From the article: Eating Healthy With Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
All of us with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome know we should be eating healthy, but that's easier said than done. Share your tips for eating healthy and see how other people with these conditions make sure they have a healthy diet. What Helps You?
New to it all
- I was just diagnosed with FMS two weeks ago. The doctor strongly urged me to go on an Elimination Diet which several of you have responded about. The transition seems overwhelming for me. My husband works graveyard and I'm retired. Our meals are often at odd times and not in sync with most peoples. To make it even more challenging the nearest store where I can find gluten free, organics etc is about 15 miles away and limited. I guess I sound like I'm whining and I guess I am but is hard. Between pain and fatigue I have a difficult time shopping and having what I need to eat on hand. I did cook up a large package of chicken drum sticks in the crock pot which took almost no effort on my part and then stripping the meat off the bones. I had what we needed for several meals which was helpful. I know changing my diet would help me tremendously its just the effort in time, energy and brain power and an off beat eating schedule has just really thrown me. I appreciate the suggestions.
- —Guest MaryLou
Eating with CFS/Fibro
- My husand gardens, so I have lots of organic produce-just not consistently. I cook meat once or twice a week, and keep it refrigerated to add to meals through the week. I cook meals early in the day while I still have energy. I have a vegetable chopper, and I chop whatever came in from the garden and saute it with an onion, celery and garlic. When they are soft, I add 1 lb of chopped meat. I season with either, cumin, curry, cajun or italian seasoning, depending on what went into it. If I use curry, I might add an apple or two and some raisins. I dump the whole thing in my crockpot and let it cook on low until someone gets hungry. I vary the meat(pork, beef or chicken) and sometimes add a potato or two. I get a large cabbage about once a month from the garden, so I add that to my mix for about a week. Homemade tomato sauce is also used a lot. It does become tiresome after a few months, then we eat burgers and frozen pizza for a few days. But it is delicious most days.
- —mindwing
healthy changes
- Even after eating healthy and carefully planning ahead I still felt awful, so I went to my nutritionist and we did a detox then elimination diet. No more gluten, corn or cow's milk for me! The fat fell off and I have only had mild flare ups when I do too much. Yes, this was hard at first, but completely worth it. My family has been very supportive and that helps too.
- —oldpianoteacher
Grocery Shopping
- If it's available in your area - do it online! It has been a godsend for me since splitting up with my husband, who'd done all the physical shopping (I just made the list.) I can manage a 2 week shop now. The 2 main sites I use both have favourite lists so you can easily find the things you regularly buy. One of them actually gives you a reminder when you check out - 'You often buy these things but haven't today...' It's so useful! Also - you're not confined to shopping during normal hours and can usually save your shopping cart so you can take your time, from the comfort of your sofa and even if you do forget something there's usually a cut off time that you can amend your order. It's been a lifesaver! It's much easier to find someone to help get them in the house and put away than it is to sort out someone doing it for you or accompanying you.
- —ilenea
How to improve your diet?
- I don't drink soft drinks any more. I come totally exhausted from work. I really enjoy veggies, salads, ans fruits. Come winter, the selection is diminished. Some times, I head striaght to bed without eating!
- —Guest Anne
Lots of Salad
- I eat a lot of salads and almost no meat. I get my protien from cheese and nuts. I eat yogurt every day. I don't eat anything that is fried and very little processed food. I have one cup of tea a day and rarely drink pop. I drink lots of water. I think most people don't drink enough water and the first thing to suffer is your brain.
- —Guest Donna
What helps re: eating
- Eliminating anything white: sugar, white flour, noodles, etc... I've had to get creative to find snacks and desserts that I enjoy and are healthy.
- —jadlady
Tea drinker!
- How timely! This is just what I needed and makes so much sense! I'm actually dealing with some hypoglycemia because I don't eat right. I would love to see an article about carb cravings when you're tired/in pain. Anyhow, yesterday, I managed to avoid evening munching by drinking some tea. It's something that works pretty consistently for me.
- —greybeh
Was eating pretty healthy before....
- Before being DX'd with FMS/CFS ..... I had become a vegetarian. I've been eating pretty healthy for the past 18 yrs. So~ I think that has helped me alot ! Have cut out caffeine in the past, & KNOW that I felt better without it ! Still have some every now & then, but know HOW to control flares, etc!
- —andreanixon1
health smoothies!
- I have been relying more and more on health smoothies when I don't have enough energy to cook. I keep a bag of frozen mixed berries in the freezer, mix it with non-dairy milk (usually rice milk) and some whole food powder. I blend it up and drink it. It tastes great and has lots of fibre and nutrition. It's so easy, I usually have at least one a day. I definitely recommend these if your single or need to fix something just for yourself :)
- —Guest perpetualspiral
No suggestions, just thanks
- Thank you so much for your suggestions. I have been having this same dilemma for so long its like permanent brain-fog!
- —Guest MissM007
couscous
- I agree, I have fibromyalgia & often just can't face cooking due to pain / fatigue but some meds work better with food.. my fallback is couscous, just spoon some into a small bowl / old margarine container shake on some dried herbs and add a knob of marge or spoon of olive oil, pour on some boiling water, stir with a fork, cover and leave for five minutes. Quick, simple, it's also easy to swallow for those zero-energy, uber-pain days.
- —Guest Libby
Hazel
- I/we, that is , my husband and I DO NOT buy food from the supermarket, EXCEPT for fruit and vegetables and salad, when we are NOT getting it from the farmer's market on saturdays, down at St Lawrence Market, Toronto. We have COMPLETELY stopped buying packaged, ready made 'anything' that has been put together by a company. Regardless of how healthy they proclaim their product to be it always has either/and : coloring, chemicals, preservatives (for longer shelf life, but does NOTHING to improve OUR shelf life!), E Numbers, (E621 is Monosodium Glutamate, is an 'excitotoxin'-check it on the net- and I for one am allergic to it- I get the biggest almighty headache the following morning starting around 5 am, and used to continue till about 9 pm, that's a bad one in anybody's book! All these and anything you cannot pronounce shouldn't be in our food, and ISN"T in ours. When we DO eat out we're careful with our choices, but we do NOT eat, 90% of the time food from a supermarket.
- —Guest Hazel Schwartz
jobri
- My husband has been living with fibromyalgia for several years and was at the point where he was hardly able to drag himself out of bed. We discovered the diet which eradicates use of the Nightshade Family (elimination of tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant) and this has worked a miracle in his life. It apparently is very helpful for people with arthritis as well.
- —Guest jobri992000
Eating healthy
- It's hard, since my husband buys and eats things that are bad for me. If he cooks me something I don't care for or isn't good for me, I eat a little to please him, but that's it. For myself, I always go whole grain, high fiber and eat pickles to balance my blood sugar when I eat a treat (It's the vinegar.) I take tons of supplements to make up for not liking vegetables much.
- —Guest Kathie
Two things
- If I were consistent in my efforts of keeping up a food diary and drinking water/tea to help suppress my appetite, I'd be losing weight. I did lose 175lbs on a balanced diet (DASH diet) and those two things were essential for me.
- —greybeh
Mediteranian food
- With having fibromyalgia, I soon learned to cut all gluten products, starch, cheese, red meat, and most sugar out of my diet. I use Oat bread and pita bread for meals. A Mediterranean diet has worked best for me. I eat lots of fruits, vegetables, fish and chicken. Mediterranean recipes compliment the foods I am limited to eating. I do still snack on Sun Chips, and organic animal crackers for a snack, but only in moderation. I tend to eat lots of apples. This diet was not an easy one to transition to. Leaving all the "fun" food behind was no fun. I find myself in pain with IBS though everytime I do go back to a "comfort" food. But I am truly healthier and feel 90% better since I changed my diet.
- —teiahassey
