How You Can Cure "The Incurable Headache"

Have you ever suffered from a headache? If so, you know how uncomfortable it can be. Headaches can make life miserable and paralyze you for days, weeks – even months! Despite the fact that about 10 million Americans suffer from headaches, traditional medicine cannot always offer a cure. The most common approach to treating headaches is to use a pill to treat the symptoms – it looks as if we may be doomed to a lifetime of Excedrin and lost days. But, is there anything else that could be done?

A better approach would be to find the root cause of the problem, and eliminate it. Sounds simple enough, so why don't they use this approach in every medical office? Because it isn't that easy – let me give you an example:

A middle-aged, pleasant lady came to my office, complaining of chronic headaches interfering with her life. She'd been seen by multiple doctors without finding a solution. She thought that she might have hormone imbalances. That is why she came to see me. I created a list of possible causes for her headaches:

-Migraines, a poorly understood condition – can be related to hormone imbalances. She was at an age where her hormones were declining, for sure.

-Tension headaches can be related to depression, and though she denied it – she didn't look happy.

-Headaches, secondary to coffee intake. Yes, she was drinking several cups of coffee per day, but stated that she could give it up without a problem.

Why and How to Have a Gluten Free Diet

Gluten Free Diet

If you or someone you know is on a gluten free / casein free diet then you or they quite likely have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease ( Gluten Intolerance ).

This is one of those things in your life for which you are genetically predisposed. You are not alone. There are about 66,000,000 people worldwide affected also.

The most common symptoms - from gastrointestinal distress include: gas, bloating, diarrhea, flatulence

Other symptoms which may present themselves (either with or without the above) include: joint pain, headaches and/or fatigue

What happens with celiac disease is that the villi (small tube like extensions within the small intestine through which the body absorbs nutrients from the food consumed) become shortened and/or flattened and thus can't do their job.

So another symptom, not uncommon but more dangerous, can occur - that of nutrition deficiency ( may or may not be accompanied by one or more of the other symptoms). There are certain foods to avoid and these include:

Cereals containing: barley, rye, wheat, kamut, spelt (a form of wheat) matzo meal and farina

Most processed foods

Gravies

Soups (anything thickened with wheat, barley, rye, gluten containing flour)

Beer (due to the brewing process they contain gluten)

Some alcoholic beverages (check labels and/or the manufacturer).

Foods safe to consume would be:

Certain starches and grains like potatoes, rice, corn, tapioca, amaranth, arrowroot, millet buckwheat, hominy grits

Chickpeas, gram flour also called garbanzo flour (made from ground chickpeas) and not to be confused with graham flour

Sweet potatoes and jams

Fresh meat, fish and poultry

One thing you should definitely add to your diet is QUINOA (a seed and a complete protein rich in all 9 of the essential amino acids). It is said to be related to green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale and is rich in manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorus and tryptophan. Once you are diagnosed the problem of being nutrient deficient it may not clear up as quickly as you would like even with a gluten free diet.

The villi may be slow to heal

A gluten free diet may be missing some necessary nutrients

Too much fiber may be being consumed

A regular gluten free diet does not provide the necessary amounts of niacin, iron, calcium, thiamine(vitamin B1), riboflavin, folate, and fiber and many gluten free products are not enriched. It is highly recommended that you take a fish oil supplement. Fish oil is high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and is known to help the inflamed digestive track heal. Continued inflammation of this kind can cause tissue damage and organ stress thus creating undue stress on the immune system. Once you have followed a gluten free diet for a while you should:

Feel more energetic

Find any symptoms you were experiencing are now under control

Feel overall more healthy and thus hopefully more happy

Just remember once you have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease you must stay on a gluten free diet.