Hello! Thank you for checking out my blog! I have wanted to share my battle
and success with Fibromyalgia, and all the terrible things that go along with
it, I just haven’t been sure how to go about it. So this is my way of sharing my SUCCESS in fighting Fibro! I have suffered from Fibromyalgia for about 10 years now, for
about 8 years (undiagnosed after what seemed every test imaginable) and then
for 2 years after my diagnosis. When my
symptoms worsened to the point that I could only work part-time (from home) and
could barely do that, and my life consisted of work and bed (literally), and I
had tried all the pills the rheumatologist wanted me to take; I decided to take
a friend up on a challenge to eat “clean” for 45 days to see if my body would
use food as medicine. I needed a
template to get started so I used the ‘Whole30’ meal plan guide just so I knew
what was “clean” and what wasn’t. I’m in
no way selling that program; I’m just saying it helped me so I had a way to
tell what was allowed and what wasn’t when considering a clean eating program. I also got some good recipes from the book to
get me started.
Please let me say this, eating
clean is not easy. Just in case it didn't sink in, eating clean is not easy.
I tell people every
day that eating is my part time job and most days it is.
But I can also tell you for me it
has literally given me my life back. Are every one
of my symptoms gone? No, but if I had to
put it on a scale I would say 95% of my pain and fatigue are gone and most of
the time I actually feel like a “normal” person again.
I am working full time (outside of the house) and enjoy family
activities all the time now. I have even
traveled recently with very little fatigue afterwards, which wasn’t even an
option before. If you suffer from Fibromyalgia, I know I’m not telling
you anything you don’t already know but the list of things I do now that I couldn’t
before goes on and on…
All I want is to encourage others with Fibro to try it, see
if it works for you, and you decide from there.
You can’t be any worse after just 45 days, right? And your body didn't get sick in 45 days so it's going to take a little while to work the bad foods out of your system. That’s what my friend told me…and she was
right.
What does eating clean mean?
It means eating only foods that are natural or have natural ingredients. Think of it this way; if God didn’t make it,
it’s out!
What I “DO”
eat:
Any type of meat
(not pre-seasoned or marinated by the maker or restaurant)
Fish (not
seasoned or breaded)
All
Vegetables (fresh or canned with only natural ingredients) except *nightshades
All Fruit
(fresh or canned with only natural ingredients)
Eggs
What I “DON’Teat:
Anything
processed or in a box.
Dairy
Sugar
Wheat
Soy (this is
a major inflammatory and is in more of your foods than you know)
Nightshades
Legumes
(this is only because it’s part of the Whole30 compliance, I am in the process
of re-introducing a few legumes so I will let you know how it goes….)
What are Nightshades?
Tomatoes
White
potatoes (not sweet potatoes)
Eggplant
Peppers
(Green, Red, and any spice made with peppers; cayenne, red pepper, etc.)
*Nightshades
are okay for a healthy person but for someone with Fibromyalgia, they cause
serious inflammation which means pain!
Below are
some substitutes for nightshade vegetables:
Sweet
potatoes and yam
Cauliflower
Celery
Radishes
Zucchini
Carrots
Fresh fruit
like blueberries, grapes, orange slices and melon
Mushrooms
Salt
Black and White
Pepper (instead of red pepper)
So if I
haven’t scared you off yet and you would like to give ‘clean’ eating a try, I
would love to be here to support you through your first 45 days and
beyond! I would love to share food
ideas, recipes, answer questions, be there for you in any way I can. Please take your time in considering whether
you want to do this, don’t make a quick decision because it is a life change,
it’s not easy, and it needs to be a serious commitment. But if your body responds the same way mine
has, you will never regret it and you will never go back! While I can’t promise you will have the same
results I have I can promise you will be healthier just for giving it a try! And a couple bonus results other than seriously reducing my pain and fatigue are; energy level is higher, sleep much better and I've lost 45 pounds this last year! Don't do this for those reasons, but they are a very nice bonus!
I hope to hear from you, please message me if you'd like to know more or you have questions that I can help you with. I would love to help you find a way to reduce the symptoms of Fibro and help get your life back too!
What are your next steps?
1) Carefully consider a 45 day (minimum) commitment
2) Be sure any medical conditions or needs take priority and talk to your physician about a diet change.
3) Talk to your family - you need their support!
4) Prepare your home with plenty of 'clean' foods and remove any foods that will be too tempting!
5) Set your start date!!!
Please note:
I am not a physician or nutritionist so please do not stop or change any
medications your physician has prescribed, and any foods that your body may need
due to a medical condition outweighs any suggestions or opinions contained here. All references are my personal experience and
in no way guarantee the same results for anyone else. Nothing included here substitutes
consulting a physician and any change to your diet should be discussed with
your healthcare provider before starting.
One of the reasons I started this blog and fb page is because while faithfully following other clean eating pages, I was vilified when I posted something I ate that was a slight slip or a cheat according to their rules, even though it was a “clean” food! When you are using food as your medicine, you just don’t need that! We aren’t doing this as a diet, this is a way of life if you are treating your fibromyalgia with food.
(Swanson has an organic Chicken Broth)
Sometimes as I make my "go to" breakfast, I think how I would love to pull out a piece of fresh bread, pop it in the toaster and then just literally bathe it in butter and grape jelly! 
When you are eating clean, eggs are a way of life! (At least for me they are.). You will find many ways to be creative with them believe me! I don't usually promote products but today I'm compelled to share this one because it makes eating clean so much easier. It's called a DASH and they are sold on Amazon for a little over $20.
