how to start dietary change

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Maryam

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Hello all
My name is Maryam and I'm just starting to plan how to (attack) this condition!
I want to start eliminating things from my diet to see if I feel any better. I would really appreciate some suggestions about what to start with. Gluten? Dairy? coffee?
I eat a pretty balanced diet already.
please share your experiences if you've experimented with diet changes so that I'd get a clue about what would most likely work.
Thanks in advance
 
Hi Maryam, 8 years ago I changed my diet with the help of an alternative doctor. They had me stop eating grains, sugar, dairy and night shades. (The night shades due to hasimotos). So I kind of freaked out thinking what CAN I eat? Amazingly I have learned that I don't have to deny myself anything just substitute. So check out paleo, keto, and vegetarian recipes to start. Learn about all the flours you can use cassava almond, coconut, tapioca, etc. And who needs sugar? There's agave, stevia, coconut sugar etc. Anyway I love eating this healthy. I'll admit to missing eggplant but oh well.
Please look at the change as positive because it really helps.
 
so did it help you?
have the symptoms eased significantly with the dietary change?
 
Hi Maryam,

I did an elimination diet last year to rule out food intolerances. I have to say, nothing did anything for me - aside from making sure that I eat a natural and moderate diet overall. That said, some people with fibro discover that a certain food or food group is a major trigger, so I think it's really worth going through the process!

I eliminated all grains, dairy, eggs, nightshades, sugar, and fodmap foods. I then reintroduced each group about month apart - this allows you to look for a specific reaction. I also tried keto for about 4 months, and tried vegan for a while. I cut out coffee - to my major distress - only to reintroduce it with glee when it made no difference. I also avoided all processed foods and sodas over the course of my big experiment, and cut out alcohol for about half a year. Talk about guinea pig girl!

If you Google elimination diet, you'll find lots of guides on how you can go about the process in a way that helps you pin-point any discoveries. A friend of mine who was incredibly ill (and diagnosed with fibro) made a total recovery on a strict ketogenic diet, so that was pretty amazing. Sadly, not what my body needed, but at least now I know! I have found that fasting for 24 hours can help me interrupt a flare, although I'm not sure if that's more to do with fasting or my state of mind - perhaps another idea to explore.

Please let us know how you get on!
 
Yes I went from bed ridden to gardening and cooking again. I also use a tens unit, rebuilder and miscellaneous creams and sprays. I went off my diet last January and had a very bad flare up. They also give you brain exercises that really helped with my balance. I still have pain and some flare ups but I'm sticking with it for now.
 
Yes I went from bed ridden to gardening and cooking again. I also use a tens unit, rebuilder and miscellaneous creams and sprays. I went off my diet last January and had a very bad flare up. They also give you brain exercises that really helped with my balance. I still have pain and some flare ups but I'm sticking with it for now.
That's fantastic, Creola. I'm so happy that you found things that help!
 
Like Jemima I've tried and now do a combination of many diets, but they didn't change my fibro in any way, I do them for general health & genetically high blood fats (to hopefully get/keep off of statins).

1. I'd get used to tracking your symptoms with a food diary, esp. any IBS-type symptoms, those & their triggers may give you ideas.
2. just eating even healthier would improve your health generally, as @sunkacola would say. Weight might also be an issue.
That would mean unsaturated fats (olive oil, or better still omega 3 from flaxseed oil, plus 1-3 tbl./day linseed oil) rather than saturated, complex carbs rather than simple (like sugar), 5 smaller meals, not too late in the evening (or if blood fats are high 3 meals spaced apart). The Mediterranean diet is considered as one of the most generally healthy. More veg than fruits, more green veg than coloured, wholemeal, praps organic, more plants. Many people say no/low sugar, coffee (@Jemima excepted :D) and alcohol (as well as drugs & meds).
3. I'd watch for where it'd hurt most, cravings, like chocolate, and praps have a look at that, e.g. Trudy Scott about that & amino acids.
4. Careful with anti-inflammatory herbs & spices (ginger, cumin, garlic etc.) if you have IBS (I don't tolerate any of them).
5. I'd actually start where it hurts least - that might be a clue and also be easiest, to get under way.
6. Like @Jemima I'd do it elimination diet wise - only I've been doing that for decades due to my IBSD long before fibro.
7. Overview of the relevant & acknowledged types I've found to date ( I do about half of this, plus mainly raw food):
a. No: fructose/fructans, gluten, grain, nightshade, sugar, dairy, meat, dairy & meat, dairy & grains.
b. Low: Carb incl. Keto(genic), FODMAP, incl. fructans and candida; histamine, oxalate, salicylate.
c. Combinations: paleo, AIP, plant, virgin, Mediterranean, pegan, elimination, Hay, organic, whole food; fasting. (Ask for quick details.)
BTW - US grain types are apparently less 'natural' than European.

Recent research has no clear evidence for pain improvement, needs to get better, but the articles below recommend:
- vegetarian, dairy-free, then both: vegan (lots of nuts & tofu/soy),
- gluten-free,
- Mediterranean, which pretty much involves low fructose/-ans, then go low FODMAP anyway.
Not sure if this is the "easiest order" for these, it was mine, after having tried all I do 80% all of them. @Jemima?

Pagliai, 2020: Nutritional Interventions in the Management of Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Supps: Vitamin D, magnesium, iron and probiotics.
Diet: olive oil, replacement diet with ancient grains, low-calorie, low FODMAP, gluten-free, monosodium glutamate & aspartame-free diet, vegetarian, Mediterranean.
Lowry 2020: Dietary Interventions in the Management of Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Best-Evidence Synthesis
vegan, low FODMAP.
Supps: with Chlorella green algae, coenzyme Q10, acetyl-l-carnitine or a combination of vitamin C and E

Lattanzio, 2017: Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Metabolic Approach Grounded in Biochemistry for the Remission of Symptoms: explains low fructose/fructans (serotonin).
 
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Great tips there, JayCS.

coffee (@Jemima excepted :D)
😂 I did quit coffee for a good while to test, was utterly miserable, and then actually relieved (I'm embarrassed to admit...) that this wasn't the thing that made me feel better. I don't drink a crazy amount of coffee these days (two big cups per day, and only in the morning) but can't imagine myself without it. Apparently it was the pretty much the only liquid my mum drank when she was pregnant with me - so that explains a lot! 🤪
 
Exactly that amount of coffee is a necessary "herbal med" for my wife's very low blood pressure... ;-) - it'd blow me away.... :D

Just edited around quite a bit, then the site was down for me, but it did get saved (copied it quickly just in case, while the orange lines were flashing from left to right... and I was "uh-oh"....
But @Jemima, considering the way you did it - do you think my order of the main diets above might be "the most sensible" (quickest?) one? (no animal, then no gluten, then Mediterranean/FODMAP).
 
Exactly that amount of coffee is a necessary "herbal med" for my wife's very low blood pressure... ;-) - it'd blow me away.... :D

Just edited around quite a bit, then the site was down for me, but it did get saved (copied it quickly just in case, while the orange lines were flashing from left to right... and I was "uh-oh"....
But @Jemima, considering the way you did it - do you think my order of the main diets above might be "the most sensible" (quickest?) one? (no animal, then no gluten, then Mediterranean/FODMAP).
Oops, I missed your question! I'm no expert, but I guess it doesn't matter the order as long as a schedule is figured out that covers eliminating each potential trigger individually.

I think, from memory, I had cut out alcohol and coffee already. I did more than half a year with no booze largely because of medications. I started with no grain/dairy/nightshades/eggs/fodmap/sugar/processed foods - a brutal rip of the bandaid type approach! - and then reintroduced them one at a time with several weeks in between each. Then I tried keto for several months, and then vegan.

I'd say it's also important to assess what we can handle - if the thought of doing it all at once feels like too much, it might be more realistic to cut out one thing at a time and reintroduce it before moving on to the next. Self-torture is not the goal 😂

I seem to recall reading that gluten sensitivity can take a long time to resolve, so I think it's worth giving that one longer than just a few weeks. I also think it's worth noting that it isn't always all or nothing - for example someone might fare better with the odd sugary treat, but suffer if they start eating too much every day. Self observation is the only way to know!

Good point on the anti-inflammatory foods. I read a warning somewhere that curcumin can actually trigger some fibro sufferers, while it seems to help others.
 
Hehe, my fault, I edited it after you read it...
My question is meant in the sense of building up a sensible order of related, e.g. no sense in doing FODMAP separately from Mediterranean.
For some the quickest way might be the least torturous - that cd mean doing all the above at the same time for only one month: a vegan Mediterranean diet (incl. low FODMAP), no gluten, low carb, histamine, oxalate, salicylate, nightshade. and then continuing gluten for 2 months (that's how long I did it, 2-3 was recommended). If that doesn't help, which might well be, then you're thru...
That's actually the fundament of my normal diet. Except a lot of wholemeal gluten-free muesli and a bit of wholemeal bread (European spelt...), cos my lipidologist "demanded" I put wholemeal carbs in again. Also I tolerate most things rich with histamines, oxalates or salicylates except tomatoes and strawberries as I don't tolerate acidic, onion-like or spicy foods due to the IBS.
I second treats, esp. once you've got most sorted out, but I'll add what my lipidologist said: A tiny treat per day is much better than the odd big treat, e.g. 20g of (dark! >70%) chocolate per day is better than 100g once a week.
I used to hate dark chocolate, but first better than nothing, now (esp. with a bit of fruit added) it's better, normal is boring...
 
I don't know if you drink wine but I have found that by cutting out white wine altogether, it helped considerably. I have found that I can have the odd glass of red wine and it doesn't affect me the same and I can have a small bar of dark chocolate as a treat too. I have settled on a carb free diet and have found that by reducing all grains, potatoes pasta and processed foods, it has helped. I take supplements too. Be willing to try almost anything that the others in the forum have suggested and I hope you soon feel more in control of your fibro.
 
crazy amount of coffee
Coming back to coffee after 500mg taurine adrenalized me all night (4h40 sleep) & day yesterday, altho it was sposed to make me sleep.
(It is the stuff often put in energy drinks with caffeine, but as an antagonist - usually...) Bit disappointing first as sleep seems most important.
But praps I've found my coffee, as my acupressurist suggested! I'll start with specks in the mornings, increasing depending on how I feel or need to get up, like next Tuesday at 7:15 for work. And praps it will get a handle on sleeplessness by getting me up, despite little sleep and then letting me get tired again properly after...
 
One of my favourite athletes was talking about supplementing taurine every day in an interview I watched recently. I'd never thought of it as a supplement that could offer a health benefit, but I suppose it makes sense. Keep us posted on how you get on with it!
 
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