itsALLgood
Member
- Joined
- May 2, 2015
- Messages
- 9
Greetings everyone!
So glad to have found this forum. I was introduced to Ray Peat by Danny Roddy after reading Hair Like a Fox. I had been looking into nutrition for migraines and (more recently) hair loss for a few years now. Just like many of you, I've tried various diets to try and find (in vain) a solution to my ailments. Low-carb, gluten-free, paleo...
I've been avoiding refined sugar and soy ever since I noticed a correlation with my migraines which started at the age of 12 (I'm 24). Eating low-carb, basically like a diabetic has helped the migraines but I still get them at a frequency of about 2 a week. Totally debilitating, muscle pain, vomiting, etc. I've tried pretty much all the migraine meds and alternative medicine practices at this point and nothing seems to work. I've always been told that I'm in great health by my doc which bothered me because migraines and hair loss indicated to me that something was obviously off with my body. Apparently I have high cholesterol as of two years ago. But otherwise everything else is normal. I was really glad to discover that my temperature was low (95-97) and that it was something that I could try and work on to see concrete results. Whether it's better sleep, less migraines, halting hair loss, even just knowing that my metabolism is working better and understanding how that has definite benefits on health is a blessing.
So I want to work on that. Hydration is huge for migraines. Dr Angela Stanton (PhD) wrote a book called "fighting the migraine epidemic" and explains the importance of maintaining a balance of sodium-potassium ratio (I recommend reading it if you suffer from migraines). Consuming more sodium seems to have helped my migraines since I started 3 weeks ago. Eating regularly is also really important. I have always been quite thin and need to eat lots of calories frequently to feel good. I find that protein and fat are much more satiating than carbs. People with migraines report that a Ketogenic diet has been very beneficial to them as well (another book called "Migraine miracle" written by an MD talks about that). However, a ketogenic diet hinges on the idea that your body will function better if you burn fat instead of carbs. From what I understand about Ray Peat, that's not compatible with his philosophy at all. Matt Stone in "Hypoglycemia: What It Is, What It Isn't, and How to Fix the Root Problem" explains how low carb/high protein diets will usually help symptoms for people with alleged hypoglycemia (often associated with migraines) for a while but that it doesn't address the root issue which, according to him, is a sluggish metabolism due to a faulty thyroid and that it's bound to backfire eventually.
So it seems to explain why I've been feeling better migraine-wise eating high fat + high protein +low carb. It also explains why I started losing my hair two years ago, because my thyroid kept getting more and more neglected. If Matt Stone is correct, I should start eating a lot more carbs to burn that instead of fat and address my low temp. and get thyroid running properly. Migraines haven't really improved significantly enough to a point where I can live a normal life, so I need to try something different. Plus my hair falling out is a definite sign that I need to address certain things from a different angle.
What are people's thoughts on all of this? How can I reintroduce carbs in a way that won't exacerbate my migraines too much? I'm quite sensitive to sugar these days, since I have eaten it so rarely for most of my life. It doesn't trigger a migraine instantly, and often not at all (depending on the amount I consume) but it makes me feel weird. It's hard to describe. But I feel the surge in energy, and the crash a little later when I consume sprite or ice cream. Chocolate is also a trigger, and I've been avoiding caffeine for a long time as well. How can I get around that?
Thank you so much for your help. I truly appreciate it. Reading this forum over the past few days has really inspired confidence in me that I will find a solution to my health concerns, or at the very least find something that helps.
So glad to have found this forum. I was introduced to Ray Peat by Danny Roddy after reading Hair Like a Fox. I had been looking into nutrition for migraines and (more recently) hair loss for a few years now. Just like many of you, I've tried various diets to try and find (in vain) a solution to my ailments. Low-carb, gluten-free, paleo...
I've been avoiding refined sugar and soy ever since I noticed a correlation with my migraines which started at the age of 12 (I'm 24). Eating low-carb, basically like a diabetic has helped the migraines but I still get them at a frequency of about 2 a week. Totally debilitating, muscle pain, vomiting, etc. I've tried pretty much all the migraine meds and alternative medicine practices at this point and nothing seems to work. I've always been told that I'm in great health by my doc which bothered me because migraines and hair loss indicated to me that something was obviously off with my body. Apparently I have high cholesterol as of two years ago. But otherwise everything else is normal. I was really glad to discover that my temperature was low (95-97) and that it was something that I could try and work on to see concrete results. Whether it's better sleep, less migraines, halting hair loss, even just knowing that my metabolism is working better and understanding how that has definite benefits on health is a blessing.
So I want to work on that. Hydration is huge for migraines. Dr Angela Stanton (PhD) wrote a book called "fighting the migraine epidemic" and explains the importance of maintaining a balance of sodium-potassium ratio (I recommend reading it if you suffer from migraines). Consuming more sodium seems to have helped my migraines since I started 3 weeks ago. Eating regularly is also really important. I have always been quite thin and need to eat lots of calories frequently to feel good. I find that protein and fat are much more satiating than carbs. People with migraines report that a Ketogenic diet has been very beneficial to them as well (another book called "Migraine miracle" written by an MD talks about that). However, a ketogenic diet hinges on the idea that your body will function better if you burn fat instead of carbs. From what I understand about Ray Peat, that's not compatible with his philosophy at all. Matt Stone in "Hypoglycemia: What It Is, What It Isn't, and How to Fix the Root Problem" explains how low carb/high protein diets will usually help symptoms for people with alleged hypoglycemia (often associated with migraines) for a while but that it doesn't address the root issue which, according to him, is a sluggish metabolism due to a faulty thyroid and that it's bound to backfire eventually.
So it seems to explain why I've been feeling better migraine-wise eating high fat + high protein +low carb. It also explains why I started losing my hair two years ago, because my thyroid kept getting more and more neglected. If Matt Stone is correct, I should start eating a lot more carbs to burn that instead of fat and address my low temp. and get thyroid running properly. Migraines haven't really improved significantly enough to a point where I can live a normal life, so I need to try something different. Plus my hair falling out is a definite sign that I need to address certain things from a different angle.
What are people's thoughts on all of this? How can I reintroduce carbs in a way that won't exacerbate my migraines too much? I'm quite sensitive to sugar these days, since I have eaten it so rarely for most of my life. It doesn't trigger a migraine instantly, and often not at all (depending on the amount I consume) but it makes me feel weird. It's hard to describe. But I feel the surge in energy, and the crash a little later when I consume sprite or ice cream. Chocolate is also a trigger, and I've been avoiding caffeine for a long time as well. How can I get around that?
Thank you so much for your help. I truly appreciate it. Reading this forum over the past few days has really inspired confidence in me that I will find a solution to my health concerns, or at the very least find something that helps.