Food and Activity

What I eat, and particularly what I don't eat, seems to be my primary driver of my migraines. Avoiding triggers and eating good food significantly reduces my migraines.

What To Eat

I eat any "single ingredient" food not on the triggers list. A "single ingredient" food is an unprocessed food that looks much the same when it comes into the house as when it is grown or raised. Basically what people ate 500 years ago.

Low carb, high protein, low to moderate fat with natural foods seems to be best to improve migraines. Low glycemic index carbs are best. One way to reduce the GI of root vegetables like potatoes is to cook them, cool them overnight in the fridge, then eat them cold or reheat - here's why. Be careful to cool rice and pasta as quickly as possible as otherwise it can create a toxin that can make you sick, or in extreme cases even kill you.

In "Glucose Revolution" Jessie Inchauspé suggests (and I'm paraphrasing) that eating carbohydrates causes glucose to spike, which causes insulin to rise. High insulin levels seem to cause migraines. Eating less sugar and less easily digestible carbohydrates can reduce migraines. The book also describes ways to reduce this glucose / insulin spike without significantly changing what you eat, which can reduce migraines and provide some weight loss.

Some examples of what I eat (though I don't currently eat meat I think it's a good food for migraines):

Unprocessed meats (e.g. beef, chicken, fish, pork but not bacon or ham)
Eggs
Halloumi cheese (beware of the high salt content - salt can cause inflammation in the brain)
Cottage cheese
Paneer
Most vegetables including broccoli / cauliflower / carrot
Salads including salad vegetables such as capsicum, cucumber, but be careful with onion initially
Root vegetables such as potato, sweet potato, carrots, parsnip (though these are high carb and should be avoided as much as practical). Roast vegetable salads are one of my main meals.
Tomato (some people find this a trigger, I'm usually ok with it)
Seeds such as pumpkin / sesame seeds
Rice (safe but high carb can impact some)
Home made aioli (I have a great recipe)
Many spices: cumin, paprika, salt (in moderation), black pepper, turmeric, etc. Pink peppercorns which are actually berries and can cause migraines.
Once my migraines were stable I started eating crisps in moderation. Proper Crisps use a better quality oil than most.

Optimising Foods

The energy crisis model of migraines says that we should be trying to grow as many mitochondria as practical. My research suggests to grow new mitochondria:

Ensure an adequate protein intake - ideally around 1.6 – 2.2 g/kg. Since I weigh around 75kg this means around 150g of protein per day. Animal protein is the most bioavailable and has a good mix of amino acids, but as a vegetarian I eat eggs and dairy for my protein. See the book "Forever Strong" on the resources page for more details.
Limit carbohydrates, focus on healthy carbs like vegetables that have vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Exercise

Walking was a good way to get started after I was recovering from an injury. I then added hill walking, fast walking, and Japanese Walking. Starting slow helps particularly if sedentary.
Strength training 2-3 times per week.
I'm considering adding High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) 2-3 times per week.

Meals

I've been vegetarian for 15+ years, which is somewhat limiting under this plan. My key meals are:

Roasted vegetable salad with raw tomato, raw carrot, halloumi and pumpkin seeds fried with cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper
Omelet with cottage cheese, halloumi, and spices
Chips - potato and kumara / sweet potato, home cut, home cooked in olive oil

Stomach Issues?

If prebiotic fiber, chia seeds or probiotics give you an upset tummy, go see your doctor and ask about SIBO, or read the book "Super Gut" by Dr David. Not all GPs will know much about SIBO.