Living Healthy
Out of the Dark Room: How I Stopped Chronic Migraines Naturally
Sherry - 05/31/2026
Out of the Dark Room: How I Stopped Chronic Migraines Naturally
We have all had moments where life feels like it’s moving just a little too fast, but when you suffer from chronic migraines, life doesn’t speed up—it grinds to a painful, screeching halt. If you have ever found yourself locked away in a pitch-black bedroom, praying for relief while the rest of the world goes on without you, I want you to know two things: I see you, and you do not have to live there forever. June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, and before we dive into the science of natural healing, I want to take you back to a memory that used to be my everyday reality.
It still hurts my heart a little bit to remember looking at my sweet kids and telling them, “Go outside and play. Don’t bother me unless the house is on fire.” But back then, the blinding pain and intense nausea left me with no other choice. My migraine routine was a desperate science: I’d feel my way blindly into the bathroom (because light hurt my eyes), grab a thick washcloth, and wring it out under freezing cold water. Armed with that damp cloth and a rolled-up hand towel, I would retreat to my bedroom, pull the curtains tight, and crank the ceiling fan to its highest speed. I’d lie perfectly flat on my back, tuck the towel under my neck for support, and drape that ice-cold cloth over my forehead and eyes. In the dark, I would try to hold myself completely still, knowing that even the slightest movement could trigger another wave of throbbing pain. Sometimes, if I could force my body to relax enough to slip into a deep sleep for an hour, I’d wake up with a clear head. Other times, the agony was so relentless I just wanted to knock myself out.
For years, those agonizing headaches stole days of my life, returning like clockwork every month, and sometimes every few days. I thought it was just my cross to bear. But today, that dark room feels like a distant, far-off memory. Those debilitating migraines didn't fade away because of a magic pill or a quick fix; they completely vanished when I stopped treating the symptoms and finally started listening to what my body was begging for.
The Power of the Nourished Plate
When we are in chronic pain, we often look outward for a cure, but true healing almost always starts from within. I didn't realize it at the time, but my daily diet was a minefield of hidden triggers—and a missed opportunity for deep, cellular restoration. The turning point for me came when I decided to clean up my plate and focus on pure, vibrant nourishment.
If you want to calm an overreactive nervous system and give your body the tools it needs to fight off tension and inflammation, you have to look at what you are fueling it with. In this blog, let's take a look at what may be triggering your headaches, and what you might can do to stop them. I recommend you step away from the processed packaged foods and inflammatory foods, and focus heavily on the building blocks of headache relief: vibrant greens and magnesium-rich whole foods...
Lifestyle factors are top contributors to Migraines. Things like:
- Emotional stress
- Lack of sleep
- Dehydration
- Skipped meals
- Too much physical exertion
You will notice the list above is things we all have control over. Sometimes we just have to take care of ourselves. Other factors are dietary and sensory triggers. We can control some of these:
- Food and drinks (high in histamines, MSG, nitrites, alcohol, caffeine, etc)
- Environmental (bright or flashing lights, smells, sounds, etc)
- Weather changes (barometric changes, humidity, high winds)
Other factors we may not can control outright, but we can condition our bodies so that the switch stays turned off.
- Hormonal fluctuations
- Genetics
The culprits in my case were dietary and hormonal. When I got my diet right and got my hormones balanced my headaches were totally gone. I never had another one.
To help heal and balance your body, focus on eating anti-inflammatory, hydrating, and magnesium rich foods. Here are some examples for you:
- Fatty fish and salmon
- Dark leafy greens
- Berries
- Nuts and seeds
- Watermelon and cucumbers
All of these can be expanded to include more, but these foods are high in Omegas, magnesium, anti-oxidants, and water. Yes, water. One of the most overlooked reasons for a headache is not drinking enough water. If you are not drinking half your body weight in ounces of water, your body is suffering from more than just headaches.
If you feel like you need help with your hormones, there are labs you can do that will give you insight into your hormone and cortisol levels. (I offer these labs along with a hormone coaching package in my services.)
Whether it's hormonal, environmental, or genetic, you can nourish your body in such a way that symptoms don't even have a chance. A healthy body is strong and resilient. We want to give it all the nutrients and support it needs to be healthy and to stay migraine free!