Quick Action Plan for Headaches…

1. Since food allergies can play a role in over 90 percent of certain types of headaches, such as migraine, it is important that you be screened for food allergies and sensitivities, and avoid eating all foods that you are allergic or sensitive to.

2. Emphasize a diet of fresh, organic foods with an emphasis on vegetables, especially dark leafy green vegetables, salads, free-range organic poultry, wild-caught, cold-water fish, and non-gluten, complex carbohydrate foods, such as red potatoes, squash, and yams.

3. A helpful dietary remedy for headaches is “potassium broth,” which can be made by combining washed but unpeeled carrots and potatoes with a variety of potassium-rich green vegetables into a pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, and then simmer for ten to 15 minutes, then strain out the broth and sip it throughout the day.

4. To help prevent and reverse headaches, supplement with B-complex vitamins, vitamin B3, vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, and potassium, along with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), evening primrose oil, and the amino acid DL-phenylalanine.

5. Certain herbs can also help prevent and reduce headache symptoms. These include bay leaves, cayenne pepper, chamomile, coriander, garlic, ginkgo biloba, ginger, skullcap, turmeric, valerian root, wild yam, and willow bark.

6. Since headaches are often due to chronic muscle tension and/or muscle spasm, bodywork can be extremely helpful in minimizing the risk of headaches, especially Alexander Technique, Bowen Therapy, Feldenkrais, massage therapy, Polarity therapy, Structural Integration and Rolfing.

7. Hot baths, saunas, and steam baths can help ease headache pain by increasing blood circulation and easing muscle tension.

8. Learning how to cope with daily stress by practicing relaxation exercises can also significantly reduce the incidence of headaches. One of the simplest methods of relaxation is simply to close your eyes as you sit comfortably in a chair, breathing gently and deeply through your belly. Do this for five minutes at a time and repeat throughout the day.