New Year..New You!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

 

It's that time of year.  Where we all make resolutions of things we are going to do better, more of, fix, or just do period.  The best thing you can do for yourself this year, is to get healthy.  After all, God gave us these bodies so we could go out and accomplish His work, and if we don't have this machine ready to go and in good working order, we can't effectively complete our mission.

 

Wellness is not just absence from disease. It is an active process through which we all make choices toward more successful and healthy lives.

 

Here are a few ways to get your wellness and health on track.  This is not a list to get skinny, this is a list to get healthy.  Weight loss comes as a benefit of wellness and a side effect.  We, as women, should not strive for being skinny, we should strive for wellness.  We need to stop comparing our size to everyone else's and focus on what is important and that is our total body wellness.

 

1. Have a relationship with Christ.  If you are eating healthy, working out, and you have no relationship with the God who created you, you can not have total wellness.  Jesus Christ is the only way to achieve total wellness. 

 

We are marvelously designed by God. He made us in a way that all our body systems work together in unimaginable and intricate ways. Our soul, spirit, mind and body are all connected and work together perfectly according to His design. Because we are designed by God, when we live according to His principles as outlined in the Bible, our life will be more full and we are more likely to experience a life of peace, joy and hope.  This will create an environment that favors good health. http://www.faithandhealthconnection.org/

 

 

2. Eat 6 Small Meals per Day

3. Eat every 2-3 hours

4. Eat a combination of Lean Protein Foods Plus a Complex Carbohydrate at each meal.

5. Drink 2-3 Liters of Water each Day.

6. Depend on lots of Fresh Fruits And Veggies for complex carbs and fiber.  Chad and I recently got a high powered Ninja and drink our fruits and veggies every morning.  We put the apple with the stem and seeds in, peelings on certain things..that's where the nutrients are!  A plant based diet will decrease your cholesterol, heart disease, inflammation and is a cure for many ailments.  I am sure you have seen my recent pinterest board of vegan and vegetarian.  We are just trying to cut back on meats and eat more vegetarian meals for the purposes of Chad's cholesterol.

7.  Limit grains  (especially wheat) but eat a small amount healthy grains, not refined, over processed, full of chemical foods.   Healthy grains include quinoa, steel cut oats, brown and wild rice, spelt and kamut,  Grains are the most genetically modified plants and have decreased nutritional value with wheat being the worst..that's whole wheat included.  Soy beans are also on the high list of genetically modified plants.

 

8.  Stop eating Sugar.  Check the labels on everything! Sugar in everything especially boxed up processed foods.  Sugar causes inflammation and weight gain and leads to a huge pyramid of health issues.  Stick to healthy alternatives in small amounts like honey, stevia, and birch sugar. 

9. Eat Fats to Get Lean...From healthy fat sources  Your body needs omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids to live.  Feed your body healthy fats!

10. Never skip a meal...ESPECIALLY BREAKFAST!  This is a great time to whip up a green smoothie and drink it in a hurry and get those veggies in!  I know you are thinking, "oh yuck" but let me tell you, those smoothies are yummy and the greens don't taste like anything if you fix them right!

11. Stick to reasonable portion size.  Just because it's healthy food doesn't mean you can eat all you want.  I suggest tracking calories even on healthy foods.  I like the livestrong or the fitness pal apps.

12. Get Adequate Sleep.  Your body needs time to rest and repair itself.

 

13. Exercise.  To be healthy and achieve wellness for the whole body you have to do cardio and strength training to increase muscle and bone mass.  If you are over 30 and you aren't making muscle, you are losing muscle! 

 

14.  See a good doctor.  I had to do a lot of research to find a healthy doctor.  That is a funny sentence, I know.  But it is true.  If you go to a doctor that throws you a Rx every time you walk through the door, I urge you to find another one.  I am a nurse and I know all about Rx medicines and I do believe they are necessary and needed in certain conditions.  That is why God let us discover them.  The problem lies in that fact that drug companies and insurance companies work together with the doctors and medications are over prescribed and cause more health issues than they help.  I had patients at the hospital come in with two Wal-Mart bags full of Rxs that they take everyday.  I just wanted to say "Stop and look at this and you might find where you problem is coming from..like this bag!"  There are lots of great doctors out there who will help your body heal itself with diet, exercise, and plant based supplements.  Your body has all it needs to heal itself, if you know what you need to do it. 

 

15.  Know you numbers.  Find that good doctor and they will draw some lab values that you need to know.  Cholesterol, blood sugar, hormone, thyroid, and vitamin levels are all lab values you need to know.  The other important number is your blood pressure.  These are all a gage of how "well" your body is doing.

I challenge you to follow these rules and see what happens to you.  If you don't know where to start.  This is it! Let's go in to the new year with a new outlook on health and wellness!

Six Biggest Workout Mistakes

 

1 Corinthians 9:24                    
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

Our family recently joined the gym.  I personally, had been doing my workout videos at home and walking outside and felt like I was doing just fine on my own.  Until.... I just recently (like in February to be exact) for no reason, with my healthy eating obsession still in tact and doing the videos I have always done and loved, started to gain weight.  What in the world????

This gym stuff all started when Joseph broke his ankle in October, so he was out of soccer for 6 weeks.  We signed him up in November for the gym so he could work on upper body and not lose all physical abilities that he has worked on during that time.  So, my brain said "Wait! You are paying for a membership for your child and not doing anything to help your situation!".  See, I am very bad to sacrifice whatever I need, to help my children, or other people.  I am one of those who needs to learn to do something for me.  I am a nurse, so I am wired to help others all the time.  But, something (maybe God) said you need to join with him.  So, if I am going down with him, so is everyone else in this house, lol!  We all joined.  The Great Body Company has been wonderful to help all of us.  They have made a workout even for Jacob who is 9.  We have been going for about 4 weeks now.  I have always been kind of anti-gym if that is a word.  I felt like I was fine to work out on my own at home without paying money.  While that is true, you can do that, I have found that it is much more effect for me to go workout on equipment and with people that I don't have the access to here at my house.


So the trainer there told me something eye opening.  Are you ready for this one.... if you are over 35 and you are not actively lifting weights and making muscle, you are actively loosing muscle!  It's all part of the aging process.  Muscle helps metabolism, as well as strength and bone mass.  So if I am losing muscle everything is slowing down.  So if I am not building muscle, my body says...slow it down guys she is getting old lol! So my anti-aging plan is to lift some weights and turn this car around!  I do not have all the things that I need to do this at my house and for the cost to buy it all, we can pay much less and go work out as a family and with friends..bonus!!

Here are some helpful tips and six big workout mistakes... and I, Mrs. Health Fanatic, am guilty of them all!!

Mistake #1: Too much cardio

You need to avoid steady state cardio and shock your body! Get off the treadmill and the elliptical and start mixing things up.  Increase your workout intensity, but lower your duration.  Try something fun and new (kickboxing, circuit training, sprints, or play a new sport) and continue to switch things up to keep your body guessing. By lowering the amount of traditional steady state cardio, and replacing it with higher intensity and shorter duration exercise, you will actually improve your hormonal state and your body’s ability to burn fat and build lean muscle.

Mistake #2: Intimidated by weight training and therefore not doing it

I understand that you are afraid to get “bulky” and lose your feminine look, however you need to throw this fear and misconception out the window.  Strength training is extremely beneficial for your bone health and overall long-term health.  Additionally, lean muscle will improve your body composition and help you burn fat faster than cardio. One key ingredient is finding the proper environment or facility to learn to strength train and losing your false insecurities that others in the gym are watching you or judging you. 

Mistake #3: Spending 15-20 minutes isolating your abdominals

Your abs are made in the kitchen with a great diet and not by performing an insane amount of isolated abdominal movements.  As you begin to strength train, you will want to do multi-joint functional movements (Ex: squats, dead lifts, pull-ups, kettle bell swings) where your abs are engaged throughout the entire workout.  Fortunately or unfortunately, all of the isolation crunches, bends, twists, etc. will never out do or overcome a poor diet.  Did you hear that?? YOU CAN'T OUT RUN YOUR FORK!

Mistake #4: More is not better

It is absolutely important to work hard in the gym and get after it.  However, you need to also listen to your body and work to develop a set training schedule.  If you are overtraining and pushing your body too far, more time in the gym will not equal better or faster results.  Lack of sleep and too much training is counter-productive to your results because you will be putting your body in a poor hormonal state and you will be taxing yourself mentally as well. As previously mentioned, shorter and more intense workouts are the best way to burn fat and build lean muscle.  I just started a few weeks ago, and if you know me, I am all in or nothing on everything.  So, I am guilty here and my elbow is sore because I pushed a little too much lol!

Mistake #5: Carbohydrate loading before workouts 

There are many misconceptions about carbohydrates, but most experts would agree that lower to moderate carb intake is effective to get lean.  We must also understand that athletic performance is different than weight loss and training for body composition.  If your primary purpose is to get a lean fit body, then stop eating carbs before your workout. If you need to have a snack or eat before try eating something with just protein and fat in your pre-workout meal. Many people will get leaner and feel better with ketogenic, low carb, or cyclic low carb diets.

Mistake #6: Unrealistic expectations 

You can’t be so hard on yourself and you must understand that your body will not change overnight and you need to be patient. Changing your body or anything in your life will take consistent effort over time and you must have a plan and stick to it. You must immediately stop your obsession with the scale and instead notice how you feel, how your body looks in the mirror, how your clothes fit, and how you perform in life on a daily basis. Set a realistic time frame for your goal.  I would recommend setting a date of at least six weeks and preferably eight to twelve weeks before you judge your results.  I am so guilty of this..SO GUILTY! 
You must also remember that diet, sleep, and stress are arguably even more important than what you do in the gym.  So make sure these aspects of your life are also in check so you do not sabotage your well deserved results!

Action Steps

In order to take this information and put it to good use in your life today, you will need to do several things:
Get a workout plan that involves variation and has a focus around strength training.
You must find an environment that you are comfortable in and hire a coach that can properly teach you new things.  If you have budgetary constraints, start by reaching out to an experienced and “fit friend” for some initial guidance.
Have realistic expectations and set goals for at least six weeks out and avoid the mental traps of the scale.
Have equal focus on your diet, sleep, and stress levels so you can get the results that you deserve from your workout program.  Moving towards a real food diet will be a great start.
Now you have specific action steps to move forward today and you can begin working smarter and not harder towards the body or your dreams.

Brownies ..gluten free and paleo friendly

I made these last week and they were so good! The kids loved them and I took them to a family get together and they all loved them and they are free of wheat!  You can also make them sugar free by substituting stevia in the place of honey.

Paleo, Gluten Free Brownies

ingredients:

1/2 cup almond flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 stick organic butter
2 organic free range eggs
3 tablespoons of raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons almond butter
1/4 cup chocolate chips

instructions:

1. mix together the almond flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt
2. melt the butter
3. whisk the melted butter with eggs, honey, almond butter, and vanilla
4. add dry ingredients in to the wet and gently fold in the chocolate chips to the batter
5. spread the batter in an 8x8 inch greased pan or parchment paper lined pan
6. bake at 350 for 25 min or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
7. let brownies cool before cutting

my ingredients

mix dry ingredients

whisk wet ingredients

mix together wet and dry and fold in chips

I like to use these chips

all done!

Budget Friendly Healthy Eating Tips

          

          

1 Corinthians 16:2  On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

The biggest complaint I hear from people trying to start a healthy diet is the following.. "it's too expensive to eat healthy".  Well, first of all, the price of being unhealthy is much more.  You will have more medical problems, medical bills, and medication costs, if not now, you will have them later.  You are what you eat and eventually it will all catch up to you.  If you don't put the proper food and nutrients in to your body your body is suffering.  Not to mention what the added chemicals in your foods will cause.  Like everyone else in this day's economy, we don't want to go out and spend $300 a week on a grocery bill and we don't.  So how do you eat healthy and stay on a budget?

 

Budget Friendly Tips for Healthy Eating

1. Buy Local: it is much cheaper to buy from your local farmer or farmer's market than the grocery store for produce and other items.  There are many local farmer's markets and if you plan meals and buy what is in season that alone will save you money.  I not only love the farmer's market, but I love my local farmers and call them when I need items, such as grass fed beef, eggs, and produce.  If you live in the Tri-cities area and don't know about Indian Brook farm near our church, send me a message and I will hook you up with my favorite farm girl, Wendi!

2. Plan meals: If you plan your meals for the week, make a grocery list, and stick to it, you won't be buying impulse items or throwing things away.

3. Go to more than one store on more than one day:  No store has everything that I use and no store has their items at the same price.  I shop about three different places about two different times a week and I shop a little at a time and do not do one huge grocery store trip. If I shop on Monday for eating grilled chicken on Friday, the chicken isn't as fresh and some of the veggies I would have used are starting to go bad.  I don't like to waste and throw things away, so I will make a mid-week grocery stop often.

4. Shop the perimeter of the store:  Most of your items that are healthy and fresh are around the perimeter of the store.  Most of the processed junk food impulse items line the shelves down the middle.  If you don't go down them, you don't buy any extra junk.

5. Use coupons:  What?? They have healthy coupons?!?  Yes, they do.  Here are some links for healthy coupons.  Note: earthfare has store coupons, but most of the coupons on their site are from the manufacturer, which means you can print and use it anywhere.

Earthfare Coupon Homepage :  remember you don't have to shop there to use these!
Mambo Sprouts
Stoneyfield : sign up for free coupons

The World's Fastest Workout Video!!!

The 4-Minute Fat-Burning Miracle Workout

 

 

         

1 Timothy 4:8                    

For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

I have pinned a lot of the these workouts on pinterest.  I know some of you have heard of this and some of you think I am speaking a cool new language.  It rolls off the tongue smoothly and the word sounds cool.

Tabata training is a High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T) workout that lasts four minutes.   I know what you're  thinking.....how can that be effective?  Oh, that's easy, four minutes.... HA HA HA, I say. Try one and you will see.  When I first watched one of these, it reminded me of middle school PE exercises and I thought "this will be fun and easy and four minutes, oh yeah". Let me tell you, I was sucking wind, dizzy, breathing as loud as a bull, and laying on the floor.  See, if you aren't about to fall over, you didn't do it right.  So why would any human inflict this upon themselves? You will feel amazing and have lots of energy all day long.  I miss that feeling when I don't do it.  I do it first thing in the morning.  It raises your heart rate for up to 36 hours after the workout and keeps that metabolism revving all day! 

The History of Tabata

Tabata training was discovered by Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo.  They used this on Olympic Speed Skaters to increase their aerobic capacity.

Tabata and his team conducted research on two groups of athletes: one group trained at a moderate intensity level while the other group trained at a high intensity level. The moderate intensity group worked out five days a week for a total of six weeks; each workout lasted one hour. The high intensity group worked out four days a week for six weeks; each workout lasted four minutes and 20 seconds (with 10 seconds of rest in between each set).
The results; group one had increased their aerobic system (cardiovascular), but showed little or no results for their anaerobic system (muscle). Group two showed much more increase in their aerobic system than group one, and increased their anaerobic system by 28 percent.
In conclusion, high intensity interval training has more impact on both the aerobic and anaerobic systems.

The Tabata Program

The Tabata workout lasts only four minutes, but is one of the longest four minutes you'll encounter. The structure of the program is:

• Workout hard for 20 seconds
• Rest for 10 seconds
• Complete eight rounds

You push yourself as hard as you can for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds until you complete eight sets. You can do pretty much any exercise you wish. You can do squats, pushups, rows, etc... Any exercise that works your large muscle groups is strongly recommended.

Tabata is great to get a quick workout in if you're short on time, need to switch up your routine, or need to improve endurance speed. Incorporate this type of workout into your fitness routine and produce results.

Some people just do it on their own with little tabata timers.  Personally, I like to do a video and have instructions out loud.  I need to follow along to keep myself going at a fast pace.  I will post my personal favorite video below.  Have fun!!!

The Truth About Soy and Bonus Recipe for Protein Bars

Genesis 1:29
And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.

I know you all have heard all the bad things about soy and good things about soy, so which one is it? Let's go back to rule #1 in clean eating..if God made it, it's good for you. God made soy beans. They are meant to be eaten in their whole form and not to be processed in to something else or genetically modified. This (as with all foods) is where the problem begins.

Meet the edamame

Edamame is a green vegetable more commonly known as a soybean, harvested at the peak of ripening right before it reaches the "hardening" time. The word Edamame means "Beans on Branches," and it grows in clusters on bushy branches. To retain the freshness and its natural flavor, it is parboiled and quick-frozen. In East Asia, the soybean has been used for over two thousand years as a major source of protein. Edamame is consumed as a snack, a vegetable dish, used in soup. As a snack, the pods are lightly boiled in salted water, and then the seeds are squeezed directly from the pods into the mouth with the fingers. This is the healthy form of soy.

When soy beans are processed, every healthy part is stripped away leaving you with SOY PROTEIN ISOLATES...these are little molecules of estrogen. This will get your hormones out of whack, help to increase the risk of breast cancer, causes girls to start periods at an earlier age, causes our boys and husbands to have increased breast tissue. AVOID THIS INGREDIENT at all costs.

Watch this little video below....it is wonderful about telling how soy is broken down when processed and what it does. It also shows you bad forms and good forms of soy protein. Please watch it..it's so informative!

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/1-food-women-should-avoid-processed-soy


Joseph runs track and plays soccer. He is our 13 year old. Sometimes he does that on the same day and is starving right after school before practice. I have been sending him with an apple and a Kind bar or some kind of organic protein bar daily. I checked the labels on them all...even organic and found this :

Do you see it?? The Soy Protein Isolate????

I have found that the "healthy snacks" aisle is responsible for more weight gain than the candy aisle. Most protein shakes and bars contain more sugar and fat than a bag of candy! They also all have soy protein isolate. The tricky part is that we think they are healthy because they came from the health food aisle. If you’re also trying to lose weight and stubborn body fat, you should run past this aisle.

There are a few bars out there without these ingredient in it...however Joseph doesn't like any of them. So I am making my own for him. What could be better?!?!

There are many healthy protein powders out there besides soy.. I choose to use cold-pressed whey that comes from milk and it has stevia instead of sugar. Other good ones are hemp and pea powders. It's the process that makes the difference on these. Anytime you heat up the products and process it, you strip it of the nutritional value and create issues. You will pay for high quality powders; just let me tell you, but I can't put a price on my family's health. It is actually more economical to make my own as these bars are expensive on this case.

Here is a recipe for you that I made for Joseph today:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bar

1 1/2 cups dry oatmeal

2 Tablespoons flax seed, ground

2 Tablespoons Honey

2-4 scoops protein powder

1/2 cup peanut butter ( no other ingredients but peanuts)

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted

1 cup chocolate chips (divided) mine or pictured below

1/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients and half a cup of chocolate chips.... (mixture will be somewhat sticky). Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper and spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Melt the other 1/2 cup of chocolate chips on the stove or in the microwave. Drizzle or spread over the mixture in the pan.
Place the pan in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Cut into 10 -12 bars and wrap in plastic wrap and/or foil and store in the freezer.
Thaw slightly before serving.

my protein powder found at kroger

this only has peanuts or you can make your own as pictured below

this is peanut butter made at ingles

I cut mine with this super pampered chef thing..oh my so easy

I am going to wrap these individually and store in fridge

Natural Cures for A Migraine

Jeremiah 17:14
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.

This is a pretend photo of me with a headache. (I know...good actress!). Actually, Friday, I had a real migraine headache and if someone snapped a photo of it, I probably would have went crazy. I had sunglasses on in the house while laying in the floor and all the shades pulled. I don't usually get headaches. I have had a few migraines in my life, but that was years ago. I don't like taking medications and I don't think they help anyway. When I worked in ER, we had people in there on a daily basis suffering with migraines; seeking help after days of suffering. Our high powered injections didn't usually provide pain relief for very long.

I am not sure what happened on Friday. I think it was a combination of factors. Maybe it was stress, the way the light shined off the snow, the weather itself, who knows. But I walked outside, the sun was shinning off the snow at just the right angle to about blind me and then I saw them. I saw the squiggly lines out of my left eye to the point I couldn't see out of it and I knew what was coming next. This is known as a migrain aura. After 20 minutes of annoying vision came the severe headache and nausea. The kids were out of school, we were making negotiations on our house that just appraised below selling price, and it had snowed so much we lost power and spent the night in a hotel. So, I didn't have time for all this and probably all this caused my issue in the first place :D.

As soon as I could see to read again, I laid in the floor with the ipad and starting researching natural ways to cure migraines. I thought, at this point what could it hurt. Medications don't help me, so I am willing to try anything.

First to understand what cures a migraine headache, you must understand what it even is. A migraine headache is a common form of headache that is believed to occur as a result of complex interactions between the nervous system and the vascular system as well as alterations in brain chemicals.

During A Migraine

Sympathetic nervous system activity delays emptying of the stomach into the small intestine and thereby prevents oral medications from entering the intestine and being absorbed.

The impaired absorption of oral medications is a common reason for the ineffectiveness of oral medications taken to treat migraine headaches.

The increased sympathetic activity also decreases the circulation of blood, and this leads to pallor of the skin as well as cold hands and feet.

The increased sympathetic activity also contributes to the sensitivity to light and sound as well as blurred vision.

Migraine headache triggersWhatever the exact mechanism of the headaches, a number of things may trigger them. Common migraine triggers include:

• Hormonal changes in women. Fluctuations in estrogen seem to trigger headaches in many women with known migraines. Women with a history of migraines often report headaches immediately before or during their periods, when they have a major drop in estrogen. Others have an increased tendency to develop migraines during pregnancy or menopause. Hormonal medications — such as oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy — also may worsen migraines, though some women find it's beneficial to take them.
• Foods. Some migraines appear to be triggered by certain foods. Common offenders include aged cheeses; chocolate; aspartame; overuse of caffeine; monosodium glutamate — a key ingredient in some Asian foods; salty foods; and processed foods. Skipping meals or fasting also can trigger migraine attacks.
• Stress. Stress at work or home can instigate migraines.
• Sensory stimuli. Bright lights and sun glare can induce migraines, as can loud sounds. Unusual smells — including pleasant scents, such as perfume, and unpleasant odors, such as paint thinner and secondhand smoke — can also trigger migraines.
• Changes in wake-sleep pattern. Either missing sleep or getting too much sleep may serve as a trigger for migraines in some individuals, as can jet lag.
• Physical factors. Intense physical exertion, including sexual activity, may provoke migraines.
• Changes in the environment. A change of weather or barometric pressure can prompt a migraine.
• Medications. Certain medications can aggravate migraines, especially oral contraceptives and vasodilators, such as nitroglycerin.

(Looks like from this list of problems I had on Friday, I was doomed for it LOL)

So now that we know what it is and what causes it, we can learn how to fix it!!


I did the hydrotherapy below and while I was doing it and I got INSTANT relief! I also went with a friend later and got a massage and the headache never returned! I used lavendar, eucalyptus, and chamomile in the tub of water I had my feet in when I did the warm water.

Hydrotherapy is easy, and it works. Contrast showers or filling up the bath tub with your feet in will help with many ailments. Stand in water as hot as you can stand for two minutes (this increases blood flow to the skin), then as cold as you can stand for two minutes (this sends blood to the core of the body). Alternate back and forth for 20 minutes to increase blood flow and circulation, bringing nutrients to organs and carrying away toxins. Then..put your feet in very cold water and a hot rag on the back of your neck. ( I used my microwavable buckwheat pillow ). This helps bring the blood down out of your head, by sending it to your feet.


Herbs- Feverfew is effective at preventing migraines, but not stopping them once they've begun. The plant's active ingredient, parthenolide, inhibits the chemicals in the brain that cause the blood vessels to dilate.

Acupressure points such as pinching the soft tissue between your thumb and forefinger can help alleviate pain as well. Another technique is to put your thumb in your mouth on the same side as the migraine pain, reaching up to find the cheekbone. Press that bone up and out. Repeat on the other side. Then place both thumbs on the upper palate (inside the mouth) and press the sides out. Several repetitions may be necessary. Relax and breath deep. Slowly inhale and exhale all the way out.

Diet corrections Last but probably most important, make the necessary. There is no substitute for water. When you are thirsty, it is not for coffee or soda, but water and only water. When you drink anything else, you need more water to flush that out. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day. Eating more vegetables is best ways to correct nutritional deficiencies and correct your body's pH. Supplements help. Low magnesium and Vitamin B are often linked to Migraines.