Are you prone to Summer headaches?

It happens because of the rise in temperatures and humidity.
And if you wan’t to forgo the Ibuprofen and/or prescription route,
there are some things you can do naturally, that’ll help you stay
headache-free all Summer long.

And those things are…
a) Eat Fruit-
Tropical fruit to be exact. You know, bananas, mangoes,
avocados, pineapples and papayas. The nutrients in tropical
fruits (carotenoids) rein in your body’s production of the stress
hormone cortisol, a common hot weather trigger.
b) Leafy Greens-
Kale, spinach and Swiss chard can lower your risk of headaches by
35%. Compounds in leafy greens soothe your central nervous system
so that sudden weather changes are less likely to trigger headache pain.
c) Citrus Fruit-
Add some lemon or lime juice to your bottled water and cut your risk of
a summer headache by 30%. Making sure to stay hydrated especially in the
warm Summer months is vitally important and the addition of citrus fruits
help calm overactive pain nerves in your neck and brain.
d) Seafood Please-
If you’re lucky enough to live in places like Maine, Maryland, or
Alaska make sure to take advantage of the seafood.
Why seafood? Eating more fish like shrimp, salmon,
lobster, crabs or tuna help lower your risk of a Summer headache
by 50%. Fatty fish contains valuable stores of omega-3 fatty acids,
and these fats prod your brain to release the mood-boosting, pain-
controlling hormone called serotonin.
Another tip: Make sure when preparing fish to avoid deep frying in
tons of oil, doing so raises your risk of headache pain, and it
increases your risk of having a stroke.
e) Almonds-
Called “nature’s aspirin” eating 5 to 7 almonds will alleviate headache
pain in less than 30 minutes.
f) Salt and Sugar-
Yes, they add flavor to certain dishes, but eating too much of either
food increases your odds of getting headaches, not only in the Summer,
but year round. Too much sugar or salt creates lots of inflammation in your
body and that inflammation settles in your back, joints, neck and brain.
Look for alternatives. Use more herbs, spices and lemon juice to replace
salt and cook frozen or fresh fruits and use the juice to replace
the sugar in a baked good or a bowl of hot cereal. Also use honey, stevia,
or a top quality maple syrup.
g) Non-Food Tips-
* The Great Outdoors-
Give the Sun another pat on the back, as it can also help you
stay headache-free this Summer. Spending just 20 to 30 minutes
outdoors (without sunscreen) lowers your risk of summer headaches by
35%. Skin exposed to UV light makes vitamin D-3, which raises your pain
threshold and relaxes your scalp muscles so that pain-triggering spasms are
less likely to occur.
Not able to get outdoors? Ask your doctor about taking 2,000 to 3,000 IUs of
vitamin D-3 each day.
* Exercise-
Another benefit of exercise: It’ll cut summer headache pain by 50%.
Exercise triggers your pituitary gland to release powerful, natural
painkillers. So, walk outdoors for 30 minutes a few times a week
or do gentle yoga or dance to golden oldies in your living room.
One more tip: If you have a headache, see if walking for 20 mins.
or weightlifting for 20 minutes, will help you get rid of it.
* Word of Caution-
If you should come down with a headache in July or December
and one or more of the above tips doesn’t get rid of it, you may have
to visit your private health-care provider. Just check, to make sure
it’s “just a headache” and not something more serious.

Sources:
* Adrian Soares, Ph.D.
* Journal of Alternative Medicine
* Physicians Committee
* Mario Peres, Neurologist

And lastly, if you want 2 recipes using some of the foods that were
mentioned above, head to our new store (Click buy recipes at the top)
and download the digital file.
Buy it and then take it to the store and buy the ingredients listed on it.
You can also use this digital file as a place-mat, wall-art or pass it along
to family, friends and neighbors, so they too, can improve their health.
The 2 recipes: A Grilled Shrimp and Tropical Fruit Salad and a Spinach
and Tomato Omelet.
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