Diet

Migraine and Iron Deficiency: Could Low Iron Be a Clue?

Explore how low iron stores, ferritin, fatigue, dizziness, brain fog, and blood loss can intersect with migraine.

Why Some People Wake Up Nauseated Before the Migraine Pain Starts

Do you wake up nauseated before the migraine pain begins? Discover why nausea may be an early warning sign and what your morning pattern can reveal.

Bloating and Migraine: Coincidence or Clue?

Does bloating show up around your migraines? Discover how your gut, hormones, and nervous system may be revealing a deeper pattern.

Why High Blood Pressure May Be Triggering Your Migraines Without You Realizing It

Could blood pressure be fueling your migraines? Discover how circulation and nervous system imbalance may trigger pain without obvious warning.

5 Reasons Migraine Sufferers Struggle With Histamine Sensitivity

Could healthy foods still trigger migraines? Discover 5 reasons histamine sensitivity overloads your system and how to reduce the burden.

Why Nausea & Migraines Are Linked Through the Gut-Brain Axis

Is nausea really just a migraine side effect? Discover how your gut and brain work together to trigger pain, inflammation, and discomfort.

Stress Eating versus Calm: The Hidden Trigger Behind Your Migraines

Is it really what you eat… or _how your body feels when you eat it_ that shapes your migraines? In this episode of **Migraine Heroes Podcast**, host **Diane Ducarme** uncovers a hidden trigger many overlook: the state of your nervous system when you eat. Because when stress takes over, your body doesn’t just think differently, it digests, absorbs, and reacts differently too. You’ll discover: 💡 How stress can quietly shift your appetite, food choices, and lower your migraine threshold without you realizing it 💡 Why irregular or emotional eating creates internal chaos that your migraine brain struggles to tolerate 💡 A simple at-home practice to help your body move from tension to calm before a migraine fully builds This episode invites you to look beyond food itself and start listening to the state your body is in when you nourish it. Because sometimes, the trigger isn’t on your plate… it’s at your pace. 🎧 New episodes every Monday and Wednesday 🔗 Discover our work on [migraineheroes.com](http://migraineheroes.com) **References: ** - **Global Burden of Headache Disorders (Stovner et al., 2025):** This paper provides updated global estimates of headache disorders, highlighting their widespread impact on disability and public health worldwide._ Read more [here](https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(25)00421-5)_. - **Global Epidemiology of Migraine (Steiner et al., 2023):** This review explores the global prevalence of migraine and its implications for public health, emphasizing the need for improved recognition and policy response. _Read more [here](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41582-022-00763-1)._ - **Lifestyle Factors and Migraine (Seng, Martin & Houle, 2022):** This paper examines how lifestyle factors such as stress, sleep, diet, and physical activity influence migraine occurrence and severity. _Read more [here](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(22)00211-3/abstract)._ - **Stress and Migraine (Buse et al., 2022):** This review evaluates the relationship between stress and migraine, discussing how stress can both trigger and result from migraine attacks. _Read more [here](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s10194-021-01369-6)_. - **Nighttime Snacking, Stress, and Migraine Activity (Martin et al., 2014):** This study investigates how eating patterns and stress interact to influence migraine activity, highlighting the role of behavioral triggers. _Read more [here](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0967586813005365)_. - **Migraine and Brain Glucose Metabolism (Gross et al., 2019):** This paper explores the “neuroenergetic” hypothesis of migraine, suggesting that altered brain energy metabolism may contribute to migraine susceptibility. _Read more [here](https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(22)00039-6/fulltext)_. - **The Metabolic Face of Migraine (van den Maagdenberg et al., 2019):** This review discusses metabolic mechanisms underlying migraine and how they may inform new treatment approaches. _Read more [here](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41582-019-0255-4)_. - **Irregular Meals and Migraine (Topal et al., 2025):** This scoping review examines how irregular eating patterns, including skipped meals and fasting, are associated with migraine risk and frequency. _Read more [here](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40795-025-01048-8)._ **Disclaimer**: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for providing medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before making any health-related decisions. For women, men, and children who suffer from migraine disease, Migraine Heroes is your go-to resource for understanding, managing, and overcoming migraine attacks. We cover all types of migraines and related headaches, including primary and secondary migraines, chronic migraines, and cluster migraines. We dive deep into the complexities of migraine with aura and migraine without aura, as well as rarer forms like hemiplegic migraine, retinal migraine, and acephalgic migraine (silent migraine). Our discussions also extend to cervicogenic headaches, ice pick headaches, and pressure headaches, which often mimic migraine or contribute to overall migraine burden.

Blood Sugar and Migraines: The Hidden Energy Crash Behind Your Pain

What if your migraine isn’t just about what you eat but about when your energy crashes? In this episode of **Migraine Heroes Podcast**, **Diane Ducarme** uncovers the powerful link between blood sugar and migraines—and why even “normal” labs can miss what your brain is truly experiencing. Your brain is one of the most energy-demanding organs in your body. When blood sugar drops, it can trigger a silent alarm that destabilizes your nervous system and opens the door to pain. You’ll discover: 💡 Why sudden blood sugar dips can trigger migraines even when everything looks fine on paper 💡 How your brain’s high energy demands make it especially sensitive to glucose fluctuations 💡 A simple, practical way to stabilize your blood sugar and create a safer, steadier environment for your brain This episode helps you move beyond surface-level advice and understand the deeper energy dynamics behind your migraines so you can support your brain with consistency, not guesswork.  🎧 New episodes every Monday and Wednesday 🔗 Discover our work on [migraineheroes.com](http://migraineheroes.com) **References: ** - **Pathophysiology of Migraine (Goadsby et al., 2017):** This major review explains migraine as a disorder of sensory processing, covering trigeminovascular mechanisms, aura, genetics, and brain network dysfunction._Read more [here.](https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physrev.00034.2015)_ - **Diet and Headache: Part 1 (Martin & Vij, 2016):** This review examines how foods, food components, and elimination diets may influence headache and migraine, including evidence around caffeine, MSG, alcohol, and other dietary triggers. _Read more [here](https://headachejournal.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/head.12953)._ - **Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Studies in Migraine (Montagna, Cortelli & Barbiroli, 1994):** This review looks at magnetic resonance spectroscopy findings in migraine and discusses abnormal brain and muscle energy metabolism as a possible part of migraine biology. _Read more [here](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1046/j.1468-2982.1994.014003184.x)._ - **Migraine Triggers: Practice and Theory (Blau, 1992):** This paper questions simplistic ideas about migraine triggers and argues for a more careful interpretation of how triggers may lower the threshold for an attack rather than directly cause one. _Read more [here](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/1495822)_. **Disclaimer**: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for providing medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before making any health-related decisions. For women, men, and children who suffer from migraine disease, Migraine Heroes is your go-to resource for understanding, managing, and overcoming migraine attacks. We cover all types of migraines and related headaches, including primary and secondary migraines, chronic migraines, and cluster migraines. We dive deep into the complexities of migraine with aura and migraine without aura, as well as rarer forms like hemiplegic migraine, retinal migraine, and acephalgic migraine (silent migraine). Our discussions also extend to cervicogenic headaches, ice pick headaches, and pressure headaches, which often mimic migraine or contribute to overall migraine burden.

A Trendy Powdered Drink… But Is It Helping or Hurting Your Migraines?

A popular powdered drink praised for “calm energy” and mental focus is everywhere right now. But for people with migraine-prone brains, the question isn’t just whether it’s healthy — it’s whether it’s stabilizing your nervous system… or quietly pushing it toward a migraine threshold. In this episode of **Migraine Heroes Podcast**, host **Diane Ducarme** explores the surprising relationship between this trendy drink and migraine biology. While some people feel calmer and more focused after drinking it, others experience headaches, overstimulation, or delayed migraine attacks. By combining modern neuroscience with holistic perspectives, this episode helps you understand why the exact same drink can act as support for one brain and a trigger for another. You’ll discover: 💡 Why a famous powdered drink praised for “calm energy” may either stabilize or overstimulate a migraine brain 💡 How certain compounds inside it influence brain excitability, blood vessels, and inflammation linked to migraines 💡 How to recognize whether your body experiences it as support… or as a pernicious trigger If you’ve ever wondered whether a trendy wellness drink might be helping your migraines or quietly making them worse, this episode will help you listen more closely to your body’s signals. 🎧 New episodes every Monday and Wednesday 🔗 Discover our work on [migraineheroes.com](http://migraineheroes.com) **References: ** - **L-Theanine Reduces Psychological and Physiological Stress Responses (Kimura et al., 2007): **This placebo-controlled study found that L-theanine, a compound in green tea, reduced both subjective stress and physiological stress responses during a mental stress task, supporting its calming effect on the nervous system. _Read more[ here](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301051106001451)._ - **Green Tea Effects on Cognition, Mood and Human Brain Function (Mancini et al., 2017):** This systematic review found that green tea and its components may support attention, working memory, mood, and stress regulation, suggesting benefits that go beyond simple caffeine stimulation. _Read more [here.](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711317300867)_ - **Caffeine in the Management of Patients with Headache (Lipton et al., 2017): **This clinical review explains that caffeine can help some people by enhancing acute headache treatment, but can also worsen headache patterns through withdrawal, overuse, or inconsistent intake. _Read more [here](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s10194-017-0806-2)._ - **Caffeinated Beverage Intake as a Potential Trigger of Migraine (Mostofsky et al., 2019): **This prospective diary-based study found that higher-than-usual caffeine intake, especially three or more servings in a day, may increase short-term migraine risk in some people with episodic migraine. _Read more [here](https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(19)30210-4/abstract)._ **Disclaimer**: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for providing medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before making any health-related decisions. For women, men, and children who suffer from migraine disease, Migraine Heroes is your go-to resource for understanding, managing, and overcoming migraine attacks. We cover all types of migraines and related headaches, including primary and secondary migraines, chronic migraines, and cluster migraines. We dive deep into the complexities of migraine with aura and migraine without aura, as well as rarer forms like hemiplegic migraine, retinal migraine, and acephalgic migraine (silent migraine). Our discussions also extend to cervicogenic headaches, ice pick headaches, and pressure headaches, which often mimic migraine or contribute to overall migraine burden.