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You may benefit from food switches 1in order to make your diet healthier.

A healthy diet addresses to most common dietary causes for TISS, but for some of us other dietary changes can be necessary for example if dealing with dietary diseases like celiac, food allergy or even food intolerance.

Before you commence a new diet, see your medical or health care professional for qualified guidance about what foods and supplements are best for your body.  

During the early stages of a new diet, you may experience symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, or body aches, which may occur because your body is detoxifying. However, if you are unsure about a symptom at any time, check immediately with your medical or health care professional.

2 WHC: It is important to eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet, while minimizing your exposure to chemicals added to foods, such as pesticides, artificial flavours, colourings and preservatives.

If possible, eat organic foods. This includes meat and dairy products as well as fruits and vegetables. Organic crops use no chemical pesticides or weed killers, no synthetic fertilizers and no seeds that originate from GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Organic meats contain no antibiotics or growth hormones and come from animals that were given organic feed and provided with adequate moving space, sunlight and fresh air. Processed foods that are marked organic contain no chemical dyes, artificial flavours, synthetic additives or preservatives.

If you cannot find or afford organic foods, try the following:

  • Avoid protein foods most likely to be contaminated (with PCBs, dioxins, mercury), such as organ meats and the following fish
  • Eat low on the food chain – more fruits, vegetables and grains, and less meat and dairy.
  • Eat lean meat and low-fat dairy products. Pesticides, hormones, drugs and other additives are often concentrated in the fat of animals.
  • Eat as wide a variety of foods as possible. The more kinds of food that you eat, the less likely you are to be exposed to any one contaminant.
  • Eat at least five to 10 servings of vegetables and fruit daily.
  • Wash all produce well under running water and use a scrub brush when possible. Take extra care when washing fruits and vegetables grown in tropical countries, as they may have higher levels of pesticide residue.
  • Peel fruits and vegetables when possible, for example, squash, carrots, potatoes, bananas, apricots, apples and pears. Remove the outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage.
  • Avoid or limit your intake of produce known to be the most heavily sprayed, or produce that doesn’t peel well

Other considerations:

  • Increase your intake of antioxidants (found in fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains, and some meats and fish). Foods especially rich in antioxidants include dried beans, blueberries, cranberries, broccoli, artichokes, apples, cherries, plums, cooked Russet potatoes, pecans and walnuts.
  • Avoid or minimize your intake of caffeine, alcohol, artificial food colourings and additives.
  • Read the labels on packaged, frozen and canned foods, and choose foods with the fewest additives (for example, artificial colours and flavours, such as MSG; preservatives, such as sulfites, BHA and BHT; and artificial sweeteners).
  • Drink six to eight glasses of filtered or spring water daily.
  • Microwave and store food and water in glass or ceramic containers, not plastic.
  • Talk with your doctor or a dietitian, who can help you eliminate a suspected food (or family of foods) completely for a specified period (usually four to seven days), before reintroducing it, to see if it triggers symptoms. (Important note: This “elimination and re-ingestion test” must not be done if you have ever had any life-threatening reaction to a food.)
  • Take a multivitamin/mineral supplement daily (without iron if you are post-menopausal).

Some studies indicate up to a 30% reduction in pain when a person with fibromyalgia follows a low glutamate diet.

2 WHC: It is important to eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet, while minimizing your exposure to chemicals added to foods, such as pesticides, artificial flavours, colourings and preservatives.

If possible, eat organic foods. This includes meat and dairy products as well as fruits and vegetables. Organic crops use no chemical pesticides or weed killers, no synthetic fertilizers and no seeds that originate from GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Organic meats contain no antibiotics or growth hormones and come from animals that were given organic feed and provided with adequate moving space, sunlight and fresh air. Processed foods that are marked organic contain no chemical dyes, artificial flavours, synthetic additives or preservatives.

If you cannot find or afford organic foods, try the following:

  • Avoid protein foods most likely to be contaminated (with PCBs, dioxins, mercury), such as organ meats and the following fish
  • Eat low on the food chain – more fruits, vegetables and grains, and less meat and dairy.
  • Eat lean meat and low-fat dairy products. Pesticides, hormones, drugs and other additives are often concentrated in the fat of animals.
  • Eat as wide a variety of foods as possible. The more kinds of food that you eat, the less likely you are to be exposed to any one contaminant.
  • Eat at least five to 10 servings of vegetables and fruit daily.
  • Wash all produce well under running water and use a scrub brush when possible. Take extra care when washing fruits and vegetables grown in tropical countries, as they may have higher levels of pesticide residue.
  • Peel fruits and vegetables when possible, for example, squash, carrots, potatoes, bananas, apricots, apples and pears. Remove the outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage.
  • Avoid or limit your intake of produce known to be the most heavily sprayed, or produce that doesn’t peel well

Other considerations:

  • Increase your intake of antioxidants (found in fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains, and some meats and fish). Foods especially rich in antioxidants include dried beans, blueberries, cranberries, broccoli, artichokes, apples, cherries, plums, cooked Russet potatoes, pecans and walnuts.
  • Avoid or minimize your intake of caffeine, alcohol, artificial food colourings and additives.
  • Read the labels on packaged, frozen and canned foods, and choose foods with the fewest additives (for example, artificial colours and flavours, such as MSG; preservatives, such as sulfites, BHA and BHT; and artificial sweeteners).
  • Drink six to eight glasses of filtered or spring water daily.
  • Microwave and store food and water in glass or ceramic containers, not plastic.
  • Talk with your doctor or a dietitian, who can help you eliminate a suspected food (or family of foods) completely for a specified period (usually four to seven days), before reintroducing it, to see if it triggers symptoms. (Important note: This “elimination and re-ingestion test” must not be done if you have ever had any life-threatening reaction to a food.)
  • Take a multivitamin/mineral supplement daily (without iron if you are post-menopausal).

Food intolerances

4 Migraine Australia: Food-related triggers occur in about 10-20% of people with migraine. Many people will crave snack food such as chocolate or chips in the early stages of a migraine attack, leading them to conclude that particular food is a trigger. However, if the craving for a specific food is a symptom of the beginning of the attack, it probably is not a trigger, and you need to find out what you did or ate before that.

Some food products contain chemicals or additives, which may also be implicated in an attack. Ones that people with migraine frequently mention are monosodium glutamate, nitrates and aspartame. Tyramine is a chemical found in red wine and soft cheeses like camembert and brie that is often indicated as a migraine trigger.

If you think you have food triggers, particularly the more difficult to identify chemicals or additives, you are best to do a full elimination diet with the help of a dietician (you can get access to a dietician under Medicare through your GP with a chronic condition health care plan, and there are also dieticians in the public health system you may be able to access). The RPAH Allergy Clinic in Sydney, which developed the elimination diet, has the handbook and recipe books you can buy and some basic information available on their website. Note: an elimination diet is a diagnostic tool to find your triggers, not an eating plan to avoid migraine attacks. Living on an elimination diet will mean you are not getting enough nutrients.

Eat consistently

Missing meals or insufficient food is one of the most significant dietary triggers for migraine attack. Try eating 5-6 small meals a day or having healthy snacks between meals. If you are vomiting a lot or unable to eat during a significant attack, it is ok to keep the blood sugar up with a soft drink or whatever you are craving. Try not to make that an everyday occurrence.

There are many diets sold to people living with migraine. While some may be based in science, most are just selling yet another miracle cure to those in our community desperate to try anything. Of course, if you want to try a diet, you should do so, but avoid diets or programs with any level of fasting that eliminate carbohydrates (low carb is fine) or that have any expensive supplements or meal replacements.

Eat fresh

Many people are confused by food triggers because they eat something one day and they are fine, and another day it sets them off. Migraine is like that, unfortunately, because it is actually a combination of many sensory inputs that leads to an overload once you have passed the threshold of what your brain can handle. 

One thing many people don’t think about is how fresh your food is. If you are intolerant to some foods or mould, eating leftovers, slightly stale bread, or fruits and vegetables that are very ripe may be enough. As foods age, they break down and create higher levels of food chemicals. That makes them taste really good, but it’s also a bigger sensory overload for your brain. Try eating food the day you get from the supermarket, and choosing fruits and vegetables that are a little less ripe, and see if it helps. 

Many people with IBS report benefits from reducing the intake of common gut irritants when combined with stress management.

Some people with IBS benefit from eating a low fodmap diet. 5 While others may benefit from low histamine diet or food intolerance diet (often has a link to Irritable bowel and non celiac gluten sensitivity and also a range of other concerns and symptoms).

Low Glutamate Diet

A low glutamate diet may give you benefits if you experience symptoms associated with the excitoxicity and the neurotoxic triad. This can be a concern for some people with migraine and chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia, and also PTSD.

Learn more about Glutamate diet

Dr. Kathleen Holton’s research examines the negative effects of dietary excitotoxins on neurological symptoms, as well as the positive protective effects of certain micronutrients on the brain. The most common dietary excitotoxin exposures in the US are from food additives used as flavor enhancers and artificial sweeteners.

Remember, what we eat is crucial to our overall health, and Dr. Holton will show you how to optimize your diet for optimal brain health. Stay tuned!https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/26184606/height/128/theme/modern/size/standard/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/ffffff/time-start/00:00:00/hide-playlist/yes

In this episode, you will discover:

https://www.podbean.com/ep/pb-cn5ed-1256de0

  • The association between food additive (glutamate) and chronic disease, the goldilocks effect, effect of dysregulation on the nervous system and chronic disease
  • Signs and symptoms that you may be sensitive to glutamate (headaches, chronic pain, fatigue with no reason/brain is awake/need to lay down/brain over-excited/can’t sit up/mood dysregulation/trouble concentration/memory, cognitive dysfunction)
  • Common foods that are high in glutamate (soy sauce, fish sauce, coconut aminos, tomatoes, mushroom, aged cheeses, long-marination >1 hour)
  • Top 3 micronutrients that are protective to brain health (Magnesium sleep/anxiety, Vitamin C)
  • Best sources of magnesium (nuts, pumpkin seeds, beans, buckwheat, salmon), vitamin C (5 servings of colourful fruits and vegetables),antioxidants (chocolate, coffee, tea, herbs and spices), fat-soluble vitamin E (nuts, seeds, avocados), omega 3 fatty acids/iron including animal protein (fish, quality grass-fed beef, lamb)
  • 3 rules when reading food labels (look for ingredients list that are short, easy to read, things you can add to your food when you’re cooking)
  • A day on a plate of a nutritional neuroscientist (colourful fruit, herbs, vegetable, protein) and how kids can play their part

Unstable Blood Sugars

If you have unstable blood sugars it can be potentially toxic to nervous system and brain (increased NMDA-glutamate & excitotoxicity). If you have diabetes and do not manage it properly this toxicity may also lead to neuropathy.

Eating to stabilise blood sugars include

  • Eating small meals regularly
  • Consider the glycemic index/load of the food you eat and following the low GI healthy eating guidelines.

Pesticides

Mercury

6Mercury:7 Small amounts of mercury are present in water. Small fish often have such little amounts of mercury that if you eat them, your body gets rid of it very easily. Because bigger fish eat many smaller fish, mercury can build up in their bodies. For this reason, if you are eating large fish like shark, swordfish, or sea bass, consider limiting them to once a week or less. It is best for pregnant women and children less than six years old to avoid eating these big fish.

Pesticides

Pesticides are toxins used on food while growing to keep bugs away. To lower your exposure to pesticides, try to do the following. Eat fresh foods when able, and try to avoid processed foods. When you buy fruits and vegetables, be sure to wash them. Some people mix water with something acidic (like vinegar or lemon) to wash their fruits and vegetables. This will get rid of any pesticides on the surface or chemicals applied to the outside to help keep them fresh. Each year the Environmental Working Group lists foods that contain the greatest amount of pesticides. 8 These foods are often referred to as the “Dirty Dozen.” (See the list at this website: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty_dozen_list.php.) When eating these foods, it is best to choose those that are organic.

For information on ways to eat that can decrease inflammation, consider reading the Whole Health handout “Eating to Reduce Inflammation.”9, 10 source of the chart below. Most anti inflammatory diet are based on a healthy balanced diet related eating plate and favour traditional diet eating styles (e.g. mediterranean diet)11. These basic eating principals can be adapted to most peoples needs, for example if dealing with celiac disease, food allergy or food intolerance, or choosing to be vegan or vegetarian However guidance from a health professional and dietitian is advisable for any restricted diet.

  1. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/foodswitch-app ↩︎
  2. https://www.womenscollegehospital.ca/care-programs/environmental-health-clinic/environmental-sensitivities/ ↩︎
  3. https://www.womenscollegehospital.ca/care-programs/environmental-health-clinic/environmental-sensitivities/ ↩︎
  4. https://www.migraine.org.au/foods ↩︎
  5. https://www.monashfodmap.com/ibs-central/i-have-ibs/starting-the-low-fodmap-diet/ ↩︎
  6. https://veteranhealthcoach.org/sites/default/files/2023-03/ToxinsYourHealth-508Final-10-25-2018_0.pdf ↩︎
  7. US Environmental Protection Agency. Mercury in your environment. US Environmental Protection Agency website. https://www.epa.gov/mercury. Published 2017. Accessed July 1, 2016. ↩︎
  8. Environmental Working Group. Dirty dozen: EWG’s 2017 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in ProduceTM. https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty_dozen_list.php. Published 2017. Accessed March 24, 2017. ↩︎
  9. https://www.va.gov/PATIENTCENTEREDCARE/veteran-handouts/index.asp#food-and-drink ↩︎
  10. https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTH/veteran-handouts/docs/EatReduceInflam__Final508__07-25-2019.pdf ↩︎
  11. https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTH/veteran-handouts/docs/MedDiet-508Final-9-4-2018.pdf ↩︎

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