Fibromyalgia and Gluten: Can Cutting it Out Help with Pain?

Gluten and sugar are pretty much in everything it's very hard to avoid

Turmeric is a natural anti inflammatory supplement Not everyone has the same food triggers A food/symptom diary can help you identify triggers for you specifically Finding ways to satisfy cravings on altered diets is a constant journey Seasonings are your friends and don't be afraid to make a substitute for something you can't have Lettuce, Arugula, kale, and romaine can be a big trigger, so spinach is a good green to fall back on Don't be afraid to get frozen ingredients or something to satisfy your sweet/salty/other cravings. Seaweed, nuts, popcorn or chips(check on these two if it's a flavor though) You can dehydrate your own snacks in the oven too There are soooo many different gluten free flours Often vegan or vegetarian foods are well labeled with allergens Canned foods can be a trigger, either the metal or the salt Pure cane sugar can be better the the bleached white sugar Tea. Just tea. Reasearch your herbs and you can have a tasty drink that helps you feel better. But tea is a good alternative to soda. Iced, hot, cold brewed, chilled Don't be afraid to try new things out of your comfort zone. Ethiopian and Indian foods are good, just avoid the breads Rice, potatoes, quinoa, and others are good bases Whole foods, while expensive on average, has a lot of alternatives to try out

When I started getting gluten intolerance symptoms, I can't even tell you how heartbroken I was. My all-time favorite foods were pasta and bread and seriously all things wheat-based (dumplings, cheese bread, cream cheese wontons, flour tortillas, etc.). I STILL get sad nearly 2 years later that I can't eat gluten-y things. But there are definitely alternatives and ways around it... even if they aren't quite as good and almost always more expensive. If you love pasta like me, rice noodles may be your new best friend. Also there are a variety of GF "regular" noodles for Italian pasta dishes. Cauliflower noodles are surprisingly not bad (who knew!). Just make sure to not over cook them! They WILL get mushy faster than gluten noodles and they will continue to absorb water after cooking. If bread is your thing, there are a great variety of GF breads, bagels, English muffins, you name it. They are consistently dryer and lack structural integrity, but there are ways around that. I find that toasting GF bread, whatever form it's in, helps with the structure issue. And any sort of cream or other moist substance helps with the dryness. For example, if you want a sandwich, toast the GF bread first, then spread a generous layer of mayo, mustard, pesto, butter, whatever your preferred topping is, on both pieces of bread before adding the fillings. Eating out can be a challenge. Cooking your own food is much easier for cutting out gluten. Especially since it loves to hide in things. Asian food is tough. Aside from the obvious sources of gluten (wonton wrappers, noodles, breading, etc), there are also hidden things like wheat in soy sauce, imitation crab (no more Cali rolls :( ), "crunchy" toppings, etc. Mexian is workable. Instead of flour tortillas, do corn. Be wary of the complimentary chips bc they are often fried in the same oil as all the gluten stuff. Tortilla chips themselves, though, are usually safe (corn based, not wheat based). Ik this is very long, but I know your pain and if I can impart some wisdom on how to make this VERY FREAKING PAINFUL sacrifice a little easier to help someone else though it, I'm all about it. Feel free to dm to chat or for more tips!!

Also, stay away from carbonated beverages. Experiment with gluten. Go off of it for a week or so and then try some. If you hurt more than try to stay away from it. If you don't see a difference then keep eating it. Everyone is different. 👍