Fibromyalgia Diet

Although there is no specific diet for all fibromyalgia patients, different symptoms may suggest ways of improving your health through appropriate diet. As fibromyalgia sufferers often have one condition amplifying another (or even several others), relieving even one of the symptoms can increase your quality of life, sometimes considerably.

Diet changes for people with fibromyalgia encompass the following nutrition guidelines:

Fibromyalgia Diet - Carbohydrates

Generally in diet for fibromyalgia patients shouldn't eat refined carbohydrates.

Ideally all refined carbs like white-flour breads, cakes, muffins, donuts, sweets, and all processed breakfast cereals should be avoided. Instead, we recommend eating wholegrain bread, other wholegrains (oats, rye etc), and oatmeal or traditional granola/muesli. Table sugar should be used sparingly in place of artificial sweeteners. Sugar intake should be no more than 40g per 2000 calories or approximately 8 percent of total energy intake. Dietary fiber intake should be approximately 14 grams per 1000 calories consumed, and should consist primarily of soluble fiber (eg. from apples, oats, legumes) rather than insoluble (eg. from bran). Patient's total carbohydrate intake, from all foods, may vary between 30-55 percent of total calories.

Fibromyalgia Diet - Fats

General fibromyalgia diet rule: stick to monounsaturates and polyunsaturated fats; include regular amounts of omega-3 fats in your diet.

Eating less than 10 percent of total calories in the form of saturated fat is advised. Saturated fats interfere with circulation, resulting in increased inflammation and pain. Patient's consumption of saturated fats comes primarily from such products as: cheese, beef, milk, oils, ice cream, frozen yogurt, cakes, cookies, donuts, butter, mayonnaise, chicken fat/skin, margarine, sausages, potato chips, corn chips and popcorn. Eating less than 300 mg/day of cholesterol is recommended. Moreover, one should eat as few trans fats as possible. The most common sources of trans fats include for example: cakes, cookies, crackers, pies, bread, animal products, margarine, fried potatoes, potato chips, corn chips, popcorn, shortenings. Finally, one should avoid all fried food. Instead, choose broiled, baked or sauteed foods.

Fibromyalgia Diet - Protein

Fibromyalgia and diet rule: reduce red meat consumption.

As red meat is not healthy for fibromyalgia patients, and may be high in saturated fat, try to eat more fish and vegetable protein. Fibromyalgia diet should include more legumes and soybeans. When you choose meat or poultry, try to remove all visible fat and skin before eating. You should maintain protein intake at between 20-40 percent of total calories. Avoidance of all processed meats, especially those which are salt-cured, smoked, or nitrate-cured is strongly recommended.

Fibromyalgia Diet - Fruits And Vegetables

Whole fruits are nutritionally better than juices. Eat whole fruits like: blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi fruit, peaches, mango, cantaloupe melon and anti-inflammatory fruit such as apples. Vegetables are essential for diet nutrition. Good choices are for example: carrots, squash, sweet potato, spinach, kale, collard greens, broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts.

People who eat bigger amounts of fruits and vegetables have a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and probably other cardiovascular diseases like type 2 diabetes, and cancers like those of the oral cavity and pharynx, larynx, lung, esophagus, stomach, and colon-rectum.

Fibromyalgia Diet - Dairy Foods

Drink cow's milk (if you can tolerate it), or soy milk, but choose reduced fat or fat-free varieties. The same rule applies to yogurt and cheese. Remember that regular cheese contains a lot more fat (including saturated fat) than regular beef.

Fibromyalgia Diet - Junk Food

For patients on fibromyalgia diet a typical fast food is a bad choice. Most popular fast food is high in fat and sodium, as well as calories, and less nutritious than food cooked at home.

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