Article on FM diets I just found

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The Fibromyalgia Diet: Eating for a Better Quality of Life

ImmuneSupport.com

03-13-2002

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id=3425 & client_id=1) By Colleen Black-Brown

There has been little information available from the scientific community on

nutrition and diet for Fibromyalgia patients. Research has not yet proven

that any specific foods affect fibromyalgia (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 overcome their FM symptoms by changing their lifestyle and

diet. Moeller, author and spokeswoman on FM, now enjoys a state of

remission from her FM symptoms by making a few changes in her lifestyle. To

reach

this ideal she advocates eliminating 4 foods completely from your diet (

Moeller’s Fibromyalgia Cookbook.)

1. Chocolate

2. Carbonated beverages

3. Coffee

4. Alcohol

Along with changes in nutrition she encourages stretching, exercising and

drinking 8+ glasses of water a day. Also, in 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:

1. High fat dairy foods

2. White sugar and white flour

3. Fried foods

4. Preservatives, junk food, and salt

5. Red meat (especially salt cured, cured bacon, smoked, or nitrate cured)

6. Coffee and caffeinated teas

7. Colas, soda pop, and carbonated beverages

8. Liquid with your meals

9. Alcoholic beverages

10. All forms of tobacco

11. Prolonged periods of direct sun exposure

12. Nutrasweet and saccharine

Along with 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 2 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 ride of highs and lows.

Since quitting I have been enjoying 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 1-2 cokes a day, and to give

them up, why I thought, “neverâ€! 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 most 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. Adrenalin 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. Adrenalin

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 often adulterated by heating, and are full of

additives, preservatives, colorings, salt and sugar. Fried foods and salt have

been found to aggravate pain or swelling in some Fibromyalgia patients. By the

way, most drinks purchased at a store have been processed including soda,

bottled juices, coffee, alcohol and others. Since many Fibromyalgia patients 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 Fibromyalgia patients. Many Fibromyalgia patients are chocoholics.

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 they may

have replaced the sugar with manitol 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 ls

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 Fibromyalgia patients 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, chocolate all seem to trigger

more muscle pain.

Different foods affect each individual Fibromyalgia patient differently. For

instance some FM patients have severe food allergies for dairy, wheat, corn,

nightshade family plants, etc. whereas others do not. You can discover your

own food sensitivity by eliminating foods that trigger pain. Keeping a food

diary can help. In your diary write down everything that goes into your mouth

and at the same time track your FM pain. By comparing the two you may discover

that certain foods may trigger allergies or pain. It has been found that

food allergies may undermine your nutrient uptake.

In a 1992 study as reported in the book, What your doctor may not tell you

about Fibromyalgia, by St. Amand M.D. and Marek, it states that:

60% of FM patients of normal weight crave carbohydrates, and 75% of obese

Fibromyalgia patients crave carbohydrates. However, cravings for carbohydrates

are not limited to FM sufferers and therefore, can’t be considered a unique

characteristic of individuals suffering from FM.

Some Fibromyalgia patients have a low carbohydrate intolerance or reactive

hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) that occurs after eating carbohydrates. This can

cause problems metabolizing carbohydrates, inability to lose weight,

fatigue, carbohydrate craving and worsening symptoms. Carbohydrates stimulate

insulin production. Excess insulin can cause an increased uptake of sugar into

muscle and liver, which can be stored as fatty acids in fat cells, and prevent

carbs from being used.

There are nutritional strategies to help FM patients. Dr. Mark Pellegrino

says that because of the biochemical changes in Fibromyalgia patients it makes

good medical sense to try a low carb, high protein diet. Protein diets can

decrease cravings, increase energy, lose weight and help with hypoglycemia.

Pellegrino suggests watching carb’s like bread, potatoes and refined sugars.

There are many fad protein diets like Sugar busters, Zone, Adkins and other low

carb diets. However, Pellegrino says that some Fibromyalgia patients do not

tolerate a protein diet as well as others, so experiment and find what dietary

plan works for you.

Dr. August believes that a 30/30/40 ratio of carbohydrate, fat and protein

enables FM patients to reach their optimum weight with maximum health.

Hypoglycemia and low carb intolerance can be controlled by diet. Dr. August

advocates the Zone diet (Sears and Lawren 1995).

However, there is strong evidence that the Zone diet “works†mainly because

of the reduction in total caloric intake with little or nothing to do with

the release of insulin. The reader is referred to some excellent websites that

present pro and con arguments over the Zone and other low carb/high

protein/high fat diets:

watchingweight.com/lowcarb.htm

cyberiron.com/nutrition/notzone.html

getzoned.com.au/In_the_Media_text_only.htm

nutrition.ucdavis.edu/perspectives/SeptOct99.htm

Your cells must receive nourishment and eliminate wastes. When you start to

eat healthful foods you may find that you crave sugar, fat, starch and

processed foods. This is a normal occurrence due to a physiological change in

your

body’s chemistry. During the transition time try not to indulge in sugar, fat

and processed foods. These cravings will become fewer and further between as

time goes on. Of course, people who do not suffer from FM also have the same

cravings; therefore, we are not unique.

People with FM need to take extra care to eat well. Try to incorporate raw

foods into your diet. I try to eat a piece of raw fruit or vegetable for

breakfast and a raw vegetable or salad for lunch. Raw foods contain enzymes that

can assist in the digestion of foods. Raw foods are full of antioxidants and

phytochemicals that help boost the immune system.

If have a juicer, fresh carrot juice is a wonderful addition to incorporate

into your lifestyle. Many people have claimed to heal cancer along with an

array of diseases by eating raw foods and drinking carrot juice. Of course,

most

of these claims are testimonials with little scientific research to back the

use of raw foods to prevent chronic disease.

Along with vegetables, and fruits, omega 3 fish oil contains

anti-inflammatory properties. Eating well does not mean you have to starve

yourself or

totally eliminate all the foods you love. Rather make small gradual changes and

focus on the foods you enjoy.

Eating well may help reduce the fatigue and maximize energy. Incorporate

variety, balance and moderation. Improve your health by reevaluating your

overall eating habits and try making your diet more nutritious. Your body has

been

wonderfully and marvelously designed. Do you allow it to run as efficiently

as possible?

The photochemicals present in vegetables and fruits have been shown to have a

protective effect against many chronic diseases including heart disease and

cancer the second most prevalent killers in the U.S. These same

phytochemicals may help reduce the pain response among Fibromyalgia patients.

Although

definitive solutions to the FM dilemma await research verification it is my

thought that we begin to incorporate more “raw foods or slightly cookedâ€

vegetables and fruits into our diet in order to live a quality life.

Look for healthy recipes on our website (www.fibrofog.com) that use the

principles of good eating discussed in this article. The bonus (as testified to

by my husband) is that you will be considered a “gourmet cook†as your

health

improves.

This information was developed and written by Colleen Black-Brown. If you

wish to use this information please contact me – send an email to:

bbrown@...

© Colleen Black-Brown. All rights reserved. Website: www.fibrofog.com

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