3532: Fibromyalgia - Best Methods to Reduce Inflammation in the Body

0:00Have you ever noticed how a calm mind can really set the stage for a good night's sleep? That's the idea behind our new podcast, Good Sleep. Greg, our host from Optimal Relationships Daily, is here to help ease you into a peaceful night's rest with some positive affirmations. And these affirmations aren't just comforting, they can help ease anxiety and nurture positive thoughts, setting you up for true, good sleep. So press play on Good Sleep Tonight because a good tomorrow starts with a good night's sleep. Just search for Good Sleep in your podcast app and be sure to pick the one from Optimal Living Daily. It's another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily and I'm Dr. Neil Miley. Hey there, happy Friday and welcome to another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily, where I answer your health questions related to fitness, diet and nutrition and lots more. You send in the questions and I answer them for you. Now if you're in the US and send in a relevant question, we'll visit the post office and

1:00personally mail you a physical copy of the Optimal Living Daily workbook as long as we have copies left. Now if you're outside the US, we'll email you a digital copy. Now I'll tell you how to send in a question at the end, but for now, let's jump right in and hear today's question as we optimize your life. Today's question came via email, Kimberly writes, What's the best way to deal with fibromyalgia when medication doesn't seem to help? Is there a specific diet you'd recommend? I'm a 55 year old female who walks with a cane because of balance issues and neuropathy in my feet. Walking is my main form of exercise, with a new strength training routine I recently started. I've been on a vegan diet for two and a half years and I'm allergic to dairy but I'm not sure I'm getting enough nutrients. Thank you so much for taking the time to send in your question, Kimberly and I'm sorry to hear about this diagnosis. Let's start at the beginning and talk about what fibromyalgia is. Now if you're listening to this and want to skip this particular episode because you're

2:03thinking, I don't have fibromyalgia, I don't know anyone who has fibromyalgia, this is not going to be helpful to me. I promise, listen on. What we're learning is most of us as we get older, experience some form of inflammation. And what I'm about to discuss has to deal with how to reduce inflammation in the body. So even if you don't have a fibromyalgia diagnosis, I promise what I'm about to share is going to be helpful. So let's begin by talking about, again, what fibromyalgia actually is. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that basically affects every system throughout the body. It's actually difficult to diagnose because the most common symptom is pain, pain throughout the body. Any with fibromyalgia describe it as a dull ache that never seems to go away. And other commonly reported symptoms would be issues with sleep, fatigue, mental fog, headaches, and mood swings. There is no specific blood test to diagnose fibromyalgia.

3:04Instead doctors will ask about the person's pain history and then check various parts of the body to see if the person is experiencing pain in those areas. So the major goal of managing fibromyalgia is to reduce pain. And this can involve different approaches. Pain killers, of course, would be one way. But managing pain through lifestyle, like through diet and exercise, can help. According to the American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association, the goal of any diet for those with this condition is to reduce the body's level of inflammation. This is because more inflammation throughout the body usually increases pain symptoms. One of the ways to reduce inflammation through diet is to reduce daily calorie intake. This can be tricky because decreasing calories may lead to weight loss. And if you're already at a healthy body weight, then decreasing calorie intakes may lead to unnecessary weight loss. But for those that may benefit, consuming fewer daily calories can help reduce fibromyalgia

4:05symptoms. This is because it's believed that with weight loss, particularly the loss of body fat, it will reduce inflammation throughout the body. This is because fat cells release pro-inflammatory chemicals. So by reducing body fat, it may lead to less inflammation because there'll be less secretion of these inflammatory chemicals. It's also helpful to avoid foods that increase inflammation or even those that irritate the gut. For those with fibromyalgia, one of the keys is to avoid foods that contain glutamate, aspartate, or cysteine. These are types of proteins or amino acids and are found naturally in many of the commonly consumed foods we eat on a daily basis, but they're also added to processed foods. Now when they're found naturally in protein-rich foods like, let's say, chicken or turkey, these proteins tend not to increase symptoms. But glutamate, aspartate, and cysteine are often added to foods during processing as flavor

5:06enhancers. And what ends up happening is these flavor enhancers activate the nerves in the gut, which can increase pain and even contribute to irritable bowel-like symptoms. And there are some processed foods that tend to have higher levels of glutamate, aspartate, or cysteine. So it may be worthwhile to carefully read the ingredients list before buying them. Foods that usually have higher levels of glutamate, aspartate, and cysteine include frozen foods, chips, and canned soups. These foods tend to also have higher quantities of these additives, but obviously seeing the ingredients list is going to be a challenge. So my best advice would be after consuming any food, but especially fast foods or processed foods, it's a good idea to monitor your symptoms. If you're experiencing more pain after eating certain foods, it's probably best to avoid those or decrease the portions of that food next time. Now Kimberly, you mentioned you're following a vegan diet. A vegan diet has been shown to help manage inflammation and reduce pain in those with

6:08fibromyalgia. In fact, vegetarian, vegan, and Mediterranean-type diets seem to be the most beneficial. These diets tend to be high in whole, minimally processed grains, beans, lentils, green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, olive oil, and omega-3 fatty acids, especially when we're talking about the Mediterranean-style diet. You mentioned that you're concerned about missing out on important nutrients by following a vegan diet. Taking some dietary supplements can be helpful, not just to help make sure you're getting all the necessary nutrients, but also to help reduce fibromyalgia symptoms. Here are some that have been found to be helpful. Magnesium. Since magnesium may help with muscle functioning, taking a magnesium supplement may reduce muscle pain, but too much magnesium can lead to uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms, so your rheumatologist or a dietitian can help you decide how much to take. Next, omega-3 fatty acids. Taking 500 milligrams of EPA and 500 milligrams of DHA each day can help reduce pain symptoms.

7:16EPA and DHA are specific types of omega-3 fatty acids, and they have been shown to help reduce inflammation throughout the body, which will, in turn, hopefully, reduce pain symptoms. Next, melatonin. These sleep issues are common among those with fibromyalgia, supplementing with melatonin may improve sleep, but here again, knowing the right dose is very important. Vitamin D. For those with low levels of vitamin D, taking a vitamin D supplement to get blood levels within normal ranges can help, but if your vitamin D levels are already within the normal range, taking extra vitamin D doesn't seem to help. And lastly, co-enzyme Q10 or co-Q10. co-Q10 has been found to relieve general symptoms for those with fibromyalgia. And again, as I mentioned, talk to your rheumatologist or a dietitian about whether taking any of these supplements are right for you and finding the right dose. And as always, make sure you're buying a high quality supplement.

8:16An easy way to check is to look for one or more of these seals on a product's packaging. NSF, USP, or Consumer Lab. Now what about exercise? As you mentioned, Kimberly, exercise is important. Studies have shown that lower intensity aerobic exercise can reduce pain. But this is highly individual. So you have to find those exercises that tend not to make symptoms worse. So if walking helps, do that. If swimming helps, do that. Resistance training and Tai Chi have also been shown to be helpful. But again, for those with fibromyalgia, this is a highly personalized thing. The key is to be cautious, try not to overdo it, and try not to progress too quickly. And I wish you all the best, Kimberly, and thank you again for taking the time to send in your question. Now if you want to send in a question to be answered right here on the show and get a copy of the Optimal Living Daily Workbook, just email a question by sending it to health

9:21at oldpodcast.com. Or if you want to hear your own voice on the podcast, come by oldpodcast.com slash ask. Right on that page, you can record your questions straight from your computer's microphone. It's really easy. You can even play back your message and delete it and do retakes before sending it in. Or you can do it the old fashioned way and call in your question. The number is 161 I love OHD. 6164 568 3643. Thank you so much for doing that answering your questions is my favorite part of the show. But that'll do it for another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily. Thank you so much for listening every day and all the way through. I hope you're having a great start to your weekend and I'll see you back here tomorrow with your Optimal Life. Awaits.