Fibromyalgia-Friendly Diet Hacks You Should Try

The one thing we know for sure about fibromyalgia is that it’s a complex disease that requires a holistic, multimodal approach. No single drug, treatment, or therapy works for all fibromyalgia patients. 

Though researchers have looked into nutrition interventions for fibromyalgia, there’s no special diet for the chronic pain condition. However, what you eat affects how you feel, and making a few tweaks to your diet can help support your fibromyalgia treatment plan. 

At Interventional Pain Associates in Austin, Texas, our pain management physician, Dr. Sarosh Saleemi, has years of experience studying and treating fibromyalgia in patients. She understands the complexities of the disease and its many triggers to create comprehensive, holistic, evidence-based treatment plans.

Nutrition is one of the many approaches we use. Here, we want to talk about some diet hacks that might benefit you and your fibromyalgia. 

A balanced plan

According to a 2020 review article published in Nutrients, there’s a lot of interest in the potential benefits of diet interventions in helping control fibromyalgia symptoms. Though some interventions show promise, more research is needed.

Adding or eliminating a food may not help your fibromyalgia, but the researchers agree that maintaining a healthy weight can. A balanced diet is a fibromyalgia-friendly diet hack you can start today. This is a diet that includes a variety of foods from all the food groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy proteins, and healthy fats.

If you’re not sure how or where to start, we can help. We consider nutrition a very important part of your fibromyalgia treatment plan and provide guidance on how to create a balanced diet.

Be consistent

Changes in your routine may trigger your fibromyalgia. This includes changes in what and when you eat. In addition to your balanced diet, try to eat about the same amount of food around the same time every day to help manage your fibromyalgia and reduce your risk of flare-ups. 

Try to eat at regular intervals throughout the day to keep energy levels up and hunger pangs away. Eating regularly and consistently helps with weight control.

Choose nutrient-rich foods

Nutritional deficiencies may exacerbate your pain. When creating your balanced meal plan, make nutrient-rich foods the focus of your meals. Your body needs an adequate supply of vitamins, minerals, protein, and other nutrients to run efficiently. Good nutrition also supports immune health.

We know it’s not always easy getting the nutrition you need, which is why we provide intravenous (IV) therapy so we can quickly replenish the nutrients your body needs to thrive. 

Consider your co-occuring conditions

Many people with fibromyalgia also suffer from other conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and migraines. Nutrition affects these conditions, too. 

When creating a fibromyalgia-friendly diet, you may need to make some adjustments to manage these health issues as well. For example, you need an adequate amount of fiber to help control IBS symptoms, and you shouldn’t eat too close to bedtime to prevent GERD symptoms.

Diet is an important part of your fibromyalgia plan because it affects your overall wellness. If you want to know more about a fibromyalgia-friendly diet, call our office or click the “book online” button to make an appointment with our fibromyalgia expert.