Gluten & Fibro Free

On the Road to Recovery from Fibromyalgia

I’m guessing if you have found my website, you are probably sick of the way doctors have been treating you and your pain. I hope that you are fed up and so tired of the suffering from Chronic Fatigue and/or Fibromyalgia, you are ready to do almost anything to get your life back. If so, it is time for you to realize that there is no magic pill that is going to heal your body and rid it of pain. You must stop asking doctors to give you a pill to treat what ails you, and take responsibility for your personal health. Become your own advocate for your health care. You know your own body better than any doctor and if you listen to what your body tells you, you can begin to heal.

The old adage “You are what you eat” is true. If you consume all starchy processed junk food, your body will be comprised of junk and you will feel awful. If you eat healthy organic whole foods and drink lots of water, your body will thank you for the nutrients by giving you energy to fuel your life. Food is your new medicine. Get inspired to change what you are eating by watching the documentary, Food Matters. You will learn about why the typical American diet is deficient in nutrients and how this is causing illness.

The Gluten Connection
In February 2010, I was reading some other Fibro bloggers’ posts about what they had done to help quiet their Fibromyalgia. I came across a posting at Fibro Haven, It’s a Gluten Thing, about how her doctor diagnosed her as being gluten intolerant.  When she gave up gluten, the Fibro Fog lifted and she had more energy. Her experiences seemed so similar that I felt I was looking in a mirror. So I decided I would go gluten-free as a trial and see if it made a difference in my life. The effects of giving up gluten was almost immediate; see my posting on February 26th. Within three days I felt like I had so much energy, it was unbelievable! Getting the gluten out of my diet helped relieve a lot of inflammation and fatigue, however I started to notice other things that my body was reacting too as well. I am still on my path to recovery, but below are some things that I have tried and I recommend you do so as well. They might just help you battle the chronic pain monster of Fibromyalgia.

Getting Started

1. Go to your doctor and get tested for Gluten Intolerance. It is a simple blood test. While you are there, have them run some tests to check for vitamin deficiencies, specifically Vitamin D, Vitamin B and Magnesium.
2. Eliminate artificial sweeteners, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and any preservatives or additives from your diet.
3. Cut out gluten from your diet for a trial period of at least ten days, even if your blood test comes back negative. The only way to really be sure whether or not your body is reacting to gluten is to avoid it and then do a food challenge, where you reintroduce the food. I did this and discovered that a quarter of a slice of sprouted wheat bread was enough to cause arthritic type joint pain for 2 days.
4. Eliminate processed foods and foods that have preservatives. If there are ingredients on the label that you cannot pronounce or you would need a chemistry degree to understand what was in the food it is probably not good for you.
5. Keep a food journal that shows what you ate and how you felt after eating certain foods. Eliminate foods from your diet that are causing discomfort.
6. Evaluate your cosmetics and body care products. My skin was reacting to some chemicals in my old skin care products, so I switched to a healthier line of products. My body care products right now are by Alba. Use the Cosmetic Safety Database to check and see if your beauty products are safe.
7. Switch to eco-friendly household cleaners. I noticed I was feeling fatigued, nauseous and dizzy when using household cleaning products and was diagnosed with environmental illness. Try getting the toxic chemicals out of your house and see if your health improves. Make your own environmentally friendly cleaners.
8. Visit an endocrinologist and have your Adrenal Glands evaluated. You may be suffering from adrenal fatigue. Find an adrenal supplement that works for you.
9. Get your home tested for Radon and get it mitigated. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Before contracting my Fibromyalgia I was exposed to high doses of Radon, combined with general poor indoor air quality. I can’t help but wonder if this caused my Fibromyalgia and Chemical Sensitivity. My doctors tell me that the only thing Radon will cause is lung cancer; there are no short term symptoms of Radon exposure. Read the Citizen’s Guide to Radon by the EPA.

Going Gluten Free

Watch the Gluten-Free Slideshow at Web MD

Unsafe Ingredients List from Celiac.com