Research has shown that working out first thing in the morning will rev up your metabolism for the rest of the day. If you’re short on time in the mornings, opt for a quick, but high-intensity workout of the basics, such as jumping jacks, push-ups, and squats.
Folks suffering with fibromyalgia (FM) commonly complain that certain foods can make their symptoms worse. How common is this? One study reported 42% of FM patients found that certain foods worsened their symptoms!
Because FM affects each person differently, there is no ONE FM diet or, “…one size fits all” when it comes to eating “right” for FM. Patients with FM usually find out by trial and error which foods work vs. those that consistently don’t. However, remembering which foods do what can be a challenge so FIRST, make a three column FOOD LOG with the following headings: BETTER, NO CHANGE, WORSE. This will allow you to QUICKLY review the list as a memory refresher.
According to Dr. Ginevra Liptan, medical director of the Frida Center for Fibromyalgia (Portland, OR) and author of Figuring Out Fibromyalgia: Current Science and the Most Effective Treatments, there are some common trends she’s observed through treating FM patients. Here are some of her recommendations:
PAY ATTENTION TO HOW FOOD MAKES YOU FEEL: It is quite common to have “sensitivities” to certain foods, but this is highly variable from person to person. Examples of problematic foods/ingredients include: MSG (commonly used in Chinese food), other preservatives, eggs, gluten, and dairy. Dr. Liptan HIGHLY recommends the food journal approach! She also recommends including a note about the type of symptoms noticed with each “WORSE” food, as symptoms can vary significantly.
ELIMINATE CERTAIN FOODS: If you suspect a certain food may be problematic, try an elimination challenge diet. That means STOP eating that food for six to eight weeks and then ADD it back into your diet and see how you feel. Remember, FM sufferers frequently have irritable bowel syndrome, also known as IBS, and this approach can be REALLY HELPFUL! Food allergies may be part of the problem, and your doctor may refer you for a consult with an allergist and/or a dietician. They will also discuss the “anti-inflammatory diet” with you.
EAT HEALTHY: In general, your diet should emphasize fruits and vegetables and lean protein. Pre-prepare food so you have something “healthy” to reach for rather than a less healthy snack when you’re hungry and tired. Consider “pre-washed” and pre-cut up vegetables; try quinoa rather than pasta. Consume anti-fatigue foods and eat multiple small meals daily vs. one to two large meals. Protein snacks (like a hardboiled egg or oatmeal – GLUTEN FREE) help a lot! Eat breakfast and include protein. Also, GET ENOUGH SLEEP (at least seven to eight hours and be consistent)!
SUPPLEMENTS: Consider a good general multi-vitamin, calcium and magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D3, and Co-Enzyme Q10. There are others, but this represents a great place to start. Remember to check any medication you may be taking with these/any suggestions before taking supplements!
If you, a friend or family member requires care for Fibromyalgia, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services!
As exciting as the holidays can be, the added stress that comes along can really affect how your body functions. Whether you’ll be doing a lot of shopping, cooking, wrapping presents, or attending holiday parties, chances are you’ll be putting your body through a lot more than it’s normally accustomed to and all of this can trigger back and neck pain. Here are 11 tips to help you prepare for a happy and healthy holiday season.
Shopping Tips
• Dress appropriately before heading out for a day of shopping. Wear comfortable low-heeled shoes with arch supports and leave your heavy purse at home. Opt for a light backpack or a fanny pack to carry your personal belongings.
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
• A long day of shopping, i.e. walking, should be treated like an athletic event. Make sure you stretch before and after.
• Make extra trips to the car to drop off your goods so you don’t have to carry those heavy bags around all day.
• Take advantage of online shopping. Skip the long lines and crowded malls completely and shop from the comfort of your own home.
• Simplify your to-do list by picking up gift cards at the grocery store. You’ll get two errands done in one stop.
Wrapping Tips
• Use a table or a counter to wrap gifts. The floor is a less than ideal spot to do your wrapping. Standing or sitting in a chair will promote better posture and help you avoid back and neck pain.
• Don’t wait until the last minute to wrap all of your gifts. Wrapping a few at a time is best.
Wellness Tips
• Don’t neglect your fitness routine. Although you’ll be busier than normal, it’s important to keep those workouts on your daily to-do list. Even a quick 20-minute
workout is better than skipping it all together and you’ll be helping to manage your stress.
• Get enough sleep. The holidays won’t be as enjoyable if you aren’t catching enough z’s. Make sure you’re getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
• Try to stay on track with your healthy eating. Gaining extra weight will only contribute to back pain and health problems. Before attending a party, make sure you eat something healthy and drink plenty of water to avoid overeating while you’re there. It’s ok to indulge a little with holiday treats, just be sure to be sensible about it.
With some simple preparation, you can manage holiday stressors and ward off debilitating back and neck pain. If you do experience pain this season, please give our office a call. We’re experts at finding the root cause of your pain and can help you get back to a better quality of life.
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a common condition that affects about five million Americans, often between ages 20 and 45 years old. FM is very difficult to diagnose primarily because there is no definitive test like there is for heart, liver, or kidney disease. Equally challenging is the ability to effectively treat FM as there are frequently other conditions that co-exist with FM that require special treatment considerations. Typically, each FM case is unique with a different group of symptoms and therefore, each person requires individualized care.
Fibromyalgia symptoms can include generalized pain throughout the body that can vary from mild to severely disabling, extreme fatigue, nausea/flu-like symptoms, brain “fog” (“fibro-fog”), depression and/or anxiety, sleeping problems and feeling un-refreshed in the mornings, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, morning stiffness, painful menstrual cramps, numbness or tingling (arms/hands, legs/feet), tender points, urinary pain or burning, and more!
So, let’s talk about ways to improve your FM-related symptoms through dietary approaches. When the FM symptom group includes gut trouble (bad/painful gas, bloating, and/or constipation), it’s not uncommon to have an imbalance between the “good” vs. the “bad” bacteria, yeast, and problems with digestion or absorption. Think of management as a “Four Step” process for the digestive system:
1. REMOVE SENSITIVITIES: Consider food allergy testing to determine any foods the FM patient has a sensitivity for. Frequently, removing gluten, dairy, eggs, bananas, potatoes, corn, and red meat can benefit the FM patient. The use of anti-fungal and / or anti-bacterial botanicals (as opposed to drug approaches such as antibiotics) can be highly effective. A low allergy-potential diet consisting of fish, poultry, certain vegetables, legumes, fruits, rice, and olive and coconut oil is usually a good choice.
2. IMPROVE DIGESTIVE FUNCTION: The presence of bloating and gas is usually indicative of poor digestion, and the use of a digestive enzyme with every meal can be highly effective!
3. RESTORE THE “GOOD” BACTERIA: Probiotics (with at least 20-30 billion live organisms) at each meal are often necessary to improve the “good” gut bacteria population, which will likely also improve immune function.
4. REPAIR THE GUT: If the gut wall is damaged, nutrients like l-glutamine, fish oils, and n-acetyl-d-glucosamine may help repair it.
This process will take several months, and some of these approaches may have to be continued over the long term. Doctors of chiropractic are trained in nutritional counseling and can help you in this process. As an added benefit, many FM sufferers find the inclusion of chiropractic adjustments to be both symptomatically relieving and energy producing.
If you, a friend or family member requires care for Fibromyalgia, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services!
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a common cause for chronic pain (pain that lasts three or more months) and afflicts 4% of the general population in the United States! FM commonly affects the muscles and soft tissues – not the joints (like arthritis); however, many FM sufferers are mistakenly diagnosed with arthritis, so it may take years before they get an accurate diagnosis. There are NO known accurate diagnostic tests for FM, which is another reason for a delayed diagnosis.
In order to answer the question, “Can fibromyalgia be prevented?” we must first find the cause of FM. There are two types of FM: PRIMARY and SECONDARY. Primary FM occurs for no known reason, while secondary FM can be triggered by a physical event such as a trauma (e.g., car accident), an emotional event or a stressful situation (e.g., loss of a child), and/or a medical event such as a condition like irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, or systemic lupus erythymatosis (SLE). Any condition that carries chronic or long-lasting symptoms can trigger FM, and some argue that the lack of being able to get into the deep sleep stage may be at the core of triggering FM since sleep disorders are a common finding in FM sufferers!
The “KEY” to managing FM has consistently been and probably always will be EXERCISE and SLEEP. So, if FM is preventable, daily exercise and getting the “right kind” of sleep are very important ways that may reduce the likelihood for developing the condition! Since emotions play a KEY ROLE in the cause and/or effect of FM, applying skills that keep life’s stressors in check is also important. This list can include hobbies like reading a good book, playing and/or listening to music, or meditation. The combination of exercise with mindful meditation using approaches like Tai Chi, Yoga, Qi Gong, and others has had positive impacts on FM patients such as improved balance and stability, reduced pain, enhanced mental clarity, and generally improved quality of life. Managing physical conditions that are associated with FM (such as irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, or systemic lupus erythymatosis) is also important in managing and/or preventing FM.
Another management strategy of FM is diet. As most patients with FM will agree, certain foods help and others make the FM symptoms worse. In a survey published in the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, 42% of FM patients reported certain foods exacerbated their symptoms. Of course, each individual case is unique, so keeping a food log or journal can be very helpful to determine dietary “friends” vs. “enemies.” The first step is to eliminate certain foods for four to six weeks, such as dairy and/or gluten. Most patients report a significant improvement in energy (less fatigue) while some report less pain when problem foods are eliminated from their diet. Generally, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins can have a positive impact on the FM patient. Consider eating multiple small meals vs. two or three large meals during the day, as this can keep blood sugar levels more stable and reduce fatigue.
So back to the question, can fibromyalgia be prevented? Maybe…maybe not. Since the medical community doesn’t know the exact cause, it’s hard to answer this question. However, being proactive and implementing the strategies used to better manage FM may help in preventing it as well!
If you, a friend or family member requires care for Fibromyalgia, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services!
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2517920#ioi160017r18
Some very interesting findings in this study. Over the course of two years participants who were part of the fasting group showed a weight loss of 10% on average as well as improved perceptions of quality of life, energy, sleep quality and libido.
Is fasting right for you? That depends and it is an idea that you and your health care professional should discuss as what works for some may not be right for you.
Letting kids help in the garden may promote lifelong healthy eating habits. Researchers surveyed over 1,300 college students and found that students who gardened as a child and continue to do so ate 2.9 cups of fruits and vegetables daily—about a half a cup more than their peers who never gardened.
Lead author Dr. Anne Mathews adds, “We found that if your parents gardened but you did not, just watching them did not make a difference in how much fruits and vegetables you eat in college. Hands-on experience seems to matter.” The authors suggest that schools offer gardening lessons to expose young children to the activity, which may encourage students to maintain healthy eating habits later in life.
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, September 2016
Aberdeen Chiropractic 