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Healthy Diet Plan For Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia diet plan – through a process of trial and error, those suffering from this painful condition can develop a personalized fibromyalgia diet.

There is no definitive proof that changes in diet will help reduce the symptoms of fibromyalgia. That doesn’t mean that the foods a sufferer eats regularly are insignificant. It certainly won’t hurt to try a fibromyalgia diet plan to see how it affects the condition. Fibromyalgia doesn’t touch every person the same way. Managing diet is one way those dealing with this painful illness may be able to take back control of their bodies.

More about Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that leads to pain and tenderness in the joints and muscles. Tender points all over the body become sensitive to pain when touched. One theory is that a malfunction exists in the normal pain pathways. In other words, something goes wrong with the way the body registers painful stimuli.

Another possible culprit is a sleep disorder. Some scientists believe the inability to reach and maintain level four sleep may be the cause. Level four sleep is the stage that allows the body to repair itself. When a person cannot maintain level four sleep, tiny tears in the muscle tissue build up leading to fibromyalgia pain.

While the condition tends to affect everyone differently, there do seem to be some correlations. For example, more women than men develop symptoms. People diagnosed with fibromyalgia also deal with chronic sleep problems, depression and irritable bowel syndrome.

Studies have failed to establish a link between the radiating pain and tenderness from fibromyalgia and diet. Even so, some doctors such as Ginevra Liptan MD from Frida Center for Fibromyalgia think there may be a connection. Since no one knows exactly what causes the flair ups, diet may indeed factor into the equation.

Fibromyalgia Diet Plan

The problem with developing a standard diet as treatment protocol for fibromyalgia is that symptoms and triggers vary from person to person. To create a fibromyalgia diet, suffers should maintain a food diary. The goal is to look for foods that may exasperate symptoms. The diary should register each meal in detail. Things to consider include preservatives such as MSG, hidden ingredients like glutton or dairy and common allergens such as wheat or nuts.

One study published in Clinical Rheumatology surveyed fibromyalgia patients. It showed that 42 percent were able to identify certain foods that increased their pain levels.

Eliminating Foods

Even patients that don’t go to the extreme of recording their food selections in a diary can find ways to manage their fibromyalgia diet. One approach is to cut out staple items one at a time. For example, if Sunday dinner is always takeout Chinese, switch to pizza. If symptoms lesson, the problem may be MSG. A person who always puts creamer in coffee might drink it black to see if it helps control the pain. Through the process of elimination, suffers can pinpoint foods that trigger flair ups.

Common Foods to Avoid in a Fibromyalgia Diet

Although no studies have proven a connection between diet and fibromyalgia, some common foods come up in patient research. Fibromyalgia patients report that avoiding these items helps reduce symptoms, according to Mayo Clinic.

Refined Flour
All Carbonated drinks
Sugar
Sugar substitutes
Carmel coloring found in soda

This evidence is strictly anecdotal since no clinical studies prove that cutting these foods out of a fibromyalgia diet plan is effective for pain management.

Realistic Expectations

The disabling pain that occurs with fibromyalgia means that a change in diet is worth the effort even if it doesn’t work for everyone. What might be effective for one patient may be of no benefit to the next. Each suffer must chronicle their daily activities to find ways to help manage the illness. The key is to be realistic. Nothing is a cure at this point. This is true with a fibromyalgia diet, as well as other treatment protocols.

Diet control in combination with other techniques is the best way to see results. Fibromyalgia patients must learn to moderate activity levels, experiment with relaxation techniques, improve sleep and take medications to manage pain in addition to monitoring their diet.