Costa Women Blogs

Diet and migraine are inextricably linked aren’t they? Most migraine patients have at least one food that it feels like they only have to look at to trigger a migraine. Often, in reality, the relationship can be more complicated than that – an overstressed system takes the smallest trigger to over react and, by reducing the overall system stress, you may be able to enjoy small quantities of those troublesome foods in the future. Lisa, our Digestive Health Expert, gives her tips and tricks to managing your migraines with diet. The big triggers Serotonin – it’s most often spoken about in relation to anti-depressants. But part of its complex role within the brain is also blood flow regulation – specifically relaxation or constriction of blood flow. So for this reason it is useful to include the foods that trigger serotonin production for migraine. Histamines – you’ve probably heard about these when people discuss allergies – taking an anti-histamine. But these also trigger food intolerances and, therefore, a migraine. Magnesium – this helps your body to regulate nerve and muscle function as well as blood sugar levels and blood pressure. As blood flow, muscle inflammation and nerve sensitivity all play a part in migraines you can see why this is a key nutrient for those suffering from migraines. B Vitamins – these vitamins are really important for nerve health and hormonal health. It’s particularly important for women to make sure that these are included in your diet. What to do In the short term it is best to identify and then eliminate the foods that triggering a response in the body. This means that you can reduce the level of “stress” these foods are causing and reduce your histamine levels – basically giving your body a holiday on the inside! By doing this you leave room for other interventions to be more effective (medication, physical therapy, sleep pattern, dental and eye health). Then, in the long term, once some of the other factors in your lifestyle have been addressed you may, with care, reintroduce small amounts of some of these foods. There are two key ways to identify the troubling foods – elimination diet or an intolerance test. What to eat Basically foods rich in serotonin forming tryptophan, magnesium and B Vitamins! But, as they don’t tend to list those on the side of the packet here is a handy list! Foods rich in serotonin: turkey black eyed peas walnuts almonds brown rice wholegrains sesame seeds Food rich in magnesium: Walnuts almonds brazil nuts pumpkin seeds baked potato bananas basil leafy green vegetables spinach sage soya tofu Food rich in B Vitamins: Red meat Almonds broccoli milk eggs Brussels sprouts wholegrains rice spinach soya yogurt It is also worth including foods rich in Omega 3. This has positive effects on both brain function and reduces inflammation. Sardines herring salmon mackerel halibut pumpkin seeds flaxseeds flaxseed oil olives olive oil walnut oil soybeans Supplements Obviously Magnesium, B Vitamins and Omega 3 are also available as supplements as well and, depending on your personal situation and requirements, you may want to increase your dose in that way. One supplement that is a powerful addition is Feverfew. It has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, increases the health of blood vessels and reduces the effects of histamines (and therefore their reactions!). Depending on the symptoms that accompany your migraine, ginger may also help as it can help with nausea and vomiting. It has some limited anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory effect as well. So add it to tea and stir fries for flavour and a boost! Hydration Staying well hydrated is a key tactic in reducing many of the triggers that can lead to migraine. It helps with the blood sugar levels in the brain as well as reducing high blood pressure. Being well hydrated also helps with concentration and fatigue as well. All things that can contribute to a migraine event. We talk about 1.5 – 2 litres of water a day being a good target. But, in a hot Spanish summer, you may need to increase that significantly, especially if you are active. The best way to know if you are sufficiently hydrated is to look at your pee – it should be a very light yellow with no scent. If it’s not – drink more water! What not to eat Lastly we come to the bit we all try and pretend wasn’t coming – the foods that most commonly trigger histamine production and therefore a migraine. The most common histamine triggers are: Chocolate caffeine cheese beer wine especially red wine MSG Avoiding these in the short term while you address some of the other broader issues can help reduce the severity and frequency of your migraines. You can then review the results of your elimination diet and/or food intolerance testing to see if there are any other big triggers. This isn’t a forever situation – if you address the other parts of your personal migraine equation then you may be able to reintroduce small amounts of these again! Help and support It can seem like a lot when it’s all laid out in a big long list like this! And, it can also seem like not an awful lot is left. If you’d like help and support on this journey then we can offer food intolerance testing and nutrition guidance and advice. Not sure which route is best for you? Not sure what’s best for you? Our Patient Care Coordinator can talk you through the options available both at the clinic and locally to make sure you get the best support possible. If you’d like to book an appointment please contact us directly over email, WhatsApp or in person as required.

  Hello fellow Costa Women! As a Nutritional Therapist I am frequently asked about what supplements I recommend to help keep the body in tip-top condition during the colder months.   Not only are we more likely to catch a cold or the flu at this time of year, but we now have the ubiquitous Coronovirus to contend with as well :-/ I have consequently written a guide to my top 5 essential supplements for the autumn and winter, which I typically prescribe in clinic.  The specific requirements of men, women and children have all been catered for in my recommended products, and a special promotion is also on offer until the end of the month. I have also negotiated a special postage rate of £5 to Spain. Kindly share this guide with friends, family and colleagues to help them and, in turn, create a healthier environment for yourself! Please download the article on my website here: https://nutrilifeclinic.com/articles-%26-recipes

This week, we ran a free webinar about ‘Life in Spain’ and were joined by various Costa Women Sponsors, Experts and friends to talking about living in Spain.  During the first 30 minutes, our experts answered the questions which you submitted prior to the webinar and then we had a Q&A session.       Topics covered   Alex Radford one of the founding Partners of – MLS and owner of Legal Services in Spain answered:- What is an NIE and why do I need one? What are the steps currently for becoming a resident in Spain?  If I don’t want to become a resident, how long can I stay here?  Why do we need to be on the padron?  How will the 90 days in 180 days rule work? Do you have any idea what will happen for UK nationals post 31st December 2021? (driving licences, residencia amount etc.)   Ignacio Ortega – Regional Sales Manager of Currencies Direct which covers the Costa del Sol and Canary Islands answered  How long have Currencies Direct been in Spain and how is it licenced? We are hearing UK banks are closing accounts.  What options do you offer for people getting their pensions, or regularly payments from another currency to Euro?  And sending funds to Spain and back to home country – how do you save money using Currencies Direct?   Tim Govaerts – Associate Director – Blacktower  (Lucia Melgarejo, International Financial Adviser, is our Costa Women Representative at Blacktower) How can people that live here prepare financially for Brexit? How has your advice changed because of Brexit? I’m worried about my private pensions/ ISAs in the UK after Brexit, any tips you could give us? I’ve been living in Spain since beginning of 2020 and have my affairs managed by my UK IFA.  I believe you don’t have to do anything else,  am I right? How have investments and the financial markets behaved lately and how do you expect them to behave going forward? Any tips you can give?     Sarah Hartley, Costa Women Representative of Meridiano who offer both funeral plans and funeral insurance How do Funerals differ in Spain from other countries?   Do people have to be buried within 24 hours?  What is the current situation during Covid?   How can I protect myself and my family from unexpected costs? Basic costs of a funeral If I move back to my home country, what happens with the funeral plan?   We then moved on to a Q&A Guests asked What is the criteria for determining residence? Is it financial, or something else? I have my green residency card. Is there a necessity to get the new TIE? If you have an Irish passport does that make you a resident? Timing – is it better to start residence process before Brexit? what are the risks for waiting until after? It’s impossible to get an appointment to exchange my driving license – is there any plans for an extension to this exchange process? If husband and wife are applying together for residencia do they have to show individually 9K assets and 850 each? Can you stay in Spain for less than 6 months then go back to the UK? Can you come back to Spain straight away? or how long do you have to wait? Is the process for renewing your Spanish driving license simple, and how far before expiry should you start the process? I have a green residency A4 sheet which does not state permanent do I have to get a TIE card before end of December 2020? If you are only staying for 6 months do you have to apply for the driving licence? What is the online info for the TIE plus the online info for renewing Spanish driving license If you have a green card that doesn’t say ‘permanente’ what are the requirements to get a permanente or the tie? Currencies Direct – Do you have preferential exchange rates? what is today’s rate? Meridiano Funeral Plans What about cremation?  Does that exist in Spain?   Watch the video for answers to all of the above     To contact the Experts on the call please follow the below links:- Alex Radford Email: enquiries@mylawyerinspain.com Web: My Lawyer in Spain   Ignacio Ortega Email ignacio.o@currenciesdirect.com Web: Currencies Direct   Tim Govaerts Email: Tim.Govaerts@blacktowerfm.com Lucia Melgarejo: Lucia.Melgarejo@blacktowerfm.com Website: Blacktower Financial Management     Sarah Hartley Email: sarah@meridianofuneralsbysarah.com Website: Meridiano   Costa Women also created spainexpo.org – a website with 35 plus interviews with experts about moving to and living in Spain.

In 2015 additional training and equipment meant that I was able to introduce our new Headache and Migraine Clinic service which has expanded ever since. New team members and upgraded technology mean that we can do better at what is required to treat this challenging and complicated condition. Which, in my experience, is treating the whole person. Unique to you Migraine is a very personalised condition – no two patients experience the same migraine or have the same complicated set of circumstances which trigger them. I always liken it to a mathematical equation – we know the answer is a migraine, but it can take time and care to understand the numbers that add up to it. It is often some combination of: Diet+Stress+Immune Response+Nerve Sensistivity+Inflammation+Sleep Pattern+Brain Chemistry+Hormones+Dental Health+Eye Health+Personal Factor Which all adds up to a migraine. So the first steps are always to try and understand your personal equation – after that management and treatment become much more effective. So many choices The International Headache Society and the Journal of Headache and Pain have more than 30 classifications of migraine alone. Not to mention the other chronic headache types that often get muddled in as well – tension headaches, TACs, nerve disorders, sinus, vascular and injury related. Which makes finding a diagnosis and a treatment path even more confusing! What works best? The answer is that it depends on you. Medication will usually address the brain chemistry and vascular elements really well. For some it can also address the hormonal element as well. But that leaves some really big chunks of the equation without support. Combining What we have found most effective is a combination of treatments to address different factors. These might include: Nutrition and food intolerance testing Supporting your personal hormonal situation Magnetic therapy to reduce or “turn off” oncoming migraine Lymphatic drainage to reduce sinus congestion and improve immune response Reducing nerve sensitivity Lowering localised inflammation and muscle tension Addressing related stressors such as TMJ and similar. The key is to treat all parts of your personal migraine and headache equation so that they are less frequent and less debilitating. Putting you back in control of your health.  Not sure which route is best for you? Not sure what’s best for you? our Patient Care Coordinator can talk you through the options available both at the clinic and locally to make sure you get the best support possible. If you’d like to book an appointment please contact us directly over email, WhatsApp or in person as required.

The NEED to be Liked You are a kind person, that’s great,but when do you become a people pleaser?The difference between being nice and being a people pleaser IS:THE NEED TO BE LIKED. Why do you need to be liked?Why do you need approval from others? Many people lack self-worth, self-confidence or self-esteem,that’s when we want to PLEASE everyone so we feel worthy. STOP Being a People Pleaser.START saying NO to others and say YES to yourselfGROW your SELF-WORTH and SHINE your light! Accept yourself and BREAK FREE!     If you’re not clear about your next step to a life without regrets,  but you know you want to do something more meaningful with your life and be location independent, message me and let’s have a virtual coffee and create clarity so you know exactly what to do next! Schedule your Virtual coffee. Life is short, live life to the fullest!   Rachel RachelSmets.com

Have you had crazy, destructive behavior in the past when you were trying to be productive and successful?? Me too! I was interviewed by Hazel Everad, a Career Coach in Valencia and we talked about experiences and how we learned to have a better life balance.  I think you will resonate with some of what I share. 🙂 Overachieving for approval Being compulsively busy as a coping mechanism  Anxiety – the good, bad and ugly Outsourcing your self worth Cultivating self love. How to control your thoughts. The physical importance of a good work/life balance