DAY 6

So I skipped a day!  Not really, it's just easier to get the time to write in the morning, so i thought i'd start doing it the next day instead!!

Amazing what modern medications will do for you.  I feel like most of my fibro symptoms are back. I have brain fog again, pain is creeping in, and I find myself sleeping the day away, only to wake up with little to no energy left to do anything.  I contacted my Dr. to see what the hold-up was on some of the meds and supplements I've been waiting for.  Turns out, some of them were no longer available, and substitutions had to be made!  So glad I called in and asked!  It's really important that you take control over your health.  I don't just take what anyone (including my doctors) say without researching into it a little.  No one knows your body, your symptoms, your pain, your circumstances like you do. There is so much easy access to information now, that there is no reason not to get more involved.

It's taking a lot of time and patience for me to try to fix this fibro.  It surely isn't an easy road.  But I figure, 2 months of hard times vs. a lifetime of pain/suffering and not being able to do things with my family like I used to... well, for me there's no other option!!  I will make it through this!!  And if this doesn't work out, I'll move on to the next process of elimination.  And on and on until we run out of things to try.  And even then, I'll still keep a look out for new things to tell my Dr. about! There's no giving up in this girl.  I can do All things through Him who strengthens me! (Phil.4:13)

BREAKFAST Nothing new here, I just took a mush cake from yesterday and crumbled it on top of a cup of applesauce.  I liked it better this way!

LUNCH  Spinach and spring greens salad with avocado, onion, seeds, and homemade balsamic dressing (see yesterday's post for recipe)

DINNER  I was in the mood for something warm and cozy, and I thought how much cozier can you get than soup?  I had some veggie broth (organic non-gmo, etc etc) and I spiralized a zucchini and a squash.  I also added a few carrots, some italian spices, and salt.   Yum!  All that was missing was a big hunk of bread and cheese... sigh.... those were the good ol days!  

DAY 5

PAIN!!   It's the norm when you have fibromyalgia.  Sometimes, you get a break for a while.  Sometimes, the pain feels like you just came from playing a football game while having the flu.  Sometimes, you feel absolutely fine, and out of nowhere, WHAM!! you get a stabbing pain in between the bones of your knee.  Or ankle, or elbow.   Chronic back pain, muscle spasms, headaches.  All invisible.  So we have to monitor ourselves carefully, so that we can do the things that are most important to us.

We went to church today. It can sometimes be difficult because there is a lot of standing without moving.  My knees don't like that! I was moving pretty slowly, as my meds are fully out of my system, I think.  My lower back pain is creeping in.  I could feel the heaviness of my leg muscles.  As if they were each moving through quicksand.  During church, the Pastor had a great message that can be used in any walks of life.  It was about PRIORITY.  

He said that priority means the #1 thing that is most important.  The word priorities didn't even become a word until the 1900's.  Because there should be only 1 Most Important Thing.  Basically, the advice was: don't worry about many things.  Concern yourself with only few.  Or one.  (paraphrased from the story in Luke 10:38-42).  This story was about Mary making Jesus her first priority.  Be we, as fibro warriors must do this in all aspects of our lives.

Yes, the house must be cleaned, the food cooked, the shopping done, work to get to, bills to be paid.  But we must choose those priorities wisely, when your energy supply is cut in half, or worse with an autoimmune disease.  When things get overwhelming, remember to concern yourself with only one.  The most important one at this moment.  So, slowly but surely this morning, after I got dressed, (no, I didn't make the bed!) I made sure to get my important breakfast.  This diet is a very high priority in my life right now!!

BREAKFAST   Smoothie.  Today, I changed it up.  I added fresh cranberries with my frozen blueberries, half a banana, almond milk, stevia packet, and chia seeds.  YUM!

SNACK  I had been waiting for this all day!!  This was the wonderful cashew butter I discovered at the grocery store yesterday.  I mixed it with some raw honey.  Seriously, I think I could live on this.  

I had been doing some research on breakfast foods that fit the parameters of my diet.  I came up with a muffin recipe (banana ) that used no eggs (chia seed substitute!!), coconut flour, and no sugar!  I had some time and energy, so I whipped up a batch.  Smells good... I hope they taste good too!!

The pain is gone, but I'm still moving a little slow... I'm looking forward to starting taking the supplements that start the bacteria removal process.  Only a few days away!

LUNCH   Today I had a spinach salad with half an avocado, and some sunflower/pumpkin seeds.  I whipped up a homemade dressing.  In a small plastic container, 1 sprinkled some salt, dried italian spices, a small spoon of diced garlic, and 1:1 balsamic vinegar to extra virgin olive oil.  YUM YUM!! That's going into the "use again" category for sure!!

 SNACK  applesauce cup and more seeds.  With my husband.  Now we're both seed addicts!

DINNER   Time to try out the muffins!!  Packed with protein from all the nutty ingredients, I figured dinner was a perfect opportunity to try it out!!  As you can see by the pictures, I changed up the original recipe by poking in some cranberries and blueberries into the little cups.   They were... different!  They had a yummy sweet taste.  But the dough didn't really stick together.  It was quite mushy, actually, so instead of a muffin, it was more like a cobbler.  With fiber.  Lots and lots of grainy fiber.  I took out one of the mush cakes, and served it up with a bowl of ripe cantaloupe.  It made quite a nice pairing!  I think it would be great with a cup of coffee. (which I can't have).  

Shopping list 2

"Stop eating my seeds!!!" I scolded my husband half-heartedly.  Unless you want to take me to the store!  So away we went.  I've been looking at alternatives to smoothies for breakfast, and I found some great recipes for pancakes and muffins, using the ingredients below.  Plus, I just discovered CASHEW BUTTER.  Why has no one told me about this wonderful goodness made in a grinder while you stand there watching!!  I cant wait to mix in some raw honey and dip some apples in there....

Cranberries (fresh, organic)
Coconut flour (did you know that you only use 1/3 the amount of regular flour because it expands?)
Sunflower seeds (bulk)
pumpkin seeds (bulk)
Organic, unsweetened coconut milk (I'm hoping I'll like this better than Almond milk.)
Avocados (gotta get in that good fat)
Organic coconut oil
Cashew Butter  mmmm-mmm!
Cantaloupe (I didn't know I liked these so much!!)
Another $60 well spent!

AS REQUESTED: Medications recommended by MY DOCTOR

ATTENTION!!!  I AM NOT YOUR DOCTOR!! 

Do not follow any protocol, unless instructed to do so by YOUR DOCTOR!!!

That being said, if you're interested in sharing what I'm doing with your Dr. Here's the list!!

Before I started this diet, my doctors had me trying different things for pain.  Different things work differently for different people, keep that in mind.  What did/didn't work for me may have opposite effects for you.  Fibromyalgia is a trial-by-error disease!!

The first med I was on was Tramadol.  Worked like a charm.  Except it made my face freeze in a weird seizure-like state when I began to fall asleep.  My husband playfully nick-named it the "angry rabbit".  I asked my (previous) doctor about it, and he said that was not a side effect.  I found a blog online that had a whole troop of people who had experienced the same symptom while using it. So I stopped.  Remember your Mom telling you, "don't make that ugly face, it may stick that way".  Well, I didn't want mine to stick, so I switched!

The second med I was on was Celexa. It made me stay  up allll night.  No matter how early I took it in the morning.

The next doctor wanted me to try Low Dose Naltrexone.  It has to be compounded at a special pharmacy.  It worked almost immediately with very little side effects (some stomach upset in the middle of the night for a few days).  I was on that until my Dr. asked me to start this diet.  I asked him if I could go off of the meds for the purpose of this blog.  He agreed, and said that he often recommends patients wean off meds periodically.  (DO NOT DO THIS WITHOUT MEDICAL SUPPORT!)

So now, the meds I'm on are mostly natural herbals, and a couple antibiotics.

Womens Multi-Vitamin (from Melaleuca)
Digestive Enzymes
Antibiotic support
Thera-biotic
Lipoic Acid Bismuth (Antibiotic)
Tinidazole (Antibiotic)
Max Probiotic
GI Microbe-X
Allicillin

There is a complicated schedule for when/how all of these are taken... like rocket science!!  Different people's systems grow different types of bacteria.  This combo is for my particular brand of bacterial overgrowth!!

I'm willing to try all of this, because I no longer want to punish myself by adding pain and suffering to my life, solely by the nutrition mistakes I have made in the past.  I want to destroy that past sugar-holic, and live pain-free.  I am truly hoping that these changes not only affect me, but also my children and husband.  So that they don't end up unknowingly putting themselves in a similar situation.  so...   I'm FIXING MY FIBRO WITH FOOD!!!

DAY 4

SUCCESS!!!  I made it over the sugar hangover hill!!  No more pounding headaches!  Took less time than usual, actually.  (Yes, this is not my first time going sugar free).  Woke up nice and naturally again today!  Had a quick shower; the lower back was complaining and groaning this AM, but the hot water fought its way into the stiff muscles there, and I overcame!

SHOUT OUT TO MY SUPPORT GROUPS!

Fighting fibro (or any other invisible disease, for that matter) is difficult.  Often, no one understands you, even health care professionals.  Family and friends feel helpless or deny what is going on.  Please just know, to all those who support me, you are SO appreciated!!  I have a great Dr. now (after trial and error of many).  My family now understands that it's "make your own dinner night" if I'm passed out on the couch at 5PM. My friends check up on me.  The places where I volunteer know that when I say I need a break, that I really mean it.  Even the Fibro Facebook Groups that I follow are a huge source of wisdom, advice, and more importantly, a listening ear, when no-one else is available. If you are suffering, hug your support people today!  If you're that support person, THANK YOU. If you're unsure about someone in your life who is suffering, get educated.  There's nothing nicer than someone doing some research, and understanding what you're facing.

BREAKFAST   Return to smoothie!  Banana, blueberries, blackberries, chia seeds, almond milk, and a little stevia and ice.  Yum!!  I made it extra large, because Saturday is GAME DAY for my son's basketball team!  They won! 50-28.  After all that cheering, I thought I'd be exhausted. But, the only thing I was was starving!!  So quickly, onto:

LUNCH   Turkey Wraps.  I grabbed a handful of spinach/spring lettuce, some paper thin slices of red onions, half an avocado, and wrapped that inside of a slice of free range, hormone free turkey.  A little salt, some balsamic for dippin, and voila! Quick and satisfying.  I was feeling a sweets craving right after, so I peeled a beautiful honey tangerine.

CRASH! Yep, nap time... When the exhaustion sets in, I can sleep through most anything.  Even the neighbor boys coming over and playing Minecraft for an hour.  Sure, I should have dragged myself out of the double-wide papasan chair and went downstairs. But......can't....move..... 


SNACK  YAY Sunflower/pumpkin seed mix!  I cant stop eating the salty crunchy yummie guys...

REMEMBER:  WATER WATER WATER!!!  My Daughter constantly hands me a full water bottle to help my progress.  Thank you sweetie.

DINNER   The prospect of having another salad was daunting... so how about a cooked salad!!! lol.... I remember growing up how my friend talked me into eating the pile of wilted spinach that sat in the little square compartment of the cafeteria tray.  She said she loved it, as I watched her sprinkle vinegar on the top.  Well, if it works for Popeye...  So that was tonights inspiration.  A blast from the past.  Did you know, that when you take fresh baby spinach and cook it down, (I used a canola oil butter substitute), a whole pot turns into like 1/3 of a cup.  I kept adding, and adding.... It just took a few minutes until I had a nice little pile of green goodness.  I added a green onion, and some seeds for protein.  Paired up with thin slices of Honeycrisp apples with Himalayan pink salt on top... mmmmm.

DAY 3

GOOD MORNING!!

I am blessed! I woke up this morning naturally... No alarm clock, as both the kids have a teacher in-service day and therefore, no school.  I am lucky.  Most fibromyalgia sufferers have troubles sleeping.  Not me.  I can sleep from 9 to 9 if allowed!  As I lay in bed, I do the check up:  Ankles hurt?  Nope. Legs hurt? A little twinge in the right knee. Not bad. Hips? Good. A little twinge in the right elbow, between the bones. Shoulders? Always that stiff/sore feeling in my neck and shoulders that never goes away.  Like the saddlebags on my hips.  Headache? Nope! Maybe I'm lucky and I'll not have a sugar hangover today!!

So I hop on out of bed, thinking about the chia seed pudding waiting for me in the fridge.  I made it last night as it has to sit overnight before you eat it.  I'm skeptical.

BREAKFAST Chia seed pudding with half a banana.  My son promised that he would try it with me, so I called him in.  Once he saw it, he quickly went back on his promise.  It was a slimy, grayish bowl of goo.  But it smelled good. I told him I can't do it without him.  He needs to be my hero today... He actually tried it.  By his face, it made me brave enough to try it too! Not bad!  As long as you don't look at it while eating!  I ended up eating off all the bananas, then warming it up in the microwave.  No improvement.  I'll be going back to smoothies tomorrow!

 3 days off my pain meds, and so far, so good!  I usually take LDN every night to manage my pain.  I consulted my Dr. about going off while I was doing this diet, and he agreed.  He also mentioned, that if I start to feel pain again, not to go too long off it, so I will take that into consideration.  I can already feel my energy level rising, too.  I didn't need a nap yesterday.  Today, I'm venturing outside with the kids and the dog to the dog park!  Wish me luck!!

Dog park success! Came home with a tired pooch, no dog poop on anyone's shoes, I got in some exercise, and the kids had fun!!  I think my meds are still in my system, though, because I still don't feel like I need a nap!  AND, I think i may make a Costco run, since my kid just informed me that we need dog food...TODAY. Before meds, I only scheduled 1 activity per day. Whether it be shopping, or volunteering.  For me to have energy to do 2 things, well...!!  Is the food affecting me already?? Maybe......?

SNACK  ate a half cup of sunflower and pumpkin seeds and my go-to cup of applesauce

LUNCH  See yesterday's dinner!  I forgot how much I really enjoy eating healthy!  I really love that bowl.  I used to add corn, chips, and jalapenos to it too.  Only 27 days till I get to add in some new foods!!  I wonder what I'll try first.  Probably cheese.. Mmmmmm cheese...

DINNER I had a slice of Wild Caught- Sockeye Salmon, in a garlic balsamic glaze, with a large slice of cantaloupe.  Usually, I like salmon.  Tonight's was fishy.  My husband says that's because of the way I cooked it (ie: without a ton of butter and wine).  I have one more piece to eat from the same fishy.  Maybe I'll grill him...

Good News is, I'm still feeling great!  Even my husband is noticing that I have more spunk than usual!  Woo Hoo!!

DESSERT I have a hard time after dinner. I always crave something sweet.  So I raided my husband's gum stash!! This is working, people!!!

 

DAY 2

Woke up feeling pretty good! Had a bit of a headache last night, but I'm sure I'm having sugar withdrawals.  (It's a thing... Google it!) I've been off my meds for 2 days now, and haven't felt a big difference in pain so... YAY!!

BREAKFAST - I guess I better start using those nice ingredients I bought yesterday, so I'm gonna try a smoothie. Blueberries, half a banana, some Chia seeds and almond milk for protein. I didn't realize at the store that the almond milk doesn't really have much protein. I'll look next time at the coconut milk and cashew milk to see if I can get more protein from them...

BREAKFAST UPDATE!! So I had to modify the smoothie.  I haven't ever had almond milk before.  And Chia seeds are stronger than gorilla glue.  Man, you add some water to those babies, and they swell up and stick together forever.  I may have to invest in a sandblaster to get them out of this cup...

So after blending and tasting... well, it was very.... nutty. Maybe an aquired taste.  So I added a packet of Truvia (which is an allowed sweetener made from the stevia leaf) and some crushed ice to make it go down easier.  It's not so bad now!!  

SNACK  I had a tasty honeycrisp apple, sliced up thin with lemonjuice and salt on it.  Just like Dad used to eat them.

2nd SNACK? PRE-LUNCH?  Lol... I was hungry! What??!  So I downed a little mixture of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.  Found out I'm not as fond of the pumpkin, which is okay cause they're like 5x more expensive!!

LUNCH  I had a beautiful salad that I whipped together with some fridge ingredients.  Some Spinach/spring lettuce, red onions, sun dried tomatoes, Japanese cucumbers, sunflower seeds and aged balsalmic vinegar.

2 things: Nightshade plants are known to cause inflammation in some people, and some diets tell you to stay away from them. I don't have a problem with them.  Also, you have to watch out for vinegar.  Most of it is grain derived.  This particular one comes from grape mush...

But here comes the headache......  My poor brain needs some SUGAR!! I can tell i'm doing well when the headaches come.  2 more days and the headaches should be cleared out.  Strange how you can become addicted to the white sweetness of wonder!

SNACK half a tangerine

DINNER a lovely bowl of greens, black beans, cilantro, lime, and avocado. With a little salsa. Yum!

TO EAT AND NOT TO EAT!!! The list!

Bio-Reset Core Elimination Diet (Recommended by my DOCTOR for 1 month)



Meats- Cold water fish 3x/week, free range poultry 1x/week, and grass fed beef 2x/month

Dairy- Rice and Nut Milks

Legumes- Black and Kidney beans

Fruits- Most of them. Pitted fruits, Dark berries and Melons are best.  No Strawberries or pineapple

Vegetables- All except Potato, Eggplant, Peppers. (Majority of my diet is to be Green Leafys)

Starches and Grains- NONE!

Soups- Clear veggie or bone broth

Drinks- Herbal tea, fresh fruit/veggie juice, water

Nuts/Seeds- Pecans, flax, chia, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, and butters allowed from those nuts

Sweeteners-  Raw, organic honey, Stevia



That's all folks!!  After this month, I get to incorporate foods back into my diet, one at a time.  This will tell me what triggers pain, headaches, stomach pains, fibro fog, and exhaustion.

Shopping!!

1. My first suggestion.  before you change everything you eat, make sure you have the new foods available BEFORE you start the diet!! I figured I could just make due, but WRONG!! bad idea.  I walked around the house in a frenzy, trying to ignore all the kid's snacks, while talking to myself about just putting it off until tomorrow!!


Wow! Did I need that! Here's the list of goodies I got from Roths grocery.

2 servings of wild caught sockeye salmon
Bulk Chia seeds
Bulk pumpkin seeds
Bulk sunflower seeds
Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Unprocessed turkey slices (free range, no hormones)
Cantaloupe
Bananas
Organic applesauce cups
Green leaf lettuce
Frozen blackberries
Frozen blueberries
small tub of veggie oil butter spread (non dairy)
2 ice creams for the kids. Cause, you know, finals week.

I have to learn not to give snacks as rewards!! Maybe next week....

$62 if you're keeping score...

So for my after lunch snack, I downed a half a cup of sunflower seeds, and I'm snacking on the cantaloupe now. Not my usual go to foods, but so far so good!

I'm supposed to keep well hydrated too.  I'm usually so good at that! Not today. I've got about 16 oz in me is all... gotta keep chugging!! (As I empty my glass into the sad plant beside me)

I'm not feeling hungry at all yet, so there's that! I like eating 6 times a day! (Recommended)

DAY 1

Here are my BEFORE CRAZY RADICAL DIET stats:

Female
5'3"
136 lbs
Stay at home Mom of 2 kids
Active (when possible) in church and schools


BREAKFAST  Applesauce cup (treetop organic, non sweetened)

Haaaahaha! Should have thought this through better.  I have nothing to eat.  Wait, theres a few organic applesauce  cups left.  So I ate one.  I better go shopping.


LUNCH  Another applesauce cup, and a bowl full of steamed broccoli with salt and lemon pepper

I was too tired to go shopping.  I lied down with my dog in the double-wide papasan chair, covered up with a snuggly blanket, and fell into a coma-like sleep.  Fibro is known to cause extreme fatigue.  Not your normal, I'm tired, ill just take a nap, but so exhausted that my arms and legs feel like they are tied to weights that I cant lift.  I am aware of what's going on. For example, I know that I have to pick up my kid early today, so I kept an eye on the time.  When I woke up, I flexed my toes, wiggling them into life. Then my feet. I worked my way up until I was able to open my eyes.  And MAN was I starving!!!

After searching the pantry (kidney beans or diced tomatoes were my only choices there), I had to delve deeper into other areas for food.  In our garage refrigerator I found an old bag of cut up broccoli that my kids promised to eat and never did.  I steamed it in the microwave.  Ug, I cant use butter.... So I seasoned it with Johnny's Seasoning salt and some lemon pepper.  Pretty tasty, actually! Score!

SNACK I cut up this beautiful cantaloupe, and planned on splitting a half of this juicy specimen with the kids. They weren't interested,  so more for me! I was planning in eating just a quarter..... or how bout half?!

DINNER  At least it was at dinner time. Dinner for me is usually a pork chop, with a side of rice or potatoes, some homemade gravy, and some sort of veggie. Dinner tonight was a bowl full of spinach/spring greens (gmo free, organic, all that jazz). I took 2 slices of the free range turkey slices and stuffed the greens on it and rolled it up. Like a wrap. With meat on the outside. An inside-out wrap. I can have fancy balsamic vinegar , so I used that to give it some kick. Pretty yummy! I wish I would have remembered that I had tomatoes to put in it.

NIGHT SNACK No carbs after 6PM. Carrots and balsamic vinegar sounds good......

I'm not selling anything!!

This blog is NOT intended to sell you anything.  Do not be afraid.  Lol, this is only a look into my personal challenges of daily living as I try to change my lifestyle for the better... If you would like info on specifics, I'm happy to oblige!

Fix my Fibro With Food!

FIX ME WITH FOOD!!!

                                                           This is my pantry. The red circle
                                                           is what is allowable on this diet.
                                                           I hope this works...

Today, it begins. 8 weeks of eating like a caveman for my health.  Not to lose weight.  Not a fad diet.  Hopefully, to fix me.  My goal is to blog daily about the real struggles and triumphs of the effects of radically changing my eating habits.  8 weeks.  No sugar.  No bread.  No coffee.  No cheese.  No dairy.  Did I mention no sugar?  I may die.  If after a few days of reading this, and there's been no entries, have someone stop by my house to see if I am still among the living.

Okay, so, let me back up a little.  A little over a year ago I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.  You can read more about it here.  Basically, its a condition, that after doing 143 blood tests (literally), many x-rays, months of different medicines and alternative therapies, that the doctors can't find anything wrong with you.  So they call it fibro. They say its often brought on by an emotional trigger.  I first started feeling pain the same month that our landlord gave us 45 days to move out, after being great tenants for 4 years.  Yes, I'd say that was an emotional time! 

So, after moving from there (Hawaii) to here (Oregon), I drove right by a fibromyalgia clinic!  I've been seeing him for a few months now.  I've been poked (acupuncture), prodded (chiropractic manipulations) and cupped (think Michael Phelps' weird bruises at the Olympics) by this man.  He had me poop into tiny cups, and breath into test tubes to try and figure out what could possibly be causing all these symptoms (of which there are over 200 symptoms. I have 96 of these).

Turns out, I have an explosion of bad bacteria hanging out with me in my guts called SIBO.  Said baddies are eating everything I'm eating, and in return, are giving me aches and pains, IBS, sore muscles, extreme fatigue, and other stuff.  Not to mention that the stuff I usually feed myself is so yummy.  By yummy, I mean bad for me.  Cookies, cake, candy, creamer with a touch of coffee. Processed this and that.  I always thought I was doing right by the family just by not going out to eat fast food all the time.  Turns out that sugar is poison, and there's some truth to the organic movement. (I'll be the judge of that!!)

So now, I have to murder these little gut monsters.  I have to starve them of their favorite foods (which happen to be my favorite foods) and take a bunch of antibiotics to get rid of them.  According to my new Dr., food has a huge impact on all of the autoimmune diseases.  An autoimmune disease is basically your body attacking itself.  So, I'm going to put it to the test, and let you all in on my world of radical diet change.

I'm going to be real here.  If it's working, I'll tell you. If it's not, I'll tell you that.  If I cheat, hold me accountable!!  I have a feeling its gonna get worse before it gets better. 

For those of you interested in the details of the diet, he has me on the Bio-reset Core Elimination Diet.  I AM NOT A DOCTOR.  He is, so if you want to do a radical change like this, go talk to YOUR doctor first.  See if its right for you.  Or, wait to see if I feel any better on this crazy ride I'm about to explore, then make your changes! 

Have a blessed day!
~Christina