Part 1: Energize Your Life!

One thing’s for certain with fibromyalgia, your body is experiencing an energy shortage.  Let’s take a look at and learn some of the ways your system creates and uses energy so you’ll have a better shot at ramping up production to meet demand.

Popeye made it look so easy. Whenever Olive Oyl sounded the distress cry, he’d grab a can of spinach, rip it open and toss it back. In seconds flat, he’d be bursting with all the energy he needed to save the day.

We might chuckle at Popeye’s exaggerated transformations, but are our own energy-sourcing antics so different? Consider your typical day. Mid-morning, when your energy starts dragging, you probably reach for a quick fix. Maybe it’s a cup of coffee. Maybe it’s a doughnut, a chocolate bar or a soda. By mid-afternoon you’re likely trying to muscle through another dip — perhaps with a repeat of the morning’s strategies, perhaps employing sheer willpower. Depending on where and when fatigue strikes, you may rely on all sorts of different techniques to help you push through.

The result? Like Popeye, you may get a lot accomplished. But when you repeatedly force your body to work against fatigue — several times a day, for weeks or months at a time — your health pays the price. Over time, most of the stopgap measures we rely on to close our momentary energy lapses wind up opening up even deeper chasms of their own.

Unlike Popeye’s spinach, repeated infusions of caffeine and processed sugar can contribute to blood-sugar imbalances, adrenal fatigue, even pre-diabetes. Working too-long hours and regularly skimping on sleep can lead to weight gain, stress, depression and impaired mental function. Instead of strengthening our systems and helping us become more adept, all of these solutions work against the natural mechanisms that protect and support our health. They deplete our reserves, setting us up for even bigger energy deficits down the road.

Look at it this way: Energy is your capacity to do work, to think, to create, to participate, to contribute, to enjoy, to live. Energy is what gives you physical strength and muscular endurance for physical activity. It’s also what gives you mental alertness for noticing, thinking and problem solving. That’s why good energy management, perhaps even more than good time management, is one of the most essential requirements for a rich, productive and satisfying life.

Clearly, it makes no sense to do major, lasting damage to our valuable energy machinery merely to gain a few brief, temporary bursts of speed. But that is what many of us do each and every day. And then we wonder why life seems so hard, and why we feel so exhausted.

If you’ve been burning the candle at both ends lately, or running on fumes for as long as you can remember, this is your wake-up call. But fear not, overachievers. You don’t have to say goodbye to maximal productivity and success. In fact, by learning to manage your energy intelligently — as opposed to tricking your body into a series of inefficient, forced accelerations — you are likely to find yourself feeling more energetic and productive than you have in years. Read more »

Filed under: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Food & Nutrition, Health & Healing on July 29th, 2010 | No Comments »

Many people who suffer with Fibromyalgia are all too familiar with what is known as a fibromyalgia ‘flare’.  This is where symptoms become heightened to a point of complete and utter exhaustion, sometimes even collapse, and very often accompanied by a feeling of despair.

The symptoms of a flare may strike at any moment and usually include such symptoms as:  increased pain, inability to sleep, extreme lethargy and exhaustion, brain fog, sweating, exacerbated pain, and general disease.   Whatever symptoms you may be experiencing become magnified ten- or even twenty-fold during a flare.

While a fibro-flare can strike at any moment, there tends to be several distinct causes leading up to their onset.  With a little detective work and raised awareness, you can often determine their cause and help yourself to avoid and even prevent them completely.

Did you know that one of the biggest contributors to a fibro-flare is food?  In particular, those foods which contain artificial colors, preservatives, and chemicals contribute towards lowering or suppressing your immune system.   Even sugar, something we have grown up with and eat almost every day in one form of another, can contribute to fibro-flares through depressing your immune system by leaving you susceptible to invading pathogens, such as bacterial, viral and fungal, and cause fatigue and weakness.

Read more »

Filed under: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Food & Nutrition, Uncategorized, depression on June 1st, 2010 | No Comments »

Fibromyalgia, Carbohydrates – Simple and Complex

Carbohydrates are probably the most important of the three main classes of foods since they are our main source of energy.  Carbohydrates come in two forms: they may be either simple also called “fast-releasing”, or complex which is also known as starch and is considered “slow-releasing”.   Most sugars, sweets, refined foods, white flour, malts, and honey are fast-releasing because they tend to give a sudden burst of energy followed by a slump.  Refined foods like sugar and flour also lack the vitamins and minerals needed for the body to use them properly and so they are therefore best avoided.   When you eat the slow-releasing or complex carbohydrate like whole grains, vegetables, beans or lentils, or simpler carbohydrates such as fruit, the body does exactly what it is designed to do.  It digests these foods and gradually releases their potential energy.  What is more, all the nutrients that the body needs for digestion and metabolism are present in those whole foods.    Such foods also contain a less digestible type of carbohydrate, called fiber, which helps keep the digestive system running smoothly.  

It seems that many fibromyalgia sufferers tend to have hypoglycemia—which refers to the body’s inability to maintain normal levels of sugar in the blood.  Sugar (or glucose) is the main source of fuel for the body, and sugar levels must remain steady.  Otherwise, the brain and other organs cannot function normally.  This is not surprising given that it is estimated that at least 75 percent of the population are hypoglycemic (a conservative figure depending on which studies you read).   Some doctors have coined the phrase “Fibroglycemia” which is of course just a way of explaining that FM patients tend to have the condition.   Based on the theory that FM is a nutrition / cellular problem that can be remedied by diet, nutrition, exercise and stress control, this would make sense. Read more »

Filed under: Fibromyalgia, Food & Nutrition, Health & Healing, depression on May 26th, 2010 | No Comments »

Comment by Andrew W. Saul
Editor-In-Chief, Orthomolecular Medicine News Service

(OMNS, May 6, 2010) Science is a great servant but a poor master. Not infrequently, it can exemplify what Harvard math professor Tom Lehrer satirized as where “the important thing is to understand what you’re doing, rather than to get the right answer.” Just because a published study suggests something does not make it true.

I never liked math very much, and I still don’t. But I am indebted to dedicated math teachers who taught me in spite of myself. Decades ago, one such teacher gave me wise advice that spans all disciplines: “Look at your answer. Does your answer make sense?”

So when research suggests that the vitamin folic acid somehow causes lung or colon cancer, it is time to hit the books. It may even occasionally be necessary to hit them right out of the way, and use common sense instead.  Read more »

Filed under: Food & Nutrition, Health & Healing, Orthomolecular Nutrition, Vitamins & minerals on May 15th, 2010 | No Comments »

There is mounting evidence that there is low thyroid activity present in the majority of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia patients. Studies demonstrate that in addition to an increased incidence of primary hypothyroidism in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, there is a combination of secondary, tertiary and thyroid resistance in the overwhelming majority of CFS and FMS patients, despite having normal thyroid tests because these latter forms of tissue hypothyroidism are not detected by standard thyroid function tests. Thus, many chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia patients are erroneously told over and over that their thyroid levels are fine. Read more »

Filed under: Fibromyalgia on May 1st, 2010 | No Comments »

Identifying triggers that can lead to migraines and onto a full  fibro flare attack is an essential part of fibromyalgia symptom management.  There are a wide range of triggers — some avoidable, some not — and these can vary greatly from person to person.  Contributing factors can be low blood sugar either from skipping meals or lack of food, a lack of sleep, exposure to bright lights, anxiety and stress.  Even hormones contribute and play a role.

Once they are identified, it’s possible to reduce the frequency of migraines and other attacks by avoiding those triggers.  One of the biggest triggers that can be identified — next to stress — is food.

There are a huge number of foods that trigger migraine attacks and fibro flares in many people.  If you suffer from frequent migraines and fibro flares that are caused by your diet, the solution is fairly simple but requires some will power.  First, educate yourself.  Find out what foods are likely to trigger your migraines and lead to flare ups.  While some foods are easy to identify, others require you to read the ingredients label and become a food sleuth or food detective of sorts to help you with spotting exactly what your particular triggers are. Read more »

Filed under: Fibromyalgia, Food & Nutrition, Health & Healing on April 11th, 2010 | No Comments »

The term “phyto” originated from a Greek word meaning plant.  Phytonutrients are the biologically active substances in plants that are responsible for giving them color, flavor, and natural disease resistance.  In the last couple of decades scientists have begun to identify that they provide a vital biological function in our bodies as well.  Fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and teas are the richest sources of phytonutrients.

Unlike the traditional nutrients, like proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, and vitamins and minerals, phytonutrients are not “essential” for life, but they help your body work optimally.  Some people prefer the term “phytochemicals”.

Several studies examining the role of vegetarian or vegan diets (loaded with phytonutrients) in the treatment of fibromyalgia have reported positive results.  The first study (Hanninen et al., 2000) addressed the potential role of antioxidants from a vegan diet in FM sufferers and found significant increases in general health and reduced pain and stiffness.  Another study, carried out in FM patients by the University of Finland, involved researchers examining a raw foods/living foods vegan diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, seeds, sprouts, and nuts which are all foods containing high levels of phytonutrients.   The results of this study showed that the FM patients whose diets had the highest levels of serum carotenoids (lutein, lycopene, alpha carotene, and beta carotene) and flavonoids (quercetin, hesperidin), reported significant improvements in joint stiffness, pain, and general health.   Food sources of carotenoids include sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, spinach, turnip greens, winter squash, collard greens, cilantro and fresh thyme.  To maximize the availability of the carotenoids in the foods listed above, the foods should be eaten raw or steamed lightly.  Sources of flavonoids include: apples, apricots, blueberries, pears, raspberries, strawberries, black beans, cabbage, onions, parsley, pinto beans, and tomatoes. Read more »

Filed under: Fibromyalgia, Food & Nutrition, Health & Healing on April 11th, 2010 | No Comments »

One of the last things a person who suffers from fibromyalgia needs is more toxins in their body as this can easily overburden their immune systems leaving them nothing short of fatigued and depleted.  did you know that consuming aspartame may be behind several of your symptoms and lead to other side effects or adverse reactions that you may be already experiencing?

Did you know that there are over 92 different health side effects and symptoms associated with aspartame consumption and that fibromyalgia is one of them?    It seems surreal, but true. How can one chemical create such chaos?

Aspartame dissolves into solution and can therefore travel throughout the body and deposit within any tissue. The body digests aspartame unlike saccharin, which does not break down within humans.

According to the research of Dr. Janet Starr Hull, author of the book Sweet Poison, an expose into the toxic effects from aspartame, many of the symptoms and problems associated with fibromyalgia are also the same as those from aspartame poisoning.

The multitudes of aspartame side effects are indicative to your genetic individuality and physical weaknesses. It is important to put two and two together, nonetheless, and identify which side effects aspartame is creating within you. Read more »

Filed under: Chronic Disease, Fibromyalgia, Food & Nutrition, depression on March 13th, 2010 | No Comments »

We all know that nutrition and exercise are important parts of fibromyalgia symptom management but did you know that there is increasing evidence that certain dietary changes and modifications play a role in the reduction of fibromyalgia symptoms!  One of the biggest culprits we are learning about today and which definitely leads to flare-ups for many people with fibromyalgia is gluten.

Gluten is the protein part of wheat, rye, barley, and other related grains.  Some people cannot tolerate gluten when it comes in contact with the small intestine and this condition is known as celiac disease (sometimes called non-tropical sprue or gluten sensitive enteropathy).  Celiac disease is now clearly known to be genetically determined.  In other words, if you or your close relatives have a certain gene, then it is more likely that you will get celiac disease some time in your life.  Statistics say that 1 in 133 (or less) people have celiac disease and of great concern and interest is the fact that 9 out of 10 people with celiac disease to not know they have it. Read more »

Filed under: Fibromyalgia, Food & Nutrition, Gluten Free on February 27th, 2010 | No Comments »

Depression, mood swings and fatigue often have a common cause: poor nutrition. Avoiding depression or recovering from a depressive episode is often as easy as changing your diet and boosting your consumption of key foods that deliver brain-boosting nutrients and help regulate brain chemistry.

There are treatment options that can relieve depression without swallowing pills. Many of the symptoms of depression can be directly linked to vitamin and mineral deficiencies in the standard American diet, which is largely comprised of empty carbohydrates, caffeine and sugar. Ten foods for beating depression are:

 Fish oils:
Contain omega-3 fatty acids. Research has shown that depressed people often lack a fatty acid known as EPA. Participants in a 2002 study featured in the Archives of General Psychiatry took just a gram of fish oil each day and noticed a 50-percent decrease in symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disorders, unexplained feelings of sadness, suicidal thoughts, and decreased sex drive. Omega-3 fatty acids can also lower cholesterol and improve cardiovascular health. Get omega-3s through walnuts, flaxseed and oily fish like salmon or tuna.

Avocado:
Is a good source of potassium and low in sodium which helps reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.  Adequate intake of potassium can help guard against circulatory diseases, heart disease and stroke, all of which leads to higher levels of depression.  Not only are avocados a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids including oleic acid, which has recently been Read more »

Filed under: Bipolar, Fibromyalgia, Food & Nutrition, Health & Healing, Stress Management, depression on February 18th, 2010 | No Comments »