Hi, TXMomma, and welcome! You have gotten good suggestions already but I'll put in my two cents worth.
Fibromyalgia affects all four quandrants of your body, you can have nerve-type problems, and cognative memory problems. It is not considered a progressive illness either. When you find what helps you get in control of the pain, you can have a full and enjoyable life in spite of it. Unfortunately, what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another so it is a trial and error process. I use ibuprofen with food, Tylenol, vitamin D3, magnesium malate, and a prescription muscle relaxer to help me be in control of the pain. I also walk or swim as a gentle form of daily exercise and I pace myself when doing things. It all gets done but in a different time frame.
I started out with the carpal tunnel bit when fibro hit me but it has since gone away. Yes, I've had plantar faciitis, too, and got rid of that by wearing Birkenstock shoes. Others have used special shoe inserts to help with that problem. It doesn't get better overnight but it can get better.
Walking is not a high impact exercise and is highly recommended for fibromyalgia patients. It's safe and gentle. Water exercise is great but, as Angel mentioned, we all don't have access to pools. When I lived up in the snowy north I used walking-in-place videos when I couldn't get outside. Walking, swimming, yoga...these are all good gentle exercises. If I, personally, went to a gym, I'd be carried out on a stretcher. But walking I certainly can do and do do. Whatever form of gentle exercise you choose, do start out slowly and work into it. We do have members that do hiking, biking, etc. I do mainly walking, swimming, gardening, etc.
Deep breathing and relaxation do help with fibro. I do deep breathing exercises. I take a big breath and blow it out slowly like I'm blowing through a straw. Lamaze breathing helps, too, if I'm in a flare. Fibro, by the way, waxes and wanes. We have flares but they do go away.
Sleep? Try putting yourself on a sleep schedule. Go to bed and get up the same time every day. Also, watch caffeine consumption. If you have difficulty with sleeping, don't have caffeine after around 3 PM. See what works best for you. I have tea in the morning and that's about my caffeine consumption...unless I have some chocolate. I don't drink sodas....only ice water with lemon. Soda's with aspertame can cause problems so I don't drink any sodas now. I don't use many things with Splenda in them either even though I'm a diabetic. I'm like you. Don't want to put these chemicals in my body.
Be sure to read Fibro 101...the first thread on the forum. There are links to good info about fibro and you will learn a lot there. Good starting links are called Symptoms, What Else Could It Be, and A Thorough Explanation of Fibromyalgia. You just might see yourself there. Do read all of it because it's chock full of good information.
Many are deficient in vitamin D and also magnesium....even totally healthy people. This can cause more pain and fatigue. There are links about these and how they work in the body in Fibro 101.
There are no studies that prove that diet helps with fibro. I can eat just about anything and the foods I do have to eliminate are because I also have Crohn's disease. People with fibro can have IBS and other digestive issues or have food sensitivities but these are not fibro issues. The best way to see if any foods are affecting you is to keep a food journal. This way you can see if you feel better if you don't eat certain foods. I had to do this and now I know what affect me, causes cramping, etc.
I also use trigger point therapy. I had a frozen shoulder that I just healed through trigger point therapy. I purchased a book called The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook and it shows if you have pain where to look for the trigger points so you can massage them out. It really has helped me a lot. I got that off of Amazon. Amazon lets you read a little of the book to give you some idea but it doesn't show that there are diagrams showing exactly where to find the trigger points that are causing your pain. We usually have referred pain. I had pain in my side and the trigger points were along the middle of my spinal column. For the frozen shoulder, they were in a few places around the shoulder, my chest wall, and also my neck! Who would have "thunk"!
Lastly, the good thing about fibro is that it doesn't damage your body like forms of arthritis and other illnesses can do. It just hurts. It feels like our joints are involved but it's the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that move the parts in the joints that you are feeling. So you don't have to worry about causing damage. You just have to go slowly so you don't pay a price for overdoing.
I'm looking forward to getting to know you better. Don't hesitate to ask questions because we are here to help you. Hope to hear more from you soon.
Sherrine