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Ever had a migraine that seemed to come out of nowhere and then realize your digestion had been off for days?
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It's not a coincidence. It's a conversation because your brain and your guts have been talking all along
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Migraine Heroes is a podcast for chronic migraine sufferers who've seen countless doctors with no results
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Learn how to reduce your migraine attacks without endless medications or constant sacrifices
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Hello, I'm Diane Ducarme. I've helped over 500 people break free from migraine even after suffering for up to 60 years
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My mission in life? To bring this relief to a million people using a unique blend of Eastern medicine and Western science
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In this episode you will learn how the gut pain connection shapes inflammation, mood and migraine pain
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Why imbalances in the microbiome can amplify sensitivity to food, stress and hormones
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And how both Western science and Eastern medicine translate this invisible dialogue into practical ways to restore balance
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Stay with me till the end because when you learn your gut and brain are constantly in conversation
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The way you see your migraines will most probably change
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Inside your intestines live trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi
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All of them forming your microbiome
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And together they form a living ecosystem that produces neurotransmitters
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trains your immune system and constantly chats with your brain through the vagus nerve and the bloodstream
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And when the microbiome is diverse and balanced, it keeps inflammation low, serotonin steady and the brain calm
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But when that ecosystem tilts from antibiotics, stress, processed food or lack of sleep Its messages change tone
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The gut is going to start sending distress signals, inflammatory molecules, immune activators and alerted neurotransmitters
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And the brain, wired to listen, is going to respond with pain, anxiety, fatigue or migraine
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A 2023 review in the Journal of Neuroinflammation found that migraine patients often have a distinct microbiome signature
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Fewer anti-inflammatory species like lactobacillus and bifidobacterium
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And more bacteria that release nitric oxide, a molecule known to dilate blood vessels and trigger headaches
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Other studies show that certain gut microbes can metabolize food into compounds that affect serotonin
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90% of which is produced in the gut
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So when your microbiome shifts, your brain chemistry shifts too
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As a result, migraine may not just happen in the head,
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they may start a static in the gut conversation line
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In traditional Chinese medicine, the gut isn't a passive organ
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It's your center, the source of nourishment and stability for your whole system, including your brain
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When the center is strong, energy moves smoothly and the mind feels grounded
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And when it's weak or overstimulated, the upper body feels with tension and the head becomes heavy
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The classic pattern of migraine rising
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Eastern medicine prescribes this as the middle of the body losing harmony with the upper
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Too much thinking, too much rushing, too much cold or erratic eating pulls the energy upward
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Leaving the core empty and the head overloaded
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Healing begins not with restriction, but with rhythm
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More meals, mindful chewing, eating without screens, breathing between bites
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There's also one advice I give people
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I remind them that we're animals and just like a dog or a cat would smell their food before they eat it
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I would really encourage you to do the same
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And the reason why is that sometimes you can have what is called a stomach bug migraine
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If you're eating slightly mindlessly, you can take something from the fridge
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It's actually slightly rotten, but not enough that you would really, really smell it or feel it or sense it or taste it
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But if you were paying attention, you'd feel it slightly sparkly or slightly acidic
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or the taste is just slightly off
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And if you're mindlessly eating it, you would only notice that once it's in your stomach
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And then you're about to vomit through up, you know, in a very violent form and have a massive migraine with it
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That will not allow you to keep any medication in
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And that's really a stomach bug migraine
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Then you're going to have sort of a very loose stool
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Your body has a knee-jerk reaction, a really strong reaction,
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which by the way is completely warranted Okay
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the absence of which can lead to a leaky gut for years, antibiotic for years
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and then irritable bowel syndrome and A lot of complications when it comes to digestion.
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So your body isn't overreacting It's actually protecting you
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But a way to avoid that, which is very very simple, is you just smell your food
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If it doesn't feel right, pass it on to your neighbor.
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They'll have a bit of diarrhea Okay,
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not a whole three days of migraine.
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If you think about your agenda, think do I have three days to miss?
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If the answer is no, then just don't eat that food that just doesn't feel completely right.
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Now each simple act Strengthens your center and teaches the rest of your body to relax around it.
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From this view, the microbiome is not just bacteria
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It's a physical expression of your internal terrain.
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When you treat it with warmth and kindness and consistency
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Your whole system hears the message. We're safe again.
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And when the center feels safe, the head no longer needs to shout through pain
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So if your migraines seem to follow your stomach,
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if stress, bloating or skipped meals light the fuse, listen closer
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Your body may not be malfunctioning. It's speaking.
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Feed your biome the way you'd feed a friendship
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Regularly, gently, with respect.
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You'll see that when the gut and the brain speak the same language again
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The noise quiets, clarity returns
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and the signal that once screamed pain becomes a whisper of peace Instead.
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And so in that same vein, I want to share the story of a woman in New Zealand
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who had a lot of dizziness and we corrected that dizziness. It was fabulous.
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And in her completion call I gave her my personal whatsapp number
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and I said look anything that happens You can just text me
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which she did I think 18 months later
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And she was in panic and she says I have this massive migraine
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and I keep on throwing up and no medication
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I can keep no medication They don't stay inside of me
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because I puke all day long
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and I asked her how are her stools what she ate before
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and I said to her look really don't worry about it. It's just a stomach bug migraine.
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No need to try to keep things in
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I recommended a few foods that would suit her
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and I said to her it's just gonna go away and it went away
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and she hasn't Ever contacted me since which I knew she would
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if something was coming up
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So they are really impressive these stomach bug migraines.
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They really manifest acutely Sometimes when the bacteria is off
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there's other forms of migraines as well really different kind This is
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just about listening to your gut brain axis
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Now if this is you it will resonate instantly
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if that is not the case You can go on the MigraineHeroes.com website
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and in the podcast section You will find the podcast that matters to you
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We are producing a hundred and four podcasts a year
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and we're trying to cover all topics necessary
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Here to help you. You can also search in the search bar
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of your podcast application
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and Remember every small step you take
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moves you closer to freedom
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You are powerful. You are resilient
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and you are no longer alone.
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Keep rising Migraine Hero
