The quality of your health depends upon many pieces that not only include the health of your bodily systems, but also include a healthy diet, exercise, and spirituality. 

Diet. Treatment of migraines may center on developing general healthy dietary guidelines, in addition to making some key adjustments in your relationship with food.

Dietary recommendations for migraines:

• Supplement your diet with magnesium. Up to 50% of patients experiencing an acute migraine attack have lowered levels of ionized magnesium. Because of its safety profile, oral magnesium supplementation can be recommended to a majority of migraine sufferers. One study showed that migraine attack frequency was reduced by 41.6% in those who participated in regular magnesium supplementation.^1,2 Learn more about magnesium deficiency.
• Take 5-HTP in the morning. 5-HTP is the precursor to serotonin. Migraines are caused in part by low serotonin. When serotonin levels are low, blood vessels dilate. Therefore, increasing serotonin may be helpful in preventing migraine occurrences.³
• Supplement with CoQ10. In one particular key trial, 61.3% of migraineurs who supplemented with CoQ10 during a four-month trial period reduced their occurrence of migraine attacks by at least 50%.⁴
• Add ground flax seed to your diet since it contains healthy dietary fiber and omega-3 essential fatty acids.
• Add virgin coconut oil to your diet to benefit from plant-based healthy saturated fat.
• Add foods rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids to your diet in the form of fish oil, wild-caught salmon, and minimal-mercury albacore tuna.
• Eat plenty of unrefined low-glycemic carbohydrates (brown rice, sprouted grains, winter squash).
• Limit intake of fruits that have a high glycemic index such as apricots, raisins, banana, papaya, and mango.
• Eat plenty of vegetables and vegetable juices (kelp, sprouts, green and black olives, peppers, spinach, chard, celery, zucchini).
• Drink purified water throughout the day.

Certain types of foods can trigger migraines. Foods to AVOID include:

• Foods that contain the amino acid tyramine found in red wine, aged cheese, smoked fish, chicken livers, figs, and some beans
• Trigger foods such as chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, some fruits (like avocado, banana, and citrus), onions, dairy products
• All foods containing refined sugar or artificial sugar-substitutes such as aspartame, Splenda^®, etc. Choose a natural sweetener like Xylosweet instead.
• All simple or refined carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, crackers, etc.). Read more about good carbs and bad carbs.
• Sweetened fruit juices that spike blood sugar levels too rapidly
• Carbonated soft drinks that alter pH levels, making the blood more acidic
• Pickled or smoked foods
• Bottom crawlers such as oysters, clams, and lobster that may contain toxic levels of mercury
• Deep-sea fish such as tuna, mackerel, and swordfish that may contain toxic levels of mercury. Choose minimal-mercury albacore tuna instead.
• Farm-raised fish that contain PCBs and not enough omega-3 essential fatty acids, due to their land-based diets. Choose wild-caught salmon instead.
• Sodium nitrates found in processed foods such as hot dogs, lunch meats, and bacon
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) found in many foods as a flavor enhancer
• Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils/trans fats found in many processed foods, deep-fried food, fast food, and junk food. Read more about good fats and bad fats.

Other Tips for Migraine Sufferers

• Heavy metal toxicity can produce vague symptoms that sometimes are mistaken for other chronic conditions. Discuss heavy metal toxicity with your healthcare professional before receiving any diagnosis or treatment for a serious chronic condition. Read more about heavy metal toxicity. 
• If you have “silver” dental fillings, get an evaluation from a mercury-free dentist who specializes in the safe removal of mercury amalgam fillings. Find a mercury-free dentist in your area now!
• If you need help covering the costs of getting your "silver" fillings removed safely, the Jigsaw Health Foundation may be able to assist you. Read more about the Jigsaw Health Foundation.

Exercise. If you suffer from migraines, it's important to pace your exercise routine. Bursts of intense physical activity can actually trigger a migraine, so it's essential to incorporate a warm-up and cool-down session in your workouts, so your body has time to adjust to varying levels of physical activity.

1. Migraines Overview
2. Common symptoms of migraines
3. Common causes of migraines
4. Help me choose a natural and alternative treatment for migraines
5. Conventional or prescription medications used in the treatment of migraines
6. Cited Sources and Additional Reading for migraines