Headache while fasting cure
Lately, I have been eating mindlessly due to which I gained a few pounds. I thought of giving a shot at intermittent fasting after reading all the hype about it. So, it was my first day of fasting and I got a non-pulsating front headache and a dip in energy. By noon, my head was throbbing with pain. The same thing happened on days to proceed, but then I came to know of some secret ‘headache while fasting’ cure. Now, I am losing weight headache-free.
Keep reading to know the cure so that you can follow the suit! 🙂
Can intermittent fasting give you a headache?
Yes, intermittent fasting can give you a temporary headache. It is because you are telling your body to come out of its ‘Comfort Zone’!
A headache while fasting cure will be given in a while, but before that, you need to know why you are getting headaches from fasting.
In order to get fit and healthy, you need to make your body unhappy. It will ultimately result in your body’s happiness while your friends and family go gaga over your transformation.
Why am I getting headaches while fasting?
1. Stress-induced fasting headaches
As you fast, your blood sugar level dips down. Hypoglycemia leads to the release of stress hormones, initiating a headache. Fasting headaches and stress headaches are relatively similar.
The symptoms for both headaches are a tightness around the head. The pain can either be frontal or bilateral.
2. Withdrawal Symptoms from Caffeine
During intermittent fasting, one can have black coffee, but the problem is that people are so hooked on frothy, creamy, and sugar-loaded coffee. The black sugarless coffee doesn’t have any charm for them. Eventually, they leave coffee altogether.
As a result, they get agitated and their headache stirs up. On the other hand, some research has shown a connection between fasting headaches and caffeine withdrawal. This headache happens 18 hours after the last caffeine intake. Caffeine withdrawal headaches can happen in people who are not in a fasting state as well.
3. Withdrawal Symptoms from Sugar/Carbs
As you fast, your blood sugar level plummets. According to some studies, even minute changes in blood sugar levels may affect the brain’s pain receptors for a few people, resulting in pulsating headaches from intermittent fasting.
Whereas, some other studies show that low blood sugar levels have nothing to do with intermittent fasting headaches. Non-pulsating fasting headaches have also been experienced by people with normal sugar levels.
4. Muscle tension
As you are fasting, your body releases a compound called histamine, causing smooth muscle contraction and dilation of capillaries. This results in muscles tensing and spurring up a headache.
5. Dehydration
Intermittent fasting headaches might possibly also suggest as a warning sign from your body that you are low on water.
Fasting is a diuretic. It means you get depleted of fluids more rapidly during a fast.
Other than that, you get most of your water needs from the food you eat throughout the day. As you are fasting, the amount of food consumed gets less, resulting in dehydration.
Headache while fasting cure
So, finally here is the headache while fasting cure. You can easily incorporate it into your daily life and can lose weight without worrying about a headache.
1. Reduced caffeine intake
Gradually cut off caffeine intake almost a week before you start intermittent fasting. In this way, your body will get adapted to staying de-caffeinated for long.
2. Consume adequate calories
Have enough calories during your eating window. While trying to shed some extra weight, most people do the mistake of not eating and getting adequate calories to keep their bodies functioning properly.
3. Watch your portions
As your eyes are on the clock, the seconds ticking by before your fasting window and you are just trying to cram up as much food as you can. By doing so, you are giving yourself a way to get that throbbing fasting headache only. Eat normal-sized portions before fasting by having some smart choices.
Read further to know what exactly you need to eat before you fast.
4. Uncomplicate your fasting headache through complex carbs
It is better to have complex carbohydrates (potatoes, brown rice, and whole-grain bread) before the fast, as it keeps you feeling full for a long time, as they have a high satiety level.
5. Mindful eating
- Have raw fruits and vegetables, or cooked ones with little added fat or sugar.
- Avoid processed food like hot dogs and pepperoni and aged cheeses like Parmesan, Feta, and Swiss, as they are known to induce a headache in people.
- Consume healthy fats, meats, and fish that aren’t cured, smoked or dried for the same reason mentioned above.
- Have nuts and seeds.
6. Sip it off
As now you know very well that one of the headaches while fasting cure is drinking water. Hydrate yourself as much as you can during the feasting and fasting times.
7. Vitamins for the win
Take vitamin-rich food or vitamin supplements. According to a study on zombie alligators who would not budge and kept lying still, completely immobile. Evidently, they were vitamin deficient. With a few vitamins added to their water, they were able to come out of the ‘zombie apocalypse’ safely.
8. Go bananas
Have bananas before fasting. They are rich in magnesium, which stops certain chemicals that cause pain.
Takeaway
Going on a weight loss journey by opting for intermittent fasting can bring a lot of obstacles in your way and one of the primary obstacles is that dreadful headache that makes one completely immobile. However, it is now quite easy for you to find the root cause and then nip it off the bud by either having lots of fluids, gradually cutting off on caffeine, eating mindfully, and going bananas for bananas!
Happy Fasting…!!:)
P.S. If you have any other headache while fasting cure, then let us know in the ‘comments sections’.