That haphazardness of forgetfulness plagues each of us who suffer from fibromyalgia.  We could be on the greatest regime, feeling and producing energy of at least 85% when something unexpected rears its ugly head into our routine.  From there, it's downhill.  Most of the fruits we put in place are now somehow refiled in a cabinet we forget where we put the key.

My son asked me the other day, "Geez, Mom you're not looking too good.  It looks like you haven't slept in two days."  I pranced to the bathroom mirror and took note of the huge double circles under my eyes that also harbored road maps looking for the nearest refuge.  "Are you forgetting something in your routine?" he asked.

"No, I don't think so.  I've been pretty on task," I retorted.

But, I thought for a moment.  What am I missing?  What have I been doing differently that is bringing me back to where I started?  And an epiphany hit me.  My bottom wrack in the freezer is devoid of my soups.  It has been at least two weeks since I've had a morning soup. I must get more soup bones and quality meat today!

At the same point in time I was perusing the Internet as usual.  I came upon a VERY interesting video from Dr. Axe I'd like to share with you.  I do perform many of the following pointers he suggests here.  I believe many of these are the soul reason I am able to work still today.  

​When you’re considering going on a low-carb diet or simply reducing carbohydrates, full meals are a little easier to plan — eating all the meat and veggies is always a good option! But it’s nice to chow down on something a little lighter than a steak or full chicken meal when it’s snack time. Unfortunately, the traditional snacks you’d reach for don’t normally fall into the category of low-carb snacks.
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Luckily, these healthy snacks from around the web are available. Low-carb snacks require saying goodbye to pretzels and breadsticks, but in return you get to say hello to delicious munchies like cauliflower hummus, low-carb granola, low-carb nuts and stuffed avocado. The snack recipes below taste great, are easy to prepare and are good for you, too. So whether you’re kicking carbs to the curb for good or just helping your body reset, give these low-carb snacks a try.

26 Low-Carb Snacks

1. Avocado Crisps
Did you need another reason to eat avocados? Probably not but, just in case, these avocado crisps are a must-try and take no time to prepare. Simply mix avocado with salt, cheese and seasonings, then flatten the healthy fruit into discs. Bake ’em and you’ll have seriously delicious, better-than-chips crisps.

2. Blackberry Coconut Fat Bombs
If you’re looking to increase healthy fats, these low-carb fat bombs can help. Made with coconut butter, coconut oil, berries and lemon juice, they’re a terrific option if you’re following a ketogenic diet. One serving has 18.7 grams of fat! Coconut cream, butter, oil and other byproducts are an excellent source of healthy fats, and you don’t have to fear coconut’s saturated fat content.

3. Black Pepper Beef Jerky
If you’ve only had gas station beef jerky, you’re in for a pleasant surprise when you try this beef pepper version. Spiced with Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and your favorite ale, this beef jerky is a delicious on-the-go low-carb snack.

4. Buffalo Chicken Celery Sticks
Sure, buffalo chicken wings are tasty. But what if you could have the buffalo chicken flavor combined with a crunchy celery stick in every bite? Say hello to these easy sticks. Use cooked, leftover chicken to make this speedy snack or side dish. You can cut back on the mayonnaise, too or even use a rotisserie chicken if you’re short on time. A sports game-worthy low-carb snack in just minutes? Yes, please.

5. Cheesy Jalapeño Mushroom Bites
Like your food hot and spicy? Then say hello to your favorite new low-carb snack. Ready in 15 minutes, this simple recipe packs immunity-boosting, nutrition-packed mushrooms with cheese and jalapeños. You could even add bite-sized pieces of chicken or turkey and make it a full meal.

6. Cloud Bread
A bread alternative with only three required ingredients, you won’t believe how tasty this grain-free bread is. Dip it into a favorite hummus or top with your preferred nut butter for a filling snack that won’t leave you feeling bloated.

7. Crispy Parmesan Tomato Chips
Looking for a new way to make healthy chips? Then you have to try these tomato chips. You’ll slice big, juicy tomatoes into thick slices and drizzle them with benefit-rich olive oil. After sprinkling them with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasonings, they’ll slow bake for several hours. The result is a tray full of low-carb snacks that are actually good for you!

8. Easy Pizza Bites
These grain-free pizza bites are made with a mixture of almond and coconut flours. They’re easy to customize with your favorite seasonings, though I love the suggested garlic, thyme, oregano and basil suggestion. I’d swap the pepperoni for turkey pepperoni or even add some of the optional ingredients, like mushrooms, bell peppers or olives. This is one adults and kids alike will love.

9. Easy Pumpkin Quick Bread
This quick bread will satisfy your sweet tooth the all-natural way — you can use the granulated sweetener suggested or substitute maple syrup instead. It’s loaded with pumpkin taste and the ingredients that pair well with it; think cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and walnuts. Serve this pumpkin bread with a pat of grass-fed butter.

10. Easy Hummus
Add a little excitement to the veggies in your life with my super simple hummus recipe. With only a handful of ingredients and just one step to prepare, this low-carb snack is easy to make and can be transported in a small container with no problems at all. Stick this hummus and some celery sticks in your snack pack for when you get hungry halfway through the day!

11. Five-Ingredient Baked Cauliflower Tots
Tater tots are the perfect snack: portable, easy to eat and super tasty. They’re especially loved in the toddler and school-aged crowd. But have you seen what’s in those ingredient lists? Luckily, you can make your own low-carb snack version, thanks to this cauliflower recipe. With only five ingredients that are baked instead of fried, you won’t believe how much better this version tastes.

12. Four-Ingredient Healthy Almond Donuts
If I knew making doughnuts was so simple, I’d have made them ages ago! These are prepared with just four ingredients, almond meal, honey, eggs and baking soda and are delicious as a healthy snack or even dessert. If you want to take them to the next level, try them with my Chocolate Frosting recipe.

13. Fruit Kebabs
Trouble getting the kids to eat their fruit? I love this fruity low-carb snack. A combo of your favorite low-carb fruits along with cubed raw cheddar will have the littlest family members begging for more.

14. Healthy Chocolate and Coconut Bliss Balls
When you need a low-carb snack to nibble on-the-go, pack these bliss balls. Sweetened with medjool dates and coconut and full of almonds, hazelnuts and cacao, they’re a delightfully yummy option.

15. High-Protein, Low-Carb Brownie Dessert
These are one of the fudgiest, chocolately brownies you’ll eat (they may even be the lowest carb brownies you’ll eat, too). Perfectly suited as a snack, these brownies are pretty much a health food. Fiber-rich black beans add protein, while instant coffee lends a rich taste that’s impossible not to love.

16. Kale Chips
Kale has more health benefits than almost any veggie, but it’s not just for salads anymore. The vitamin-packed leafy green turns into crunchy, salty chips with this zesty Paleo recipe. If you’re watching your sodium levels, you can simply skip the sea salt. They’ll still be tasty.

17. Lemon Cheesecake Bars
OK, so these lemon cheesecake bars might be a little more dessert than snack, but if you’ve ever suffered from a mid-afternoon slump, you know sometimes that’s just what’s in order. This cheesecake is one you can eat guilt-free. With an almond flour and coconut oil crust and a cheesecake made with fresh lemon juice, you can’t go wrong.

18. Mini Pepper Nachos
You won’t miss the tortilla chips once you try these nachos. All your favorite toppings are served in mini peppers instead and finished off in the oven, making for a crisp base with melty cheese and fixings like fresh tomatoes, avocados and more. This low-carb snack even works as a quick, satiating weeknight dinner — just make a bigger batch!

19. No-Bake Almond Butter Bars
Is there anything better than baked treats that don’t require actual baking? These almond butter bars are up there as one of the tastiest, oven-free low-carb snacks around. With only six ingredients, you likely have everything on hand to make them right now. They’re easy to stash in your purse to eat while you’re out about town — no more hunting down healthy options at the convenience store!

20. No-Bake Chocolate Quinoa Cookies
Eat these cookies as a snack or enjoy them as breakfast. They’re stuffed with protein (hello, quinoa!) and naturally sweetened, but it’s the cocoa powder and sea salt combo that will really win you over.

21. Pecan Coconut Balls
Enjoy sweet coconut flakes, crunchy pecans and metabolism-boosting hemp seeds with these no-bake balls. Have the little ones help with this kid-friendly low-carb recipe.

22. Pizza Zucchinis
Add a side of veggies to that ‘za craving with this pizza zucchini. By forgoing a doughy crust for zucchini slices instead, you can pile on sauce and cheese to your heart’s content in a perfectly portioned way. This is one of my favorite low-carb keto snack ideas, great for after-school snacking!

23. Salt and Vinegar Zucchini Chips
Forget buying salt and vinegar chips at the store and make these instead. They require only four ingredients to — how simple is that? — and are only 40 calories a serving. Use a mandolin if you can to get the zucchini slices super skinny; that’ll help them crisp up just like your favorite potato chips.

24. Salty Lime Roasted Nuts 
 When you need to spice up your snacks but keep ’em low-carb, try these lime-roasted nuts. Maple syrup adds a dash of sweetness and you won’t be able to resist the fresh lime juice. Make a big batch and keep on hand at work and in the kitchen.

 25. Stuffed Mushrooms
While this might be a bit of an appetizer than a portable snack, it’s great to have on hand when you need to feed a crowd, even if it’s the after-school kind! Shrooms are stuffed with turkey bacon, garlic, cauliflower and grated cheese for a super creamy texture and taste that’ll knock your socks off.

26. Keto Chia Pudding
Chia pudding makes a tasty snack, breakfast or lunch! This recipe has 9 total grams of carbs, 8 grams of fat and 4 grams of protein, making it an excellent lower carb vegan option.

27. Jalapeño Poppers Recipe
These turkey bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers are a low-carb keto snack that can also dual as a crowd-pleasing appetizer. Switch it up a little by make some with bacon and others without.

28. Grab-and-Go High-Protein Veggie Egg Cups
​Looking to pack in some extra protein in your diet? These high-protein egg muffins will help you do just that. Other forms of eggs also work. You can also make deviled eggs or any form of fried eggs to increase your protein intake and keep the carbs low. - Shared from Dr. Axe

Eating well is important for everyone, but more so for those of us battling fibromyalgia. I’d like to discuss some foods to avoid and others to incorporate, and why our diet matters. 

One of the most important things we can do is read labels and eat mostly whole foods. Since summer, I have gotten way off track with how I should be eating. I’ve eaten way too much fast food and not enough real food. I’ve done too much snacking on unhealthy choices. All that did was increase my inflammation and exacerbate my pain. I knew I needed to make a change.

I recently changed my diet to include grass-fed meats and others that haven’t been injected with hormones and antibiotics. I’m also increasing my intake of vegetables, berries, eggs, real cheese, and yogurt made with almond or coconut milk. So far, I’ve chosen not to give up Coke, but I do mostly drink water. I will have dessert when it’s someone’s birthday or another special occasion. For me, it is not about avoiding sweets as much as including healthier foods. Dark chocolate is one of my favorites. 

Often it’s hard to make changes in the way we eat, especially when our fatigue prevents us from cooking something healthy. Being successful in this regard is about making 1 percent changes or taking baby steps. Small changes made over time will have a huge impact. I think it helps to decide what you want to change first and just do that.

As a nutrition consultant, I’m aware of the choices I should be making, but I guess we all get off track and derailed from time to time. Beating ourselves up for our perceived failures serves no one. We just need to start again.

Some great foods to fight inflammation are:

• tomatoes (my favorites are grape tomatoes)
• olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil
• green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collards
• nuts like almonds and walnuts
• fatty fish like salmon (the best option), mackerel, tuna, and sardines
• fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and apples

Foods that can cause inflammation are:

• refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and pastries
• French fries and other fried foods
• soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages
• red meat (burgers and steaks) and processed meat (hot dogs and sausage)
• margarine, shortening, and lard (I would avoid these at all cost. Use real grass-fed butter instead.)

​It’s important to move toward healthier foods and away from foods that will adversely impact our health. My husband and I recently threw or gave away food that we no longer wish to include in our diet. If it’s not in the house it won’t get eaten.  - By Robin Dix

These burgers freeze well.  I simply keep a bag of these in my refrigerator for quick retrieval when packing my lunch.  Just add a cup and a half of frozen broccoli florets and you have a wonderful mid morning meal.  

• 2 lb. ground turkey
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 egg

 
Add the ground turkey, egg, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to a large bowl and stir to combine. Use your hands to form into burger patties. Patties will be VERY MOIST.

Heat oven to 350.  Place burgers on baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes until done.  You want them a tiny bit firm to the touch but not like rubber! If cooked too long they will have a tough texture.  Serve with favorite toppings.  

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​A photographer inherits an antique Advent calendar that seems to predict her future -- including a budding romance.

​It happened again. The season crept up on me before I could hide. Yes, I’m a holiday avoider. I wasn’t always. When I was young and energetic, I looked forward to the excitement, the tree, the gifts, the food, and particularly the music that accompanies the season. I am fortunate to have cherished memories of all those things. But times change, and so have I.

As a young mother, I bought into the fairy tale that the perfect “Hallmark” Christmas was not only possible but that it was obligatory. It was up to me alone to create it in my home. Each year I strive to outdo the last — cooking more, decorating more, and spending more, but enjoying it less. And each year I was disappointed in the results. It was lots of work that no one particularly noticed but me.

Eventually, I figured out that “Hallmark” Christmases only take place in greeting cards and on television. Nowhere else is this perfection seen, certainly not in my less than perfect home with my less than perfect family, and especially not with my less than perfect health. At about the same time that I began to question all my efforts, my fibromyalgia said, “Enough!”

Surprisingly, I’m perfectly fine with the outcome. I have realized I can do a whole lot less (translation: barely anything) and still enjoy the season. I’ve had my turn at brightening up the world. Now it’s up to someone else to do it. And, of course, they do. Let me assure you that young, healthy people and especially retail merchants will supply all the Christmas anyone can handle — and more.

As for me, these days I manage to do something special for my grandchildren — usually from home, thanks to the internet. I hang a fresh wreath on my front door. (The smell of fresh pine is one item I refuse to do without.) I buy Christmas goodies at the bakery and an already-cooked turkey with the trimmings from the local grocer. The cards and letters I once sent have become emails.

I enjoy a seasonal visit with my family who live in another city, but never on the holiday itself. I have memories of my one and only Christmas Eve airplane journey that was scheduled to take five hours door to door. Instead, due to weather in another part of the country, it took 13 hours in crowded airports to reach my destination. Unwilling to risk a similar situation, I make my visits about a week before or after the actual holiday. I still get to see their tree, perhaps a Christmas pageant, and share in their excitement. But then I get to go home to the familiar routine so necessary in preventing fibromyalgia flares.
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Unfortunately, fibromyalgia doesn’t take a holiday vacation. So, rather than try to pretend it doesn’t exist, I’ve learned to do only what I can comfortably do. This is just one more instance where less is more. By Christine Lynch

I have noted a much better quality of life since going Paleo.  For some reason the meat, tubers, and veggie thing still leaves my body in shambles wanting more food through disengaged central nervous system.

I have come to enjoy these Paleo sides and keep a bag of them in my freezer for easy pick up when needed.


1 Cup Almond Flour
2/3 Cup Tapioca Flour
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Real Salt
5 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk
1 tsp Lemon Juice
2 Eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick mat.
3. Combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.
4. Add the cold butter to the dry ingredients and cut in using your fingers until it resembles a coarse meal.
5. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
6. In another bowl, whisk together the dairy free buttermilk (which is the coconut milk and the lemon juice mixed together, let it set for a few minutes before doing this step) and the eggs until well combined.
7. Pour the liquid ingredients into the well of dry ingredients and fold in using a rubber spatula until fully combined.
8. Mixture will be wet.
9. Allow to sit for 5 minutes so that the flours can absorb more moisture. This will make it easier to shape into biscuits.
10. When the dough has sat for several minutes, you will notice it is not as wet and sticky as it was.
11. Coat a 1/4 C. measuring cup with tapioca flour(this can be done by scooping a full 1/4 C. of flour and then dumping it back out and tapping the cup upside down to remove clumps).
12. With the flour coated measuring cup, scoop up enough dough to fill the cup and then invert it on your baking sheet.
13. You may need to tap the handle a bit to allow it to fully release.
14. An ice cream scoop with a spring release will also work for more of a drop biscuit shape.
15. Repeat with remaining dough, placing each biscuit 2″ apart.
16. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the tops have turned lightly golden brown.
17. Cool on a wire rack.