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Fibromyalgia Diet:  What is the best diet for fibromyalgia?

While there is no commonly agreed upon fibromyalgia diet, there is a great deal of advice out there concerning what constitutes a good diet for people afflicted with fibromyalgia. So then, What is the best diet for fibromyalgia? The answer is….........it depends on your individual symptoms. People with Fibromyalgia are different from each other, and no large-scale studies have found that some foods are good and others should be banned for people with Fibromyalgia. However, some patterns are beginning to emerge.   

For example, some fibromyalgia sufferers agree that most fruits and vegetables (especially berries) are fibromyalgia friendly. Therefore choose whole fruits like: blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi fruit, peaches, mango, cantaloupe melon and anti-inflammatory fruit such as apples. Good Vegetables that are crucial for fibromyalgia diet nutrition include: carrots, squash, sweet potato, spinach, kale, collard greens, broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts.  On the other hand, chocolate, citrus fruits and foods high in monosodium glutamine (MSG), a chemical regarded as a “flavor enhancer,” aspartame, an artificial sweetener or caffeine aggravate fibromyalgia symptoms.  It is very important that you check food labels to see whether MSG or aspartame is included in the product.  What makes aspartame so hard to give up is the fact that it is found in a wide variety of products, particularly soft drinks and reduced calorie foods. Bummer! Another rule for fibromyalgia sufferers is to go easy on the red meat.  Because red meat is not good for fibromyalgia patients, and may be high in saturated fat, aim to eat more fish and vegetable protein. Include more legumes and soybeans in your diet.

Fibromyalgia Diets: Keep a food diary

The best way to determine whether specific foods make fibromyalgia symptoms worse is to keep a food diary.  Here is a good exercise that I've found which may be helpful for you.  Each day, why not take the time to write down everything that you eat on a sheet of paper.  On the other side of your paper, list any symptoms that are worse than usual (i.e. worsened pain or greater fatigue).  Keep your food diary available for at least a week or 2 and compare what you ate with how you felt.  If you start to see a pattern, try eliminating the suspicious food and notice if you feel any different.  If you feel better without it, that food may be a problem for you and should go on you “avoid” list.