Headaches are annoying I know. How can you possibly function when your head feels like it’s being squeezed in a vice grip? And, you certainly can’t concentrate if it feels like someone is hitting you on top of the head with a rubber hammer, over and over again.
Taking one or two Panadol (paracetamol) or Nurofen (ibuprofen) occasionally for pain is not the problem. Taking it on a regular basis (and in excess) is where the danger lies. This is where most folks get into BIG trouble. They fall into the habit of reaching for a drug to mask a headache without getting to the root cause of the pain.
Unfortunately, no matter how many pills you take, those headaches will keep returning day after day, week after week, and month after month, because the root cause of the pain has never been assessed and addressed.
These analgesics can cause major issues on your liver, your gut, and even your heart. Liver damage, leaky gut, and even heart attacks can result.
For the sake of your body, stop the nonsense and take a moment to consider what could be causing that perpetual pounding:
Dehydration
Many headaches simply arise from not drinking enough water. The human body is made up of 60% water and cannot function properly without it. Make water your ‘go-to’ beverage. Not coffee, not tea (unless it’s herbal!), not alcohol – just water. These other beverages just dehydrate the body further.
Stress
Many headaches arise from high stress due to emotional events, over-work, excessive caffeine, lack of sleep and overall poor diet and lifestyle choices. De-stress as often as possible. Forget about taking a ‘quick-fix’ pill (any analgesic, carminative or tranquilizer). It’s time to literally chill out, get a massage, take a nap, get adequate rest, sit in the park, breathe and relax. Reassess your priorities and how much you do on a daily basis. Aim to schedule regular ‘time-out’.
Eye Strain
The optic nerve is directly connected to the brain. If you are sitting at the computer all day, or have your face buried in your iPhone (or in this case ‘eye-phone’), you’re causing strain on the optic nerve and brain. Excessive computer and other technology can contribute to headaches. Take a 5-10 minute rest from technology every hour to help relieve eyestrain. Limit the overall amount of time you spend on your smartphone There’s an entire world beyond the little screen that sits in the palm of your hand.
Sugar
Yes.. sugar can cause headaches. Pain in the temples (gallbladder zone) or between the eyebrows (liver zone) can occur when these organs become hot and irritated by sugar. Sugar comes in many forms; high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, refined grains, whole grains, bread, fruit, confectionary, soft drinks, alcohol, and so forth. So limit sugar consumption and practice moderation when you do use it.
Food
Tyramine is a natural compound that forms in protein-rich foods as they age. It’s also a known trigger for migraines. It can be found in a variety of aged cheese, processed meats, along with alcoholic drinks (eg beer and red wine), over-ripe fruits, soy products, certain beans, sauces (eg soy sauce), fermented products (eg sauerkraut), avocados, and even freshly baked yeast products.
Additives
Chemicals added to food to enhance their flavour or help them stay fresh longer may bring on a headache. Some examples include:
MSG (monosodium glutamate)
The main ingredient in soy sauce and found in many Asian foods. MSG can spark a migraine within 20 minutes. It’s sometimes listed on packaged foods as ‘all natural preservatives’, ‘hydrolyzed vegetable protein’, ‘soy extract’ or ‘yeast extract’.
Nitrates and nitrites
These chemicals are found in many cured and processed meats, like hot dogs, ham, and bacon. Once they get into your system, they cause your blood vessels to swell, which can start a headache.
Aspartame
This artificial sweetener is 150 times sweeter than sugar, but it can cause severe headaches as a side-effect. Aspartame consumption can lead to headaches because it reduces brain dopamine and serotonin levels, both of which are observed in tension-type and migraine headache sufferers.
Organ System Imbalance
When specific organs are not functioning properly, or are struggling from overwork, poor quality food, and toxic overload, you may suffer from chronic headaches (back of the head, side of the head and behind the eyes).
It’s like someone inside your body is knocking on your head saying, “Hey you… the person in charge of this precious body… Wake up! I’m not feeling well. I’m exhausted, my liver is stressed, my gallbladder hurts, my kidneys are tired, and I need your help in here.”
Liver and gallbladder problems, as well as trouble with the spleen and kidneys, can all contribute to debilitating headaches. Get your organs back in balance and those headaches will disappear.
Above are just some of the ways you can get your headaches to be a thing of the past.
Headaches do NOT need to be a part of your life. They are optional.
If you do get a headache it’s okay to take some pain relief. Just remember, for the sake of your liver, gut or heart, to NOT take those, or any other drugs, habitually.
Get to the root cause of the pain and you can save yourself a whole heap of trouble.
**If you’ve got this far – thank you for reading and I look forward to bringing you more information in the future.
Now, enjoy some much needed inspirational music…
