John Myers
A building block for alleviating the symptoms of fibromyalgia should be a change in diet to predominantly anti-inflammatory, i.e. antioxidant foods.
There is evidence that so-called “oxidative stress” is particularly high in fibromyalgia sufferers and reducing it reduces pain.
“Petone” diet
A phase with a so-called pegan diet can be helpful – a combination of a Stone Age diet (“paleo” – plants and meat/fish, but no dairy products, no baked goods, everything as fresh and unprocessed as possible) and vegan nutrition (purely plant-based). Three-fourths of the plate is then made up of vegetables and, for a change, some fruit such as low-sugar berries and kiwis. The remaining quarter of the diet consists of fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, and good oils, with little meat. Finished products, products with sugar or wheat, as well as milk and cow’s milk products are to be avoided.
When symptoms subside, yogurt and other dairy products can be reintroduced.
Fasting for cell cleansing
Regular fasting days or even therapeutic fasting stimulate the self-cleaning process of the cells and can thus reduce pain. Fibromyalgia is often associated with being overweight – weight reduction usually improves the clinical picture, and fasting also helps here.
The most important tips
- Anyone suffering from fibromyalgia should primarily eat anti-inflammatory foods. Vegetables and fruits such as berries and kiwis as well as green tea contain many antioxidant substances that scavenge free radicals.
- Meat, on the other hand, promotes inflammatory processes because it contains a lot of arachidonic acids.
- Therefore, those affected should eat as little meat as possible. Dairy products should also be restricted – not consumed, or at least not consumed daily.
- Fish, eggs, legumes, or lupine products provide sufficient protein.
- Sugar, wheat, and cow’s milk products are not recommended, as they promote chronic, low-threshold inflammation.
- Oils with a high proportion of omega-3 fatty acids such as linseed oil (especially with DHA additive) or walnut oil provide valuable fats. These are also found in nuts and seeds.
- Stimulants such as alcohol, coffee and chocolate can cause muscular restlessness and should therefore only be consumed in small amounts.
- Magnesium improves muscle function and is helpful in states of stress and exhaustion. It is found in whole grain products, legumes such as peas and lentils, beans, potatoes, nuts, and sunflower seeds.
