Mega Headache Today

Last night I got hit with a mega headache that I still have now. It seems the codeine isnt working that great but at least its taking the edge off a little. I hate when the pain gets so bad you get really depressed and desperate. I also dislike that my husband has to pick up the slack... again.
I have trouble thinking about how long this frequency of headache can go on. 29 more weeks of pregnancy before I can take zomig again.
I guess I am just sad today:(

Fading Summer...

This summer was full of fun things, the county fair, boat rides and state parks!

Migraine wise it has had its up and downs. I had a brief respite right around when I found out that I was pregnant! We are very excited about the upcoming  addition to our family! However managing my migraines has proven more difficult with this pregnancy than with my first. After my brief respite which got me really excited I fell off the tyramine free diet bandwagon big time! I had feta which resulted in a whole day in bed. I also tried mac and cheese in a box (ahem). Lets just say I am back on the migraine/tyramine free wagon shall we?!
So my migraine coping strategies currently are while pregnant (old prepregnancy list- supplements - meds)
propranolol- took in 1st pregnancy too
magnesium
magnesium infusions
butterbar (pentadolex brand)
TENS unit
Headache tea without feverfew
Tylenol with codeine - not great I know but the best you can do


I actually tried to skip a infusion (I was trying to get away with as little as possible during pregnancy) and it was a huge fail. Who knew that low magnesium levels make morning sickness worse? MUCH WORSE! Needless to say I won't be skipping any more!

Etsy started to crackdown on listings with medical claims of any kind. I had to remove my listings. If you would like tea or more tea let me know via comments and I can make a custom listing for you.

Summer Break

We are taking a summer break from blogging! See you in September!
Wishing you a migraine free summer!
-rachel

This Week..

 This week was..

Painting outside!

 The barn behind our house (not ours) caught on fire! You can see the spray of water dousing it. The flames were huge!

                                                         Swimming in the lake!

                                                       Happy 4th of July!

Right Now...

Right now I am...

Loving this cream cheese sandwich with mizuna and a clove of garlic instead of broccoli!

Feeling the cool morning breeze of this wonderful summer morning roll through the open windows

Waiting for my best friend to come over for a quick visit

Had strawberry pie on Saturday to celebrate my birthday early as my husband is on another business trip

Happy that strawberries are not a migraine trigger!

Grateful for my mother in law who is coming tomorrow to watch my son so I can go to my magnesium infusion

Enjoying these early days of summer before its too hot

Picked strawberries with my best friend while catching up on some much needed gossip

Drove to the airport and back at 6 am (its a hour away) and then took a nap with my little one

Ate this polenta pizza outside (I had a picture but it was on my husbands phone)

Frittata and Teff Breakfast Muffins

Made this yummy frittata today. Scroll all the way down the page on the site for the recipe. I used fake cheese and green onions.  I also added red pepper. So easy I cant believe I never made one before!

I also made these Teff  Breakfast Muffins from the Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen blog. They came out wonderful. They have carrot and apples in them too. Teff is a new grain to me and I really like its rich almost molasses-y taste! My husband was like in there molasses in these? Nope! The taste and color are both from the teff grain. It is also high in iron, fiber and hails from Ethiopia.  I made a few substitutions to the recipe including using an egg instead of xanthan gum because I don't love the flavor of it and I didn't have any. I also did not put in raisins and nuts as they are migraine triggers! Oh and I used rice flower instead of tapioca flour. And yes these muffins are gluten free!

RIght Now

Right now I am...

Hardly believing that Finn's first year in Montessori school is over! We went out for ice cream after the ceremony with the grandparents.(homemade custard style= no headache!)

Enjoying this dip on this bread!

Surprised to find that I may be able to tolerate coconut milk, greek yogurt and lemon juice.. so far so good at least no big reaction like goat cheese and regular ice cream

Waiting for my blackout curtains to come- its sooo bright in my bedroom!

Still working on bats (he comes tomorrow!)

Thinking about a list of things I want to do this summer almost like a bucket list!

Excited that garage sale season has begun!

Watching all the things growing and enjoying the seasons first strawberries

Eating these homemade Popsicles with Finn

Signed up with this mama's meal plan service called Whole Food Meal Plans to help with the next month or two of gluten free (helps fertility and it worked last time can't hurt right?!) I tried the free trial one and after making the 3rd recipe from it decided I should subscribe even though its a little pricy but it does make things sooo easy! Most recipes were easy to adapt to no migraine.

Tex Mex Vegetarian Chili Over Polenta

I made this the other night and it turned out delicious! I never would have thought to put chili over polenta but it is wonderful! Its not like football chili either it is a complex mix of flavors which meld together perfectly. This recipe comes from Madhur Jaffery's World Vegetarian cookbook - she is one of my favorite chefs always full of flavor!

Tex Mex Vegetarian Chili Over Polenta adapted from Madhur Jafferey's World Vegetarian

Chili Ingredients
3 Tbs olive oil
1 Leek chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 green or red pepper- I only had a red!
1/4-1 fresh or dried hot pepper like jalapeno
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 ts dried thyme
1/2 ts dried sage
1 ts oregano
1/4 ts cayenne or ancho chili powder - I love ancho!
1 can or cup of Kidney beans - rinsed
1 can or cup of White navy beans or other bean- rinsed
1-2 cans diced tomatoes - drained slightly
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Saute leeks and garlic in oil for several minutes then add the peppers. Cook for a few more minutes and add beans and tomatoes. Then add all the seasonings except cilantro. Let cook for 30-50 minutes on low stirring occasionally. Add the cilantro and serve over polenta.

Polenta- Try to find the dry kind and it has less ingredients. It is usually in the Italian aisle. I like organic as it is non GMO. I used the kind of polenta in a log shape that is found in the refrigerated section. It had some dried onion and natural flavors in it. I didn't buy it again even though I was desperate and ate it anyway without problems.
Cook according to package instructions for soft polenta. I added a tablespoon or 2 of butter and a pinch or 2 of salt to the mush and it was wonderful!

And yes the bats are STILL here- ugh

This Week

My husband is away for work again which means I will be here less.
Not much news on the migraine front other than eating hummus (tahini trigger) and american cheese even though it was from the deli had natural flavors aka msg and gave me a headache. I was able to kill it before it morphed into a really bad headache. booooo
The good news is fresh cream and white cooking wine in food has not bothered me at all!

I also made no- peanut butter cookies- recipe coming soon! I made it with brown peabutter and extra sugar and salt as the peabutter is not sweet or salty. They were good!

Finn liked them too!

How are your food experiments going?

Was it the goat cheese?

Sorry I have been away for a few days:(

I have had a bad headache for the past couple days. I had some goat cheese on mother's day figured I would take the risk and have some because I really did not want to cook! That could have been the trigger- hard to say as I did not get a headache until the next afternoon. I had to resort to my old friends Zomig and Cambia.  Today I went to the chiropractor and she said my cranials were off as well as a bunch of other things so hopefully things will get better. Although after major adjustments I often get a headache but then after that its way better.

Fingers crossed!

Wishing you a headache free week!

Deli Meat

Yesterday after shopping for a few things I realized it was lunch time. Usually I eat at home so I can avoid all sorts of migraine triggers on the Migraine Elimination Diet. But what can I say but I was hungry and I knew my husband would be too! I could not for the life of me imagine going home and then making lunch (no leftovers and I was shopping at the nearest target and goodwill 50 minutes away)

So I went through the drive through of this cute little sandwich/bakery/coffee place.

I got a turkey wrap. It had feta but I scraped it off(my husband gladly ate it on his salad).
nothing else seemed offensive other than the DELI meat. I knew it was a risk but decided this could be counted as trying to add something back to see if it is a trigger.

It is a trigger for me...

About 2 hours after I was reaching for some mega pain relievers and tea....

booooooooooo

At least I tried right- however it does not make me want to add things back in!

Decisions- Medication update

So, after much thought I canceled my Botox injections. As soon as I scheduled it I had second thoughts. In the past I have tried 3 rounds of Botox and did not see any difference. I was originally thinking that maybe this time would be different. The more I thought about it though, the less I wanted to do it. I don't like how stiff your head looks, its almost expressionless! Also last time my eye lids drooped ever so slightly (a common side effect) and I don't want it to get worse. To top it all off we are thinking sometime in the near future of having a second child and I just didn't want that in my system at the same time (especially after looking up the animal studies). It also had a $200 copay!

The good news is that I am completely off Zonagram now as well as Nortriptaline. I also stopped the pill. Funny as I always thought the pill did not bother my headaches and perhaps made them better( I used the Nuva Ring and kept it in the full 4 weeks then switched it out keeping hormone leaves pretty constant). Its been a month off it now though and my migraines are not worse, and I am off 2 huge preventatives to boot! So it makes me wonder and hesitant to go back on it! I also have PCOS though and used the pill to manage that so we will have to see what happens in the future I guess. I plan to add some hormone balancing herbs like dong qui to my regimen.

Honey Cake

This was a delicious cake. So simple and completely migraine friendly. It would make a good birthday cake too!  It is a typical Eastern European cake and in Yiddish its is called lekach.

Honey Cake- taken from the Joy of Cooking
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cook over low heat until blended
1.5 cups honey
3/4 cup vegetable oil - I used olive
1 cup coffee- i used about a fourth of a cup and the rest water, enough to give some flavor but not a lot of caffeine, use your own judgement you could easily use all water
2 ts vanilla

Remove from heat and cool

Using a mixer beat together for 4-5 minutes
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
then add the cooled honey mixture and mix

then add the dry ingredients and mix till well blended with a mixer
3.75 cups of flour
1.5 ts baking soda
1 ts baking powder (aluminum free is best)
2 ts Cinnamon
1/2 ts ground ginger

Scrape the batter into a greased and floured 13 by 9 cake pan (glass is best)

Bake until center poked with toothpick comes out clean.

As soon as the cake is removed from the oven prick the surface with fork creating lots of little holes. Then spoon on and spread evenly across the top
3/4 cup honey
let cake cool and serve. (we liked it with a extra dollop of honey on top!)

Enjoy!
Wishing you a migraine free day!

Right Now

Right Now I Am...

Enjoying the double batch of Rhubarb Crumble based on family recipe just like this

Loving that the "preseason" of my CSA share started this week! So much better than the grocery store, I had forgotten how good fresh, crisp greens can be!

Watched my 2 year old actually eat those greens! With poppy seed dressing but still!

Planted the first row in my garden (basil! cilantro!) before the sun got to me! A little at a time, a little at a time.

Listened to quite a thunderstorm last night!

Got Approved for Botox injections- I have done them before but giving it another shot as it was years ago and my headaches were different.

Disappointed this article didn't have more breakthrough news for chronic migraine http://migraine.com/blog/news/new-migraine-prevention-recommendations-from-the-american-academy-of-neurology/

Bird Watching and the Sun

We went out to the local Audubon center near us and had a picnic while watching all the great wildlife. It was wonderful and relaxing. We saw ospreys, herons, muskrats, a crane, swans, snakes and so many turtles! It is so fun to take my little one out into nature and teach him about the world. We had a impromptu packed lunch of sun butter and honey sandwiches (for me, peanut butter for them), Newman's Own organic pretzels and apples. It was delicious and migraine friendly of course!

Although by the end of the walk the sun was really starting to bother me. Its a big trigger for me. I was wearing a big wide brimmed hat and big sunglasses but alas it was not enough and I spent some time resting afterward with my heating pad, TENS unit, headache tea etc.
It was worth it though it was a wonderful time spent with my family. Its hard though when headaches seem to interfere even with the most simple outings.

Ginger Garlic Stir Fry

I have been really wanting some Asian food lately. In my head I keep thinking about how I could make that happen while still being migraine friendly- no soy sauce (sesame oil seemed to cause me trouble too) no fish sauces or premade sauces etc. I decided to try it and chose some ingredients that had big flavors and would carry the stir fry off without all the usual ingredients! It turned out great my husband gave it great reviews!

Ginger Garlic Stir Fry

1 pack of cut up boneless chicken thighs or breasts
1 bunch of baby bok choy
3 carrots
1 package of shiitake mushrooms
1 inch hunk of fresh ginger some diced some grated on a zester
4-5 cloves of garlic diced
cornstarch
water
Bangkok blend spice from penzeys spices
salt- used quite a bit more- I am not a big salt person but it needed it to make up for no soy sauce
sugar
rice of choice


Start rice! Cook according to rice directions I usually do 2 cups water/ 1 cup rice, bring to a boil then turn to low and cover and cook until the water is absorbed.

Cut up chicken and start cooking. I put a little garlic olive oil down in my wok first.
While the chicken is cooking cut the carrots, bok choy, garlic and ginger (mushrooms too if not presliced).

When chicken is almost done add Bangkok blend 1-2 Tbs, garlic and zested ginger.  When fully cooked add a half cup of water mixed with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. This makes a sauce. Mix and get all the bits of chicken and spices from the pan into the sauce.

Add carrots. Sauce should be thickening!
Add some salt and a dash of sugar to taste.
Add some minced ginger.
When carrots are nearly done, add mushrooms cook 1-2 minutess add bok choy cook until the white crunchy part is cooked a little but still slightly crunchy.
Give it a final taste and adjust salt/sugar

Serve over a bed of rice!

Checking in...

I think I am finally on a break from smoothie making. I like them but have gotten kind of sick of them!
I have been eating oatmeal or toast and fruit instead.

Our CSA starts up soon, looking forward to some fresh magnesium rich greens!

Cooking around here has been minimal lots of naan pizzas, sun butter sandwiches, and fajitas. I did make one batch of corn chowder- substituting leeks for onions, and milk no cream. I also used my own stock:)

Picture totally unrelated other than we did a lot of cutting this week!

one down one to go

Tonight I will take the last dose of nortriptaline! Wish me luck! I slowly have gone down about 5mg a day from 75 mg so this is HUGE! I am also trying to get of Zonagram and am down to almost 50mg  from 200mg! I mapped the whole thing out on a calendar as it was getting kind of confusing. My doctor gave me a prescription of the smallest dosage pills to make it easier too. I am staying on propranolol though.

I am hoping for the best!

Just taking it day by day at this point! Every day that goes by that I don't have a headache feels like a blessing. I will never take those days for granted again. I am in no way completly healed, just needing to get off the meds:)

Have any of you gone off drugs with success?

NYC weekend trip!

This past weekend we took a great little family trip to NYC! We had a great time visiting the zoo and experiencing the city through a 2 year old's eyes!

To make it successful I packed a LOT of food! It was definitely a challenge to find food I could eat. I should have done more research but i just ran out of time and energy before hand! We also stayed at a Marriott/Residence Inn so we had a kitchenette which really helped. Before heading back we stocked up at a whole foods:) WOW do I miss that place!
I also brought all my accessories including tea, teapot, heating pad, TENS unit (See the TENS in the picture? that's right I was sporting it at the Bronx Zoo!), herbal tinctures and magnesium oil!
I got a migraine on the drive down (it was sooo sunny) but managed to make it through the rest of the weekend fine!
By the way Vanilla Butter Cream Cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery- Highly recommended AND migraine diet friendly plus everyone can get their own flavor! So no whining from fellow chocolate fans about the vanilla choice! My son certainly enjoyed his! Here he is downing his cupcake in Grand Central!

Empanadas

I LOVE things that I can make a lot of at one time and freeze for later. Its like your own customized frozen food meals. I think it is really important to have something in the freezer to pull out on nights when things are rough or crazy! When your on a specialized diet like I am it means you need to get creative and make them yourself. I figure if I am going to put in the effort to make dinner why not double or triple the recipe and freeze some! I tested this out and they freeze wonderfully! The filling combinations are endless- chicken pot pie, chicken enchilada filling etc

Empanadas- based on the recipes found at marthastewart.com

Filling
1lb ground turkey
2 cans black beans- I like Eden Organic because the can is BPA free
2 leeks- cut into small pieces
2 dried chilies diced
1 can diced tomatoes
salt/pepper to taste
chili powder
fajita seasoning
1 cup fresh cilantro

Dough- I doubled this but not the filling
4 1/2 cups flour-I did half white wheat and half sprouted wheat
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1 cup cold water

Filling

Cook the turkey until no longer pink. Add leeks and cook until soft. Add beans, diced tomatoes and all the seasonings except the cilantro. cook until all ingredients are hot. Add cilantro and cook for 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat.

Dough

I used the cheaters method for the crusts and used my food processor. You can do it the old fashioned way like a pie crust and cut in the butter see here for more details.

Food Processor method

Add flour and dry ingredients to food processor bowl, add sliced cold butter and process until the butter is thoroughly mixed into very tiny bits. Then slowly while the food processor is running add the cold water to the mixture. The mixture will slow down and suddenly form a big dough ball. That is when you tun it off! Its done!

Cut the dough into small 2" balls you should have around 8 per batch.

Roll out each ball on a well floured surface.

Place 2-3 tablespoons of filling on one side of the circle and fold over the other side. press shut and crimp edges with fork. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. If making to freeze place uncooked empanadas in freezer on sheet  for 2 hours. Then remove and put into freezer bags.

If eating right away place in oven at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until slightly brown.

I topped with tomato sauce/puree and it was delicious! Cream cheese was also good! Remember no sour cream.

Granola Bars

Finding healthier snack foods that work with our diet can be challenging. Processed foods are riddled with MSG and other additives. Fruit and veggies are good but sometimes you just want something like a granola bar! These are based on a recipe from Kitchen Stewardship that I have been using for over a year. They stay together better than most homemade granola bars. However this time when I made them I didn't put peanut butter or raisins in them! They still came out fantastic! I also reduced the butter and added some leftover applesauce in the fridge.

Headache Free Granola Bars

4 1/2 cups rolled oats ( I used 7 grain)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, or spelt- I used spelt this time
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup butter, softened*- i used 1 1/2 sticks and half cup apple sauce- adjust flour if too moist
1 cup honey or less and and a little agave

1-2 cups of add-ins- I used sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds and ground flax seed

Directions

Cream softened butter, flour, honey, vanilla, baking soda together with mixer. Add oats and add-ins.
mix until all ingredients are mixed well and moist.

I poured it into a parchment paper lined 9 by 13 inch pan, you can just grease it really well if you don't have parchment paper. Smooth out the batter into a even layer and mash it down so it is all compacted. This makes for a denser granola bar.

Bake at 325 until done in the middle. between 18-30 minutes depending if you put applesauce in or not as it will take longer as it is moister.

LET THEM COMPLETELY COOL before cutting or sampling! They will fall apart if you cut them too early. They also taste better cool!

These freeze well.

Enjoy!

Its been a long week...

Celebrating the return of my husband from a business trip.

Realizing again how much I depend on him day to day.

Suffered a 2 zomig Migraine for 2 days.

Loving the TENS unit, I wore it ALL day yesterday

Sorry I couldn't manage to get over to this space since Tuesday

Wishing I had time to cook more healthy food this week

Enjoyed a nice walk with my little one the other day.

Looking forward to Montessori Preschool starting up again after break this week!

How was your week?

Homemade Refried Bean Burritos

In my opinion, when you can't have sour cream or avocados or even salsa as toppings on Mexican food its just not as yummy! This is a big deal in my Mexican food loving household! To pep up our burritos I decided we needed to make our own refrieds beans from scratch. Refrieds are not really refried just cooked twice. When you do them yourself instead of just opening a can they are super creamy and have a light flavor. They also have way less salt! I kinda think the ones in a can taste tinny and smell/look like dog food! I still eat them but bad association right?! Anyway it turns out they are pretty easy to make and make burritos so much better without all the yummy additions!

Homemade Refried Beans

Ingredients

• Enough dried pinto beans to fill your crock pot or pot almost half way
• water - fill crock pot or pot about 2 inches from top
• seasonings- salt, cumin, chili powder, fajita seasoning

(this is a big recipe use less beans if you would use less than 2 cans of pintos!)

Turn crock pot on low and let cook over night or set up in the morning and let cook all day. You can also do this on a stove top if you have a very low setting.
The beans are done when they are soft.

When the beans are done, drain and place in a food processor ( you might have to do this in batches) Puree the beans for several minutes, you can add a little water if its having trouble. But the beans should not be mealy but creamy and smooth like the above picture.

When all the beans are pureed transfer into a pot on the stove and add desired spices.
I like a little salt, cumin, and penzeys fajita seasoning, and chili pepper.
Mix and cook until the beans are hot again. Then they are ready to serve!

They are also delicious in quesadillas and burritos.

Funny fact- we used to put onions IN the beans... migraine trigger anyone?? Plus all the toppings and cheese- thinking back its really shocking to me now! How things have changed in 2 months!

TENS Unit for Migraine Related Shoulder Pain

The other day I got a fun surprise from the UPS man, my new TENS unit came!
From their EMPI's website it says,
"The Select TENS^TM Pain Management System is designed specifically for the relief of chronic, arthritic and post-surgical pain. This portable device, which can be used at home or on-the-go, integrates site specific, preset treatment programs that make it convenient and easy-to-use, ensuring that the patient receives appropriate treatment protocol for the applicable condition and treatment site.

Targeted Pain Relief Device therapy delivers an electrical pulse through the skin called Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS). Electrodes are placed directly on the affected area for pinpoint pain management control of the:

• Back/Neck
• Lower back
• Knee
• Shoulder
• Wrist/Hand"

It feels like a deep pulse that massages deep into the muscle where it hurts and where massages by a person often for me at least could never seem to reach. I have only had it a few days but already I have used it every day. I often can feel my neck tightening and hurting and that is my first signal that I may be getting a migraine. Instead of reaching for drugs i put this on this weekend and it really seemed to help! It is adjustable intensity too so if it hurts a lot you can turn it up! You can strap the little computer thing to your pants and walk around and still function. I had it on during our Easter get together and could still participate in the party - eating, talking, etc all while getting pain treatment!

Most insurances cover it too if your doctor prescribes it! Its great if you have pain associated with your migraines like I do. My pain in my shoulder is constant after so many migraines. You can't put it on your head because the electric signals can mess with your brain and you can put it on your upper neck as it can mess with your pharynx.

Have you tried this? Would you?

Wishing you a migraine free holiday!

Stay away from the chocolate!

And watch that holiday meal too!

Healthy Smoothie for Breakfast

When I first went on this diet I realized my whole breakfast was a migraine trigger!
My old breakfast was

• Peanut butter on sprouted grain toast (PB is a trigger)
• Soy milk in my coffee (i didn't give up coffee as i have tried in the past and it was a disaster migraine wise but the Soy milk with carrageenan in it!)
• Greek yogurt with strawberries or other fruit sometimes bananas! (Bananas! cultured dairy! later i switched to cottage cheese and that had carrageenan in it and even the organic non carageenan gave me a headache)

I decided to give smoothies a try. I got a new really powerful blender which has really made a difference!  Some mornings when I have that drug hangover or feel kinda headachy i make a really vitamin rich smoothie like the one below and I feel so much better. I think it must help flush all that bad junk out of your body.

This is a versatile recipe but you have to remember that you cant put things you would normally put in a smoothie because they are migraine triggers. No bananas, yogurt, soy milks or other milks, products with carageenan, citrus raspberries.
-go for organic ingredients when you can! I am lucky enough to have a freezer full of fruit I froze last summer!

My favorite Morning No Trigger Smoothie
-half cup frozen strawberries
- 1 carrot
- 1 2-3 inch chunk of cucumber
-if your really needing a boost a handful of spinach
-half cup blueberries
-half cup of peaches
-1/4 teaspoon or chunk or fresh ginger
1 cup water

blend till smooth

Sometimes I also throw in a handful of oats too.

I have been making them for at least a month now almost every morning. Some days I skip it and make oatmeal instead but I almost always wish I had just bit the bullet and made it anyway!

Do you have a favorite migraine friendly healthy smoothie recipe?

Magnesium Soak

I recently discovered a great new way to get some relief during a migraine. It could also be a great way if done regularly to prevent migraines. Have you ever tried soaking in Epsom salts and some relaxing herbs like lavender? Lovely just lovely!

Epsom salts are easily found in the first aid or digestive section of drug or grocery stores. Its just another name for magnesium sulfate! When put in hot bath water it is a excellent way for you to absorb some much needed magnesium into your system and help relieve your headache. I love adding some lavender in with it which is a wonderfully relaxing nervine and pain reliever itself.  Fill the water with water as hot as you can stand it. Add 1/2 cup of salts to the water and several teaspoons of herbs. Submerge yourself in the water covering as much of your skin as you can. I like to lay with my neck at the back of the tub with a eye mask on. Stay in until the water cools.
Watch out this is intensely relaxing! Don't fall asleep!

Don't have time for a bath? Try a foot bath! Same principles apply just use less herbs and salts and put them in a container that both feet fit in comfortably. Sit back and enjoy!

I found this study interesting and it shows the power magnesium can have on a headache in the moment text found here

Intravenous Magnesium in the Treatment of Migraines during Pregnancy

In this study, the researchers assessed the efficacy of intravenous magnesium sulfate in the treatment of migraines during pregnancy.¹ Ten pregnant women with migraine headaches were referred for this experiment from the obstetrics ward and the emergency room.¹ These women all received intravenous hydration and one gram of magnesium sulfate in a 10% solution over a five minute period.¹ The intensity of the headache was assessed on a scale from one to ten and compared between recordings before and after the infusion.¹
The patients in this study reported significant reductions in pain after the infusion of magnesium sulfate and eight (80%) of the patients reported total pain relief.¹ All of the patients, upon resolution of the headache, reported resolution of migraine associated nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia.¹ However, minimal facial flushing and abdominal cramping occurred in two (20%) of the patients after receiving magnesium sulfate.¹ The researchers of this study concluded that the intravenous use of magnesium sulfate may be a safe and effective treatment of migraines in with pregnancy, but a larger study will be helpful to corroborate these findings. ¹

1. Wilson, M C, O’Brien, W F. Intravenous Magnesium as a Treatment of Migraine in Pregnancy. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2000; 182(1, Part 2):S154.

Kitchen Purge

 Its has officially been 2 months on the headache elimination diet. At first I resisted purging my kitchen of things I couldn't have not wanting to waste them if I decided the diet wasn't working or if I added the food back into my diet. However, now that I am 2 months in and my headaches have improved at least 50 percent! (Its hard to get a true number because I recently started trying to decrease one of my preventative meds I have bad side effects from).

Anyway, this weekend I finally got sick of shuffling through all the stuff I couldn't have to find the stuff I could! I got out a huge basket and anything that was still good and in give away condition I put in a big basket to give to a close friend. I found tons of onions, soy sauce, unopened salad dressing, sesame seeds, all kinds of things!  Its nice now to go into my spice cupboard and not have to read the ingredients or try to remember if this was one of the spice blends I could have.
I highly suggest you do a similar clean out after you have been on the diet for a while.
If you don't have a close friend or relatives that will take your trigger foods, food pantries will gladly take unopened foods!
Want to do your own purge?
See here for general foods list, here for msg, and carrageenan

On another note I went to the neurologist this morning. We spent over a hour debating different options. I wanted to switch beta blockers but refused to go slowly off one on to the other again. I had the worst headache for 4 days last time I did that! He finally agreed to let me do it my way if I watched my heart rate and knew the risk and released him of liability lol. Fine! haha cause honestly I was going to do it my way anyway!

Also, I am getting a nerve stimulator thing! I don't know much about it but its coming in 7 or so days! Don't worry I will let you know all about it!

Right now I am...

Thinking back on how far I have come in the last 2 months on this migraine diet!

Glad my little boy is feeling better

Wondering what would happen if I ate onions, but not willing to risk a headache for them at this point. It just doesnt seem worth it!

Looking at these and thinking its time for another homemade waffle freezer stock up cooking session and this time maybe adding french toast?

Feeling dumb as I went to an appointment on the wrong day.

Proud that I did pretty good this week in terms of meal planning! There were no desperate dinner time scrambles!

Shocked that its almost April!

Glad I made a double batch of cornbread with Minestrone Soup! Made great leftovers!

Excited to find Carageenan free ice cream! Organic Premium Wegmans Vanilla! You have to check the premium brands!

Happy Friday!



*Right now post format inspired by Amanda Soule at Soulemama.com

Roasted Chickpea, Cauliflower, Sweet Potato Over Rice

This was inspired by a version I saw over at Healthy Happy Mama's blog. I know I am obsessed with her blog, but what can I say her recipes satisfy my healthy side and my husbands bean side!
Anyway it got rave reviews the other night and it is super flexible. I can see this being a great refrigerator clean out recipe!

Roasted Chickpea, Cauliflower, Sweet Potato Over Wild rice

Ingredients
-One head of cauliflower cut into small pieces
-One sweet potato cubed
-One can of chickpeas
olive oil- I used garlic infused
rosemary
basil
sea salt
1 cup wild rice
2 cups water

drizzle cut veggies and rinsed chickpeas with olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary, basil, and salt. Roast at 400 degrees until sweet potato is soft around 20-25 minutes. While veggies are roasting start the rice. Add the rice and water in a small sauce pan. bring to a boil. reduce heat and cover. simmering on low for about 20 minutes or until the water has been absorbed.

Serve roasted vegetables over the rice!

Enjoy!

Magnesium Oil

Magnesium oil is something I recently discovered while doing research on magnesium deficiency. It really is a great addition to the migraine toolbox if you are one of those people that is magnesium deficient. Some people on the amazon reviews reported that they no longer had periodic episodes of migraine as long as they used the oil faithfully. I don't use it that often mainly because I also get once weekly infusions but there are times when I feel low or when I have a headache that I reach for it. It is amazing.
You can put it on when you have a headache and immediately feel some relief. You must cover a large part of your body and use enough. A little dab will not cut it. It is thin and doesn't really feel like a oil. It also lasts a pretty long time. The problem is the good stuff Ancient Minerals Brand (and you get what you pay for) is expensive!

Most migraine patients are magnesium deficient and most importantly have difficultly absorbing this important mineral internally. Applying the oil containing the mineral salts to the skin allows it to be rapidly absorbed bypassing the digestive track. It is the next best thing to magnesium infusions. I have done both infusions and oil.

I find the oil an amazing tool for people who

Need an infusion or infusions but are unable for any reason to get them

Feel like they are getting a migraine- a little oil application could prevent it

In between infusions if they are feeling a little low

For people with IBS or other GI issues that have difficulty absorbing vitamin forms of magnesium

 Simply put a little oil in the palm of your hand and rub into large patches of your body. Alternate application areas to avoid over working an area as it can sting and dry the skin out after awhile. Great places for application are legs, shoulders, arms, and belly.

Note: After the oil absorbs it leaves a light sticky residue that some find itchy. Simply wipe off after 15- 20 minutes if this bothers you.  It doesn’t bother me but my husband says it itches.

Want to try magnesium oil without spending lots of money on a huge bottle? I decided to provide small 1 ounce trial bottles of Ancient minerals magnesium oil in my store after talking to many people that wanted to try the oil but didn’t want to pay over 20 plus bucks for a 8 ounce bottle if they were not sure it would work for them! There is enough oil in the bottle for many applications you only need a little bit.

You can get your own Magnesium Oil- 1 Ounce Trial Bottle here

There are some new new teas in my store too!! Check out the new Frazzled Nerve Soother Tea and Headache Tea in convenient tea bags!

 Have you tried Magnesium Oil? Do you like it?

Blueberry Oatmeal Bake

This is a quick and easy weeknight meal that I made the other day when we were running low on many items in the pantry! Its pretty frugal and most of the things I have on hand at any given time. You can try substituting different frozen fruit (no raspberries or dried fruit). The best part is it’s like eating an oatmeal cookie for a meal!

Blueberry Oatmeal Bake

- Fits in a 9 by 13 pan for brownie thickness, for thicker bake but longer cooking time use smaller pan. Modified from Taste of Home.

4.5 cups oatmeal

1.5 cups evaporated cane sugar or 1.25 cups of brown sugar

1/2- 3/4 cup melted butter depending how rich you want it

3 eggs

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 1/4 teaspoons salt

3 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup flax- I like it healthier hahah

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup frozen blueberries

Mix wet ingredients together then add dry ingredients, and mix together. Add blueberries last. Pour batter into greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until edges are brown and the middle is done
Top with warm milk, brown sugar, fresh fruit, or a little real maple syrup.

Sick Little Boy

My little boy has been very sick the past few days. He does seem to be on the mend though now thank goodness, but that's why I have been silent here. I must say though even with the lack of sleep I have not gotten a migraine. Lots of tea drinking though!

I did make these yummy portobella mushroom fajitas by Happy Healthy Mama
-Modifications- no lime juice or onions, and i skipped the roasted part and just sauteed them in skillet with the peppers. Wonderful!!!!

Carrageenan and Other Recent MSG Problems

I happened to be baking cookies the other day, when I glanced at the oat milk in the fridge. The same oat milk I had switched to when this whole diet thin started almost 2 months ago. At that point I didn't know as much as I do now and I was focusing mostly on avoiding soy and almond. My husband is lactose intolerant so I was trying to find something we both could have. I thought I had found it when I had bought the oat milk. What I totally did not realize then is how many places MSG can be hiding.
So there on the ingredient list was CARRAGEENAN!

I have been putting it in my coffee, morning smoothie and cooking with this stuff for almost 2 months!

Then I did some research - its linked to intestinal cancers and IBS! I have IBS!
This guy had a interesting post about the link of his migraines and carregeenan.
This site was interesting as well http://www.msgmyth.com/.

Then I saw it could be in toothpaste! I use Tom's natural toothpaste- Yep its in there! and in my sons Tom's kids toothpaste too!!! Luckily I had made my own recently and was just lazy and not using it! But jeez! I made 3 different kinds the best of the 3 was this one I think or very similar!

Natural Toothpaste Recipes*
grittier version
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup fine sea salt
1ts-1tbs plain Dr. Bonner's Castile soap- you can leave this out but makes it more bubbly
20 drops or to taste- stevia extract
10 drops peppermint essential oil or more to taste

Option 2*- creamier version but hardens easily in winter
2-3 tablespoons baking soda
1 Tbs dr bonners
5 Tbs coconut oil- be careful if you are sensitive to coconut
stevia to taste
peppermint essential oil to taste


Its different in texture and taste but you get used to it and hey it works AND no migraine!

If that was not enough I was out of my homemade mouthwash! Now folks this is important I have a mouth guard for TMJ (migraine related!) you might be able to skip mouthwash otherwise but a fresh rinse on a mouth guard is priceless! My husband has the regular green stuff full of colors that led me to make my own anyway, but last night of all nights it was out! I look at the ingredients and what do I see "FLAVOR" hmmm is that like the MSG hiding natural flavors? Who the hell knows! I felt like I was in bathroom hell! First the toothpaste and now the mouthwash!

Mouthwash Recipe
For each cup of water add
1 teaspoon baking soda
3-4 drops peppermint essential oil
put in a glass jar and shake to dissolve baking soda,
use like regular mouth wash, shake right before using, store on the counter

Moving right on in the bathroom to the GELATIN in all those prescription medications! Mine even have bright colors! Not sure what to do with these as its a LOT of powder to take, maybe applesauce? PB is out...

As the final straw in this post, I have sad news about Daiya fake cheese that I have previously recommended on here. Upon further scrutiny it too has natural flavors. Sorry folks its a no go.

I know its depressing! Its getting hard to keep track of! Even I am getting confused!

*natural toothpaste recipes is a combonation of these two (1 & 2) wonderful blogs recipes but had to be modified- no lemon! and i don't like glycerin in homemade toothpaste:)

Panko Crusted Wild Caught Salmon

I am lucky enough to be a part of our local fish buying club that buys from Lummi Island Wild Salmon. I am not a big fish lover, but I really like their salmon! We have a big case in our freezer and pull some out about once a week. Our favorite way to have it is with a panko crust. This time we had it with sides of Israeli style couscous mix and broccoli.

Panko Crusted Salmon

Ingredients
1 cup plain panko style bread crumbs- these are extra crunchy and regular doesn't work!
olive oil- garlic olive oil is yummy!
salmon
salt
pepper

Easy Directions

Coat fish with olive oil, salt and pepper and any other seasoning you desire.

Sprinkle/ coat with panko breadcrumbs

Bake 400 degrees until the panko is light brown and the fish is flaky about 20-25 minutes

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Pie - No Migraine Makeover

I got this recipe from Happy Healthy Mama a blog I love!  However, it called for onions- but with a easy peasy swap with some chives from the backyard I was in business! You can find the recipe here.
I also used some left over mushrooms and less peppers.
Mine took a lot longer than 20 minutes to bake but I think I had more veggies!
I also topped half with real cheese for the non migraine sufferers in the house and half with Daiya fake cheese. It turned out great though just like Maryea said it would!

Diet Mistakes and Medication Decreases

It was one of those weekends. You know the kind. The kind that go by so fast because you spent most of it in bed in pain with a headache or waiting for time to pass so your headache would too. It was beautiful spring weather here too, which is a double edged sword. The sunny spring weather is a killer trigger for me. It does not take long out in that strong unfiltered sun- even in the car to make my head pound!

To make matters worse, I started ever so slightly decreasing my Zonogram preventative. Only by 25 mg but boy oh boy did I feel the difference! I would like to get off most of my medications eventually, but am not feeling very positive after the very negative reaction to such a small decrease.

Then I was eating these cookies I got at our local Mennonite bulk foods store. Delicious blueberry whole wheat bars. I read the ingredients 3 times! I was excited that I could eat them. They do not even have corn syrup! Then I thought about it and remembered DUH, the fruit in the cookies was DRIED- banned on the elimination diet and it had dried figs! Why didn't I realize this when reading the ingredients? I was desperate and it only said blueberries and figs without the dried part which would have triggered the WAIT! YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT! voice in my head! ugh! By that time I had already eaten at least five over three days!

Last one!

MSG- The Hidden Trigger

Monosodium Glutamate is a common food additive that almost everyone out there has heard of.  When I talk to people though (mostly non migraine sufferers) they don't seem to realise how many different things it is in! It pretty  much boils down to almost all processed food down there or it "could' be in almost all processed food out there. The problem is that it doesn't have to say MSG on the label to have MSG in it. There are a ton of things that can be in the ingredients that contain MSG. It is also considered "natural" by the FDA so you can't even trust the more natural brands!

The worst offenders are broths, bouillons, seasoned salt, frozen or ready to eat meals, buffet food, Chinese food, processed meats, low fat/low calorie foods, veggie burgers and most tuna fish.

Hidden names/Sources for MSG*

Hydrolyzed protein- including vegetable/soy/plant and rice
Yeast extract
Autolyzed yeast
natural flavor/s
Broth, Stock, bouillon
Soy protein concentrate
Soy protein isolate
textured protein
whey protein
protein fortified items
malt extract
malted barley
maltodextrin
carrageenan- in every ice cream i have seen!
kombu- seaweed extract
sodium caseinate
calcium caseinate
Glutamic acid
Gelatin
Fermented or Cultured items
Ultrapasteurized items
Enzyme modified items

Its a long list and I am always checking back to it. I bring it to the grocery store with me!
This is why cooking is so important to the migraine diet!
It took me less time to make a batch of oatmeal only cookies than it would have finding a cookie I could eat in a store!
Just the basic oatmeal cookie recipe no raisins!

*List of MSG sources taken from Heal Your Headache By David Buchholz M.D.

Chicken Fajitas

These were really great! You did not miss the onion at all!

Ingredients

1 package boneless chicken cut up in small pieces

2-3 multi color bell peppers cut in to slices

1 package of baby or regular portabella mushrooms sliced

Fajita seasoning by Penzeys or other non onion containing Mexican seasoning or chili powder

More chili powder- I know we like things spicy!

Tortillas- my husband made these but store bought are fine!

Cook chicken in a frying pan, add spices and veggies when almost done. When onions are just turning translucent but not too overcooked and peppers are cooked but still kind of crisp.

Fill tortilla with the filling. I chose to top mine with spinach which is high in magnesium which is something I am low in and many people who suffer from migraine are as well!

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato and Bean Burgers

My family has been missing their veggie burgers. I can’t find any that either don’t have MSG or onion! When I saw these on Pinterest/Healthy Happy Life I knew they would be easy to convert!

All I did was take out the tahini and use spices I knew would be migraine friendly. I also did not top with onion, ketchup, or that really lovely but migraine triggering avocado she had in her picture!

They are very soft patties and I did add Panko breadcrumbs to the mixture like she suggested. I also used a can each of adzuki and pinto beans instead of the beans she used because I was out.  Also make sure to use a non nut oil to pan fry the patties in!

They were a huge hit around here. Even my two year old ate his which is something these days!

Herbal Headache Teas

One of the most exciting new things I have been using to help relieve my headaches is my own special blend of herbs in a Headache Tea.  My dissatisfaction with my treatment led me to studying herbalism.  It was through this study that I found a whole new way of treating my migraines!

Instead of jumping right to Zomig or any of the pile of pain relievers like Excedrin that I used to grab when I felt a headache starting to come on, I just put the kettle on for some tea! After experimenting, I found the loose tea is the strongest, but the bags are nice to have on the go. I drink one cup after letting the tea steep in a tea ball or tea net/strainer for 5-10 minutes. If I have a headache raging already, I will have an additional cup followed by another every hour or so as needed. At first I needed to have a cup of tea daily, but now I need it less and less as the elimination diet is kicking in and the Chiropractic adjustments are helping too.

The tea has also really helped me to get OUT of the vicious drug cycle I was in. I was taking more and more drugs to counteract the side effects, withdrawals and rebounds from the others. It’s a difficult thing when you have migraines so often you never fully recover from one before the next one sets in.

On Friday when I had the first bad headache in 3 weeks, I did take Zomig, but I drank a LOT of this tea too. I drank it before and after to kind of nip it in the bud, so I wouldn’t have to take a second dose like I used too! Don’t get me wrong Zomig and triptans are a miracle and you need them when you need them, but they have some bad side effects, make me feel exhausted and I would rather not take them if I didn’t have too!

The Headache Tea helps you and your muscles relax, including your blood vessels. It also helps relieve pain. The tea  contains natural histamine blockers which counter allergic reactions that the migraine is in response to.

This tea is so great; I couldn’t keep it to myself! So I opened Healing Headache Teas on Etsy so you could get some too!

The Headache Tea is a blend of 100% organic herbs (except if you get the kind with ginger- the ginger is from Penzey’s Spices!) Each batch is handmade by me and made to order!

Ingredients:

Lemon Balm- calming and soothes the nervous system, histamine blocker

Skullcap- relaxant and pain relieving

Chamomile- relaxant and pain relieving

Feverfew- pain relieving, histamine blocker

Lavender- relaxing, reduces stress, pain relieving

Ginger- Settles stomach, reduces inflammation

Note: The tea does have a “green” taste to it. The kind with ginger does taste better and in a week or so I hope to offer a variety with peppermint too. I found I quickly got used to the taste and the benefit far outweighed the taste! If it bothers you try adding honey or Stevia!

I hope you can soon experience the same healing effect of the Headache Headache Tea like I have.

I think that’s all any of as headache sufferers seek- relief.