A vestibular diet is a must if you wish to keep a vestibular migraine at bay. But sometimes it can get difficult to keep a track of your diet and follow it perfectly.
So, we are here to make it all easier for you and have a list of ways through which you would be able to follow your vestibular migraine diet without any struggles.
But before that, let’s get more thorough with the condition first.
Vestibular Migraine: Causes and Symptoms
The significant difference between vestibular migraine and a normal one is that you might not necessarily have headaches in the case of the former.
It usually occurs mostly in those people who already have a repeated history of migraines. And besides certain common symptoms such as dizziness, vertigo, and problems in balancing some other symptoms that may or may not occur include a pressured feeling in the area around your head or ear, neck pain, and difficulty in bending down or turning.
Besides the problem of already existing migraines, disrupted sleep cycle and even menstrual cycles at times tend to trigger vestibular migraines.
And like every other health condition wherein certain food items tend to make it worse, this one has some restrictions too. Here is a list of food items you have to steer clear of as they can very conveniently trigger a vestibular migraine:
- Red wine
- Too much of coffee
- Chocolate
- Aged cheese
- Onions
- MSG; pickled foods with a high level of MSG
- Caffeinated drinks/sodas
Even though almost all of these might be your favourites, you should avoid these as much as possible for a migraine-free and happy day! But on the brighter side, you can heal your vestibular migraine naturally by following a specific vestibular diet!
Vestibular Migraine Diet
Here are the food items which will help you with vestibular migraine and are highly recommended as they are greatly beneficial for migraine sufferers.
Milk is a great source of Vitamin D, electrolytes, as well as proteins and thus helps t relieve headaches to a great extent. So, drink up!
Fatty fish such as salmon, cod, halibut, tuna, etc., are rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, thereby working wonders for curing your headaches and migraines.
Vestibular Migraine DietYou would’ve seen this one coming; leafy greens including spinach and chard are incredible sources of magnesium and are also considered to have strong migraine-reliving properties.
Almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and flaxseeds are again great sources of magnesium which tends to help with your headaches. And as these are also rich in other important nutrients and vitamins like Vitamin E, which is a great source of help in case of headaches that are triggered by menstrual cycles.
Mushrooms, especially cremini mushrooms are rich in riboflavin which is incredibly beneficial for migraine sufferers as it effectively helps to soothe the headaches.
Vestibular Migraine DietAny vegetables of colour like beetroots, carrots, asparagus, squash eggplants, etc., are extremely beneficial and not just so for vestibular migraine but your overall health as well.
Eating shrimp can be great for migraines because this seafood contains quite a good amount of Vitamin D and also an antioxidant named astaxanthin which is immensely helpful in fighting migraine attacks due to its anti-inflammation properties.
Fruits are one of the best and the most effective foods to include in your vestibular diet and here are some fruits you should load up:
- Grapes
- Berries (especially blackberries and strawberries)
- Apples
- Peaches
- Watermelon
- Mangoes
And the best part is that all these fruits are absolutely delicious and are also highly helpful for numerous aspects of your health.
How to Follow a Vestibular Migraine Diet?
Now that you know what foods to stay away from and which ones to consume more, let’s focus on how you can do that.
- Start Incorporating Vestibular-Friendly Foods in your Daily Diet
The best and the easiest way to adhere to your vestibular diet is to incorporate at least one or two of the above-mentioned food items in your diet daily. And keep switching up if you don’t want your diet to get monotonous.
For instance, you could go for a fruit smoothie or a bowl full of fruits along with a handful of nuts and seeds for your breakfast, while you have a veggie salad or a mushroom side-dish along with your lunch and you could have fish for dinner for one day. Then, you could switch up and have milk along with your regular breakfast, have some shrimp later at lunch pairing up with any other dish of your choice, and simply have a fruit dessert after dinner!
Apart from the common foods that trigger migraines, sometimes a particular food item might trigger your vestibular migraine and it doesn’t even have to be a common trigger. So, keep a note of all the foods that make your condition worse so that you can stay away from those. And also keep a track of your diet and in what amounts you are consuming which food items, which time of the day and/or week your migraine tends to trigger the most, etc.
The more you get creative with your food, the easier it is going to get for you to enjoy eating it and not have it forcefully. And you can even infuse some of the ingredients like mushrooms, vegetables, etc., for an enhanced flavour on one of the days instead of consuming that as a different dish!
Develop a habit of drinking more and more water and instead of caffeinated drinks or sodas, chug more water!
Also, if you have a proper and sufficient meal at equal intervals during the day, you won’t feel the need to stuff yourself with any junk foods, a lot of which happen to be vestibular-migraine triggers.
So, stick to your vestibular diet and follow it seriously to see an improved change in your migraine condition!
Also read- Migraine Relief Kit
