Dieting - I mean, EATING

Here's an excerpt from www.holisticonline.com regarding diet suggestions for people with Fibromyalgia. When I say diet, I mean just plain eating - not the typical low-calorie diet used as an extreme weightloss method, which is not recommended. This is how we need to eat EVERY DAY without depriving ourselves of food and essential nutrients.

My diet plan has been simple - eat at the right times, eat regularly without huge calorie swings between days and be consistent with protein consumption (do you see that my diet plan doesn't ever say "don't" eat?). I'm not eating much less - i'm actually eating probably just as much, but more protein and healthy fat - if I were eating, for example, about 60% carbs/20% protein/20% fat in the past, i'm now eating 40% protein/30% carbs/30% fat. There are some other little things that help, but i will save those for later, once I get all the new info i've been absorbing over the past several weeks. There is just so much in my head right now.

Anyway - here's the excerpt. You will see that this is nothing different from the usual guidelines used for a general healthy lifestyle/diet method.
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The daily diet should include milled flax seed, 3 or more tbsp., or cold-pressed, unrefined flax seed oil. Flax seed and its oil contain the essential fatty acid omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid, which the body converts into hormone-like substances called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins help relieve the inflammation of fibromyalgia. The oils of fatty fish such as trout, cod, halibut, mackerel and salmon also contain omega-3 fatty acids and therefore work as anti-inflammatory agents.

Alfalfa can be used for pain control. It contains saponins, sterols, flavonoids, coumarins, alkaloids, vitamins, amino acids, minerals and trace elements.

Eat a high-fiber diet that includes plentiful servings of raw and steamed vegetables. Maximize your intake of greens.

Include ample servings of clean, lean protein, such as that found in fish, poultry, and fresh raw nuts and seeds in your diet.

Eat four to five small meals daily rather than three larger ones. This will ensure that you have a steady supply of nutrients available for proper muscle function.

Avoid processed foods and foods that are high in saturated or hydrogenated fats, such as dairy products, meat, and margarine. Saturated fats interfere with circulation, increasing inflammation and pain.

Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and sugar. These substances enhance fatigue, increase muscle pain, and can interfere with normal sleep patterns.

Drink eight glasses of pure water daily. Fresh juices and herbal teas are also good choices. A plentiful intake of liquids is important for flushing out toxins.

Investigate the possibility that food allergies and/ or sensitivities may be contributing to the problem.

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I've been hearing a lot of people with fibromyalgia saying that they have a weakness for sweets and wine and this and that and i'm gaining weight because I haven't been able to exercise because of fibro, etc etc etc... trust me I have weaknesses too and at times I do indulge myself in some dark chocolate and ice cream and I choose not to do anything active all day long (believe it or not). But if we keep complaining about the same thing for the same reasons - doesn't that tell us maybe we should change our behaviors? There is a plethora of information out there about eating right, the right foods that work for certain conditions, etc... let's educate ourselves and be better.