April 28, 2012
Migraine headaches are different than other headaches. They're tough to get rid of, but very closely related to your nervous system activity, and specifically your autonomic nervous system response to foods and stress. Today, you'll learn how to use these concepts to get rid of migraine headaches forever.
This morning, my wife posted this to Facebook:
She's been struggling with occasional migraines for the past several years, but this month, I've witnessed her completely eliminate migraines and “stop them in their tracks” by fixing her body's pH levels – in other words, making her body less acidic.
So how can something like drinking green smoothies eliminate migraines?
In Podcast #191, I explained that migraine headaches can be multi-factorial –
…sometimes migraines can be caused by consumption of foods containing tyramine and histamine (such as cheeses, sauerkraut, kefir, alcohol and vinegar)…
…sometimes migraines can be caused by consumption of foods containing arginine (like nuts and chocolate)…
…but many times migraines can be caused by foods that leave a net acid load when they are metabolized by the body (such as the type of foods I talk about in today's podcast interview with Dr. Ted Morter), and this turned out to be the case with my wife.
In today's audio, I talk with Dr. Morter about how your body's acidity levels affect your health, mental and physical performance, and how doing something as simple as consuming a high amount of alkaline producing foods (such as the dark, leafy greens found in green smoothies), can reduce net acid load on the body and cause the autonomic nervous system to shut down the stress response that causes health problems like migraines.
Click here for the full written transcript of this audio interview.
Dr. Ted Morter is a trainer, author, researcher, Doctor of Chiropractic, and CEO of Morter HealthSystem and a founder of Dynamic Life Training seminars of North America, one of the fastest growing personal and professional development companies teaching health and wellness techniques for well over 40 years.
In my discussion with Dr. Morter, I ask him:
How is it that certain foods can affect the body's pH?
You say that the body is “alkaline by design and acid by function”. What does this mean?
Can more than food affect the acid in our bodies?
What are examples of acid producing foods? What about alkaline producing foods?
If the body is exposed to a high amount of acid producing foods, does it have built in mechanisms to protect itself, and if so, how do those work?
What is the alkaline reserve, and why is it important?
How does this tie into the autonomic nervous system, and the “fight and flight” vs. “rest and digest” systems?
How is it that people can actually track their pH?
What do people need to do to get well and stay well?
You can find Dr. Morter's “BEST Living Kit” by clicking here. It includes a book, with 9 CD's that tell you what to do to fix your body's pH and your autonomic nervous system response to stress. My wife has been using this program to test her pH, adjust her pH using food and supplements, and get rid of her migraine headaches with this formula.
Questions, comments or feedback? Leave them below.
Dear Sir,
My sister in law has had sever migraines for years.
These articles are full of those, ” I never Knew’s ”
I happened of this sight quite by accident and I want more info for
her.. Concered i might loose the links, etc.
So, PLEASE send me all the connections so i can pass it on ! She
will study it all …
This is a good discussion about How to get rid of Migraine headaches forever. After all I am so pleased and can say that this instructions may be so supportive for us all for removing the Migraine Headaches Forever. Thank you for posting this information in this website at all.
How do I get a transcript of this interview? I don't see a podcast number.
I have a tri on Sunday and on Tuesday I came due with a migraine behind my right eye. I have seen the doc and he told me to rest. So I have been i bed sleeping the past two days. Help Ben how can I get did not my pain before my race in four days.
Recommendations are in the podcast!
Listened to this interview many times as I believe there is something very valuable here. Then as I did some research of my own I found some qualified people have a different view. I don't really know on which side of the fence I fall right now. Does foods affect your blood PH … or not. Here is some stuff I found. http://goo.gl/sCSXd http://goo.gl/x7K8b
Foods can definitely affect your pH, but I don't think it's because of "acid ash" or "alkaline ash" per se, but rather because "acidic" foods like refined sugars and carbohydrates can cause inflammation, and inflammation can cause a net acidic state.
Ahh, that totally makes sense. Agreed. I was looking at it as a way to lower the PH by eating alkaline foods, which may in fact not be effective at lowering it. Thanks for clarifying.
Very valuable information here… I noticed there is no player on this webpage… do I have to go to iTunes to share this interview??
Nevermind.. just noticed if you click on "today's audio" you can get it…
Ben: Love the podcast, great stuff. I'm looking forward to listening to this migraine one on a run Friday. I've cured most of my migraine problems with magnesium supplementation (500mg magnesium orotate daily), better hydration and more sleep. Which leads to my question: it seems like all of my friends over 40 and I (I'm 44) have terminal insomnia. That is, we wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. I've tried limiting late caffeine/alcohol/exercise, increased the magnesium dose, hydrated, tried a late snack higher in fats/proteins – everything I've read to try. Through all the experiments I cannot find anything that reduces my occurances of terminal insomnia. Is there something magic that we are all overlooking, or are well all just getting old and should keep a puzzle out to do in the middle of the night? Help?
Mike, this is typically due to leptin insensitivity, and the hormonal havoc it can wreak on your circadian rhythm. There is a way to fix it but it’s kinda complicated and varies from person to person. I’d be happy to do a consult with you. Just go to Pacificfit.net and click on “Coaching”…
Ben, thanks for the reply. I searched "leptin insensitivity" on your site, and did not get any hits. Googling hit a few articles, but nothing of good quality that I could find. There are a number of us with this issue going on, and we'd love to do some reading up to better understand the various different causes. Possibly also do some self experimentation. Can you point us to anything we should read?
Mike, you can start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptin
Like I mentioned, I'd be happy to do a consult on this, because it's multi-factorial and depends on HOW you got to where you are…
Try this Kim: http://www.morter.com/catalog.php#kits
The link to Dr. Morter's Best Living Kit is not working.
I've learned in my 20 years of getting migraines that a change in sleep patterns, skipping a meal, and the natural fluctuations in female hormone levels can trigger a migraine as well. I'd had blood work done at my neurologist, and she recommended increasing my magnesium, D, and B complex vitamins. Watching the triggers and adding the supplements cut out a lot of my headaches.
Yes, but all those things are responses by an overactive fight and flight autonomic nervous system Laura. That's what the kit at http://goo.gl/mxvfA fixes.
Wow! Ok, I know you know your stuff, but really, you DO know your stuff. Yep, I've got great reflexes and am very sensitive. That's both good and bad in a lot of ways.
All of musclegeek's suggestions I can do, except for the full body sun exposure. I have neighbors and need to kick the low carb into higher gear before turning platinum into gold. :)
Eat lots of fish and spinach for magnesium, and lots of grass fed animals for B vitamins. Add some full body sun exposure for vitamin D and you're golden!
I agree, I have had them since I was 8. I have learned that corn, popcorn, sometimes chocolate, peanuts, cashews, light (A MAJOR trigger for me!), missing a meal, being out in the heat for long periods of time, high times of stress, different medications, are all things that I get migraines from. I also have learned that if I don't stop a small headache with in a few hrs or less it will turn in to a migraine.
Hey Ben, I was just wondering about nuts/seeds and how they effect the body’s pH?
Dr. Morter's kit at http://www.morter.com/catalog.php#kits goes into all this, but basically it depends on the type of nut. Almonds and brazil nuts are lower….
Great timing Ben! Last night my wife was complaining of a migraine. I just downloaded the new podcast and I'm headed out for a long run. Hopefully, when I return, I'll have all the answers.
Thanks!
Fantastic Scott. Not that your wife has migraines, but that you're figuring it all out now. ;) Keep me posted.