nutrition Archives

How Migraines and Nutrition Relate Giveaway

March 20, 2013 by Momstart 33 Comments

How Migraines and Nutrition Relate – National Nutrition Month GIVEAWAY with @Excedrin

By: Ashley

Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month? There are so many aspects of our lives that can be affected by the things we put in our bodies. I try pretty hard, whether I’m pregnant or not, to be mindful of what I eat and drink. Nutrition plays such a huge part in just the way I feel overall. For some migraine sufferers, paying attention to their diet can even minimize the frequency and severity of their migraines.

I’ve used the My Migraine Triggers app, developed by the makers of Excedrin, to track the causes of my migraines. For me, my migraines are mostly hormone related and during pregnancy, I don’t have too many problems. For some people, their migraines are triggered by foods, or the combination of certain foods and avoiding these foods is imperative. So what types of foods are common migraine triggers? Is there such thing as “food for the brain”?

What is Tyramine?

For some migraine sufferers, a glass of red wine and some finely aged cheese is kryptonite. Why is that? Tyramine. Tyramine is the substance found naturally in some foods, like aged cheese, red wine, and some cured meats. It comes from the breakdown of protein as foods age. After looking on WebMD, I found experts are still trying to figure out exactly how tyramine causes migraines. It could be because it causes your nerve cells in the brain to release norepinephrine . This could lead to a joint effect of the tyramine and the unusual level of brain chemicals causing a change that end up in a headache. So what foods can be high in Tyramine? Aged cheeses, red wine, some types of beer, smoked fish, and cured meats.

Can Alcohol Trigger Migraines?

As adults, many of us can look back on at least one time where we had a little too much alcohol and ended up with a bad headache. That was no coincidence. When you drink alcohol, there is an increase of blood flow to your brain. This can lead to headaches, migraines and other headaches. You also can’t forget that many alcoholic drinks contain Tyramine, and we’ve already heard all about the trouble it can cause.

What are Other Common Food Triggers for Migraines?

The more I learn about migraines, the more I know that almost anything has the potential to trigger a migraine. That’s why it is it so important to track your own headaches if you think you might be struggling with migraines. Using the My Migraine Triggers app is by far the easiest and most thorough way I’ve found. If you’re concerned that you may be eating or drinking something that is triggering your migraines, there are some common foods among migraine sufferers that you might want to take note of:

– artificial sweeteners (like aspartame)

– chocolate

– citrus fruits

– coffee of tea

– tannins (like red skinned apples or pears)

– caffeinated soda

– foods containing MSG

– nuts and nut butters

(Snapshots from My Migraine Triggers App)

What Can I Eat That is GOOD for the Brain?

With all of this talk about what is bad for you to eat and what can have a negative impact on the brain, I wanted to make sure had some yummy good brainy food options. I went back to WebMD for some suggestions and got some great information from my friends at Excedrin too.

Adding some blueberries to your diet can help protect the brain from bad stress and could even reduce the effects of age-related conditions like Alzheimer’s. Avocados are another brain super food. It is a monounsaturated fat which helps healthy blood flow. New studies are also showing that foods rich in magnesium, like broccoli and kale, support healthy brain function. Maybe I should try adding some kale to my salad or making some kale chips!

Sometimes, no matter how good you are at knowing your migraine triggers, or avoiding the culprit foods, a migraine can happen. When it does, you should know that Excedrin Migraine is the #1 recommended OTC brand for migraine relief. Yes, I am an Excedrin Migraine Blogger, but when I am struggling with migraines, Excedrin is my go to for help. (ALWAYS check with your doctor before doing anything, and definitely go see them ASAP if you think you might be suffering from migraines.

In honor of National Nutrition Month, our friends at Excedrin are giving away some great kitchen tools to help you make some great dietary decisions. This is a prize pack that looks pretty cool with some neat gadgets to use. To enter, just follow the directions in the Rafflecopter below.

Enter to Win:

Prize pack pictured above.

To Enter:

Leave a comment talking about your triggers for headaches

Extra Entries:

Use the rafflecopter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends April 2nd. Please see our giveaway rules.

Disclosure – I am an Excedrin® Migraine brand ambassador. My journey for a migraine-free experience is my own.

Ashley is a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and former teacher working to navigate through the mysterious world of Mommyia. Read more about her adventures atMomicles and follow her @Momicles2010

Join The Boost Kid Essentials Conversation

June 21, 2012 by Momstart 186 Comments

As a Boost Kid Essentials ambassador we had a Facebook Conversation the other day and a question was asked by the Boost Kid Essentials Facebook Page..

Have you seen our Family Story videos? Chat now with fellow moms Louise of Mom Start, Toni of A Daily Dose of Toni, and Jeannie McCoy featured in our Family Story videos. What’s your story?

What’s your story?

My story, I shared a bit of my story with Zoe two weeks ago. I was gone most of last week and the week before we’ve been working really hard to make her take at least a no thank you bite, but we actually know that we’re very lucky. I realize that even more after taking her to the food therapist and watching other families struggle. I have a friend that has a very difficult time getting his daughter to eat more than just a handful of things and Boost has been sharing really heartfelt stories of families and their troubles. Have you watched this week’s videos from Boost Kid Essentials?

The McCoy family has an amazing story. Their daughter Megan was diagnosed with cancer and they had no idea what they were going to do. Nutrition became a huge concern and her parents wanted to make sure she got all the nutrition she needed to keep her strong and fighting.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Boost Kid Essentials helped ease their minds. This is the third and final family story I’m going to be sharing with you guys. Every family has their own struggles, children can be a handful but as parents no matter what our child is going through we want the best for them. I know I do.

So what’s your story. Share your story in the Share Your Story app.

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, Misses G.

This post made possible by Boost Kid Essentials and representing PR Firm as part of a 3 part campaign. Giveaways during campaign are supplied Boost Kid Essentials and prize fulfillment handled by representing PR firm. I have been compensated for my time. Compensation has no influence on the opinions stated.

Please see the giveaway rules.

Family Facebook Videos Of Picky Eaters Boost Kid Essentials

May 21, 2012 by Momstart 56 Comments

I’m a Boost Kid Essentials Brand Ambassador and we’re going to be spending the next two months talking about kids and nutrition and three different families struggling to get their kids to eat right. Meet the Brunelle Family. Van is underweight and his mother worries about him as all the other kids look twice his age so she works really hard to get him to eat more and makes sure he’s getting the right amount of nutrition.

How can you get nutrition into your active kids?

I often wonder if my kids are getting enough veggies in them. So far, I’ve been pretty lucky with how picky they are, but as a mom that worries I still wonder about the veggie intake. Lately though as Zoe is getting older she’s starting to get picker and it’s harder to get her to even try something she thinks she’s not going to like and protein is what she avoids the most. So in our house we’ve really pushed the fact that you have to try it. We still can’t make her eat it after she’s tried it. I’ve seen so many parents have even more trouble with their children than I do. I can only offer the advice of giving them lots of options and to not give up. Also it’s good to use things like Boost Kid Essentials to make sure they are getting all the vitamins and nutrients that they need. And you can always get creative with it. Try the Boost Kid Essentials Chocolate Caramel Banana Cooler Recipe.

My other advice is to not let yourself feel helpless, doctors almost always have really good advice too. I’ve recently visited my doctor and talked to her about Zoe. The peace of mind and ideas she gave me really helped me relax a lot.

Do you have any ideas or need help with your children? Feel free to leave a comment in the comments section asking or giving advice. Also visit Boost on Facebook and watch the video about the Brunelle Family.

On Wednesday, June 20, 2012. I’ll be participating in a live chat on the Boost Kid Essentials Facebook Page talking about my struggles with a picky eater and I would love for you to join me!

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, Keely H.

Please see the giveaway rules.

Interview with Christine Coppa Nutrition Picky Eaters and Yoplait Kids

March 6, 2011 by Momstart 1 Comment

Nutrition and my kids are two things that are constantly on my mind. Feeding my kids nutritiously takes creativity and constant diligence to make sure that what they eat is healthy for them and healthy for me, my biggest influence over them is my example. Thanks to Yoplait Kids, I had the opportunity to interview Christine Coppa, Editor at Parenting.com, and we talked about challenges with feeding kids from picky eaters to big time snackers.

In the first question, I wanted to know why Christine Coppa was working with Yoplait kids. Christine is a very well known blogger, and expert at Parenting.com. She often talks about nutrition and taking care of her own 3 year old son. Having a lot in common with Christine, I felt connect to her responses and feel that feeding kids healthy options is easier than it sounds. Yoplait makes low fat yogurt the common choice with kids with fun Cars, Disney Princesses and Dora packaging. Christine is a good fit because she already feeds her kids Yoplait and eats it herself as well.

Christine’s number 1 snack tip is to let the kids be in the driver seat. By keeping healthy snacks at eye level kids can go in and grab their own snacks. Have little containers of baby carrots, cheese sticks, and cherry tomatoes. Leave them on the bottom shelf for kids to find and get themselves, also have an area in the pantry of healthy non perishable snacks for them to choose from.

Be creative with picky eaters. My kids are addicted to dipping. Try using yogurt as the veggie or fruit dip, making a healthy wholesome fun snack. Also, try creating a kabob, use a wooden skewer and put veggies and fruit on it. Let them help in the preparation and encourage them to dip those kabobs right into yogurt. If you have trouble like me, with kids that want to eat all the time. Christine suggests using a schedule and distraction to make them think about food less often. We all eat when we are bored and if they are constantly doing something they won’t think about food as often. Also, remember that your example is the biggest influence on your children. My kids eat salads, raw carrots, and lots of fruit because they see Andrew and I doing it too!

When you’re on the go, snacking can still be healthy, you just need to remember to think ahead. Keep non-perishable food in the car so you always have it. Remember to restock it and pack some yogurt in freezer bag. Or freeze the yogurt and grab it on your way out then it will be soft for you to eat later.

Thank you Yoplait and Christine for all of this wonderful advice. Remember, you can win some Yoplait Yogurt. I’m working with MyBLogSpark on behalf of Yoplait. Visit Yoplait on Facebook to "Like" the brand. Also, be sure to "Follow" Yoplait on Twitter to keep up with the latest news from Yoplait!