The Top 3 Reasons Why December Is One of the Worst Months for Migraines - Part 1/3

Coming into this time of year is difficult…

Migraines seem to skyrocket and I get a ton of questions about why fall-into-winter is so hard.

So this week, lets talk a little about what makes this time of year so difficult specifically and how you can best support yourself through it.

There are three major issues that hit all at once – the 3 “S”’s of the season.

The first (and it won’t be a surprise)…

SUGAR.

We all succumb this time of year, don’t we?

Unless you have superhuman willpower, sugar is everywhere and it’s really hard to say no to it all.

Over a few weeks, the inflammation triggered by that uptick in sugar intake really adds up.

Plus, it also makes our blood sugar less stable and causes our serotonin to roller coaster (both really bad things from a migraine trigger perspective).

But… that doesn’t mean we have to give it completely up.  Obviously, saying no would be the best option.  But there’s something to be said about the emotional toll always missing out takes on you too.

So let's talk about a few things we can do to help mitigate the impact sugar has on you.

1)  Make better sugar choices.

 Not all sugar is created equal.  White or powdered sugar and the granulated sugar that we think of as sugar is one of the most inflammatory forms of sugar we have.

So instead, let's look at finding some recipes that uses alternative sugar ingredients like honey, Maple syrup, or stevia. 

Sugar free alternatives (not the chemical kind like aspartame or sucralose) include wood grain sugars like xylitol or erythritol.  Word of warning – these can cause digestive upset for some and may be migraine triggers for others, so tread carefully when beginning to experiment with these options.

Dates are another excellent source of natural sugar (as long as dried fruits don’t trigger you).

2)  Limit added sugars to no more than 25 grams a day.

While at first this may seem to be pretty easy, it adds up.

Kombucha, a healthy fermented beverage often recommended for it’s probiotic support, can have up to 20 grams in one bottle alone.  Yogurt can have as much as 30 grams! 

Tracking your sugar intake can be really helpful.  We aren’t talking about calculating how much sugar is in your apple but we do want to track how much ADDED sugar is present.

This will be listed in the food label under sugar as added sugar (not total sugar). 

We want the total amount of added sugars to be under 25 grams per day.

3)  Eat protein before you eat sugar.

One of the first tips of blood sugar balancing is to eat a high protein food before or with your high carb/sugar food.  This helps to slow the uptake of sugar from the digestive tract and slows the blood sugar spike that happens when we eat our sweets.

While this trick won't reduce the inflammation associated with sugar intake, it will help to prevent a huge surge in sugar followed by a huge surge in insulin, which causes the wild blood sugar swings that can trigger a migraine.

4)  Give your body a little anti-inflammatory boost.

When we do indulge in a bit more sugar than normal, certain supplements and herbs can be helpful to counteract the resulting inflammation.

One of my favorites (because it can also help with migraines in general) is turmeric.  Taking up to 3000 mg a day can help reduce inflammation, support a healthy gut, and act as an anti-viral.  Win, win, win!

CBD oil is another great anti-inflammatory (assuming it’s legal where you live).  Between 50 – 100 mg a day can help to reduce inflammation (and migraine intensity!).

A non-traditional inflammation-fighting supplement called Mega IgG2000 is more specifically geared towards inflammation caused by foods we eat.  It helps to calm down the GI tract and reduce the immune reactivity.

Finally, Boswellia, ginger, and Serratapeptidase are also among my favorites.

Often, I’ll try a combination of a couple of the anti-inflammatories.  Herbs work wonderfully together and, when we switch up our combos, it prevents our body from adjusting to them so that they work better and longer.

So this Christmas season, allow yourself a little leeway in the treats department - but do so with these tips in mind.

Next week we'll discuss the second "S" of the season and, even though it seems like something you have no control over, you'll be surprised at what you can do to abort these "S" caused migraines.

If you want to learn more on this topic, check out my You Tube video here:  https://youtu.be/IFTu2ckegOE