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:

• Predisposed ≠ predestined: Genes load the gun; your daily habits pull (or disarm) the trigger.

• Stabilize blood sugar: Build protein-first, fiber-rich plates; avoid “naked carbs”; add short post-meal walks.

• Move most days: 3–4 short, repeatable sessions (walks, light strength, cycling) to raise your migraine trigger threshold.

• Stress, sleep, fluids: CBT-style tools + consistent sleep/wake windows (±30 min) + water with electrolytes.

• Run a 2–4-week n=1: Pick one lever, track headaches/energy, then layer the next; loop in your clinician for new/worsening neuro symptoms or med changes.

Your genes set the stage—but your choices run the show. Start small, repeat often, and take your head back one habit at a time. Here we goooo!

🧠 The Migraine Mentors

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In This Week’s Edition…

• 🥡 Weekly Take-Out

  • Meme of The Week - 💊 Migraine Meds Can Cause… Migraines?

• 📢 This Week’s Sponsor

  • Korrect - ⚡️ Electrolytes + Paraxanthine = Energy

• 🔈️ The Migraine Mentors Minicast - Podcast Series

  • How To Overcome Migraine Attacks, Even With Bad Genetics

• 📜 This Week’s Top Article

  • The Impact (Or Lack Thereof) Your Genetics Have on Migraine

• 🍴 Migraine-Friendly Recipe of the Week

  • Butternut Squash Soup & Herbs

• 📸 Weekly TikToks

  • Migraines That Mimic A Stroke…

  • Day 4 Of A Migraine…

🥡 WEEKLY TAKE-OUT

Meme of The Week

🗞️ MIGRAINE MINICAST

🎧 How To Overcome Migraine Attacks, Even With Bad Genetics

🥡 If migraine attacks run in your family, you’re not locked into a lifetime of attacks.

Genes may raise risk, but daily choices—food, movement, sleep, stress, hydration—shape how those genes are expressed.

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

• Predisposed ≠ predestined: A plain-English look at why migraine is polygenic (many small genetic nudges) and how environment determines what shows up day-to-day.

• The Big Five you can change:

  • Diet & glycemic stability—protein-first, fiber-rich meals that tame sugar swings.

  • Movement—short, repeatable sessions to build resilience without overdoing it.

  • Stress skills—CBT-style tools, pacing, and relaxation to raise your trigger threshold.

  • Sleep consistency—same sleep/wake windows, better recovery.

  • Hydration & electrolytes—steady fluids and minerals to support a sensitive brain.

• Your 2–4-week experiment plan: Pick one lever, track symptoms, then layer the next—so you learn what actually helps.

• Mini-starter routine: Protein-forward plates, 3–4 short movement bouts/week, wind-down ritual at night, water bottle + electrolytes by day

🎯 Today’s episode will give you a practical framework to build healthy habits for success and overcoming migraine symptoms.

👇 Tap below to listen now! 👇

📜 TOP ARTICLE

The Impact (Or Lack Thereof) Your Genetics Have on Migraine

Some of us are born with a higher chance of migraine… And we know it, right?

Large genetic studies show many small DNA variants linked to migraine risk, but genes explain only part of the story… and they don’t decide your future. 

Lifestyle and environmental factors shape how those genes are “expressed,” which is why two people (Aka identical twins and immediate family members) with the same genetics can have very different symptom patterns…

🧬 What Genes Do (and Don’t) Do

A 2022 genome-wide study identified 123 migraine-associated loci, underscoring the idea that migraine is polygenic (many genes, small effects) in nature…

Twin research estimates roughly 40–60% of migraine risk is genetic—the rest is environmental and modifiable…

And even with those genetic risk factors, there’s A LOT that you can do to turn those genes on and off through lifestyle changes.

Translation: Predisposed ≠ predestined!

🏃 What You Can Change

With all of the outdated discussions surrounding the doom and gloom about genetics determining your destiny, there’s rarely ever a discussion about how your decisions turn on and off genes…

And in 2025, that’s where most of the research, data, and treatment options are moving.

Since you can’t change your genetic blueprint, the only thing you can do is change the expression of your genes.

With that said, here are the evidence-backed levers that you can take and run with to manage your migraine attacks more efficiently:

• Diet quality & glycemic (blood sugar) stability

  • Small clinical trials suggest low-glycemic or ketogenic-style approaches can reduce migraine days in some people.

  • Start with protein-first meals, quality fiber, healthy fats, and minimizing sugar spikes.

• Move your body & get adequate physical exercise

  • A 2019 meta-analysis found that consistent aerobic exercise programs reduce monthly migraine days, amongst providing a plethora of other health benefits simultaneously.

  • It’s best to aim for regular, tolerable sessions, especially when starting out, to avoid triggering a migraine.

• Build your tolerance to stress & utilize stress management skills 

  • Behavioral therapies (like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy [CBT] that teaches trigger management, pacing, and relaxation) can reduce long-term disability and attack frequency, when used frequently.

• Sleep consistency, quality, and duration

  • Irregular or fragmented sleep increases the changes of a migraine attack.

  • Thus, improving sleep regularity, quality, and duration has been linked to fewer symptomatic days.

• Hydration habits & electrolyte status

  • A small RCT found that increasing daily water intake modestly reduced migraine burden—low risk, but always worth trying.

  • Adding electrolytes to your daily routine can also be a game changer, as most of the underlying genetic markers for migraine involve ion channel dysfunction.

🎯 Here’s How to Put This Into Practice

• Build protein-forward, high-fiber, and healthy-fat plates and keep carbs “dressed” (protein/fiber/veggies first).

• Schedule 3–4 short bouts of movement you can repeat (walks, cycling, light strength).

• Set consistent sleep/wake windows (±30 minutes) and a wind-down routine at night to prepare you for sleep.

• Carry a water bottle with electrolytes; target pale-yellow urine throughout the day (unless you’re taking a B Complex, which may turn your urine yellow due to the Riboflavin content)

• Test one change at a time for 2–4 weeks and track the results to keep you (and your providers) in check.

Genetics may set the stage, but daily choices run the show… And that’s just how it goes!

… Small, steady adjustments to food, movement, stress, sleep, and hydration can make massive improvements over a period of time.

If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to start investing in your health to make the changes you know you’re capable of making.

🧠 The Migraine Mentors

🍴MIGRAINE-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Butternut Squash Soup & Herbs

🧾 Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed

• 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced

• 2 cups filtered water or homemade low-histamine chicken stock

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (or thyme)

• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

• Salt to taste (use minimally processed sea salt)

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Prepare vegetables: Peel and cube the squash and carrot.

2. Sauté gently: In a medium pot, warm olive oil and add the squash and carrot. Sauté for about 5 minutes over low heat (don’t brown).

3. Add liquid: Pour in water or homemade stock. Add rosemary or thyme.

4. Simmer: Cover and cook for about 20–25 minutes, until veggies are very soft.

5. Blend: Use an immersion blender or transfer carefully to a blender. Puree until smooth.

6. Season and serve: Add salt to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.

🧠 Bonus Tips

• Eat right after cooking — avoid storing as leftovers.

• You can batch-cook and freeze in individual portions if tolerated (some patients can manage frozen meals better than refrigerated ones).

• Skip black pepper and spicy toppings — these are common triggers.

✅ Why It’s Migraine- and Histamine-Friendly

• Butternut squash is low in histamine and packed with soothing nutrients like vitamin A and fiber.

• Homemade stock or filtered water avoids additives, MSG, or yeast extracts common in store-bought broths — all potential migraine triggers.

• Fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, and rosemary add flavor without relying on fermented seasonings or citrus.

• No onions or garlic (which can be high in sulfur compounds and histamine-liberators for some).

• No leftovers — histamine builds up in cooked food the longer it sits. Make just enough for one or two servings.

🥡 WEEKLY TIKTOKS

Migraines That Mimic A Stroke…

@aliciamaeholloway

Migraines are no joke. Here are two hacks that helped me when I got a really terrible hemaplegic migraine last night. They are not what pe... See more

Day 4 Of A Migraine…

@glamxmarie

I pray that I find the path to help with less suffering. - - #migraine#migrainesufferer#migrainetok#momtok#sahm#fyp#foryoupage#morningrout... See more