Need advice where to start with foods... - Fibromyalgia Acti...

Fibromyalgia Action UK

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Need advice where to start with foods to avoid that could aggravate Fibromyalgia and Arthritic symptoms please and what would be healing?

jimmyshoes profile image
40 Replies

I’ve tried to research which foods to avoid or increase but confused to say the least.

I eat healthy and this advice is not required for weight loss rather more towards healing foods . The drugs don’t work but my swimming and stretching does despite working through pain , it’s definitely not painless .

Thinking is it worth paying for a nutritionist? Has anyone done this ? or finding eating that. Special something is helping ?

Thanks for any useful information 😊

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jimmyshoes profile image
jimmyshoes
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40 Replies
Dizzytwo profile image
Dizzytwo

Hi there, unfortunately there is no specific food or diet for fibro specificaly.

But it goes without saying eating an healthy diet would be benificial to our health overall 😁

Dinkie profile image
Dinkie

All I would say is I have found avoiding all processed foods helps me. Cooking from scratch is difficult but on a better day I cook more than I need and freeze it so I have something for the not so good days.

jimmyshoes profile image
jimmyshoes in reply toDinkie

thank you x I do this already as hate processed foods and white bread appreciate your reply to me

Jasmeet12 profile image
Jasmeet12 in reply tojimmyshoes

Yes, for me too eating healthy and cutting out gluten definitely helps. And unfortunately cooking from scratch does help too.

jimmyshoes profile image
jimmyshoes in reply toJasmeet12

Yes definitely scratch cook as hate processed food , love veg and fruits tiny bit of chicken

moo196 profile image
moo196

the absolute best thing I have ever done wrt pain is to give up diet coke and everything else with artificial sweeteners in.Sadly this means checking everything from yoghurts to ketchup and even tonic water etc.

I know the next day or so if I have accidentally eaten some.

Good luck 🙏

Judygarland1 profile image
Judygarland1 in reply tomoo196

I am exactly the same. Anything with artificial sweeteners causes me terrible pain the following day. Trying to find cordial with no artificial sweeteners is definitely not easy so I tend to drink water. I also try to eat fresh food rather than processed and when I did eat meat I always made sure it was grass fed or free range.

Jasmeet12 profile image
Jasmeet12 in reply tomoo196

Oh thats a new one, I've not heard that one. Too try to keep my weight done I have sweetner in my tea and coffee, but also drink diet lemonade !!!

moo196 profile image
moo196 in reply toJasmeet12

many studies have shown a toxic effect on the bodies of people who consume any form of sweeteners.Give me sugar any day!

jimmyshoes profile image
jimmyshoes in reply tomoo196

I’ve never drink coke or fizzy pop but most definitely get too much sugar from biscuits

moo196 profile image
moo196 in reply tojimmyshoes

my suggestion was regarding cutting out ANYTHING with artificial sweeteners in. 🙏

jimmyshoes profile image
jimmyshoes in reply tomoo196

I need to pay attention to the ingredients more as so much hidden stuff . I have pure oats no sugar with water n bit of milk but then have biscuits befit lunch . Have soups but bread I love but all makes me ill.

It’s frustrating that so much hidden sugar and stuff even in mayonnaise but cannot make every single thing from scratch. Like stick to veggies n salads but then like gravy in veggies but know it has stuff In probably aggravating symptoms . Perhaps need to make these extras when I can manage n put in freezer like my chilli or chicken homemade stews or homemade bolognaise . I don’t like pasta much

Eryngium profile image
Eryngium

Since being diagnosed with fibro, I have found intolerances to many foods such as soya and sulphites which are hidden in some processed foods, wine & sauces. Caffeine & diet coke can also cause a stimulating effect. Being gluten free helps but I'm still unable to digest meats, etc. Hope this helps.

Tilly1957 profile image
Tilly1957

Hi, it may be a good idea to keep a food diary. Divide a page in two vertically, then horizontally into 4 sections. Label column on the left food (include anything applied topically and drinks) on the right symptoms.

Then each section going down is for 6am-12pm, 12pm-6pm, 6pm- 12am, lastly 12am to 6am. In the left you right anything you ingest, or apply topically. On the right you document symptoms during that time slot. Over a week or two you may see a pattern begin to appear. I was a Kinesiologist for many years and helped people squirrel out which foods they reacted to. Been retired for so long now I have forgotten much of what I knew! For my arthritis and fibro, I cannot eat any of the deadly nightshade family (solanacea/solarium) or gluten, and I am better off keeping dairy and eggs to a minimum. These foods all make me seize up, feel stiff, painful, headaches/migraine to varying degrees, plus foggy head and poor memory. Even by avoiding these foods I still get fibro symptoms and flares, but if I eat this stuff everything is amplified. The reaction to nightshade family is usually delayed by several hours, even up to 24hr. I have to check everything for potato starch, which is often just labelled ‘modified starch’. This is difficult because that can be made from potato, maize or wheat starch! I haven’t eaten anything from this plant family for over 20 years apart from an ingredient in meds that I can’t avoid (eg in paracetamol, which doesn’t differentiate the type of modified starch and is the only pain med I can take 🤣) My pharmacist must think I am a nightmare when sorting out my prescriptions.

I find dehydration affects me, being overtired, and another big influence is the weather! Humidity cripples me.

There some other foods that I know aggravate me mildly.

jimmyshoes profile image
jimmyshoes in reply toTilly1957

This is very interesting and look in fine detail much more than I do now

Jasmeet12 profile image
Jasmeet12 in reply toTilly1957

Hello Tilly,I find your comment very interesting, and similar to myself. Although I didnt kniw about the deadly nightshade being in some products.

Tilly1957 profile image
Tilly1957 in reply toJasmeet12

Potato starch is used in lot of products as a thickener (I think that’s why) even in yoghurts 🤣. Many people are ok with tiny amounts, I just happen to be hyper sensitive to chemicals and foods as part of my fibro symptoms.

Jasmeet12 profile image
Jasmeet12 in reply toTilly1957

Well, for the last 2 days i have had mashed potato which i do avoid, and hey ho... tummy issues lets she what what other effects I get. I have suspected potato, milk and egg for a while too. I just thought i was being weird and fussy... ! But its an actual thing? I hadnt heard of kinesiology before either. ; )

Tilly1957 profile image
Tilly1957 in reply toJasmeet12

keep a food diary, and it will show up delayed reactions/symptoms. I know pork doesn’t sit too well with me, but I still eat it sometimes. I find scrambled eggs are better than fried/poached/boiled. But the gluten and the nightshade stuff can absolutely cripple me and give me horrendous migraine & body pain that can last for several days. Someone gave me a link to a company that does good/chemical sensitivity testing using a hair sample. I know it’s controversial, but I am going to try it as it’s on sale for £24. (Blow the housekeeping 🤣)

jimmyshoes profile image
jimmyshoes in reply toTilly1957

that hair sampling was a game changer for member of my family with other major health issues. They were sensitive to so many things it was unbelievable. They are still finding what is tolerable but we both find is the purer the food ie grass fed non processed and fresh but it’s all those hidden things which is scary when you deep dive into it . I’m trying to slowly go through all this great info people have shared 👍👍👍👍

Tilly1957 profile image
Tilly1957 in reply tojimmyshoes

That is good to know. I was surprised with mine, nothing showed up in the gut & hormone section, no heavy metal sensitivity. Some nutritional stuff I am sorting out, but not a lot. And not many food sensitivities…., which I guess is good, but also disappointing in some ways 🤣🥰 see how I feel in 4 eeeks and what the retest shows up x

Aka-Ice profile image
Aka-Ice

bbc.co.uk/food/articles/gut... try to stick to that and use Manukau honey and black seed oil capsules too.

jimmyshoes profile image
jimmyshoes in reply toAka-Ice

What a shame this link is not working but I will try to see if I can find it . I’ve written down the name of those capsules as willing to try them . Thank you

Aka-Ice profile image
Aka-Ice in reply toAka-Ice

bbc.co.uk/food/articles/gut...

jimmyshoes profile image
jimmyshoes in reply toAka-Ice

Fabulous thanks so much for sorting this link out x

jimmyshoes profile image
jimmyshoes

Many thanks for this

jimmyshoes profile image
jimmyshoes

Thanks everyone as really have received some great information on what others are using and what they avoid. I will try now try each idea separately and see if I can some respite as well .

Really appreciate the time you app taken to reply and share useful information with me

Tilly1957 profile image
Tilly1957 in reply tojimmyshoes

be aware also, that some of these supplements can work better or not in combination. As with foods, some can be tolerated individually, others have a cumulative effect. At the moment I am dealing with hay fever, which aggravates everything else.

R-OD profile image
R-OD

Hi I read an article about The Glucose Goddess Method and bought the book. it claims it can improve your health by flattening glucose spikes & reduce symptoms including inflammation, fatigue, brain fog & digestion. You can eat whatever you want but following 4 rules ( the book calls them hacks) I have been following it for 4 weeks and have seen some improvement. Definitely worth a look, Good luck x

Tilly1957 profile image
Tilly1957

I used to use a decent cbd oil which was brilliant with pain relief. However, now I am on the new anticoagulants, it is contra indicated.

jimmyshoes profile image
jimmyshoes in reply toTilly1957

that’s very difficult to get one bit right n knock on affect with another x I know this all too well

Tilly1957 profile image
Tilly1957 in reply tojimmyshoes

a food diary will help you identify culprits in the first place. I ate a coronation chicken bought sandwich filler sandwich with salad leaves in it, made at home, for my lunch yesterday., about 2pm. It was soooooo nice. I worked on the premise that the paprika in it was more than 1/2 through the ingredients list ….. but by 9am this morning my headache was starting, so wasn’t a good move 😪 However, the sandwich was really, really yummy 🤣. X

jimmyshoes profile image
jimmyshoes in reply toTilly1957

That’s so difficult when pain relief is as important as anti coagulants bless you

Gooddaysagain profile image
Gooddaysagain

There are a few things that really helped me:1. Amino acids - as our hormones need the extra protein to fight pain.

2. Mucuna Pruriens L-Dopa/Velvet bean for the dopamine

3. Pre-biotic (Inulin) and a good probiotic, for gut health - to help your body metabolize the nutrients in your food.

I also find I feel much better if I cut out Gluten.

Hope this helps,

Dee

Pasanda profile image
Pasanda

Yes found stretching helps a lot. Also tightening and relaxing muscles

saluhouse profile image
saluhouse

hi everybody. Very interesting how different fibro sufferers identify different foods that aggravate their symptoms. On a purely personal level - I’m totally convinced my fibromyalgia is caused by my sulfite/sulfate intolerance.

All my adult life (I’m 79 in July) I have felt my diet affected how I felt. I always tinkered with my diet - eventually concluding I felt better if I followed a self prescribed ‘caveman’ diet. Thereby avoiding most additives and preservatives. And yes - I was labelled a ‘fussy eater’.

A few years ago I identified that it was the sulfite/sulfates causing me the problems. After a lot of research I discovered these chemicals are added to food/drink/toiletries/medications to stop them deteriorating and prolong shelf life. They have no nutritional value.

I was so happy when I discovered this fact - thought all I had to do was avoid sulfite/sulfate and I would be well. And to a point this has been true. If I eat only home cooked food (avoiding packaged and processed food/commercial sauces and gravy mix etc) I do feel pretty normal.

However - life is extremely restricted by this strict diet. I do have family and friends and a social life so occasionally I chose to eat at somebody’s house or in a restaurant or pub. The next day I really suffer. All the old symptoms of pain/fatigue/brain fog/ malaise come flooding back.

I have tried to talk to Doctors and Allergists about my conclusions. But they have dismissed my theory as too far fetched.

So if you have read this far - thank you. In essence I feel my fibromyalgia (and maybe yours) is caused by sulfite poisoning. And maybe other illnesses too. However - of course I do understand big business need to add the chemical to their products to add to their profits.

Best wishes to you all from Dianne xxx

saj01 profile image
saj01

Hi... we are all different... One thing I would suggest first is get a blood test to see if you are lacking in anything and check glucose levels. If you can afford to pay someone, all very well and good, but your body usually tells you. Eat healthily.. with the occasional treat! Plenty of veg, some fruit, fibre, grains etc. keep a food & drink diary tea, coffee if you drink it.. beware of hidden sugars and fats. If you calorie count, try reading some of the work by michael mosley..... plus his recipes a quite good too.

good luck

jimmyshoes profile image
jimmyshoes in reply tosaj01

thank you , yes had full boood tests and reasonably regularly but just looking for the Holy Grail 😊

DodgeDhanda profile image
DodgeDhanda

Hi JS.

Look into the Ayurvedic religion as they look at food & it's healing properties.

Not suggesting U change ur beliefs but look into what foods are used in what way. Also U may wish to look at paganism & how they made medicines out of different things, like for instance you can make an anti-inflamentary drink from dandelion & how even the leaves are good to eat, in fact all but the root is edible ( its very bitter ) .

I wish U love &light on ur journey.

jimmyshoes profile image
jimmyshoes

yes definitely understand the more natural untainted stuff and thanks for this info

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