March Madness

Whether it’s Cards or Cats we cheer for this time of year, we all catch the fever. There’s just something about friends and family gathered around the big screen anxiously awaiting the final shot of the game that we can’t say no to. After the excitement though, we often go home feeling drained and nursing a huge headache.

Most of us attribute it to the noise or the lights or even the stress of watching our team do battle on the court. All these things do cause headaches, but did you know that your game-time snack could be a culprit too?

Researchers believe that food plays a significant role in headaches, especially migraines. Proving this has been difficult since the exact cause of headaches is still being debated. We do know that an increase or decrease in the blood flow to the brain results in headache pain.

Certain foods contain substances that either constrict or dilate blood vessels throughout the body. While, no single food affects every individual and those that are affected are not always affected to the same degree, certain problem foods have been identified.

So, if you’ve been feeling the pain after the game, try staying away from these trouble makers:

• Aged cheeses
• Alcohol (esp. red wine)
• Artificial sweeteners
• Caffeinated drinks
• Chocolate
• Cured or processed meats (think hot dogs and beef jerky)
• Fresh baked yeast products
• MSG (monosodium glutamate)
• Nuts / peanut butter
• Sour cream
• Yogurt

Your head will thank you!