Headaches are one of the most debilitating things I have had to endure. I finally decided that I would do almost anything to stop them. The following advice helped me as well as others since I've found victory over my headaches.Judging from the list In the article linked below, about the different types of headaches, I would say that I suffered with migraine, tension and/or cluster headaches at various times.

Read more about types of headaches.

I had to give up several food items for a period of time before I could determine what was causing the headaches. Once I found out what was causing them it turned out to be some of the foods that I craved. I began to take certain nutrients to satisfy my body naturally so I wouldn't have the cravings. This has helped people with very very strong cravings. One lady gave up her habit of 5 pots of coffee per day.

The things I gave up that have been related to headaches are: food colorings, MSG, sweets/sugars, white flour products, artificial sweetners, caffeine (many over-the-counter medicines contain caffeine), and artificial flavorings.

It appears that all of these things contribute to overloading the liver. My experience has been if the headache is located on the right side, it's related to toxicity and the liver is overwhelmed. If it's on the left side it appears to be related to blood sugar. If it is coming up the back of the neck it's related to tension. One thing that really keeps the muscles from tightening in the neck/shoulder area is Magnesium. I take 3 Nature's Sunshine Magnesium, with an herbal base for assimilation, at breakfast and lunch every day. Magnesium is a muscle relaxer. It also helps you to handle stress and will help you to sleep through the night. People who are deficient in Magnesium generally wake up during the night.

The liver filters out the toxins in the blood and attempts to eliminate them through the bowel. If the individual is constipated (having less than 2-3 bowel movements per day), the blood will be toxic because poisons are being reabsorbed back into the bloodstream. We should have a bowel movement after every meal (like a baby does). If we only have one bowel movement a day, you might ask yourself where the waste from the other two meals is?

Remember a headache is a warning signal that something is wrong. To take something for relief is OK if we will endeavor to find the cause and not just keep suppressing the pain.

To suppress the pain is like the story of the man who had the oil pressure light come on in his car. He had 3 choices:

1. He could stop the car and call the auto club to help

2. He could stop the car and purchase some oil for the car and add it himself

3. He could take a hammer and knock the light out. Funny? Knocking the light out doesn't fix the problem, it only allows an avenue for a much bigger problem. A car without oil will soon lock up the engine and then it won't work at all.

The human body is no different. If we don't get the message that something is wrong through our headaches, then our body will eventually escalate to a bigger problem.

Herbs feed the body and help the body to heal itself. We never suggest you stop taking any medication. Just use the herbs along side the medicine and work with your doctor to reduce the medicine if it's a prescription.

Since I have done cleansing to get the toxicity levels down and to give my liver a chance to work better, I don't get headaches. I have learned that the above listed foods are not useful for building a healthy body, so I have learned to choose to eat to live, rather than live to eat. That doesn't mean that I don't ever have the items listed above --- I just choose to make it an exception. I've had success with my headaches since 1981.

If I feel the symptoms of one coming on I know what to do to prevent it. You will learn this also when you have determined what type of headaches you have and what foods may be the culprit to it. I still keep liver herbs on hand and take them if I am going to be eating foods that I know may bring on a headache. It's a lot healthier than taking drugs and if I take them as soon as I sense the headache coming on, I can avoid getting it.

Following is a list of the products I've used, and recommended to others, for headaches:

For constipation and blood toxicity: CleanStart Cleansing Program - a 14-day cleanse that's easy to use . The program was designed to be used while working - no need to live in the bathroom. Dietary recommendations on the package advises you eat more fresh fruit and veggies and eliminate meat and junk foods. It's hard for your body to cleanse when you're sending it the opposite message with fatty and junky foods. Lots of water is necessary.

People who do cleanses and don't drink enough water tend to feel bad during the cleanse. This does not need to be. The body will use a lot of water to dilute and eliminate the toxins. You can picture a real muddy pair of jeans. If you add just a little bit of water to try to clean them up, you'll only have a bigger mess. A lot of water will get the mud out and will make the job a lot easier.

The general rule for how much water a person should drink is to take your body weight, divide it in half and consume that many ounces of water daily. Example: You weigh 192 pounds, so you would drink 96 oz. of water which is 3 quarts. While cleansing you may need more water than this to dilute toxins needing to be eliminated. This may sound like a lot of water, but after the first couple of days your body will feel so much better from it you will enjoy it. You can add lemon to flavor it which will also benefit the liver.

To continue cleansing the blood (you don't get all those years of toxicity totally cleaned up in a 14-day program): BP-X - A blood purifier formula to remove toxicity out of blood stream and liver; used for skin problems, acne, and toxic conditions.

Aspirin Substitute (Herbal Pain Reliever): APS II - For minor pain, cramps, tension, headaches, insomnia, aches associated with colds/flu, fever

Vascular Headaches: A vascular headache comes when the blood vessels in your head expand and touch a nerve. Feverfew is a vascular constrictor, meaning it shrinks the blood vessel so it won't touch the nerve. Personally, my headache couldn't be stopped by Feverfew. My headache was related to blood sugar problems and blood toxicity.

Muscle Relaxer: Nature's Sunshine Magnesium - beneficial for muscles, bones, stress, nervous twitches, activates 300+ enzymes.

Daily Relaxant: Stress-J is used for stress, hyperactivity, ADHD, and calms without drowsiness. You might also consider the essential of, Lavender. Research is showing results with this in relation to headaches.

Blood Sugar Balancer: Licorice - anti-inflammatory, energy, low blood sugar, throat irritations, natural cortisone (not recommended for those with high blood pressure) - For those with High Blood Pressure, use Ayurvedic Blood Sugar Formula which provides support for the glandular system, balances/normalizes blood sugar, aids digestion. This formula contains Gymnema sylvestre known for its abilities to stabilize blood sugar and take away cravings for sugar without using any ingredients that will raise blood pressure.

Reduce Sugar Cravings: GTF Chromium - helpful with blood sugar problems, helps with carbohydrate and fat cravings, aids digestion. Licorice also helps with sweet cravings since it also balances blood sugar levels.

Please remember we do not diagnose or prescribe. All information is given on the basis of historical uses of herbs and natural remedies. For a serious health problem, consult your personal physician.

If you decide you want to purchase any of these products, please click on the corresponding links to find the retail and wholesale prices.