Chronic Pain with No Answers?

Have you been searching the internet trying to find answers for unusual weight gain, mystery pain, bloating, abdominal pain etc…? You know something isn’t right yet you have no explanation for what is happening to you. Do you have chronic symptoms that just want go away, yet no answers?

I offer fitness and nutrition support specializing in helping those who are having difficulty losing weight due to thyroid issues, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, chronic stress, digestive disorders and mystery pain management.

Suffering myself for years with unexplained weight gain, bloating, chronic pain, IBS and thyroid nodules I have been able to maintain my weight through proper nutrition by finding and eliminating trigger foods. It is my goal to help others do the same.

When you have exhausted all efforts, and the physician’s only option for you is an antidepressant, it is time to take control of your health! All bodies are not created equal when it comes to nutrition and exercise, which is why a cookie cutter program for fitness and weight-loss will not work for everyone.

If you have chronic pain, how can you be expected to workout 6-days per week for 2 hours a day? On the other hand, someone with no health issues would look at you as unmotivated or lazy, which is far from the truth. I have online fitness groups designed specifically to aid with proper nutrition as well as fitness programs for all levels.
What are your underlying health issues? What foods may cause you to have decreased energy, chronic pain or feel completely debilitated?

Start with the process of elimination. Keep a daily journal of what you eat and how you feel. Record the time you ate and the time you felt the pain. Where you able to perform any activity that day? What was your mood like?

Below are two lists of FODMOP unfriendly and FODMAP friendly foods which is a good place to start if you have IBS related symptoms. For me I had to go further and eliminate all gluten, dairy and soy. I not only had IBS but also developed food allergies which caused my body chronic pain and inflammation. I also had to eliminate raw foods and limit goitrogens due to my thyroid condition.

Like I said all bodies are not created equal when it comes to nutrition, so you have to determine the needs of your body. Also, when left with minimal food options it’s time to get creative, which I teach in the challenge groups. You don’t have to go through this alone, and believe me for a year I isolated myself from friends and family, not wanting to burden them with my woes. There is comfort when you know you are not alone and someone else has been there. Send me a message on Facebook to join a challenge group! "http://facebook.com/fabin60"

For FODMOP:
Generally trying to stop usage of the bad foods if you can is advisable but if you really need certain items try and keep the usage down to a minimum. Onion and garlic are particularly bad triggers and should be avoided as best as you can. Try and avoid processed foods and meats. Always look at ingredient lists and try and look for the main culprits: onion, garlic and wheat products. Try and keep fruit to one portion per day.
High FODMAP food (things to avoid / reduce)
Vegetables
• Garlic – avoid entirely if possible
• Onions – avoid entirely if possible
• Artichoke
• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Baked beans
• Beetroot
• Black eyed peas
• Brussels sprouts
• Broad beans
• Broccoli
• Butter beans
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Chick peas
• Fennel
• Green pepper (green bell pepper)
• Lentils
• Kidney beans
• Leeks
• Mushrooms
• Okra
• Peas
• Soy beans
• Scallions / spring onions (white part)
• Shallots

Fruit - fruits can contain high fructose
• Apples
• Apricots
• Blackberries
• Cherries
• Lychee
• Honey
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Plums
• Prunes
• Tinned fruit in apple / pear juice
• Watermelon

Cereals, Grains, Breads, Biscuits, Pasta, Nuts and Cakes
• Wheat containing products such (be sure to check labels):
• Biscuits
• Breadcrumbs
• Cakes
• Egg noodles
• Regular noodles
• Pastries
• Pasta
• Wheat bread
• Wheat cereals
• Wheat rolls
• Udon noodles
• Bran cereals
• Couscous
• Pistachios
• Rye
• Semolina

Sweets and sweeteners
• Sugar free sweets
• Agave
• Fructose
• Honey
• High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
• Inulin
• Isomalt
• Maltitol
• Mannitol
• Sorbitol
• Xylitol
• Milk chocolate

Prebiotic Foods
• The follow items can be added to yoghurts, snack bars etc:
• FOS – fructooligosaccharides
• Inulin
• Oligofructose

Drinks
• Beer – if drinking more than one bottle
• Dandelion tea
• Fruit and herbal teas with apple added
• Orange juice in quantities over 100ml
• Sugar free fizzy drinks – such as diet coke
• Sports drinks
• Rum
• Wine – if drinking more than one glass

Dairy Foods
• Custard
• Ice cream
• Margarine
• Milk – cow, goat and sheep
• Soft cheese – such as cottage cheese, ricotta and mascarpone
• Cheeses with added sugars
• Yoghurt – including greek yogurt

Cooking ingredients
• Cocoa powder

Low FODMAP food (good to eat food)
Vegetables
• Bok choy / pak choi
• Bean sprouts
• Butternut squash
• Carrots
• Celery
• Corn – if tolerable
• Courgette
• Chilli – if tolerable
• Chives
• Cucumber
• Eggplant / aubergine
• Green beans
• Ginger
• Lettuce
• Olives
• Parsnip
• Parley
• Red peppers (red bell pepper)
• Potato
• Pumpkin
• Scallions / spring onions (green part)
• Spinach
• Sweet potato
• Tomato – avoid cherry tomato
• Zucchini – if tolerable

Meats, Poultry
• Chicken
• Beef
• Lamb
• Pork
• Turkey
• Cold cuts / deli meat / cold meats

Fish and Seafood
• Canned tuna
• Fresh fish e.g.
o Salmon
o Cod
o Haddock
o Plaice
o Trout
• Seafood (ensuring nothing else is added) e.g.
o Crab
o Lobster
o Shrimp
o Mussels
o Oysters

Fruit
• Bananas
• Blueberries
• Boysenberry
• Canteloupe
• Cranberry
• Honeydew and Galia melons
• Clementine
• Dates
• Grapes
• Grapefruit
• Kiwifruit
• Lemon
• Lime
• Mandarin
• Orange
• Passion fruit
• Papaya
• Pineapple
• Raspberry
• Raisins
• Strawberry

Cereals, Grains, Breads, Biscuits, Pasta, Nuts and Cakes
• Wheat free or gluten free breads
• Bread made from oats, rice, corn, barley and potato flours
• Wheat free or gluten free pasta
• Buckwheat noodles
• Rice noodles
• Porridge and oat based cereals
• Cornflakes
• Rice bran
• Rice Krispies
• Almonds – max of 15
• Amaranth
• Barley
• Buckwheat
• Crispbread
• Corncakes
• Coconut – milk, cream, flesh
• Macadamia – max of 10
• Millet
• Oats
• Oatcakes
• Peanuts – max of 15
• Pecans – max of 15
• Pine nuts – max of 15
• Polenta
• Potato chips
• Pumpkin seeds – max of 1 – 2 tbsp
• Quioa
• Rice cakes
• Rice crackers
• Sesame seeds – max of 1 – 2 tbsp
• Sunflower seeds – max of 1 – 2 tbsp
• Sorgum
• Tortilla chips
• Walnuts – max of 10
• White rice
• Wheat free rye

Sweets and sweeteners
• Golden syrup
• Glucose
• Maple syrup
• Sugar – also called sucrose
• Aspartame
• Saccharine
• Sucralose

Drinks
• Clear spirits such as Vodka
• Fruit and herbal tea – ensure no apple added
• Lemonade – in low quantities
• ‘Sugar’ Fizzy drinks (i.e. not diet/sugar free version) – such as lemonade, cola
• Wine and beer – limited to 1 drink
• Water

Dairy Foods and Eggs
• Brie cheese
• Butter
• Camembert cheese
• Cream
• Dairy free chocolate pudding
• Eggs
• Feta cheese
• Gelato
• Hard cheese – such as cheddar
• Lactose free milk
• Mozzarella cheese
• Oat milk
• Parmesan cheese
• Rice milk
• Sorbet
• Swiss cheese
• Tofu

DISCLAIMER: The information contained on this site is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for diagnosis or treatment rendered by a licensed physician. It is essential that you discuss with your doctor any symptoms or medical problems that you may be experiencing.

Relieve Stress and Detox your Body

How do Epsom salt baths improve health?

I put soaking to the test and found it to improve my sore aching muscles, relieve my headaches and it gave me a calming affect for a good nights rest. I have been battling Fibromyalgia along with digestive and bloating issues for months now. When I read the information below, I had to add soaking to my weekly health regime. Just as proper nutrition and exercise are for maintaining health, so is proper sleep and ample relaxation. Stress can lead to many health issues if it ignored.

Soaking 3 times per week for 12-20 minutes per day can greatly:

•Improve heart and circulatory health, reducing irregular heartbeats, preventing hardening of the arteries, reducing blood clots and lowering blood pressure.

•Improve ability for the body to use insulin, reducing the incidence or severity of diabetes.

•Flushes toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances.

•Improve nerve function by electrolyte regulation. Also, calcium is the main conductor for electrical current in the body, and magnesium is necessary to maintain proper calcium levels in the blood.

•Relieve stress. Excess adrenaline and stress are believed to drain magnesium, a natural stress reliever, from the body. Magnesium is necessary for the body to bind adequate amounts of serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of well being and relaxation.

•Reduce inflammation to relieve pain and muscle cramps and yes bloating!

•Improve oxygen use.

•Improve absorption of nutrients.

•Prevent or ease migraine headaches.

So soak your cares away!

Avocado Chicken Salad

A healthy alternative for chicken salad. Yum!


Avocado Chicken Salad:

2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 avocado
1/4 chopped onion
juice of 1/2 a lime
2 Tbsp cilantro
salt and pepper to taste.
Cook chicken breast until done, let cool, and then shred. Mix with all other ingredients. Enjoy!

Healthy doesn't mean boring and bland. Learn how to eat real food instead of processed and you will love the results you see and feel. When I was in my twenties I was told, "you can't eat like that when your older, it's harder to lose weight but easy to put it on." I was clueless then but now that I have crossed the forty threshold (several years ago) I understand. I enjoy eating what I want for the most part, just healthier versions. Get creative! Learn your body and feed your metabolism.

Quick weight loss solutions tend to rob your body of nutrients that could if followed for a long period of time, actually harm your health. Weight that is lost, is quickly found once going off of the diet.

Have you struggled with headaches, bloating, weigh fluctuation, weakness, depression, numbness or tingling in your fingers or feet? Tension, staying thirsty all the time, crashing in the middle of the day with no energy, insomnia, panic attacks, sweating in the middle of the night, moodiness, insecurities, paranoia? Have you had unexplained pain in the abdomen? What about digestive issues, IBS, or Celiac Disease. If you answered yes to any of these symptoms then you may want to evaluate your nutrition. Is your meal plan balanced? Do you drink diet or regular soda, eat processed foods, or follow diet crazes.

It is frustrating to see so many "easy" nutrition options out there promising weight loss while still eating cake, ice cream and chips. Easy will not bring good health and lasting results. Easy turns out to be highly discouraging and when weight is gained back it makes you feel like a failure. All bodies are not created equal, therefore neither is nutrition.

So how do you know what to eat? To keep it simple eat natural clean foods. If it is a quick meal, in a bag, box, or drive thru stay away from it. If it is labeled low-fat, fat free or sugar-free stay away from it. Do yourself a favor…. Download the FOODUCATE app in the play store for your smart phone and scan everything you think you can eat. If it scores less that a B do not eat it! It’s that simple.

When I take on a new challenge group, the first thing I do is give my challenger’s a crash course in meal planning 101. You learn how to recognize processed foods, how to plan balanced healthy meals. Pre planning for the week helps ensure you stick to your meal plan and weight loss goals. That is what it takes and there is no way around it. If you want to succeed in reaching your health and fitness goals, you have to become a planner.

I work with each challenger one on one. I give you a meal plan designed for you and your weight loss goals. We work through your struggles, and celebrate the victories. When you leave my challenge group, you are equipped with the tools and knowledge for living a healthy lifestyle for the rest of your life! You know exactly what to do to maintain your weight loss with the confidence that it is never coming back.

To maintain optimal health it is essential to fuel your body with the ammunition needed for everyday survival.

If you are interested in joining one of my challenge groups I may be contacted at fabin60fitness@gmail.com.

Investing in your health is an investment in your future!

Balanced Nutrition for Maximum Weight Loss

When searching for ways to lose weight it can get pretty confusing. With so many “fad diets” and “quick loss solutions” out there it is easy to grab on to one and give it a try. For some, when the weight loss stops another diet is sought and so the cycle goes.

It is my goal to help you understand of what it means to eat clean and to help you choose a meal plan that will provide balanced nutrition that is healthy and yet brings results!

It is time to get off of the diet roller coaster and stop the yo-yo effect this can have on your life and health. Slow down and take the time to listen to your body. Once you understand what is needed to achieve your goals and put a plan in action, it will happen. You must also understand that it will take a little time, but when the results are long lasting it will be worth it!

Let me make it clear, I am not a nutritionist, nor am I a healthcare professional. I am simply someone who has spent years following this cycle only to stumble on the importance of not trying every new “fad diet” or “quick loss solution” that comes along.

In my evolution, for lack of a better term, I have tried many diets including following the “low carb craze”, only to find that my health has suffered due to my lack of research in knowing how these craze diets would affect my long term health. I have been focusing on my nutrition since 2005 and it has taken me this long to understand that all it takes is balanced nutrition.

Why Nutrition is Vital for the Body

Nutrition is fuel for the body, and when one component is left out, the body suffers. We tend to think of food in terms of reward, comfort, satisfaction or indulgencies when in actuality, the body is relying on vital nutrients needed for everyday survival. When the body is robbed of certain nutrients and overindulged in others, the system does not function properly and one or more organs will suffer; in turn causing diseases or malfunctions of the heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas, stomach, intestines or gall bladder.
Balanced nutrition provides the body with the vital nutrients needed and if it is fueled properly, has the power to ward of diseases, infections, cancers and other ailments.

1. Research evidence shows that diets high in complex carbohydrates such as whole-grain cereals, legumes, vegetables and fruits are associated with a low incidence of lung, colon, esophagus, and stomach cancer as well as coronary disease. Some of these benefits may be due to the fact that complex carbohydrate diets are likely to be low in saturated fat.
2. Long term studies indicate that high-fiber diets may be associated with a lower risk of diabetes mellitus, diverticulosis, hypertension, and gall stone formation.
3. Consuming foods high in carotenoid and retinoid, such as green and yellow vegetables, carrots, and sweet potatoes which all contain vitamin A is recommended because these foods are associated with the reduced risk of some forms of cancer.
4. Diets high in vitamin C (citrus fruits and vegetables) and vitamin E (green leafy vegetables) are associated with reduced risk of heart disease.

When choosing a meal plan please consider how it will affect your overall health. Will it provide all of the nutrients required for proper bodily function? Is this a meal plan that will sustain you for life? Will you be able continue to eat this way for long term? If not then your efforts and time are wasted because as soon as you stop the meal plan, you will inevitably gain the weight back and in most cases a little more.

If you are serious about losing weight, then you are looking for a meal plan that will provide long-term results. For success it must be a lifestyle change and one that will prolong and improve your life, not harm it. I can help you customize a meal plan based on the specific needs of your body. A cookie cutter diet may work for some but not others. Find out what your body needs to bring maximum results without side effects and detriment to your health.

Email me at fabin60fitness@gmail.com and lets customize a meal plan that works for you.

Beachbody Challenge Group for New Year's Fitness Support

Ready to see results. Join my Beachbody Challenge Group for the New Year and see the New You in just 90 days. Email me at fabin60fitness@gmail.com to get started. Let's choose the fitness program that's right for you and your goals. Ordinary people achieve extra ordinary results. You CAN do this!

Have you Ever Tried Quinoa?

Have you ever tried quinoa? It's a rich source of protein that's delicious in salads or as a side dish. It goes great with broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and asparagus. There are plenty of great recipes for quinoa on Pinterest.

Quinoa is one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat. It is a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids. It is a great source of fiber which helps to lower cholesterol. Quinoa contains Iron,Lysine, Magnesium and Riboflavin.

By introducing Quinoa into your diet, you will have the benefits of energy and an increased metabolism.

Definately worth trying, you will be pleasantly suprised.