Well I've finally done it. Given up meat and fish for health reasons.

[KyndCulture]

I have been getting the most god awful migraines for about 2 months. I've had them since I was a child and it's ALWAYS diet related. I had another horrible one yesterday. Yeah it's a bit stress, but I've been enjoying a lot of fresh fish from the lakes here in Minnesota lately and cheap meat. I thoroughly believe it's the hormones and mercury that's setting off my headaches.

I have to eat some dairy because of a medication I take - it aborbs better with dairy foods.

So got any advice for me detoxing from meat? Any great unique recipes?

I just can't function with these ridiculous headaches anymore.


If this works I saved myself another round of expensive tests and doctors to tell me what I already knew. Change your diet.

[NMDemDist2]

1. I'm sorry

Migraines are horrible.

I went straight from being a meat eater to being vegitarian when I did it. It's a lot easier than doing it the other way around

make yourself hearty casseroles with pasta, shrooms, squash of any kind

bread is filling too with complex carbs that "stick with you"

get a couple books on what to eat to ensure you get complete proteins (think beans and rice) and learn to love tofu

it will take some time for your tastes to change which is why I recommended the hearty casseroles to fool your taste buds

also IIRC there is another forum that has LOTS of vegheads in it that will glad to help you i'm sure. I think it;s the Animal Rights forum

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=231

you may want to add it to your forum list

good luck!

[KyndCulture]

2. Thanks so much!

I see a new DU "support" group everyday!!!!

[OldLeftieLawyer]

3. For starters,

indulge yourself in all the non-meat and non-fish foods you like, even if they're not the best things in the world for you. (NOT PRINGLES!)

I regard this as the "transition" stage. Just so they don't make you sick, though.

I don't think it'll be a big deal for you - not "de-toxing" in the bad sense - because you've got the best motivation in the world: no more pain.

Considering the sources of your fish and meat, I'd say your migraines were giving you a great gift.

Add extra cheese on that pizza. And lots of carmelized onions. And garlic slices. And hot peppers, the hotter the better. And them, with each bite, you put a bit of salsa on it (an old hometown trick I grew up with).

How's that for openers?

Ice cream is dairy. I am obligated to remind you of that.

Good luck and feel better.

[KyndCulture]

5. I have a thing about cheese pizza and ranch dressing!

I think that'll be Friday dinner.

I agree. I'm taking it slow and I expect to feel kinda crappy for a week or so.

But in the long run, no more debilitating headaches is SO worth it.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

7. Instead of your current expectation,

why not stand it on its head, take it by its upside-down throat, and decide that you're going to feel great?

I mean, look at what you're already planning for Friday dinner? How cool is that?

And then you'll have LEFTOVER PIZZA!!!!!!!!!

<swoon>

Go positive. There's no such thing as "going slow," because you've already done it. It's over. You're finished with the bad fish and meat.

You've already won.



Now, rejoice!

[wildeyed]

4. There are many great vegetarian cookbooks out there.

I am not a veg, but I do have a reasonably good vegetarian repertoire of recipes. This book is one of my all time favs.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0060969113.01._BO2,204,203,200_PIlitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,32,-59_AA240_SH20_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060969113/qid=1146784601/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-3191258-0015949?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Initially, I got a copy from the library. Didn't look like much, but I gave a few recipes a go anyway and was instantly impressed. Vegetable Enchiladas and the lentil salad are a couple of my favorites.

One observation about vegetarian meals; they can be as delicious as a meal with meat, but generally take more effort. If you are willing to put in the time, I am sure you will develop a great repertoire in no time.

[Sanity Claws]

6. Many vegetarian foods can trigger migraines.

Eggs trigger migraines for me.
Tofu is listed as a trigger.
Veggie burgers generally have MSG (listed as something else) and MSG is a known trigger.
There are several veggies that are also listed as triggers: members of the nightshade family; citrus fruit; avocados; bananas.
I just wanted to warn you that you have to be careful on a vegetarian diet.
Do you mind if I ask you about the type of meat or fish you believe was triggering your migraines?
Smoked meat or fish is known to trigger migraines.
Good luck!

[wildeyed]

8. Birth control pills triggered mine,

so I had to give up...... oh never mind.

[KyndCulture]

10. Nah none of that for me... too old!

When I was little it was chocolate, when I was a teen it was salt, when I was in my 20's/30's it was citrus and citric acid.

It seems to evolve. I don't know exactly what it is. But this can't hurt me as far as I see. If it's not the right thing,I'll find it, just like I always have.

[lady lib]

18. They gave me ocular migraines.

Nobody warned me about the connection. All I knew was one day I was bent over looking for something in the fridge, and when I stood up suddenly part of my vision was gone, there was a halo in my peripheral vision, and my central vision was like looking through fractured glass. I thought I was having a stroke! I had never even heard of ocular migraines until I described my symptoms to my mother-in-law and she told me what they were.

[mtnester]

21. Have to watch to make sure it is not just an ocular migraine

I had three of those exact incidents over the course of 10 years, then suddenly, I had 5 of them in the last couple of weeks.

Eye doctor called them ocular migraines (no headache afterward, just the disturbance and nearly complete loss of vision, particularly peripheral vision with the "fractured glass" thingy).

Because my incidents escalated dramatically, they wanted to rule out anything weird (like tumors, etc).

My MRI is suspect on MS right now...more tests to follow. I am now equipped with Immitrex, and am on a course of steroids to see if what they found on the MRI are simply non-incidental matter changes, or actual MS lesions. Seeing neurologist in a couple of weeks.

So, if you ever have another one, or it escalates, PLEASE check it out with your doctors. Strokes also may mimic this same type of symptom.

NOW that I have scared the pee out of you...it could also be just an ocular migraine.

On another note - in October of 2004 we eliminated Nutrasweet and all similar products from our diets, and hubby and I BOTH stopped having regular headaches. It was a dramatic change, especially for me. We do not drink pop anymore, we only use real organic sugar, drink juice, tea, water, organic milk. Funny thing is, we drank only diet pop, but once we cut it out, we both lost weight.

We also recently have tried to go at least one half of each week vegetarian. I like the Boca burgers, however...ahem...they tend to make me "gassy". Still, I like the way they taste. We also stopped preparing anything out of a box, which has also made us feel better.

With this recent MS possibility, we have discussed going vegetarian to the point of only having dairy products included.

[lady lib]

22. Wow! It sounds like you're going through a lot.

It sounds like your doctor is on the ball, though. Let us know how it turns out.

As for me, the incident that I described happened twice in 1985 and never recurred after taking myself off oral contraceptives very soon afterward. But if it ever happens again, I'll keep your words in mind. Thanks!

[mtnester]

23. I am not too worried yet...

until my diagnosis is conclusive, no need to add more extreme stress to my already overtaxed life (just like everyone else) :)

I hope I did not scare you... I sought attention because of the sudden changes in the frequency, which is simply a smart idea for anyone and for any symptoms.

Thanks for your concern, but I am doing okey dokey...really!

[KyndCulture]

9. But I gotta try!

[Sanity Claws]

11. No doubt!

I just wanted you to be careful when selecting vegetarian foods so you don't go from the frying pan to the fire. (I thought that was a good analogy for this group.)

[Warpy]

12. Well, what you have to do is learn your trigger foods

if you are sensitive to food. Most people report chocolate as a major trigger, but it doesn't bother me. Dairy can be a trigger for some, as can corn, aged cheese, red wine, and solanine veggies like peppers and potatoes.

Mine are hormones, cig smoke and alcohol. I'm just no fun.

The way to assess trigger foods is nasty to do, but it's the best way: eat plain rice for 3 days (brown rice is best). Add foods one at a time to see if any one is a trigger food.

Also learn to read labels. Being a junk food vegetarian and living on stuff that's loaded with salt, MSG and trans fats is not a healthy thing to do.

I know I just generally feel better when I don't eat meat. I know other people who feel terrible when they try to eiliminate it. Good luck with whatever works for you.

[politicat]

13. I'm sorry....

That's got to be really frustrating. My younger sister has migraines with dietary triggers (non-organic milk, cheese, most hard beans, wine, corn-fed beef, a couple others). If she eats organic, she's fine, but living on a budget, they eat a lot of chicken, since chickens don't have hormones or antibiotics added. She's pretty sure that the triggers are the hormones, but testing it is expensive or painful - not worth the effort.

Watch out for soy - she has to rotate between rice milk, soy milk and nut milk every couple of months because too much soy starts triggering the headaches, too.

Don't "detox"... just eat and enjoy what you're eating.

My defaults are goat cheese, fresh basil and grape tomatoes on a pizza crust (or a pita), tabouli, bean soup with corn bread, and bean dip from The Women's Bean Project with either pita triangles or corn chips.

[KyndCulture]

15. Soy has given me problems in the past.

I am very careful. real dairy cheeses don't affect me.

I've been fighting this for a long time. I know when it's time to make a change I think I did the right thing. The meat is more contaminated than ever with horomones and the fish is not helping me.


I'm gonna try this for a few weeks and see how it goes.

[The empressof all]

14. Read alot and experiment

I actually followed a macrobiotic diet for several years and have eaten vegan and vegetarian for long stints. I am currently eating animal protein. I developed a significant intolerance to wheat and can only tolerate small amounts. (occasional chocolate chip cookie binge)

There are so many wonderful foods that you can eat that it can be an adventure. It's important that you keep yourself open to new foods and new cuisine. Learn how to cook with Indian or Thai spices. Vary your diet so you don't get bored and when using vegetables experiment in cutting them in different shapes. IE: Cucumbers cut in sticks have a different mouth feel than cucumbers cut in rings.

Is Cheese a trigger for you? Aged cheese can often be a trigger for migraines as well.

You probably already know that you need to get complete proteins into your diet. It's important to do research on this to make sure you stay healthy.

[KyndCulture]

16. That's true. One thing I have noticed.

is peanut butter, organic and non greasy peanut butter. I can cook with that and I get a boost from it and no headache.

I adore all types of eastern cuisine.... I'll think I have peanut sauce down to a soup even.

[lady lib]

17. Hope these articles on triggers help you.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5364970

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5381403

[KyndCulture]

19. Oh wow!!!

FABULOUS articles! I've been researching this doctors work for 2 hours.


This is total sense!! I have been doing some of the things that cause the rebound headaches. A doctor once told me that apsirin and caffeine were good. I've been doing this for years, and now this doc says that can cause a rebound headache up to 72 hours later. That makes SO much sense.

[lady lib]

20. Great! I just happened to be listening to NPR when

they did this story about migraines. Let us know how it all turns out.

:)

[Warpy]

24. Well, be careful about this stuff

because he's listing triggers that aren't for everyone. His diet is so restricted that it would be impossible to stay on it and live a normal life. He's also condemning trace MSG that occurs naturally in foods, amounts so low that they'd be completely unlikely to act as a migraine trigger.

For instance, it makes no difference whether I try to drink chianti or laboratory ethanol mixed with spring water, I get a migraine within 20 minutes; no party, just pain. For me, it's the alcohol, not the tyramines. However, I can tolerate minute amounts of alcohol in cooked food. Trace amounts are not a trigger.

He has also listed caffeine as one of those 72 hour triggers. Well, duh, caffeine withdrawal causes severe headaches in people who have never had a migraine, and I'm afraid this is what he's pointing to.

Also, when I am around one of my triggers, I get the headache quite rapidly. There is no 72 hour waiting period. My triggers have very clearly let me know what they are: alcohol, cig smoke, and hormones. Rarely, it's low blood sugar if I've skipped a few meals.

Everybody is different, and this one size fits all approach is too restrictive for most of us. My advice is to know yourself, know your triggers and try to avoid them whenever you can.

[Rhiannon12866]

25. Do you like mushrooms?

I could probably live on them, and I rarely eat meat, though I am, unfortunately, seeing a guy who detests mushrooms and mostly eats meat, so I'm forced into cooking more of it than I'd like. I go with chicken or turkey, when I can.:shrug:

But, if you like mushrooms, they can be substituted for meat in so many recipes, especially in pasta sauces or Italian dishes. I use them in lasagna, instead of ground beef. I just slice them and saute them in a little olive oil, with salt, garlic salt and a pinch of cayenne.:-)

And this is the time of year when people are starting to grill outside. I much prefer a grilled portobello mushroom to a burger, any day. And you can top them with anything that you like. There are numerous recipes, on-line, for making grilled portobellos, or broiling them, indoors.:9

Good luck with this, and with your health. I promise that you'll get used to it.:hug:

[caledesi]

26. Check out my Pasta Fazul recipe above....delicious. nt