Results Not Statistically Significant
As an experiment, over the past couple weeks, I've tried cutting by about 2/3 my consumption of all forms of sugar, simple carbs, caffeine, alcohol, and aspartame*.
So far I don't feel noticeably different in any way. I am starting to question the "you are what you eat" mantra. If I continue to feel no different on this regimen, I am considering increasing my consumption of all the above substances to double the usual baseline amount and see if that has an effect.
* I had to make several exceptions for the day on Thanksgiving, but I don't think that interfered materially with the experiment.
So far I don't feel noticeably different in any way. I am starting to question the "you are what you eat" mantra. If I continue to feel no different on this regimen, I am considering increasing my consumption of all the above substances to double the usual baseline amount and see if that has an effect.
* I had to make several exceptions for the day on Thanksgiving, but I don't think that interfered materially with the experiment.
posted by Turbo at 3:08 PM
4 Comments:
Does this mean you no longer want to be sweet?
No Diet Pepsi!!!!!!
I could never!
I have the impression that beneficial effects vary widely between people. I've talked to people it doesn't make a difference for, and people for whom it's essential.
I've found that going entirely off sugar made a huge difference in mood/energy for me prior to getting adequately medicated. Now it doesn't make a noticeable difference, and I can eat sugar in moderation without needing to start consuming everything sweet in sight.
Today I actually needed an 8-oz diet coke, and 2 redbulls....just to make it through the day mostly awake...And I slept like a rock last night, too! I could not cut these things out... Early on in my headache trials, I did cut out caffeine and have cut out various things at times in order to see if it effects my headache, however nothing has ever changed it. (With the exception being that I cannot drink red wine at all, or even most grape juices.) In fact, chugging red bull is now used by many of us to abort a cluster headache at the beginning of the hit. I find that caffeine helps tremendously with my headaches rather than causes them to be worse....and I've never noticed a caffeine withdrawal worse headache on days when I've skipped the caffeine. Sugar, too - earlier I had the worst migraine, and I knew all I needed to do was eat a small sugary snack. As soon as I had that, I went back to my baseline of daily pain and I felt my personal panic alarm lightening up a bit. I tend to get a bit anxious when the pain severity shoots up, especially if I'm at work and have no way to ease up on what I'm doing in spite of tremendous pain.
Some people with migraine are adamant about cutting everything out of their diet, and some headache centers even recommend this. The headache center that I go to does not recommend universal cutting-out of foods as they have found that everyone is different, with the exception being that they do ask patients to reduce their caffeine intake. Then there are special cases like me who have some benefit to caffeine in moderation. Honestly I couldn't make it through the day in alertness and function without my caffeine!
I'm drifting OT - let us know how your trials work out! If I should be doubliing my intake, then I must find out soon! haha ;)
Take care,
Carrie :)
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