10 Tips for Staying Within Your Dietary Restrictions

Written by Cynthia Perkins, M.Ed.


Continued from page 1

6. Call a friend. If you can get a buddy system going this can very helpful. Call your friend during times of weakness and talk it out. Make arrangements with your friend ahead of time and have a plan of action. Have your friend remind you of your goals or how badly you will feel after you eat them. Have specific phrases for your friend to repeat back to you.

7. When cravings come remind yourself that a craving usually only lasts a few minutes and it will be gone. Remind yourself that you will be able to have your reward on your specified day. Ride it out. After you ride it out a few times, it will become easier.

8. Reframe your thinking. For me it is simple to avoid unhealthy foods, because I simply do not desire to eat poison. I don’t want to do that to myself. So try to reframe your thinking aboutrepparttar foods that you desire. Try to think of them as “poisons” instead of “delicious forbidden treats.”

9. Don’t let emotions build up. Express yourself regularly. Keeping emotions pent up can cause you to eat unconsciously. Unexpressed feelings can also decrease self-esteem and if self-esteem is low you will be more likely to give in to cravings.

10. Forgive yourself. When you fall down and give in to your temptations don’t beat yourself up for it. Forgive yourself and let it go immediately. Just start over again. No harm down. To criticize will only be self-defeating. Don’t letrepparttar 131252 weak moment become a reason to stay offrepparttar 131253 restrictions for a longer period of time or to give up. Just pick yourself and begin again. Don’t think of it as failure, but rather as a minor setback. Change happens slowly and usually involves many setbacks. It is a process.

Over time this will all get easier. Your body will begin to repair itself and it will stop cravingrepparttar 131254 unhealthy food eventually. It is a long process, but when you begin to see little steps of progress then you will feel more motivated. It will also take some time for your taste buds to adjust to alternative foods. Give it time.

Cynthia Perkins, M.Ed., writer, educator, therapist/advisor/coach and Holistic Health Consultant Specializing in Life Management and Support for Living with Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, and Disability as well as Sexuality and Sexual Intimacy. http://www.holistichelp.net


Fibromyalgia and Environmental Triggers

Written by Cynthia Perkins, M.Ed.


Continued from page 1

If I don’t have chemical exposures and if I limit refined carbohydrates in my diet then my fibromyalgia symptoms as well as my MCS and CFIDS will improve dramatically. The more exposures I have orrepparttar more refined carbohydrates I eat thenrepparttar 131250 more severe my symptoms will be in each category.

Why this happens, we can only speculate, but I believe thatrepparttar 131251 chemicals are upsetting my body’s natural hormonal and endocrine balance. Scientists are now aware that many ofrepparttar 131252 air-borne and food-borne chemicals we are constantly ingesting are endocrine-disrupters. These chemicals mimic estrogen inrepparttar 131253 body and may contribute to many problems. There is also evidence that refined carbohydrates may interfere with proper endocrine functioning.

Some Fibromyalgia patients may feel that following a strict regimen of avoiding certain chemicals or following a strict diet may not give you enough improvement to justifyrepparttar 131254 effort. However, there is recent evidence to suggest that chemical sensitivity can berepparttar 131255 result of a liver dysfunction that is a component of a medical condition known as porphyria. Porphyria has been studied for decades, and it has long been accepted that it is often degenerative in certain types of porphyria,repparttar 131256 disability can permanently worsen over time ifrepparttar 131257 patient does not avoidrepparttar 131258 triggers of their episodes. Although this research is not yet conclusive, it creates cause for concern. If in fact Fibromyalgia, CFIDS, MCS and GWS are all related in some way or in fact really just one inrepparttar 131259 same and if all involve this typed of liver dysfunction, then avoidance of chemicals may be an important therapy for these patient groups. I would urge all FM patients to carefully evaluaterepparttar 131260 possibility that they are reacting to environmental triggers to preventrepparttar 131261 possibility of a permanent worsening of their condition.

Cynthia Perkins, M.Ed., writer, educator, therapist/advisor/coach and Holistic Health Consultant Specializing in Life Management and Support for Living with Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, and Disability as well as Sexuality and Sexual Intimacy. http://www.holistichelp.ne


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