Spicy Chocolate Headache Paste

This post is written by dear friend and former fellow dorm mother, Katie Mae Stanley. She has been a great source of insperation to me, as well as a teacher, helping me find the ideal homemade solutions to many formerly hazy subjects. A couple years ago she came up to a solution to a troubling headache of mine, today she shares the recipe with us!   

Do you suffer from headaches? Yes? Me too. I have been there more times than I can count.

When we get headaches it is a natural response to pop a pill and move on with the day. Unfortunately pain pills are horrible for your body. If you are anything like me you can't continue on with the day without treating a headache which could quickly become a migraine.

A couple of summers ago I visited Finaorlena when she was a teacher at the school run by mutual friends of ours in Sinaloa, Mexcio. She had a throbbing headache that would not go away. There were classes to teach, lice to pick, errands to run and a tea party to bake for. Her headache staying around was not an option. Plus she needed to hang out with me, right?

I decided to whip up a batch of my "spicy chocolate" that I had been making since that past spring to treat my own headaches.

This post contains affiliate links; that means if you buy something we've recommended we could get a small commission with no cost difference to you. :]

This simple spicy chocolate headache paste is a tasty, yet somewhat spicy way to ease the pain. What is the key ingredient you ask? Cayenne pepper. This vibrant red pepper (caspcium) increases blood circulation and equalizes blood pressure, reliving the headache. I first learned about using cayenne to treat headaches from Jill's Home Remedies.

My Migraine Made Me Cry {and how I got some sleep}

Let me tell you a story...

I was way down south, far from home. My job was teaching Deaf children, and our "off hours" were filled with Spanish speaking children, house chores, and sometimes a bit of fun. It was one of those evening when the children were in bed and the staff had some time to visit in the kitchen. Some of my favorite times were spent just that way. Then, out of nowhere, I realized a massive headache was crawling up and about to take over. Oh no. Even with a migraine I usually wouldn't notice it coming on so quickly; this was scary. Reluctantly - and rapidly - I parted, saying I could feel a nasty headache coming on. I practically ran for it, taking shelter in a dark room, pulling a blanket up, and cried. It was that bad, that fast. I've had headaches too bad to let me sleep, and so on top of the pain of it, I had the worry that I'd be awake all night too. Ugh. What about class? What about my friend visiting? Bad enough to miss the evening with the staff and my friend, but then there was the upcoming special Tea [affiliate link] we were going to bake for, and...all the rest of my ordinary chores would fall to another already busy staffer. Oh dear.

Then, oh gloriously, my friend Katie Mae came to the rescue! Praise the Lord for herbs and knowledge, and the research she'd been doing! She brought me this concoctions, and a glass of water. I asked her what the spoonful of goo was, and when she told me it had honey, cocoa and other things I'd like, I was sure I wouldn't need the drink. Wrong. She assured me I'd want it at hand, since the main active ingredient was very spicy! Gladly, I accepted. I got both down - and she was right, I definitely wanted something to wash it down with! - and then, to my amaze and delight, was able to drift off to sleep. Instead of a week of achy head and missing my responsibilities, I had an early evening, and a dull ache for a say or so. Sooo grateful for her quick thinking and concocting!

I later asked her what the formula was, and she had to do some testing! My tolerance for spicy is wayyy lower than hers (for example, I wouldn't even taste her spicy avocado hummus!), so she kept that in mind when she worked it out for me. Even still, if you should try this spicy paste, don't forget: it's spicy! :D

See tomorrow's post for Katie Mae's recipe:
 Spicy Chocolate Headache Paste!