June 6-12, 2010 is National Headache Awareness Week

More than 100 million people suffer from chronic daily headaches.  Causes for headaches include: tension headaches , sinus headaches caused by sinus infection, food sensitivity for example sugar headaches, stress headaches, hunger headaches, and hormonal headaches and menstrual headaches.

Many of these daily headaches can be prevented by making lifestyle and dietary changes. Numerous studies show that foods rich in certain vitamins and minerals can act as headache cures and natural migraine relief.

Instead of taking painkillers or migraine drugs that have nasty side effects for your headache pain relief, incorporate super foods into your diet; try some of the home remedies for headaches listed below:

- water and  fiber rich foods (can be used as constipation remedies). Your stabbing headache may be linked to constipation as has been found by some migraine research.

- Magnesium rich foods, such as almonds, apples, apricots, avocados, brown rice, garlic, leafy vegetables, grapefruit, cantaloupe, sesame seeds, spinach, salmon.

Deficiency of Magnesium interferes with transmission of nerve and muscle impulses, causing irritability and nervousness, which in turn can cause and then require tension headache relief.

- Potassium rich foods: apricots, avocados, lima beans bananas, garlic, raisins, nuts, winter squash, yams and yogurt.

Potassium is important for healthy nervous system. Signs of potassium deficiency include constipation, depression, nervousness, insomnia might be a headache trigger of your chronic daily headaches.

- Vitamin E rich foods: oatmeal, sweet potatoes, watercress, dandelion, flax seed, legumes, seeds and nuts, olive oil.

Vitamin E can be tried as natural migraine relief. Vitamin E helps to stabilize estrogen levels and thus help with hormonal migraines that may occur during your periods. It can also improve brain circulation, which can help reduce your symptoms of a migraine.

- Vitamin B Complex (B1, B2, B5, B6, B12 ) rich foods, such as fish, peanuts, peas, broccoli, prunes, raisins, oatmeal, avocados, asparagus, bananas, spinach, walnuts, sunflower seeds, broccoli, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, brown rice, cabbage, cantaloupe, salmon, seafood, sea vegetables, yogurt, whole grains and nuts.

Vitamin B Complex deficiency can contribute to many anxiety disorders caused by stress, such as hormonal imbalances, blood sugar fluctuations, chronic fatigue, depression, irritability, moodiness, nervousness, constipation; any of these might be a headache trigger.

- Vitamin A rich foods, such as apricots, asparagus, beet greens, broccoli, carrots, cantaloupe, collards, dandelion greens, fish oil, garlic, papaya, peaches, red peppers, sweet potatoes, yellow squash.

Symptoms of vitamin A deficiency include: insomnia, fatigue, sinusitis, and frequent colds, all of which can lead to a pulsating headache, stabbing headache; or otherwise exploding head.

Don’t forget that prolonged or severe headaches should not be ignored: in these cases go see your doctor or go to the Emergency Room.

Let us listen to our bodies and be headache pain smart.

And don’t forget to breathe, smile and be happy.

© Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com