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!