed to deal with tyramine effectively, allowing it to have more of an affect on the body.

Foods high in additives can often causes a headache to appear within a short timeframe, around 30 minutes. In contrast, the disposal of tyramine can cause migraines to be triggered and result in headaches that don’t appear for up to 24 hours.

Top Foods to Add to Your Diet

Just as there are foods that can cause migraines, there are foods that can help your body to prevent them. Some of the key foods that you should be including in your diet, are:

  • B vitamin rich foods, such as: whole grains, leafy green vegetables, and beans.
  • Magnesium rich foods, such as: spinach, edamame, whole wheat, and peas.

A Healthier Looking Future

The best way to reduce your migraine risk is to keep track of the food you’re eating and see which foods lead to a migraine occurring. Just a few changes to your diet may drastically reduce the number of migraines that you have to cope with.

Worried about the number of migraines that you have, and need advice on where you stand with health insurance? Call us today for professional advice on all areas of insurance.

Getting the Most Back from Your Health Insurance in 2018

bigstock Health insurance 11741651 - Getting the Most Back from Your Health Insurance in 2018

It’s understandable that you want to get the best service possible from your health insurance. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to ensure that you’re getting the full benefit of your health insurance, from understanding just what your insurance covers, to discovering what benefits are available on your plan.

Looking for advice on how to stay healthy in your everyday life, and get the right level of care? Check out our four top tips for getting the most back from your health insurance in 2018:

1.) Understand the Ins and Outs of Your Personal Health Coverage

Depending on the type of insurance plan that you have, how much you need to personally pay for services and the providers that are made visible to, you will change. To fully understand your health coverage, make sure that you get a copy of the ‘Summary of Benefits and Coverage’, which will cover just what your health insurance entitles you to receive.

Your insurance company should provide you with a copy of the ‘Summary of Benefits and Coverage’, or you can also get a copy of the plan from your Marketplace account. Using the summary, there are a number of things that you can check, including:

  • The benefits covered
  • Your coverage limitations
  • The cost sharing rules\

2.) Make Sure You Use the Free Prevention Benefits

Each of the different Marketplace plans will provide a range of different preventive services. These are available without you having to pay out at all. Some of the services that you might be able to get, include:

  • Patient Counselling
  • Wellness Services
  • Check-ups
  • Certain Screenings

To access these, you have to make sure that you’re using a provider that is covered by the network in your plan. You can take a look at the complete list of services that are covered by your plan, here.

3.) Find Out About the Prescription Benefits

It’s important to know just what your health plan can cover your for, especially when it comes to prescriptions, and the types of benefits on offer. Many health plans will provide partial financial assistance for a select range of prescription medications.

You can find out the exact prescriptions that you’re covered for by your plan in a multitude of ways, including:

  • Calling your insurance company or visiting their website
  • Looking over the ‘Summary of Benefits and Coverage’
  • Taking a look at the materials that you have received through the mail

4.) Get a Doctor That Is Covered by Your Plan

A key benefit of health plans is your ability to get the top deals on certain services when you choose to visit a doctor that is covered by the network in your health plan. To truly get the most back from your health insurance, it’s important to find an in-network doctor with full coverage!

Worried that you’re not getting the most back from your insurance, and want more from your plan?