So many people come to me for help with fibromyalgia, FM, that are unwilling to make lifestyle changes. Why is this? Some of the easy changes are things we all know: avoid caffeine, nicotine, white sugar, and white flour. The less easy changes are to eat small frequent meals, and eat breakfast, everyday.
I consider cold cereal “junk food” and not something to be eaten on a regular basis. Breakfast should have protein and vegetables. This will give you the base for a good day and prevent the cravings for caffeine, nicotine, and sugary products.
Snacks can be fruit with a little protein like half an apple and a small amount of cheese or nut butter. Celery with cream cheese might even appeal to you as a great snack. Stay away from chips, soft drinks, burgers, fries, and other nutritionless “foods” if you want to avoid the pain of FM. Eat lots of fresh, raw veggies to balance your pH, this will also help with the pain.
Move your body daily. That can be biking, hiking, skating, dancing, yoga, tai chi, or just plain old walking. Start with whatever your body can handle and after a few days increase it.
Chew each mouthful until it is liquid. This will improve not just your digestion, but also your immune system and help you avoid “leaky gut syndrome” which may be contributing to your FM. Probiotics and prebiotics are great, yogurt and preparations containing inulin respectively can help. Improving the health of your intestines can allow your body to absorb the much needed minerals that will help reduce the pain and stiffness. Try to take in calcium, magnesium, and malic acid in food form to help relax your muscles so they can release lactic acid buildup.
