The Migraine Mentors Newsletter

🆘 Can we be real again for a second?

We still need your help…

We’ve been treating migraine patients for years and know a lot about treatments, therapies, providing care and support, and translating the literature to care…

📣 But we don’t know what YOU really need help with… So we’re here to ask.

• What do YOU want to learn about?

• What’s troubling YOU?

• What are YOU curious about?

• Where have YOU struggled?

• Where have providers failed YOU in the past?

• And what are YOU hoping to gain from reading this newsletter every week?

❓️We may think we know, but we may have no idea…

So, we want YOU to share your insights with us so we can make this the best migraine newsletter on the planet.

💰️ We’re offering FIVE MORE people who respond to this with a $10 gift card to Amazon…

All you need to do is email us ([email protected]) with your feedback and insights. That’s it!

💁 Your input will help shape the future of this newsletter and help everyone who reads it…

Thank YOU!

🧠 The Migraine Mentors

First time reading?! Sign up HERE.

Here’s What’s Cookin’ This Week

•  🗞️ Media & Research

  • Helpful Tips from Around the Scientific Community

• 🔈️ The Migraine Minicast - Podcast Series = 🔥 NEW!

  • Stress and Migraine - How To Manage One To Treat The Other

• 🥡 Weekly Take-Out

  • Meme of The Week - It Hurts So Gooooooood

• 📜 This Week’s Top Article

  • How To Change Your Migraine via Hormones

• 💣️  Sponsor

  • CBDistillery!

• 🧨 Pro Tip

  • Relaxation Hacks

• 🍴 Migraine-Friendly Recipe of the Week

  • Quinoa Breakfast Bowl with Blueberries and Almonds

🗞️ MEDIA & RESEARCH

What’s Happening in the Migraine World?

• The brain’s sewage system (known as the glymphatic system) plays an important role in migraine attacks and recent studies have shown that this system could both contribute to migraine symptoms and be altered because of them.

• Topiramate, one of the most widely used migraine medications, may be beneficial for preventing migraines, but in 3% of users (possibly more), it can cause severe ocular and visual-threatening problems.

• Vestibular migraine symptoms are far more than just dizziness and vertigo, which is why it’s so important to know the differences.

• It’s well-known that foods can trigger migraine symptoms, but new evidence is finding that gut microbiome and specific diets can improve the frequency, duration, and intensity of migraine attacks in adults.

🗞️ MIGRAINE MINICAST

Migraine and Stress - New Podcast Episode

In our first podcast episode, we speak about the importance of managing stress, how stress plays a role in migraine symptoms, and, more importantly, what YOU can do to decrease your stress.

🔻 🔻 🔻 🔻 Click the link below to check it out! 🔻 🔻 🔻 🔻 

🥡 WEEKLY TAKE-OUT

Meme of The Week

📜 TOP ARTICLE

How To Change Your Migraine via Balancing Hormones

Hormonal health plays a crucial role in overall well-being, especially for women navigating migraine symptoms tied to their menstrual cycle.

If migraines flare up around your period, it's often due to fluctuating estrogen levels.

🫠 The bad news?

Everyone is different… So it often takes trial and error to figure it out… Or a solid set of labs!

🤩 The good news?

There are A TON of steps to take to balance your hormones and improve your symptoms… Which means there’s always another treatment to consider…

Let’s get into it.

⚖️ Understanding Hormonal Balance and It’s Impact on Migraine Symptoms

Hormones like estrogen and progesterone are vital for regulating your cycle, mood, energy levels, and even your pain response.

When these hormones fall out of balance, the results can be debilitating—especially if you’re prone to migraine symptoms.

Estrogen, in particular, is closely tied to migraine attacks.

Sharp drops before your period or after childbirth can trigger intense symptoms, but improving your hormonal profile may reduce both their frequency and severity.

🧪 The Estrogen-Migraine Connection

During the menstrual cycle, estrogen naturally fluctuates, with levels peaking mid-cycle and then plummeting before your period.

These changes can cause:

• Pre-period migraine symptoms: Estrogen levels drop right before menstruation.

• Ovulation-related symptoms: A rapid increase and subsequent dip in estrogen can also be a trigger.

• Post-pregnancy migraine symptoms: A sudden drop in estrogen after childbirth may provoke intense symptoms.

You can thank mother nature for that one…

But it’s also important to understand that while these fluctuations can happen, they don’t necessarily have to….

♀️ Progesterone’s Role in Hormonal Health

While estrogen usually takes center stage during migraine discussions, progesterone works in tandem to maintain a delicate balance.

Progesterone is important because it does the following:

• Calms the nervous system, promoting relaxation.

• Regulates estrogen levels, preventing excessive fluctuations.

So when progesterone is too low relative to estrogen, migraine symptoms may worsen, especially in the luteal phase of your cycle.

It’s not as easy as just taking estrogen and having everything go away…

But not all is lost; Here are some steps to take to naturally balance your hormones.

🌿 Practical Steps to Balance Hormones Naturally

Improving your hormonal profile doesn’t have to feel overwhelming.

Here’s a brief and generalized roadmap to help stabilize estrogen and support overall hormonal health:

1. Support Liver Health for Estrogen Metabolism

Your liver plays a key role in processing and eliminating excess estrogen. We suggest keeping it functioning optimally with these tips:

• Eat cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts.

• Limit alcohol and processed foods to reduce liver burden.

• Consider supplements like DIM (Diindolylmethane) to promote healthy estrogen metabolism.

• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and support detoxification processes.

2. Focus on Anti-inflammatory Foods

Since inflammation impacts estrogen levels, a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods can help.

• Omega-3 fatty acids (found in salmon, chia seeds, and walnuts) reduce inflammation.

• Turmeric and ginger are potent natural anti-inflammatories.

• Magnesium-rich foods (like leafy greens and almonds) support hormone regulation and can often reduce migraine severity.

🩺 Clinical Note: CBD is also a potent anti-inflammatory that we’ve used clinically with great results. Click HERE to check out our sponsor, CBDistillery!

3. Manage Stress to Regulate Cortisol

Chronic stress elevates cortisol, which can disrupt your hormonal balance and worsen migraine symptoms, sleep, and recovery. Here’s how to combat it:

• Practice mindfulness techniques like meditation or yoga.

• Prioritize quality sleep to help reset your cortisol levels.

• Incorporate adaptogens like Ashwagandha and Rhodiola to support your stress response.

• Utilize belly breathing to change your nervous system and train your brain.

4. Exercise Mindfully & Appropriate To Your Hormonal Profile

Physical activity helps regulate estrogen levels, but the type and timing matter.

• Engage in moderate exercise (like walking or cycling) during the first half of your cycle.

• During the luteal phase, focus on gentler exercises such as yoga or Pilates to avoid over stressing the body.

It’s well known that exercise can either be a friend or enemy for those who struggle with migraine, so individuality will always be key for finding a balance.

5. Consider Hormone-Supportive Supplements

• Magnesium: Helps reduce headaches and supports muscle relaxation.

• Vitamin B6: Promotes progesterone production and helps balance estrogen.

• Evening Primrose Oil: May alleviate PMS symptoms and improve hormonal balance.

• CBD: Potent anti-inflammatory that can help calm the brain and body during or before a migraine event.

🥼 When to Seek Professional Guidance

If your migraine symptoms persist despite lifestyle adjustments, it may be time to consult a healthcare provider…

Qualified healthcare providers can:

• Evaluate potential nutrient deficiencies or hormonal imbalances.

• Recommend bioidentical hormone therapy or other targeted treatments.

• Help adjust or change hormonal birth control if it’s exacerbating your symptoms.

• Run diagnostic blood and hormonal tests like the DUTCH panel.

• Perform neurological and metabolic assessments for personalized care.

🛣️ Your Hormones Are Not Your Destiny

Balancing your hormones is a powerful way to reduce migraine symptoms and enhance your overall well-being.

By understanding your body’s natural rhythms and making intentional changes, you can significantly improve your quality of life.

We suggest to start with small, sustainable steps, and always remember to listen to your body.

💡 Stay tuned for next week’s newsletter!

🧨 MIGRAINE PRO TIP

Relaxation Hacks

🫠 In our experience, one of the most common triggers for migraine is stress.

And rightfully so.

In general, stress makes most things worse.

The analogy we make for how stress affects migraine it called “the bucket theory.”

🪣 The bucket represents how well your body can handle stressful situations. Not just emotional resilience, but how well the stress hormones can be made and cleared.

🚰 How fast the bucket fills up depends on several factors, represented by faucets.

Some of the faucets include the cervical spine, nutrition, hormones etc.

So, from our perspective, migraine management is a question of whether it’s a bucket problem (ability to handle stress) or a faucet problem (too many triggers).

We’ll get into the faucets in later episodes. For now, let’s focus on ways to make the bucket bigger 🪣 

⬇️ Below are 2 of our favorite tips to reduce stress and make the bucket bigger.

1: Deep breathing. 

🫁 Below are a few links that demonstrate some breathing techniques we use all the time with patients.

😰 The first is more of a long-term strategy. The second is more for immediate relief from anxiety and stress.

2: Brainwave Entrainment

⏩️ This is perhaps the easiest, fastest way to calm your nervous system down.

🚗 Think of your brain like a car.

🤔 The top gear is for things like deep work and critical thinking.

😴 Slower gears are for sleep and relaxation.

Brainwave entrainment helps you shift into whatever gear you like. Immediately. With no effort.

🔉 Its actually really simple.

If the right ear hears a tone at 100 hz, and the left ear hears a tone at 110 hz, the brain will begin to work at 10 hz.

😴 10 hz is a great speed if you want to relax.

⬇️ The video below is an excellent tool to wind down.

Use it whenever you feel stressed. Listen while you read, clean, or perform tasks.

(Just don’t use it when you drive)

🍴MIGRAINE-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl w/ Blueberries & Almonds

Instructions

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl with Blueberries and Almonds

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa

- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

- 1 tablespoon almond butter

- Optional: coconut flakes for topping

Instructions:

1. Prepare Quinoa: If you haven't already, rinse 1/2 cup of quinoa under cold water to remove its natural coating (saponins), which can be bitter. Cook it according to package instructions, usually by simmering with 1 cup of water for about 15 minutes or until fluffy.

2. Combine Ingredients: In a bowl, add the cooked quinoa and top it with fresh blueberries and almond butter.

3. Optional Toppings: Sprinkle coconut flakes on top for added texture and flavor if desired.

4. Serve: Enjoy this nutritious breakfast warm or cold, based on your preference.

Why It’s Migraine & Histamine Friendly:

- Quinoa: 

- Quinoa is a gluten-free grain that is low in histamine, making it suitable for individuals with histamine intolerance. It is also a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids, which can help keep you feeling full and satisfied. It’s high fiber content aids in stable blood sugar levels, which is important for preventing migraine triggers related to blood sugar spikes or drops.

- Blueberries: 

- Blueberries are low in histamine and known for their rich antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which can benefit brain health. They contain anthocyanins that may help reduce inflammation, a factor that can contribute to migraines. Additionally, they promote overall metabolic health without causing rapid increases in blood sugar levels.

- Almond Butter: 

- Almond butter is high in healthy fats and protein, providing sustained energy without causing blood sugar spikes. It is generally well-tolerated for those with histamine issues, so long as it is fresh and free from additives. Additionally, it contains magnesium, which can be beneficial in reducing the frequency and intensity of migraines. Even eliminating sweeteners altogether makes the recipe more migraine-friendly.