Fibromyalgia is a chronic complex condition that has got medical experts baffled ever since. Often mimicking other chronic conditions like IBS(Irritable Bowel Syndrome), lupus, and athritis; it is characterized by the following symptoms: fatigue, depression, muscle and tissue pain, and sleep problems. What makes this illness tricky to handle is the wide breadth of variegated triggers which require doctors to apply individualized treatment. And since medications could only partially alleviate symptoms, patients have sought lifestyle changes so as to help them better cope with fibromyalgia.
When it comes to the right diet, only a few researches and studies have been done to shed light to the connection between food and pain. And to these, no exact findings have been identified to clearly state how food figures out exactly in either decreasing or increasing a person’s susceptibility to the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Nevertheless, medical experts have agreed that abiding by these 10 helpful smart eating tips would make it easier for fibromyalgia sufferers to manage the chronic pain.
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Limit food to only fresh, natural sources.
Food sensitivities are common to fibromyalgia sufferers. So, as a general rule, avoiding processed foods or any other kind of food containing preservatives and other chemical additives is best. However, although meats are acceptable, doctors find it more favorable for the patients if they reduce their overall consumption of any food items that are meat based or containing meat.
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Go easy on the caffeine.
Since fibromyalgia is linked to an imbalance in the production of brain chemicals responsible for mood control connected to its symptoms of sleep disturbances and fatigue, doctors caution patients against excessive caffeine intake. Even if the latter could provide an energy boost, it is but temporary and could even be more harmful in the long run.
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Skip the potatoes, eggplants, and tomatoes.
All vegetables possess nutritive benefits; however, those belonging to the nightshade family—potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants—are believed to set off pain and athritis in some individuals. Skipping them altogether has been proven to greatly alleviate pain-related symptoms.
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Indulge in omega-3-rich foods.
The omega-3-fatty acids contained in fishes like salmon and tuna possess tremendous health benefits, which include pain reduction. Capable of lowering pain inflammation and improve intellectual functioning, taking fish oil supplements or eating omega-3-rich fishes have been proven to reduce pain among 60% of athritis patients.
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Take it easy with food products containing yeast, gluten, and dairy.
Because most baked treats use yeast, gluten, and dairy; limiting consumption of these kinds of food help alleviate the symptoms of chronic pain sufferers. However, this is not limited to baked foods alone. Any kind of food containing the three aforementioned ingredients should be placed on every chronic pain sufferer’s food watch list. The explanation, according to experts, is that yeast promotes fungus growth in the body while gluten sensitivity is common among patients. Also, most fibromyalgia sufferers are known to be lactose intolerant. Hence, restricting consumption of food products with these components have been proven to reduce pain episodes.