How to Reduce Hormonal Migraines

Migraines affect over 30 million people in the US and it is suspected that almost 1 billion people suffer migraines worldwide. Women suffer from migraines three times more than men and research associates this with fluctuating hormonal levels.

Hormonal migraines are linked to falling levels of oestrogen usually at the end of menstruation cycle. Other common triggers for migraines can be stress, blood sugar issues, fatigue and food sensitives. It’s a good idea to keep a food diary and note down what you ate & drank 1-2 days before the migraine.

 My Top Tips to reduce migraines

• Eat magnesium-rich foods; green leafy veg (kale, spinach, watercress), nuts, beans, chickpeas and bananas. Magnesium works by calming the nervous system, reduces pain and inflammation (Pain Physician, 2016).

• Ditch the sugary snacks & drinks and snack on fruit and nuts and drink plenty water.

• Eat anti-inflammatory foods before periods such as avocados, salmon, nuts, seeds and plenty green vegetables.  

• Certain foods could trigger migraines such as chocolate, citrus fruits, red wine, aged cheese, artificial sweeteners, excess caffeine and gluten (Journal of Headache Pain, 2014).

3 Easy Ways to Eat More Fruit & Vegetables

The Netherlands along with the UK recommend that we should eat at least 5 portions of vegetables and fruit per day. Interestingly, France recommends 10 portions!

Why should we eat so many veggies and fruits? Both fruit and vegetables contain plenty fibre and nutrients. Fibre is essential for our gut health, ensuring regular bowel movements and keep you feeling fuller longer. Fruit and vegetables also provide lots of nutrients to support our immune system. A study by the Imperial College London (2017) found that eating 10 portions of fruit and vegetables could prevent up to 7.8 million deaths every year worldwide and could reduce your risk of reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke.

It’s good to eat colourful fruits and vegetables every day; think green, orange, purple, red and yellow – blueberries, broccoli, celery, citrus fruits, spinach, pumpkin, green beans, peppers etc. Although fruits are good for health, they do contain more sugar so eat more vegetables than fruit.

Here are my top 3 tips to up your fruit & vegetables intake:

1. Make a smoothie to make it easy way to up your intake. Choose your fruit (e.g. blueberries + banana) + half a cucumber + big handful of spinach + avocado + few mint leaves + water.

2. Swap your sugary afternoon snack to chopped vegetables (celery, cucumber, peppers), pop into a ziplock bag & take to work. Add some hummus to make a delicious snack!

3. For dinner, chop plenty vegetables such as aubergine, carrots, courgette, celery, peppers and peas & add chopped tomatoes to make a sauce. Serve with wholegrain pasta, rice or quinoa.

Summer Tips

We've already had some record breaking hot weather here in Amsterdam and there is more to come! Here are some of my favourite ways to keep cool & healthy.

• Drink plenty fluids! Water and try home-made ice tea; see my green ice-tea recipe: https://www.facebook.com/sannasumnernutrition/videos/641656546302915/

• Eat water-rich foods such as cucumber (snack on cucumber sticks & hummus or add to water with mint), tomatoes, watermelon, oranges, broccoli, blueberries

• Less alcohol as it's extremely dehydrating

• Exercise in the morning.

Strawberry & watermelon Ice-lollies

2 handfuls of strawberries
2 handfuls of watermelon
2 tsp of organic honey

Blend all ingredients together and pour into ice-cream moulds. Freeze 3-4 hours & enjoy!

3 Simple Ways to Reduce Sugar Cravings

The 3pm dip.  You had a lunch but few hours later, you feel tired, unable to focus and need a quick pick-me up to get you through the afternoon.  Sound familiar?

Sugar cravings can hit you hard.  It’s tempting to reach something sweet to give you a quick energy boost but this can turn into a bad habit, leaving your more tired & addicted to sugar.
Here are 3 simple ways to avoid sugar cravings:   

1. Eat nutritious breakfast. E.g. Oats + seeds + blueberries.

2. Healthier snack. Instead of a cookie or chocolate, eat a small handful of unsalted nuts & an apple. This will give you the fuel for the afternoon. 

3. Take a quick walk or walk stairs. Movement energises, gives you a break and produces happy hormones. 

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Boost Your Energy Naturally

January is here and many of us are back at work today. Feeling tired and overstretched after the holidays?  Think twice before reaching for sugary snack or too many cups of coffee to help you get through the day.  Too much caffeine and sugar make you more tired and wired. 

Here are my 3 top tips for boosting energy:

1. Eat protein-rich breakfast for example oatmeal + mix of seeds + blueberries or scrambled eggs + spinach. These balance your blood sugar, keeping you energised longer.

2. Go for a walk after lunch.  Exercising improves your mood & reduces stress as well as can help with digestion. 

3. Sleep more.  A study suggests that getting one extra hour of sleep each night can boost energy levels as well as increase your mood.

If you are looking for more energy in your daily life, join my 21-Day Ultimate Energy programme starting on Monday 21 January.  I show you how consuming delicious food can stop those energy crashes, put an end to sugar cravings and improve your focus & mood. I help you to discover how easily you can feel good, have a clearer mind, and be happier. http://sannasumner.com/products/21-day-ultimate-energy-programme

Hooked on caffeine?

Many of us don’t even realise that we are keeping ourselves going with caffeine. According to the studies, over 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed in the world every day.  Finns are one of the top coffee drinkers in the world, downing whopping 8-9 cups per day!

I used to be hooked on black ‘builders’ tea. I ‘needed’ 5-6 big cups per day to give me a quick pick me up & keep me going. Only when I quit black tea & replaced with herbal teas, I realised how much better I felt.

Caffeine can be beneficial in small amounts, it can boost your memory and make you more alert. However, in large amounts, caffeine can disturb your gut and make you wired and even more tired. Excessive caffeine can also:

• Caffeine activates your stress response ‘flight or fight’ & increase cortisol

• Caffeine can inhibit mineral absorption such as B-vitamins & iron.

Start by doing a caffeine-check - how you do start your morning? Do you ‘need’ a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, mid-morning and mid-afternoon? What would your energy be like without caffeine?

It’s usually fine to drink 1-2 per day (depending on a person) but make sure you also drink plenty water and some herbal teas. These will keep you hydrated.

If you want more energising recipes, check out my free ‘Power My Day’ recipe book:

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