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:

• The six most overlooked nutrients in migraine care…

• How quiet nutrient gaps can drag down energy, sleep, and pain tolerance…

• Food-first tweaks to try before adding supplements…

• A 4-day plate challenge to spot what actually helps…

• The starter labs to request from your clinician…

🥗 Food is the way of life, and during these months of changing weather, it’s easy to become nutrient deficient…

We’re making sure we won’t let it happen to you!

🧠 The Migraine Mentors

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👉️ In This Week’s Edition…

• 🥡 Weekly Take-Out

  • Meme of The Week - 🤯 Sleep vs. Pain…

• 🔈️ The Migraine Mentors Minicast - Podcast Series

  • The 6 Commonly Missed Nutrient Gaps That Could Be Fueling Your Migraines

• 📜 Read This Now!

  • The "Big 6" Nutritional Deficiencies Your Doctor Hasn't Told You About...

• 🍴 Migraine-Friendly Recipe of the Week

  • Warm Quinoa Porridge with Pear & Coconut

🥡 WEEKLY TAKE-OUT

🚦 Meme of The Week

🗞️ MIGRAINE MINICAST

🎧 The 6 Commonly Missed Nutrient Gaps That Could Be Fueling Your Migraines

❄️ Cozy season’s here, which often means shorter days, less sunlight, and… potentially worse migraines?

Unfortunately, during the winter, nutrient deficiencies can take their toll on our brains and bodies… So this week, we’re spotlighting the “Big 6” commonly missed nutrient deficiencies to help you make sure you nutrition stays on point throughout the cold months.

🧠 In this week’s Migraine Mentors Minicast, we cover:

• The six essential nutrients most commonly missed in migraine care…

• Why these gaps can alter your energy, sleep, mood and pain levels…

• Food-first moves you can try before reaching for supplements…

• A simple 4-day plate challenge to test how these foods can help you…

• The starter labs to ask your clinician about at your next visit…

If you want a clear, doable plan (without overhauling your kitchen), this one’s for you.

🎧 Tune in to learn how feeding these six keys can raise your migraine threshold.

👇 Tap below to listen now! 👇

📜 TOP ARTICLE

🥗 The "Big 6" Nutritional Deficiencies Your Doctor Hasn't Told You About...

Last week we discussed the importance of Vitamin D, but we had A TON of you reaching out asking about other nutritional deficiencies that could be causing migraine attacks…

So this week, we’re zooming in on the “Big 6” nutritional deficiencies most often linked with migraine attacks, along with providing simple ways to support them through food and daily habits.

🤌 The Big 6 Nutritional Deficiencies

• Magnesium

  • We’ve discussed this extensively in past newsletters, for good reason. Magnesium calms over-excitable neurons, regulates smooth muscle in blood vessels, improves sleep quality and quantity, dampens gut and brain inflammation, and balances neurotransmitters.

    • Commonly found in dark leafy greens, beans, pumpkin seeds, and cacao.

• Methylated B-Vitamins (Riboflavin [B2], Niacin [B3], Folate [B9], and Colbalamin [B12])

  • We’ve talked B Vitamins before, and it’s worth zooming in on Riboflavin (B2) and the methylated forms of 5-MTHF (B9) and Methylcobalamin (B12). These help your brain’s methylation (on/off switches) pathways run smoothly, which means abundant concentrations of neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, melatonin), healthier homocysteine levels, better mitochondrial energy output, and a calmer neuro-inflammatory response. Dosing 400 mg of Riboflavin over a few months duration has specifically been shown to be a potent preventable treatments for migraine attacks, although all B Vitamins have been shown to have beneficial impacts overall. Methylated B Vitamins are also easier to utilize if you carry common MTHFR gene variants.

    • Commonly found in dark leafy greens (especially spinach, romaine, asparagus), legumes, avocado, beets, citrus, eggs, dairy, salmon, sardines, and liver.

• Vitamin D3/K2

  • Often low in people with chronic migraine, Vitamin D helps modulate inflammation and pain signaling (think calmer cytokines, less inflammation from CGRP), supports mitochondrial function, and steadies mood and sleep, which is key for raising your migraine threshold. Vitamin D insufficiency is linked with more frequent headache days, so gentle repletion can be meaningful.

    • Commonly found in safe sun exposure (midday, short bursts), fatty fish (salmon, sardines), pasture-raised egg yolks, mushrooms exposed to UV light, and fortified milks/plant milks.

• Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

  • Your cells’ mitochondrial and migraine co-pilot. CoQ10 shuttles electrons along the electron transport chain (Complexes I–IV), helping you make ATP efficiently while chewing up free radicals as a built-in antioxidant. For migraine, this means steadier cellular energy and less oxidative stress in pain pathways like the Trigeminal system.

    • Commonly found in small amounts in organ meats (heart, liver), fatty fish (sardines, mackerel, salmon), sesame, and peanuts.

• Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA)

  • A versatile mitochondrial helper and antioxidant, ALA acts as a cofactor for key Krebs cycle enzymes (energy production) helping to recycle antioxidant Vitamins C and E. It also supports endothelial function, which may calm neurovascular sensitivity relevant to migraine. Early clinical data suggest potential benefits for neuropathic pain and metabolic health, with exploratory use in migraine as part of mitochondrial support.

    • Commonly found in smaller amounts in spinach, broccoli, yams, and tomatoes.

• L-Carnitine

  • The fatty-acid “transporter” for your mitochondria. L-carnitine shuttles long-chain fats into the mitochondria for ATP production, which can optimize energy production and cellular healing. Early clinical signals (often paired with CoQ10 or ALA) suggest fewer and less severe attacks.

    • Commonly found in red meat (beef, lamb), with smaller amounts in poultry, fish, and dairy. Unfortunately, plant sources are minimal (your body can synthesize some from lysine + methionine).

New Habits to Try This Week

• Plate the “Big 6” for at least 4 days… Pair a magnesium rich food + a B2 based food + a vitamin D/seafood choice + a folate/B12 source at main meals.

• Light + Movement to get the body going… Get brief morning light (5–10 min) immediately upon waking to steady circadian cues that influence head pain perception. Try to add an afternoon walk or workout, if possible, depending on your tolerance to exercise.

• Ask your clinician to consider basic labs tied to these pathways (Vitamin D, Vitamin B6/B9/B12, homocysteine, etc.). Track your symptomatic days vs. non-symptomatic days to see if there any correlations with food choices!

👉🏼 We’re curious to get your feedback on this one…

As you can see, we’re actively trying to shorten the newsletter to pack as much value as possible, with far less wording.

Let us know in the poll what you think of the new changes!

🧠 The Migraine Mentors

🍴MIGRAINE-FRIENDLY RECIPE

🥣 Warm Quinoa Porridge with Pear & Coconut

📖 Ingredients (1–2 servings)

• ½ cup dry quinoa (rinse well before cooking)

• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (or other low-histamine milk alternative like rice milk)

• ½ cup water

• 1 ripe pear, thinly sliced

• ½ tsp cinnamon (optional – skip if sensitive)

• 1 tsp honey or pure maple syrup

• Optional: 1 tsp chia seeds for extra fiber

✅ Instructions

1. Rinse quinoa thoroughly to remove bitterness.

2. In a small pot, combine quinoa, coconut milk, and water.

3. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower heat and simmer for 12–15 minutes until the quinoa is tender and creamy.

4. Top with fresh pear slices, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and drizzle with honey or maple syrup.

5. (Optional) Stir in chia seeds for extra texture and gentle digestive support.

Serve warm — it’s naturally sweet, soothing, and grounding.

🌿Why This Meal Supports Migraine and Histamine Balance

🥣 Quinoa – gentle, stable energy

Quinoa is naturally gluten-free and rich in magnesium, a key mineral shown to support nerve and muscle relaxation — both important for migraine prevention. It’s also low histamine and helps stabilize blood sugar, reducing one of the most common migraine triggers: blood sugar drops.

🥥 Coconut milk – anti-inflammatory fats

Unsweetened coconut milk provides creamy texture without dairy (which can trigger histamine release for some people). Its medium-chain fats give steady energy and are less likely to cause inflammation or vascular sensitivity.

🍐 Pear – low-histamine fruit

Pear is one of the most well-tolerated fruits for people with histamine intolerance. It’s hydrating, mildly sweet, and gentle on the gut — a plus for those who experience nausea or GI upset with migraines.

🍯 Honey or maple syrup – natural, low-additive sweeteners

Refined sugar can cause spikes and crashes that aggravate migraine pathways. These natural sweeteners, used sparingly, add flavor without that rollercoaster effect.