Salty Foods & Snacks

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Now I've spoken about the spicy chilis, now let me tell you why after throwing up, I look to eat something salty...

Salty foods or snacks are often tolerated well with nausea, and can replenish sodium lost from vomiting...

Seasoning is usually a no-no for nausea, but there are two exceptions: salt and ginger which I added in the ramen soup I made earlier...

Not only does salt make food taste better, but it helps to support the balance of fluids in the body, reducing the risk of both dehydration and overhydration, along with supporting healthy digestion, good sleep, and so much more.

Please note, this works for me! 

If you suffer with high blood pressure then it's a no.....

What does soup have to do with Migraines or any other headaches.

You may ask, what does soup have to do with Migraines or any other type of headaches? 

Well take a read...

Dehydration is a major cause of headaches, so instead of popping a pill the next time your head hurts, consider reaching for water-rich foods, like watermelon. Other foods with high water content include berries, cucumber, melon, soups, oatmeal, tomatoes and lettuce but these are for regular headaches.

But that's not all...

Like I said what does soup have to do with Migraines?

Well this may explain why several different spicy soup may help. Both hot soup and hot gumbo with chili peppers seem to work to control migraines,capsaicin, the compound that gives hot peppers their kick, seem to work wonders. In all my soups I add chili flakes, presumably because of their effects on those TRP (transient receptor potential) channels...Eating some spicy soup at the first hint of a migraine headache can stimulate TRP channels in the neurons and reverse the pain cascade.

It may seem strange to use chili peppers to combat migraines, but I find this remedy to work if used at the first sign of a headache unfortunately for me I was at work when I got the attack.

It may not work for everyone, but it works for me.

Hello Readers: Fibromyalgia Update

Hello my wonderful readers, it's been ages since I've posted anything for you all, a lot has been happening over the years in my life.

The photo above is what I look like now at 44 I'll be 45 in December 2020.

So I'm happy and excited to tell you guys about my Fibromyalgia journey thus far, I'll share the positives only, I've never been hospitalized and no surgeries thank God!

I've learned that acupuncture sessions a few times a year helps me with the pain, I've learnt that green foods such as cabbage, all lettuce,greens, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers,cucumbers, are not good for me the great information that causes me pain also "cold foods" like tomatoes, and watermelon causes me to have pain..... since I've stopped eating these foods I can say I'm 90% pain free, the only pain I'll have is just growing old pains! Lol...so you can try this for me to get the benefits of green in my diet I use wheatgrass in juice.... I get flare ups on my pressure points the usual spots we all get pain that is my signal to start on my acupuncture treatments again as well as getting your lymphatic system drained!

Have lots more to share soon, stay safe love you guys and God bless you.

Understanding Fibromyalgia

It's been a while writing about anything, but with all the recent developments in studies on new symptoms that Fibromyalgia patients face every day. I've decided that it was time to write a little piece on understanding fibromyalgia.

A common chronic pain condition, fibromyalgia is a pain processing disorder that causes widespread pain throughout the body. The disorder can result in sleep problems, emotional and mental distress, as well as fatigue.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 4 million Americans suffer from fibromyalgia. The National Fibromyalgia Association reports that women account for 75 to 90 percent of those who are diagnosed with the disorder, but the disease can also occur in men and children.

Fibromyalgia is a poorly understood condition that causes pain and fatigue all over the body in your joints and muscles. It is the second most common disorder that affects the muscles and joints. It does not have a cure, but it is possible to manage your symptoms so that you can live a happy and productive life.

Doctors are uncertain what causes fibromyalgia, but it is believed that it is caused by signaling problems in your brain when it processes pain signals that are sent from the peripheral nerves. Fibromyalgia is more likely to occur in the following people:

• Women
• People who do not regularly exercise
• People who have arthritis
• People who suffer from depression or anxiety
• People who have family members that experience fibromyalgia
• People who have PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

People who have fibromyalgia will generally feel achy all over. The most common symptoms of the disorder include the following:

• Difficulty concentrating
• Sleep problems
• Depression
• Nervousness or anxiety
• Fatigue
• Painful joints
• Muscle pain or burning sensation in the muscles
• Low pain threshold

Common Treatment Options

Your doctor may prescribe you different medications for your specific symptoms, including sleep aids, pain relievers, antidepressants, and muscle relaxers. Many people who are diagnosed with fibromyalgia are also told to engage in regular exercises such as yoga or tai chi that is low-impact and of a moderate intensity. You may also benefit from seeing a counselor to help you deal with the emotional issues that you are facing because of your fibromyalgia.

Alternative Treatments

There are a variety of alternative treatments that may help you with managing your fibromyalgia symptoms. You may find that certain supplements such as St. John’s Wort and melatonin may be helpful for encouraging sleep and minimizing depression. Many people benefit from therapeutic massage and acupuncture. You should make sure that you get enough sleep each night. There is some evidence that mindfulness meditation, guided imagery, and biofeedback may offer some help to people who suffer from fibromyalgia. If you maintain a healthy weight, you may also help to reduce some of the pain symptoms.

Good nutritional choices may help to relieve the symptoms of fibromyalgia. You should strive to eat a well-rounded diet that includes lean meats, dairy products, green vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts, and unsaturated fats. Eating certain foods regularly may help to reduce symptoms of fatigue, including the following:

• Avocado
• Olive oil
• Almonds
• Tofu
• Steel-cut oatmeal

(It was recommended that dark green leafy vegetables be used) But from my experience, I personally would not recommend using anything green as well as no cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes as they are considered to be cold foods that increase inflammation that contributes to joint pain.

Since I haven't been eating these foods I have little or no pain..... What I do use in terms of vegetables are pumpkin, beets, carrots, chickpea, pink beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, and baked beans. 

Acupuncture works wonders for the pain, I do treatments at least 4 times a year it's awesome!

One study dating from 2000 found that eating a vegan or vegetarian diet may help to relieve the symptoms of fibromyalgia. However, not everyone is able to follow a diet that is that restrictive. If you are unable to do so, try to choose healthy, non-processed foods instead of purchasing boxed and canned goods.

Prognosis

Fibromyalgia does not have a cure, and people who have it may expect to live with chronic, widespread pain for years. However, the disorder does not cause damage to your organs or make you likelier to die earlier. Fibromyalgia is also associated with higher rates of disability for people who suffer from it, but exercise and making healthy choices can minimize your likelihood of becoming disabled from it.

After you have been diagnosed, you may find that your symptoms improve when you undergo some of the treatments. Making the recommended lifestyle changes, exercising more and eating a healthy diet may also help to relieve your pain, improve your mood, decrease fatigue and help you to sleep.

Some people who are diagnosed with fibromyalgia experience significant improvement in their pain symptoms and sleep problems by making these lifestyle changes. It is important for you to keep in mind that you are at risk for developing worsened symptoms if you do not exercise, make healthy eating choices or maintain a healthy weight. With proper treatment and stress-reduction techniques, you may successfully manage your symptoms and enjoy living a long and healthy life despite your fibromyalgia.

40 and still going

While hiking through the forest yesterday along the Marianne River looking at nature and all its challenges, I overcame them yesterday with minor difficulty. I always thank God for helping me make the impossible, possible. While sitting on a rock at the edge of the river I realized something and asked myself how much more can I push myself, how much can my body take? How much is too much? I normally use the phrase '' It won't kill me to try'' But it can if you are not careful...... Yesterday my bag was packed with every possible medication required if anything was to go medically wrong with me, from diabetes medication, asthma pump to Singulair to open my lungs in case of restriction, which I took in advance and then some Neurobion Forte which contains several B vitamins required for normal metabolic processes in the body, which in my case helps with nerve pain. I take the risk at times to keep myself active and to take control of my body I can't let my body over-rule my mind ....So I took the challenge and survived the rain in water-soaked clothes, my heart racing, me having to pull my own weight up at times and needed help on two occasions, from avoiding myself slipping of ledges into the river some time 10 -15 feet down, my lungs feeling at times as if it will burst... and with shoes water- soaked that crossed the river and after all that I plunged myself into the cold river water for a short swim. All this makes life awesome and exciting and worth living truly God has blessed me with a strong will, determination and some craziness and I won't trade that for anything ! Not forgetting this morning all that hurt were my legs from all the stretching and climbing minor thing, 40 and still going ‪#‎Fribrofighter‬

My Fibromyalgia Letter

My Fibromyalgia Letter

February 5, 2015 at 10:58am

My Fibromyalgia Letter 

The Fibromyalgia Letter "Hello Family, Friends, and Anyone Wishing to Know Me! How do I explain this to you my family and friends? This is very difficult to do as my illness is "unseen." So allow me to begin by thanking you for taking the time out of your day to spend some time with me and get to know me better. A person's time is their most valuable asset and yours is appreciated, So from the start of my illness when the doctor thought I had Rheumatoid  Arthritis (R.A.) I thought Oh God now I had to deal with organ damage apart from the twisting and atrophy of my joints and body! But could not understand all the other symptoms I was having ... So three years later and February 2nd 2015 I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I thought okay this must be good news compared to Rheumatoid right ? I was wrong it's not that simple ! As you read further on you would see why my life had not been easy.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain in your muscles, ligaments and tendons, as well as fatigue and multiple tender points - places on your body where slight pressure causes pain. Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic form of muscle pain. The pain of Myofascial pain syndrome centers around sensitive points in your muscles called trigger points. The trigger points in your muscles can be painful when touched. And the pain can spread throughout the affected muscle.
I want to talk to you about fibromyalgia (FM) and Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS). Many have never heard of these conditions and for those who have, many are misinformed. And because of this, judgments are made that may not be correct. So I ask you to keep an open mind as I try to explain who I am and how FM/MPS has assaulted not only my life but those whom I love as well.
I cannot show you a physically open wound to show how much pain I'm in.

However with Fibromyalgia, you will hear from many people that they would rather have a broken leg any day than suffer the kind of pain these disorders inflict. To me, a broken leg is even a poor example to compare suffering to these disorders and an insult to those of us with those disorders.
You see, I suffer from a disease that you cannot see; a disease that there is no cure for and that keeps the medical community baffled at how to treat and battle this demon, who's attacks are relentless. My pain works silently, stealing my joy and replacing it with tears. On the outside we look alike you and I; you won't see my scars as you would a person who, say, had suffered a car accident. You won't see my pain in the way you would a person undergoing chemo for cancer; however, my pain is just as real and just as debilitating. And in many ways my pain may be more destructive because people can't see it and do not understand....

You must see with your ears and your heart what your eyes cannot see. You must listen carefully to what I am telling you. What I describe to you may not make much sense to you and may be difficult for you to understand. Sometimes it may seem to you to be a different universe that I discuss. Know that it probably is. You don't have to fully understand my universe and you cannot possibly.  However hear my pain, listen for red flags always of any danger signals where you may need to help with added assistance. I like to call it "sending in the troops." Anytime I do not seem in touch with reality.

Please don't get angry at my seemingly lack of interest in doing things; I punish myself enough I assure you. My tears are shed many times when no one is around. My embarrassment is covered by a joke or laughter, but inside I want to die. You will hear many things from me that to you seem as easily resolvable. You may wonder why I make the same "wrong" decisions over and over again. Why haven't I learned by this time? Why can't I see the senselessness of my behavior? I may seem to be getting my life together and them bottom out all over again.

Please understand the difference between "happy" and "healthy". When you've got the flu you probably feel miserable with it, but I've been sick for years. I can't be miserable all the time, in fact I work hard at not being miserable. So if you're talking to me and I sound happy, it means I'm happy. That's all. I may be tired. I may be in pain. I may be sicker than ever. Please, don't say, "Oh, you're sounding better!" I am not sounding better, I am sounding happy.
What is happening here? Am I lazy, stupid, etc? Nope. My physical brain and body is very different than yours. I experience life different than the way you do. I feel different than you do. Most of my "friends" are gone; and yet I don't think family members fully understand.

I have been accused of "playing games" for another's sympathy. I have been called unreliable because I am forced to cancel plans I made at the last minute because of the burning and pain in my lower back, neck, legs or arms and shoulders. The pain can be so intense that I cannot put my clothes on I still sit to put my  pants on and I am left in my tears when I am alone as I miss out on yet another activity I used to love with enthusiasm. Do I experience mood swings? If I am hurting I may be angry, sad, depressed, or any of the hundred moods in the world. I'll never know what mood I will wake up with? I may treat you cruelly and say horrible things to you; I may ignore you completely, or cry on your shoulder unstopping when I'm in Fibro Flair. You may wonder what you said or did that made me this way.  Well you did nothing it's the Fibromyalgia and all its underlining factors causing this.

While the most predominant symptoms of fibromyalgia include widespread pain and persistent fatigue, the resulting cognitive impairment of this condition may be it's most maddening. Commonly referred to as Fibro fog, this symptom is a conglomeration of cognitive challenges. Fibro fog is understood to be a physical symptom of fibromyalgia, not a psychological one. Just as no two individuals experience fibromyalgia in the same way, Fibro fog also has a varying range of indications, including: Mental confusion, Fuzzy thinking, Short-term memory loss, Inability to concentrate or pay attention, and Language lapses.

This is why I feel like a child at times. When I talk to people, many times I lose my train of thought in mid-sentence or forget the simplest word needed to explain or describe something. Please try to understand how it feels to have another go behind me in my home to make sure the stove is off after I cook an occasional meal. Please try to understand how it feels to "lose"  stuff, only to find them infront of you or in a strange place like the fridge. As I try to maintain my dignity the Demon assaults me at every turn. I have a physical illness and it isn't my fault and I didn't ask for it I don't want it and I don't deserve it.

Occurring at the deepest level of the sleep cycle, individuals with fibromyalgia typically lack sufficient restorative sleep. We know that at the deeper levels of sleep, called delta wave sleep, a person's mind conducts internal housekeeping. During delta wave sleep, newly acquired information is assimilated and integrated into the brain. The inability to get sufficient delta wave sleep impairs the ability to recall information and operate at a normal level of mental efficiency.

When I do get some sleep, I am restless and I wake often because of the pain or i am either hoh or feeling cold mainly hot because of the sheets on my legs or because I twitch uncontrollably. I walk through many of my days in a daze with the Fibro-fog laughing at me as I stumble and grasp for clarity.
Just because I can do a thing one day, that doesn't mean I will be able to do the same thing the next day or next week. I may be able to take that walk after dinner on a evening; the next day or even the in the next hour I may not be able to walk to the fridge to get a cold drink because my muscles have begun to cramp and lock up or spasm uncontrollably, there are times i can cook and other. There are those who say "but you did that yesterday!" "What is your problem today?" The hurt I experience at those words scars me so deeply that I have let my family and friends down again; and still they don't understand.
On a brighter side I want you to know that I still have my sense of humor. If you take the time to spend with me you will see that. I love to tell that joke to make another's face light up and smile at my wit. I am fun to be with if you will spend the time with me on my own playing field; is this too much to ask? I want nothing more than to be a part of your life. I have found that I can be a strong friend in many ways. I am your friend, your supporter and many times I will be the one to do the research for your latest project; many times I will be your biggest fan and the world will know how proud I am at your accomplishments and how honored I am to have you in my life.
All I ask is that you become educated about fibromyalgia. I am someone in your life that suffers from fibromyalgia. You may think you know everything there is to know about it, but there is more information out there than you think. It is more complicated then you think, and it is more life changing then you think.
Lend a helping hand. If you want to be helpful to someone with fibromyalgia, just ask what you can do. Be flexible with invitations and plans that you have made. Understand that sometimes the pain of fibromyalgia is overwhelming. Be active. Accompany them to a doctor's appointment and take an active interest in their treatment. You can take notes at the doctor's office and then review your notes together at home. Don't take things personally. Some people with fibromyalgia suffer from sudden mood changes. Try not to take these mood swings personally as they are part of the syndrome.

So you see, you and I are not that much different. I too have hopes, dreams, goals and this demon Do you have an unseen demon that assaults you and no one else can see? Have you had to fight a fight that crushes you and brings you to your knees? I will be by your side, win or lose, I promise you that; I will be there in ways that I can. I will give all I can as I can, I promise you that. But I have to do this thing my way. Please understand that I am in such a fight myself and I know that I have little hope of a cure or effective treatments, at least right now.Thank you for spending your time with me today. I hope we can work through this thing, you and me. Please understand that I am just like you.
So I Need You To Please Understand Me.

The Pillomitt

For all you Arthritis sufferers out there here is a product you must have the Pillomitt !

https://twitter.com/Pillomitt/status/521676733456855041/photo/1

Pillomitt

The Pillomitt is a clever and wonderful design, this multi-functional Pillomitt can be used for numerous things, from warming your aching hands to placing it between the knees for soreness. Have problems with your upper and lower back ? Just place the Pillomitt for desired comfort. Being a nursing assistant for years I can tell you this is the ideal product for your patients especially those prone to bedsores ! So instead of placing bulky pillows to cushion your patient get the Pillomitt you cant go wrong ! For more info on the Pillomitt hit the link provided.

http://www.cozycare.jimdo.com/

Read more here the R.A Guy !

http://www.rheumatoidarthritisguy.com

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS WHEN !

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS WHEN THE DECISION OF WHAT TO PUT ON YOUR TOAST IS DETERMINED BY WHICH JAR HAS THE LOOSEST LID.

http://www.rheumatoidarthritisguy.com