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Posted 8/3/2012 4:36 PM (GMT 0)
it would alleviate your Fibro {and any of the other associated illnesses, IBS etc} from say 90%-100% ??? I would bet pretty far.

So you guys have probably heard me mention my "fanatical diet".... but often, I will bring this up in a response to somebody elses thread, and then I don't want to get carried away with some 100 pg. novel, and in the process, hijack the thread.

So now, since I started this one... and if your interested :)

What does my fanatical, crazy diet consist of ???

Well for starters, I eat a ton of fresh fruits and veggies. I also eat tons of lean chicken breast, pork tenderloin, (some fish, but I'm picky... Love Salmon. Wish I could afford more of it) 

I also eat lots of nuts, peanut butter, 1 whole avocado every day. Oh, and egg whites by the ton.... er... should I say by the dozen ;) 1 doz jumbo egg whites every morning for breakfast.

The only "grains" I eat, are my bowl of rolled oats with both every breakfast, and every dinner.

Now here's my list of what I call "crack rock" food items that I just flat out do not even consider as a possible food choice, and basically have not eaten 1 bite of in going on 3 years:

Ice cream, candy / chocolate, cakes, pies, chips, fast food, deep fried food, and basically anything that is pre packaged and has a big, long list of ingredients I can barely pronounce.

I have also quit eating all bread, pasta, rice, and potato's. BTW, while I don't believe the latter three of this list are necessarily that bad for a person "in moderation" I personally just have too hard of a time regulating my portion size down to something "skimpy enough" to be okay. So I'm better of just leaving it out completely. I have come to the conclusion though, that bread is pretty much worthless to everybody.

So now, does it sound like I'm limiting myself pretty heavily ? Uhhhh...... well, let me just put it this way, 1) I'm eating about 4000 cals a day (nearly twice the normally recommended intake for an adult male, just to break even on the scale) and 2) I absolutely savor every bite of food that I eat ! I LOVE to eat :)

I don't feel the slightest bit deprived > which is why I am able to stay on track !

 

Well that ^ along with the fact that I feel like I've been taken out of a worn out, Fibro ravaged body, and placed into one of a totally healthy guy 20 years younger than me.

Of course all of this ^ {diet} is about 1/2 of the deal. The other half is exercise.

Wish I could promise each and every one of you that if you went as crazy as I have with diet and exercise, it would fix you to the point that it has me. But of course Fibro is different for everybody. In reality, it might only help you a little.... or it might not help you at all. But unless you actually went off the deep end with health and fitness like I have, how would you really know for sure ????

Best wishes to all of you,

Fish

NOBODY deserves to suffer with Fibro ! Not even my worst enemy {I'd rather just see them get their arse kicked by an MMA fighter ;) LOL

 

Posted 8/3/2012 5:02 PM (GMT 0)
As I've written in other threads...I switched to eating all Organic/Natural 2 years ago and it's made a huge difference in my energy levels and digestion/bowels. It's also helped me maintain a healthy weight.

I do everything in moderation but it's heavily leaning towards fresh fruit, veggies, lean meats, fish, nuts, and complex carbs. That's why I don't eliminate all breads or pastas....but only do 100% whole wheat...or brown rice. Again...in small doses.

And I will have a treat of frozen yogurt or sherbert once a week.

I also drink 12-14 glasses of water a day. I do have a cup and a half of coffee in the early morning. But thankfully I have never been a soda drinker so have always drank water since a teenager. I will have Liptons citrus green iced tea when I need a bit of a boost in the afternoon on some days.

I am also a grazer and eat 6 mini meals/snacks throughout the day and not any big ones. This helps with digestion as well as metabolism and energy through the day.

My Fibro has been immensely helped by getting better and deeper sleep. I was put on Ambien back in 2006 after my last cervical fusion. This was like a miracle to me as I hadn't gotten that type of deep sleep since maybe a child???

Obviously there are many non medicinal ways to help one's sleep and this medicine was the last resort to me. But now I wouldn't trade it for anything as I go to bed by 10pm and am up at 5am on the dot without an alarm clock and do not ever need a nap during the day...(Maybe once every few months if I have a terrible pain day)

And I've also talked about the incredible difference in pain upon waking for my neck/back and Fibro as well as getting rid of my bursitis by having the 3 inch tempurpedic like mattress topper. And then all my special tempurpedic like pillows. One for my neck/head that is curved. One that is long and goes in between my legs and one that is small that goes in between my arms. These two when lying on my sides perfectly aligns my spine.

Along with my daily exercise of 45 minutes of walking my dog each night while I listen to books on my phone. I do yoga that is ok for my neck in the am/pm to stay limber.

Thankfully I have also never smoked so this has helped me stay healthy in that area.

I also have Flexeril which is a muscle relaxer, (I have rotated through the years with this, Robaxin and Skelaxin) which I feel is very effective for Fibro pain when needed.

And then supplements of Omega 3s, a multivitamin, and magnesium.

Obviously there is not a miracle cure but I think that there is a lot we can do ourselves to help take care of ourselves and our Fibro symptoms.

I've mentioned many times that I will feel worse on days that I don't get my daily exercise. We have had bad thunderstorms the past two nights so I haven't been able to walk outside but I did walk around the house with the doggy chasing me...LOL But it's not the same as it's boring...LOL So I am a bit more stiff today.

The key is finding a great Dr. who works with you (collective you) to find the best comprehensive plan to monitor and treat your Fibro symptoms both medicinal and non:)
Posted 8/3/2012 6:36 PM (GMT 0)
This is a fantastic thread. I eat a lot like both of you. Mostly fresh fruits and vegetables. And I also walk my dog daily around the block. It takes about 20 min, but it is a nice walk. I am so happy for both of you and I hope you both continue to do well.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 8/3/2012 7:12 PM (GMT 0)
I just wanted to add that even though my walk is around 45 minutes...I am walking pretty slow with my latest back flare up and knee issue! LOL....The doggy is happy to be out and about sniffing everything in its path:)

And forgot to add my one non Organic treat from time to time is Twizzlers! If I'm settling in to watch a great movie...I buy some to have so it feels like I'm out in a movie theatre:)

We can't be robots....LOL So we have to have some fun in there people!

It's just about moderation and doing things in steps. It took me awhile to move to all Organic/all Natural and thankfully over these last years because of it's popularity, my regular grocery store carries many foods in their own Organic brand.

Along with coupons I still cut every week as well as go online. It costs me literally the same as it did when I bought "regular" food. So many people think it's too expensive...Because so many things are fresh and aren't packed with preservatives and chemicals made to outlast a nuclear blast! LOL....You buy what you will eat each week. So I shop every Thursday (double coupon day!) So I do not waste any food...This is why it budgets out to be the same cost each month.

Anyway...just wanted to say that every change and every little step (both figuratively and literally) people take in both exercise and eating healthy....the better you will likely feel as well as keep away other health issues.
Posted 8/4/2012 4:22 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys  :)

Just a couple things I wanted to add too...

Another one of those items I just don't eat any of nowadays, is cheese. For that matter, about the only dairy I do eat, is a 6 oz cup of Yoplait yogurt every day.

And again, I want to stress, while I don't believe certain things that I have eliminated from my diet are automatically bad (cheese, pasta, rice, ice cream, etc) I personally just find it easier to not eat any of these things, than to try to eat what would feel like a dinky portion to me, and stop there. As a recovering food addict, that would be like telling an alcoholic > "Oh, it's okay if you just have two beers, but then you can't have any more until next week" ! Uhhh.... yea. And how long do you think that is going to work ?

Oh, one other funny thing.... don't remember if I've mentioned this here before, but after nearly 3 years of eating / living like I do, I walk through the grocery store, and walk right past stacks of glazed donuts, chocolate covered this and that, pastries, pies, chips, candy, etc, and hardly even give it a second glance, and if I do, its to talk smack like "look at all this cr@p that is ruining the health of America"......

But then I walk down the fruit isle, and I'm like, "Ahhh man... those pineapples look so freaking good ! Oh.... and I already have a melon at home in the fridge, but geeez, just one more ! Ahhh man.... those cherries look freaking screaming..... probably good I can't afford them, except for a special treat....

Plain and simple, fruit is my new candy / cake / pie :) And I really have to use all of my self control not to go overboard ! < And with this, sometimes I fail. Oh well.

Peace,

Fish

Posted 8/4/2012 12:01 PM (GMT 0)
I just got some yellow cherries from the grocery store. I can't remember what they were called. But they were so good and juicy. I enjoyed everyone of them. Fruit is my new candy too. I have a few grapes left, but need more fruit in the house. Hopefully I will go today. I am going to cheat though. I have to go to the laundromat. And the dairy queen is a couple doors down. I am craving a chocolate malt (sorry guys). I may treat myself to one today. We got to cheat once in awhile. It has been a month since I had one. I don't even know why I told you all this... lol...

Hugs, Karen
Posted 8/4/2012 1:21 PM (GMT 0)
I love this thread, thanks, fish.

I'd like to add that I do eat grains like wild rice and red rice. What's really yummy is to mix the vegetable on your plate with a bite of the rice. I put a little olive oil on my rice and sometimes I sautee fresh mushrooms and throw them in with the rice. Yum!

I love spagetti so I buy brown rice pasta and mix it with homemade spagetti sauce and lots of sauteed mushrooms and zuchinni.

I saw a good recipe for hamburgers the other day. Mix very lean ground turkey with sauteed mushrooms and red onion and a little oregano. I'll be trying this soon. I'll forgo the bun, I haven't had a bun in years. Can't eat white bread and it's fattening. I use a slice of my Ezekial bread which is sprouted bread.

I am so sensitive to what I eat. It greatly affects my digestion, my mood, my pain level, and I agree, my energy level. I need all the help I can get.

I tried ambien years ago and it didn't work for me. If it wasn't for my sleep supplements I don't think I'd be able to sleep.
Posted 8/4/2012 4:43 PM (GMT 0)
Karen > Ranier Cherries ! I LOVE those things ! Get them every year when they are in season :)

Yes, of course rice and pasta taste great, and as I admitted, they are totally healthy > if eaten in a healthy amount. But for me its tough, as if I were eating those kinds of things, I could only eat "half a barrel" of it..... As oposed to my brocolli, brussel sprouts, fresh green beans, etc, where I can eat "1 full barrel" and not worry about the cals :)

Peace,

Fish

PS, Oh hey, while we are on the subject, here's a shot of my typical dinner (except for the corn.... that's more of a treat... too many starchy carbs, and not much else)

Anyway,

1lb of brussel sprouts, with 1med onion, and 1/4 cup minced garlic, carmelized

1 lb pork tenderloin

1 fresh corn, removed from cob

1 cup rolled oats, with 1 cup fresh strawberries, 1 cup Silk vanilla soy milk.

about 1800-2000 cals I guess. Easy peasy :) And Mmmmmm ! So good :)

VIEW IMAGE

 

Post Edited (Fishchris) : 8/4/2012 10:49:11 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/4/2012 4:59 PM (GMT 0)
It always helps people to eat more healthily and to get moving. Eating fresh foods and avoiding processed foods or high fat meals can go a long way to feeling better. Even low impact exercise can help the body become stronger.

I just want to add my usual refrain. There is a wide-variety of health circumstances, daily routines, environmental and social and physical situations. People need to become informed about their options, and what will work best for them to implement. There isn't a one size fits all standard of treatment, and there are widely varying life situations. A single parent who is underemployed must make different choices than a retired person who is on a fixed income, or someone who has multiple health issues, of which fibro is only one. I cannot even begin to imagine being a parent with fibro.

Going the healthy and natural way is terrific, but it can be expensive and time-consuming. It can be very difficult for someone who is poor, or without a support system, or has to work very hard to make ends meet, or has a family to take care of, to manage a more holistic treatment plan.

I also think that sometimes people feel guilty if they cannot meet certain standards. Healthy eating and natural supplements and regular exercise is great, but to commit to that fulltime is huge! For years, I could not afford organic products, or didn't have the money for a gym membership. Now, since I am fiscally a little better off, I can. I work fulltime in a high-stress professional job, and am in a long-distance relationship with a lot of time on the road, and have made the choice to use prescription medications so that, at this point in my life, I can focus on my career. If I don't sleep, I cannot function. If I do not manage my time effectively, the flare takes over and makes that choice for me. Sometimes I have to skip a workout so that I can go to a rehearsal or a meeting. And that's okay.

The point I am trying to make, I think, is that everyone needs to find their own balance, whatever that may be.
Posted 8/4/2012 5:54 PM (GMT 0)
Myself...I just wanted to add that I have had to go on Food Stamps (SNAP) since November as well as I have applied for disability.

I get $200 a month on my SNAP card and with coupon cutting each week as well as going on the computer to check for deals. I eat extremely healthy and all Organic with this amount of money.

As I wrote...people end up wasting a lot of money when they buy things that sit in shelves or spoil if they buy too much. I sit down each Wednesday night and make out my list for meals all week and then shop every Thursday (double coupon day!)

I also don't have a working stove or oven where I am living at my mom's so I have to be very creative but it can be done.

That's why I wanted to include the part that I am spending the exact amount that I did when I bought non Organic foods as most grocery stores have their own all Natural or Organic choices now that are inexpensive.

To me, it also saves money in the long run by not developing adult onset diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.

As well as just walking each day doesn't cost a thing but making time for myself which everyone should do...even if they do it in 15minute increments. If we don't take care of ourselves...then we can't take care of our familes.

As I mentioned....it took me years to move to all Organic as people can do this in steps. I'm not a vegan or vegetarian....I just do everything in moderation and the only thing I have eliminated are simple carbs which is an easy swap with complex ones.

I understand that everyone needs to work with their Dr. to have their own plan with exercise and diet (although like others...I dislike that word as it's really about a lifestyle not a "diet".)

It's not about being perfect at all....it's about always moving in the direction of healthy choices in eating and exercise:)

Post Edited (Snowbunny21) : 8/4/2012 1:03:55 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/4/2012 6:41 PM (GMT 0)
I also eat nonprocessed (most of the time), little sugar (except in my dark, dark chocolate), and try to
stay away from all white food--flour, potatoes, rice, etc. I also can't drink any wine or any other type
of alcohol.

Summertime is good for me because I have a garden and am able to eat my own produce for 3-4 months.
Also my husband hunts so we have lots of elk and chukars and we have our own chickens. And I have enough
retirement income that I can buy organic, lots of fruits and vegies the rest of the year.

Exercise or some sort of movement is a must everyday or I start to feel like I have the flu.

These kinds of topics help me stay motivated.

Thank you Fishchris.
Posted 8/5/2012 1:40 AM (GMT 0)
Myself 09 (feels kind of funny replying to myself :) LOL
> The point I am trying to make, I think, is that everyone needs to find their own balance, whatever that may be. <

I couldn't agree more ! And I do work 5 days a week. Plus, I am pretty darn poor. It's kind of rediculous how much of my paycheck goes towards food. about $150 per week, for just myself ! {granted, I eat enough cals for most families of 3 !}

However, although I eat very natural, unproccessed foods, I totally steer away from "organic foods" simply because of price. As I say, I spend a ton on food as it is, "without" paying WAY more for stuff labled organic, and that's while shopping at the cheapest places I can find, like Super Wal Mart for most stuff, and my local farmers market for produce (during the 6 or 7 months they are open).

I joke that my chicken was probably raised in a landfill...... but hey, that's all I can afford.

In fact, today is grocery day, and I plan to buy about 18 lbs of chicken breasts :) That should last a couple weeks. And 4 lbs lean pork tenderloin.... Then, if only I can catch a 12-15 lb Striped bass this week on my days off, that will help stretch out my protein supply also.

Peace,
Fish

PS, Yes, it's also very true that many people with Fibro, have other physical issues / limitations, which might prevent them from being able to do most exercises, or eat certain things. I was just fortunate that all of my problems were from false nerve signals (Fibro) and IBS. Of course this also means, I was one of those who many Dr's really thought was just a crazy freaking hypochondriac ! I have to say though, my current Dr... the one who finally diagnosed me with fibro, after already having had it for close to 20 years, is very aware, and sensitive to idea of Fibro. He's a great Dr, who has all of my respect.

Post Edited (Fishchris) : 8/4/2012 11:06:33 PM (GMT-6)

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