THE FOOD - MIGRAINE LINK

Many food, additives, and other dietary components can cause migraines, but the triggers vary greatly from one person to another. The following list covers the more common ones.

• Aged cheeses, sour cream, and certain other milk products.
• Fresh yeast, sourdough, and other yeasty breads.
• Fermented foods, including pickles, soy sauce, and miso.
• Some legumes, especially dried beans, lentils, and soy products.
• Nuts, seeds, and peanuts butter.
• Chocolate and cocoa.
• Organ meats and meats that are salted, dried, cured, smoked, or contain nitrites.
• Sardines, anchovies, and pickled herring.
• Many fruits, including avocados, bananas, citrus fruits, figs, grapes, papayas, passion fruits, plantains, pineapples, raspberries, red plums, and raisins.
• Alcohol especially red wine.
• Chickens livers.
• Seasonings and flavor enhancers, especially artificial sweeteners, ginger and molasses.
• Sulfites used as preservatives in wine and dried fruits.
• Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG).

PASTA IS A "MOOD FOOD"

The brain uses the chemical serotonin to make us feel good. When you eat carbohydrates such as pasta, there's rapid increase in blood sugar and serotonin levels. The good feelings arrive within about 30 minutes and last for several hours. Eating protein with the pasta, however, can negate the effect, while wholegrain pastas, which take longer to break down, prolong it.

BENEFITS

• A useful source of protein, B vitamins, iron, and other minerals.
• Low in fat and sodium.
• Versatile and inexpensive.

DRAWBACKS

• Often topped with high-fat sauces.

Not all pastas are equal. Egg noodles contain protein, but also fat. White pastas may be enriched, but whole-grain pastas are the most healthy.

A MUSHROOM PRIMER

• When buying mushrooms, look for firm buttons with no bruises. All mushrooms are handpicked, but bruises easily. Handle them carefully.
• Flavor develops as the mushrooms grow, so the largest of any variety have the most flavor.
• Don't store mushrooms in cling wrap or plastic. Place them in paper bags and store in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator.
• Five days should be the maximum storage time in the refrigerator.
• Rinse mushrooms just before using them, but do not peel them or remove the stalks. the nutrition of mushrooms is just under the skin and will be lost by peeling. Just slice, quarter, or chop with the skin intact.
• Cook mushrooms quickly. if using them in a slow dish such as a casserole, add the mushrooms for the last 20 minutes.