| From what I know, foods that are high in nitrates are usually
those that are highly processed. Most of them are processed
meats, such as luncheon meats, sausages, ham, corned-beef,
pastrami etc. You can check the label on these foods - all
of them will have something like sodium nitrate in their
ingredient list. That's the best way to find out about this
poison. I have completely eliminated processed meats from
my diet for this reason - no more hotdogs! And I haven't had
one of those terrible headaches in a long long time - not even
from chinese food!
--Louise
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| Anyone who suffers from migraines should read Dr. Mandell's Five Day
Allergy Relief System, by Marshall Mandell. He's a bit of a fanatic,
claiming that allergies can cause just about anything, but they very
often DO cause migraines. A lot of Doctors pooh-pooh this concept,
but by following his method I was able to determine that I'm very
allergic to wheat. One crumb brings on major mood-swings, followed
by migraine.
I still get them occasionally (especially if I eat sugar!), but not
3-4 times a week, as I was experiencing for a while.
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| I ALSO SUFFER FROM MIGRAINES AND HAVE READ EVERYTHING I CAN GET
MY HANDS ON REGARDING THE LATEST IN RESEARCH. ACCORDING TO WHAT
I HAVE READ, THE OFFENDING CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS ATE NITRITES NOT
NITRATES, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE COMMONLY FOUND TOGETHER. NITRITES ARE
FOUND MOSTLY IN PROCESSED MEATS SUCH AS BACON, SAUSAGE, HAM, PASTRAMI,
EVEN BOLOGNA. SINCE I'VE ELIMINATED THESE FOODS FROM MY DIET I HAVE
ALSO ELIMINATED ABOUT 95% OF MY MIGRAINES. THE OTHER 5% ARE CAUSED
BY OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS FLOURESCENT LIGHT, EXHAUSTION, ETC.
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| <Also posted in MEDICAL, HOLISTIC, and ARTHRITIS>
I heard a few months ago about a folk remedy for migraine, arthritis, and
psoriasis, that is gaining some support in medical circles. It is an herb
called feverfew, and it has been used for headaches since the middle ages.
I picked up a book entitled "Feverfew: Your Headaches may be Over" by
Ken Hancock at a health food store over the weekend. The author has
collected thousands of testimonial letters from users of this herb, many
of whom have found significant relief from the ailments mentioned above.
In addition, some letters have claimed that it helped with PMS.
Feverfew is a member of the chrysanthemum family, as is chamomile. The
variety which is beneficial is called "Tanacetum parthenium", or wild
feverfew. Many health food stores carry it in capsule form; freeze-dried
is best, since it is damaged by heat.
I started taking 1 capsule twice a day on Saturday night; I had a migraine
at the time. Much to my surprise, the headache went away without further
drugs; that is almost unheard of for me. I'll keep my progress posted
here. The book recommends taking 1 capsule with food twice a day for 2
weeks, then going to 1 per day for a few more weeks. If migraines are
about 1/month, or if arthritis is just starting, 1/day is enough to start.
Prescription medications taken concurrently with feverfew may block its
effectiveness; also, alcohol will almost always block it. The primary
allergic reaction is sores in the mouth, which may go away in a few days
even if the herb is continued, and will go away within 24 hours if it is
discontinued.
Obviously, you should consult your doctor before discontinuing any
prescription drugs. While I'm generally skeptical of "wonder drugs", I
can believe that something like this may help. It's certainly worth a
try. I'd encourage anyone who suffers from migraines and/or arthritis to
consider giving it a try.
Beverly
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