Hey Migraine Mentees 👋 

Today’s newsletter takes another 5 minutes to read—so if you’ve only got 60 seconds, here’s what you need to know:

• Don’t skip meals. Long gaps and “naked carbs” are common migraine triggers; build protein & fiber-first meals…

• Walk after meals (5–10 min) to blunt glucose spikes…

• Exercise works. 3 days of cardio + 2 days of simple strength can reduce migraine days as much as a medication in clinical trials…

• Consider magnesium, riboflavin, CoQ10—evidence supports modest benefits and good tolerability…

• GLP‑1s are not migraine drugs (yet). If you’re on them for other reasons, track your headaches and talk with your clinician…

• Personalize. Keep a simple log; what steadies your energy often steadies your head…

Your habits far outweigh your genetic capacity, so the more you can take massive action and own your outcomes, the quicker you can find relief and finally experience freedom from migraines!

🧠 The Migraine Mentors

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In This Week’s Edition…

• 🥡 Weekly Take-Out

  • Meme of The Week - 😶‍🌫️ When Migraines Are Called Headaches…

• 📸 Weekly TikToks

  • How To Relieve A Migraine Instantly

  • When Sleep Makes A Migraine Worse…

• 📢 This Week’s Sponsor

  • Fay Nutrition - Find an insurance-friendly Registered Dietician near YOU!

• 🔈️ The Migraine Mentors Minicast - Podcast Series

  • How Metabolic Dysfunction Drives Migraine Attacks

• 📜 This Week’s Top Article

  • Do You Suffer From Metabolic Migraine?

• 🍴 Migraine-Friendly Recipe of the Week

  • Creamy Zucchini Soup

🥡 WEEKLY TAKE-OUT

Meme of The Week

🥡 WEEKLY TIKTOKS

How To Relieve A Migraine Instantly

@themigrainedoc

How to Relieve a Migraine Instantly Share this one with your Migraine friends #howto #migraine #migrainerelief #themigrainedoc

When Sleep Makes A Migraine Worse…

@robynthorne

Migraine attacks are often more likely to occur between 4:00 and 9:00 a.m., suggesting a possible link to sleep patterns and circadian rhy... See more

🗞️ MIGRAINE MINICAST

🎧 How Metabolic Dysfunction Drives Migraine Attacks

🥡 If hangry eating and carb-heavy meals spike your migraine symptoms, you might be dealing with an underlying metabolic condition... You just may not realize it yet!

🧠 In this week’s Migraine Mentors Minicast, we discuss the importance of metabolic health and migraine attacks and share details about the following topics:

• What “metabolic migraine” means in plain English (hint: It’s not a formal diagnosis)…

• The 3 big migraine triggers: long meal gaps, “naked carbs,” and reactive blood sugar swing—and how to fix each…

• Sugar swings & the brain: why energy‑sensitive circuits overreact and create a neuroinflammatory cascade for migraine symptoms…

• How the benefits of physical movement matches meds + a simple starter plan to get your day going…

🎯 This episode will give you everything you need to know AND to get started down a new path towards healing and recovery.

👇 Tap below to listen now! 👇

📜 TOP ARTICLE

Do You Suffer From Metabolic Migraine?

If your migraines flare after a coffee‑only morning or a carb‑heavy lunch, you might be someone susceptible to metabolic migraines…

Many people (especially women) with migraine show insulin resistance and altered brain glucose handling… And yes, that includes those who haven’t been diagnosed with diabetes.

The problem isn’t sugar itself, it’s the immediate sugar spike that leads to the eventual glucose crash.

So before you start diagnosing yourself and perseverating on a new problem, let’s dig a bit deeper into the situation…

⚡️ How Blood Sugar Can Trigger Symptoms

Long gaps between meals, high‑glycemic “naked carbs,” and reactive hypoglycemia (a post‑meal drop) are all linked to migraines in susceptible individual populations.

Translation: The brain doesn’t love energetic whiplash.

And considering the fact that Alzheimer’s Disease is now being considered the Type III Diabetes, it makes sense that overloading the brain with glucose can lead to destructive changes over time.

📓 Common Metabolic Issues That Often Go Uncovered

• Reactive hypoglycemia 🩸 

  • Feels like: 2–4‑hour post‑meal crash, fog, head pain, or migraine.

  • What helps: protein‑first meals, fiber, and short post‑meal walks to immediately lower blood sugar.

• Insulin resistance 💪 

  • Feels like: energy dips, carb cravings, central weight gain, and brain fog.

  • What helps: strength training + meal quality; review labs with your clinician to assess blood chemistry levels of nutrients, hormones, and metabolites.

• Meal timing gaps ⏲️ 

  • Feels like: “hangry” migraines and headache-like symptoms.

  • What helps: eat within 60-90 min of waking to allow adequate cortisol timing; avoid >4–5‑hour gaps throughout the day to keep blood sugar stable.

• High‑glycemic, low fiber/low‑protein meals 🍦 

  • Feels like: quick spike then slump. Reaching for candy, Starbucks, or quick snacks for energy.

  • What helps: add 20–35 g protein, non‑starchy veggies, and healthy fats; place starches after protein/veg and fiber-based foods to optimize blood sugar levels over time AND increase GLP-1 production (more to come on this…)

⚖️ Sugar Swings & the Brain

The brain is both energy‑hungry and energy-sensitive to changes in available fuel…

Which is why big glucose swings can stress the trigeminovascular and brainstem circuits involved in migraine, triggering neuro-inflammation and symptoms of migraine.

Additional studies show higher insulin resistance in migraine patient cohorts, especially chronic migraine, even in the absence of a diabetes diagnosis.

🏃 How Physical Movement Matches Medication Benefits

In a 3‑arm randomized control trial (the highest quality of trials available), aerobic exercise (40 min, 3×/week) reduced migraine days similarly to topiramate and mindfulness relaxation over 3 months (Varkey 2011).

Crazy, right?!

As we’ve discussed in previous Migraine Mentors newsletters on exercise and migraine, it’s always best to start off slowly before engaging in rigorous physical activity.

For those of you just starting out, we suggest a weekly program of doing 3 days of low-grade cardio, 2 days of basic strength training, and short post‑meal walks daily.

The Bottom Line: Flatten the glucose curve with protein‑first, fiber-rich plates, sensible timing, and daily movement. Small, repeatable habits turn the dial on metabolic‑migraine patterns.

*Clinical Note: Before starting any new exercise, nutrition, or healthy change, always consult with your doctor or primary care physician.

As you can see, your habits and daily choices can have a profound impact on your migraine attacks and the frequency of your symptoms.

It’s the magic bullet we focus on with our patients at The Neural Connection and we believe it’s one of the major factors for why we help people get better after they’ve been everywhere else…

Knowledge is useless without application, so it’s up to YOU to take this and implement it into your daily life!

🧠 The Migraine Mentors

🍴MIGRAINE-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Creamy Zucchini Soup

🥒 Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchinis (chopped)

• 1 small potato (peeled, diced)

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (preferably homemade, or choose one without yeast extract, MSG, or preservatives)

• Pinch of sea salt

• Fresh parsley or basil for garnish

🗒️ Instructions

1. Warm olive oil in a pot. Add zucchini and potato, sauté gently for 3–4 minutes.

2. Pour in broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until vegetables are tender (about 15 minutes).

3. Blend soup with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.

4. Taste, adjust with a little salt, and garnish with fresh herbs.

🌿 Why It’s Migraine & Histamine-Friendly

• Zucchini → A low-histamine vegetable that’s light and hydrating. It’s usually well-tolerated by people with migraines and provides gentle fiber for digestion.

• Potato → Starchy and grounding, helps stabilize blood sugar (important because dips in blood sugar can trigger migraines). Potatoes are also naturally low in histamine.

• Olive oil → A clean, healthy fat that adds richness without relying on dairy (which can be a trigger for some). Olive oil is low in histamine and anti-inflammatory.

• Vegetable broth (homemade or carefully chosen) → Store-bought broths often have hidden triggers like yeast extract, MSG, or artificial flavorings. Making your own with fresh veggies ensures it’s migraine-friendly and low histamine.

• Fresh herbs (parsley, basil) → Add bright flavor without using high-histamine spices like chili flakes or vinegar. Fresh herbs are also antioxidant-rich.