Nutrition
Staying migraine-free with our diet
Eggs
In this chapter, we will be discussing how we can live a migraine-free life with our diet.
Migraine is a very painful and miserable type of headache. Migraine comes with a pulsating and throbbing pain in one part of the head. Other signs and symptoms include; nausea and vomiting, dizziness, and a high sensitivity to light and sound.
Some people can even tell when they are about to have a migraine because they see flashing light or zigzag lines, or they temporarily lose their vision. Other people may suspect a migraine is coming after they encounter something that commonly cause migraines. Many things can trigger a migraine, including anxiety, stress, lack of food or sleep, exposure to light and hormonal changes in women.
Drugs can help prevent migraine attacks or relieve symptoms of attacks when they happen. Lifestyle changes and nutrition also help a lot in preventing future migraines.
Foods to include
Magnesium rich foods such as oatmeal and sweet potatoes.
Melatonin rich foods such as oats, cherries and sweet corn.
Omega-3 fatty acid rich foods such as flaxseed, salmon, and herrings.
Riboflavin rich foods such as milk, eggs, and lean beef or pork.
Lifestyle modification
Cessation of cigarette smoking.
Moderation of alcohol.
Adequate rest/ sleep; at least 7 hours a night.
Adequate water intake; at least 8 glasses a day.
Adequate stress management.
Avoid very bright light and excessive noise.
Adequate exercise; at least 45 minutes a day for at least three times a week.
When migraines attack, they can distort our whole mood and prevent us from chasing our daily goals. That should never be taken lightly, and active application of the diets and lifestyle modifications mentioned above should be natural habits in our lives, to maintain that peace of mind we all deserve.
The writer Dr Bernice Korkor Asare is the CEO of Holistic Health Consult.
“Your diet your health, your health your wealth”
E-mail: holistichealthconsultgh@gmail.com
Soya beans is a highly nutritious plant-based food with several health benefits:
-Rich source of protein
-Contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.
-Helpful for vegetarians and vegans as an alternative to animal protein.
-Supports muscle growth and repair.
– Heart Health
-Helps lower cholesterol levels
-Contains healthy unsaturated fats and fibre that support cardiovascular health
-Can be part of a heart-friendly diet
-Bone health
-Provides calcium (in fortified soy products), magnesium, and protein
-Soy isoflavones may help maintain bone density, especially in postmenopausal women
– May help manage menopausal symptoms
-Contains natural compounds called isoflavones (phytoestrogens)
-Some women experience reduced hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms with soy consumption
-Supports weight management
-High protein and fibre content can increase fullness and reduce hunger
-May help with maintaining a healthy weight
-Good for blood sugar control
-Has a low glycemic index
-Protein and fibre can help stabilise blood sugar levels
Ghana has nutrition policies. Ghana has nutrition targets. Ghana has nutrition programmes spread across multiple ministries and dozens of implementing partners.
What Ghana does not have is a single, empowered body responsible for leading, coordinating, and holding all this together. That is the gap a National Nutrition Council would fill, and stakeholders are calling for one now.
The case for a council
At a stakeholder engagement convened under the Nourish Ghana project in 2025, participants proposed the establishment of a National Nutrition Council to provide effective leadership and a governance framework for addressing malnutrition in Ghana. The meeting, which brought together policymakers, development partners, civil society organisations, and the media, highlighted a fundamental problem: nutrition responsibilities are fragmented across various ministries. Without a dedicated coordination body, efforts are duplicated, accountability is diffuse, and nutrition consistently loses out when budgets are tight.
The proposal echoes a model used in several countries that have made the fastest progress against malnutrition. Nigeria’s National Council on Nutrition, for example, recently pledged $107 million at the 2025 N4G Summit, a level of coordinated ambition that Ghana has struggled to match.
Ghana does have existing coordination structures worth acknowledging. The Scaling Up Nutrition Cross-Sectoral Planning Group (CSPG), established in 2012, was set up to harmonise planning, implementation, and monitoring of nutrition actions across sectors. It has produced real gains. But the challenge has been institutionalising those gains beyond project cycles, and analysts have called for an elevated national coordination body with presidential oversight to ensure genuine cross-sector accountability. A National Nutrition Council would go further, providing the dedicated financing and convening authority that the CSPG, as currently structured, does not have.
What a Council would do
A National Nutrition Council would provide political oversight and coordination across all sectors involved in nutrition, health, agriculture, education, social protection, and finance. It would track Ghana’s nutrition commitments, hold ministries accountable for delivery, and ensure that nutrition budgets are protected and spent effectively. Most importantly, it would give nutrition a permanent seat at the table where national development decisions are made.
The Time Is Now
Ghana made 10 commitments at the 2025 N4G Paris Summit. Translating those commitments into results requires a governance structure that does not currently exist. Establishing a National Nutrition Council is not a bureaucratic exercise. It is the institutional foundation without which Ghana’s nutrition ambitions will remain promises on paper. Leaders must act on this proposal without delay.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition project
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