Hey Migraine Mentees 👋 

How’s it going so far? It’s already the first week of February!

Where are you at on your New Year’s Resolutions?!

👉️ If you need help holding yourself accountable, reach out to us…

We’re exploring a 30-day course to help create accountability and habits for our community, essentially taking everything we’ve done clinically and turning it into 30 days of information and content for you.

Email us at [email protected] to let us know if you’re interested!

This edition takes 5 minutes and 57 seconds to read, but if you’ve only got 60 seconds, here’s what you need to know:

• Exercise will always be your friend, until it isn’t.

• Different types of exercise will provide different benefits for your brain and body.

• Individuals with predispositions to migraine attacks need to be aware of high-intensity interval training and its effects on blood flow, which could trigger migraine symptoms.

• Exercise is your friend, not your enemy; Do it every day to get the benefits!

The more you know, the more you grow…

🧠 The Migraine Mentors

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In This Week’s Edition…

• 🥡 Weekly Take-Out

  • Meme of The Week - Do I Look Like I Feel?

• 📸 Weekly TikToks

  • The Differences Between Migraine Aphasia & Aura

  • Cat-Cow Exercises for Back Tightness

• 🔈️ The Migraine Mentors Minicast - Podcast Series

  • How To Choose Which Exercise is Best For You

• 💣️ This Week’s Sponsor

  • CBDistillery - 💤 Sleep Your Way To Better Health

• 📜 This Week’s Top Article

  • Migraine and Exercise - Friend or Foe?

• 🍴 Migraine-Friendly Recipe of the Week

  • Turkey and Avocado Lettuce Wraps

🥡 WEEKLY TAKE-OUT

Meme of The Week

🥡 WEEKLY TIKTOKS

The Differences Between Migraine Aphasia & Aura

@themigrainementor

#greenscreen #creatorsearchinsights #brain #migraine #chronicillness #chronicsymptoms #fyp #migrainerelief #vestibularmigraine #migraines ... See more

Cat-Cow Exercises for Back Tightness

@headache_whisperer

#creatorsearchinsights #migraine #concussion #migraines #headache #headaches Www.theneuralconnection.com

🗞️ MIGRAINE MINICAST

How To Choose Which Exercise is Best For You

🧠 Movement will always be the best way to optimize your brain and body…

But for those who struggle with migraine attacks, exercise can be both good and bad.

💪 Different exercises will give you different results, and it’s important to know how to get started with exercise if you’re not currently physically active…

Even more importantly, it’s essential to stay away from specific types of exercises in the early stages of your exercise program to make sure you don’t flare up your symptoms!

🥼 Dr. Reis digs into these factors and discusses how to choose which exercise is best for you based on where you are in your exercise regimen…

👇️ Click the link below to check it out! 👇️

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📜 TOP ARTICLE

Migraine and Exercise - Friend or Foe?

Managing migraine symptoms can be tricky, regardless of how physically active you are…

We’ve all been told that “exercise is our best friend", and while that’s true (for the most part), it needs to be kept into context if you’re someone who struggles with migraine attacks.

While physical exercise often helps reduce migraine frequency and severity, certain workouts—especially high-intensity interval training (HIIT)—can someimtes trigger attacks.

We want you to be informed when it comes to physical exercise, so let’s dig into this…

🌟 Starting an Exercise Routine

If you’re not currently active, it’s always best to begin with gentle activities like short walks or light stretches for 10–15 minutes at a time.

And as silly as it seems, these are often where you will start to see the most benefits. Of course, you can gradually increase duration and intensity as you build stamina.

Consistency is key in these early stages; We suggest to avoid sudden bursts of effort that spike your heart rate, which could potentially trigger migraine attacks.

Slow and steady wins the race… So after 3-4 weeks of low-grade cardiovascular exercise, you’re most likely going to be ready for a greater load.

Listen to your body and prioritize steady progress over intense workouts in these early stages… And once you’re past that, it’s time to get to work!

🫁 Aerobic Exercise

Moderate cardio activities—like brisk walking, swimming, or cycling—are great migraine-friendly exercises as they help improve circulation, release endorphins, and reduce stress, all of which can protect against migraine attacks.

The key in this stage will be pacing yourself to avoid sudden spikes in heart rate. Of course, you should always be drinking enough water (with electrolytes!) and focus on consistent effort over time.

Gradually increasing intensity prevents abrupt changes that might provoke a migraine and will give you the much needed time for recovery.

Once again, go at your own pace, but you’ve got the green light to push it if you’re feeling good at this stage!

🙏 Yoga and Mindfulness

Yoga is a great first line of exercise that offers gentle movement, controlled breathing, and stress relief—making it especially migraine-friendly.

It can often release tension in the neck and shoulders, which are common pain zones for migraineurs.

Adding mindfulness or meditation practices can further calm the nervous system and alleviate stress-related triggers.

We love this one so much we often prescribe it to our patients for home therapy!

🏋️ Weightlifting

Strength training can be highly beneficial for posture and muscle balance, which supports neck, shoulder, and upper back health—important areas for migraine sufferers.

However, heavy lifting or poor breathing technique (like the Valsalva maneuver) can spike blood pressure and trigger attacks, so make sure you’ve got your feet underneath you before moving to heavier weights.

It’s always best to start with lighter weights, focus on proper form, and exhale during exertion to reduce strain on the head and body.

Weight lifting is a phenomenal exercise in general, but some caution should be taken if you’re a migraine sufferer and haven’t lifted much before.

😅 What About HIIT?

HIIT involves short bursts of intense activity followed by brief rest… And while it can be a great exercise for athletes, it can cause more harm than good for those who struggle with migraine attacks.

These rapid changes in heart rate and blood pressure can spell trouble for migraine-prone individuals, especially if you’re not at a high level of fitness!

Spikes in stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, along with potential dehydration, can also tip the scales toward a migraine attack…

If you love HIIT and choose to pursue it, stay hydrated (with your electrolytes), warm up thoroughly, and consider shorter, less intense intervals until you’re in adequate shape to do multiple rounds.

🗒️ General Exercise Guidelines for Migraine Sufferers

• Listen to Your Body: If you sense a migraine coming on, scale back or pause.

• Stay Hydrated and Fueled (with electrolytes): Even mild dehydration or low blood sugar can trigger migraine symptoms.

• Ease In and Out: Gentle warm-ups and cool-downs help prevent sudden cardiovascular changes.

• Consult Professionals (when needed): A doctor or headache specialist can tailor an exercise plan that fits your needs.

As you can guess, exercise can be a powerful ally against migraine symptoms when approached carefully…

By choosing the right intensity, paying attention to warning signs, and balancing different exercise types, you can stay active while keeping migraine attacks at bay.

Movement is the language of the brain; So do it everyday to optimize your brain!

🍴MIGRAINE-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Turkey and Avocado Lettuce Wraps

🥣 Ingredients

• Sliced Turkey Breast: Opt for fresh or roasted turkey breast without additives or preservatives, as processed meats are higher in histamine and can trigger migraines in some individuals.

• Avocado: A nutritious fruit that provides healthy fats. Avocados are generally considered low in histamine and usually well-tolerated by those with migraines.

• Lettuce Leaves: Use fresh lettuce leaves like romaine or butter lettuce as the wrap base. Lettuce is low in histamine and unlikely to trigger migraines.

• Tomatoes: While fresh tomatoes are moderate in histamine for some individuals, they are usually considered acceptable unless personal sensitivities exist.

• *Note: Add peanuts or almonds for flavor and crunch

📖 Instructions

1. Prepare Ingredients: Wash the lettuce leaves thoroughly and pat them dry. Slice the avocado and tomatoes.

2. Assemble Wraps: Lay out a lettuce leaf, place a layer of turkey breast, and add avocado slices. Add nuts if they’re not a trigger.

3. Add Flavor: Add diced tomatoes on top of the avocado.

4. Wrap and Serve: Fold or roll the lettuce leaves around the filling, securing it as a wrap, and serve immediately.

💪 The Health Benefits

Why It’s Migraine and Histamine Friendly

1. Fresh Ingredients: The recipe uses fresh, whole ingredients that are typically low in histamines compared to aged, fermented, or overly processed foods.

2. No Preservatives: Selecting turkey without added nitrates or preservatives helps minimize histamine exposure. Processed meats are known migraine triggers.

3. Healthy Fats: Avocado provides beneficial fats, which can help maintain stable blood sugar levels, reducing one possible migraine trigger.

4. Low in Common Triggers: Foods like chocolate, aged cheese, and alcohol, which are common migraine and histamine triggers, are absent from this recipe.