Can a Detox Diet Cure Fibromyalgia?

People often turn to a detox diet to cure fibromyalgia, and after following this diet for some time, they frequently feel healthier and at times even pain-free.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia sufferers are generally comprised of middle-aged women, although men can be affected by this disease as well. It is often hard to initially diagnose, as it is generally recognized through muscle and joint pain that can affect virtually any part of the body. Sleeplessness and fatigue are two more common symptoms. Unfortunately, a cure for fibromyalgia hasn't been discovered, but doctors and researchers have discovered several successful forms of treatment that enable patients to deal with this sometimes debilitating disease. Many of these treatments are deemed alternative methods, and while some may be considered controversial, those who deal with this disease on a daily basis are elated when they find any type of treatment that works.

What to Put in Your Body

Many people prefer to start out by drinking caffeine-free detox teas that are often found at local health stores and contain a combination of herbs that will help your body cleanse itself. Herbs such as Echinacea, fenugreek, and ginger are often used in cooking as well. Other popular and healthy foods include plenty of raw fruits and vegetables, such as:

·         broccoli

·         cauliflower

·         broccoli

·         sprouts

·         onions

·         garlic

·         artichokes

·         beets

·         red and green vegetables

Along with these foods, one of the most important things you can do for your body is to drink lots of water throughout the day, which will help to flush out your system.

What Not to Put in Your Body

What foods should you avoid? Foods that have low if any nutritional value, such as sugared drinks, candy, etc. Foods that contain sugar, white flour, saturated fats, and preservatives. You might be surprised at how many preservatives are put into foods, so get in the habit of reading labels before you buy.

Initial Diet Symptoms

Don't be surprised if your body goes into a bit of shock once you begin the detox diet to cure fibromyalgia. It will take it a little while to adjust, and in the meantime, you may experience diarrhea, headaches, and nausea. It is absolutely essential that you contact your doctor before you embark on any new diet! Begin the diet slowly, instead of all at once. Start by changing the type of meat you eat from red meat to only white. Some diets call for an elimination of meat altogether, but again, do this gradually. Add more whole grains as you eliminate meat, dairy, and egg products. Don't be surprised if you experience more fatigue and even crankiness in the first couple of weeks as you transition to this new diet. Eventually, however, your body will adjust, hopefully you'll notice a marked difference in how you feel every day.

Solutions for Sleep

Sleep problems are one of the most common complaints among people with fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. With both conditions, poor sleep is a major source of intensified symptoms.

Regardless of the number of hours slept, sleep is usually not restorative, meaning that people wake up tired rather than refreshed. This is likely due to an insufficient amount of the deepest and most restorative type of sleep, called delta sleep. (When healthy volunteers in a research experiment were deprived of delta sleep, they developed symptoms of fibromyalgia in a few days: fatigue, cognitive difficulties, irritability and muscle aches.)

Other sleep problems include

• Difficulty getting to sleep
• Frequent awakenings or waking early
• Phase shifting (hard to fall asleep until early morning hours)
• Oversleeping (8 to 10 hours is ideal) 
• Vivid dreams
• Feeling "tired but wired" (feel exhausted but mind is racing) 
• Restless legs 
• Periodic leg movements

In addition, many people with CFS and FM experience intensified fatigue, achiness and mental fogginess that lasts one to two hours after rising. In addition to sleep problems due to CFS and FM, a majority of people with the two conditions experience sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome.

Addressing sleep problems is a good initial focus for symptom management because treating sleep can both improve quality of life and reduce other symptoms.

Have a Comfortable Environment. Provide yourself with an environment conducive to good sleep by using a good mattress, and by exercising control over light, noise and temperature. Many feel most comfortable sleeping in a recliner, which can reduce back pain.

Establish a Routine. Go through the same routine each night and have a consistent bedtime. Prepare for sleep by gradually reducing your activity level in the several hours before bedtime and by having a regular routine you go through consistently at the same time each night. Your routine might include things like getting off the computer and turning off the TV at a certain hour, taking a bath, brushing your teeth and reading. These habits can help you wind down and get ready psychologically for sleep.

Use Relaxation and Distraction. If you find it difficult to fall asleep, consider listening to quiet music or distracting yourself in some other way. If you are still unable to sleep, get up and engage yourself with quiet activities such as reading or listening to soft music or relaxation tapes until you are sleepy. Watching TV, using the computer and playing electronic games all tend to make people more alert, rather than sleepy, so should be avoided if falling back asleep is your goal.

Control Stress and Worry. Stress often leads to muscle tension, which makes falling asleep more difficult. Practising relaxation methods can help you ease tense muscles. Try relaxation procedures (you'll find examples in articles on in the Stress Management section of the Library on our website) or soak in a hot tub or bath before going to bed.

If you have difficulty falling asleep because you are preoccupied with problems, consider setting aside a "worry time" each night before going to bed. Write down all your worries and what you'll do about them. If worries come up as you are trying to go to sleep, tell yourself "I've dealt with that. I don't have to worry because I know what I'm going to do." Alternatively, you can make an appointment with yourself to deal with the issues the next day, then tell yourself "I've set aside time to deal with that tomorrow."

Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol & Tobacco. Consuming too much caffeine, drinking alcohol and smoking can make getting good rest more difficult. Avoid products with caffeine, such as coffee, tea, soft drinks and chocolate, for several hours before going to bed. Avoid alcohol before bedtime; it can create restless and uneven sleep. The nicotine in tobacco is a stimulant, thus smoking is a barrier to falling asleep.

Fibromyalgia Natural Treatment Advice

1. Many people dealing with fibromyalgia are always at cross roads, especially after the conventional medicine have failed to serve their purpose. This only means they have to look for an alternative route, and most settle for the natural treatment of fibromyalgia. However, before they start on it, they always wonder where to start, and how to start this type of treatment.

2. The best way to tackle this disease is through the natural treatment. This is the best method for permanent results.The natural treatment of fibromyalgia is mainly concerned with sleep, hormonal imbalances, nutrition and infections.

3. Because the natural treatment of fibromyalgia has not been endorsed by medical bodies as legit, who are practitioners may not be able to exactly pinpoint what a person dealing with fibromyalgia may be dealing with due to its complexity. This is because it may have symptoms that can be easily be found in other disease cases, thus may result in misdiagnosis of the disease. Basically the whole concept of the natural treatment of fibromyalgia is to expose the individual to other alternative forms of medicine which he can use to alleviate his pain and therefore better his life.

4. If a constant pain in muscles is one of the problems affecting you, you must realize that this can be reduced or controlled by things like garlic or garlic powder. Also if stress had been pinpointed as a major issue the individual will learn that foods like asparagus which contain folic acid can greatly reduce stress, as well as almonds.

5. A person dealing with fibromyalgia must have quality nutrition plan and balanced diet. This must include fresh foods, i.e. mainly fruits and vegetables, and also high quality fats and proteins.

6. A woman dealing with fibromyalgia must learn to control her emotions. This is because emotions can trigger the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Those people suffering from fibromyalgia should try to remain stress free as much as possible. They should channel their frustrations and stress outwards and away from their bodies, using various activities like maybe knitting or a hobby of some sort. Also such patients can practice yoga to attain inner peace.

7. The important thing is to work on a proper diet. Diet is very crucial to the fibromyalgic person. This is because the right diet can help remove some of the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

8. Another important thing to note is that as much as one will take up the natural treatment of fibromyalgia, he must know what he is taking and what it helps with. Just because you hear that people with fibromyalgia drink apple cider vinegar, does not mean that you just start taking it just because you have the same result.

9. Also, it is very important to acknowledge the importance of exercises in the natural treatment of fibroglycemia. It simply can not be ignored. Slacking and ignoring exercising will only result in unfitness and the body generally being out of shape, thus worsening the condition. A good way to begin would be to note down a simple work out plan. This will enable you to keep fit and plus if you can make a reminder of your workout hours, it will also be great.

Refreshing Smoothies for Fibromyalgia

We created a bunch of recipes that could help folks with fibromyalgia. This is certainly a big help. Drink some of mother natures best antioxidants. But be warned, its sharp in flavour and certainly good for waking up to in the morning.

Another one of our favourites. Juice these 2 power fruits together and detox your body, care for your bones and muscles and feel great!

Juice is fast becoming a favourite in the American home. Theres nothing complicated about this, apart from knowing all the health benefits!

-Skin your kiwis, chop and add to your juicer.

-Scoop out the seeds from 2 promegranate's and add to the juicer.

-Alternatively for a smoother taste you can blend them as a smoothie with plain yogurt and a banana.

Muscadine smoothie 

Banana is packed with magnesium. Blueberries have pterostilbene. And muscadine grapes are packed with resveratol. That's a healthy combo.
-If you have a stick blender or a mixer, simply floow these steps!

-Chop the banana and put in your pot.

-Add the washed grapes and blueberries.

-Now blend, adding some fresh juice of your choice: orange, apple, pear etc!

-If you like your drink to have a thick consistency, add a table spoon of bio active plain yogurt.

-If you like it sweeter, add a small drizzle of honey.



-This takes only minutes and is suoer healthy.

Fibromyalgia and Coconut Oil

Unhealthy eating, poor level of fitness, smoking and other bad habits can lead to the development of Fibromyalgia symptoms and making sure that they are eliminated from the patient’s life can help with making him/her feel better.

Furthermore, there is a series of foods and herbs that are believed to help those suffering from Fibromyalgia. From chamomile tea (used for its relaxing effects) to ginger and from fatty fish to nuts, there is a wide variety of products you can incorporate into your daily meals in order to help with relieving yourself from the Fibromyalgia symptoms.

Out of all these products though, coconut oil is rather misunderstood. This delicious ingredient can be added to a lot of recipes, from sweets to main dishes, but a lot of people out there believe it to be harmful in the case of those suffering from Fibromyalgia.

The reason behind this commonly encountered belief is related to the fact that coconut oil is 95% saturated fat, and this type of fats is also quite unhealthy.

However, those who believe coconut oil to be bad for those suffering from Fibromyalgia may not be watching the entire picture. Yes, coconut oil is mainly consisted out of saturated fats. But it also contains a fatty acid called “lauric acid”, which will make the coconut oil be absorbed into the body fast and it will create energy.

Since one of the major symptoms in the case of those with Fibromyalgia is precisely feeling fatigue, such a source of energy can be a great addition to one’s diet. Unlike sugary foods, coffee and caffeinated products, coconut oil can create fast energy that will not leave the body feeling even more tired than before.

Furthermore, the same lauric acid (or laurate, as it is sometimes called) can also help with the digestive issues, which are very commonly encountered in patients with Fibromyalgia as well. Because it is antiviral and antibacterial, this acid in the coconut oil can be rather beneficial to those suffering from this syndrome.

There are other types of foods that contain lauric acid or other types of medium chain fatty acids, such as butter, for instance, but coconut oil is the natural product containing the largest percentage.

Since, as mentioned before, coconut oil will be rapidly transformed into energy, it is also a good helper in the weight loss process and it will increase the metabolic rate.

Fibromyalgia is quite mysterious and nobody has yet been able to establish clearly how it is developed and, very importantly, which are its exact symptoms and which are the symptoms related to comorbid disorders.

If you (or someone you love) suffer from this syndrome, then you surely know that the most important thing in dealing with it is staying positive and acquiring as much information as possible.

Advances are made every day in this direction and new pieces of information will regularly reach the surface to complete the puzzle. Staying in touch with the latest news can be crucial, but being optimistic about relieving yourself from pain is also very important.

Delicious Fibro Smoothie

Relieve some of the symptoms associated with fibromyalgia or CFS with our fibromyalgia friendly recipes

• Ease fibromyalgia symptoms with a healthier diet
• Our smoothie recipe is simple and delicious
• Packed with antioxidants and vitamins

Looking for something easy to make and delicious in taste? Then our simple smoothie recipe could be just the thing to get your taste buds watering

And the good news is that our ingredients are particularly healthy. That’s great for people suffering from fibromyalgia symptoms. But you don’t have to be a fibro fighter to enjoy this delicious recipe.

We have chosen fruits that scientists say have massive benefits for you. Many fibro fighters love their healthy smoothies.

-Place the following ingredients in your blender, or pot to hand blend.

-Oats, honey, orange juice, blue berries, banana, raspberries and mango. 1tbsp of plain bio active yogurt also helps in a smoothie.

-Now zap it with your blender and watch the colors!

-Pour into glasses, garnish with some more fruit on top, and serve.

-Drinking smoothies each day is the easiest way to get the vitamins and anti oxidents you need.

-Keep your smoothies varied, and make a note of what smoothies have best results for you.

Cannabis: Is it Really the Best Fibromyalgia Treatment?

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome that frequently gets misunderstood. It is very commonly misdiagnosed, we cannot understand its causes and even the very fact that the pain does not appear to have any actual answer is a mystery to the entire medical world. Some doctors will go to such extents as to say that fibromyalgia is not even a real medical condition. But for you, for that someone you love and has been diagnosed with this terribly misunderstood syndrome and for other 5 million Americans of all ages, the pain is more real than anyone else can imagine.

Understanding Fibromyalgia: Is It Really Possible?

At the moment, we cannot understand fibromyalgia’s real nature. Its causes remain unknown even today, in the 21st century when so many means of medical exploration are available out there and when so much research has been done. There are, of course, certain factors medical researchers take into consideration, but beyond that they cannot put their finger on the precise cause that leads to the development of this syndrome.

These risk factors include genetics, stressful events (both at an emotional level and at a physical one), insomnia, chemical imbalances of the body and many other things. However, none of them can explain clearly why some people get fibromyalgia, why there are so many symptoms that come with it and why it is so different from one person to another.

the Food and Drug Administration in the United States of America has approved three types of drugs that are proven to be effective in treating fibromyalgia. These drugs are Lyrica, Cymbalta and Savella, all of which work with the neurotransmitters dealing with pain in the human body (serotonin, to be more exact). The first two were initially created to treat other medical conditions (such as nerve pain caused by diabetes, the shingles rashes, seizures, depression and anxiety), but the last one was created from the very beginning with the sole purpose of treating fibromyalgia.

Indeed, these drugs can be efficient in making patients feel better. But at the same time they can be quite tricky. (prescription or not, natural, alternative or traditional), you inform yourself on the side effects that can appear because some of them can make things worse for you.

Few topics are as much debated as cannabis and its legality. More recently, some states in the U.S. have legalized recreational marijuana too, but medical marijuana is now legal in 23 states (to which you could add DC). Even more than that, medical cannabis has been around for a long while.

It was the Chinese that first mentioned it in 2727 BC. Further on, even Romans and ancient Greeks knew of the properties this plant can have. Native Americans used it for spiritual purposes too. And, later on, in the 19th century, many legal medicines were based on cannabis.

It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that cannabis came under the magnifying glass as a potentially dangerous plant and, by the 1930s, all the American states had placed marijuana as illegal. Later on, in the 1990s, medical marijuana was back in legality in certain states. However, this did not come without a scandal, as the laws putting marijuana under “compassionate treatment” for the terminally ill and the laws legalizing it for medical use have been in contradiction with federal laws too.

You can buy medical cannabis only with a prescription and only in the states which allow this. With the prescription, you will get a special card that places you on the list of those who are allowed to buy marijuana and you will be able to purchase it from legal and authorized drugstores.

Medical marijuana has been proven to be efficient in alleviating all kinds of chronic pain.

There are people who are skeptical about the benefits medical marijuana can bring for patients with fibromyalgia or for patients with other diseases and medical conditions. According to these people, marijuana either does not show any actual benefit or its potential side effects are worse than the symptoms experienced by the patients. Among the major concerns the use of cannabis (medical or not) rises, the fact that it is considered to be addictive, to cause hallucinations, increased blood pressure, numbness, panic, lung problems and vomiting – all of which are considered to be unsafe for the patients.

Cannabis was rated best treatment against fibromyalgia

A new survey from the National Pain Foundation suggests medical marijuana may top currently available pharmaceuticals for treating fibromyalgia. 

The survey, conducted online, asked more than 1,300 patients with the chronic pain disorder to rate the effectiveness of treatments that they’ve tried. Medical marijuana was compared with the only three drugs approved by the FDA for fibromyalgia: Savella, Lyrica and Cymbalta.

Just 8% of patients that tried Cymbalta and 10% that tried Lyrica or Savella found the drugs to be “very effective” for managing symptoms of the disorder.

For each of the three drugs, over 60% of patients reported that it “does not help at all.”

On the other hand, 62% of patients who tried medical marijuana found it to be “very effective.” Another 33% said it “helps a little,” and only 5% felt that using cannabis for fibromyalgia “does not help at all.”

“I’ve found nothing that has worked for me, apart from marijuana,” explained one patient in the survey. “Nothing but medical marijuana has made the greatest dent in the pain and mental problems,” wrote another.

 Fibromyalgia is a disorder of the central nervous system that affects 2-4% of the population, predominately females. But while scientists still puzzle over the true cause of fibromyalgia, the latest findings shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

In a 2011 study conducted by Spanish researchers, patients who used cannabis showed improvements in pain, stiffness, relaxation and perception of well-being.

“The use of cannabis was associated with beneficial effects on some fibromyalgia symptoms,” noted the authors.

Likewise, a 2012 survey found that 1 in 8 Canadians living with fibromyalgia relies on marijuana to cope with their symptoms.

“We think that there’s probably a role for that class of compounds, the cannabinoids in general,” explains Dr. Mark Ware, associate professor of anesthesia at McGill University and co-author of the Canadian survey. “It’s just a question of working out how that’s going to be put into practice,” he adds.

An earlier study by Dr. Ware and his team revealed that nabilone, a pill containing marijuana’s active ingredient, THC, could help fibromyalgia sufferers sleep better. Nabilone has also been shown to reduce pain and improve quality of life scores in patients with the disorder.

Still, some patients prefer natural cannabis over synthetic versions, which are known to have more potent side effects.

“I have patients with a range of pain syndromes who have failed all their other treatments and for whom herbal cannabis has been the only reasonable option that they have that controls their symptoms,” says Dr. Ware.