Can you believe March is almost over? I’m still in shock about this. I’m very ready for spring weather, but I’m not so sure I’m ready for April and all the allergies and headaches and everything else that come with it.

After working with the people at Excedrin® last year, I have the chance to do it again and I couldn’t be happier! For one thing, Excedrin Migraine is the only thing that works for me when I have a bad migraine, and I’ve tried just about everything else out there. And secondly, they’ve got some awesome giveaways lined up for you guys this year, too!

The first giveaway this year is to help celebrate March and National Nutrition Month.

If you suffer from migraines, you know how much of a trigger food can be.

There are so, so many foods that can trigger migraines and for those of you who get them (like me), it’s extremely important to figure out your trigger foods. By knowing what they are – and avoiding them – you can seriously reduce how often you get migraines.

And remember the The My Migraine Triggers™ app I told you about last year? It’s an easy way to track the causes of your migraines, including food. It gathers all this data into reports and charts that can easily be shared with your doctor. I love it and use it all the time.

Besides paying attention to what you’re eating on the days you get migraines, Registered dietitian Keri Gans sent over some general tips about potential migraine trigger foods that everyone should know and pay attention to:

  • There are many foods and drinks that can trigger migraines, like citrus fruits, nuts, and foods that contain MSG. It’s important for folks to determine which foods are potential migraine triggers for them. By tracking their triggers, people can avoid them in the future, to help prevent or minimizing migraine attacks.
  • Tyramine: Tyramine is a substance found naturally in some foods, like aged cheese and red wine. It’s formed from the breakdown of protein as foods age. A good rule of thumb is that the longer a high-protein food ages, the higher the tyramine content. Some common foods that contain tyramine include: aged cheeses, red wine, alcoholic beverages and some processed meats.
  • Alcohol: Alcohol increases blood flow to your brain, which can cause migraines and headaches. Red wine, beer, whiskey and champagne are the most common culprits.
  • Other potential migraine triggers include: artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame), chocolate, citrus fruits, coffee or tea, tannins, (like red-skinned apples or pears) caffeinated soda, foods that contain MSG, and nuts or nut butters.
  • Food For the brain: There is emerging science that suggests foods rich in magnesium, such as kale and broccoli, support healthy brain function. Try swapping kale for romaine in your salad at lunch to increase your magnesium intake.

I know for me, I can feel a headache starting if I have sugar alcohols, and thankfully, I figured that out a few years ago, so I do my best to avoid them.

Isn’t it crazy when you can eat or drink something and start to feel the small pings of pain just minutes later? It’s crazy to me that something could affect me so quickly, but I know to avoid them now and that has helped a lot!

excedrin march giveaway

To help you find new ways to stay healthy in the kitchen and avoid your own trigger foods, I’ve got 2 prize packages to giveaway!

To enter:

– Leave a comment on this post with your bad food triggers – what do you have to avoid?

For more entries:

– Tweet about the giveaway with @branappetit and @excedrin in the message and let me know you did

– Follow me on Twitter (@branappetit)and let me know you did

–  Tell me the first dressing you’ll make in the dressing emulsifier

Good luck!!

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I am a paid Excedrin ® Migraine blog ambassador. Along with compensation, three giveaways were provided by Novartis
Consumer Health, Inc., the makers of Excedrin® Migraine; my journey for a migraine-free experience is my own.

46 comments

  1. My trigger is processed meats. I avoid all deli meats

  2. bread for sure…. I used to have it with cereal but i just stopped buying them so it stopped but now I love bread

  3. My first dressing would be using the lemons and herbs from my backyard with some olive oil

  4. I have to avoid dairy – I’m vegetarian by choice vegan by allergy :-(

  5. I’d love to make a champagne vinegrette type thing… Doesn’t that sound good (it at least sounds like they didn’t call for more snow Thursday)

  6. I tweeted always_joy

  7. I followed u

  8. My trigger is sugar – avoid desserts.

  9. The first dressing I would make would be a vinaigrette.

  10. i don’t have any food triggers – at least ones that have been identified at this point – rather change weather/barametric pressure and flourescent lights are big ones for me.

  11. 1st dressing i would be make would be some type of vinaigrette

  12. Follow you on Twitter as JustAnotNewBlog

  13. Luckily when I went to a neurologist for my bad migraines I found out processed meats was what really affected me. I try to only eat fresh meats now, as I know if I have processed meats it’s gonna affect me eventually. Going to an allergist now to determine if I have other allergies to hopefully get things under wraps!

  14. I avoid aspartame

  15. I follow you on Twitter!

  16. I would make an olive oil and dijon dressing in the emulsifier!

  17. I really have to be careful with the artificial sweetners and MSG. Thankfully I’ve been lucky this year with the migraines. They are the worst!

  18. I’d love to find some sort of creamy balsamic using a Greek yogurt.

  19. I have to avoid carbs as much as possible!

  20. I haven’t figured out a food trigger, but I have a few environmental triggers.

  21. I would make some type of vinagerette dressing

  22. I try to limit refined sugars and carbs, as eating them just leads me to craving them more!

  23. I would make balsamic vinegarette

  24. I don’t get migraines, but high fat dairy triggers digestion problems for me.

  25. didn’t know that about aged cheese! cool :)

  26. I have to avoid too much caffeine.

  27. i would make a honey balsamic vinaigrette!

  28. Oh, wow: A trigger app sounds so helpful. I used to get TERRIBLE migraines when I was eating more processed foods, so I expect that sodium was a large part of them. It sounds like a great idea to narrow it down even more.

  29. I have to avoid eating sugary foods late at night a lot- I find it makes my sleep less restful and often makes me sweat at night (weird but true)

  30. I would make a ceasar dressing or homemade Ranch first!

  31. Follow Bran Appetit on Twitter

  32. I have to avoid fake sugars to prevent headaches.

  33. I follow you on twitter

  34. My head is a barometer — I wish I could avoid weather changes! I also need to keep to the same sleep patterns, can’t sleep in on weekends. I stay away from too much of the problem foods, so I can’t say if they do anything to me. I get too many migraines as it is and don’t want more!

  35. Any food with MSG

  36. I would make a raspberry balsamic oil and vinegar dressing with poppy seeds

  37. Follow on twitter: carogonza

  38. I’d love to make a vinaigrette dressing, it’s always been in the top rankings :)

  39. follow you on twitter
    @Bless_Eliz

  40. The first dressing I am going to make is with zatar, olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed garlic over a feta salad!

  41. mine is sugar.

  42. I haven’t figured out my trigger. My migraine usually hit me like a ton of bricks, out of no where.

    I would like to try to make an oil and vinegar dressing with some of my fresh grown herbs.

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