Posted by MERM on 6/21/2008, 12:31 pm
The FM Diet: Eating for a Better Quality of Life
There has been little information available from the scientific community on nutrition and diet for people with fibromyalgia. Research has not yet proven that any specific foods affect FM, positively or negatively.
But we do know that eating a good balanced diet helps everyone’s body function at its best.
Good nutrition can help in your health and healing. Eating healthful foods, including those low in fat and high in immunity-boosting antioxidants and phytochemicals, may work together to help maximize energy and alertness and minimize constant fatigue and lethargy.
Many people have been able to manage their FM symptoms by changing their lifestyle and diet. Mary Moeller, author of The Fibromyalgia Cookbook and speaker on FM, now has her FM symptoms under control because she made a few changes in her lifestyle
. To reach this ideal she advocates eliminating four foods completely from your diet:
Chocolate
Carbonated beverages
Coffee
Alcohol
Along with changes in nutrition, she encourages stretching, exercising, and drinking at least eight glasses of water a day. Also, in Mary Moeller and Joe Elrod’s book, The Fibromyalgia Nutrition Guide, they advocate a more complete list in order to overcome fatigue and feel your best.
The 12 items to avoid are:
High fat dairy foods
White sugar and white flour
Fried foods
Preservatives, junk food, and salt
Red meat (especially salt cured bacon, smoked, or nitrate cured
Coffee and caffeinated teas
Colas, soda pop, and carbonated beverages
Liquid with your meals
Alcoholic beverages
All forms of tobacco
Prolonged periods of direct sunrays
Nutrasweet and saccharine
Along with Mary Moeller and others, I also have enjoyed the benefits of better health after quitting carbonated beverages and coffee. Before, I would have my Diet Coke and coffee in order to get me out of bed in the morning.
As a result I was very hyper, and then about two hours later or so I would crash and be very tired and fatigued. So I would pump more caffeine and Diet Coke down to get me moving again.
As a result I would spike, crash, spike, crash.
My energy level was on a continual roller coaster of highs and lows. Since quitting I have enjoyed a nice steady stream of constant energy all day long.
When I first heard of eliminating sodas I was mortified. I thought I was doing extremely well to only allow myself one or two Cokes a day, and to give them up—why, I thought, “Never!” But little by little I finally weaned myself off, and boy am I glad I did. I have so much more energy.
Some unsubstantiated studies claim that carbonated beverages leak phosphorus from your bones, and the aspartame (Nutrasweet) in sodas cause memory loss.
Others have claimed the sugar in carbonated beverages (some as many as 12-14 teaspoons) may contribute to yeast problems.
Caffeine in soda and other beverages is a diuretic, which means you need to drink additional water to replace the lost water.
Scientists at Washington State University found that caffeine makes people lose calcium in their urine faster than they usually do.
Caffeine can also put added stress on the adrenal glands and the liver.
Since many FM sufferers may have adrenal malfunction due to chronic stress and inadequate nutrition, it is probably wise to avoid the caffeine and carbonated drinks.
I know that at times I eat more food or sugar as a way of dealing with stress or handling challenging problems that arise.
When I do this, it puts added stress on my adrenal glands.
Adrenaline released from the adrenal gland penalizes the body and can cause acute symptoms.
By burning too much sugar your body may deplete its vitamins and minerals especially the B vitamins. Adrenaline has even been known to be responsible for some panic attacks.
If you subject your body to highly refined, over-processed foods, sugar, caffeine, pork, junk food, highly processed starches, additives and preservatives, and highly acid foods, it is possible that your body will suffer because of an already compromised immune system that may be found in many FM sufferers.
Most processed foods are full of additives, preservatives, colorings, salt, and sugar. Fried foods and salt have been found to aggravate pain or swelling in some people with FM.
By the way, most drinks purchased at a store have been processed—including soda, bottled juices, coffee, alcohol, and others.
Since many people with FM are sensitive to food, drugs, chemicals, and pollutants in the environment anyway, it is important we do not subject our bodies to more than what’s necessary.
Even many non-processed foods or “natural” foods can be hazardous to the health of people with FM. Chocolate is high in fat and caffeine.
According to Mark Pellegrino in his book, Fibro Survivor, reducing fatty intake could increase energy.
Don’t be fooled when buying dietary chocolate, which has no added sugar.
Although the sugar may have been replaced by Mannitol or Nutrasweet,the fat caloric content still remains high. Therefore a low-fat diet is recommended.
This means chocolate should not be ingested or should be eaten in moderation.
Certain foods have been found to cause fatigue.
Doctors concluded in Annals of Rheumatic Disease that in certain individuals some foods aggravate arthritis.
Often, foods that are acidic are the culprit.
Therefore an arthritic diet is one that remains alkaline.
Some people with FM find that highly acidic foods such as citric, foods in the nightshade family like tomato,
potato,
eggplant, and peppers,
red meat,
cow milk products,
brown and white wheat flour products,
sugar containing foods,
coffee, and chocolate all trigger more muscle pain.
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