Episode 190
A Functional Approach to Headaches & Migraines (feat. Dr. Meg Mill)
The Salad With a Side of Fries podcast is hosted by Jenn Trepeck, discussing wellness and weight loss for real life, clearing up the myths, misinformation, bad science & marketing surrounding our nutrition knowledge and the food industry. Let’s dive into wellness and weight loss for real life, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store.
Today, Jenn is joined by Dr. Meg Mill, a functional medicine practitioner focusing on headaches and migraines. Dr. Mill walks through what a functional medicine practitioner is and how they take a whole-body approach when diagnosing. Dr. Mill compares conventional medicine and functional medicine approaches to how doctors will handle headaches and approach curing them. She discusses the impact of over-the-counter headache medicine on the gut and things people can implement in their daily lives to reduce the likelihood of headaches. From small behaviors to certain foods, there’s a lot you can do to influence the frequency and severity of headaches. Tune in today to learn how to get rid of headaches once and for all!
IN THIS EPISODE:
● [3:45] What is Meg’s Head Strong Program?
● [6:17] How did Meg get started with functional medicine and her focus on headaches?
● [11:25] What is the conventional medicine approach to headaches/migraines?
● [13:50] How do over-the-counter medications affect the lining of the gut?
● [20:34] Meg digs into the foods that can impact migraines.
● [22:49] How do food sensitivities impact head pain?
● [25:18] Hormones are a common issue with women’s headaches.
● [27:20] How does the weather impact migraines?
● [28:28] What does Meg recommend as things we can do to try and prevent headaches?
● [32:06] What are the most common food sensitivities related to headaches?
● [34:34] What is the best way to find a functional medicine practitioner to treat headaches?
● [35:32] How can someone talk to a conventional doctor about using more natural treatments?
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
● If you get a headache, what have you eaten in the last 48 hours? You could have eaten something yesterday that is impacting your body today.
● Even if you do an elimination diet, the goal is to do it temporarily and then add foods back into your diet.
● Many of our health issues tie into other areas of our bodies. Where a conventional practitioner might send you to a neurologist, a GI doc, and other specialists, a functional practitioner will look at the whole body and see how everything ties together to get to the root cause.
QUOTES:
“Stress can increase different hormones that can increase different pain sensitivities; I like to call it the ‘chain of pain’ because we see all these different things that are actually affecting pain. And stress is a big one because you have stress, and that can increase different hormones.” - Dr. Meg Mill
“If you’ve been suffering for a long time and you've had headaches your whole life, and you’ve been told this is just something, and you have to deal with it, I see people all the time make these huge transformations, so it is possible for you.” - Dr. Meg Mill
“I like to call it the chain of pain because we see all these different things that are actually affecting pain.” - Dr. Meg Mill
“We know there are certain foods that trigger migraines, statistically, but it’s not the same for every person. So it’s really becoming your own detective.” - Dr. Meg Mill
“With hormonal migraines it’s good to do the tests so we can see where your balance is.” - Dr. Meg Mill
RESOURCES:
Become A Member of Salad with a Side of Fries
A Salad With a Side of Fries Instagram
GUEST RESOURCES:
Free Gift: 8 Step Guide to Say Goodbye to Headaches Naturally
Head Strong Happiness Beyond Headaches Program
Headache Healing Club Facebook
A Little Bit Healthier Podcast
GUEST BIO:
Dr. Meg Mill is a Functional Medicine Practitioner, bestselling author, podcast host, and speaker. In her virtual Functional Medicine practice, she works with patients worldwide to heal the root cause of their health struggles through advanced diagnostic testing and personalized support.
She has been seen on Fox News Channel, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, and in Reader's Digest, and Health Magazine, and has appeared on many podcasts. She is particularly passionate about helping people end headaches and migraines, increase energy and restore mental clarity without drugs or overwhelming protocols with her proven E.A.T. Method.
