IODINE More than 90% of us are low in iodine and fibromyalgia is linked to an iodine deficiency. Today's environment makes it almost impossible to get the amount of iodine you need. 1. There's very little iodine in the soil. So unless you're eating a ton of iodine-rich foods like kelp, seaweed and shellfish, you're not going to get much iodine from your diet. 2. Many salt companies have stopped adding iodine to table salt. 3. Food manufacturers have stopped using iodine in baked goods and are using bromine instead. Bromine (a halogen) competes with iodine to get into your cells. So the more bromine you consume, the less iodine you get. Unfortunately, many foods today (primarily baked goods) are loaded with bromine. 4. Our water supply contains chlorine and fluoride, both of which are halogens. Again, halogens compete with iodine to get into your cells. And you can't avoid chlorine and fluoride simply by drinking filtered water. That's because you get a hefty dose any time you bathe, shower, soak in a hot tub, or swim in a swimming pool. 5. Most conventional doctors never test for iodine deficiency. They figure there's no need to test iodine levels when they can just test your thyroid function instead. The problem with this is that the most widely used thyroid test, the TSH, is wildly inaccurate. Reason: While the TSH measures thyroid hormone, it can't tell the difference between active thyroid hormone with iodine and de-activated thyroid hormone with bromine or chlorine or fluorine. So the test shows you have plenty of thyroid hormone. But most of the thyroid hormone isn't doing its job! BENEFITS OF CORRECTING AN IODINE DEFICIENCY HELPS FIBROMYALGIA Fibromyalgia patients often have high levels of bromide. Iodine removes bromide out of the body, improving fibromyalgia. CORRECTING AN IODINE DEFICIENCY: I think it was Dr. Nan Fuchs who wrote: “I've had women come into my office who look like the poster child for underactive thyroid. They're overweight, they're losing their hair and eyebrows, their skin is dry, and they tell me they feel cold all the time. Yet when their doctor gave them a thyroid test, it came back normal! When I put these women on iodine supplementation, their conditions improve dramatically. Their skin improves, they stop losing their hair, and they finally lose that excess weight — and keep it off.†The RDA for iodine is 150 mcg. This amount was set based on the amount needed to prevent goiter. This amount will prevent goiter but it will not prevent breast cancer or its precurser fibrocystic breast disease or other serious diseases and symptoms listed above. Breast tissue and other reproductive organs require much more iodine than the thyroid gland. Many researchers now believe that you may need 100 to 400 times the RDI. The average consumption of iodine from seaweed by the mainland Japanese is nearly 14 mg. They have some of the lowest incidence of iodine-deficiency diseases like goiter, hypothyroidism, and cancers of the reproductive system (breast, ovaries, and uterus). Increase your intake with mineral-rich sea vegetables (agar, hijiki, kombu, nori, and wakame) at least twice a week. You can eat as much seaweed as you want. Brown seaweeds are highest in iodine. They include all forms of kelp. Fucus, also known as Bladderwrack, is considered to be the best for underactive thyroids. Hijiki and Sargassum are two other forms of brown seaweeds. Red seaweeds include dulse, nori, Irish moss, and Gracillaria. Since toasting doesn’t affect seaweed’s iodine content, you can eat it dried or dried and toasted. Toast some in the oven or in a dry frying pan to see if you prefer that taste. You can also powdered seaweed to your food or add larger pieces of seaweed to soups, grains, or vegetables. Seaweed should be an enjoyable addition to your diet, not an unpleasant experience. If you simply don’t like its taste, you can get it in capsules. Use 5-10 grams of mixed brown and red seaweed for thyroid problems. This is about 1 ½ teaspoons per day. If you’ve been told that your thyroid is borderline-low, eating seaweed makes sense. But remember, you need to eat seaweed every day or take iodine in a different form. Not all seaweeds are safe to eat. Some come from polluted waters. Be more cautious and talk to a naturopath if you’re on thyroid meds and want to try seaweed.

OTHER TIPS SLEEP - Get enough sleep. Your body needs a full night of quality sleep to fight pain. Sniffing lavender oil before sleep can help you. CHIROPRACTIC/MASSAGE – both help immensely with pain Be aware that you should wait for any inflammation to subside before starting either. EXERCISE – Begin with a daily 10-minute walk, take up a gentle yoga class, or try the slow movement of Tai Chi. Water aerobics and swimming help also. LOOK INTO FOLLOWING TREATMENTS Acupuncture helps with all sorts of pain, especially fibromyalgia Electrotherapy has been proven to help with low back pain Hydrotherapy has been proven to help with arthritis. No medicine on the market can rival the physiological effects of water. Warm to hot water eases joint pain by reducing swelling and increasing blood flow to fight inflammation. BOOK What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia†by R. Paul St. Armand Follow a diet designed to reduce phosphates – avoid soda

5 grams of the sugar D-ribose twice daily will stimulate the production of ATP, the fuel that powers your body’s tissues and muscles. People who suffer from excessive joint and muscle pain and fibromyalgia (widespread muscle pain) often have low levels of ribose. Eat cherries as often as possible. Consuming 20 a day (about 2000 mg of cherry fruit extract) has been proven to provide more pain relief than aspirin and other painkillers. OTC remedy – Guaifenesin (Muxinex) – helps rid the body of phosphates Limit or avoid: Nightshade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, some spices, and tobacco) may aggravate inflammatory conditions like fibromyalgia. 74-90% of people with ache from any cause have a nightshade sensitivity. Temporarily avoid all foods with any amount of nightshades. Read labels carefully. Spend a day or two getting ready for this experiment. Then eliminate all nightshades entirely – 100% - for 2 full weeks. Did your pain subside or disappear during this time? If so, nightshades are a problem for you. At the end of 2 weeks, eat one food from the nightshade family by itself – like a tomato or bell pepper, and watch for any reactions. You may feel tired, agitated, your heart may race, you could have more pain, or you could have other undesirable side effects. If you react, continue to avoid the entire nightshade family for 3 months or more. If not, bring them back into your diet. Some people with fibromyalgia who have a nightshade sensitivity can eventually add small amounts of them back into their diet – like the amount found in salad dressing. Others can’t. But if they trigger your pain, you’ll need to avoid them completely for at least 2-3 months. Even tiny quantities of nightshades hidden in other foods can contribute to excruciating arthritis pain, and nightshades are everywhere. Potato starch is disguised in many frozen and processed foods in the form of modified food starch, modified vegetable protein, modified vegetable starch, and hydrolyzed vegetable protein. Look for it meatballs, mock crab, sausages, and deep-fried foods that have been cooked in the same vegetable oils as French fried potatoes. Some Rx and OTC medications use potato starch as their fillers. You need to find out. Tomatoes are an ingredient in brown meat sauces like Worcestershire sauce and steak sauce, as well as salad dressings, some luncheon meats, gravies, and baked beans, so read labels carefully. Green olives may be stuffed with pimentos, a sweet red pepper, and dried pepper flakes are often sprinkled over pasta dishes. Avoid sauces, especially Thai, barbecue, Cajun, Mexican, Southern, and Jamaican dishes, as well as Tabasco sauce, prepared mustards, and Cayenne pepper. Safe foods you might think are unsafe include sweet potatoes, yams, and black pepper. You may not react to vegetables in the nightshade family, but if you do, you need to stop eating them. You can test yourself at home.

EPSOM SALTS BATH Taking a hot bath with Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) is a good way to absorb and get much needed magnesium. Malic acid is an acid found in apples and other fruits. It reduces fibromyalgia pain. When you add malic acid to magnesium, you have a powerful supplement that can reduce fatigue in a few weeks, and reduce your pain in a few days. If magnesium and malic acid are not enough, it’s time to look at other reasons for your chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. These include taking probiotics to regulate your intestines, candida and parasites, intestinal permeability, and inflammation. Your chronic health problems could also be caused by Lyme disease. â€Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia and Lyme Disease†by Burton Goldberg and Larry Trivieri Corvalen Energy Dietary Supplement – http://www.corvalen.com – Take 5 grams in water or juice 3 times a day for 3 weeks, then twice daily thereafter Carlson’s Fish Oil – 1000 to 8000 mg daily Vitamin D3 – 5000 IU daily SAM-e – 400 to 1500 mg Curcumin – 500 mg 3-4 times daily Fibromyalgia sufferers produce less serotonin – try GABA Calm, 5-HTP, and even some dark chocolate Make sure you get rhodiola rosea, not any other species. The herb can help just about anyone suffering from low energy. Rhodiola might be particularly helpful for people with more serious forms of fatigue such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and seasonal affective disorder. How to use it: Look for a pure root extract, standardized to contain at least 3 percent rosavins and .08 to 1 percent salidrosides. For most people, a dose of 200 to 400 mg per day will bring benefits. Start small and work up to a full dose over several days. Since no research has been done on doses over 400 mg per day, don’t exceed this without seeing an herbalist or doctor familiar with the herb. And while rhodiola has been used safely for years in its native regions, no human trials have verified its safety for longer than four months, so some experts recommend a one- to two-week break after four months’ use. Side Effects: Some people have reported irritability and insomnia at very high doses (1,000 mg a day or above), but most side effects disappear when the dose is adjusted. People with bipolar disorder should be closely supervised by a doctor, as it may induce mania. A daily dose of B complex (50 mg) will restore spent energy

D-Ribose helps many. A natural sugar, ribose occurs in all living cells. Ribose is the key building block for making energy. The main energy molecules in your body are made of ribose, plus B vitamins and phosphate. Our bodies acquire ribose through diet—brewer’s yeast has a rich supply—and the body also makes it from glucose in food. This is a slow process, however, that cannot always keep up with the energy lost in daily activities, so it may take several days to restore the lost ATP—and possibly much longer for those who suffer with FMS. Scientists know that supplemental ribose can reduce muscle pain, stiffness, and exercise fatigue; that people tolerate it well; and that it has no side effects. Research has shown that taking 5 grams of ribose three times a day, improves symptoms greatly. NATURAL SOURCES Dark Chocolate Sea vegetables (seaweed and kelp – but make sure they come from non-polluted waters and are high-quality) Greens Beans Kelp Wheat bran Wheat germ Almonds Buckwheat Brazil nuts Millet Pecans Walnuts Rye Brown rice Figs Dates Collard greens Shrimp Avocado Parsley Barley Dandelion greens Garlic Kelp Whole Grains Molasses

Obviously Jean knows more about fibromyalgia than I do. I just have lots and lots of info to share. Sorry to overwhelm you. I would just do what I can and take small steps. Maybe start one new good habit every week. Sorry my notes are a bit all-over-the place. I haven't yet had time to fully organize them. SUPPLEMENTS AND NUTRITION Magnesium – 500 to 1000 mg Some people with chronic fatigue have diets that are very high in calcium and low in magnesium. Once they increase their magnesium (beans, whole grains, green vegetables) and eliminate dairy products (worth trying for at least 2 weeks), their symptoms are greatly lessened. You may very well need more magnesium. Magnesium is one of the best nutrients – if not, the best – both for energy production and pain control. Everyone who has CFIDS or fibromyalgia – or even general fatigue – should try increasing their magnesium before turning to more expensive remedies. While magnesium won’t eliminate fibromyalgia completely, it often plays a major role in improving energy, reducing pain, and lessening other symptoms. Sometimes muscles hurt because they don’t contain enough potassium. One of magnesium’s many important functions is to maintain a sodium and potassium balance. If your muscles lack potassium, taking more magnesium can raise your level better than taking more potassium. If you need both, try a potassium-magnesium aspartate combination. Aspartic acid carries both potassium and magnesium into the cells more quickly and efficiently. 400-1200 mg daily of Magnesium is helpful but use according to bowel tolerance. Your body knows how much magnesium you can tolerate from bowel tolerance – take as much magnesium as your bowels can tolerate If you can, add 100 mg of magnesium to your nutritional supplements, and increase it by 100 mg every few days until your stools are soft, but not uncomfortably loose. Take in divided doses and with meals to ensure optimal absorption – preferably more at night Some say to not take magnesium with calcium - I think that that is preferable. Calcium, magnesium, and many other minerals are best absorbed when they are bound to an acidic carrier such as citrate, aspartate, picolinate, or amino acid chelate. Minerals need an acidic base to break down and get used. The most absorbable forms are magnesium citrate, glycinate taurate, or aspartate, although magnesium bound to Kreb cycle chelates (malate, succinate, fumarate) are also good. Avoid magnesium carbonate, oxide, sulfate, and gluconate. They are poorly absorbed (and the cheapest and most common forms found in supplements). Side effects from too much magnesium include diarrhea, which can be avoided if you switch to magnesium glycinate. People with kidney disease or severe heart disease should take magnesium only under a doctor's supervision. Scientists have long known that fibromyalgia involves poor sleep. If yuour sleep does not improve, your pain will not go away. L-theanine - it must be the “L” form. 200 mg at bedtime is wonderful and helps you sleep without feeling groggy. Melatonin

Same here. Looking forward to hopefully starting another round in late December or early January. Best wishes to all those starting or who have started. Pamela, you were such an incredible help to me before my first round. Thank you, thank you, thank you. :grouphug:

I have nothing to say. I just want to say that I am thinking of you a lot, praying for you and hoping that all goes well very soon. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: My dh has suffered from similar issues for a few years now. Not as extreme as yours, but quite bad. He also recently had an endoscopy (which he now has every year) and a colonoscopy. All went well and he has no problems. He often has to change his meds. Natural approaches and supplements worked for a while. If you have the $, they are worth looking into. If you have the $, acupuncturists and alternative health care practitioners can also help immensely. They have helped and continue to help my dh. He follows both approaches. Keeping a food diary and see what exacerbates your symptoms may help. I really hope you find relief and healing soon. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

This is on my wish list. I just bought this. :) I can't wait to start on some Sarah Addison Allens. Oh, and as you may know, I love Fannie Flagg. Loved them all. My favorite of hers is Can't Wait to Get to Heaven. Monica, I think it was Stacia you first mentioned it here. It's a very British book. Deals with some sad stuff, but in a very sweet way. I'm on Library Thing and on Goodreads. I just need to visit both places more frequently. I end up here and on pinterest more than anywhere else. :tongue_smilie: I'm constantly undecided about this one. Sometimes I add it to my wish list and later I take it off again. :001_huh: Nice to know. :) I really am enjoying this book.

Really, really enjoying The Poisonwood Bible.

Like the look of this one. Added it to my wish list. We were recently in Versailles, so reading it will be extra nice. I keep wondering if I should try these. Which is the first one? Are they vampire stories? I guess I'm confused that they're light and fun and vampire at the same time. :tongue_smilie: I agree. I like these a lot. Although I need to take a break from them. After reading a few, the dialogue starts to annoy me a tiny bit. I do like them, however. Yes, David Sedaris is funny. I've ordered the first Stephanie Plum book. My dd is about to start this. No, you're not. I loathed the Twilight books. :glare: Loved this. :) Forgot to put this on my favorites list. Thanks for the reminder. Another add I just added to my wish list.

I loved Dragon Tattoo series. Haven't read, nor do I plan reading, The Hunger Games. These are from my favorite books list. I've only included the lighter and happier books. The less heavy ones. ABSOLUTE AND ALL-TIME FAVORITES The Geography of Bliss – non-fiction, very insightful, humorous, light, an easy read OTHER BOOKS THAT I HAVE LOVED (not in any particular order) The Five People You Meet in Heaven - if you're in the mood for a very, sweet and easy read - as are all of his books Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg and most of her books - very sweet and light - and quite funny - I would recommend this book more than any on this list Funny in Farsi - if you need a nice laugh as well as her other book Laughing without an Accent Books by Maeve Binchy – light, fluffy, but also very accurate about human interactions and relationships The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise – sweet, humor, and some sadness, very British, just lovely overall Confessions of a Prairie B*tch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated – some painful stuff, very engaging, entertaining, lots of humor – loved this book - but more enjoyable if you liked the TV series OTHER BOOKS THAT I HAVE LIKED (not in any particular order) Dave Barry’s Only Travel Guide You’ll Ever Need – funny, funny, funny This looks really good. Added to my wish list. :)

Thanks for this. Off to look at it later. :)

If she likes clothes as well as other stuff, Kiki is great.

Love this. Thank you. Because of this, we're going to watch it again this coming week. :D

Happy Birthday to you all!!! :party:

Having not yet seen the Critical Thinking Book, and although I am thinking of ordering it soon, I agree. Not a substitute. Thank you for this and all your helpful info. Good to know also. Haven't used this yet, but I do love stuff by Remedia. Not sure what it means ... sorry, Latin's not my strong point. :tongue_smilie:

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree: I'm Kate-ed out. Really, really tired of Kate. And don't even get me started on Pippa. She's riding on her sister's coat tails ... :glare: :iagree: She really and truly is gorgeous. Stacia, thanks so much for sharing. :)

This is my plan also. To read them in the order of publication, even though I know that's not at all important. Because of their gorgeous covers, I almost don't want to get the Kindle version. I hear you about feeling the last page for wanting more. I've done that also. :D

In the past few years I've lost a lot of weight. I've since regained some. When I lost weight, I got rid of lots of stuff. Much of it I didn't care for anyway. Frumpy and ugly stuff. Right now, I would love to have something like this with markings as to different weights (not toddler/kids' ages) ... but it is a bit embarrassing to say the least. Just a nice way to organize if no nosey people are visiting. :tongue_smilie:

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Sorry. Hope today is a better day.

Hope you find it soon.

Amy, thank you for this. I would order, except I just realized that I have 5 and won't be needing any more for a little while. :) I love the Exfolia Cloth. :D

Definitely try to see a play. London plays are the absolute best. London is one of my absolute favorite cities in the world. I'm envious, even though we were just there in the summer. The museums are great - depends what you're looking for. Many are free. But again, if I were to pick just one thing to do there - a play. :) If you need more specific tips - let me know. Rick Steves London book is quite good.

KEEP A MIGRAINE DIARY for several months to help identify triggers. Track your diet, exercise, stress levels, and symptoms. Some common culprits include chocolate, food additives, hormonal fluctuations, weather, and stress. 93% of people with migraines improve when they stop eating their trigger foods. Any food can cause a migraine, but some foods are more closely associated with them. Foods high in chemicals called amines – found in chocolate, aged cheeses, red wine, beer, dairy, nuts, citrus, and beans – commonly trigger migraines. It’s worth trying an elimination diet. A migraine-provoking food could be something you eat in a large quantity, such as a glass of milk or some yogurt, or in small amounts like the dairy in ranch-style salad dressing. Food reactions are difficult to identify because an allergic reaction like a migraine doesn’t always occur right after you eat. It can take as long as 72 hours. If you suspect a food, eliminate that food in all forms for at least 3 months. Then test it by eating it alone. If you have no reaction, you can try eating it again in small amounts. Don’t eat it more than once or twice a week, however. You don’t want that sensitivity to come back. In addition to the foods listed above, the foods found to be most likely to cause headaches are beef, yeast, and sugar (corn and cane). LOW BLOOD SUGAR Keep your blood sugar stable by eating every 4-5 hours and get some protein at each meal. Chromium Picolinate (see above) COPPER IMBALANCE Copper can trigger a migraine, especially if you have an abnormal copper metabolism or consume high quantities of this mineral. Some alcoholic beverages, such as red wine, beer, and whiskey are distilled in cooper stills. Some water supplies travel through copper pipes. Foods naturally high in copper include: shellfish, wheat germ, chocolate, soy, and nuts. Citrus increases your body’s absorption of this mineral. Talk with your health care practitioner about getting a hair analysis or other assay of your copper levels. Avoid eating too many of the above foods and beverages and make sure your multivitamin is free of copper. When copper levels are too high, zinc levels tend to be too low. The result of this imbalance can be anything from fatigue to migraines. When you increase your zinc, copper levels come down.