Almost a decade ago, a few months after I was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, I also received the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. I was obviously upset about the original osteo diagnosis but fibromyalgia, really?! Isn’t this the disease/disorder that everyone says is just in your head because there is no real diagnostic test or cure? I was devastated.
For those of you who don’t know what this fibromyalgia is, consider yourself lucky.
It is a collection of symptoms rather than a specific illness and affects middle-aged people more than young people and women more than men. It comes on during or after menopause, or after an accident, other inflammatory condition, or injury due to repetitive movement.
Symptoms consist of overall pain in the body (you hurt from the inside of your bones — out), depression, sleeping issues, fatigue, concentration issues, headaches, mental distress and anxiety. In some people, it affects the gastrointestinal system resulting in bloating, abdominal pain, constipation, and possibly IBS. Fibromyalgia is debilitating. There is no cure but there are things we can do to prevent flare-ups.
There are medications the doctor may prescribe, but the non-medical treatments include regular exercise (10 minutes three to four times a day), mindfulness and de-stressing techniques, counselling, and changing your diet.
Nutrition plays a huge role, and eating an anti-inflammatory diet is key. There are foods that are known triggers for fibromyalgia (and other inflammatory conditions), including additives such as aspartame, nutra-sweet and MSG (which are all excitotoxins), nitrates (found in ham, bacon, baloney), sugar, fructose, corn syrup and simple carbohydrates (baking, candy, soft drinks…), caffeine (coffee, tea, coke, chocolate), white flour and gluten, milk and dairy, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant (the nightshade veggies).
I am sure you are thinking right now: “What on earth can I eat?”
If you do a bit of research on eating for inflammation, you will find many foods that are not known triggers and may actually help with inflammation, such as avocado, fish, eggs, turmeric root (not powder), veggies, heart-healthy food, flax seed, walnuts…(space limits me listing them all but the information is out there).
When I was affected by my inflammatory conditions, I went on anti-inflammatory medications but after a few months, I was sicker from the meds than I was from the illness.
I started my intense research on the nutritional component to treating inflammatory issues and was able to take myself off all my medications. I have been pain-free and medication-free for six years now. I manage my own chronic inflammation with my diet, and consume my turmeric-ginger tonics.
For many years, I have been lecturing at large health and wellness shows in the Lower Mainland (including West Coast Women’s Show, The Health and Wellness Show, Fraser Valley Women’s Show…) sharing what I have learned about eating an anti-inflammatory diet. I am happy to share my speech notes by email with anyone who is suffering from inflammatory issues, or anyone who wishes to avoid food-induced inflammation such as fibromyalgia. Email me at [email protected].
Claire Nielsen is a health coach, author, public speaker and founder of www.elixirforlife.ca. The information provided in the above article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional health and medical advice. Please consult a doctor, health-care provider or mental health practitioner if you're seeking medical advice, diagnoses and/or treatment.
