Headaches

[SparrowGal2014]

I'm on day 8, (I actually started 13 days ago, but some sugar & rice flour as preservative additives on day 5 started me over, so my what to expect symptoms are more in line with day 13). Anyway, I am a migraine sufferer & have experienced chronic headaches most of my life. But it seems everyday around 3-4 PM I'm developing a headache. And I really do not like to take my migraine meds, they wipe me out, but I caved in Thanksgiving night. I expect it the first few days, especially with caffeine (not a coffee drinker, it was mostly from diet soda) & sugar withdrawal. But this is out of control. I feel pretty great otherwise. I'm not eating any preservatives or migraine trigger foods. I don't get it? I'm also drinking enough water as that's all I'm drinking. Any suggestions? Experiences? Words of wisdom? All will be appreciated!

[GFChris]

Are you eating enough food, especially enough fat? Feel free to post a few days worth of your meals, including portions sizes, and we can see if anything stands out.

[SparrowGal2014]

Ok, here's my typical for the past 8 days:

B: pear or Apple w/ 2 T flax seeds & 2 T Justin's almond butter

L: grilled chicken (s/p or hot sauce)

Greens, evoo(1/2-1 T) balsamic vinegar 2 t, 1 T pecans, 1 T raisins (sometimes)

D: lean burger or steak or chicken or turkey, baked potato (sweet or white-s/p if needed)

Salad-same as above or butternut squash or green beans.

Berries grapes or Apple for dessert.

Lots of water & seltzer.

This weekend I did make sesame chicken cutlets: egg, sesame seeds, ginger, s/p, garlic. Sautéed in evoo. Oven was broken.

Lunch protein is about 4 oz, dinner 4-6 oz. potato-half to as big as my fist.

And I don't have a headache, right now anyway.

Thank you in advance!

[GFChris]

Ok, I see why you might be having a problem. Your breakfast is not a meal and you're low on fat.

For best results, build all meals to have 1-2 palms of protein, 1-3 cups of veggies and a compliant fat.

Your breakfast is fruit and fat (seeds and nuts are fats on a Whole30) and missing protein and veggies. Don't let fruit push vegetables off your plate.

[AmyS]

Ok, here's my typical for the past 8 days:

B: pear or Apple w/ 2 T flax seeds & 2 T Justin's almond butter

L: grilled chicken (s/p or hot sauce)

Greens, evoo(1/2-1 T) balsamic vinegar 2 t, 1 T pecans, 1 T raisins (sometimes)

D: lean burger or steak or chicken or turkey, baked potato (sweet or white-s/p if needed)

Salad-same as above or butternut squash or green beans.

Berries grapes or Apple for dessert.

Lots of water & seltzer.

This weekend I did make sesame chicken cutlets: egg, sesame seeds, ginger, s/p, garlic. Sautéed in evoo. Oven was broken.

Lunch protein is about 4 oz, dinner 4-6 oz. potato-half to as big as my fist.

And I don't have a headache, right now anyway.

Thank you in advance!

I'm glad you are not having a headache, that's got to feel like relief.

 

Are you familiar with the Whole30 meal template? We recommend that folks use this as a guide to composing meals while on Whole30. Here it is:

1. 1-2 palm-size portions of protein (the length, width, and thickness of the palm of your hand)

2. 1-2 or more thumb-size portions of fat

3. 1-3 cups of veggies

 

Fruit is optional on Whole30, and if you choose to include it, eat a fist-size serving once or twice a day with a meal.

 

Nuts and seeds are a fat source on Whole30, and we recommend that folks limit their consumption because they can cause digestive distress for many, and they can also bring on and contribute to cravings.

 

On Whole30, we ask that you put aside the sorts of measuring and weighing strategies that you may have used in the past. Instead of measuring and weighing your portions, use the more general measurements we recommend for the meal template.

 

We also ask that you eat three of these meals per day, the first within one hour of waking. Each meal should satisfy you for 4-5 hours. If you need to eat in between, because you're hungry, eat a mini-meal of protein and fat, or just another full meal. In other words, eat up! We're not into snacking or desserts here in Whole30land. Eat meals.

 

Frankly, given what you've been eating (and not eating), I have to say that I'm surprised that you don't have a headache pretty much all the time. You're not eating much, and your eating strategy kind of reminds me of the old Weight Watchers plans I used to try back in the 80s. Here's a suggestion for tweaking your meals, based on what you've reported:

 

Meal One: I'd suggest going back to the drawing board here. A huge hit of fruit sugar and nuts right away to start off your day is a recipe for headaches, fogginess, and digestive distress for the rest of the day. Consider Meal One as just that, Meal One, and compose meals using protein/veg/fat based on foods you like, rather than foods you may have been taught are breakfast foods.

 

Meal Two: Make sure your portion of chicken is enough to satisfy you. If you are eating salad greens as your vegetable, you will need like a wheelbarrow full - salad greens wilt down to next to nothing. I'd suggest adding something with a bit more heft, another veggie, in other words, to round out your veggie offering. You also need to add fat. You can drizzle oil on your salad (a generous drizzle!!!!). Keep nuts to a minimum, and dried fruit as a condiment - huge sugar hit.

 

Meal Three: Consider fatty cuts of meat for added fat, you seem to be focused on cutting out fat, and we here in Whole30land very specifically want you to ADD fat to each and every meal, each and every day. Again, your salad is going to need to be huge. 

 

We do want you to eat well, and subsisting on nuts, fruits, and salad greens, with some lean meat thrown in, just isn't going to give you enough nourishment to get the full Whole30 experience. Protein, veg, fat is where it's at.

 

Give it a go for a couple of days and let us know how it goes for you.

[SparrowGal2014]

Thanks-not measuring, just guesstimates as I don't want to go overboard either, I don't crack out the scale & measuring spoons/cups (except fruit, too easy to eat to much). I do eat carrots most AMs for work as they're easy. I'll work on the AM protein. Eggs are out. Can't do it at work & hard boiled absolutely disgust me.

[GFChris]

I'll work on the AM protein. Eggs are out. Can't do it at work & hard boiled absolutely disgust me.

Eggs aren't required to do a Whole30. There are plenty of other protein options available.

For inspiration, Google Whole30 non-egg breakfast for links to many past forum discussions on this topic. You might also find this thread of non-traditional breakfasts to be helpful. http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/28832-lets-talk-non-traditional-breakfasts/

[gtm5]

I found out that nuts were my main migraine trigger when I started doing Whole 30's.  I could not get past the first week because of the migraines I was getting.  Eventually, I did an elimination diet to pinpoint what was triggering the migraines and it turned out to be nuts - cashews, walnuts, almonds .... all the things most of us try to add in more of when we start Whole 30's.

 

I thought I would let you know just in case it happens to be the nuts that are triggering your headaches.

 

Good luck,

 

Gabby

[ArtFossil]

I'll work on the AM protein. Eggs are out. Can't do it at work & hard boiled absolutely disgust me.

What about a frittata? Easy to make and a slice can be eaten anywhere. Frittatas have saved many a morning for me. (Day 24).

And "breakfast" is just "meal 1" so can be leftovers from other meals.