Patients with fibromyalgia have difficulty tolerating regular doses of most medications and supplements. They are sensitive to medications, and adverse effects are common. To avoid these problems, use the lowest dose available or perhaps one half to one quarter of the lowest recommended dose.

I have followed the above recommendations but found that even taking the lowest dose possible sets my body into hypersensitive mode.  If it doesn’t happen the first or second days, the residual effect builds up  by the end of the week bringing once more an onslaught of debilitating symptoms.  Even if you follow my suggestions to the detail - delaying your chances of gaining an airborne illness - the simple fact is one day during cold and flu season, you may possibly pick up a minor bug.

The minute I am afflicted, I begin the following regime.   It not only lessens the actual days my body becomes ill, but often thwarts major symptoms from developing.  Lots of rest during this time is essential to balance and retain your body’s precious immune system.  Next time you begin feeling overly tired and a scratchy throat ensues, give this program a try. 

1.  Get up drink 16 oz. of spring water and take a probiotic 4
2. A half hour later drink 8 oz. warmed water with Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (one capful)
3.  A half hour later squeeze on fresh grapefruit and drink
4.  Drink the Fibromyalgia Juicing Recipe
5.  Eat Fibromyalgia Breakfast Soup
6.  Have one banana and 12 raw almonds for a snack
7. Drink 16 oz. of spring water
8.  A half hour before lunch squeeze another grapefruit and drink
9.  During lunch, chop one or two fresh garlic cloves and sprinkle over top
10. Drink 16 oz. of spring water
11.  For an afternoon snack have Fibromyalgia Salad
12. Drink 16 oz. of spring water
13.  A half hour before dinner squeeze another grapefruit and drink
14.  An hour after dinner make Fibromyalgia Smoothie
15. Drink 16 oz. of spring water

You may have noticed that all the recipes are chuck full of natural antibiotics.  Natural alternatives seem to be the safest way to treat minor infections, better known as opportunistic viruses and bacteria.

Getting adequate rest daily should be a prominent priority in your life.  Without such rest,
your body is opened to numerous health risks due to an already compromised immune system.  It is important that you learn to Choose You First.  By doing so, you will add precious pain-free days to your already hectic lifestyle.

Have you checked your bedroom blinds lately?  Is it time for a change?  Good blinds will allow little light into your room and will prompt your body to stay at rest longer on those days you can turn off the alarm.  Such a simple effort, can add hours of sleep to your week. This small task may have you smiling when you waken in the morning!  So, if those blind are allowing that brazen sun light to swell your room by 6:30 am, then it’s time to look into a sleep friendly version.

A great book to relax in a dimly lit room is The Help by Kathryn Stockett .  It will keep you mesmerized and light years away from feeling uncomfortable pain as you decompress from your day.  

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating  from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her  mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would  normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised  her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has  gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen’s best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody’s business, but she can’t mind her tongue, so she’s lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new  boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as  can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the  lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be  crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever  changes a town, and the way women—mothers, daughters, caregivers,
friends—view  one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by,  and the ones we don’t. -from Amazon

If you came across this blog by chance serendipity searching the Internet for any research on how kale could affect you adversely, feel comforted to know you are not the only one. In fact, upon further personal research there are at least several people I know who were personally affected the same.  So, that said, no you are not nuts.

Early one morning I decided to add a bit more greens to my Fibromyalgia Soup by incorporating some freshly cut collard greens and a bit of kale purchased at my neighborhood supermarket. It was on sale, after all, a mere 98 cents a bunch! Who could pass up such a bargain? I began preparations and eight hours later in the slow cooker I had some deliciously rich soup.  But, something made me hesitate.  I was prompted to take a brief taste to see if it warranted any adverse affects.  Low and behold, after having only four tablespoons, I began to have that drugged-out , run-to-my-bed feeling.

Upon futher research I found some interesting tid bits concering kale.  Now, do realize I only ingested a few spoonfuls and felt such dramatic effects.  What would have happened if I ingested my entire soup bowl?

Side Effects of Kale

Stomach Distress

A side effect of juicing is intestinal discomfort symptoms. While following a juice diet, you may experience stomach cramps, gas and diarrhea. The ingredients used to make the kale juice can be blamed for these symptoms. The symptoms are related to the ingestion of sorbitol, a type of sugar found in juices that cannot be digested.

Hyperkalemia

Hyperkalemia is a medical condition associated with high amounts of potassium in your blood. Hyperkalemia symptoms may include muscle weakness, fatigue, diarrhea and chest pain. If you are consuming too much kale through your juice diet and you are diagnosed with hyperkalemia, your doctor may recommend a low-potassium diet. Along with kale, other foods to avoid on a low-potassium diet include potatoes, oranges, orange juice, broccoli and spinach.

Too Much Iron

Although it is unlikely, rare cases can develop where you have too much iron in your body. If this is the case, your doctor could recommend reducing your iron intake and avoiding foods such as kale, other green leafy
vegetables, beans, nuts, dried fruits and whole grains. High iron levels in the blood cause symptoms such as headache, weight loss, fatigue, skin color changes and stomach upset.
-taken from Livestrong.com

Most of my side effects relate to the hyperkalemia information.  They were abrupt and lasted for several long hours.  After the fact, I dealt with miniscule repercussions for days.  Isn't that the truth?  Any adverse side effects, whether from medicinal sources or natural foods, can last for days. How fervently you are disabled depends on how much you swallow.

With this knowledge, do yourself a favor.  Your body is a great indicator depicting what should be ingested and not ingested.  Don't ignore these feelings when you begin to feel uneasy adding a new member to your diet.  Listen to these inner challenges  and try a few spoonfuls first.  Wait several minutes to see if it prompts any adverse side effects.   The least amount consumed could save you precious hours of your day!  Larger amounts could put you under for days.

If you completed Phase I of the diet plan or similar dietary route, you’ve probably experienced a good amount of relief on days you stick with the plan.  In fact, you may have found it utterly amazing that you have the power to get your health back on the fast track once again.  Most importantly, I imagine, by following such a routine, you have found yourself outdoors more, planning excursions and running errands instead of being reminded of the past hours spent in the bedroom immersed in pain.

This plan is suggested for those individuals who are mobile.  If you are out and about, or returning to the work force and plan to be there for sometime, then you need a Symptom Maintenance plan to reduce flare ups.  This plan is also allergy-free and will enable your body to continue to heal itself by boosting your natural immune system.  Taking many of the tools from Phase 1, it implements break time and snack time into your daily routine and allowing specific times for other practices that will work nicely around your daily
schedule.  It, too, offers little diversity in eating patterns, but makes lunches and snacks portable as you go about your day.  Food choices include more dairy/beans, and bulk cooking choices to lighten the work load throughout your week.  

Take back your health!  Order today.