How to Heal Migraine Headaches Naturally and Holistically

Migraine headaches are characterized by severe pain in your head that may be preceded by temporary disturbances in your vision and sensitivity to light. Sometimes they are also associated with nausea and vomiting.

The physical side of migraine headaches

Migraines can be caused by allergenic foods or food ingredients, exposure to carbon monoxide or aluminium in the system.

When something allergenic is eaten, a toxic substance is inhaled or aluminium accumulates in the body, it will enter the bloodstream and then reach the brain, inflaming it.

The first thing you have to do if you have a migraine headache is to stay properly hydrated, make sure you have a good rest and do not overstrain yourself doing something. Dehydration and a lack of sleep may either trigger or prolong the symptoms.

Migraines (or vascular headaches), including the so called ocular migraines (with temporary disturbances of the vision), when they are not due to carbon monoxide intoxication or excess aluminium in the system, appear most often than not because of digestive issues or food allergies. Common culprits include aged cheese, chocolate, coffee and red wine, as Dr. Ballentine indicates (1). Peanut butter is often mentioned also.

Other common culprits include foods that contain nitrites (such as sausages, processed meats or cold cuts) and foods that contain monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is often used in fast foods and processed foods as a "flavor enhancer." Beware that artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, saccharine and sucralose, are also known to be triggers of headaches. Recently, the use of glyphosate on wheat crops has also been linked to headaches and celiac disease, as Dr. Mercola points out. (2)

So as a rule of thumb do not indulge in any of these foods or food ingredients and try to avoid them if you have migraine headaches.

There are of course more specific food allergies or intolerances than may also lead to migraine headaches and these depend on the specific individual's sensitivities. The point where the migraine headache pain appears on your head may be an indication of those specific food intolerances or a need for specific nutrients, as discovered by Dr. Donald Lepore. (3)

Migraine pain in the back of your head (i.e. the occipital region) indicates a shortage of Choline, which is a member of the B-complex family and which teams with Inositol to utilize fats and cholesterol, thereby minimizing excessive deposits of fat and cholesterol in the arteries and the liver. Choline is depleted in the brain by coffee and when Choline is low people feel absent-minded or have memory problems.

So, if this is the case, besides taking Choline and Inositol, try to avoid coffee and reduce or limit your intake of products which contain saturated fats, hydrogenated fats and partially hydrogenated fats. Avoid also greasy and fried foods. They are difficult to digest and can lead to stomach or liver upsets and headaches.

If the migraine headache occurs in the left side, just next to and behind the left eye, it may indicate a shortage of Zinc. In this case, try to avoid foods that belong to the “yeast group” like yeasted bread, potatoes, raisins, walnuts, prune, rye, millet, cherry and barley. The antidote to this yeast allergy is Zinc. Food sources of zinc include Brazil nuts, cashews, tuna fish, calves liver, lean beef, beef liver, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. NOTE: If you take a zinc supplement, never take strong doses. Do not exceed 100mg daily and take it when you have food in your stomach, since it may cause some nausea on an empty stomach. Other things than can serve as antidotes for a yeast allergy are the amino acid Lysine and the Vitamins B-1 and B-6.

If the migraine headache appears on the right side, just behind the right eye, it indicates a shortage of Iron. And a lack of Iron can provoke an allergy to Oatmeal and Sesame. So try to avoid these foods if you have pain in this point of your head. If you want to supplement with organic Iron, one of the best natural sources is Yellow dock. This kind of food intolerance can also be corrected by Vitamin B-12, Folic Acid and the amino acid Citrilline.

If the migraine headache main point of pain is behind the right ear, it could mean a need for Potassium. It is important to note that when Potassium is deficient in your body both milk and cheeses can be allergenic . So in that case refrain from eating dairy products and increase your Potassium levels, Excellent sources of Potassium include potatoes (non GMO), oranges, bananas, carrots, artichokes, coconut, kelp, apricots, dulse, and rice bran.

Finally, if the migraine pain is behind the left ear, it may indicate a Sodium deficiency, a shortage of Niacinamide (usually caused by smoking), or a need for the amino acid L-Glutamine (which may be depleted by consuming alcohol), as Dr. Lepore has found.

Another interesting thing, usually overlooked by people, is that migraine headaches can also be caused by Aluminium cooking. This was also discovered by Dr. Lepore, who noticed that after many years of preparing foods with Aluminium cookware, people could even develop Aluminium deposits in their brains. He successfully cleared out those deposits in his patients by the utilization of the amino acid L-Cysteine and the herb Sarsaparilla. (4)

In recent times, scientific studies have shown that exposure to carbon monoxide can cause migraine headaches. (5)

Ayurveda for migraine headaches

In Ayurveda, migraine headaches are considered as a derangement of Pitta, which means an overabundance of the fire element in your body. Hence they affect not only the head but also the eyes, which are connected with the fire element in your body. In order to correct and balance this state, Ayurveda recommends a Pitta pacyfying diet, which generally speaking means avoiding to eat sour foods, spicy foods, tomato, garlic, peppers, chillies, salty foods, alcohol, coffee, meat, eggs and fried foods. In contrast, Ayurveda suggests to eat in this case salads and leafy greens, rice, apples, coconuts, melons, barley and mung beans, and use only cooling spices and herbs.

The emotional side of migraine headaches

Ayurveda does not look only to the food when diagnosing a symptom. It also considers the lifestyle and the emotions involved. And the emotions associated with a derangement of Pitta, as in the case of migraine headaches, are frustration, anger, ambition, fear of failure, hate, and judgemental or critical tendencies (6). So in order to balance and lessen these feelings, try to engage more in peaceful activities (like meditation, yoga or listening to calming music) and avoid competitive and extreme mentally challenging situations or sports where you are driven to compete and win at all costs. Also do not organize things to such an extent that you later become frustrated if things or results do not go as you planned or expected. Let things unfold in a more relaxed way.

The metaphysical side of migraine headaches

In Metaphysics, every physical symptom is associated to a mental cause or to an emotional inner conflict. In the case of migraine headaches, it is the dislike of being driven . It indicates resisting the flow of life and sometimes may also involve sexual fears, as Louise Hay points out (7). The challenge is therefore relaxing into the flow of life, allowing life to provide for all you needs in an easy and comfortable manner.

Last but not least, take into account that migraine headaches are one of the symptoms of an unbalanced Sixth Chakra. This is the Third Eye Chakra, located in the forehead. It governs your intuition, seeing things with clarity, the ability to perceive patterns and the establishment of a personal identity without self-devaluation. This Chakra is normally unbalanced because of illusions, delusions and obsessions.

It should be noted that in modern times, being constantly bombarded -digitally or physically- by irrelevant or nonsensical overabundant pieces of information can also contribute to overwhelm you to the extreme point where you do not want to see them anymore, which is vibrationally akin to a poorer vision and a constant lack of focus.