When you have the chronic and painful condition known as fibromyalgia, morning pain and stiffness can bring on morning blues.  People with fibromyalgia suffer from non-restorative sleep. This means they can sleep a full eight to nine hours but still wake up feeling as if they haven’t slept.  Fibromyalgia patients also suffer from stiffness and pain, which makes movement uncomfortable in the morning. Try the following tips to help soothe fibromyalgia pain and ease into your day:

By rising 20 minutes earlier, you can get a more productive start to your day.

1. Upon rising complete the set of morning stretches.

2.  Meditate for 10 - 15 minutes.  Despite video instructions, I like to keep my palms open with thumb and middle finger gently clasped, hands resting on my knees to invite healting. Research now shows that meditation can help ease the  depression associated with and the pain of fibromyalgia, a condition marked by  chronic joint and muscle pain, fatigue, and, in some cases, poor memory and  thinking. While meditation doesn’t make the pain disappear, it appears to help  patients refocus their attention and feel better. 

3.  Pray for five minutes.  Focus on what you'd like God's blessings to be today, ask and you shall receive.   Be thankful for all that God has bestowed you recently.   Gratitude produces self healing.  Need a spiritual boost?  Log onto God's Message Today for FREE Monday's Blessing Blog.

Give your self more morning time to ensure a calm, relaxed start to your day!
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One of the initial first set backs i experienced after going Paleo was food cravings.  I spent a lot of time researching before I came here to share this diet with you.  Here is a wonderful article from Paleo Leap that explains it well.  Remember, going Paleo takes a bit to get used to.  Slow down and let your body tell you how to ease in. It is a nutrient rich diet that will fill your soul and energy levels.  

​Food cravings make it into the top few reasons why people eat junk food, overeat, and quit diets. They’re not fun! But a lot of people are way more concerned than they really need to be – looking at the research on food cravings is actually pretty comforting because it shows a common pattern of cravings reduction after a few weeks of following a diet.

It’s not about the macros

In an interesting twist, the research doesn’t indicate that the macronutrient (protein, fat, and carbs) distribution of your diet matters a lot for cravings. Everyone is unique, but statistically speaking, changing the macronutrient ratio of your food probably won’t change your cravings either for specific foods or for general categories of foods (candy, starches, greasy food). High-protein diets don’t perform much better than any other type of diet for preventing food cravings, and contrary to popular belief, restricting carbs doesn’t cause carb cravings either. In fact, restricting carbs might help reduce carb cravings, although this study was in women with cancer, which is a very specific group with special health needs and results might not apply to the general population.

In other words, you don’t automatically start craving whatever you’re not eating, and there’s no magical macro scheme that will completely demolish all cravings. Of course, it’s important to avoid deficiency – if your diet is deficient in protein, that might cause some weird craving issues. But assuming this isn’t a problem, research has generally found that macronutrient tinkering probably won’t help much with cravings
If it isn’t the macros, what is it? Studies show that the real key isn’t which diet you’re on but how consistently you follow it and how long you’ve been doing it.

Initial cravings ease up after some time on a diet

Contrary to the popular belief that restriction causes cravings and we always crave what we can’t have, we actually learn to stop craving what we don’t get – if only we can avoid it for a few weeks.

It doesn’t actually take that long, either! In this study, researchers gave subjects a low-calorie and low-carb (about 14% energy from carbs, so pretty low but not keto-level low) diet for just 4 weeks. By the end of the 4 weeks, cravings for sugar and starch were both down by 12%, while cravings for fatty junk food (ice cream, etc.) were down by 11%. Of note: this study was funded by Atkins Nutritionals, which provided some food for the participants, but in the slightly longer term, this review of multiple studies found strong evidence that any kind of calorie restriction reduces cravings by at most 12-16 weeks on the diet.

For the keto folks, this study tested keto specifically – although be aware that they used a commercial keto diet product and that the authors of the study are involved with the company that sells the product. The researchers found that over 4 months, cravings declined rapidly and significantly, with the big downturn in cravings kicking off just as subjects got into ketosis (aka right away).

Based on these studies and reviews, it looks like most people can expect an initial reduction in cravings within the first month or so of following a healthy diet consistently. And one more optimization tip…

Restricting frequency of craved foods seems to work better than restricting quantity

So, food cravings decrease after some time on a diet, and the macronutrient (protein, carbs, and fat) composition of that diet doesn’t affect this to a huge degree. But one more thing that might actually affect food cravings is how (if at all) you work craved foods into your diet.

This study compared frequency of eating craved foods to amount of foods eaten. When people try to lose weight and avoid junk food even though they’re craving it, they can…

• Eat smaller servings of foods that they crave (fun-size candy bars instead of real candy bars; small fries instead of a large; those weird 100 calorie packs of miniature Oreos instead of actual Oreos)
• Eat the same servings, but less frequently (have a real candy bar, but once a week instead of every day)
• Go cold turkey and stop eating junk food completely.

The paper suggested that changing the frequency of eating craved foods is more effective than changing the amount. In other words, if you want to reduce cravings, it’s better to just save your junk food allowance for a real candy bar once a week, instead of teasing yourself with a mini candy bar every day. Or just go full commitment mode and completely eliminate junk food, if that works for you.

This was an average result – there will probably be some outliers who do a lot better with higher frequency and smaller servings. If that’s you, it always makes more sense to do what works for your own body than to do what works for average people in a study. But this study bears emphasizing if only because general diet advice is so heavily skewed towards eating miniature servings of junk food “because otherwise you’ll feel restricted and binge.” That’s not necessarily the case just because everyone repeats it.

As your body begins to adjust to the Paleo diet it is a good thing to have a few "baked things" around.  I found my body all discombobulated once I began the regime.  Part of me felt fantastic 80% of the day, and the other part wanted to latch onto something satiating.  I found making a dozen of these and placing them in the freezer helped with easy packings for lunch.  

2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch (aka tapioca flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (gluten-free)
1/8 teaspoon celtic sea salt
3 large eggs
1/4 – 1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup melted virgin coconut oil, ghee or pastured butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 

Grease a regular size muffin tin or line with paper liners. (You can also use a silicone pan or silicone cupcake liners for better “non-stick” results)

Mix (or sift) the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Whisk the eggs, honey, oil and vanilla in another bowl.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.

Gently stir the blueberries into the batter.

Spoon into 12 muffin tins. (They will be fairly full)
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Bake for 20-25 minutes until slightly golden on top.
Serve warm

​Sommersby is a 1993 American romantic period drama film directed by Jon Amiel from a screenplay written by Nicholas Meyer and Sarah Kernochan. The film stars Richard Gere and Jodie Foster in the lead roles. Bill Pullman, James Earl Jones, Clarice Taylor, Frankie Faison, and R. Lee Ermey are featured in supporting roles. Set in the Reconstruction period following the U.S. Civil War, the story is adapted from the historical account of 16th century French peasant Martin Guerre. In the film, John (Gere) is presumed dead after he fails to return from the Civil War. His wife, Laurel (Foster), is set to marry her neighbour, Orin Meacham (Pullman), but John mysteriously returns after six years.

These last couple of months I shared several studies concerning heart failure in patients with fibromyalgia.  I also shared a recent blog post on the importance of having a sleep study done.  After further research, it seems that it is believed that 50% of fibromyalgia patients also suffer from Sleep APNEA.  So, you are already, I'm sure, making the connection that sleeping disorders can also attribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, and heart palpitations.  

It is inconclusive if the sleeping disorder causes the fibromyalgia, or if the fibromyalgia causes disruptions in the breathing canal due to relaxing the the nerves within the muscles too much so that it blocks the airway.

I have been a candidate to use a CPAC due to moderate Sleep APNEA.  If I can get used to using this machine is another blog all together.  But, I can tell you the newer machines are quiet, have comforting flexible tubing, and are completely automatic when aligning your breathing needs to computerized software that gradually increases your air pressure needs without any prompting.    They are, by far, the most up-to-date available and can meet the needs of the most sensitive individual.  Best of all, with most insurances they are free.  On top of all that, most supplies are free, too, and can be interchanged every three months to ensure cleanliness.  

That said, if you haven't spoken to your doctor about a sleep study yet, I leave you with the following article from Fibromyalgia Today:

​Researchers at Istituto Figlie di S. Camillo in Italy recently reported that fibromyalgia is common among patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The study was published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine and is entitled “Fibromyalgia is frequent in obstructive sleep apnea and responds to CPAP therapy”.

Fibromyalgia is a medical disorder characterized by a set of symptoms including widespread chronic musculoskeletal pain, incapacitating fatigue, stiffness and numbness in certain parts of the body, painful response to pressure, headaches, unrefreshing sleep (poor sleep quality), anxiety or depression and mood alterations. Fibromyalgia can affect people’s ability to conduct simple daily tasks, compromising their quality of life. It is estimated that 5 to 15 million Americans are affected by this disorder, especially women where a prevalence of 3.4% has been reported in comparison to 0.5% in men.

The poor sleep quality experienced by fibromyalgia patients has been suggested to be a key factor of disease pathogenesis. The prevalence of OSA (an obstruction of the upper airway characterized by repetitive episodes where the individual stops breathing during sleep) among fibromyalgia patients is not clear. In addition, data is also lacking on the impact of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) use, a device that helps individuals with OSA to breathe more easily during sleep.

Now researchers determined the incidence of fibromyalgia in OSA patients and the role played by CPAP as a therapeutic option. In total, 900 OSA patients were assessed in the study through a sleep test with a 25-channel portable polysomnography recording device, an Epworth sleepiness questionnaire, a full medical examination and a detailed analysis of their medical history.

Researchers reported that 15% of all OSA patients (135 individuals, mean age of 40 years) met the American College of Rheumatology (ARA 2010 version) criteria for a fibromyalgia diagnosis, and that of these, 74% were men (100 individuals). This is a curious fact as fibromyalgia is more common among women in the general population. All these patients were then submitted to a 6-min walking test, completed the SF-36 standard questionnaire (health survey form) and assessed in terms of symptoms severity scale and CPAP titration scores. Of these patients, 30 were excluded because they failed the scheduled follow-up, and five refused treatment. The remaining 100 patients were treated with CPAP, with follow-up visits at 3 and 6 months. As controls, 50 patients with fibromyalgia were treated with conventional therapy (tricyclics, serotonin reuptake inhibitors and gabapentanoids).

The team found that treatment with CPAP resulted in an overall superior improvement in the functional symptoms of the disease compared to conventional therapy. Patients under CPAP treatment had a significantly decrease in the apnea hypopnea index (AHI), an improved 6-min walking test result, and a reduction in symptoms severity scale.
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The research team concluded that fibromyalgia is frequent among OSA patients, and propose CPAP treatment as an effective therapy for these patients.

Three friends on a wilderness excursion find a fortune stashed in the woods. Now they must outrun the white collar criminal who is hell bent on retrieving his money.

​When Abbie is diagnosed with cancer, she embarks on a humorous mission to find a new love for Sam, her fiancé and best friend since childhood.

A Marine sergeant returns home after completing her third tour in Afghanistan. Unable to sleep, wracked by paranoia and anxiety, she carries unseen wounds. It is only a matter of time before she can no longer bottle up her trauma, and a boisterous welcome home party provokes her into an explosive outburst. Her husband is at a loss, and the VA seems to be an impossible option. When she has nowhere to turn, she runs deep into the woods.

Angela develops a friendship with a mysterious woman named Katie and offers her a job as a live-in nanny. The natural bond soon turns into a dangerous obsession as Katie becomes overly attached to the family's young daughter. Enduring lies and manipulations, Angela and her husband realize that sweet Katie is actually trying to destroy their family from within.

Teens in a low-income neighbourhood are lured into working for a violent and dangerous drug dealer. When a new girl harbouring a dark secret arrives in town, their relationship jeopardises everything.

Cory Lambert is a wildlife officer who finds the body of an 18-year-old woman on an American Indian reservation in snowy Wyoming. When the autopsy reveals that she was raped, FBI agent Jane Banner arrives to investigate. Teaming up with Lambert as a guide, the duo soon find that their lives are in danger while trying to solve the mystery of the teen's death.

​When married couple Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) unexpectedly encounter Gordo (Joel Edgerton), an acquaintance from Simon's past, little do they know that their perfect lives will be thrown into a terrifying tailspin. At first, Simon doesn't recognize Gordo, but after a troubling series of uninvited encounters and mysterious gifts, a horrifying secret emerges. As Robyn learns what really happened between Simon and Gordo, she begins to question how well she knows her spouse.

An idea from a young, new co-worker (Anna Kendrick) would put an end to the constant travel of corporate downsizer Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), so he takes her on a tour to demonstrate the importance of face-to-face meetings with those they must fire. While mentoring his colleague, he arranges hookups with another frequent-flier (Vera Farmiga), and his developing feelings for the woman prompt him to see others in a new light.

Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) and April Wheeler (Kate Winslet) always see themselves as far-removed from the conventionality of suburbia. Yet that is exactly what creeps up on them when they buy a house in Connecticut. He toils 10 hours a day in a job he hates, while she, as a 1950s homemaker, yearns for fulfillment and passion. Rebelling against the torpor of their lives, the couple plan an escape that may push them to their limits.

​Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), son of wealthy parents (Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt), graduates from Emory University as a top student and athlete. However, instead of embarking on a prestigious and profitable career, he chooses to give his savings to charity, rid himself of his possessions, and set out on a journey to the Alaskan wilderness.

On the day his latest deal collapses, fast-talking-salesman Sam (Chris Pine) receives the news that his father has died. Reluctantly, Sam returns home to settle the estate of his father. In the course of carrying out the man's last wishes, Sam is surprised to learn of the existence of a 30-year-old sister, named Frankie (Elizabeth Banks). As the sister and brother get to know each other, Sam must re-examine both his perceptions about his family and the life choices that he has made.

Set against the backdrop of the 17th-century Tulip Wars, a married noblewoman (Alicia Vikander) has an affair with an artist (Dane DeHaan) and switches identities with her maid to escape the wealthy merchant she married. She and her lover try to raise money together by investing what little they have in the high-stakes tulip market.

A dutiful wife and mother re-examines her veneration of her husband after she finds another woman's underwear in his laundry.

Denounced by his wife as a possible spy in 1939, Janusz (Jim Sturgess) finds himself in a remote Siberian labor camp. Faced with brutal conditions inside and out, Janusz is determined to escape. A blizzard provides him with the perfect opportunity, and he and a small group of fellow prisoners make a break for it. Escape, however, is the easy part, for Janusz and his companions face a 4,000 mile trek on foot through the frozen Himalayas before they can truly be free.

​Legendary gunslinger "Wild Bill" Hickok looks to leave the past behind him by settling in the small town of Abilene, Kan., and becoming the marshal. His unparalleled skills are soon put to the test when he finds himself in a showdown with a gang of outlaws and the powerful saloon owner who put a bounty on his head.