I have headaches...who eats organic fruits/veggies?

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Replies

  • reddi2roll
    reddi2roll Posts: 356 Member
    It is always worth eating organic but I doubt that it has anything to do with your headaches. They do cost more but you can't wash off the pesticides that are sprayed on non organic foods. The soft shelled foods are the worst ie celery, lettuce, blueberries, strawberries, apples, pears etc. Have at the pineapples, watermelon etc after washing the outside before cutting. If it is cluster headaches you would have to research it to find out about treatment but if it is migraine I would suggest you google migraine triggers. The food list is long and other factors such as hormone fluctuations, irregular sleep, stress etc. can trigger them. I avoided all migraine trigger foods for about 5 yrs. Not every food on the list would be a trigger for you but you have to monitor carefully. Migraines can occur from 10 min to up to 3 days after a trigger so if you are introducing a food back in you have to make sure you don't eat another trigger for the 3 day period. Once you get a migraine it can last up to 3 days so you end up just going from one to the next. Need to watch all ingredients for MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, aspertaine and artificial sweeteners. The other food items on the list are pretty self explanatory. Some people are sensitive to bread (yeast) and dairy but I was not. Once I started taking very low dose Pamelor my headaches went away and I can now eat anything I want. Good luck.
  • katiejarr
    katiejarr Posts: 251 Member
    Hormones can be a huge trigger in migraines. I never got a migraine till I was in my 40's then I started getting them and they progressed and got much worse as I got in to peri menopause. I was on Imatrex for years and it worked great until it just stopped working.

    I finally ended up in the ER and went to a neurologist and after documenting everything I ate, drank and every time I got a headache for a month and trying lots of different meds Im on a very low dose of Pamelor and 200 mg of Topamax. I was getting migraines virtually everyday, to at least 3-5 times a week, now I get them maybe 4 days in 3 months, so I have seen a huge difference from the meds.

    But I also know that there are times that I can tell that if I drink wine I will get a head ache so I limit the amount of wine or beer I drink also.

    I would suggest you see a different neurologist that specializes in migraines. They can make your life miserable if you cant keep them under control. Good luck :)
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
    You may be allergic to some foods you eat. Many people are allergic to fruits and veggies and have symptoms such as headaches and nausea. Perhaps get tested for food allergens.
  • draco706
    draco706 Posts: 174 Member
    I buy some organic fruits and veggies. esp. anything on the dirty dozen list. MSG gave me lots of headaches and gastro issues. I stopped eating all food with MSG and within a month my gastro issues were gone and my night time headaches were gone. Now I just get sinus headaches.
  • bethfartman
    bethfartman Posts: 363 Member
    Eating organic produce will most likely not help your headaches. I grow most of my own produce and if I didn't grow something I know the person that does; it is all grown organically and I still get terrible migraines. Like another poster mentioned, 'organic' is a term that is used pretty loosely and while there are regulations, most of the regulations to be 'organically certified' are truly in place to make extra money, not to protect the consumer or the environment. I work in the organic industry, so I know the ins and outs of it all- not all organic companies/growers are doing the bare minimum just to become 'organic' and make money, but many are.
    An elimination diet would be your best course of action, to find out what triggers your headaches. Making sure you’re drinking enough water and your eyesight is in check are also great suggestions.
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    I had migraines and after going GFCF they went away. I've also quit caffeine, "added sugars", all preservatives, and a majority of starches.
  • curvykim78
    curvykim78 Posts: 799 Member
    Have you had your eyes tested recently? Just a thought.
    o.
    Yes I have. My eyes are good. I was also tested for diabetes since it runs in my family. I thought it might be due to sugar dropping, but that's fine also.
  • curvykim78
    curvykim78 Posts: 799 Member
    You may be allergic to some foods you eat. Many people are allergic to fruits and veggies and have symptoms such as headaches and nausea. Perhaps get tested for food allergens.

    It's not food allergies. My son has those and we deal with that constantly. I'm lucky to not have them, but thank you.
  • clee369
    clee369 Posts: 101 Member
    Just because it's organic doesn't make it better for you. There's pesticides that are organic that farmers use. There's plenty or compounds that are natural that are harmful to you, so don't go around telling people that organic is better for your diet
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
    I'm just wondering if the extra cost of organics are worth it...i was hoping others would help me out.

    In the long run? Yes, organics are always better than processed. In the short run, you won't feel the difference unless EVERYTHING you eat is organic.

    You're mixing food types. Organic is better than processed, but the same is true for unprocessed non-organic food. There is no nutritional difference between organic and non-organic.
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
    You may be allergic to some foods you eat. Many people are allergic to fruits and veggies and have symptoms such as headaches and nausea. Perhaps get tested for food allergens.

    It's not food allergies. My son has those and we deal with that constantly. I'm lucky to not have them, but thank you.

    It may not be an allergy, but a trigger. Chocolate, red wine, aged cheeses, anything with MSG, and many other foods can trigger headaches. I suggest you look for those in your diary.

    Alternatively...menopause? Changing hormone levels can mess things up.
  • sheclimbsrocks
    sheclimbsrocks Posts: 110 Member
    I feel your migraine pain! Mine are caused by MSG. No MSG = no migraines. Except for when a family member / restaurant accidentally poisons me! ;)

    Pesticides may or may not be the cause of your migraines. However, pesticide-free eating does have the health benefits of reducing your body burden of toxic chemicals. It's a good idea for your health and the environment.

    In the meantime, I hope you find your triggers! It took me years to figure mine out. As others have mentioned, a food diary is a good idea. Once I stopped eating processed food, mine almost completely went away. My neurologist was very proud!
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    I'm back to say that I notice when I eat a meal with a lot of sugar content, I have migraine headaches too. I also have a history of being sensitive to sugar (even fruit sugars) so maybe you should try keeping your sugar content under 10g per meal and have NONE of it come from a liquid (that includes artificial sweeteners and stevia/spleda as well). Give it a try and see how you feel.

    I have a headache now after having a lactose free yogurt (liquid). It had 22g of sugar. I ate it anyways because I needed the calcium but I will NEVER do that again :sad:
  • JenniferNoll
    JenniferNoll Posts: 367 Member
    Sodium benzoate, is a common preservative used in canned and packaged foods. I discovered that if I limiited my intake of that additive, my migraines decreased and my crohn's symptoms backed off bigtime. Seriously take a look at how much of this chemical is in your diet. I can't say how it would affect anyone else, but it does make me very ill.
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
    I would suggest seeing an allergist and getting tested for allergies for not only pollens but foods. You could possibly be exposing yourself to a fragrance or food that is causing your problem.

    Now, my husband works at Whole Foods and I have to say I love it because we get all kinds of educational information that has helped us learn to change what we are eating. If you have a whole foods near you they offer classes and challenges etc and you don't have to shop there to be a part of it.

    My mom recently found out she was allergic to apples, bananas, eggs, rice and by association, pears (they are part of the apple family) and red fruits and she knows that red wines trigger her migraines so again an allergy blood test may help solve some of your issue.
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    I would suggest seeing an allergist and getting tested for allergies for not only pollens but foods. You could possibly be exposing yourself to a fragrance or food that is causing your problem.

    Now, my husband works at Whole Foods and I have to say I love it because we get all kinds of educational information that has helped us learn to change what we are eating. If you have a whole foods near you they offer classes and challenges etc and you don't have to shop there to be a part of it.

    My mom recently found out she was allergic to apples, bananas, eggs, rice and by association, pears (they are part of the apple family) and red fruits and she knows that red wines trigger her migraines so again an allergy blood test may help solve some of your issue.

    Thing is, allergists can't detect food sensitivities (non-auto-imune response); only allergies (auto-imune response). It's like having Arthralagis instead of Arthritis.

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