Goodbye to evil chemicals! page

[hulahoop]

I stumbled upon this website on my quest to eat healthier foods and banish chemicals from my diet.

I currently suffer with:
chronic migraine
restless leg syndrome
sinus problems
depression and anxiety
hayfever and asthma

I am 36 and live in the UK. I am 5'4" and currently 179.5lb.

For the last 8 years i have been on various medication for my migraines and have tried nerve block injections and botox on the scalp. I think i have exhausted every medication in my neurologist's arsenal.

I have tried to discuss food and chemicals as triggers but my neurologist is skeptical of its role so i'm on my own in this quest now. I definitely get a migraine if i consume MSG or sulphites. Recently i have noticed these chemical poisons are in far more foods than i thought!! Over the last year i have eaten a lot better and veg plays a large part in my diet as it is. Looking to clean up the rest of my diet i've found my way here and like what i'm reading.

It is encouraging to read that migraines have disappeared for some sufferers. Migraines have ruled my life since i was 16 so if i am able to change the hold they currently have on me i would be very very happy.

I have had depression and anxiety on and off for a few years, i think the migraines are a big factor in this. It is very hard to keep going some days with the pain. On any day where i have a clear head (not very often), i feel like a new woman! Who knows what i could achieve if this way of eating had a positive effect!

I apologise if i have gone on about medical conditions, i'm just setting the scene and saying how it is. I'm not defined by medical conditions!

I'm hoping to start this way of eating in the next couple of days. I'm just trying to find someone in this area who sells nitrate free bacon and my planning will be complete.

If anyone has any tips then please feel free to share. Thanks for reading to the end of my long post xx

[RitaRose]

I think I mentioned it over on the migraine thread, but I would highly recommend supplementing with magnesium. Helped tremendously with my migraines and also with the occasional restless leg. Figuring out the dosage might be tricky, though. Too little and you won't see much benefit. Too much and you end up pooping a whole lot (it can be a laxative in higher quantities).

Eliminating gluten will help a lot (it's inflammatory). Also banishing the chemicals should make a difference as well. You'll probably find you have more than one trigger for the migraines, but as you will be getter them less often, it might be easier to figure out which they are.

[Mud Flinger]

I used to get stress migranes often when I was a "working girl", but have been almost migrane free since I left the rat race. I occaionally get an hormonal migrane, but much les often since I cleaned up my diet. Best of luck - find your triggers and life will be much more managable.

[hulahoop]

Thanks Rita. After reading your post about Magnesium yesterday i went out and got some I'll give anything a go...

Yes, i have more than 1 migraine trigger with food so i'm keeping a food diary to see how it goes. It won't banish the non-food triggers (sleep, sunlight, changes in weather, stress etc) but i'm increasingly convinced chemicals / food play a much bigger part than i originally thought. That's interesting about gluten being an inflammatory...
x

[hulahoop]

Thanks for your best wishes Mud Flinger...i'm pleased to hear yours have improved for you! Mine reached daily levels towards the end of my last job which triggered 'breaking point' for me. Since being out of that environment they have improved. x

[hulahoop]

My quest for nitrate free bacon started today, off to a rocky start!! I've tried ringing round local butchers to see if they have any first, before a wasted journey. I'm not sure which was the most bizarre....being asked what nitrates are or being laughed at for thinking you can get nitrate free bacon!! Am i going mad??!!!

I've found some online but there is a hefty delivery charge. In the UK are people able to find nitrate free bacon without getting it delivered? Thanks

[hulahoop]

My nitrate free bacon quest isn't going so well, unless i want to do a 100 mile round trip or pay a hefty delivery charge. I'm going to keep researching and try and find some but i'm not going to stress about it.

So, my healthy eating plan starts in the morning! I am actually rather excited about it and can't wait to get stuck in. I'm also a little apprehensive because I know I struggle with the snacking monster and i'm not entirely sure how i'll get on. I won't know until I give it a go though!

[trevork]

Yes to Mg! I have some success with adding Mg and 400 mg of B2 Riboflavin daily. B2 is fairly inexpensive so it's worth a try. Also removed gluten - well most gluten. Good luck - migraines truly suck!

[hulahoop]

Thanks for your comments trevork, i'll look into B2!! x

[KatieCHI]

This lifestyle stopped my migraines in their tracks and I'm so thankful. Not exactly sure what triggered mine because I stopped wheat, gluten, msg, etc. all at the same time. I supplement with magnesium too, but mostly for leg cramps. Still trying to figure out the dosage for that. Good luck to you!