'Blossom' on Being a Vegan Mom Mayim Bialik on Migraine Pain, Motherhood and More

Former child TV star Mayim Bialik (“Blossom”) traded in her flowered hats for parenting, veganism and a Ph.D. Now 36, she shows off her brain power on CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory.” To mark Headache Awareness Week, read more about her intriguing evolution, plus the chronic ailment she and millions of women share... As Sheldon Cooper's brainy scientist girlfriend, Amy Farrah Fowler, actress Mayim Bialik regularly tosses out complex scientific phrases on TV’s “The Big Bang Theory” (8 p.m. Thursdays). It might be a stretch for most starlets, but not Bialik – she has a Ph.D. in neuroscience. “Jim Parsons [who plays Sheldon] always jokes on the show that I’m the only one who knows what everyone is saying,” Bialik says. Bialik, a native of San Diego, hit it big at 15, playing a young Bette Midler in the movie Beaches. She then went on to nab the starring teen role of NBC’s “Blossom” for five seasons. But she ditched acting to study science at the University of California, Los Angeles, earning her Ph.D. in 2007. The downside: All that studying triggered a family curse – migraine pain. “My eight first cousins, two aunts, my mom and I have them,” she says. Now a mom of two boys herself and author of Beyond the Sling: A Real-life Guide to Raising Confident, Loving Children the Attachment Parenting Way (Simon & Schuster), Bialik is passionate about being vegan (no animal products whatsoever). “It works for me and I respect that it doesn’t work for everyone.” Here’s a look at how Bialik combats debilitating migraines, makes veganism work and her thoughts on a “Blossom” reunion. Migraines run in your family. Do they affect you too? Oh, yes! There’s a long line of migraines with aura [a type of migraine that is preceded by hallucinations, temporary blindness, weakness and/or seeing flashing lights] in my family. I was one of the last holdouts, the last female to not have them. Then, when I was in college, [the migraines] were triggered by the stress of school and studying. I also had them through both pregnancies, so I think there’s a hormonal component. There’s definitely a huge stress component, which is also hormonal, because stress increases the production of several hormones. How do you control migraine pain? I don’t take prescriptions because I’m still nursing. Caffeine can sometimes help with the onset. I don’t drink soda or caffeine at all ordinarily, but I use soda medicinally. Sometimes I take ibuprofen if I have to work. I also use essential oils to ease pain. Melissa Rauch [who plays Bernadette on “Big Bang”] turned me on to an essential oil with menthol and mint, which helps a lot. A handful of times, I experience light and sound sensitivity, so really I just need to sleep the migraine pain off. Why did you start being vegan? I became a vegetarian at 19. Getting to that point was sort of a slow accumulation of a lifelong affinity for animals, and that affinity made me not want to eat them. I was always very environmentally oriented as a kid and teen. The more I learned about animals and the environment, the more being a vegetarian made sense. Then, when I was nursing my first son, I discovered he was allergic to dairy. Since he got dairy through my breast milk, that was a problem. I had already started cutting some dairy in college because of a holistic friend. So when we discovered his dairy allergy, I cut it completely and took one step closer to being vegan. Do you have any food allergies or sensitivities? I was a huge dairy drinker and I never connected my sneezing and sinus troubles to food. But after I reduced my dairy consumption in college, I never had any sinus trouble and haven’t had the need for antibiotics since. Once you discovered your son’s dairy allergy, did you make a complete switch to being vegan? I liken it to some religious journeys. It’s not always immediate. I needed it to be gradual and gentle. Once I realized my son was sensitive [to dairy], I started to eliminate most non-vegan things but still sort of dabbled with food. I ate trace eggs in baked products and candy bars. But I made the complete switch about three years ago after reading a book about animals and vegan lifestyles. I realized all aspects of being vegan really appeal to me. Are your husband and kids vegans too? My husband is a reluctant vegan. He believes he can’t consume animals because it’s not right for him, but wishes he could and that’s OK. I’m very happy not to eat animals. Everyone has to do what works for them. What are some favorite ways to get plenty of protein? I recently read The China Study (BenBella Books) that addresses health aspects of how we eat in this world. One of the most important things I learned is that we’re told we need more protein than we actually do. And that a lot of countries where people consume tremendous amounts of protein have high incidences of disease. I was raised to eat meat or a large chunk of protein at every meal. Then I did research on how much protein I specifically need for my weight and lifestyle. There’s a lot of protein in avocado and nuts, so I eat a lot of foods like that from the earth. It’s not that complicated or tough to get protein being vegan. How do you talk to your kids, Miles, age 6, and Frederick, 3, about being vegan? It’s easy and fun to teach kids that the earth makes a tremendous amount of good food. We define foods as “growing foods” and “fun foods.” Vegetables are growing foods. Fried veggies are fun foods. The other day Miles said, “Deep fried tofu is a growing food, right?” I said, “No, it’s fried so it’s a fun food.” They’re learning. Also, vegan snacks and meals are easier to prepare. For example, fresh fruit or veggies are very easy to give kids. So is a handful of almonds. My boys eat almond butter, peanut butter and we encourage a lot of avocado. There’s also protein in pasta and bread, especially if it’s whole wheat. Is it tough to eat out, being vegan? Yes, going out is a challenge and I lessen rules when we go out. Kids’ menus aren’t very vegan-friendly. What does your family eat when you’re out? We’ll eat pasta with marinara sauce, and I’ll let them have fries. I also don’t restrict eating if we’re on vacation. I didn’t make the switch to veganism for health reasons. The health benefits are a definite positive, but that wasn’t the precursor. So I’m not fanatical. There’s plenty of junk vegan food too. Veggie tempura is delicious, but it’s not encouraged every day. Lollipops are vegan but they’re not healthy, so the kids only get them now and then. I also bake. The kids can’t always have cake or cupcakes at parties, so baking gives them opportunities to enjoy treats. What motivated you to reach for your neuroscience degree? In 1994, after “Blossom,” I wasn’t poised for a serious adult career. The industry was very different than it is now, and it was considered a smart career move to step away for a while. I fell in love with science in high school and had a great tutor who fostered in me a love of the subject. I pursued science in undergrad, where I met my husband, and kept going to get my Ph.D. How, if ever, do you use your degree in your daily life? The first year after I got my degree, I taught homeschoolers in the community, and that was a great experience. Neuroscience is an amazing degree because it includes child development. Plus, I like to psychoanalyze people all the time – just because I can! But I chose it because it’s the perfect science of how we think as well as process emotions. Does your degree come in handy on your show, “The Big Bang Theory”? I get a twitch when something in a script doesn’t ring true, but our writers do an amazing job of research. They usually don’t need my help, but sometimes words come up wrong on spell-check, for example, so they’ll ask me if it’s really a word. What do you like about your character, Amy? I love how unpredictable she is, and that weird things come out of her mouth, but it all works. I also love that she’s a female version of Sheldon [her onscreen boyfriend] but still remains a female. Does having a neuroscience degree help you in this role? Sort of. I base a lot of her on many personalities I’ve encountered in academia. But I feel like I have an on-hand coach in Jim Parsons. If I’m ever wondering about how to play a scene, I ask myself, “What would Jim do?” Many fans still think of you as Blossom. Would you ever do a “Blossom” reunion? It would depend. We’ve all really moved on in our careers and I don’t know if everyone would be interested. It was a show about a girl growing up – and she grew up. But, if I didn’t have to wear flowery hats or dance, I’d certainly be up for one! Can You Name Common Headache Triggers? Lifestyle and environmental factors play a larger role than you might think in the onset of headaches. Knowing common headache triggers can help you reduce the frequency with which you get them.