The most interesting thing I’ve learned is how to moderate what I eat and not feel as if I am missing out. It’s so obvious and! I’ll get to that in a moment.
Since January 1st, I’ve:
Monitored what I’ve consumed
Moderated meat and fatty foods
Vastly reduced the amount of chocolate and alcohol
Consumed at least 3 litres of water a day – don’t guess it measure it otherwise you won’t drink enough!
This has helped reduce my headaches enormously, but I’ve found out other, non-food related tactics that also help.
A low-pressure system, i.e. a storm, will give me a headache (I’ve always known this can set me off, but a friend reminded me of it recently.)
If I over-heat I will get a headache. This could be working in 35 degree heat, but at a recent house-sit I took a dip in their pool. They heat their water via the sun – and it was like getting in a bath. While it felt pleasant, not long after I suffered from a headache – I felt it come on as my body warmed up.
How to manage my migraines
Keep cool – this means not only plenty of water to replace what I’ve lost (in additional to the three litres if doing physical work) but also pouring water on my wrists and neck, and even my head – cooling down properly, reducing my body temperature.
Plenty of water – 3 litres a day and much more if doing physical work.
Eat well – when I say I have reduced my meat intake, I try not to have it more than once a week and in this I am not including fish as meat. I eat a lot of fish. I’ve lost weight and feel great. The main reason for doing this was to help my digestive system. I am an A+ blood type, which means I can process carbohydrates much easier than meat.
Stress – I have become adept at Choosing Happiness! It works – choose to be happy and content and you are. I also have a way of dealing with jobs that I don’t like. Recently I’ve been painting the interior of our caravan; it’s a fiddly, messy job (I am a messy painter). But as soon as I find myself losing my cool with it all, I remind myself, “at some point you will not be able to do this – so enjoy it while you can!” It works! I appreciate my health and energy.
UnravelTravel is my travel brand for gifts – take a look here… Choose Happiness is just one theme…
Vastly reducing my chocolate intake has helped. I try to stick to dark chocolate if the urge becomes too strong. Milk chocolate is almost an instant trigger (if eating a good quantity – a taste now and then is okay).
Image courtesy of adamr at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
What I came to realise
Food is connected with happiness. I don’t think I’ve been as happy as I am now. When things haven’t gone right I know I comfort eat. Now, as I am so content food is become just a fuel, something to keep me going – not something to indulge in – mostly…
Drinking a lot of water fills me up. So I eat less, keep hydrated, not only does this combats headaches it helps my skin too.
I am feeling great and looking great, even if I say so myself!
So, after just a few months of monitoring my intake, stress levels and body temperature, I feel I am in control. I am never without my stainless steel water container and constantly sip from it throughout the day – ensuring I consume at least 3 litres. (Mug can be purchased here.)
THIS IS KEY!
HAVING A NICE MUG/DRINKING VESSEL MEANS I KEEP IT WITH ME AND
CONSTANTLY SIP THROUGHOUT THE DAY!
My head has never felt so clear – ever – in my life! So that is a remarkable breakthrough.
Someone recommended I take Magnesium for migraines, but also for many other health benefits. So I am giving that a go as well.
Any questions or advice needed (or offered), please drop me a line.
With the great advice and suggestions detailed in the previous blog, I’ve received more in-depth comments too.
“Foods that contain Tyramine, often fermented foods: Mature cheese, red wine, beer, sauerkraut, soy sauce (very high in salt as well, which wouldn’t help), vegemite and chocolate. Nitrites used in cured meat, Aspartame (there’s a reason why it’s not recommended for young children – it screws with your head!)”
I had to look up Aspartame and this is what I found:
From the NHS – UK Website:
Aspartame has been subject to more scare stories than any other sweetener, ranging from allergies and premature births to liver damage and cancer. Read morehere.
It also talks about other triggers, many of which make perfect sense to me. What was most interesting that they say some women have a headache prior to their period. This was spot on for me too (see my previous bloghere on combating my migraines).
This articletalks about a study that “proves” Aspartame does not contribute to migraines.
However, despite mentioning a study that proved this fact, this is issued by the Aspartame Information Center.
More information on Caffeine
Image courtesy of Chaloemphan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
“Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, so supposedly if migraines are partly due to vasodilation, it could be good. But it also increases blood pressure, so it might cancel that out. It increases cortisol levels – the stress hormones – so I’d probably steer clear of it.”
“Chocolate has some caffeine, but more theobromine – a similar chemical. It is, however, a vasodilator. Although it contains serotonin, the feel good hormone, migraines are also partly caused by an excess of serotonin.”
Fabulous – yum – recipe! An alternative to Chocolate
I’ve mostly read that chocolate is a no no. I’ve had very little over the last month. Thank you, Simon Hugh
Thank you, Simon Hugh Wheeler for offering so much valuable advice and this recipe.
Image courtesy of Master isolated images at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
“An alternative to chocolate is carob. I know it’s not the same, but for example, I’ve made a microwave, 1 min mud cake with carob flour, an egg, some sugar and a touch of cinnamon and ginger which is gorgeous.”
Simon goes on to say, “Carob has no caffeine, no oxalates (if you have kidney or joint problems, that can help), but has fibre, calcium, magnesium and vits A, B, and D, amongst other nutrients. It also has antioxidants and Gallic acid which is a mild analgesic – it helps to reduce cholesterol too.”
Needless to say, I will be looking into carob recipes further.
What now?
Well, I’ll continue on my quest to monitor what I eat to see if I can nut out what affects me.
However, as I am eating everything in moderation, it may take some time. If I don’t have a migraine within a month of this experiment, I will be ecstatic as I usually have one at least once a month.
Image courtesy of adamr at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
When I lose control and binge on something yummy (yes, it’ll be chocolate), then I’ll monitor the results.
Image courtesy of cooldesign at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Simple Solutions
I hope to solve my problem with the simplest solution – and I fully intend to solve it – watch this space.
Update: My research has revealed some incredibly interesting triggers and things to avoid… all will be revealed soon. BTW – I am winning the battle!
I produced some rather snazzy bookmarks, detailing my books/adventures. My mum hands them out to anyone she meets or whoever knocks on her front door. She’s brilliant – my No.1 fan – and quite passionate!
She has just written me a note about accosting someone famous on my behalf! She’s either brilliant or mad – but probably both. She says:
“On the way home Dad went into Sainsbury’s car park to get the papers and a few bits and whilst I sat in the car. You’ll never guess who walked passed, ONLY Paul Young!! I smashed on the window and leapt out of the car and said who I was plus you and ENPC (Enfield Chase Pony Club). I think he thought I was some mad woman accosting him. I blurted out your CV and could have kicked myself as I didn’t have any BOOKMARKS to give him. What an absolute chump am I! Anyway, I mentionedwww.jackieandnoelsjourneys.com and think he got it but he was in a hurry and had to get away.”
Mum’s not totally loopy – Paul’s daughter used to be a team member of Enfield Chace Prince Philip Cup Team and my mum and dad used to manage this team – so she did know him (and, I believe, he has sailing on his bucket list).
I was suitably impressed, as the first album I ever purchased was No Parlez. The first time I saw Paul was on daytime TV, after Rainbow, I was off sick from school – I’ve admired his work ever since.
I think Mum deserves a pay-rise, I’ve offered her double what she receives now – I think that’s fair.
I’ve offered Paul an audio, kindle or paperback book – I wonder if he’ll receive my message – perhaps he’s a little scared….. not from my mum – but selling up and living your dream is a brave step…
On the 11th November I’ll number each share and ask someone to randomly pick a number.
Here’s the blurb:
“We are from Australia, we have cash, and we have jet-lag and a desperate stare in our eye. In short, we are mugs ready to be led down the path of nautical slavery. If you can’t sell us a boat, there is something very wrong.”
The pull of the ocean was too strong to ignore any longer. Four years prior, they’d circumnavigated the globe on their 33-foot boat, Mariah. Now they wanted a new challenge.
So they sold all their belongings and flew to America from New South Wales in search of a boat.
Then Jackie and Noel set sail south, meeting descendants of the Bounty mutineers on Pitcairn, taking in the grand statues of Easter Island (the remotest inhabited island in the world) and making lifelong friends in Suwarrow.
Along the way, they lost a friend and came nail-bitingly close to losing their new boat. But they gained so much more.
This is a story of storms of emotions and oceans, travel, love, and relationships, and two people figuring out life and fulfilling their need to move and be challenged.
You can be whisked off to Easter Island, Suwarrow, and Pitcairn while driving through rush hour traffic, relaxing on the lounge, or working on a mindless task.
Not only does this book have a new narrator, but a snazzy-new cover too. My publisher, New Street Communicationstrawled through my photos and came up with the perfect picture of me doing what needs to be done to boats!
Narrated by the wonderful Caroline Doughty, you can join me onboard our sailboat Pyewacket II as we traverse the bejewelled Pacific Ocean, riding the troughs and peaks.
With six-and-a-half-hours of breath-taking adventures – you can indulge in storms of emotions and oceans.
This is a short story on travels, boats and horses from a fellow writer and friend, Alison Alderton.
It’s very special.
To find out why you’ll have to read to the end… Here’s Alison’s pretty barge ‘Lily’
Dutch barge Lily moored at Mustadfors
What do horse shoe nails and boating have in common? by Alison Alderton
“Not a lot” I hear you reply. Well at first glance perhaps not but recently I drifted into the small town of Mustadfors on Sweden’s Dalsland Canal and made a discovery as well as a link to a friend.
The horse shoe symbol on the side of the lift bridge
On the lift-bridge by the town’s lock is a horse shoe symbol, it reflects the town’s long association with the production of horse shoe nails. In conversation with the Lock Keeper, he told how the company, which no longer works out of the town, once specialised in light weight nails. These were made from aluminium and used in the race horse industry. With a little research of my own I later discovered these are also used with shoes specially designed for trotting horses.
The entrance to the former horse shoe nail manufacturers
Mustadfors lift bridge
Mustadfors lock on the Dalslands Canal
Horse-trotting has a long history in Sweden; people have competed with their horses since the 19th century and at the nearby Amal’s racetrack there are regular events from April through to September each year.
Home, 5 horses nearby and our tents
Friends
A boating friend, Jackie Parry recently published a book about her amazing adventures with five ex-trotting horses which she and her husband, Noel rescued from an unknown fate. “A Standard Journey” is an exciting read; about how they sold up and set off with their horses to hack Australia’s Bi-centennial National Trail and brings my visit to the pretty little canal-side town of Mustadfors full circle.
I am thankful for this most unusual discovery which triggered thoughts of a dear friend.
And why is this so special?
Well, Alison’s publisher is keen for her to finish her book on her life with a rather special companion. Yes, there’s Roger, her lovely husband, but there’s also Buster the Beagle.
Boating with Buster – The life & times of a barge beagle will be a story you’ll want to read. Follow Alison hereand/orhereand try to be patient, it is a work in progress.
What I can promise you, knowing the ethos behind the story, is that it will be a book that will stay with you forever – I can hardly wait!
This blog has lost its way a little – so I’ve signed up for some book-blog-tours on books I’ve read that I’d like to share with you. (All via Rukia Publishing).
I’m branching out into some new genres and the authors of those books will share excerpts and their writing experiences.
One tour will be my own story – with fun, hilarious, and scary stories from This Is It. Like “Shark Encounter” – “So This is What Being Kidnapped Feels Like” – “What Travelling The World Taught Me” – “Mexican Dramas” – “‘Where’s that water coming from?’ – a mid-ocean panic!”
That will start soon, in the meantime if you want to know more about my latest – here’s a wonderful (and descriptive) review from a truly great sailing magazine – Afloat.
Three difficult weeks at sea, living on a tilting vessel!
Jackie Parry - author 