Food for Fibromyalgia Patients: The Healthier the Better
If you have fibromyalgia, you have probably heard that what you put into your body can be a deciding factor in how you feel that day and in the days that follow. What we fuel our bodies with can either support our health and limit the level of pain and discomfort we experience, or it can fan the flames of fibro into a full-blown attack.
I have seen the results of my own eating habits rollercoaster; plummeting into an indulging cycle of foods I should avoid produced debilitating pain and suffering. On the flip side, I have had periods of time where I committed to healthy eating and avoided trigger foods, eventually feeling less pain and in charge.
But, I am human. The holidays always wreak havoc on my heathy diet intensions and what I eat. I end up on the poor diet/pain cycle rollercoaster, as I call it. I am on the crazy ride as I write this; there are Doritos in my cupboard I want desperately — the struggle is real.
I have to get back on track. I have been in so much pain that I feel like everything hurts me; moving hurts, lying down hurts, even my pillow is suddenly causing such severe neck and upper back pain that I am awake at dawn.
Essentially, there is no position where I can find relief. I may have, at least in part, caused this painful flare because I have been making poor choices when it comes to my daily diet. It has to stop.
Get Off Your Bad-Eating Rollercoaster
The holidays are over so I have no excuse for eating in ways that trigger more fibromyalgia pain. But my research has told me exactly what I have to do to help myself: I must get off the bad diet rollercoaster — perhaps you need to as well.
First you need to know what causes you more pain and fatigue with your fibromyalgia. To do this you should keep a food journal, and note everything you put into your body for about two or three weeks.
You should also note exactly how you are feeling each day in terms of your fibromyalgia. This will allow you to look back and see certain patterns emerging, where certain foods trigger more pain or, on the flip side, days of improvement in how you feel.
Doctors say they often see a commonality in trigger foods, according to discussions they have with their fibromyalgia patients. I personally need to avoid consuming things like soda, processed foods, nitrates, and too much dairy or gluten.
All of these things have a profound effect on my pain and stiffness, and though it takes willpower, the goal of feeling better should be enough to motivate me, right?
Well, not always, but I think there is safety in numbers, so I encourage you to give healthier eating a try if you have not done so already.
The First Step is the Hardest
As the saying goes, the first step is the hardest. But with fibromyalgia, the first few days of steps are the usually hardest, mainly because you will not see immediate results to your health.
