Headaches plague millions of people everyday, ranging from an annoying dull discomfort to complete debilitation.  Many headaches can be remedied with a few simple dietary and lifestyle changes.

 1.    Drink Water

Dehydration is one of the most common reasons for headaches and is the easiest to remedy.  Our bodies are made up of approximately 60% water and require rehydration daily.  In order to ensure proper hydration make sure you are drinking ½ of your body weight in ounces of water.  For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, drink 70 ounces of water each day.  As well, keep caffeinated beverages to a minimum, as they tend to dehydrate your body.

2.    Avoid Headache Triggering Foods

Keeping a food diary and headache log are essential for determining if a particular food is triggering headaches for you.  If you are suspicious of a food, start by eliminating it for the length of time you would normally have three headaches, or at least 2 weeks.   Some common foods that can trigger headaches include: gluten, dairy (especially aged cheeses), chocolate, caffeine (increasing or decreasing intake), alcohol (especially red wine), soy, MSG, hydrogenated oils, peanuts and deli meats.  If your headaches go away, try reintroducing the food and see if your headaches come back again, if they do this is a sure sign this food is a trigger for your headaches.

3.    Balance Your Blood Sugar

Blood Sugar imbalances are a common cause of headaches.  Typically these headaches occur in the early morning, mid-late afternoon or when you have skipped a meal.  To remedy this type of headache ensure you are eating three healthy meals a day and two snacks.  It is essential that each of your meals and snacks contain some protein (meat, eggs, nuts, protein powder) to help keep your blood sugar balanced during the day.

4.    Keep your spine aligned

Just like your car runs better when it is aligned properly, so does your body.   Keeping your spine in good alignment with regular adjustments is a key component to keeping your headaches gone for good.  Imbalances in your neck muscles pull awkwardly on the bones in your neck and tend to cause irritation and inflammation leading to headaches.

5.    Support Your Gallbladder and Liver

Your liver acts like the filter in your car, cleaning out toxins from your body.  If your liver and gallbladder are congested, they do not efficiently clear out toxins from your body.  Some of these toxins are allowed to re-circulate back into your body and cause headaches and muscle soreness.  Keep your liver functioning optimally by avoiding partially hydrogenated oils, eating plenty of cruciferous vegetables (kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower) and liver super foods such as beets.