Foods to Avoid with Fibromyalgia

http://www.prohealth.com/fibromyalgia/library/showArticle.cfm?libid=19034&B1=EM070314F

WHOLE WHEAT
WHOLE GRAINS
PEANUT BUTTER
AGAVE
DAIRY
CEREAL
GLUTEN-FREE
FAT FREE
SOY
CORN

Try Adding These Healthy Foods to Your Diet

-- Sardines: They provide protein, calcium, vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, and they can be used in the same ways as canned tuna. And like tuna, opt for sardines canned in water rather than oil.

-- Quinoa: When cooked, quinoa resembles a grain or cereal, but it's actually more closely related to beets than true grains. It has a light texture and nutty flavor, and it can be used in the same way as rice. It offers 9 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber per cooked cup.

-- Greek yogurt: This extra creamy version of yogurt is strained to remove excess whey. It packs a nutritional punch of more protein -- 18 grams of protein per 6 ounces compared to 8 grams with regular yogurt.

-- Avocados: These are a heart healthy choice. Half a large avocado contains 7 grams of fiber and 15 grams of fat, of which only 2 grams are saturated.

-- Chiles: Besides heat, chiles contribute a broad range of flavors that can help you cut down on salt. While adding few calories, they also contain vitamins A and C and potassium.

-- Mangoes: They can be eaten plain as a snack or dessert, frozen and blended into a smoothie or added to a salsa or salad. They are high in beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A.

-- Pumpkin seeds: They contain significant amounts of protein, fiber and unsaturated fats. And they are available pre-shelled to add to granola or oatmeal or a trail mix.

-- Chinese broccoli: This leafy green is also known as Chinese kale and has a mild taste and tender stalks. It can be steamed or sauteed on its own or used in place of other greens. It is low in calories and rich in vitamin C, folate, vitamin K and beta-carotene. -- Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter

Energy Foods!

http://www.webmd.com/diet/slideshow-energy-mood-boost-diet?ecd=wnl_cbp_021711

Yummy! Foods that help boost energy and mood!

- apples (I have found eating a green apple a day helps me control my weight too)
- smart carbs
- cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, brazil nuts
- lean meats
- salmon
- leaft greens
- fiber
- water
- fresh produce
- coffee (yay!)
- tea
- dark chocolate (although this is off my list, as I get migraines from it :/ )

Turmeric is Good for You and Your Pain

Turmeric has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, anti-carcinogenic and antimicrobial, liver-protective, heart-protective, cognitive-enhancgin, anti-depressant and anti-arthritic benefits. Whole turmeric root and concentrated turmeric are also very safe. No studies in animals or humans have discovered any toxicity associated with the use of either, even at very high doses.
Despite these broad benefits, turmeric’s greatest health property may be its capacity to relieve pain by relieving inflammation.

Turmeric is one of the ingredients in Zyflamend, which is a popular herbal supplement taken by many for its anti-inflammatory benefits. (Some of its other ingredients include ginger, scutellaria, rosemary, oregano and more.)

Even though fibromyalgia does not seem to involve any inflammation (that doctors can find) I have found many supplements and herbs that have anti-inflammatory effects and that help arthritis, seem to help me a lot too. I tried Zyflamend, but I have found that taking something that contains chinese scullcap and black catechu (like Flexamin or Move-Free Advanced http://www.schiffvitamins.com/product_detail.asp?id=182#) helps me a lot more. You can find these (and usually some generic versions) at your local drugstore.

READ MORE HERE ABOUT TURMERIC'S BENEFITS: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/12/06/curcumin-big-medicine/

Therapeutic Teas

I LOVE the Traditional Medicinal teas! My favs are EveryDay Detox, Peppermint, and the Nighty Night. (For a limited time they have free shipping on orders over $65 at their website.) But you should be able to find these at your local supermarkets, a wide variety available at Whole Foods.

Here is their online store:

http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/

Anyone else have any favorites they enjoy?!

Foods that Help You Sleep!

A friend shared this with me, it is GREAT!! I am running right out to get bananas and cherries!! I think the info came from www.caring.com

Should you let yourself have that midnight snack if you're having trouble sleeping? Here are five foods that can actually help you drift off:

1. Cherries. Fresh and dried cherries are one of the only natural food sources of melatonin, the chemical that controls the body's internal clock to regulate sleep. Researchers who tested tart cherries and found high levels of melatonin recommend eating them an hour before bedtime or before a trip when you want to sleep on the plane.

2. Bananas. Potassium and magnesium are natural muscle relaxants, and bananas are a good source of both. They also contain the amino acid L-tryptophan, which gets converted to 5-HTP in the brain. The 5-HTP in turn is converted to serotonin (a relaxing neurotransmitter) and melatonin.

3. Toast. Carbohydrate-rich foods trigger insulin production, which induces sleep by speeding up the release of tryptophan and serotonin, two brain chemicals that relax you and send you to sleep..

4. Oatmeal. Like toast, a bowl of oatmeal triggers a rise in blood sugar, which in turn triggers insulin production and the release of sleep-inducing brain chemicals. Oats are also rich in melatonin, which many people take as a sleep aid..

5. Warm milk. Like bananas, milk contains the amino acid L-tryptophan, which turns to 5-HTP and releases relaxing serotonin. It's also high in calcium, which promotes sleep.


Also this link lists the top 5 foods to AVOID in order to get good sleep:

http://www.caring.com/articles/foods-that-prevent-sleep 

Homemade Potato Chips!

I came across this blog today, I love the idea of homemade potato chips! I am going to try it with a sweet potato!

http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/03/potato-chips-recipe/

Start Preparing!

"The future depends on what we do in the present." - Mahatma Gandhi


When I was first diagnosed with fibro I was angry, I was going through the "why me." I was also really upset because when the symptoms first started showing up I was actually at the healthiest I've ever been in my life! I had been eating very healthy, had lost weight and was exercising a good deal. After a while of trying to understand the fibro, I started to realize that being at my healthiest when fibro hit actually helped give me more strength to take in on and be better prepared. I affirmed to get back into my healthy mode, because whether or not I had fibro I was going to at least try and be as healthy as I can again. Going back down the healthy path of living has helped me so much in feeling better and dealing with the fibro, and it wasn't such a difficult thing to start doing again, since I had done it once before. I of course just modify my eating and exercising to align with fibro constraints.

I also recently learned that a friend has been diagnosed with cancer and dealing with the chemo and treatments. She is now, thankfully, in remission. But she too has a blog, to share her updates with family and friends. And amazingly I read the same realization in her blog. That she was a healthy person, eating right and exercising and really taking care of herself, when the cancer struck. And she wondered why, and then realized that living the healthy life had prepared her for taking on cancer and beating it.

So our message is to everyone, fibro or not, cancer or not, that living a healthy lifestyle helps you to prepare for whatever may come down your path. So tell everyone you know to Start Preparing!

Tunies Super Save Nutrition Store

http://www.tunies.com/

I heard about this local nutrition store via word of mouth and wanted to check it out for myself, as I had heard it was comparable to Whole Foods but had much, much more reasonable prices. TO NOTE: After visiting their website I also noticed that you can place orders online for shipments throughout the U.S. and international.

I wandered through the aisles this evening and am highly impressed, the carry all the products and supplements that I order online and seek out at various stores, and at prices cheaper than I am currently paying! From my Ultra-Mag magnesium, to my Neem Gentle Shampoo and Neem Toothpaste. I had my eye on the peacekeeper nail polish and some organic lip gloss, for my next visit :)

Super friendly employees and very helpful. They carry not just a wide variety of supplements and vitamins but they have a good selection of foods, snacks, even sulfate free wines, and again all at very reasonable pricing.

Since I have developed so many chemical sensitivities I am super happy to have found this place which offers a huge variety of chemical-free and organic products for me to try.

I love it, it has opened my horizons even more! And I love that its a one-stop shop for me on so many things! Check them out!!

http://www.tunies.com/

Tunies.com Super Save Nutrition Center

5651 Coral Ridge Drive, Coral Springs, FL 33076

(954) 510-0410 Phone

(954) 796-2218 Fax

 

Dark Chocolate Good for Chronic Fatigue and Fibro!

WHO KNEW?!?!?

Apparently dark chocolate is good for CFS and fibromyalgia! Check out this article, and the responses below it! I unfortunately cannot eat dark chocolate as it give me migraines :/ But please, if anyone else has experienced an easing of symptoms by eating dark chocolate do share!!

http://chronicfatigue.about.com/b/2010/05/19/dark-chocolate-for-fibromyalgia-chronic-fatigue-syndrome.htm

Tips for a Low-Sugar Halloween :)

I like these links to a low-carb blog I follow:

Carbs and Calories in Halloween Candies:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/carbcounts/a/candycalories.htm?nl=1

Low-Carb/Sugar Free Halloween/Thanksgiving
Scroll down this page, some of the homemade treats sound good!
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbholidaymenus/a/locarbhalloween.htm?nl=1

Organic Foods Worth Paying More For

http://www.everydayhealth.com/longevity/your-organic-food-guide.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthDietandNutrition_20100821

Read the article to find out more about organic foods and organic food labeling.

The following fruits and vegetables have been identified as requiring high levels of pesticide use when conventionally grown, so, as a general rule, they are safest when grown organically:

• Apples
• Bell peppers
• Carrots
• Celery
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Strawberries

15 Foods That Don’t Have to be Organic
Fruits and vegetables that are conventionally grown with relatively fewer pesticides include the following:

• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Eggplant
• Kiwi
• Mango
• Onion
• Papaya
• Pineapple
• Sweet corn
• Sweet peas
• Sweet potatoes
• Watermelon
• Tomato

New Book: The Carb Lover's Diet

Learn that you CAN eat carbs and still lose weight and eat healthy - learn to eat the RIGHT carbs for your health!

This book just came out, is on my list to pick up this week. Saw this preview of a recipe from the book on health.com. Was YUMMY!!! and EASY!!

I bought the whole wheat tortillas, and seasoned black beans, was DELICIOUS!

http://www.carblovers.com/health/carblovers/recipe_page.jsp?id=1989934&name=Black%20Bean%20Tacos

Black Bean Tacos

Prep: 5 minutes

Total Time: <10 minutes

Makes: 2 servings

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
6 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup salsa

1. Microwave beans on HIGH 2 minutes, or until heated through.

2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tortillas, one at a time; cook 1 minute on each side.

3. Divide beans evenly among tortillas. Top with even amounts of cheese, lettuce, carrot, and salsa.

Serving size:

Calories 380; Fat 8g (sat 5g, mono0.5g, poly 1g); Cholesterol 25mg; Protein: 18g; Carbohydrate 67g; Sugars 6g; Fiber 17g; RS 4.7g; Sodium 780mg

Water, So Good for You!

I can't emphasize enough how drinking enough water each day will make a big difference in how you feel. (I know it really does for me!) And doctors agree! I like these tips about how to easily get your 8 daily glasses of water:


from http://www.empowereddoctor.com/doctor_story.php?storyid=1760&id=2786


-- Ease into it. Start with just one or two glasses of water a day, maybe one in the morning and one at night. Gradually increase the amount.
   
-- Create a morning ritual. Some medical experts say many of us wake up dehydrated. The first thing to do in the morning, then, is to drink two glasses of water. If you make this a morning habit, it can create the momentum for drinking more during the rest of the day.
   
-- Drown a snack attack. Drinking a glass or two of water can make you feel full, short-circuiting a food craving.
   
-- Add lemon juice. When you first start to drink more water, it can be a real chore – and adding lemon juice can make it more doable. At restaurants, ask for lemon slices with your water. They gladly supply them.
   
-- Think about healthy skin. There may be a correlation between drinking a lot of water and healthy, glowing skin. Think about this to encourage yourself to drink more water.
   
-- Drink hot water. Instead of drinking tea or coffee, which are diuretics that increase the amount of water your body loses through urination, drink a mug of hot water. It gives you psychological comfort without any calories or other items.
   
-- Drink water at restaurants. It’s free, after all.
   
-- Have water near you while working. Having a full glass handy will give you something to sip on while you’re thinking, typing, creating or otherwise working.
   
-- Your urine guide. Drink more water if your urine is dark yellow. That means you’re dehydrated.

Seasonal Allergies and Related Foods!

I read this in the September issue of Health magazine:

If you have fall allergies, you may be able to minimize your symptoms by skipping certain foods and drinks, says Clifford Bassett, MD, member of the public-education committee of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Your body interprets chemicals in these foods the way it would allergens like pollen - which can lead to itchiness or tingling in your mouth and throat, as well as worsening of your sneezing, runny nose, or watery eyes. Check this chart for surprising triggers, and consider avoiding them.

IF YOU'RE ALLERGIC TO —     Avoid:

RAGWEED — Bananas, canteloupes, chamomile tea (a close cousin of ragweed), echinacea (another close ragweed relative), honeydews, watermelons and zucchinis

TREE POLLEN — Almonds, apples, carrots, cherries, hazelnuts, peaches, pears, plums

GRASS — Melons, oranges, tomatoes

ANY SEASONAL ALLERGENS — Beer, liquor, wine (all three contain histamine, a compound that triggers allergy symptoms like itching and swelling)

A Good Starters Guide to Avoiding Chemicals in Food

I think most of these tips are pretty basic, but a good reminder. Very important I think is the one mentioning to check ingredients labels. I hardly ever buy anything pre-packaged anymore. Just too much artificial chemical additives. Fresh food seems best. If there are too many ingredients I've never heard of or can't spell or pronounce, it's probably not a product for me :) I've found ways to cook fresh food fast, so I can avoid a lot of time and energy on my feet.

http://nutrition.about.com/od/ahealthykitchen/qt/How-To-Avoid-Chemicals-In-Your-Food.htm

Does anyone have any fast and easy, healthy recipes to share? I was thinking of adding a recipes tab on this blog :)

Diet and Genetics

VERY interesting blurb. Seems like something that would help us fibros A LOT once they get enough into the research and findings:

"Nutrigenomics – a relatively new science that examines how your genes interact with the food you eat – is finding that one size (so to speak) definitely doesn’t fit all....

Examining diet and genes is an active area of research. Some studies have shown that people with specific genes are especially susceptible to effects of fat in their diet, for instance. Other research has shown that people with a different gene can reduce their risk for colon cancer by adding more vitamin D to their diet, whereas others without the gene wouldn’t see the same benefit....

The holy grail is a personalized diet, says Michael Falk, PhD, executive director of the nonprofit Life Sciences Research Office in Bethesda, Md. Current dietary recommendations are geared toward the average person..."

Read more here:

http://www.arthritistoday.org/nutrition-and-weight-loss/healthy-eating/nutrition-news/genes-and-diet.php?WT.mc_id=MBS_0810Diet

Oprah, Dr. Oz and Fibromyalgia!

Its great to see fibromyalgia get this much attention and priority, and it is interesting (and refreshing) that it does not focus on prescription drugs as the main and "simple" solution!

Oprah Winfrey included a discussion on fibromyalgia in her newsletter today. It's wonderful when celebrities give a stage to this topic and Oprah does us all a great service when she helps to inform her audience on this illness.

Her newsletter also included the first article Dr. Oz wrote for O MAGAZINE. In the article, Dr. Oz opens the discussion with four different approaches to fibromyalgia treatment. This is now in their "Best of Dr. Oz" collection. Doors are opening...;-)


http://www.oprah.com/health/Dr-Oz-Treatments-for-Fibromyalgia

1. Western Medicine Approach
2. Energy-Based Approach
3. Psychological Approach
4. Nutrition-Based Approach  (reference to http://www.fibroandfatigue.com/)

WARNING! Avoid These Supplements/Ingredients!!!

I caught this on the news the other night, its very important so please read and take note!

Consumer Reports has released a list of supplement ingredients its researchers say have been linked to cancer, coma, heart problems, kidney damage, liver damage, and death, and highly advise avoiding these ingredients:

• aconite
• bitter orange
• chaparral
• colloidal silver
• coltsfoot
• comfrey
• country mallow
• germanium
• greater celandine
• kava
• lobelia
• yohimbe

For details on each read more at this link:

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/health/Copy_of_list-of-dangerous-supplements-announced1281035561806

Consumer Reports worked with Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, an independent research group that gauges the safety and effectiveness of nutritional supplements, to devise the list.

Please remember to consult your physician before trying anything new. I am not a doctor and no information I provide here should be considered medical advice.The information I share on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.  It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from my research and experience. Links to other sites are provided for ease of research. Information on those sites is the opinion of those who publish the sites and is NOT necessarily that of FibroChick. I offer what I can as help. I believe in educating myself on all my medical issues and being my own advocate, for no one else will do that on my behalf. I recommend we all do the same! I encourage you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.   

FREE Fibro Teleconference: August 3rd, 2010

I received this info & story via email from Dr. Rodger Murphree, www.treatingandbeating.com.


I really like the story below, it really supports the idea of focusing on creating an overall healthy body in order to tackle fibro.


I am going to try and remember to catch the free teleconference tomorrow nite :)


You can see what others have said about his previous teleconferences, and access archives of Dr. Murphree's teleconferences here: http://www.treatingandbeating.com/teleconferencesignin.html 

---

FREE Fibromyalgia Teleconference
Tuesday, August 03, 201,  7:30 PM CDT- 8:25 PM CDT

Dial-in Number: 1-218-936-4141 
Access Code:  986495

---

Fertile Soil Yields Best Results For Reversing Fibromyalgia

Several years ago my family and I moved into a beautiful 80 year-old house with a large, but barren backyard. Wanting to make my backyard a garden paradise I enlisted the help of a good friend and Master Gardner, William Keith.


Like a good, urban yuppie gardener, I went to Home Depot and purchased the essential tools of the trade- shiny new shovels, rakes, hoes, rubber gardening shoes, and heavy leather gloves.


The following Saturday William showed up with a truck -load of dirt. "Healthy soil yields a healthy garden," he said.


For the next several days he unloaded and redistributed rich, dark dirt throughout my backyard. Day after day I'd come home ready to plant some roses, jasmine or maybe a Maple tree and I'd find William in the backyard spreading more dirt. Finally after a week of daily dirt deliveries, William declared the yard ready for planting.


And plant we did- roses, Carolina jasmine, Confederate jasmine, wisteria, Japanese maples, peach trees, plum trees, oak leaf hydrangeas, cone flowers, lilies, salvia, rosemary, sage, thyme, and all sorts of perennials.


The result of taking the time to use nutrient rich soil was easy to see- simply plant something, anything and it grew like crazy.


Like a healthy garden our body is dependant on having the essential nutrients it needs for optimal health.


Unfortunately the typical Western diet falls short of providing the essential nutrients our bodies need to be healthy.


A U.S. Food and Drug Administration study, which analyzed over 234 foods, over two years, found the average American diet to have less than 80 percent of the RDA of one or more of the following: calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, and manganese.  Other studies have demonstrated magnesium deficiency in well over 50 percent of the population.


The only way to be sure you're nutritionally sound is to supplement your diet with the essential nutrients your body needs for optimal health.


Traditional medical doctors often scoff at the notion of taking vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to improve your health.


But does anyone suffer from a drug deficiency? Well of course not.  And yet those with chronic illnesses, like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and even mood disorders often end up on a medical merry-go-round, seeing one doctor after another-taking an endless concoction of life draining, potentially dangerous drugs.


Drugs to put you to sleep, drugs to wake you up, pain pills, mood drugs (for the side effects of the sleep drugs), sedatives, and muscle relaxants- it just never ends.


Drug therapy can be useful. However, merely covering symptoms with drugs often leads to further problems.


The majority of my fibromyalgia patients have seen numerous doctors, traditional as well as alternative, before consulting me. They've tried numerous drugs, yet feel little if any better. Most have also taken an assortment of natural remedies - a One a Day vitamin, fish oil, herbals, green dinks, probiotics, and other over the counter supplements. While all of these are a step in right direction, certainly a safe and healthy choice, they don't provide they foundation one needs to overcome a chronic and difficult illness like fibromyalgia.


And while nutrition oriented physicians have good intentions, they often do no more than attempt to use natural remedies to cover up symptoms- valerian root for poor sleep, St. John's Wort for depression, probiotics for their irritable bowel symptoms, and on and on it can go.


This is a common mistake. I've found that no matter what the illness laying the foundation and fertilizing the patient's cells with a good optimal daily allowance multivitamin/mineral formula is the place to start.


I encourage my patients to start taking a good multivitamin/mineral formula.


Doctors who I lecture too are often amazed at how easy it is to do this (when done the right way) and how many of their patient's symptoms improve- usually within a relatively short period of time.


Patients need to become aware of the fact that nutrients, not drugs, are what make the hormones and biochemical reactions that regulate our body. Every essential chemical in our body, including thyroid hormone, testosterone, estrogen, neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine, etc.), antibodies, adrenaline, cortisol, and white blood cells, are either made from or dependent on vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and amino acids.


By providing the essential nutrients the body needs for optimal health you help lay the foundation for getting healthy. I've learned after 14 years of specializing in clinical nutrition to make sure each of my patients no matter the condition (from allergies to yeast overgrowth) is taking a multivitamin/mineral formula. I make sure I lay the foundation before I start planting other nutrients- CoQ10, probiotics, adrenal or thyroid glandular supplements, etc.


Taking time to get the body's inner soil healthy will always yield positive long-term results. While chasing symptoms with drugs or a hodgepodge of "hit or miss" supplements typically yields a strained bank account and fleeting results.


There is a better way.


A Message from Dr. Murphree to those suffering with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome


I've specialized in treating fibromyalgia for the last 17 years. I've been fortunate to help thousands of fibromyalgia sufferers. Are you next?


Dr. Rodger Murphree