Forums: January 2011 Kickstart Forum: Headaches?
Created on: 01/14/11 09:49 AM Views: 1398 Replies: 5
norarubinoff Joined: 01/04/11 Posts: 6	Headaches? Posted Friday, January 14, 2011 at 9:49 AM One thing I've noticed over the last week is that our family has been getting more frequent headaches. I've wondered if I'm missing something in my nutrition. - I don't think our family is sick - I make sure I am very well hydrated, as I know that can be an inducer - We're taking daily multi vitamins and calcium - We're drinking fortified almond milk or soy milk every day Could it be that I'm not getting enough protein into us? Here's a typical day's menu: Total cereal with 1 sliced banana, a handful of blueberries or blackberries, almond milk and glass of orange juice Hummus and boston lettuce on whole grain bread, clementine, glass of almond milk Sauteed kale and chick peas over corn bread or mashed potatoes, glass of water Snack - piece of fruit such as granny smith apple, banana or clementine, handful of Kashi GoLean Crunch Any feedback would be really helpful! Thanks
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Bugsmom Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2068	RE: Headaches? Posted Friday, January 14, 2011 at 10:02 AM norarubinoff wrote: One thing I've noticed over the last week is that our family has been getting more frequent headaches. I've wondered if I'm missing something in my nutrition. - I don't think our family is sick - I make sure I am very well hydrated, as I know that can be an inducer - We're taking daily multi vitamins and calcium - We're drinking fortified almond milk or soy milk every day Could it be that I'm not getting enough protein into us? Here's a typical day's menu: Total cereal with 1 sliced banana, a handful of blueberries or blackberries, almond milk and glass of orange juice Hummus and boston lettuce on whole grain bread, clementine, glass of almond milk Sauteed kale and chick peas over corn bread or mashed potatoes, glass of water Snack - piece of fruit such as granny smith apple, banana or clementine, handful of Kashi GoLean Crunch Any feedback would be really helpful! Thanks Could be a variety of things depending where you are. We've been dealing with this over the last week as well, but we know that we're sensitive to major weather systems and boy, have we had those over this last week (3 snowstorms in the last week, with more to come!) It just so happens to coincide with the middle of the kickstart but I'm pretty sure it's unrelated. Another thing to consider is your chewing muscles. You're probably giving your jaw more of a workout with nuts, grains, beans, etc. Tired jaw muscles can trigger muscle tension type headaches. That will likely ease as you get used to the chewing involved in eating whole foods. --Deb R
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Katherine Lawrence Joined: 01/12/11 Posts: 24	RE: Headaches? Posted Friday, January 14, 2011 at 10:45 AM Hi Nora, Your sample menu sounds delicious! And, congratulations on making the diet change to a healthier lifestyle. Deb's suggestions are right on for your questions - there are also a few other things to consider... Headaches are actually a pretty common side effect when changing to a high-fiber diet. The good news is that these are temporary and they will subside. I'm not sure what your fiber intake was before but the average American gets about 10-12 grams per day. When going vegan, if you're eating lots of whole foods, you'll probably end up around 35-40 g a day. We actually recommend 40 g/day in our classes here at PCRM, so you're on the right track. So, if your prior intake was on the lower side, its possible that you have undigested food/toxins in the digestive system that haven't been processed yet. So, by eating more fiber, you'll be clearing out some of that old stuff. In the process, there can also be chemicals and other things that may trigger headaches. Just keep your water intake high and this will eventually subside. This diet is naturally a "detox diet" since its high in fiber, so that's what we're doing - detoxing! When I first switched I had headaches for about 8-10 days and I haven't had a single headache since then... and that was 5 years ago! Finally, if you want to double-check your protein intake the RDA is about 1/3 of your body weight. So, a 150 pound person would need approx 50 grams of protein per day. Let us know if you have more questions! Thanks, Katherine Lawrence Instructor, PCRM & The Cancer Project www.plantbasedhealth.com Katherine Lawrence Instructor, PCRM & The Cancer Project www.plantbasedhealth.com
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norarubinoff Joined: 01/04/11 Posts: 6	RE: Headaches? Posted Friday, January 14, 2011 at 2:49 PM Thank you so much for your perspectives. It could totally be the weather here (I'm in the midwest), and the "detox" component is something I never considered. I love this group! Have a wonderful weekend!
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lisag81 Joined: 12/31/10 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 64	RE: Headaches? Posted Friday, January 14, 2011 at 7:05 PM I was wondering about this! I've noticed that I've been getting some minor to moderate headaches since starting the plan - mostly in the evening. I KNOW my fiber intake before starting was nowhere near what it is now, so this all makes sense! I like knowing I'm getting the bad stuff out of my system Check out my blog as I do the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart! http://vegamorphosis.blogspot.com www
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kiwi Joined: 01/03/11 Location: New Zealand Posts: 405	RE: Headaches? Posted Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 12:55 AM Are you new to eating this way? If so, it's not the food your eating but what your not eating. It is well documented and not uncommon for people to feel unwell when they first start eating healthy foods as their bodies are detoxing and getting rid of all the toxins and trash. If this is the problem it passes. Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food - Hippocrates.
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