Diet and Fibromyalgia - Is there a link?Diet and Fibromyalgia are more related than you may think. Fibromyalgia is a complicated condition with symptoms of widespread muscle and joint pain, along with extreme fatigue. It affects women much more than men and there is still no consistent agreement on how to best treat it. My wife has suffered with Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) for many years. She had tried everything she and I could think of to relieve her symptoms, including Chiropractic, Heat, Exercise, Yoga, Acupuncture, and Massage. All of these therapies helped her, but none of them gave her complete or permanent relief.
Eventually she consulted with a doctor who specialized in nutrition. He told her that diet and fibromyalgia were intimately connected and made the following specific recommendations to improve her diet. 1. DIET: When considering diet and fibromyalgia, your diet should be at least 1/3 fresh, raw, vegetables and fruits. Your diet in general should be high in protein, good fats, and vegetables and fruits. Do not eat processed foods (anything in a package), and eliminate hydrogenated oils (margarines and store-bought salad dressings). Instead eat a little whole butter (raw if Possible), and only use extra-virgin, first-pressed olive oil for cooking. Use this olive oil, and/or raw, high-lignan flax oil for salads and dressings. Avoid all carbonated drinks, deep fried foods and meats, and keep caffeinated drinks and sugar to a minimum. 2. LOW-CARBOHYDRATE MEDITERRANEAN DIET: This is the Mediterranean Diet with greatly reduced carbohydrates and starches-which means eliminating processed foods, bread, pasta, pastries, cakes, cookies, crackers, potatoes, rice, etc. In their place increase your intake of whole proteins (meat, fish, dairy, eggs, etc.) and good, wholesome fats (eggs, olive oil, flax oil, seeds, and nuts). You may have unlimited quantities of green vegetables. Get the book, "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes. 3. SALT: You need to use only true SEA SALT. 4. PURE WATER: Getting chlorine out of your shower and bath water is essential. This chemical attacks and irritates your skin, hair, nails, eyes, and thyroid gland. You need to drink at least 8 glasses of pure water daily. This recommendation of getting chlorine out of our shower and bath water may have been because she also seemed to have symptoms related to her thyroid gland, and chlorine affects the thyroid. It seems to me that getting chlorine out of your water is a good idea for everyone’s best health. In addition to Diet and Fibromyalgia recommendations this doctor gave my wife recommendations for specific Fibromyalgia Supplements. There has been a lot of information that seems to agree that if you have fibromyalgia, you should stay away from refined carbohydrates and sugar. That is why my wife’s doctor recommended the LOW-CARBOHYDRATE MEDITERRANEAN DIET.
Fats in Your Diet and FibromyalgiaYou need fat in your diet. We all do. But if you have Fibromyalgia, you need to limit the amount of saturated and trans fat found in fatty meats, fried foods, baked deserts and commercial snack foods.Healthier fats are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats found in fish, fish oils, nuts, and vegetable oils. If you don’t eat enough fish to get the omega 3 fatty acids your body needs, you can find these essential fatty acids in vitamin supplements. This kind of good fat has been shown to reduce inflammation. Lean meat and low fat dairy seem to be OK with Fibromyalgia.
Protein in Your Diet and FibromyalgiaGetting enough protein in your diet is especially important if you suffer with Fibromyalgia.There is some debate as to whether red meat is good for patients with Fibromyalgia. My wife has found that increasing the amount of animal protein in her diet has helped her Fibromyalgia symptoms. She does eat small amounts of red meat, but not often.She prefers to get her animal protein in skinless-chicken and fish. When she does eat red meat it is a small portion of a lean variety.
Things that could make your fibromyalgia worse
Nitrates – Nitrates are food preservatives used in meat products to preserve color and prevent the growth of bacteria which can cause diseases. They are linked to Gout and may aggravate Fibromyalgia. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) – MSG is a food additive found in many Asian foods and frozen foods that can aggravate Fibromyalgia symptoms. Caffeine – If you have Fibromyalgia you may be over tired from chronic pain. Caffeine may be interfering with restful sleep making your condition worse. It also causes you to feel tired after the initial short term energy boost wears off. My wife used to look forward to her morning coffee more than just about anything. She stopped drinking it and has felt much better ever since. Alcohol – Alcohol can also affect how restfully you sleep. Sleep is very important in managing Fibromyalgia. Sugary Sweets – If you have Fibromyalgia you need to maintain your energy level throughout the day. Sugary Sweets cause a short energy boost, and then a quick energy crash. This is not a good way to get through the day with Fibromyalgia. Aspartame (NutraSweet) – We learned in Chiropractic College that NutraSweet had many unpleasant side effects. A lot of people today believe that foods sweetened with aspartame make Fibromyalgia symptoms worse. Too much Fiber – Fiber in your diet and Fibromyalgia are very much related. You do need fiber in your diet to have bowel regularity. But very high levels of fiber can interfere with the absorption of vitamins and minerals such as magnesium. If you have Fibromyalgia, your body needs adequate magnesium to keep your muscles working properly I believe that diet and Fibromyalgia are related. A good healthy diet will help you function at your best. It will also keep your immune system strong and reduce the pain and fatigue of Fibromyalgia. To make it more likely that you will eat healthy, stock your refrigerator and pantry with fresh whole natural foods. Have plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and lean protein sources available. To Your Best Health, Dr. Cliff
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