Diet for Fibromyalgia

Before beginning any kinds of changes to your current diet for fibromyalgia, keep a food journal for seven days. Write down everything you eat or drink – and I mean everything, including water. Include the time of day and the amount ingested. It might look something like this:

Day 1

Take it with you the next time you see your physician or make a special appointment with a nutritionist – it will be worth the money in the end if you can afford it. If you see a nutritionist, try to ensure that they have worked with fibromyalgia patients before.

It is important that you are feeling better mentally and physically before you try to change your diet drastically. On the other hand, there are instances where it is what you are eating that is causing the majority of your problems. An American’s typical diet is filled with processed and preserved foods, artificial foods and hydrogenated fat.

While not easy to do, one of the best things you can do for your overall health and wellbeing is to switch to an organic or natural diet. It is expensive to eat totally organic but you can improve your diet drastically by starting with the basic ingredients and eliminating anything that has had any processing done to it. For example, eat oatmeal (not the instant but the kind in the tall cardboard canister – a little more work but drastically different) rather than boxed cereals. Rather than purchase luncheon meats, make large roasts, turkey, ham, etc. and slice your own meat. Eliminate soft drinks and slowly wean yourself from added sugar to coffee, tea, etc. Drink more water – at least 6 glasses but the more the better.

Dr. Rodger Murphee cautions against following any low-fat, low-protein or low calorie diets. (Murphree, 2008, pp. 354-355) Low-carbohydrate diets, however, may be beneficial, i.e., the Atkin’s Diet.

Works Cited

Murphree, R. H. (2008). Treating and Beating Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Step-by-step Program Proven to Help You Get Well! Birmingham, AL, USA: Harrison and Hampton Publishing, Inc.