When I think back to the days after both traumas – the first that triggered my fibromyalgia and the second that exacerbated my symptoms – I clearly see that my eating behaviors contributed to my dis-ease.

Before the first head trauma I had what I consider healthy eating habits. But as soon as I became couch-ridden, trying to recover my ability to speak coherently, I turned to food as a source of comfort. I jokingly say now that I was “medicating myself with mashed potatoes.” But really, it was the truth. Overnight I lost – was forced to give up – so much of my life as I knew it, but the one thing I could still do and not cause myself more pain or distress was to eat.

Eating became the one thing I still had control over.

Food became my comfort, and in a way gave me a sense of empowerment during a very vulnerable period of my life.

Eventually I made my way off the couch and back out into the real world, but with each flare I returned to this behavior. “Can I get you a glass of water?” my husband would ask me trying to help. “Yes.” I would reply, “And some potato chips.” Flare after flare, this was the pattern. At the time I did not make the connection, but with time and healing, it is painfully clear to me now.

No longer was I nourishing myself with foods that sustained me, instead I was stuffing myself with foods that depleted me. My new eating behavior did not cause me to develop fibromyalgia, but it did contribute to my overall pain, fatigue, and mental fog. It did prolong my flares, and it most likely is going to make my recovery more difficult. I actually was causing myself more pain and distress without realizing it.

But I forgive myself this lapse in food judgement.

My mashed potatoes and potato chips actually did bring me comfort on some very dark days. Would I ever go back and deny myself that comfort? No. But I would share some of my new wisdom with that me, and love her and forgive her if she was not ready to hear it.

Food matters.

And it wasn’t until my 13th year of illness that I started to acknowledge how much food matters. When a very wise doctor recommended I would feel better if I eliminated gluten from my diet, I walked out of his office and that day became gluten-free. I was ready for the change. I was strong enough that I could let go of my attachment to food as comfort. And he was right. Within three short days I was feeling better!

The pain in my hands that had me convinced I was developing arthritis was gone! The debilitating head and neck aches I regularly suffered – never noticing that they occurred most often after mealtime – happened with less and less frequency. My hair stopped falling out!

So, if eliminating gluten could improve my health so much, isn’t it worth considering how other foods I eat are affecting me? And so the shift in me happened. And today I can happily say I have cut back on or eliminated many foods that deplete me and complicate my health – gluten, processed foods, fried foods, sugar.

I am nowhere near a saint, and I do still enjoy my comfort foods. In fact the other night I made mashed potato for dinner. But instead of butter and milk, I use greek yogurt to thin them out. And instead of pan-fried pork chops to accompany them, I grilled vegetables. And instead of needing the mashed potatoes to comfort and sooth me, they were just a tasty part of my meal.

So when someone asks me if curing fibromyalgia is a simple as good nutrition I say absolutely – No.

Fibromyalgia is a neurological disorder, and there are many component of FM that nutrition will not address, but good nutrition can help improve many of the symptoms that are a part of fibromyalgia – poor sleep, fibro-fog, IBS, fatigue. It is not a cure. Currently there is no cure. But if good nutrition can reduce some of your symptoms and improve your quality of life 15, 20, 30 percent, then isn’t it worth a consideration?

All the things that make me a spirited chef, make me a horrible baker. I simply have no tolerance for carefully measured preciseness. I learned long ago that baking is not my forte, and I avoid it accordingly.

That being said, I recently discovered the easiest and most delicious Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookie recipe that even this girl can master. Simple, simple, simple!

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter, any kind
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350º. Prepare pans: line with aluminum foil or parchment paper, or oil generously.
• Put all ingredients into food processor and pulse until well blended. Or mix thoroughly by hand.
• Make dough into (about) 36 evenly sized balls. Arrange balls on prepared pans leaving an inch or so between them. Add chocolate chips, if using, lightly pressing one or two into the top of cookie.
• Bake until they flatten out a bit and start to brown – 12 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and leave on sheet for several minutes, until they begin to firm up, then carefully remove to cooling rack

Yum, yum, yum!

But this adventure chef could not leave well enough alone!

Gluten free cookies are great, but I wanted sugar free as well (link between sugar consumption and chronic pain), so I substituted 3/4 cup Agave Nectar for 1 cup sugar (adding the chocolate chips adds sugar, so leave them off if you want sugar free cookies). To compensate for substituting a liquid for a dry ingredient, I added 1 tablespoon of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour.

The result was a moist, chewy, peanut buttery delight! I baked the cookies Friday evening to take to a Halloween party on Saturday. The cookies were a big hit! If I had not told them they were gluten and sugar free, I doubt anyone would have known.

Cookie Disclaimer

Just because something is gluten and sugar free does not mean that it is nutritionally good for you. But this is the time of year we all know we are going to indulge a little. So if we are not always going to make the best possible choices, we can at least minimize some of the indulgence. And with this recipe, you won’t even realize you are making a sacrifice.

It is too soon to know what, if any, impact this will actually have. The FDA is not required to follow the committee’s recommendation, although historically they do. At the very least it is a good time to consider what options you have to prepare for the possible ban. Prescription painkillers will always be available in some form. With complaints of chronic pain on an epidemic rise, drug companies will see to it. But prescription painkillers need not be the only option for Fibromyalgia pain treatment.

So what can I do to ease my pain naturally?

I am glad you asked! In the midst of a severe Fibromyalgia flare-up, there may be nothing as quick to bring relief as good old - insert your painkiller of choice here, but for daily maintenance and preventative health care, natural is best.

Foods & Herbs

Your food should be your first medicine. In a previous post I listed the many toxic foods to avoid if you have Fibromyalgia. Now lets take a look at foods and herbs beneficial for pain management.

Essential fatty acids are a must. EFAs like Omega-3s are necessary fats that humans cannot synthesize, and must be obtained through diet. Omega-3s have a natural anti-inflammatory quality along with a whole complex of other health benefits. Research indicates that omega-3s may be better absorbed from food than supplements.

Wild salmon is a great source of Omega-3s, as are other fatty fish like albacore tuna, halibut, and sardines. Not a fan of fish? Flaxseed oil and Canola oil are good choices too. Or how about walnuts? Try a sprinkle of walnuts on spinach salad for a nutritious and delicious double dose of essential fatty acids. Summer squash, cauliflower, and broccolli are all very good sources as well.

Herbal remedies also aid in pain relief. Natural pain relief — like herbal medicine, is an increasingly popular way to manage pain.

• Turmeric is gaining great recognition as a natural painkiller. Why not try sprinkling some on that piece of salmon you are grilling up?
• Fresh ginger helps with inflammation.
• Capsaicin applied topically may be beneficial for relieving pain.
• Feverfew has been found useful for treating migraines.
• Ginseng is listed by the American Pain Foundation as beneficial for Fibromyalgia pain treatment.

If you are serious about trying herbal remedies for pain relief, I advise that you consult with your physician or a licensed herbalist who understands how powerful these herbs can be.

Soak on it

More and more research indicates that Fibromyalgia patients suffer from magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is extremely important to many functions in the body, and a deficiency can cause several of the symptoms associated with Fibromyalgia. There are great benefits in taking an Epsom salt bath, rich in hydrated magnesium sulfate, which is easily absorbed through the skin.

As listed on the Epsom Salt Industry Council website, here are some of the health benefits to be had from an epsom salt bath:

• Flushes toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances.
• Relieves stress. Excess adrenaline and stress are believed to drain magnesium, a natural stress reliever, from the body. Magnesium is necessary for the body to bind adequate amounts of serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of well being and relaxation.
• Reduces inflammation to relieve pain and muscle cramps.
• Improves oxygen use.
• Improves absorption of nutrients.
• Improves formation of joint proteins, brain tissue and mucin proteins.
• Prevents or eases migraine headaches.

I don’t think we could ask much more from a simple bath! Epsom salt baths are so relaxing and therapeutic, I recommend you take two or three a week – more if your level of pain dictates. Before bed is a great time, as you will find yourself so relaxed by the natural serotonin boost, you will be able to gently drift off into a restorative sleep.

Just Breathe

Yoga, Qigong, meditation and many other mind-body practices teach the healing properties of purposeful breathing. Conscious breathing can actually change your body chemistry by increasing oxygen supply to your cells and prompting the production of endorphins, which are the body’s natural pain killers. Deep breathing relaxes the muscles and calms the mind.

In her book Yoga for Fibromyalgia, Shoosh Lettick Crotzer teaches The Healing Breath technique. To practice this, begin in a seated pose with your feet flat on the floor and your arms resting lightly on your thighs. Close your eyes, follow the directions below, and let your breath heal.

Inhale and exhale slowly, focusing on how the air feels as it passes through your nose, into your body, and back out. Think of your breath as the gift of life – prana: life force. Let it feel soothing as it flows inside. If you have general pain, visualize this healing breath filling your whole body. If your pain is more specific, on inhalations, bring the breath directly to your pain. Then, for either type of pain, let each new inhalation bring energy to expand and soften, cleanse and release, rejuvenate. With the exhalations, let the tensions and heaviness of your pain flow out with the breath. Breathe slowly, and continue until you feel quiet, heavy, and more relaxed. Come out of the pose when you are ready. Notice the difference you have made in yourself.

Mindful breathing will bring you more in-tune with your body. It is something we should all practice everyday, regardless of our level of pain.

Good Health Requires Mindfulness

Self care is critical in the management of Fibromyalgia. There is no magic pill that will reverse all of the symptoms we live with. There never will be. So instead of waiting for the magic bullet, we should focus on simple and manageable things we can do to help improve our health and wellbeing. It may take a great combination of holistic and natural remedies, combined with the care of our doctors, to really achieve optimal results. Be your own best health advocate and practice the Healing Breath technique, cook yourself some salmon for dinner, and then take a relaxing epsom salt bath. You are worth the effort.

Last week I was happily munching on some watermelon while on twitter and I posted this: “Is watermelon good for me? It seems too indulgent to be healthy! Yummm…” It was meant as a lighthearted comment, but it created such a buzz of enthusiasm for watermelon I was overwhelmed. So many people responded with health info, recipe ideas and an overall love of this super-fruit. Just take a look at this great article someone sent me on the health benefits of watermelon. Good stuff.

On the 4th of July, my husband and I spent a fun and relaxing day with two other couples. After an awesome dinner we were treated to a heaping plate of watermelon. It stirred some lively conversations: Seeded vs seedless? Exactly where do the seeds go & how do you grow new watermelons if there are no seeds? How do you pick a great watermelon? What is the probability, knowing everything we now know about picking a good watermelon, that we will actually pick a great watermelon? (Two of our friends are math professors. After much computation, the answer they came up with is 40%. I chose to take their word for this). How many pieces of watermelon are too many? We had a lot of fun while we devoured that plate of watermelon and it fueled us for a great game of Taboo!

And then today I opened up the new issue of Costco Connection magazine and there it was again – Watermelon. Wally Amos (creator of The Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie) writes an article for the Connection called Be Positive. Wally Amos is well known for being an inspirational speaker and for his positive attitude. In 2002 he wrote the Watermelon Credo, which has become the structure for many of his talks. According to Amos “it has been a guide that has helped others and me through rough times.” He shared his credo in the the Connection in the hope of helping us through these rough times, and now I would like to share it here for you:

Wally Amos’ Watermelon Credo

W – Whatever you believe creates your reality. Believe that life is a positive experience and it will be.

A – Attitude is the magic word. Your greatest asset is your attitude. Be positive regardless.

T – Together everyone achieves more. There are no limits to what we can accomplish together. I am more than I am but less than we are.

E -Enthusiasm is the wellspring of life. There is no limit to what can be accomplished with enough enthusiasm.

R – Respect yourself, as well as others. When you begin to respect yourself, your whole world changes.

M – Make commitments, not excuses. There is overwhelming power in the words “Yes I will!”

E – Everyday can be a fun day. Fun is the lubricant that keeps life moving forward. Laugh a lot.

L – Love is the answer. Whatever the question, Love is the answer. It is the greatest force in the Universe.

O – One day at a time. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. All of life happens in increments of one.

N- Never give up or become a victim. You are guaranteed to lose if you give up. Winston Churchill was right, “Never, never, never give up.” It works if you work it.

Watermelon is FUN, inspirational and a great reminder for us to always live life from our highest self. Do not allow yourself to be overwhelmed by events. Let watermelon remind you that you are larger than events. You have the power to create and change events by what you believe. – Wally Amos

Who knew watermelon could be so inspirational? The great and inspirational artist Frida Kahlo did when she painted this:

Viva la Vida

Last night I was on the verge of a flare-up. I was grumpy and frustrated and completely out of focus. Then my husband went to the kitchen and cut us up some watermelon. After chatting in the living room over our bowls of watermelon the next thing I knew I was feeling a little better. Maybe it was the health benefits of the watermelon, or maybe it was the change in my attitude. Maybe it was just coincidence, but somehow the flare-up was avoided.

After finding and reading the Watermelon Credo today, it is all seeming like more than just coincidence. I’m thinking we should all sit down with our loved ones over a bowl of watermelon tonight because T – Together everyone achieves more.

This morning I found ProHealth’s June newsletter, Fibromyalgia HealthWatch. I have read many interesting Fibromyalgia articles on ProHealth. That is where I learned of the Fibromyalgia Wellness Project. I think they do a great job interviewing important people and sharing pertinent information. A lot of their articles are excerpts from books that they sell in the ProHealth bookstore. I have yet to purchase a book from them because information on Fibromyalgia is so fluid and ever-changing, I think newsletters and online resources keep me more current. Here are some highlights of the Fibromyalgia articles in their newsletter this month.

Nutritional Approaches in Fibromyalgia – A Review of Common Deficiencies & Basic Supplement Strategies

Excerpted from Dr. Pellegrino’s very popular book Fibromyalgia: Up Close and Personal.* Dr. Pellegrino has seen more than 20,000 FM patients in his practice at the Ohio Rehab Center, and has been a fibromyalgia patient himself since childhood.

The Healing Power of Exercise – Advice from a Fibromyalgia Patient-Expert 

Claudia Craig Marek, MA, is an FM patient, medical assistant to Paul St. Amand, MD, a specialist in FM patient counseling, and author of  The First Year – Fibromyalgia. Claudia has counseled FM patients for some 20 years, and is co-author with Dr. St. Amand of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia and other books.

Fibromyalgia Myth Busting: The Truth about Five Stubborn Misperceptions

A concise explanation of what fibromyalgia is and is not – suitable to print out for your family, friends, and doctors – by NFA co-founder and ‘expert patient’ Karen Lee Richards.

These are just a few of the many articles in the June newsletter, and that is why I am signed up to receive newsletters from many different resources – The National Fibromyalgia Association, American Pain Foundation, The Chopra Center, etc.. They take the time to put their articles into bullet points – easy to digest reading – and then I get to chose what interests me and what I am going to take the time to read. It is a great way to stay informed and educated.

So that is my recommendation to you – sign up for newsletters! I do not receive spam, only what I register for, and if you sign up for one and find it does not interest you, it is just as easy to remove yourself from their list. But on the other hand, if you really aren’t interested in finding newsletters in your e-mail each morning, keep coming back here, because I am certain to report on what I find to be relevant and beneficial. Hey… maybe I should start my own Fibromyagia newsletter!

Gluten is the complex protein found in wheat, barley, rye and some oats. For many, our bodies are unable to digest these proteins properly. That headache you experience after a meal of pasta may be an indicator that you are gluten intolerant. If you feel sleepy and lethargic after a French toast breakfast, your body may be having too hard a time trying to break down the food you are consuming.

New evidence suggests that as many as 1 in 7 are gluten sensitive, or gluten intolerant. Many chronic illnesses are associated with gluten intolerance: Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disorder, and diabetes. It is also thought to be the cause of infertility in some women. Gluten intolerance should not be confused with the less common and more severe auto-immune disorder, Celiac Disease.

If you suspect you may have sensitivity to gluten, consider eliminating it from your diet. All gluten intolerances are easily identified by an elimination diet. Start for a period of two weeks and remove all wheat, barley and rye based foods. It is helpful to keep a fibromyalgia food mood journal during this time, and log what you eat along with any symptoms you experience. If you have intolerance, improvements may be felt in just a few days. For myself, eliminating gluten from my diet quickly lead to massive improvements in the many symptoms I experience living with Fibromyalgia.

The first thing I noticed was an increase in energy. I began feeling less fatigued and sluggish. Then I noticed my head was feeling clearer, less foggy. Eventually I also noticed my back muscles were no longer on fire with pain, and my shoulder muscles seemed less tense. The thing that cinched it for me though was the improvement with my hands. The joints in my hands had become so painful I was certain I was developing arthritis. I had a hard time gripping and opening things, my coordination was off – I dropped things often, and my hands frequently woke me up throughout the night with throbbing and aching pains. After just ten days on a gluten-free diet there was a noticeable improvement. I needed no further proof that I am gluten intolerant.

Blood tests are available to test for gluten intolerance, but it is possible to test negative and still have sensitivity to gluten. The easiest way to test if you are intolerant is to simply eliminate it from your diet. It takes a commitment, and careful food preparation, but the benefits of improved health and wellbeing far outweigh the disadvantages. And if you are worried you may miss your favorite gluten based foods too much, don’t. With growing recognition of gluten intolerance comes a growing variety of substitutes and options. Eat well, be well.

Note: This is a reprint of an article I wrote for Optimal Nutrition’s monthly newsletter.

In their most recently newsletter, the main article was a feature on Fibromyalgia: Treating Fibromyalgia Naturally — So You Can Shine Again.  I found this to be the most realistic, in touch and accurate assessment of Fibromyalgia I have ever read. Several times throughout my reading of it I wanted to clap for Dr. Marcelle Pick, or stand up and bow. Here are just a few of the things she wrote that made me want to cheer her:

I see many women in my practice who feel discouraged and disheartened by the advice they’ve received about fibromyalgia. The sleeplessness, extreme fatigue, and widespread chronic pain that accompany fibromyalgia can be unbearable for some women, but the medical community has long been stumped by this confusing and controversial condition. It was ignored by conventional medicine for years, and in some circles fibromyalgia is still questioned as a “real” diagnosis. But fibromyalgia is real, and I know there are thousands of women out there who deserve compassionate and effective care. We don’t have all the answers yet, but pain specialists and functional practitioners are working to get to the root of fibromyalgia and similar pain syndromes, to give you the answers you want and deserve.

I think women with fibromyalgia deserve more than a prescription for their pain and suffering.

I see this as a condition that strikes at the very core of a woman’s being.

But you can feel good again, if you’re willing to roll up your sleeves, do some digging, and learn some new ways of being.

At this point in the article Dr. Skin goes into a very thorough discussion of Fibromyalgia and its underlying issues. She uses the word SHINE as an acronym for what she believes to be the main issues of FM – Sleep, Hormone Imbalance, Immune Health, Nutrition and Emotions. (Some of you may recognize this as a protocol of Dr. Teitelbaum, author of From Fatigued to Fantastic. I am very familiar with his name, but have yet to read his book. After reading this article I certainly plan to.) Dr. Skin also addresses Stress, Detox, Exercise and Mind-body Work. She shares a lot of valuable information in her article and is clearly invested in helping women with Fibromyalgia shine again.

Dr. Skin ends her article with encouragement and hope:

Find hope in your own light

We all glow in our own unique ways, and when we are feeling good, the world can feel our warmth and positive energy. I know fibromyalgia can dim this light, making us too tired, too discouraged, and too achy to find hope in anything, let alone feeling better. Especially if you’ve been told by your practitioner, or by several practitioners that there is nothing they can do — or worse, that your symptoms aren’t real — it can seem like you just have to live with this. But please know that you don’t have to live in pain, and you don’t have to be on a prescription medication for the rest of your life, either.

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome caused and influenced by many, many factors, and if you start to work on even one or two of these factors, you will find that light within starting to shine again. With this new hope, you can regain the energy to work on more aspects of your life that may be affecting your health — and in time, you’ll be enjoying each brand new day.

 

I encourage you to take the time to read the article for yourself. It is refreshing to read a perspective from a doctor who actually understands the many levels of Fibromyalgia, and hopefully you will decide on one or two factors of FM that you will want to work on. Articles like this go a long way in encouraging us to take steps towards better health and wellbeing. Thank you Dr. Skin.

15/30

From Dr. David Shores, DC

A Comprehensive Holistic Approach To Fibromyalgia And Chronic Pain

Dannette from Fibromyalgia Haven asked me to write a guest article for her site when I spoke at her fibromyalgia support group in January.

Having worked with many fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and chronic pain patients I thought I would share a recent case to demonstrate what I find and how I proceed.

Late December 08 a new patient presented to my office with the diagnosis of fibromyalgia that began in 04. Her primary complaint was severe muscle and joint pain. She also reported severe joint swelling in all the major joints of her body and water retention. Her joint pain and swelling was at it’s worst in the morning. She had a history of multiple traumas. Neurologic testing showed multiple cervical and lumbar nerve compressions. Bio-response testing showed multiple severe heavy metal toxicity, more than seven chronic infections and several vitamin deficiencies along with several structural problem.

We supplemented her with the deficient vitamins only and gave her a nutritional supplement to chelate or remove the heavy metals and a nutritional supplement to aid her body in clearing the infections. She was monitored weekly and adjusted with an instrument  to handle the structural and neurological problems. As of today 2/2/09 she reports that her symptoms are eighty percent resolved with virtually all of the morning stiffness and pain gone. We expect further improvement as she continues on her program.

I find this case to be typical of many with fibromyalgia. In most cases there are a multitude of problems including structural, toxins, nutritional, infection and emotional. When the problems are addresed in the correct order and with great care, many with chronic pain improve tremendously. For more information please go to www.drshores.typepad.com

David Shores DC

1524 Encinitas Blvd

Encinitas, Ca 92024

760-753-4300

Disclaimer: This information is for education purposes only. The doctor does not diagnose or treat any medical conditions. The doctors goal is to restore proper function and thus restore self healing.

Personally I was very interested in Dr. Shores’ approach. It makes sense to me (especially after listening to his comprehensive presentation) that Fibromyalgia can stem from “a multitude of problems including structural, toxins, nutritional, infection and emotional.” A lot of my current research is based on what I learned from Dr. Shores, i.e heavy metal toxicity (post coming soon). As part of my unending quest to improve my health I will be working with Dr. Shores. I will write regular posts about my sessions and my response to his treatment in an effort to help us all benefit from his knowledge and expertise.

Thank you for your time and contribution Dr. Shores.