Headaches Treatment & Prevention – Part 2

Having explained what anxiety is, I want to look at how people can help themselves to reduce their anxiety levels. Whether you suffer from occasional anxious thoughts to a full blow anxiety disorder yoga can be helpful.  Once study found that women who practiced yoga twice a week for two months reduced their anxiety levels significantly. Another scientific study found that regular yoga was more effective than walking for improving the mood and anxiety levels in healthy people.  Current thinking is that Yoga may work by boosting the levels of the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutryic acid) in the brain - which acts as an inhibitor in the brain reducing anxiety. References https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19341989 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20722471

We can all feel anxious from time to time.  While individuals with anxiety disorders require therapy and/or medication, for individuals with milder cases of anxiety changed to your diet may help. 1. Omega-3 Increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish.  Omega-3 acids protect you against inflammation and have been show to improve your overall mood and ability to cope with stress. Click here for more information.   This study shows a 20% reduction in anxiety levels amongst medical students taking omega-3.  While this study shows how omega-3 acts as an anti-depressant. 2. Drink chamomile tea.  See studies for evidence of how it helps with anxiety. 3. Eat dark chocolate. There's actually a chemical reason called anandamide, a neurotransmitter produced in your brain that temporarily blocks feelings of pain and depression.  It's a derivative of the Sanskrit word "bliss," and one of the great things about chocolate is that it not only produces this compound, it also contains other chemicals that prolong the "feel-good" aspects of anandamide.  In addition there is a scientific study which shows that it helps you feel calm - so eat dark chocolate without feeling guilty!  See scientific study for evidence. 4. Protein snacks. If like me you are the king of person who needs snacks between meals, then choose a high protein snack like an organic egg, cheese or macadamia nuts as these will stabilise your blood sugar level which means your energy levels don't slump and your mood doesn't either. 5. Eat bananas. Bananas contain dopamine, a natural reward chemical that boosts your mood. They're also rich in B vitamins, including vitamin B6, which help soothe your nervous system, and magnesium, another nutrient associated with positive mood.  

I am sure everyone knows that everyone needs to reduce their salt intake.  This message from the government has been the cornerstone of their public health campaign for a number of years.  It has resulted in food manufacturers producing "reduced salt" ranges of goods and reducing the amount of salt in our favorite brands. We all know that too much salt in our diet raises our blood pressure which in turn can lead to heart disease, stokes and heart attacks.  New research has shown that when people reduce their salt intake, their is a 31% reduction in the number of them suffering headaches.  Interesting researches noted, that the differences between healthy and unhealthy diets had no significant effect on headaches. Importantly the reduction in headaches was the same in people with high blood pressure as normal blood pressure. (see full article http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/4/12/e006671.full) It is estimated that just under half off all adults suffer from regular headaches, if you are one of them, maybe its time to consider the levels of salt in your diet. Anyone looking for more information on the impact of salt in their diet should visit http://www.actiononsalt.org.uk/index.html a government backed website.