A rare type of migraine marked by vertigo or dizziness is called a vestibular migraine, which is frequently misdiagnosed. It might all negatively impact your physical, emotional, and social well-being and can be alienating and disruptive.
There are often unanticipated obstacles on the path of living with vestibular migraines. The wavering nausea, dizziness, and disorientation may negatively impact your everyday life. Against this backdrop of complexity, nutrition plays a key role in effectively treating vestibular migraine illness.
The Vestibular Migraine Diet is a customized approach to food decisions intended to reduce the frequency and severity of these episodes. In this blog post, we’ll explore its principles.
What is a Vestibular Migraine Diet?
The Vestibular Migraine Diet is a planned eating strategy designed to help effectively manage vestibular migraines by identifying and removing possible triggers. This targeted diet focuses on elements that are particularly connected to vertigo and dizziness, as well as typical migraine diets that target headache/migraine triggers.
Comprehending this diet entails realizing the complex interactions between your food intake and how your vestibular system’s delicate balance is impacted. Developing a lifestyle that supports your well-being by limiting factors that may increase vestibular migraine symptoms is more important than simply avoiding alcohol and caffeine.
Impact of Diet on Vestibular Migraines
Managing vestibular migraine attacks requires an understanding of the complex relationship between your food and these events. A mix of physiological mechanisms and stimuli are involved in this interaction.
1. Trigger Foods
Foods and drinks with certain ingredients may trigger vestibular migraines. Individual differences in these triggers mean pinpointing your case’s exact perpetrators is crucial. Prolonged exposure to aged cheeses, processed meats, caffeine, alcohol, and chemicals like MSG are common triggers.
2. Neurotransmitter Imbalance
Certain meals may affect brain neurotransmitter levels and thus be a factor in vestibular migraines. Tyramine, for instance, may impact serotonin levels, which are involved in mood regulation and the avoidance of migraines. Comprehending these associations facilitates customizing your diet to reduce the likelihood of inducing migraines.
3. Variations in Blood Sugar
Vibrational migraines may also be impacted by abnormalities in blood sugar levels. Fast fluctuations in blood sugar brought on by skipping meals or eating items high in sugar have the potential to start an episode. One of the most critical aspects of managing migraines may be keeping blood sugar stable through balanced meals.
4. Dehydration
Dehydration is a common migraine cause, including vestibular migraines. Dehydration can worsen the symptoms of migraine by affecting blood flow, circulation, and electrolyte balance. Drinking enough water throughout the day for hydration is a straightforward and easy preventative measure.
5. Inflammatory Response
Vestibular migraines can occur in certain people as a component of a more generalized inflammatory reaction. Specific foods, particularly those heavy in processed carbohydrates and saturated fats, may trigger an inflammatory response. Vestibular migraine frequency and intensity may be decreased by following an anti-inflammatory diet high in fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids.
People can decrease the impact of vestibular migraines by making educated dietary choices and being aware of these mechanisms.
Following a Vestibular Migraine Diet
The Vestibular Migraine Diet is a thoughtful process that begins with self-awareness.
Step 1: The first step involves keeping a detailed food diary to identify potential triggers specific to your case. Record what you eat, the timing of your meals, and any symptoms that may follow. This is helpful to rule out potential problematic things like aspartame, MSG, and sulphites.
Step 2: Phase two starts once you’ve gathered the above information. It’s time to work with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian specializing in vestibular migraines. If you don’t have access to one, or can’t afford one, we recommend doing some research online to formulate a healthy, sustainable diet that excludes triggers, but incorporates healthy whole foods.
Step 3: Phase involves building on this foundation and gradually eliminating certain foods can help you identify suspected trigger foods. If you feel a period of clarity, certain foods or ingredients can be reintroduced to see if they still impact you. This process requires patience, as triggers can vary widely among individuals.
Step 4: Last but not least, pay close attention to how your body responds to changes and adjust accordingly in phase four. Slowly reintroduce eliminated foods into your diet and check how your body responds. You can continue consuming food that does not tr ...
A good diet and proper sleep are fundamental to a healthy state of being. To maintain good health, diet and rest must become aligned. The consequence of lack of sleep extends far beyond sleeping disorders, fatigue, insomnia, and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Poor sleep can also promote inflammation, and increase the risk of mood disorders or neurodegenerative disorders.
Of course, there are natural health supplements—including melatonin—that can help you fall asleep faster or attain a more restful sleep, but what you eat can also have a large impact.
The Relationship Between Sleep and Food
Several studies prove that a lack of sleep leads to an increase in food consumption. We often underestimate the positive effects a good night's sleep has on our overall health and well-being. While we try to gain better control of our daily schedules, we tend to ignore another aspect responsible for contributing to quality sleep: diet.
What we eat during the day and right before bed can significantly affect our night's rest. Our diet is not just fueling our energy but is a key to our body's repair and rejuvenation.
The right foods can nourish our body. We'll take a closer scientific look at some foods that are allies (and look at which ones to avoid) in our mission to better health with sound sleep.
Foods for Promoting Better Sleep
Turkey: Whenever we think about turkey, Thanksgiving is probably the first thought—but turkey is a great option for those who eat meat due to its high tryptophan content. This amino acid helps promote serotonin production, and can induce a more restful sleep.
Chicken: Another poultry item that can give you a much-needed dose of the amino acid tryptophan. It functions as a precursor to serotonin, which helps to regulate mood and sleep.
Bananas: Have them as they are or blend them into a smoothie; bananas are a rich source of potassium and tryptophan—potassium is essential to sleep. Studies reaffirm that potassium boosts total sleep time and increased potassium intake is linked to improved sleep efficiency and duration (without fragmentation—or constantly tossing and turning).
Foods to Prepare for Sleep
Maintain a timely schedule to train the body for routine rest. Ideally, we would rise with the sun, and sleep as the sun sets—but that isn’t always realistic. Regular sleep, of 7-9 hours, is a good span of time to ensure proper rejuvenation, and you’ll want to make sure you’re disconnected from phones or laptops at least a couple of hours prior to this.
As well, foods can help or hinder you when it comes to preparing for bedtime. Foods containing "melatonin" or precursors can help regulate our sleep-wake cycle and signal your body to wind down and get ready for bedtime.
Foods High in Melatonin
Cherries: Packed with nutrients and antioxidants, cherries are a great choice to help you sleep better. Tart cherries, specifically, are an excellent choice to signal your body to take your well-earned rest. Here's why: tart cherries contain melatonin to regulate our sleep-wake cycle, along with increasing the production of serotonin, a chemical to help your body make melatonin.
Grapes & Goji Berries: Our brain produces melatonin during the day at differing levels based in accordance with our environment—darkness vs. light environments. There is an increase in the evening while it reduces as dawn approaches. Scientists discovered that red grapes and goji berries contain melatonin, and can help people improve sleep quality naturally.
Foods Containing Magnesium
Magnesium is responsible for hundreds of biological and intracellular processes within your body—contributing to the production of protein and DNA, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and blood pressure, and regulates muscles and nerves.
Introducing magnesium-rich foods into your pre-sleep meal (whether this be dinner or a light snack) can help alleviate anxiety, relax the muscles, and allow for a more relaxed body. Some foods high in magnesium include:
Almonds: A healthy snack, almonds are high in healthy fats and low in saturated fat. On your next visit to the grocery store, add some almonds to your shopping cart as a healthy late-night snack option. An ounce of almonds contains 77 milligrams of magnesium. A handful of almonds can provide enough magnesium to support relaxation.
Spinach: Leafy vegetables like spinach are a good source of magnesium. Add spinach to your dinner (think: salad, pasta, or veggie bowl) as it helps to naturally relax your muscles and nerves.
Drinks for Better Sleep
Take caution to not take too much liquid before bedtime to avoid the urge to urinate midway through your sleep, causing a break in continuous rest.
Sipping a warm beverage late evening can remind your body it's almost time to retire for the day. Here are a few drinks to consider for a prolonged and quality sleep:
Chamomile Tea: Herbal teas like chamomile prom ...
“Immunity” has almost become a buzzword. We have all learned the importance of a strong immune system and perhaps tried every single thing we came across on social media.
However, “developing” immunity is not as simplistic as popping a pill. It requires working on lifestyle habits, maintaining regular exercise, and fulfilling the body’s nutritional requirements with real, whole foods. We can view this utilizing the 80-20 rule. Nutrition (what, when, how, and how much we eat) perhaps plays a ~20% role, and lifestyle habits (sufficient sleep, water intake, abstaining from alcohol and cigarettes, exercise, and non-sedentary lifestyle) play a ~80% role.
Here in this blog, we’ll talk about some ways you can naturally help boost your immune system through natural supplements. We’ll learn about common nutritional deficiencies, and how they can impact the body’s immune system—we’ll also look at some common online myths surrounding supplements.
Vitamin & Mineral Deficiencies
Let’s get to the root of mineral & vitamin deficiencies and understand why there are such prevalent nutritional deficiencies in the diet. In previous generations, crop cultivation was limited to twice a year, and the farmland was left unattended in between.
It gave the land and soil time to regain minerals and nutrients organically and be ready for the next round of cultivation. There was also a higher emphasis placed on biodiversity and soil diversity, rather than mass cultivation on a scale previously never seen.
However, as the world’s population rapidly increased, the need for land to build infrastructure and the demand for food increased—people started using farmland to build infrastructure, and farmers had to use fewer acres of land to produce more food and meet growing demand. This deprives the soil of essential nutrients, while farmers increase the use of fertilizers and pesticides to ensure a more lucrative yield, leading to a decline in bioavailable nutrients.
Further to this, people have grown accustomed to busier lifestyles, which often reduces the ability to put more effort into composing healthy, nutritionally dense meals. Instead, people opt for fast food, take-out through delivery services, or snack and junk food.
Lack of nutrition leads to various deficiencies that, combined with lifestyle factors, can give rise to diseases—cancer, autoimmune disorders, and gastrointestinal disorders. While supplements can’t replace healthy eating and never will—supplements can help to compensate for nutritional deficiencies in the human body.
There are many myths about supplements and their association with pharmaceutical medicine. It is important to note that supplements are not pharmaceutical medicines. When sourced from natural minerals or plant sources, they are extracts or concentrated minerals meant to bridge the divide where diet falls short.
Supplements and how they can boost Immunity
Let’s look at a few supplements that help naturally boost immunity and promote a healthy lifestyle.
1) Protein
Protein is a basic building block of the body. Before birth till death, human beings need protein each and every day for survival and to carry on essential life functions. Humans need a minimum of 1 g and a maximum of 2g protein per kg body weight, depending on your lifestyle and physical activity.
2) Omega-3 fatty acids
An essential polyunsaturated fat is critical for our immune health. Omega-3 supports the integrity of cell membranes, allowing immune cells to communicate effectively and respond to threats. It helps regulate immune cell function, reduce inflammation, and improve immune cell production. It also strengthens the body’s ability to defend against infections and maintain immune system harmony. As per the recommendation of the National Institutes of Health, daily consumption of omega-3 fatty acids should be around 1.1-1.6 grams a day for a healthy and active lifestyle.
3) Calcium
Calcium is a mineral essential for bone health. Bones start getting weak after 30 years. It is an ideal time to supplement calcium to fulfill the body’s requirements and avoid leg pains. However, It is recommended that one should start taking calcium supplements after 25 years of age to keep their bones strong and healthy for a long time.
4) Vitamin D
Vitamin D, popularly known as the “sunshine vitamin,” is a critical vitamin for calcium absorption and bone health. It helps immune cells function better and helps regulate the immune response. The recommended daily vitamin D consumption for adults between 19 to 70 years should be 15 micrograms (mcg) and 20 mcg for people above 70 years.
5) Vitamin C
Vitamin C, known for its antioxidant properties, is a water-soluble vitamin that helps protect cells from damage and supports immunity cell production. Immunity cells help in healing wounds faster. The recommended daily consumption of vitamin C should be 75 milligrams (mg) ...
Have you tried to live a more health-conscious lifestyle but found yourself failing miserably after starting a new diet? We’ve been there. You aren’t alone. Studies show that almost 65% of people, 2 out of 3 people, who start dieting eventually quit and become regressive eaters due to excessive control or hyper fixation over their food choices for an extended duration.
How to decide what to eat? How to make the right eating choices? How do you achieve your health goals without depriving yourself of your favorite foods? The answer to all these concerns is referred to as “food freedom.”
Read on to learn all about it as the simplest method to achieve your health goals!
What Does the Term Food Freedom Mean?
As the term suggests, food freedom is the “freedom” to eat anything and everything you desire—within reasonable constraints. When
people start to suppress their dietary urges, they develop uncomfortable or unhealthy long-term habits. This lingering guilt hovers over people’s heads like a cloud whenever they enter a fast food joint or take another sip of wine. It results in increasing mental anxiety and stress.
Thus, setting your mind free from feelings of guilt when you pick up that one extra slice of pizza is essential to longevity. Having said that, food freedom doesn’t mean that people should not take into consideration the nutritional quality of food, its importance, and its impact on bodily functions.
We need to understand that eating in the right proportions and making better eating choices is essential, but at the same time, managing a healthy and peaceful mental space is equally important.
How to Create Balance?
Creating balance starts with education. It is the core tenet behind achieving your health goals and leading a healthy life—knowledge is power, and you need to know what and how your body responds to and processes certain foods. Sometimes, it’s intuitive. You know yourself and your body better than anyone else ever could.
Learn the nutritional facts about what you’re ingesting and fueling your body with. Then, apply that knowledge to creating balanced meals—vegans can learn how to create plant-based protein-rich meals, while omnivores can learn how to reduce red meat intake and prioritize fish and veggies.
You can indulge in that second slice of pizza guilt-free but don’t make it a daily habit.
Create a habit of mindful eating. Mindful eating is being consciously aware of what you are doing. It includes the following four parameters:
Paying attention to yourself—are you hungry or full? How energetic are you? Do you feel stressed?
Avoid multitasking while eating—be physically and mentally present in the moment while eating. Avoid watching television or scrolling on your phone. Chew food slowly.
Enjoy the food—take time to eat and feel its taste, smell, and texture. Digestion begins in the mouth.
Do not judge yourself. Most importantly, do not guilt trip. If you decide to have something, do not worry about the past or the future implications of your dietary choice at that moment, work on making permanent, lasting changes long-term.
Fears Associated with “Dieting”
Dieting is a scary term to most people. This is because, for most people, it is associated with the idea of eating less and living on soups and salads to lose weight. Forget indulging in your favorite foods—dieting is about this idea of sacrifice.
However, this perception is entirely wrong.
There are hundreds of healthy food options. Living in a rich culture, with readily available plant foods means we now have the ability, more than ever before, to make better dietary choices without depriving ourselves. Telling yourself not to eat certain types of food to lose weight, for instance, does the opposite of its intended purpose.
When you think to “not” eat something, you are, in reality, constantly thinking about eating it and then restricting yourself, which leads to stress building and further increases the desire for the “forbidden” food.
The term “diet” includes everything you eat in the entire day. Hence, dieting doesn’t mean stopping altogether, but being more mindful of what you eat. What you need is a properly balanced diet to achieve your health goals and live a healthy life.
Until now, we have talked about the importance of food freedom and how indulging in your cravings is not a sin. However, we also need to understand that while you should give in to cravings occasionally, it is always crucial to be mindful of what you eat.
Importance of Food Freedom
Practicing food freedom is good for both physical and mental health.
First, it helps you to better understand the body in relation to what you eat. Secondly, practicing food freedom helps eliminate feelings of guilt and stress from following strict food rules, and obsessive dieting. You actually enjoy your favorite food rather than ...
