Shoulders, neck and fibro; plus mock "orange slice" gummies

 

Mock "orange slice" gummies

You may have throbbing, aching pain in your shoulders and neck just like me if you have fibromyalgia. It’s one of the areas of the body affected by fibro. Body temperature scans of fibromyalgia patients reveal intense heat in the back, neck, shoulders and hips which is where the pain is most frequently felt.

Most days you can find me starting the day with a heat wrap around my neck and shoulders. Next are ice packs and maybe some Bio Freeze gel to reduce the pain.

Some of my other rituals include Tai Chi-like exercises to strengthen and stretch the entire body. The body is all interconnected so it’s hard to just stretch one part to get relief.

Here’s a simple routine you can do to help rebalance the body and reduce your pain.

http://player.vimeo.com/video/110837097

 

I've never looked forward to doing computer work because it increases my neck and shoulder pain. Recently, I decided to do some things that may help reduce the strain on this vulnerable area while on the computer.

First, I worked on my sitting posture. I used to think I was sitting straight but I wasn't. Now, I imagine a plumb-line is attached to the nape of my neck and that line is constantly being pulled toward the ceiling. I have to think about it a lot and constantly readjust my posture but it's making a difference.

In addition, I purchased one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Support-Cushion-Contoured-Corrects-Extension/dp/B012TSHM38/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1452991662&sr=8-4&keywords=posture+pillows

It’s a posture pillow.

I’ve also been modifying my work station to change the tilt and angle of my computer screen and height of my office chair. All of these things have helped me stay at the computer a little longer without increasing my pain.

Something else I do is stand up often and do this simple stretch. I found a link on youtube that shows what I do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wYLZdgvUfY

My best find to help my shoulders and upper body pain was one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/AlignMed-Posture-Shirt-2-0-Zipper/dp/B015P53GIM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452992089&sr=8-1&keywords=alignmed+posture+shirt

I have less shoulder and neck pain because of all these things. I admit have to do a lot of stuff but it’s better than suffering. What kinds of things do you do to help with shoulder and neck pain?

Mock orange slices

Real orange candy pectin slices

Recently, I saw my husband snacking on some orange candy pectin slices. It really made me nostalgic as orange candy pectin slices used to be one of my favorites. I decided to challenge myself to make a mock version that would suit my mostly paleo diet. Turns out my version would even work for the more restricted Paleo Autoimmune Diet (AIP).

Puree the carrots with water they were steamed in

 Here's what you need for the gummies:

3 carrots, peeled and cut into coins
1/4 cup water
3 T. grassfed gelatin
sweetener of choice
2 T. coconut oil

Here's what you need for the glaze:
1/4 cup pineapple juice mixed with 1 T. gelatin
optional: coconut shreds

Pureed carrots with gelatin

Here's what you do:

Boil the carrots in 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Cool slightly before pouring the carrots and warm liquid into your blender. Puree the carrots and water until smooth.

Pour the carrot puree back into the saucepan. Add the coconut oil, sweetener of choice and 3 T. gelatin. Heat and stir the mixture for about 5 minutes.

Carrot puree in cupcake pan

Pour the carrot puree mixture into the cells of a cupcake pan.(Makes about 9-10) Place the pan in the fridge to firm up the mixture.

The magic ingredient for making these carrot gummies taste like orange candy slices is pineapple juice glaze. Prepare 1/4 cup of pineapple juice in your juicer.  Place the juice in a small saucepan. Sprinkle on top the gelatin. Stir to dissolve. Then, slowly heat the mixture just until warm.

Pour this glaze evenly over the set carrot gummies. Allow it to mostly soak in for at least four hours or overnight. When you are ready to serve these yummy bites, pour off any pineapple glaze that didn't absorb and simply drink it. Sprinkle on coconut shreds as pictured below, if desired. 

 Here's what you need for the gummies:

3 carrots, peeled and cut into coins
1/4 cup water
3 T. grassfed gelatin
sweetener of choice
2 T. coconut oil

Here's what you need for the glaze:
1/4 cup pineapple juice mixed with 1 T. gelatin
optional: coconut shreds

Pureed carrots with gelatin

Here's what you do:

Boil the carrots in 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Cool slightly before pouring the carrots and warm liquid into your blender. Puree the carrots and water until smooth.

Pour the carrot puree back into the saucepan. Add the coconut oil, sweetener of choice and 3 T. gelatin. Heat and stir the mixture for about 5 minutes.

Carrot puree in cupcake pan

Pour the carrot puree mixture into the cells of a cupcake pan.(Makes about 9-10) Place the pan in the fridge to firm up the mixture.

The magic ingredient for making these carrot gummies taste like orange candy slices is pineapple juice glaze. Prepare 1/4 cup of pineapple juice in your juicer.  Place the juice in a small saucepan. Sprinkle on top the gelatin. Stir to dissolve. Then, slowly heat the mixture just until warm.

Pour this glaze evenly over the set carrot gummies. Allow it to mostly soak in for at least four hours or overnight. When you are ready to serve these yummy bites, pour off any pineapple glaze that didn't absorb and simply drink it. Sprinkle on coconut shreds as pictured below, if desired. 

Article submitted to: http://www.fibrobloggerdirectory.com/

http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2016/01/13/paleo-aip-recipe-roundtable-104/#more-22169

Less pain with better posture; paleo pumpkin pie bites

Bailey, the cat, uses a leftover Christmas present box for a hideout

Bailey, the cat, is just like human kids when it comes to boxes. They can be transformed into anything your imagination wants.  He makes them into hideouts from which he springs out to surprise passersby (the dog fur kids). That's when the chase game begins.

Paleo pumpkin pie mini pie

Less pain with better posture is my goal this year. I have always strived for good posture but fibromyalgia flareups have set me back in my efforts. I recently had a month+-long flareup but have gradually gotten better. However, the flareup left me with increased upper body pain, especially in my shoulders and arms.

I have found some things that help me that you might want to try. One is Essentrics mini-workouts. You can find them for free on the internet at this link: http://www.essentrics.com/media.html 
 
I especially recommend the posture mini-workout to relieve your upper body pain and begin to improve your posture. You can do this mini-workout as often as you like for relief from pain. I always find my pain can be reduced if I am elongating my body with good posture. The mini-workout is gentle and soothing too.

Another one of my picks for reduced pain and improved posture is the Align Me Posture Bra at http://www.alignmed.com/shop/women/alignme-interactive-bra-seamless.html  
They also make a posture shirt which I haven't tried.

I wear this bra while exercising. It helps keep me in the proper position. I do find that the bra becomes uncomfortable after several hours of wearing do to the pressure panels. That's why I limit how much I wear it but it does help, especially during exercising when you need to concentrate on so many things like breathing, proper positioning, etc.

Here's my pick for a simple, clean paleo dessert or snack: Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bites or Mini Pies.
These pumpkin pie bites are suitable for the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol too.

What you need for 8 mini-bites or pies:

1 can organic pumpkin puree or 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree
2 T. coconut oil
2 T. grassfed gelatin
sweetener of choice
pinch of salt
1 T. cinnamon 
1/4 tsp. ground ginger or cloves (These are optional.)

What you do:

 Put all the ingredients (except gelatin) in a saucepan. Heat until coconut oil melted. Then add in gelatin and continue cooking on low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and place the mixture in mini-ramekins or in 8 sections of a cupcake pan (silicon works well). Refrigerate until firm. Then enjoy!

 I like eating these mini-bites made in a cupcake pan for snacks. Yum!

http://vegetarianmamma.com/gluten-free-fridays-175-happy-new-year/ 

 http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2015/12/30/paleo-aip-recipe-roundtable-102/#more-21976

Kefir: better than medicine; plus chocolate pumpkin candy bars

 

  Healing illness from the gut out has always been one of my beliefs. Seventy-five percent or more of our immunity resides in our digestive system. If we can heal our guts, we can absorb the nutrition our body needs to function properly. Seems simple, right? 

Unfortunately, it's not so simple for those of us with fibromyalgia and other chronic illnesses who have majorly screwed up guts. Some things work and others don't. The only thing you can do is keep trying. But Hippocrates was right on with his famous quote: "Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food."

Homemade kefir culturing on counter

Recently, I started making homemade kefir. I had tried it once before but then I broke my wrist. I had to ditch the project. With both wrists intact now, I've rediscovered cultured kefir, one of the most probiotic-rich foods on earth. It may help you beat colds and flu, lessen allergies and asthma, and heal chronic illnesses, like fibromyalgia. In studies, kefir has either done as well as or outperformed antibiotics when treating illnesses. With its amazing medicinal properties, no surprise, its name comes from the Turkish word for “good feeling.”

What really impresses me is this fermented milk drink when homemade contains up to 35 strains of good bacteria and yeast compared to yogurt which has just a few and bottled kefir which has 10 strains plus some unwanted ingredients like sugar and thickeners. It’s a complete food which contains high levels of vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, vitamin K2, biotin, folate, enzymes and probiotics.

Some of its benefits can definitely help those of us with fibromyalgia. They include:

·         Boosts immunity

·         Fights allergies

·         Supports detoxification

·         Lessens asthma symptoms

·         Heals bowel disease such as  Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

·         Improves lactose digestion.

Wouldn’t it be great if eating a bacteria-rich food like kefir could help you beat illness, like fibro, and feel better overall? Our digestive systems play host to trillions of good bacteria. But we eat poor diets and take antibiotics which wrecks up our perfect balance of good and bad bacteria. All of this leads to digestive issues and immune system problems. 

We don’t want that if we want to be healthy. Kefir can be our medicine too. Studies have shown that kefir whey neutralizes most pathogenic bacteria within 24 hours. 

King Bailey on his favorite blanket

What kefir does the best job of keeping you well? Homemade works best as I have found out. I have been drinking plain bottled kefir for several years with some health benefits but nothing compared to what I experienced after making and drinking homemade kefir. 

My experience confirmed studies I read that showed homemade kefir has strong anti-inflammatory properties which can heal IBS, IBD and allergies. Those of us with fibro know all about those problems.

You can make homemade kefir from cow, goat or sheep milk. You need kefir grains which can be purchased from various websites such as www.culturesforhealth.com. Get a gallon of milk to start. Organic whole milk or raw milk, if available, will work. Follow the directions that come with the kefir grains to start fermenting your own supply of this super food.

One word of caution: you may need to build up your "tolerance" to kefir.  Some people thrive on kefir right from the start and others may need to proceed more slowly. Start with about four ounces or less and build up to eight ounces per day.

Chocolate Pumpkin Candy Bars 

 Here's what you need:

1 cup of coconut oil, melted

4 T. cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. salt

stevia, to taste

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine the above ingredients and pour into a 8 X 8-inch square pan, lined with parchment paper. Place in the fridge to firm up the mixture a bit.

You also will need for the pumpkin swirl:

2 T. pumpkin puree

1/4 cup sunflower seed butter or alternative

pinch of salt

a little water to thin out the mixture, if needed

Mix the pumpkin swirl ingredients until smooth. Spoon the mixture onto the chocolate before it completely firm up. Return to the fridge until bars are firm and ready to cut.

http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com/2015/10/allergy-free-wednesday-191.html
 http://vegetarianmamma.com/gluten-free-fridays-166-hello-delicious-recipes/

Love healthy fats; chocolate pumpkin fudge

Chocolate pumpkin fudge

There are so many reasons to love my favorite fat--- olive oil. Along with other healthy fats, it can reduce silent inflammation, the root cause of chronic disease; lessen your pain; and help you lose weight, all of which are important to those with fibromyalgia.

Extra virgin olive oil---my favorite fat

You’re probably thinking but how can this be true. Doesn’t fat make you fat? The truth is healthy fat does not make you fat. Our bodies need fat to perform many functions for good health. Our brains are 60 percent fat. Our cells are encased in fat. If we avoid fat, we fail to replenish essential nutrients needed by the body.

Not all fats are created equally. Omega 3 and 6 polyunsaturated fats are essential. They are not produced by the body. We must get them from our diet as they are a significant part of almost all cell membranes.Olive oil, my favorite, along with flaxseed oil, coconut oil and ghee are some of the healthiest fats.

Sunflower seed butter and coconut oil---also favorites

 Olive oil, however, is in a class by itself. It is neither an omega 3 or 6 but rather an omega 9 with the highest concentration of monounsaturated fats of any edible oils This makes it one of the healthiest oils there is.
 If those aren’t enough reasons, now there is another reason to “hug this healthy fat.”A new study suggests that women can dramatically reduce their risk of breast cancer by following a version of the Mediterranean diet that goes heavy on extra virgin olive oil.


Women who followed such a diet were 62 percent less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than women who simply reduced the overall amount of fat in their diets, according to the results of a randomized clinical trial published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.


The focus of the clinical trial originally started out to assess the cardiovascular benefits of the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and olive oil. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups – Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil, Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts, or a regular low-fat diet. After studying nearly 7,500 people for about five years, the researchers had compelling evidence that those who were on either type of Mediterranean diet had better heart health than their counterparts who weren't.

Researchers also tracked the incidence of breast cancer in the women participants in the study. The results once again showed the amazing benefits of olive oil. The risk of being diagnosed with invasive breast cancer was lowest in women who were on the Mediterranean diet with additional extra virgin olive oil---1.1 cases per 1,000 person-years or 68 percent lower. The highest rate in those women studied was for those who were advised to eat less fat – 2.9 cases for every 1,000 person-years. That compared to a diagnosis rate of 1.8 cases per 1,000 person-years for women who were on the Mediterranean diet with extra nuts.

The women in the extra virgin olive oil, Mediterranean diet group got 22 percent of their total calories from the oil, on average, but getting at least 15 percent of calories from the oil could provide significant protection, according to researchers.


Lesson from this study: women have nothing to lose – and potential much to gain – by eating more like the people in the Mediterranean.

 I use olive oil at every meal, especially as the main ingredient in my salad dressing. But two of my other favorite fats are coconut oil and sunbutter. Here is a recipe for one of my favorite treats featuring these two fats---Chocolate Pumpkin Fudge.

What you need for 5-6 mini-servings:
2 T. pumpkin puree
2 T. sunflower seed butter
2 T. cocoa powder
¼ cup coconut oil
½ tsp. stevia
Pinch of salt
Optional: 1/8 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

What you do:
Melt oil and sunflower seed butter in a small saucepan. Add other ingredients and blend. Pour into a small loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Place in the fridge until firm. Cut into pieces. Serve as it is or topped with a bit of chocolate sauce.

http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com/2015/10/allergy-free-wednesday-187.html 

 http://www.fibrobloggerdirectory.com/

Get busy healing your stomach; chocolate modified paleo pancakes

  






.
 I've really been feeling like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh with this black cloud hanging over his head. Things just haven't been going my way. It started with 100+ degree heat and our air conditioners going out. Yes, that was air conditioners (plural). First, the air conditioner in our car decided to give up the ghost.  Then, the air conditioner in our home decided it too had had enough.

Five weeks later we are getting to know our air conditioner repairmen like family because they visit us so often. We invested in a new system that turned out to be defective from the manufacturer. Then, to top it all off, I got dive bombed in the back of my head by a territorial hawk.The hawk hit with such force I got whiplash and a slight concussion.

I was trying to find the silver lining in this cloud.

One of two nice hawks living in my backyard---not the dive bomber hawk

Then, I realized how fortunate I am to have a nice pair of hawks living in my backyard (not related to the divebomber). They are a beautiful site to see and hear every morning. And they don't dive bomb anyone.

Modified paleo chocolate crepes

Finding the silver lining when you have fibromyalgia also can be challenging. But finding the right healing diet  for you can be a pretty important step in getting your life back on track if you have fibromyalgia or other chronic conditions.

I have tried numerous healing diets thinking that I had to follow them exactly as written or I wouldn't get the good results I sought. I have found that healing diets (such as paleo, paleo autoimmune protocol, specific carbohydrate, etc) all need tweaking to suit the individual because there is no one way to eat that is perfect for everyone. After all, we humans are 99.9 percent similar but that 1/10th of one percent makes a huge difference. 

I call my diet a modified paleo diet, most of the time.Why did I pick the paleo diet? The paleo diet focuses on whole foods and has a good track record for helping to reverse auto-immune symptoms. In a nutshell, the diet includes plenty of meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit and nuts, and avoidance of toxic foods like sugar, processed foods and hard to digest foods like legumes, dairy and grains.

For me and others with fibro, some problems would immediately emerge if this diet were followed exactly as written. Most individuals with fibro have bacterial infections in their guts like candida and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and resulting IBS symptoms.

We can't or shouldn't eat much fruit and hardly any nuts/seeds because of digestion problems. Starchy vegetables also are a problem because they also are hard to digest. We want to eat foods that digest easily and don't stick around and cause more bacterial overgrowth problems.

That's where "gray-area" foods come into the picture. Contrary to the paleo diet, I incorporate safe starches like white rice and certain types of potatoes in small amounts. Rice actually has existed for 130 million years (127 million years before humans). Wild rice also was eaten by paleo people. 

Jasmine rice is a good rice for people with SIBO like myself and others with fibro because it digests quickly and prohibits bacterial overgrowth. I always serve it as part of a nutrient-packed meal.

Mixing the eggs, cocoa, farmer's cheese and other ingredients.

Another "gray-area" food is dairy. The major problem with dairy for most people is lactose because many folks lack the digestive enzyme, lactase. Only 40 percent of humans keep this enzyme past childhood largely because of ancestry. But why give up dairy if you can keep the benefits without the problems? Dairy is an excellent source of calcium and Vitamins A, D and K2, the later which are difficult to find in other foods. Serve lactose-free dairy in the form of ghee, cheese, yogurt and kefir.

Preparing the pancakes (crepes) for the oven.

I incorporate dairy in my modified paleo. I use lots of homemade yogurt, kefir and farmer's cheese. I used some of these ingredients in these Chocolate Modified Paleo Pancakes.

Or cook them in a skillet

Here's what you need for 3 large pancakes or four small:

2 whole organic eggs
1 T. farmer's cheese (substitute almond flour if can tolerate)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
pinch of sea salt
2 T. cocoa powder
powdered stevia
 2 T. water
1 tsp. grassfed gelatin

2-3 T. coconut oil
optional filling such as homemade frozen yogurt
optional chocolate topping

Pancakes fresh from the oven

 Prepare the pancakes this way.

Mix the first seven ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin on top and allow to absorb.  In the meantime, heat your oven to 400 degrees if doing the oven route. The crepes take about 12 minutes to bake. For the skillet method, melt about 1 T. of coconut oil in the pan before cooking each crepe.

Fill the crepes with "ice cream"or yogurt or whatever you want. I make frozen yogurt by semi-freezing some of my homemade lactose-free yogurt. Or sometimes I pop it into the ice cream freezer.

 Top with homemade chocolate sauce made by mixing 2 T. of cocoa powder in 1/4 cup melted coconut oil. Add a pinch of sea salt and stevia and vanilla.

http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com/2015/07/allergy-free-wednesday-177.html 

http://www.fibrobloggerdirectory.com/

I'll have extra salt but hold the carbs for fibro relief; plus chocolate-covered strawberry bars

Misha takes on couch potato pose with remote.

I was beginning to think hot summer temperatures (90s to 100+) were going to prove my match when it came to my fibro symptoms. My stomach was upset; my pain was worse; I was more tired than usual. I was chronically dehydrated because I spend a lot of time outdoors. Then, I remembered I need more salt.

In his book, From Fatigued to Fantastic, Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum advises fibro sufferers to increase their intake of salt and water. He says to aim for 8-15 grams of salt and a gallon of water per day.

 I looked at my sea salt container to see how much salt that would be. One-fourth teaspoon of sea salt is 1.5 grams. Two teaspoons of salt would be 12 grams. Three teaspoons would be 16 grams.

That seemed like a lot of salt but Teitelbaum writes in his book about another physician, Dr. David Bell,  who specializes in pediatric CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) patients. Bell found 19 out of 25 patients did better when they received a quart of intravenous salt solution (saline) each day.

I'll pass on the intravenous salt solution because it's so much easier to simply increase your salt intake. As summer temperatures have soared, I have been adding salt to my water bottle, my meals, my snacks, everything. At first, I thought "is this really a good idea?" Everywhere we read that people consume too much sodium. But the proof is in the pudding, so they say. I feel much better.

All you need is a friend to hang out with on a hot summer day.

My formula is "I'll have extra salt but hold the carbs, please." Sodium (salt) is essential for a healthy diet as it is one of the electrolytes. If you are eating a whole foods diet (free of junk food loaded with sugar and salt), you don't need to worry. Salt is liberally added to processed foods which adds up quickly along with a bunch of other ingredients you probably should avoid. Individuals with fibro often do better by following a low carb, higher protein diet. I follow a low carb, low fermentation diet.

I have read forums where people comment that salt sets off their fibro pain. What sets off pain varies from person to person. It's also important to look at your overall diet because high carb foods that feed bad bacteria in the gut may be the culprit.

Chocolate-covered strawberry bars

All this hot weather has made me crazy for frozen dessert bars. I made these Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Bars which, of course, are low carb and low fermentation.

Here's what you need for four bars:

1 cup strawberries (frozen or fresh)
1 T. yogurt of your choice or milk beverage of choice
1/4 cup coconut oil
stevia, to taste
pinch of sea salt

Here's what you need for the chocolate coating:

2 T. cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/8 tsp. vanilla powder
dash of cinnamon
stevia, to taste
dash of salt

Here's what you do:

Mix the strawberry bar ingredients in your Vitamix or other blender. Pour the mixture into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper. Place the pan in the freezer until the bars are frozen.

Once your strawberry mixture is frozen, cut bars or bite-sized pieces. Then, mix up the chocolate coating by melting the coconut oil first. Stir in the other ingredients until blended.

Dip your bars or bite-sized pieces into the chocolate coating. Rotate the pieces around to get complete chocolate coverage. Allow the bars to rest for a minute. Then, dip again to get a thicker chocolate coating. Return the bars to the freezer until ready to eat.

Article/recipe contributed to:
 http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com/2015/06/allergy-free-wednesday-174.html
 
http://www.fibrobloggerdirectory.com/