Changes
Hi, it's been ages since I updated. Life has been super busy.
Work has been stuffing me around. They reduced my days, then asked me to work then anyway for time in lieu later in the year, and then asked me to work extras ... not nice. I had a few weeks where my fibro was so bad from working too much that I slept for nearly four days in a row and still had aches and pains for about two weeks afterwards.
But here's some good news.
I have been seeing a Naturapth and drastic changes in my diet seem to be reaping very good results. Before I went to see her I couldn't stray too far from a toilet becasue of my terrible Irritable bowel symptoms. I was also constantly tired and I knew that my digestion problems were causing it, as well as causing me to put on weight (tiredness led to reaching for fatty and sugary foods for a quick fix, and I NEVER had energy to exercise).
I've been following the diet for 5 weeks now. I had to cut out ALL dairy and ALL soy. AT first I thought this would be easy (she said it was a baby step). Then I started looking at the ingredients on food packages. Just about EVERYTHING has soy in as an emulsifier. But I kept reading labels and eventually found some breads I like (they are nicest toasted). I even found some biscuits that are tolearble. I can cook some nice foods too like biscuits, (that are nicer than the bought ones) cakes, pancakes, and some of my favourite dishes like potato bake is even possible (with rice milk and Nuttelex to make the white source and just a little bit of marinated goats cheese on top).
The results?
My Irritible bowel is MUCH better. No more running to the toilet, and much more regular 'events' LOL. i'm not nearly as tired (though I still have a long way to go there, it will take a while to boost me up to normal). My liver and pancreas have sarted working better (no more pain there, and very few sugar cravings). An best of all - the aching in my arms, legs, and buttocks that was making work, driving, sleeping, even watching TV very uncomfortable ... has almost gone. A few more weeks and I think I may be almost pain free.
I've also lost a little weight (about 2.5 kilos ... which is about 5 pounds I think). I've managed to get out and walk just once and it was quite comfortable - not the painful ordeal it had become. So I hope with a little more time and rest I will be able to exercise more and possible lose more weight. The more I lose, the better it is for my joints and energy levels, as well as my heart of course.
I'm not saying that this would work for everyone with Fibromyalgia. I already knew I had an intolerance to dairy (though I ignored it and drank milk, ate yoghurt anyway). The naturpath said that my food allergies were causing a lot of the problems, and I also have soemthign called 'leaky gut'. A fungus growing in the gut (which everyone has as a result of eating yeasts) grows roots which penetrate the wall of the intestines and allow foreign matter like large particles of food to enter the blood stream. The fungus can then also spread to other parts of the body. But the main problem for me was my immune system going crazy trying to cope with the foreign matter in the blood stream.
I'm not out of the woods yet, but i can at least see a path that gives me some hope. It hasn't been totally easy either. Passing up birthday cake, pavloval and chocolate buiscuits has been murder ... but I've done it.
Last night I had a 'noodle box' for the first time since starting the diet, and I regretted it at 3am. The stomach cramps started and I had an allergic rection. My hands and feet swelled up and my throat felt tight. A dose of anithystemines fixed up the allergic symptoms, but I still felt rotten. I thought the noodles would be safe (being egg noddles) and I was willing to risk the oyster sauce. I won't do that again.
In any case, I do hope to add a few more 'fun' things into my diet after a really intense detox period of about 3 months. but many of the changes will have to be permanent ... if I want to be well.
Oh I forgot to add - it wasn't diet alone. I've had a whole range of supplements, and some herbs that kill off the fungus. I also take a tonic for my liver each day, and I eat every two hours to keep my blood sugar levels even.
The naturapath said I was fast heading towards type two diabetes. And as my dad has it, and my grandmother had it ... I dind't want to follow suit at just 38.
Work has been stuffing me around. They reduced my days, then asked me to work then anyway for time in lieu later in the year, and then asked me to work extras ... not nice. I had a few weeks where my fibro was so bad from working too much that I slept for nearly four days in a row and still had aches and pains for about two weeks afterwards.
But here's some good news.
I have been seeing a Naturapth and drastic changes in my diet seem to be reaping very good results. Before I went to see her I couldn't stray too far from a toilet becasue of my terrible Irritable bowel symptoms. I was also constantly tired and I knew that my digestion problems were causing it, as well as causing me to put on weight (tiredness led to reaching for fatty and sugary foods for a quick fix, and I NEVER had energy to exercise).
I've been following the diet for 5 weeks now. I had to cut out ALL dairy and ALL soy. AT first I thought this would be easy (she said it was a baby step). Then I started looking at the ingredients on food packages. Just about EVERYTHING has soy in as an emulsifier. But I kept reading labels and eventually found some breads I like (they are nicest toasted). I even found some biscuits that are tolearble. I can cook some nice foods too like biscuits, (that are nicer than the bought ones) cakes, pancakes, and some of my favourite dishes like potato bake is even possible (with rice milk and Nuttelex to make the white source and just a little bit of marinated goats cheese on top).
The results?
My Irritible bowel is MUCH better. No more running to the toilet, and much more regular 'events' LOL. i'm not nearly as tired (though I still have a long way to go there, it will take a while to boost me up to normal). My liver and pancreas have sarted working better (no more pain there, and very few sugar cravings). An best of all - the aching in my arms, legs, and buttocks that was making work, driving, sleeping, even watching TV very uncomfortable ... has almost gone. A few more weeks and I think I may be almost pain free.
I've also lost a little weight (about 2.5 kilos ... which is about 5 pounds I think). I've managed to get out and walk just once and it was quite comfortable - not the painful ordeal it had become. So I hope with a little more time and rest I will be able to exercise more and possible lose more weight. The more I lose, the better it is for my joints and energy levels, as well as my heart of course.
I'm not saying that this would work for everyone with Fibromyalgia. I already knew I had an intolerance to dairy (though I ignored it and drank milk, ate yoghurt anyway). The naturpath said that my food allergies were causing a lot of the problems, and I also have soemthign called 'leaky gut'. A fungus growing in the gut (which everyone has as a result of eating yeasts) grows roots which penetrate the wall of the intestines and allow foreign matter like large particles of food to enter the blood stream. The fungus can then also spread to other parts of the body. But the main problem for me was my immune system going crazy trying to cope with the foreign matter in the blood stream.
I'm not out of the woods yet, but i can at least see a path that gives me some hope. It hasn't been totally easy either. Passing up birthday cake, pavloval and chocolate buiscuits has been murder ... but I've done it.
Last night I had a 'noodle box' for the first time since starting the diet, and I regretted it at 3am. The stomach cramps started and I had an allergic rection. My hands and feet swelled up and my throat felt tight. A dose of anithystemines fixed up the allergic symptoms, but I still felt rotten. I thought the noodles would be safe (being egg noddles) and I was willing to risk the oyster sauce. I won't do that again.
In any case, I do hope to add a few more 'fun' things into my diet after a really intense detox period of about 3 months. but many of the changes will have to be permanent ... if I want to be well.
Oh I forgot to add - it wasn't diet alone. I've had a whole range of supplements, and some herbs that kill off the fungus. I also take a tonic for my liver each day, and I eat every two hours to keep my blood sugar levels even.
The naturapath said I was fast heading towards type two diabetes. And as my dad has it, and my grandmother had it ... I dind't want to follow suit at just 38.