6 Steps to Kill Your Chronic Pain: Eliminate the Bad, Focus on the Good

This is a continuation in the series on fibromyalgia. This post focuses on resting the gut to bring down inflammation. Articles and skeptical brothers-in-law abound saying there is no connection between the dis-ease of chronic pain/inflammation and gluten or dairy. Then there are articles and friends and neighbors who swear they feel better when they cut out these and other foods. Being muscle tested by a healing intuitive who told me what foods I should cut out to feel better was the life-changing thing that helped me to heal and start feel better within days! This gave me HOPE.

Common signs of a food sensitivity:

  • Fatigue

  • Brain fog and difficulty concentrating

  • Joint pain

  • Headaches or migraines

  • Eczema

  • Rashes and skin irritations

  • Stomach aches

  • Acid reflux

  • Bloating

  • Constipation or diarrhea

  • Unexplained weight gain or loss

  • Behavioral issues (in children)

  • Non-hormonal hot flashes

1.CUT OUT INFLAMMATORY FOODS

Many people with chronic pain of any sort often feel better when they eliminate foods that may be causing inflammation. I recommend working with someone who can test to see what foods you are reacting to/that the body is having a toxic reaction to and then experiment with the elimination diet: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-12540/the-simple-elimination-diet-that-could-change-your-life-forever.html I love this article because it makes eliminating certain foods then re-introducing them easy! Also, she recommends doing an inventory of your symptoms from head to toe so you can notice what changes/what symptoms improve or go away. Check out that article!

2.FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN EAT, MEAL-BY-MEAL

Because the idea of cutting out tasty foods that you eat every day can be depressing and feel impossible, it is helpful to think about all the foods you CAN EAT, meal-by-meal so you are not stupefied when standing in the grocery aisle. 

Below are ideas for people who are cutting out foods that are known to exacerbate Fibromyalgia and even arthritis: wheat, gluten, corn, dairy, tomatoes, citrus, vinegar, sugar, nightshade vegetables and fermented foods (especially if you have Candidiasis, which I used to have). I was able to eat eggs and corn, so those are in the list below, but for many they need to be eliminated. Also, if you eat corn EVER, you want to make sure it is Organic or it will be GMO. For more on nightshades, here is one article: https://draxe.com/nightshade-vegetables/

 

3.BREAKFAST IDEAS:

2 Brown rice cakes with almond, peanut, cashew or other butter (cakes with 60-70 calories each, not Quaker Oats’ version which have 20-30 calories each.  Those air wafers will not hold you over until lunch.)

Eggs and chicken/turkey/pork sausage without the toxic preservative: sodium nitrate/nitrates or potassium nitrate.

Omelets with eggs or egg whites and veggies or lean meats (hold the cheese and no milk to scramble the eggs.)

Gluten-free pancakes and nut butter or butter (Thankfully, sometimes people can eat butter because it is not in the same category as other dairy for most people.)

Homemade smoothie with rice, almond or coconut milk, green veggies, carrots, half a banana and protein powder such as rice, cranberry, hemp (blech! J) pea or other protein powder with the exception of soy which can mess with your hormones.  Google hormone disruptors or phytoestrogens to see many articles or read here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/soybean-fertility-hormone-isoflavones-genistein/

Homemade smoothie with coconut water, coconut oil, a few strawberries, an inch of grated fresh ginger or 2 drops doTERRA ginger essential oil, an inch of grated fresh turmeric root or tablespoon of organic turmeric powder or 2 drops of doTERRA turmeric essential oil along cucumber, celery, blanched spinach or kale, and a clean protein powder. Best to eat any smoothie within 10 minutes to avoid it oxidizing.

Eggs with a side of asparagus or other veggie and a rice cake

Eggs and blue corn tortilla chips and black beans with tomatillo/green salsa without tomatoes or vinegar

Breakfast burritos!!!  I make mine with Trader Joe’s brown rice tortillas, scrambled eggs mixed with their chicken breakfast sausage, salsa verde and refried beans.  You can make a big batch and freeze then microwave for 2-3 minutes or bake in the oven while you shower and get ready in the morning.

 

4. LUNCH IDEAS

Salad with lean protein such as chicken, canned or fresh Wild Alaskan Salmon, legumes or hard-boiled eggs. Watch out for fish on the NRDC’s high mercury list like tuna and swordfish. Add toasted pepitas, avocado, carrots, any veggie you like and use olive oil and lemon with salt and pepper and any herbs you like as a dressing.  For some very yummy non-vinegar salad dressing recipes see: The Candida Directory: The Comprehensive Guidebook to Yeast-Free Living by Helen Gustafson and Maureen O’Shea. They even have a recipe for one that uses cucumber and tastes creamy! When you get sick of oil and lemon, freeze the homemade dressings in ice cube trays then pop a cube or two into a baggie and take with you when you eat out. By the time your food is served, your ice cube of dressing will be thawed.!

Lean meat and veggies and rice.

Gluten-free Asian food. Use Organic Tamari which is a wheat-free soy sauce. Or, if you are cutting out soy, use Liquid Amino Acids which are great for you and taste like soy sauce.

A hamburger without a bun, hold the tomato, add the avocado and eat with a fork and knife. Applies to any sandwich you can eat the same way.  Or make any burger or sandwich a lettuce wrap> this is so much more common than it was 18 years ago!

Meat and potatoes and veggies (Although, I will mention that my body had me avoid potatoes for the first 3 months. Then, after my body had a break from them, I added them back in with no problem.)

 

5.DINNER IDEAS

See the lunch list. 

I got into the habit of having a yummy, fresh salad with animal protein at lunch and then a more meat, veggie, wild rice dinner. Far East brand makes a Wild Rice that is gluten free.  Beware that any rice blend labelled Rice Pilaf includes orzo which is a tiny rice-shaped wheat pasta.      

Turkey meatballs made with ginger, Amino Acids, green onion and stir fry veggies. 

Risotto dishes were my comfort food when I was on this diet!  Just google risotto recipes and you will find plenty!  Omit cheese.  I found most risotto dishes either didn’t call for Parmesan or other cheeses. Risotto tastes creamy without any dairy! 

Rice or quinoa pastas with olive oil, garlic, white wine-based sauce, veggies and meat or fish. Rice or Quinoa dishes served hot or cold.  Recipes abound when you start googling.

6. REINTRODUCE ELIMINATED FOODS ONE-BY-ONE

After 23 days on the Elimination diet, re-introduce foods one by one to see if you have a sensitivity to it.
For the exact method, see this article: https://www.amymyersmd.com/2018/01/food-sensitivity-know-one/

 

Ahhhh.  There you have it from memory 18 years ago. 

If you or someone you care about are affected by fibromyalgia or chronic pain of any sort, I want to help you. You can watch more about the Causes of and Solutions to Fibromyalgia here in this training: https://www.reclaimyourhealingpower.com.

Please call me for a short, initial consultation or email me at amy@amysthilaire.com to make an appointment. My coaching includes health and life coaching to maximize your gains and transform your life in ways you never thought possible. We address nutrition, detoxification, immune health/viruses, trauma/stress/stuck emotions using Healing from the Body Level Up, personalized information I have curated over the years and doTERRA essential oils and supplements to support immune, digestive, neurological systems and provide sleep and stress support. Remember that HBLU works just as well over the phone or video conference. If your family member or friend is in another state or time zone, have them call me for a free initial phone consultation. 949-929-5470.

Amy St. Hilaire