Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Migraines can be very debilitating. It’s not just the pain in the head, and that in itself can be unbearable. It’s all the other symptoms: nausea, vomiting, vertigo, sensitivity to light, fatigue and the list goes on. Not every migraine sufferer experiences the same symptoms, but the pain, the fatigue, and sensitivity to light are pretty universal. Research has concluded that migraine is an actual disease, not just a bad headache that women might experience during their monthly cycle. And, the frightening thing about migraines is that those people who suffer migraines are more prone to having strokes. Research continues on migraines and there are certainly a number of drugs available to alleviate the symptoms, but it doesn’t cure the disease and, like all other drugs, there are side effects. So, what’s the alternative? Well, research has also linked certain foods as triggers to migraines. Eating healthily has been the best cure-all for other ailments, so why not for migraines as well?

To understand and appreciate better the effect food has as a migraine trigger, Lydia Lin, also a migraine sufferer, shares her research and the recipes she’s developed in her book, Tame Migraine the Delicious Way: A Cookbook with Diet Suggestions for Migraineurs. There is a lot of useful and very helpful information in this book and I learned a lot about my own migraine condition from reading it. The book is well laid out, beginning with the author’s own experiences with migraines and following through her research and findings. Although there are other triggers to migraines, like stress and barometric pressure, the key one is food and the author lists the most common food triggers. She also lists foods that benefit and help prevent migraines. In fact, most of the book is recipes that she has created to help her own migraine management. Considering everyone has slightly different dietary issues (and possibly food allergies and intolerances) perhaps all of the recipes are not suitable for everyone. The recipes are well laid out, allowing the reader to use each one as a basis to create their own recipes using ingredients that they can consume. A wonderful guide and resource for migraine sufferers. This is a real treasure.