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

Traveling with fibro; campers' chocolate fix

Relaxing at Kelly Lake after hiking from campsite

Whatever your traveling passion, it will take extra planning and determination to accomplish if you have fibromyalgia or other chronic illness.

Fur kids enjoy a peanut butter snack

Your traveling passion might range from camping to touring another country.

Fur kids enjoy another peanut butter snack

Wherever you go you will need to start your preparation well ahead of time to minimize the stress involved in getting ready for a trip.As you probably know from personal experience, stress is not your friend if you have fibro. It can cause symptoms to be much worse.

I recently went on my first camping/backpacking trip of the summer. It was a simple trip compared to embarking on a trip to another country but I still had to do lots of prep. Here are some things I learned during the preparation phase of my trip:

• Start well ahead of time. If you don't, there will be unwanted stress that might flare up your symptoms.
• Make sure other people in your traveling party are on the same page and also will start well ahead of time. Those you are traveling with might inadvertently trigger stress if they cause you to be behind schedule.

Campers', travelers' easy chocolate fix

• You will need to take some or all of your own food, depending on your eating restrictions. You might need snacks or even meals, as I did for camping/backpacking. Get started on cooking days, weeks ahead of time.
• Same goes for all your vitamins, supplements. Line them up by day, if possible, to make them easy to take. You don't want to miss a dose.
• Be prepared to fall back on your plans if you or traveling companions are not ready. 

 My trip went well but unfortunately, preparing for a trip when you have fibro is no bed of roses. I laid out a schedule of what to get done every day prior to leaving. I had everything done but all the food prep, etc., can be overwhelming. I guess the bottom line is if you want to get away from home, you just have to go do it.

While your traveling, you might want a simple treat to prepare. You can make my campers'/travelers' chocolate fix dessert at a campground, in an RV or in a motel room, equipped with a microwave and mini-fridge. I prepare the ingredients ahead of time in a ziploc baggie for a single serving.

Here's what you need:

1/2 cup water
1-2 T. cocoa powder
stevia or other sweetener
pinch of salt
dash of cinnamon powder
1 T. gelatin
optional garnish: yogurt of your choice

Here's what you do:
Put all the ingredients except for water in a ziploc baggie during your prep for trip. To prepare, heat your water to warm in small cup or jar, and stir in the ingredients. Set the mixture in the fridge or off in the shade if camping. When ready to eat, garnish with yogurt or chocolate sauce, if desired.

http://www.fibrobloggerdirectory.com/ 

 http://www.beingfibromom.com/chronic-friday-linkup-7/

http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com/2015/08/allergy-free-wednesday-182.html

Reconditioning critical to getting well; paleo crepes with cheesecake filling

My hiking/walking buddies--Misha and Nika

I love walking with my walking buddies, Misha (the husky, foreground) and Nika (the malamute, in rear). We walk every day for about 4-5 miles. But it wasn't always so that I loved walking with my fur kids.

Three years ago, it was a struggle to walk because of the pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia. I could barely walk to the mailbox and back. Our mailbox is about 1/4 mile round trip from our house. I had to let other family members take over the responsibility of walking the fur kids.

 Then, my husband made a fenced-in walking area for me and the fur kids. Yes, we are lucky to live on a small farm so this was possible. We dubbed this fenced-in area, the play area. The dogs could dig and wander around while I walked as best as possible. Sometimes, I had to sit and rest and watch them play but it worked.

During this time, I followed the SHINE protocol outlined by Dr. Teitelbaum in From Fatigued to Fantastic,  followed several healing diets and started an exercise program, which was a blend of yoga, pilates and Tai Chi. Over time, I found walking was easier and I recovered more quickly.

I purchased a pedometer (actually a Fitbit) and pretty soon I was challenging myself to go farther and farther each day with my furry hiking buddies. The Fitbit was motivating to me because I could see how far I progressed each week, month and so on. Having walking buddies counting on me each day also was motivating.

The gang ready to go walking on a cold evening

Juicing, supplemental vitamins, and healing my stomach with kefir, homemade yogurt and cultured veggies (part of my healing protocol) also played an important role in getting me out there with enough energy to walk daily. The exercise plus healing protocol were important in getting my weight back to normal. I didn't let anyone take many pictures of me when I was really sick.

Why did I push myself to exercise even when my symptoms were flaring? I know reconditioning is a critical as you are getting well from fibromyalgia. It's important though to go at a reasonable pace for how you are feeling. As I mentioned before, I walked with my dogs in an enclosed area where I could stop and rest as needed. A dog park might provide a similar environment.

Here are some other things that helped me:

• Start slowly. Maybe go five minutes or halfway down the block and back at first. Increase by one minute every day.
• Have a buddy---either a furry one or a human one who can either walk with you or support what you are doing. 
• Consider a meet up with someone else or a group at least once a week as you progress. I walk several times a week with a fellow fur parent.
• Keep increasing your distance but never beyond a point where you feel good the next day. Eventually (and I mean over a long period of time), get to one hour a day or 10,000 steps.
• Get a pedometer or something similar to keep track of your progress.
•  Get your exercise outside if possible because you will benefit from the Vitamin D.

Please share your stories of success with us. 

Shortcake crepes

I always stick with my healing diet which is kind of a modified paleo, specific carbohydrate diet (SCD). I recently made some protein-rich crepes with a yogurt filling. They can be served as a dessert or snack or breakfast.

Here's what you need (for three medium crepes):

2 grassfed eggs
1 T. farmers' cheese or sub 1 T. almond flour (I used the farmers' cheese because I found my tummy isn't really ready for almond flour yet.)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 T. water
1/4 tsp. vanilla powder or extract
pinch of sea salt
1/4 tsp. grassfed gelatin
For the filling: your choice but I used homemade SCD yogurt mixed with stevia, vanilla and a few strawberries

Here's what you do:

Blend all your ingredients (except for gelatin) in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin on the top of the mixture and allow it to absorb before cooking the crepes.

Cook your crepes in a heavy skillet. Melt coconut oil in the pan and add 1/3 of the mixture. Cook about 2-3 minutes per side.

An easier cooking method is to line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spritz with olive oil. Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Divide the mixture into three pancakes on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until done.

 Fill the crepes with your favorite filling (even a veggie filling will work).

 You can modify this basic recipe to make many different versions. Here's my chocolate version. I'll share the recipe next time.

http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com/2015/07/allergy-free-wednesday-176.html


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Too many pit stops with fibro: plus red, white and blue jigglers

Why don't you come out and play, Bailey?

Let's talk about too many bathroom stops because of fibromyalgia. I feel like I spend half my life in the bathroom peeing. My husband decided to get a low-flush toilet so I wouldn't be wasting as much water each time I flushed.

Maybe you're like me and always on the look out for bathrooms when away from home. I always thought it was because I was born with a bladder the size of a shot glass. Or I just drank too many beverages with caffeine. Little did I know it was a problem faced by individuals with fibromyalgia.
 

Why do individuals with FMS "drink like a fish and pee like a racehorse?"

Hormonal problems result in decreased fluid and salt retention which increases urine output and thirst. Drinking up to four times as much liquid as the average person and increasing salt intake will help you feel better.

How do you know if you are drinking enough water? If your urine is bright yellow, you're not getting enough. Dry lips and eyes are another indication.

Drinking more water will help you feel better but it won't keep you out of the bathroom.

What can you do to improve this problem?

•  If you frequently wake up to urinate during the night, do not drink a lot of fluids near bedtime. I limit beverages after 8 p.m.
• Don't consume caffeine after 4 p.m.
• Coffee and tea are chocked full of healthy antioxidants but don't overdo. After two cups of tea or coffee, switch to water or herbal drinks.

"We never drink anything with caffeine after 4 p.m. and we sleep like babies."

• Limit fluids consumed with meals as it dilutes stomach acid and effectiveness of digestive enzymes.

With all these restrictions, how do you consume more liquids?

• Keep water with you all the time. Take frequent sips. Make it your mission to drink more water.

If you have other suggestions, please share.

Red, white and blue jigglers

Individuals with fibromyalgia would do well to steer clear of processed foods which often contain preservatives and other additives rather than whole food ingredients. For Memorial Day, why not try an old favorite, “Red, White and Blue gelatin jigglers?” Instead of using artificially flavored-boxed gelatin, make it with fruits and vegetables, packets of gelatin, and unprocessed honey or other sweetener of choice.

Here are the ingredients in the boxed gelatin, Berry Blue Gelatin:

SUGAR, GELATIN, ADIPIC ACID (FOR TARTNESS), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, NATURAL FLAVOR, ACETIC ACID, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE AND SODIUM CITRATE (CONTROL ACIDITY), FUMARIC ACID (FOR TARTNESS), BLUE 1.

Here’s what you need to make your own all-natural version:

4 packets of gelatin

1 cup of liquid to be heated

3 cups of cold liquid

Directions:

 

Place the 1 cup of liquid in a sauce pan, sprinkle the four packets of gelatin over the liquid and let it rest for 5 minutes. Heat the liquid and gelatin in the pan over medium heat and stir until dissolved.  Remove from the heat. Pour the three cups of cold liquid into an 8 X 8 X 2-inch pan, add the warm mixture, stir softly, cover and refrigerate until set. Cut into shapes and plate. Refrigerate when not serving.

First layer: watermelon

The liquid for this recipe can be made from the juice of fruit and/or vegetables, alternatives milks, etc.

For red gelatin: try beets, cherries, cranberries, guava, papaya, radishes, raspberries, red apples, red bell peppers, red grapes, rhubarb, strawberries, tomatoes and watermelon.

For blue gelatin: try blackberries, blueberries, grapes, plums, purple endive, purple cabbage, purple potatoes.

Alternative milk beverage gets heated

For white: try bananas, cabbage, jicama, parsnips, peeled apples, peeled pears, cucumbers, water chestnuts,

Make the juice from these fruits and vegetables with a juicer or puree whole pieces in a food processor.

To make red, white and blue jigglers or dessert, make one batch of each color from a fruit or vegetable of your choice. Use a larger pan. Pour the red in first. Refrigerate until set. Next add the white and refrigerate until set. Finally add the blue. Cut into shapes and serve.

Recipe contributed to:

http://www.fibrobloggerdirectory.com/

 http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com/2015/05/allergy-free-wednesday-169.html

Probiotics are your best friend; mini-yogurt "pb" cheesecakes

Mini-yogurt "pb" cheesecakes, lactose-free

These mini-"pb" cheesecakes may not look like something that's good for your gut but they are made from probiotic-rich (lactose-free) yogurt. If you have fibromyalgia, you need to make probiotics your best friend.

Why do you need probiotics? Sixty percent of fibromyalgia sufferers have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and 70 percent have symptoms of IBS. These IBS-symptoms are usually triggered by bowel infections, such as an overgrowth of candida or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Both of these conditons result in an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut.

Studies show that SIBO occurs in 90 to 100 percent of fibromyalgia patients. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia is the result of SIBO and that treating bacterial overgrowth can significantly reduce FM symptoms.

Replenishing good bacteria in the gut by eating cultured foods, such as yogurt, is one part of a treatment plan for candida or SIBO overgrowths.

Misha says, "More yogurt, please."

Even Misha, the husky, pictured above, knows probiotics are not only good for him but can help those with fibromyalgia too.

I make my own yogurt to make sure it's lactose-free.

It's fairly simple to do. Here are the instructions http://pecanbread.com/p/tanya/yogurthowto.html

Once you have a batch made, there are all kinds of things you can make including mini-yogurt "pb" cheesecakes.

Yes, they have a little chocolate but they still are a healthy probiotic-rich treat.

Here's what you need for 5-6 mini-"pb" cheesecakes:

Optional chocolate "crust" and topping:

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
stevia powder, to taste

Filling:

1 cup farmer's cheese (probiotic-rich and lactose-free0
2 cups homemade lactose-free yogurt or other plain yogurt
1/4 cup sunbutter, peanut butter or other seed/nut butter of choice
2 T. of Great Lakes grassfed gelatin (for thicker yogurts such as Greek yogurt reduce amount to 1 T.)
stevia powder or liquid stevia, alcohol-free, to taste

Here's what you do:

For the filling, process the yogurt, cheese, stevia and seed/nut butter in a food processor. Set aside while you prepare the gelatin. Place the gelatin in a small heat-proof mug or cup. Add 1 T. of water and stir until gelatin softens.

Place the cup with gelatin in a skillet, filled with 1/2-inch of water. Heat the skillet with mug on the stove on medium heat. Stir the gelatin until it dissolves. Then, turn off the stove and remove the cup of gelatin from the skillet.

Add the gelatin solution to the filling mixture in the food processor. Blend until mixed.

Ramekins with chocolate crust, filled and unfilled

Add a chocolate crust if you like before pouring in the cheesecake mixture. For the crust, mix softened coconut oil with cocoa powder and stevia. Pour a small amount into each ramekin. Place the ramekins in the freezer to harden the "crust" before pouring in the filling.

Reserve extra chocolate mixture for topping.

Pour in the filling, chill and then decorate the top with more chocolate drizzle, if desired.

Post contributed to:  http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com//

IBS plus fibromyalgia equals vitamin deficiencies; get your calcium

Would you pay $8 for something called Juce that was billed as cold-pressed organic juice but really was Fun Dip mixed with water? You would think we could tell the difference but not everyone can as you can see in the Jimmy Kimmel video link above. Many consumers rely on labeling to help them choose healthy foods over less healthy ones. But sometimes we get duped.

The same can be said of health care. Sometimes we get duped. I recently read that doctors have been prescribing CT scans (fancy x rays that give 3-D images) when patients come in with chest pain. These scans are no better than traditional tests, cost more and expose patients to the amount of radiation in 500-700 regular X rays. Doctors have used these scans for a decade without knowing whether they were better than traditional tests. They definitely didn't explain to patients how much radiation exposure they were getting.

In the past,  I have relied on my health care practitioners to give me the best information possible on my health problems. If they missed something, I excused them by saying they were overworked or busy. But I'm having a hard time excusing them for missing that individuals with IBS probably also suffer from malabsorption of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D and calcium.

It seems obvious that if you are having trouble digesting your food, you probably aren't getting what your body needs.  Unfortunately, there are many health conditions linked to IBS and malabsorption of vitamins and minerals. Individuals with fibromyalgia often have many vitamin deficiences and of course, IBS. 

Recently, when I fractured my wrist in a bike accident, I was told that I may be suffering from low bone density. I was upset by this news but even more upset (okay, angry) when I found out that individuals with IBS or other gut problems have a significant increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. In another study, IBS patients had lower bone mineral density values and higher bone loss than healthy volunteers.

Why wasn't I told about this link before I fractured my wrist? Sure, I might have broken my wrist anyway. But at least, I could have started taking something to build my bones sooner.

IBS plus fibromyalgia equals vitamin deficiencies. That's why these days I take lots of vitamin supplements even though I eat a healthy diet, including 3+ servings of calcium-rich (lactose-free) yogurt and kefir every day.

Here's one way to build your bones. Carry a backpack and pull a sled through the snow to a yurt for an overnight trip.

The Yurt

Here's another way to add to your calcium intake for the day. Try a Shamrock Shake for St. Patrick's Day.

Low fermentation Shamrock Shake

Here's what you need FOR 2-3 SERVINGS:

 2-3 cups of plain yogurt (I make my own lactose-free)
stevia, to taste
pinch of salt
1/4 cup fresh spinach
1 bag of peppermint tea
1/2 cup milk of choice
2 T. water
1 T. Great Lakes gelatin
As an option: use 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract and 1/2 cup milk of choice and omit the tea bag

Here's what you do:

Heat 1/2 cup of milk of your choice until hot, not boiling. Divide the milk between two cups as shown above. Place your peppermint tea bag in one cup and allow it to steep. To the other cup, add gelatin dissolved in 2 T. cold water. Stir to mix and allow to set until somewhat firm. Now, mix everything together in a high-speed blender. Taste and adjust sweetener. Add more peppermint if desired.

Enjoy a serving of your Shamrock Shake.

Use the rest to make Shamrock Frozen Yogurt. Freeze the remainder in your ice cream freezer according to directions. Store in the freezer to enjoy for another serving of calcium.

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