Headaches and migraines are an annoying nuisance that can take their toll on the body.  Many suffer from such intense headaches that it begins to disrupt their normal lives.  When such a headache occurs, living a normal life can seem impossible.

Unfortunately, millions of Americans suffer from such headaches daily without ever finding a possible cure.  Some will resort to using dangerous anti-inflammatory drugs.  This is never a good long term strategy and typically causes more harm than good.  Research confirms that anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin can cause intestinal bleeding (1).

Although they may reduce symptoms of a headache, these anti-inflammatory drugs can destroy the gut microbiome which can lead to serious health consequences down the road.  In fact, the majority of an individual’s immune system is dependent on the health of the gut (2).

Luckily, there are natural strategies that can help stop headaches and migraines.  Following a correct whole foods diet and juicing greens daily can be excellent for headache prevention.  However, before we talk about diet and juicing, let’s first discuss what causes a headache.

What Causes a Splitting Headache?

Magnesium

Although they make you feel like you’ve been hit by a truck, a splitting headache is typically the result of a simple mineral deficiency.  In particular, the mineral magnesium plays an extremely important role in headache and migraine prevention.  Studies show that magnesium supplementation can drastically reduce the occurrence of headaches (3).  Unfortunately, this mineral was estimated to be deficient in almost half of the general population in a study conducted ages ago (2005)(4).  Since modern farming techniques have not improved and our soils are as depleted as ever, it’s safe to say that the percentage of individuals with a magnesium deficiency has risen.

Sodium

Low sodium is also a culprit when it comes to headaches.  Sodium is a necessity for survival and following a “low sodium diet” is not wise.  It plays an important role in our neurological health and allows for effective communication between neurons.  Sodium is also necessary for the formation of stomach acid in the body.  Feeling dizzy when standing and frequent urination are clear indicators that the body may be low in sodium.  Many find that putting a dash of sea salt on their tongue can stop a headache immediately.  However, never use table salt and always use a high quality sea salt.  Table salt is toxic, has been bleached, and stripped of all its minerals.

Potassium

Furthermore, being low in potassium can also contribute to frequent headaches.  Potassium is an extremely important electrolyte in the body that works synergistically with sodium.  However, if potassium levels are low in the body, this can cause an imbalance.  This imbalance of sodium to potassium can lead to symptoms such as headaches.

Stress and Mineral Depletion

It should be noted that stress significantly reduces all these minerals in the body.  It’s for this reason that we need a constant supply of these minerals due to our stressful life.

To recap, the following mineral deficiency can contribute to headaches.

• Magnesium
• Sodium
• Potassium

Why Supplements Don’t Work Long Term

Taking synthetic supplements for headaches is not a good idea.  Not only can synthetic supplements be contaminated with heavy metals, but they also typically do not work (5).  Taking an isolated supplement such as magnesium may work in the beginning.  However, over time, it will naturally cause a mineral imbalance.

This is because synthetic isolated supplements do not occur in nature.  Every food that grows in nature always comes packaged with a wide array of vitamins and minerals.  These vitamins and minerals work intelligently with the body and create perfect balance within the body.  Many vitamins and minerals work together.  This means that in order for one mineral to be effective, the presence of other minerals needs to be present.  Luckily, whole foods as you would find in nature contain the perfect balance of nutrients for optimal absorption and balance in the body.

Also, since soils are severely depleted of minerals, it’s vital that you eat a whole foods organic diet.  Food produced organically does not allow pesticides to be used.  This typically forces the farmer to grow food on nutrient rich soil.  This is because many plants are able to effectively protect themselves from pests when grown on mineral rich soil.  It’s for this reason that many wild plants do not need the use of pesticides in order to protect themselves from pests.

The Best Foods for a Headache

There are several foods that you will want to focus on if you suffer from frequent headaches.  These foods are extremely mineral rich and provide the body with the necessary nutrients that can help protect against headache.

Dark Leafy Greens

Dark leafy greens are an excellent source of magnesium and potassium.  The also contain an abundance of trace minerals that work synergistically within the body.  Eating leafy greens is a great strategy to protect against headaches.  For increased absorption and removal of anti-nutrients, be sure to cook by steaming lightly or juice them.

Coconut Water

If available, coconut water is an excellent source of potassium, sodium, and magnesium.  In fact, coconut water contains every element needed for good hydration.  Hydrating daily with coconut water can help fend off unwanted headaches.  Just make sure your coconut water is organic and contains only one ingredient; coconut water.

Dark Chocolate

Dark Chocolate is an amazing source of magnesium.  No other food on the planet contains as much magnesium as cacao pound for pound.  Dark chocolate helps reduce stress levels in the body due to its high magnesium content and its ability to allow blood to flow more freely.  Eating small amounts of dark chocolate without added sugar can be great for headache prevention and lowering stress levels in the body.

Sea Salt

Sea salt is extremely simple yet very effective at combating headaches in the body.  Placing a few crystals on the tip of your tongue during the onset of a headache is a great way to know if sea salt will work for you.  Typically, those who drink lots of water and consume a low sodium diet will benefit most from sea salt.  So, if you drink lots of water and suffer from headaches, sea salt may be worth a shot!

Celery

Celery is extremely unique as it contains a rare balance of sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium.  All four of these ingredients help hydrate the body on the cellular level.  As result, better hydration can lead to fewer chances of headaches.

How Juicing can help prevent Headaches

Juicing can be a godsend for anyone with splitting headaches.  This is because all raw green juices contain an abundance of minerals that help protect against migraines and headaches.  Following a whole foods diet and juicing every day is an excellent strategy for headache prevention.  In fact, many of the recipes in our Juice Me Better Juicing Recipe Book are full of mineral rich recipes which can help prevent headaches.

Also, green juices will contain high amounts of chlorophyll which is bound to the mineral magnesium.  Chlorophyll has immense health benefits towards the human body and is similar to human blood.  This green pigment helps the body detox and remove waste from the body that may be contributing to chronic headaches.

If you’re new to juicing and would like to know more, be sure to visit our comparison and buyers guide page which explains the different types of juicers and which ones are best depending on your budget.

Use the juice recipe below daily in order to help combat headaches naturally!

The Headache Buster

• 6 stalks of celery
• 3 carrots
• bunch of red leaf lettuce
• cup of pineapple
• bunch of cilantro

Consume daily for best results!