Chiropractic care is a common alternative or complementary treatment for fibromyalgia pain. People use it to treat pain of pressure points, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, and pain from musculoskeletal injuries. Chiropractic treatment may be effective for fibromyalgia because it may reduce pain levels and increase cervical and lumbar ranges of motion.

Fibromyalgia causes the muscles to continually tighten and cramp up, which in turn results in the spine losing its ability to move around properly. Because of this tightening, the muscles restrict even more due to a triggered neurological reflex. This leads to more pain and symptoms that worsen with time. As new trigger points emerge over time, symptoms not only worsen but they also flare up more frequently.

Chiropractic care helps to alleviate and even eliminate the chronic pain that is experienced with fibromyalgia by constantly adjusting the spine. Studies have been done over the years to test the success of spinal adjustments on fibromyalgia pain, and countless patients have reported a relief in pain all over their bodies.

For example, a study done in 1985 resulted in patients experiencing a better quality of sleep and less fatigue on a daily basis. Chiropractic treatment is based on the principle that the body is a self-healing organism. To reduce pain and increase healing, the doctor of chiropractic uses spinal adjustments. The goal is to increase the mobility between spinal vertebrae, which have become restricted, locked, or slightly out of proper position.

These are becoming addictive and are replacing many of my usual carbs.  They are light, tasty and packed with super nutrients to keep you going throughout the day.

I know I've labeled them as ray, yet they contain some roasted nut butter.  If you'd like you can swap out the usual nut butters for your favorite raw butter of choice.  

Make a pan of these, wrap them in wax paper, and freeze for future use.

1 cup packed dried figs
1/4 cup raw honey 
1/4 cup creamy salted almond butter
2/3 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1. Process figs in a food processor until small bits remain (about 1 minute). It should form a "dough" like consistency that makes a ball.
2. Quickly add walnuts and chop lightly.
3. Place oats, walnuts, raisins, and dates in a bowl - set aside.
4. Warm honey and nut butter in a small saucepan over low heat or microwave. Stir and pour over oat mixture and then mix, breaking up the figs to disperse throughout.
5. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer to an 8x8 dish or other small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper so they lift out easily. 
   
6. Press down until uniformly flattened. Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and let set in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden.
7. Remove bars from pan and chop into 10 even bars. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days or freeze.

Interstitial cystitis is a chronic inflammatory condition of the bladder that causes frequent, urgent, and painful urination and pelvic discomfort. The lining of the bladder breaks down, allowing toxins to irritate the bladder wall, and the bladder becomes inflamed and tender and does not store urine well. The condition does not respond to antibiotics, since it is not associated with a bacterial infection like is UTI. Like UTI, IC is much more common among women than among men. Although the disease previously was believed to be a condition of menopausal women, growing numbers of men and women are being diagnosed in their 20s and younger. Data released just this year suggests that up to 12% of women may have early symptoms of IC.

The symptoms of IC are basically the symptoms of UTI, only more stubborn and painful. IC is often misdiagnosed as UTI, until it refuses to respond to antibiotics. IC symptoms may also initially be attributed to prostatitis or epididymitis (in men) and endometriosis or uterine fibroids (in women).

 Traditional medications work to repair and hopefully rebuild the wounded bladder lining, allowing for a reduction in symptoms. But FDA-approved therapies for IC have had recent setbacks in various research studies. 

Pelvic-floor dysfunction may also be a contributing factor to IC symptoms. Most major IC clinics now evaluate the pelvic floor and/or refer patients directly to a physical therapist for a prompt treatment of pelvic floor muscle tension or weakness. The tension is often described as a burning sensation, particularly in the vagina.

Muscle tension is the primary cause of pain and discomfort in IC patients who experience pain during intercourse. Tender trigger points (small tight bundles of muscle) may also be found in the pelvic floor.
Exercises such as Kegels can be helpful as they strengthen the muscles, but they can provoke pain and additional muscle tension. A specially trained physical therapist can provide direct, specific evaluation of the muscles, both externally and internally.

As you already know, fibromyalgia is an exceedingly complicated disorder with a laundry list of symptoms that involve nearly every system in the body.  The urinary system is no exception.  Urinary tract infections (UTIs) and disorders are yet another piece of the puzzle that may need to solve in order to get you feeling better.  In fact, about 25% of my fibromyalgia patients have chronic urinary tract infections.  Many also have problems with incontinence (inability to hold urine) and urinary retention (inability to pass urine).  

Signs and symptoms of UTI include painful, hesitant, frequent urination along with fever lasting for more than three days.

A UTI can be diagnosed by sending a culture of the urine.  If there are symptoms and you have a negative culture, then there is likely another illness involved like gonorrhea or Chlamydia.  Some of the more common organisms found on cultures are E. coliand S. saprophyticus. More than 90% are caused by E. coli, which is normally found in the gut anyway.  However, there are a few rare dangerous forms of E. coli, which is what causes the infection. When E. coli escapes the bowel and goes into the bladder is when the problem occurs. E. coli is exceptionally resilient to the bladder’s attempt at killing off the bacteria because it is sophisticated in that it uses projections to help stick itself to the wall of the bladder.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to prevent a UTI.

• Drink 70 ounces of water daily.
• Avoid taking in a lot of alcohol and caffeine.
• Don’t hold off going to the bathroom when you feel the urge; go as soon as you feel it.
• If you have chronic UTIs, avoid baths and take showers instead.
• Wipe front to back to avoid contamination
• For women who are sexually active, urinate within 15 minutes after intercourse, which will expel the bacteria before specialized extensions anchor to the urethral walls.
• Clean the opening of the urethra right after intercourse.
• Clean genitalia before and after intercourse.
• Drink unsweetened cranberry juice

Adding cranberry to your diet is a sure-fire way to help prevent the discomfort of a urinary tract infection.  In fact the Fibromyalgia Smoothie recipe and Fibromyalgia Salad are great tools to add to your daily diet to combat reoccurring incidents.  

This was a moving account that will keep you spellbound until the last page. I was delightfully surprised of the simplicity of this prose.  

Oprah Book Club® Selection, September 1997: In a small Cajun community in 1940s Louisiana, a young black man is about to go to the electric chair for murder. A white shopkeeper had died during a robbery gone bad; though the young man on trial had not been armed and had not pulled the trigger, in that time and place, there could be no doubt of the verdict or the penalty.

"I was not there, yet I was there. No, I did not go to the trial, I did not hear the verdict, because I knew all the time what it would be..." So begins Grant Wiggins, the narrator of Ernest J. Gaines's powerful exploration of race, injustice, and resistance, A Lesson Before Dying. If young Jefferson, the accused, is confined by the law to an iron-barred cell, Grant Wiggins is no less a prisoner of social convention. University educated, Grant has returned to the tiny plantation town of his youth, where the only job available to him is teaching in the small plantation church school. More than 75 years after the close of the Civil War, antebellum attitudes still prevail: African Americans go to the kitchen door when visiting whites and the two races are rigidly separated by custom and by law. Grant, trapped in a career he doesn't enjoy, eaten up by resentment at his station in life, and angered by the injustice he sees all around him, dreams of taking his girlfriend Vivian and leaving Louisiana forever. But when Jefferson is convicted and sentenced to die, his grandmother, Miss Emma, begs Grant for one last favor: to teach her grandson to die like a man.

As Grant struggles to impart a sense of pride to Jefferson before he must face his death, he learns an important lesson as well: heroism is not always expressed through action--sometimes the simple act of resisting the inevitable is enough. Populated by strong, unforgettable characters, Ernest J. Gaines's A Lesson Before Dying offers a lesson for a lifetime.

From Publishers Weekly

This salad is a planned staple incorporated into my diet routine each day.  It provides essential nutrients and is preventative from future attacks of unknown viruses and bacterial infections.

There are four benefits from eating salads:

1. Eat Salads for the Fiber 
Eating a high-fiber diet can help lower cholesterol levels and prevent constipation

2. Eat Salads for the Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables
If you frequently eat green salads, you'll likely have higher blood levels of a host of powerful antioxidants (vitamin C and E, folic acid, lycopene, and alpha- and beta-carotene,) especially if your salad includes some raw vegetables. Antioxidants are substances that help protect the body from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals.

3. Eat Salads to Cut Calories and Increase Satisfaction
Rolls, lead researcher of a prominent study, suggests that "bigger is better" as long as the salad is bigger in volume, not in calories - which means more veggies and less dressing and other fatty add-ons.

4. Eat Salads to Get Smart Fats
Eating a little good fat (like the monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, avocado and nuts) with your vegetables appears to help your body absorb protective phytochemicals, like lutein from dark green vegetables. - Taken from Web MD

2 cups dark green mixed lettuce or hearts of Romaine
2 tab. Feta Cheese 
1 tab. Hemp Seeds
2 tab. Organic Dried Cranberries
2 tab. raw sunflower seeds
2 tab. raw pumpkin seeds
2 tab. raw walnuts
2 tab. Organic Raisins
1 - 2 cloves of Organic garlic
Mustard Dressing

Eat your way to better health!  If you need a full detailed diet on how to gain back your health order Phase I diet plan today!  Share my journey!

Having a parasite can be a horrifying thought, but you're not alone; parasites are far more common than you think. It’s a myth that parasites only exist in underdeveloped countries. In fact, parasites can causing a myriad of symptoms, only a few of which are actually digestive in nature.

Examples of parasites include roundworms, tapeworms, pin worms, whip worms, hookworms, and more. Because parasites come in so many different shapes and sizes, they can cause a very wide range of problems. Some consume your food, leaving you hungry after every meal and unable to gain weight. Others feed off of your red blood cells, causing anemia. Some lay eggs that can cause itching, irritability, and even insomnia. If you have tried countless approaches to heal your gut and relieve your symptoms without any success, a parasite could be the underlying cause for many of your unexplained and unresolved symptoms.

There are a number of ways to contract a parasite. First, parasites can enter your body through contaminated food and water. Under cooked meat is a common place for parasites to hide, as well as contaminated water from underdeveloped countries, lakes, ponds, or creeks. However, meat is the not the only culprit. Unclean or contaminated fruits and vegetables can also harbor parasites. Some parasites can even enter the body by traveling through the bottom of your foot.

10 Signs You May Have a Parasite

1. You have an explained constipation, diarrhea, gas, or other symptoms of IBS
2. You traveled internationally and remember getting traveler’s diarrhea while abroad
3. Lowered immunity; allergic reactions, food sensitivities.
4. You have trouble falling asleep, or you wake up multiple times during the night.
5. You get skin irritations or unexplained rashes, hives, rosacea or eczema.
6. Excess anxiety, nervousness.  
7. You have pain or aching in your muscles or joints.
8. You experience fatigue, exhaustion, depression, or frequent feelings of apathy.
9. You never feel satisfied or full after your meals.
10. You've been diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia.

The best way to test for a parasite is to get a stool test. Most doctors will run a conventional stool test if they suspect a parasite, however these are not as accurate as the comprehensive stool tests that are used in functional medicine. If you suspect a parasite it the culprit be sure to ask for this test exclusively.  

Garlic is one food known to kill pathogens.  This is one food you should be eating every day which will keep parasites at bay. It has the ability to optimize bowel flora and kill pathogenic organisms. It is important to note that the garlic MUST be fresh. The active ingredient is destroyed within one hour of smashing the garlic. Garlic pills are virtually worthless and should not be used.  Be sure to include the Fibromyalgia Salad into your daily fare.  

Did you know one of the hazards of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome is liver damage? These conditions don't directly attack your liver, but the medications we take can do a lot of damage.

Anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs)and narcotics, especially those containing acetaminophen (such as Vicodin), send a constant stream of toxins through your liver. This means that the liver has to work extra hard, and that can take a toll.

To protect the liver, you can take an herbal supplement called milk thistle. While it's not a scientifically proven or FDA-approved treatment, milk thistle is a traditional remedy that's believed to help your liver process toxins. 

Here's a great cleanse you can add to your dietary regime, and it only takes minutes to make. Drink it in the morning so its natural cleansing effects can work throughout the day.

1 whole lemon quartered (slice into 4 pieces)
1 quart room temperature or cool filtered water (4 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil (unfiltered, organic, cold pressed)
(optional) 5 drops of Stevia extract

Place quartered whole lemon (with peel) in a high power blender. Add 1 quart (4 cups) water. Blend on high for 60 seconds.After 60 seconds, add olive oil and blend 5 seconds longer.Then strain though a fine mesh wire strainer. The drink will be creamy and tart. Add  stevia if you need a bit of sweetness. Drink and enjoy.

If you have food sensitivities then you can be sure damage to the intestinal tract has most likely occurred.  Those little bloating bumps and dull aches in your intestinal area are warning flags that you need to take a bit more care with your diet.    

Repetitive exposure to the same foods may trigger allergic reactions.  Left untreated, intestinal permeability and over stimulation of the immune system can recreate an allergy to almost any food.  A rotation diet helps reduce the chances of developing further allergies. 

On this diet, you eat nonallergic foods every day for four to seven days. Allergic foods that you've developed sensitivities to are reintroduced into the diet over a period of months.  It is a good idea to consult a nutritionist for help in devising a suitable rotation diet.  

Be sure to use Dr. Cola's Pulse Test to find any hidden food allergies before beginning this regime.   Choose various food groups from the list below.  Using these groups, create your own rotation diet.  Write out four different breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners.  Make sure you are waiting three days before repeating ANY food.  

Food Groups

• Grains: wheat, barley, oats, rice, rye, buckwheat, millet, and corn
  
• Seeds: sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds
  
• Nuts: almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, cashews, filberts, Brazil nuts, chestnuts, and coconut
  
• Oils: safflower, sunflower, soy, cottonseed, olive, esame, corn, and peanut oils
• Sweeteners: maple sugar, beet sugar, can sugar, corn syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup, and honey
  
• Vegetables: olives, eggplant tomato, peppers, potatoes, paprika, sweet potatoes, yams broccoli cauliflower, kale artichokes, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, radishes, turnips, parsnips, carrots, celery zucchini, Swiss chard, spinach, winter squash, summer squash, cucumbers, lettuces onions, garlic, chives, and asparagus      
  Legumes: black-eyed peas, navy beans, pinto beans, wax beans, string beans, green beans, chick peas, soybeans, Lima beans, mung beans, peanuts, lentils, and carob
  
• Fruits: lemons,limes oranges, pineapples, peaches, plums,pears, apples tangerines grapefruit, nectarines, bananas, grapes, prunes, papayas, figs, mangoes, kiwi, cherries, apricots, cranberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries
• Melons: watermelons, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon
  
• Dairy: Milk, cheese, yogurt, goat's milk, cream, butter, and ice cream
  
• Poultry: chicken eggs, turkey, duck, pheasant, quail, and goose
  
• Meat: beef, lamb, pork
  
• Seafood: fish, shrimp, oysters, clams mussels, lobster, scallops, crayfish, and crab
  
• Flavorings: dill, comfrey, tarragon, coriander, pepper, cinnamon, mustard, caraway, ginger, vanilla, cocoa, thyme basil, oregano, alfalfa, rosemary, sage, peppermint, clove, and nutmeg
• Fungus: mushrooms, ops, and bakers and brewers yeast    

Visit your local health-food store and take this list.  Explain your rotation diet.  Ask them to help you shop for food that make your diet more compliant.  These stores are a great place to get bulk grains and such.

Most delayed food allergies resolve themselves after three months of avoidance.  Don't fall off the wagon and begin eating the same food every day any longer.  Continue to rotate your foods.

Tademy left a high-level corporate job to research her family's story.  This tidbit in itself propelled me to read this authentic heart-warming story of a woman's past. Eloquently wrtitten, Tademy strikes heart strings that will keep you reading well into the night.

Five generations and a hundred years in the life of a matriarchal black Louisiana family are encapsulated in this ambitious debut novel that is based in part upon the lives, as preserved in both historical record and oral tradition, of the author's ancestors. In 1834, nine-year-old Suzette, the "cocoa-colored" house servant of a Creole p
lanter family, has aspirations to read, to live always in a "big house" and maybe even to marry into the relatively privileged world of the gens de couleur libre. Her plans are dashed, however, when at age 13 a French ‚migr‚ takes her as his mistress. Her "high yellow" daughter Philomene, in turn, is maneuvered into becoming the mother of Creole planter Narcisse Fredieu's "side family." After the Civil War, Philomene pins her hopes for a better future on her light-skinned daughter, Emily Fredieu, who is given a year of convent schooling in New Orleans. But Emily must struggle constantly to protect her children by her father's French cousin from terrorist "Night Riders" and racist laws. Tademy is candid about her ancestors' temptations to "pass," as their complexions lighten from the color of "coffee, to cocoa, to cream to milk, to lily." While she fully imagines their lives, she doesn't pander to the reader by introducing melodrama or sex. Her frank observations about black racism add depth to the tale, and she demonstrates that although the practice of slavery fell most harshly upon blacks, and especially women, it also constricted the lives and choices of white men. Photos of and documents relating to Tademy's ancestors add authenticity to a fascinating story. - AMAZON