Season 5 Episode 8

Stop Chasing Triggers: How to Raise Your Migraine Threshold for Good with Kelli Yates

WITH YOUR HOSTS: Monica Grohne & Norah Candito, RD

If you've been chasing migraine triggers endlessly without finding lasting relief, this episode will change your entire approach. In this transformative conversation, hosts Monica Grohne (founder of Marea) and registered dietitian Norah Candido welcome fellow RD Kelli Yates, who specializes in migraine management and gut health, to reveal why building resilience matters more than avoiding triggers – and how the two are deeply connected to your hormone health.

Understanding Migraine: More Than Just a Headache

Migraine attacks are fundamentally different from regular headaches. While headaches can be severe and debilitating, migraines encompass a constellation of symptoms beyond head pain:

Common Migraine Symptoms:

Severe headache (though some migraine types have no head pain)
Nausea and vomiting
Light and sound sensitivity
Mood changes including irritability
Brain fog and cognitive issues (difficulty finding words, memory problems)
Vestibular symptoms like dizziness and balance issues
Hemiplegic migraine can even mimic stroke symptoms

Kelli emphasizes that the brain fog and cognitive dysfunction associated with migraines is often the symptom people struggle with most, frequently blaming themselves rather than recognizing it as a legitimate part of their condition.

The Hormone-Migraine Connection

Migraine affects women disproportionately, and hormones play a significant role. While hormones don't cause migraine, they act as powerful contributors, particularly:

Hormonal Migraine Patterns:

Few days before menstruation begins
During the first few days of your period
Around ovulation or shortly after

The key trigger is estrogen withdrawal – that dramatic drop in estrogen that occurs at specific points in your cycle. Even women with "normal" hormone levels can be highly sensitive to these natural fluctuations, experiencing debilitating attacks during predictable phases.

This pattern mirrors PMDD symptoms, highlighting how some nervous systems are simply more sensitive to hormonal shifts, regardless of whether levels fall within "normal" ranges.

Kelli's Personal Journey: From Daily NSAIDs to Root Cause Solutions

Kelli's specialty emerged from her own 30-year journey with migraines starting in elementary school. For years, her only tools were over-the-counter NSAIDs like Excedrin and ibuprofen – until they stopped being an option.

After taking these medications daily for extended periods, Kelli developed a stomach ulcer, forcing her to stop cold turkey and find alternative solutions. This crisis became the catalyst for discovering how nutrition, gut health, and lifestyle factors could transform migraine management.

Her journey also included a difficult period of disordered eating triggered by obsessive trigger-food hunting – a cautionary tale about the mental health risks of becoming too fixated on food restrictions.

The Revolutionary Shift: From Trigger-Chasing to Resilience-Building

The episode's most powerful insight challenges conventional migraine wisdom. Rather than endlessly pursuing every possible trigger, Kelli advocates for raising your migraine threshold by building whole-body resilience.

Why This Approach Works:

Reduces sensitivity to normal life circumstances (hormone fluctuations, sunlight, noise)
Cuts through the noise to identify major triggers more easily
Improves overall health, creating benefits beyond migraine relief
Reduces anxiety around trigger avoidance
Creates sustainable lifestyle changes rather than restrictive elimination

The Foundation: Blood Sugar Balance and Core Nutrients

Blood sugar regulation emerges as a critical factor in migraine management. People with migraines face unique challenges:

Inability to eat during attacks or prodrome (pre-attack phase)
Daily attacks for some, making regular eating difficult
Food fear leading to inadequate intake
Nausea and appetite loss during vulnerable periods

The solution? Eating regularly (three meals, two snacks) with balanced macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs) at each meal becomes foundational for stabilizing blood sugar and reducing attack frequency.

Critical Nutrient Deficiencies in Migraine

Magnesium: The Migraine Mineral

Magnesium deficiency is extremely common in people with migraines. This essential mineral supports:

Nervous system function
Neurotransmitter regulation
Muscle relaxation
Electrolyte balance

Important note: Not all magnesium supplements are equal. Magnesium citrate causes digestive issues for many, while other forms (glycinate, threonate, malate) offer better tolerance and targeted benefits.

B Vitamins and Mitochondrial Function

B vitamin deficiencies affect multiple migraine mechanisms:

Serotonin production and uptake (most serotonin is made in the gut)
Mitochondrial energy production in brain cells
Neurotransmitter synthesis

B vitamins prove especially helpful for vestibular migraine sufferers experiencing dizziness and balance issues.

CoQ10 for Cellular Energy

Coenzyme Q10 supports mitochondrial function – how efficiently your cells convert food into usable energy. Some people don't produce adequate CoQ10 due to genetics or other factors, making supplementation beneficial.

The Gut-Brain-Migraine Triangle

The gut-brain connection plays a pivotal role in migraine. Many people with migraines also experience:

IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Chronic constipation
Bloating and digestive discomfort

The NSAID Damage Cycle:

Long-term use of ibuprofen and similar medications creates:

Gastritis and stomach irritation
Stomach ulcers
Compromised nutrient absorption
Damaged gut lining

Supporting Gut Healing:

Mucilaginous foods (asparagus, okra, slippery elm tea)
Aloe vera for some individuals
Stress management (cortisol directly impacts GI function)
Switching to prescription migraine medications that don't damage the stomach

Environmental Triggers and Toxin Load

While Kelli emphasizes not obsessing over environmental factors initially, they do play a role:

Common Environmental Sensitivities:

Fragrances (both synthetic and natural like lavender)
Mold exposure and water damage
Cleaning products and candles
Air fresheners and scented products

The key is recognizing these as threshold-lowering factors rather than direct causes, addressing them after establishing core foundations.

The Medication Question: Finding Balance

Kelli's message about medication use is refreshingly balanced: medications can be essential tools, especially during the healing process. The goal isn't to eliminate all medications but to:

Find medications that work without causing additional harm
Address medication overuse headaches (rebound headaches from frequent use)
Work with doctors to find appropriate alternatives to daily NSAIDs
Combine medication with lifestyle approaches for comprehensive management

Debunking Food Trigger Myths

Contrary to popular belief, there are no universal food triggers for migraine (except alcohol and caffeine, which are technically chemicals). The endless elimination diets circulating online often cause more harm than good, potentially leading to:

Disordered eating patterns
Nutritional deficiencies
Food fear and anxiety
Social isolation

A better approach: Focus on eating balanced, regular meals with adequate protein and vegetables, tracking symptoms if helpful, but avoiding blanket restrictions.

Practical Starting Points for Migraine Warriors

Step 1: Data Collection

Track attacks and medication use
Monitor menstrual cycle patterns
Note symptoms beyond head pain
Establish baseline attack frequency

Step 2: Foundation Building

Eat within 30 minutes of waking
Regular meal timing (don't skip meals)
Adequate hydration throughout the day
Balanced macronutrients at each meal

Step 3: Resilience Enhancement

Stress management practices (breath work, hobbies, social connection)
Quality sleep with consistent timing
Gentle movement when able
Nervous system regulation

The Mental Health Component

The psychological burden of chronic migraines cannot be overstated. Kelli's advice for those feeling broken and exhausted:

"You're not doing anything wrong. You have migraine. We just need to figure out what your body needs."

This reframe from self-blame to self-compassion opens the door to healing. Taking periodic "doctor breaks" to reduce pressure and reset can be transformative.

Key Takeaways

Raising your migraine threshold matters more than chasing every trigger
Blood sugar balance forms the foundation of migraine management
Hormone fluctuations affect migraine even with "normal" levels
Gut health and brain health are inseparably linked
Nutrient deficiencies (magnesium, B vitamins, CoQ10) significantly impact migraine
Medications can be tools, not failures
Start small – one sustainable change beats perfect restriction
Testing isn't always necessary – foundations come first

Moving Forward

Whether you experience hormonal migraines, vestibular symptoms, or chronic attacks, the path forward involves building resilience rather than living in fear of triggers. By addressing foundational nutrition, gut health, hormone balance, and stress resilience, most people can significantly reduce attack frequency and severity.

For those struggling with migraines alongside other hormone-related symptoms, this episode reinforces that whole-body health – the kind Marea supports through foundational nutrition – creates the resilience needed to manage complex conditions.