Headaches: Hints to Head Off pain

Cook Up Some Migraine Relief

Migraines affect up to 18% of women and 6% of men. The pounding pain, which often sends you straight to bed, can also make you nauseous, irritable and overly sensitive to light and sound.

Though some foods can trigger a migraine, plenty of others help you heal.

Salmon. This fish is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which help control inflammation. These helpful fats can cut some migraines off before they even start.

Fish oil capsules are an easy way to get your omega-3, an even better way is from natural sources. Look for omega-3 in cold-water fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines. It's also found in flaxseed and wheat germ.

Ginger. If you want milder and less frequent migraines, this is the rhizome for you.

Ginger, often taken to ease motion sickness, may also calm the nausea that frequently accompanies migraines.

To reap the benefits of ginger, you have to eat 2 to 4 grams a day. You can either eat the root raw with your food, steep several slices in a pot of tea, or get it in capsule form. Add ginger to your diet gradually, it can cause a burning sensation in your mouth or stomach.

Spinach. If you suffer from migraines, chances are you don't have enough magnesium in your system. This might explain why nearly 80% of 3,000 migraine sufferers reported migraine relief after taking 200 milligrams of magnesium a day. You can get plenty of magnesium in foods like spinach, potatoes, fish and shellfish, beans and cereal. If you choose to use supplements, don't take more than 500mg a day.

Mushrooms. These fleshy buttons have relatively high levels of riboflavin or vitamin B2. In one three-month study, people who took 400 mg of vitamin B2 a day had 37% fewer migraines than those given a placebo. While you can purchase riboflavin supplements in health food stores, you can also get modest amounts of vitamin B2 from spinach, cereals, liver, yogurt, milk and cottage cheese.

Fortified milk. Milk is rich in both calcium and vitamin D - a combination that may keep migraines few and far between. Two women with severe migraines took megadoses of vitamin d and calcium and noticed their headaches came dramatically less often. Doctors think that low levels of these nutrients can bring on migraines. high doses of vitamin d can be dangerous, but you can get moderate amounts from milk products, greens, broccoli and oysters.

Mood-Lifting Foods

Blast the blues with feel-good foods

Even mild mood changes can be linked to bad eating habits. Feelings of depression are sometimes early symptoms of nutritional deficiencies, especially in older adults. This puts food on the front lines of the war on depression.

Women need to pay special attention. If you have low levels of vitamin B12, you double your risk for severe depression. Don't despair - eat beef, turkey and chicken liver; shellfish, salmon, sardines and trout.

Vitamin B6 also helps balance certain brain chemicals, keeping your emotions on an even keel. Not getting enough of this nutrient could cause or worsen depression. seek out foods like liver, seafood, legumes, whole grains and fortified cereals.

Up your mood with omega-3. Fish is without question the best natural source for omega-3, followed closely by flaxseed and canola oils, wheat germ, soybeans and nuts. Eat fatty fish regularly and you could protect yourself from many serious illnesses. Just two servings of fish each week will bolster your body against depression, heart attack, stroke, diabetes and cancer.

See the bright side with C. This mighty vitamin is vital in making serotonin. That means running low can leave you feeling tired and sluggish. Liven up your life by drinking a glass of orange juice or tossing slices of fresh red and green peppers in your salad. Citrus fruits, dark green leafy vegetables and other brightly coloured fruits and veggies are also solid sources of this mood-lifting vitamin.

Iron out ill moods. Just as certain vitamin deficiencies may trigger depression, so could some mineral shortages. Over two billion people suffer from iron-deficient anemia, a condition that can make you depressed, tired and unable to concentrate. To ward it off, get your daily iron from dark meat, legumes, leafy green vegetables and fortified cereals.

Smile again with selenium. This essential mineral could put a grin on your face. People with healthy amounts of selenium in their bodies tend to be cheerful and confident, while those with too little can become grumps. Since it's a natural part of many foods like beef, seafood, poultry, mushrooms, whole wheat and sea vegetables you should have no trouble getting all the selenium you need.

Manage your moods with magnesium. Low moods, tiredness, confusion and loss of appetite are symptoms of depression but they may also be signs of a magnesium deficiency. Women need about 320 milligrams a day of this mineral and men need 420 mg.

A cup of bran cereal with raisins for breakfast puts you on track with over 80 mg of magnesium, while a cup of cooked spinach with your dinner keeps you going with almost 160 mg. Nuts, legumes, seafood and dark leafy greens all pack a powerful magnesium punch.