11/26/2018
Suffering from fibromyalgia is painful, debilitating, and in many instances, isolating. This is mainly due to the fact that fibromyalgia is such a vastly misunderstood condition.
What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a condition of the central nervous system that causes widespread, chronic pain throughout the body. It’s very difficult to diagnose and can often leave the person experiencing it frustrated, fatigued, and depressed.
While the prognosis hardly sounds like it has a silver lining, the reality is that modifying your diet can significantly reduce the pain of fibromyalgia and its related symptoms.
6 Foods to Eat With Fibromyalgia
One of the most common symptoms that goes hand in hand with fibromyalgia is fatigue. One of the best ways to counteract the feeling of exhaustion is to eat foods that give you energy:
1. Dark leafy greens. These include spinach, kale, bok choi, swiss chard, arugula, collard greens, mustard greens, watercress, and broccoli.
2. Bananas. One of the fruits that will give you the most bang for your buck energy wise is bananas. Because they have such a high amount of carbohydrates, vitamin B6, and potassium, it’s the fruit of choice handed out to athletes during long-distance races.
3. Sweet potatoes. Not only are sweet potatoes delicious, but they are also a vitamin powerhouse. They also include manganese, a mineral found in the body that is similar to iron, which helps to break down nutrients from our diets into even more energy.
4. Healthy fats. These include avocados, nuts, fatty fish, and extra virgin olive oil.
5. Antioxidants. Foods high in antioxidants protect nerve cells from touch sensitivity. These include berries, kidney beans, artichokes, pecans, beets, spinach, and dark chocolate.
6. Omega-3s. Foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory effect, which is good news for painful joints. This food group includes salmon, Brussels sprouts, eggs, chia seeds, walnuts, sardines, flax seeds, and soybeans.
5 Foods to Avoid With Fibromyalgia
Since symptoms can vary significantly from person to person, it’s advisable to keep a food diary to track flare-ups. This will help you identify specific foods that are actively making your condition worse.
1. Cured or red meats. Anything with added salts or preservatives will cause inflammation in your body. The same goes for red meats.
2. Fried foods and artificial trans fats. French fries, onion rings, funnel cake, donuts, margarine, shortening, vegetable oils, and peanut oil worsen fibromyalgia symptoms.
3. Artificial sweeteners. Table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup also cause inflammation. In addition to increasing the likelihood of pain flare-ups, they also increase the chance of developing Type II diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and cancer.
4. Foods high in carbohydrates. Okay, we understand this won’t gain too many fans, but bread, pasta, crackers, muffins, and boxed cereals will only exacerbate symptoms of fibromyalgia. You can eat carbs as long as you choose the whole grain variety, such as quinoa, amaranth, and wild or brown rice.
5. Glutamate. This is used as a flavor enhancer and is commonly known as MSG (for monosodium glutamate).
Request an Appointment at The Orthopedic Clinic Today
At The Orthopedic Clinic, we want you to live your life in full motion. If you’re suffering from fibromyalgia, let us help you get back to doing the things you love.
Call us at (386) 255-4596 to schedule an appointment.
