Fibro Comes in Cycles?

Lately I seem to have discovered a trend. It seems no matter what I do, eating healthy, exercising as I can, taking supplements, getting plenty of sleep, avoiding stress, I still have bouts and episodes with fibro that seems to get worse. It seems cyclic - seems to come and go in cycles, so I guess I have to not despair and just keep plodding through with my best practices. Has anyone else noticed this trend in their fibro/cfs?

Food Shopping & Saving at Vitacost!

I learned early on in the fibro diagnosis that I did not want to go the prescription route and wanted to stay as all natural as I could, and started down the path of vitamins and supplements. I found an excellent online resource - vitacost.com - and they have started to also offer excellent food products that fit into my healthy eating (gluten free) and my budget! I am so glad specialized food products are becoming more mainstream and affordable. Here are some of my favorites to order and keep on hand:

TULSI TUMMY - Tea for soothing digestive support -- all the Tulsi teas are excellent tasting and healing, this one is a great alternative to coffee in the morning

ANNIE'S HOMEGROWN MICROWAVABLE GLUTEN FREE MAC N CHEESE -- whats not to love, gluten free mac n cheese!!

MARY'S GONE CRACKERS -- Organic gluten free crackers

NATURE'S EARTHLY CHOICE FALAFEL WITH QUINOA -- Original Recipe (I gotta try the garlic flavor next!), cooks in minutes, lots of protein

PERKY'S CRUNCHY FLAX -- free of the 8 common allergens, great as cereal or on top of yogurt, gotta love the fiber :)

LUNDBERGS CINNAMON RICE CAKES -- I love cinnamon!


At these prices you can load up your cart and try a variety of different foods. Free shipping over $50, and unlike Whole Foods, sometimes I find it hard to get to that $50 mark, and when I do I have SO many items for my money! And how great, shopping from my couch, shipped right to my door :)

Even More Celebrities Battling Fibromyalgia

Wow! I had no idea these celebrities also battle fibro!

Morgan Freeman
Janeane Garofalo

http://www.inspiredlivingwithfibromyalgia.com/2012/07/faces-of-famous-people-with-fibromyalgia.html

Eating a Healthy, Affordable Fibromyalgia Diet

Struggling with dealing with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and what to eat to feel better? and how to afford healthy eating? Sue Ingebretson provides some great advice in her articles here via ProHealth's website:

http://www.prohealth.com/fibromyalgia/library/showArticle.cfm?libid=18298&B1=EM082813F&utm_source=EM082813F&utm_medium=em


http://www.prohealth.com/fibromyalgia/library/showArticle.cfm?libid=18299&B1=EM082813F

I know that making small changes like these over time have definitely helped me in feeling better and simply living a more nutritional life! Love the tips on healthy eating on a budget. The more changes I make in my diet towards healthier eating, the less I find myself in those middle aisles of the grocery (boxes of processed foods).

Prescription Drugs and Fibromyalgia

I don't like taking prescription drugs for my fibro. With the crumbling state the healthcare system these days I don't want to find myself heavily dependent on it for my fibro treatment. One day insurance covers a treatment, the next day they don't, or the price skyrockets, etc. Who knows what the future of the US healthcare system holds. If I can find a holistic, alternative medicine I will go that route as those treatments are generally more readily available, and usually more cost effective as well.

I do however follow the studies and recommendation of prescription drugs for fibro, as it gives us some insight into the research and developments on what causes fibro and how they are treating it.

Its crazy confusing for me (thanks fibro fog) to read some of the super scientific writings but I feel like they are onto something, I feel like we are so close to answers! It give me hope that they keep researching and trying to find better solutions for treatments.

If it turns our one day that I do need to take a prescription medicine to best treat my fibro then I will go that route, but for now I will sit back and wait for more conclusive evidence. I will continue to cheer on the doctors and scientists in their continuing efforts towards finding a cause and better treatments!


http://www.prohealth.com/fibromyalgia/library/showArticle.cfm?libid=18225&B1=EM073113F

A Doctors Letter to the Chronically Ill

For anyone suffering from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, or any other chronic illness, this is a very good read, a letter written from the perspective of a doctor treating chronicaly ill patients.

http://www.prohealth.com/fibromyalgia/library/showArticle.cfm?libid=18247&B1=EM073113F

Dr. Rob at Doctor-Rob.org.


Its helpful for me to understand it from the other side - from the view of the doctor! It also really helps me feel better that I have been so meticulous in trying to find the right doctor.

Dr. Oz and Fibromylagia

Has anyone else seen these Dr. Oz videos about fibromyalgia? I don't think they are new, maybe from 2012, but they seem to be making their rounds on the net lately:

Here are links to the clips:

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/fibromyalgia-real-illness-pt-1
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/fibromyalgia-real-illness-pt-2

Is it me or did he really explain nothing? He really just touches just too briefly on treatments, especially holistic treatments. And he calls it a disease, its not. Its an illness, a disorder, but not a disease. I felt the brain image thing was very confusing. Did that make sense to anyone else? I think an ENTIRE EPISODE should be focused on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, not just a few minutes, he really addressed nothing, and explained nothing.

I think this, from an article he wrote in 2009 for Opraph's O Magazinge, is a little more informative, but still he could devote a lot more to fibro:

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

What does everyone else think of Dr. Oz's coverage of fibromylagia?

Veggie Burger Recipes!

This is a great resource for creating all natural healthy burger/meat alternatives. Often on Sundays I like to make a handful and keep them in the fridge all week to grab as a quick reheat meal. Often I will change the toppings I use to make it seem more like a different meal each night, simply using the burger as the basis.

My favorites are the black bean and mexican burgers, with a sour cream/jalepeño/lime topping, as well as the garbanzo bean burgers with mustard and jalepeños on top; and of course mashed up avocado on anything!!

http://rmcrayne.hubpages.com/hub/Vegetarian-Burgers-Vegetarian-Burger-Recipes

Follow Up: Even More Celebrities with Fibromyalgia

In another follow up to my posts about celebrities coming forward with their struggles and successes with fibro, I found this slideshow highlighting the following celebrities as fellow fibromites:

• Susan Flannery
• Rosie Hamlin
• Sinead O'Conner
• MichaelJames Hastings

(The headline of this slideshow is a bit misleading as it says "5" celebrities but only sows 4....)

http://www.thirdage.com/fibromyalgia/celebrities-with-fibromyalgia?shuffle=1

Yoga and Fibromylagia

Yoga has been a HUGE helper for me with keeping my fibro pains under control. I don;t think it was a coincidence that the same year I was diagnosed with fibro (Oct) I also had a New Year's resolution to try yoga (Jan) -- and I loved it from the start, so it was natural to keep in going once diagnosed. Here is a slideshow on WHY yoga helps with the pains:

http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/cf/slideshows/why-yoga-may-soothe-many-types-of-chronic-pain/strengthen-your-breathing-pattern?ic=8831

South Florida
Fibromyalgia Support Group

Next Meeting: Thursday, August 1, 2013

 6:30pm – 7:30pm

info@fibromeetup.com

Location:

Pine Ridge Square

Inline Chiropractic Wellness Center

4621 N. University Drive

Coral Springs, FL 33067

Guest Speaker:

Bonnie Petty

Round Table Discussion

Founder of Fibro Meet Up

www.fibromeetup.com

If your life has been touched by fibromyalgia directly or indirectly join in on the discussion. This is a support group of patients, family members and friends dedicated to learn about Fibromyalgia. Share your challenges, triumphs and tribulations with others in the fibromyalgia community