A Remedy for Migraine?
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In this month’s article, I’d like to share with you the wonderful story of how my Dad’s cousin, Philip Martin, finally overcame his 37-year-long battle with chronic migraine attacks. His testimony is truly inspirational and offers hope to those suffering with the same problem. 

migraineheadPhilip Martin
“I have been a migraine sufferer for as long as I can remember. The migraines I get start with vision distortion. A small visual whirlpool gets bigger and bigger accompanied by small flashing lights all joined up in a line. After 20 minutes of this the left side of my vision is totally blurred. Once the lights and whirlpool disappear I then get a sick feeling in my stomach and a blinding headache as if someone has placed my forehead in a vice and is slowly turning the handle.

In early 2010 I started to get regular attacks around once a month, then 2 a month, then 3 and I eventually got 3 in one week… I needed help to figure out what was causing this!I started seeing a local health practitioner who has a broad knowledge on psychology, nutrition and herbal remedies. Firstly, we worked on reducing my stress levels as this seemed to be a key factor. The stress levels were reduced and I started feeling much better.  I was still getting migraines but now they were less frequent. Also, I was preparing for a big event in November and didn’t want to get on stage to present with the probability of a migraine attack. I needed to be sure that all would be well.

The next step was answering the question: “How long have you been having migraine attacks?” I remembered having them when I was 11 and I am now 48. “Aha” she cried! “It must be your diet”. She asked me to stop eating foods and drinks containing gluten, dairy, chocolate, coffee, and caffeine. So I did that with immediate effect.

At first I thought this was going to be tough, but little by little I started to enjoy eating foods which seemed to agree with me. No bread was difficult because I enjoyed a good sandwich and a pizza (I live near Nice in the south of France and they make the best pizzas!) but it actually helped me to lose some weight and I didn’t have that bloated feeling after a meal. 

green_tea430x300Coffee and tea became herbal teas (I especially love a strong mint tea with honey, made from mint grown in my garden so
it’s fresh). I replaced milk with rice and almond milk. These are delicious in a smoothie – my own favorite for breakfast being banana, apple puree, peanut butter and rice milk. I’ve also been treated to Judy Martin’s macadamia nut milk (on a recent visit to South Africa), which is delicious on Lifestyle Health’s gluten-free breakfast cereal. I started using raw honey rather than sugar, eating non-gluten bread on weekends and occasionally having goats’ cheese. 

This new diet of mine started in October 2010 and since then I have not had a single migraine, so I went into the November event with greater confidence. It has changed my life and most of my colleagues have said I’ve even changed colour – or rather I have got my healthy-looking colour back. I believe it is a combination of the relaxation techniques I’ve adopted and most significantly the change in diet.  I’ve cut out all dairy products except a little goat’s cheese, coffee, tea, bread and pizzas, and - the hardest of all - chocolate! I’m sticking to the diet though and enjoy eating so much more, because I feel so much better!”
relaxwoman
I get so excited about people like Phil’s story! Our health can be dramatically improved, simply by making the decision to learn how to relax, eat correctly and take care of ourselves! Of course everyone is unique, which is why it is so important to find a health practitioner (like Phil did) that can recommend a holistic program suited to you as an individual. 

In our experience, along with dietary and lifestyle changes, certain key nutrients can also make a huge difference when treating the cause of your migraine attacks. 

• Magnesium – calms the nervous system and is a natural muscle relaxant. 
• Co-Q10 – increases blood flow to the brain and improves circulation. 
• Omega 3 – a natural anti-inflammatory to prevent the constriction of blood vessels.
• Feverfew – alleviates pain and reduces the severity and frequency of migraines. 
• Ginger – helps alleviate pain and produce an anti-inflammatory effect. 
• B Vitamins – necessary for healthy nervous system function as well as cell respiration and growth. Also help increase blood flow to the brain and assist the adrenal glands when the body is under stress.

For more information about the correct dosages and/or any other assistance you may need, please do not hesitate to pop into Lifestyle Health and either Judy or I or anyone of our friendly staff members will be more than happy to help find the correct solution for you. 
happy_guy
I love the way Phil ends off his story…

“I hope you find this useful and to all those migraine sufferers out there, there is hope!” Phil Martin