LIVING LIFE with Fibromyalgia

Thought for today...

2018-07-19T12:15:00.000-05:00

I'm just putting this out there...

How many of you thought you'd be such a strong fighter when you grew up??

I am...

2018-07-19T11:55:00.001-05:00

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking lately about re-starting this blog and the corresponding FB page. But I have been struggling for so long with the idea of pasting that label on me and on my life. I am SO much more than my medical diagnosis. I am so many things to so many different people.

I am a Christian Woman, I am a Wife, I am a Mama, I am a Friend, I am a sister, I am a daughter, I am an aunt, I am a co-worker, I am an employee, I am a Working Mom, I am a Fibro Warrior, I am a Paralegal, I am a Procrastinator, I am a Fighter, I am a Lover, I am Loyal, I am Caring, I am a former classmate, I am a college graduate, I am a Woman…I am enough.

I could go on and on (as could we all) with the different roles, titles, labels, etc. that life has given me. But really, what matters is who am I to me? Who do I believe myself to be? I heard something recently that really stood out to me. None of us are to others who we perceive ourselves to be. Every single person we encounter in this world sees us different. What matters is what we do, how we live our lives that helps each person shape who we are to them.

The events of our lives shape us into the people we become. Each event, each person we meet, each struggle we go through, each success, each moment of joy makes us into the person we are today. So, what are the struggles, the joys, the moments of success, the moments of heartache that have brought me here today? That’s a little of what I’ll share with you, but really, what I hope to do is to bring to each person willing to read, listen, pay attention to what I have to say, is a smile, an inspiration, knowing you’re not in this life alone, that someone else thinks that “adulting is tough today” or that with the support of those around us, we can, we will, see joy in the little things, sing praises and build each other up to be the person that each of us sees ourselves as – fill in the blank:
I am ____________________.

Sunshine

2013-04-25T12:39:00.000-05:00

Hello from the frozen tundra of the Midwest! Okay...yes, I know, it's April 25th, but it was only a couple days ago that I woke up to a completely white world again. This year Old Man Winter has just clung on for dear life and not wanted to let go so Spring could come save all of us who are desperate for sunshine and warm weather! From what the weather people are telling us, Spring - and with it, warm weather - is finally on its way!

Now, I know many people out there do suffer from increased Fibro symptoms with the cold, so those who live in the midwest (and anywhere else that Spring has been delayed) are likely looking at the forecasts with big grins for the upcoming week.

We're so excited for the warm weather, that my husband is already making plans for us to meet up with friends at a local restaurant that has a nice patio for this weekend - while I'm just excited for the warmth of the sun and the relief it seems to bring to the fatigue and achy muscles of Fibro. But, before I went running for the fields to get my unobstructed dose of sunshine, I did a little looking online to see what the medical experts have to say about the subject. I found an article at Health.com entitled: Can the Sunshine Vitamin Ease Fibromyalgia Pain? It was interesting to find out that, there is actually some evidence that people with Fibro tend to have lower levels of Vitamin D...which is why so many of us feel so "good" when we are able to take in a good dose of Sunshine! BUT, remember, too much sun can be bad too...so dig out the sunblock, the shades, flip-flops and tank tops - warm weather is on it's way!

Recent Study about the Benefit of Alcohol and Fibromyalgia

2013-03-26T19:11:00.000-05:00

So...I recently found an article on Science Daily about the positive effects of alcohol for those who suffer from Fibromyalgia. This is going to be a fairly short post, because I can sum up their findings with a single word - DUH! Anyone who suffers from the pain of Fibromyalgia could tell you that their pain/inflammation was reduced after they had a drink (or two or even more after three or four)...but then, just about anyone who has ever had a drink when they were experiencing pain could tell you that! I sure hope that this isn't what they are spending the Fibromyalgia research dollars on...the money would be better spent - if they find it necessary to relate it to food/beverages - to research how/why so many people experience so many Fibro symptoms from certain food and beverages.

I would love some research to tell me why exactly it is that since my Fibromyalgia reared its ugly head into my life, that I suddenly have a gluten sensitivity, or how about why some people feel better when they remove night shade fruits and veggies from their diet, or how about why some people have such strong effects from some preservatives - now those would be good food/beverage studies to benefit those of us who live with the daily symptoms of Fibro - and DON'T plan on treating it with daily alcoholic beverages!

Beef with Ginger

2013-02-28T21:22:00.000-06:00

In recent months I've become a HUGE fan of Pinterest and the fabulous recipes I've been able to find on there. I'm one of those people that prefers a picture with a recipe (so I can see what I'm going to be eating) - apparently I need the visual of the food before I can decide that I want to take the time to try making something new - crazy, I know! So, that is why Pinterest and all the amazing recipes on there have become like an electronic cookbook heaven for me - and bless my husbands soul, he's willing to try anything I find and decide to take a crack at - no matter how crazy or weird it sounds.

Today's creation was delicous!! I happened across the recipe from the new "pinner" MyPlate Recipes - which is the new "Partnership for a Healthier America". I actually like that they have some health recipes to add to Pinterest...there are SOOO many dessert recipes out there that it is nice to find some of the good stuff once in a while too :)

So, today's dinner was Beef with Ginger - provided on Pinterest by MyRecipes.com - it was SOOO good - and actually quite easy to make. Since I usually wait until I make something a second or third time before sharing on here, I don't have any of my own pictures of our dinner - it was gobbled up as quickly as it was made! Here's the picture provided by the website with the recipe...looks yummy - huh!?!

Beef with Ginger

You can simply click on the picture above to go directly to the recipe to try it for yourself!! ENJOY!! Oh - and if you have Gluten Free soy sauce in your house, you can make this completely Gluten Free :)

Banana, walnut, dark chocolate oatmeal muffins

2013-02-12T12:12:00.001-06:00

I just realized today that it's been just over five months since I last posted something...Oh how time flies! So sorry for my absence, I have been quite busy though - working my full time job, working and managing my small business, trying to buy (and sell) a house, and trying to help me husband find a new job near where we're planning to move to. Ugh...that's quite a tall list for a "normal" person, and I do have to say, I've been quite proud of myself for keeping my stress under control through all of this! I have made some fabulous new foods during this time - which I hope to start sharing with all of you again very soon, as well as found some more wonderful new foods that help me stay on track with my GF diet!

One of my favorite new websites (which most of you have probably also become addicted to) is Pinterest. I have found SOOO many fabulous ideas, recipes, products and just general time wasters on there!! One of my favorite things though is that Pinterest allows those who are on a GF diet to so easily share their favorite recipes. Here's a link to my Gluten Free Foods pin board and since I haven't been keeping up on photographing my cooking sessions, here's a link to one my most recent FAVORITE breakfast/morning snacks -- Banana, walnut, dark chocolate oatmeal muffin:

**Photo borrowed from Green Lite Bites blog

I used the recipe provided by Green Lite Bites blog and made a couple additions/twists to suit mine and my husbands tastes.

Ingredients:

3 Ripe bananas

1 cup Almond Milk (milk, or I've even used French Vanilla Coffee Cream)*

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

3 cups Old Fashion or Rolled Oats (I just used a generic of quick oats)

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup Chopped Walnuts (or any other nut you prefer) - Optional

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees while mixing the ingredients.

2. Smash the 3 ripe bananas until smooth then mix the milk, eggs, baking powder, vanilla and oatmeal. Mix thoroughly. Add in dark chocolate chips and nuts (optional) and mix until well combined.

3. Spray your muffin pan with Pam or other non-stick spray or put liners into pan.

4. Generously scoop batter into muffin pan - the muffins don't really rise so they'll be about as big (or little) as the batter you put in the pan. I divide the batter into 12 nice sized muffins.

5. Bake 25 - 30 minutes - or until they begin to brown just a bit on the top.

6. Remove from pan and allow to cool - ENJOY!

*If you use milk alone, also at a bit of splenda, truvia or other sweetener - When making with milk I use 4 packets of splenda.

Is summer really creeping to an end? ALREADY??

2012-08-25T22:51:00.001-05:00

Boy, once again, summer has flown by WAY faster than I wanted it to! And...for those of us here in Minnesota, it is State Fair time. What does that mean, well, for me it means a great day out with my hubby - but it also means a whole lot of food temptations that I will most definitely pay for if I'm not careful! I love fair time and used to love trying all the new and most outrageous foods they came up with each year, sadly I've had to change my favorite fair past-time to people watching as I can't eat most of the "new" and "crazy" new foods they have figured out how to put on a stick here in MN...

I was thrilled to learn a couple weeks ago that on the list of the 40 new foods at the fair, that there were a number of Gluten Free options joining the ranks. What I was even more excited about was when I got there today and not only tasted the yummy goodness (risotto poppers and chocolate cupcake) at French Meadow Bakery, but also how many people were ordering the gluten free goodness. I hope that means that next year will have EVEN MORE!! Thank you Minnesota State Fair for thinking of those of us with gluten intolerances and allergies!! WE APPRECIATE IT!!

Risotto Poppers @ French Meadow Bakery at the MN State Fair - they were yummy!!

Kale Chips

2012-08-02T22:04:00.002-05:00

A few months back, my younger brother (who claims I'm the one who eats weird stuff) asked me if I've ever tried Kale Chips. I was quick to say that I hadn't, the thought hadn't even crossed my mind. I had never tried kale, let alone bought it and cooked it! He told me that he had tried kale chips he bought from the store and really thought that the homemade ones were much better. I cataloged it to the back of my mind and figured that some day, when I was feeling particularly adventurous, I would think about buying some kale and trying kale chips.

Well, I guess that day has come. I was at the farmers market this past weekend with my husband and two nieces - urging them to find a food they'd never tried before. My husband picked out thai green eggplant and I decided to go for the kale - needless to say, the neices didn't find anything new that they were brave enough to pick out :) I was sure to ask the lady at the stand how long the kale usually keeps for, as I figured I likely wouldn't get to it for at least a couple days. She assured me that in the bottom drawer of the fridge it could last 7 - 10 days.

Well, a few days later, here I am, yup, just made some kale chips this evening. Really, they're quite simple to make. Gather your cleaned kale, some olive oil, salt and pepper. You can also use other seasonings such as red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, vinegar, or tabasco sauce, the options are endless.

I started out with my clean and dried kale

Since I had never tried kale before, I of course, had to try a couple bites of it raw. I learned a long time ago, that you can never fully appreciate a vegetable unless you've tried at least a bite of it raw - that's when you get the true, full flavor of the vegetable.

I gathered my simple ingredients along with

I used parchment paper on a cookie sheet, but the recipe I used said to use aluminum foil on a cookie sheet. I don't know if that made a difference in timing or not.

I used my new mistor to lightly coat the kale with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and then cracked some salt and pepper over the raw kale before putting it in the oven

(this picture actually shows some basil garlic seasoning on one and garlic parmeasan on the other)

Bake the kale in a 350* oven for 10 - 20 minutes. I guess the timing depends on what kind of kale you use and how wet it is when put in the oven. You only want to bake it until it starts to turn brown (my first couple batches were way over done and you can tell in the flavor - it almost tastes burnt).

Now that your kale chips are done - if you didn't tear the kale into small bite size pieces, you can do that now, or just leave them big and take a big bit and ENJOY!!

Kale Chips
- One bunch of Kale
- 1-2 Tbsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
- 1-2 tsp salt
- Other seasonings (listed above) to taste

Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Take your washed and patted dry kale and place it on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Spray/mist with olive oil and salt and season to taste.
- Bake for 10 - 20 minutes, checking at least every 10 minutes to avoid over cooking.
- When the kale chips begin to brown on the edges, remove from the oven. You can enjoy the fresh from the oven (be careful - they will be a bit hot). After they cool they can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Kale is rich in vitamin A and K!

Gluten Free Food of the...Week? Maybe Month!

2012-07-31T13:19:00.001-05:00

Well, I've been absolutely awful at keeping up with this blog, and I apologize about that...summer just seems to get busier and busier every year (and we don't even have kids yet!)!! So, one of my favorite camping treats this summer is chocolate chip cookie s'mores. Instead of graham crackers and hershey's bars, I've started using Pamela's Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies - and they're delicious! Unfortunately, I've been out camping, and around a fire each time I've used these fabulous cookies to make my new GF version of s'mores, so I don't have a picture of them for you, but I do have a picture of the cookie packaging so you can find them at your local grocery store - and if they don't carry them, I would recommend asking them to get them (they're the best "boxed" gf chocolate chip cookies I've tried so far)!

Mind you, I don't get anything for suggesting these foods you all of you, I am just trying to share with you the brands that I've found to be the best GF version of the "original"! Try them and Enjoy! you won't be disappointed!

Gluten Free Strawberry Lemonade Bars

2012-07-03T22:11:00.001-05:00

We're heading out tomorrow to a 4th of July celebration and there seem to be so many yummy desserts, but, none of them are gluten free and since my nephew who is also gluten free (to ease symptoms of autism) will be there too, I decided to pull out the shortbread cookie mix that's been sitting in the cubboard and make some bars. But, not just any bars, I've been craving lemon bars so I found a fantastic sounding recipe and decided to attempt making it Gluten Free! So here goes...

I've been craving lemon bars for the past few weeks, but have kept myself from making them because I didn't want the whole pan sitting at home staring at me shouting "EAT ME! EAT ME!" So, I waited patiently until I had a gathering to go to where I would need to bring something to share...and that gathering has finally come - I can't wait to try them!!

I gathered my ingredients, and got ready to start baking!

I started off with the fruit - I needed a couple teaspoons of lemon zest, so I got started...

Next, I juiced 1 cup of fresh lemon juice (6 lemons), I did include some of the pulp for added flavor!

Next comes the strawberries, the recipe I found calls for 1/2 cup pureed strawberries, since I'm not real good at follow recipes to a T, I used about 3/4 - 1 cup of pureed strawberries.

My fresh lemon juice, lemon zest and pureed strawberries :)

And now to get going on the crust!

I followed the directions on the packaging and started out by beating the butter, then adding the egg yolk and water.

The packaging says to slowly add in the mix, so I started out slow...

And kept going until it was all mixed in and looked crumbly like the package said it would (I love it when things go like the packaging says it should)!

I've had bad experiences in the past with gluten free mixes sticking to the pan (or paper liners) so, I wanted to be sure it wasn't going to come out messy at the gathering tomorrow, so I prepared my pan with some vegetable shortening. The mix went in easy, I pressed it down into the pan until it was in an even layer. NOW, it needs to go into the oven for a little baking time before we add the strawberry lemon mixture.

Mix together the lemon juice, lemon zest, pureed strawberries, sugar and eggs and beat until smooth.

...then add the all purpose gluten free flour mixture, baking powder and salt.

Yum! Looks ready to add to the crust...is it ready yet!?

It is! And as with so many other gluten free things (find that you have to toast GF bread much longer for it to "look" toasted than "normal" bread), it doesn't look much different when when I put it in the oven! But, the house is smelling wonderful, so I know it was baking in there :)

Pour the strawberry lemon mixture over the crust and put it in the oven to bake...

YUMMY!! So close to being ready to eat...let it cool now before sprinkling with powdered sugar.

NOW, ENJOY!!

Gluten Free Strawberry Lemonade Bars

Shortbread Crust

1 whole package Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Shortbread Cookie Mix

1 1/2 sticks of butter (I use "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter")

1 large egg yolk

2 Tbsp water

Strawberry Lemonade Topping

1 cup fresh lemon juice

2-3 tsp lemon zest

3/4 cup fresh pureed strawberries (about 1 cup whole)

1 1/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1/4 cup gluten free all purpose flour mix (see below)**

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree oven and grease 9 x 13 in. pan with vegetable shortening (to prevent sticking).

2. Prepare Shortbread Crust according to package. Pour mixture into prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 17 minutes until the edges are set.

3. Filling: Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, strawberry puree, sugar and eggs and beat until smooth. Add in flour, baking powder and salt and mix until well combined.

4. Pour filling over hot crust. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until the filling is set.

5. Cool completely before dusting with powerdered sugar - then ENJOY! Keep refridgerated.

**Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mixture

1/2 cup Rice Flour

1/4 cup Corn Starch

1/4 cup Tapioca Flour

Food of the Week

2012-07-03T21:07:00.000-05:00

A couple months ago I happened to find a LARGE variety of Gluten Free Bob's Red Mill flours and mixes, so, I picked up some pizza crust mix, cornbread mix and shortbread cookie mix. Since I haven't ever really been a huge fan of plain shortbread cookies, and I've been craving lemon bars, I searched out a recipe and found a fantastic Strawberry Lemon bar recipe that uses a shortbread cookie crust on the bottom. So, I'm sharing this wonderful mix with all of you (I'll be posting the outcome of the Strawberry Lemon bars soon)!

I've been so impressed lately at the quality of the gluten free products available now. It was only a couple short years ago that I decided to go gluten free after reading on some FB group posts that it helped some people with their symptoms. At that time there were only people here and there that had taken the plunge to manage their Fibro symptoms, but today, there are a lot of group conversations as well as blogs and articles that discuss how effective it can be for some people. It's not known why exactly gluten affects the symptoms of Fibro, much like they don't know what causes the the symptoms to begin with, BUT, what we do know is that for some reason it helps. And really, if something so simple and natural helps, I don't need an explaination of why it helps. I just need to remain committed and LIVE my life!

Food of the Week

2012-06-27T08:48:00.000-05:00

I seem to have been absent for at least a week...apparently I was just so busy, or my fibro fog was thicker than I thought...that what I thought was only a couple days turned into two weeks! Sorry about that folks!! Anyways, since I seem to have completely skipped a week, I'll start this week with a new Food of the Week. One of my favorite baking mixes...Betty Crocker GF Yellow Cake Mix.

I have found that I am able to create GF versions of so many tasty desserts with this one box of yellow cake mix. I should probably note that I am not much of a baker (mostly because I don't want all those sweets around the house or I'll eat them all!!), but when I do decide to do some baking - usually for holidays and such - I turn to the wonderful GF Betty Crocker mixes. I have made (successfully may I add), layered carrot cake and sugar cookies with this mix and it's just wonderful. I've been wanting to make a bunch of other things, but just haven't had the right event to bring them to. Hopefully the summer (and all the get togethers that come with it) allow for some baking to try out more of the delicious recipes on the Betty Crocker website (and no, I'm not a promoter of Betty Crocker - only of ways to enjoy GF versions of my favorite goodies)!!

Make sure you check out some of the awesome recipes on Betty's website - please share with me successes you've had with her yellow cake mix or any of the others!!

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/health-and-diet/gluten-free

Chicken BLT Salad -- YUMMY!!

2012-06-18T19:46:00.001-05:00

With the temperature hoovering around 90 and the dew point around 60 here in the Twin Cities today, I decided it was just too warm to even go stand over the grill to cook something for dinner. So, I stopped by the grocery store on my way home from work and picked up the ingredients for my Chicken BLT salad that my husband absolutely loves!

I came up with this combination a couple weeks ago after craving a BLT but trying to keep with my low carb (refined and sugars) diet. So, I figured out a way to put it in a bowl without the bread, but with all the delicious flavors!

Mmmmm...such a yummy twist on the BLT comfort food - great for a hot summer day!

The basic ingredients - torn/chopped rotisserie chicken with the classic bacon, lettuce, tomato - and you can't have a salad without some cheese and dressing!!

I start by chopping up three ripe roma tomatoes and adding them to a large mixing bowl

Next comes the fresh lettuce...yup, clean and chop up a whole head!

Throw the lettuce in the bowl with the tomatoes...already starting to make my mouth water!!

Next, dump in the bacon pieces (pre-cooked or fresh and crumbled at home)

...everything's better with bacon!!

Make the dressing with a couple tablespoons of mayo, a teaspoon or so of fat free half & half and a couple packets of splenda with fiber

Add your dressing and toss until the lettuce, tomatoes and bacon are evenly coated.

It'll look something like this. If you want, you can stop here and enjoy, or continue on to the cheese and chicken for a bit more flavor!!

Add in about a cup of shredded cheese and about a cup and a half of shredded chicken and toss until evenly coated/mixed...

AND...NOW...IT'S...TIME...TO...ENJOY!!!

Chicken BLT Salad

Salad:

1 head iceberg lettuce

3 roma tomatoes

1 package oscar mayer bacon pieces

1 cup shredded cheese (whichever you prefer - I used marble jack)

1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (chilled)

Chop up the tomatoes and roma tomatoes, add the bacon pieces and toss with the dressing (see below). Add shredded cheese and shredded chicken and toss until well coated - ENJOY!!

Dressing:

3/4 cup mayo

3 packets splenda with fiber

1-2 teaspoons fat free half & half (adjust for consistency preferred)

Mix mayo, spenda and half & half together until smooth - you may choose to add a bit more or less half & half depending on your preferred consistency for the dressing.

Food of the Week

2012-06-14T09:12:00.001-05:00

The biggest change I've made in my life to help me to LIVE with my fibro symptoms has been to cut out gluten containing foods. I first decided to go gluten free back during the summer of 2010 - at that time there were only a handful of items out there and companies making good tasting gluten free alternatives. Over the past couple years, the gluten-free options available in the grocery store have EXPLODED!! This is a good thing for those with the allergy (celiac) or those like me who have a sensitivity to it. I've had the blood tests (which were included with the numerous others taken to get to my fibro diagnosis) that indicated I don't have celiac, but my doc said that if it helps, go for it! So I took the plunge and haven't regretted a single minute of it!

So, I'm going to try to highlight one gluten free product, brand or food item that I've found and love. Since we all have different tastes, something I think is good may not be what you decide tastes the best, SO, I'm asking for input from each of you for food items you may have found (that might not be available in the stores here in Minnesota) so they can be shared with everyone else.

To start off the "food of the week," I am focusing in on Udi's Gluten Free Bread. I was introduced to this brand by my nephew (he happens to be autistic and has found relief by going gluten free also) a few months back and have decided that I completely agree with him that it tastes about as close to "normal" bread as I think store bought gluten free bread can get.

Generally Udi's bread is found in the freezer section of most grocery stores (at least here in Minnesota); however more stores are beginning to shelve it in the bakery section - I was able to find some very good information regarding the shelf life of Udi's bread depending on where you store it from A Spoon Full of Wellness' blog. Here's what she says:

Here is the recommended shelf life for Udi products:
* At room temperature: 5-7 days
* In refrigerator: 21 days (the refrigerator will only prolong the life of the bread but since it's bread, it may dry out)
* In freezer: 6 months
Please note their breads do not spoil, as with any other bread products, it will mold. So as long as it's not moldy, you can refreeze or refrigerate the product.

There are a number of other Udi products, but I'll cover those in the future - but definitely do try yourself some Udi's products, they just might suprise you (and make you almost think you're eating "normal" food)!!

Quinoa Caprese Salad

2012-06-13T11:44:00.001-05:00

One of our (my husband and I) favorite summertime salads is Caprese salad. I have made just about all of the variations of the tomato, fresh mozarella and fresh basil salad I had seen and could come up with...then I saw a picture of it with Quinoa in it. I have only recently begun experimenting with this wonderful (and completely gluten free) grain. I found my Quinoa at Trader Joe's, but have seen different brands in almost every grocery store I've been in.

I think I saw the recipe when going through Pinterest, but apparently didn't pin it, nor was I able to find it again, so, I'm not sure if mine is the same as the recipe I saw (I had to try to recall the recipe from seeing it for only moments a day or two ago). So, here goes...

I got a bit of a jump on the salad before I remembered to slow down and take some pictures! I used a container of cherry tomatoes and cut them in half...then sliced up a handful of basil

To make things easier on myself (okay, just to cut out a step) I bought the fresh mozzarella pearls - so it was easy peasy to just open the package an separate the pearls while adding them into the bowl

Yum, looks good already!!

Once the mozzarella is mixed in I add my EVOO and Balsamic Vinigar to the mix...

And now comes the newest addition to my Caprese salad - Quinoa

Add the quinoa to the tomato, mozzarella and mix in.

Mmmm...looks good!! I did have to add a bit more EVOO and Balsamic Vinigar as well as a bit of salt and pepper to taste.

And waalaa...a perfect side to some grilled chicken legs for dinner!

Quinoa Caprese Salad

1 package cherry tomatoes (halved)

1/4 c. fresh chopped basil

1 package fresh mozzarella pearls

1 c. uncooked quinoa (will be a couple cups when done cooking)

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 c. balsamic vinigar

Salt & Pepper to taste

Cook the quinoa according to directions on package (mine was 1 c. quinoa to 2 c. water and simmer until all water is absorbed - approxl 10-15 min). Cool to at least room temperature before adding to the salad.

Mix together the tomatoes, basil and mozzarella and add the olive oil and balsamic vinigar. Mix in cooked and cooled quinoa. Add additional vinigar as well as salt and pepper to taste (if necessary).

Enjoy as a heartier version of everyone's favorite caprese salad!

Letter to a Pain-Free Person

2012-06-12T08:52:00.000-05:00

Reblogged from fibromodem:

Dear Pain-Free Person ~

There are the things I would like you to understand before you judge me…

Please know that being sick doesn’t mean I’m not human. I may spend most of my day flat on my back and I might not seem like great company, but I’m still me stuck inside this body. I worry about school, work, family and friends and I’d still like to hear about yours.

Please understand the difference between ‘happy’ and ‘healthy’. When you’ve got the flu you probably feel miserable but it will pass. I’ve been sick for so long that I can’t afford to be miserable all the time, in fact I work hard at not being miserable. So if I sound happy, it means that I’m happy, it does not mean that I am well. I may be in pain and sicker than ever.

Please, don’t say, “Oh, you’re sounding better!”.I am not sounding better, I am sounding happy. If you want to comment on that, you’re welcome.

Please understand that being able to stand up for five minutes, doesn’t mean that I can stand ten minutes, or an hour. It’s likely that five minutes has exhausted my resources and I’ll need to recover – imagine an athlete after a race. They couldn’t repeat that feat right away either. With a lot of diseases you’re either paralyzed or you can move, but with Fibromyalgia it gets more confusing.

Please repeat the above paragraph substituting, “sitting up”, “walking”, “thinking”, “being sociable” and so on … it applies to everything. That’s what a fatigue-based illness does to you.

Please understand that chronic illnesses are variable. It’s quite possible (for me, it’s common) that one day I am able to walk to the park and back, and the next I’ll struggle to reach the kitchen.

Please don’t attack me when I’m ill by saying, “But you did it before!”. If you want me to do something, ask if I can and I’ll tell you. In a similar vein, I may need to cancel an invitation at the last minute, if this happens please don’t take it personally.

Please understand that “getting out and doing things” does not make me feel better, and can often make me worse. Fibromyalgia may cause secondary depression (wouldn’t you get depressed if you were no longer able to participate in life?) but it is not caused by depression. Telling me that I need exercise is not appreciated or correct – if I could do it, I would.

Please understand that if I say I have to sit down/lie down/take these pills now, that I do have to do it right now – it can’t be put off or forgotten just because I’m doing something. Fibromyalgia does not forgive.

Please understand that I can’t spend all of my energy trying to get well. With a short-term illness like the flu, you can afford to put life on hold for a week or two while you get well. But part of having a chronic illness is coming to the realization that you have to spend some energy on having a life now. This doesn’t mean I’m not trying to get better. It doesn’t mean I’ve given up. It’s just how life is when you’re dealing with a chronic illness.

If you want to suggest a cure, please don’t. It’s not because I don’t appreciate the thought, and it’s not because I don’t want to get well. It’s because every one of my friends has already suggested every theory known to man. I tried them all, but quickly realized I was using up so much energy trying new treatments I was making myself sicker, not better. If there was something that cured Fibromyalgia, all of us would know about it by now.

If you read this and still want to suggest a cure, submit it in writing but don’t expect me to rush out and try it. If it is something new, with merit, I’ll discuss it with my doctor.

Please understand that getting better can be a slow process. Fibromyalgia entails numerous symptoms and it can take a long time to sort them all out.

I depend on you – people who are not sick for many things but most importantly, I need you to understand me.

Thanks for your understanding,

Fibro Figher :)

Drawing a blank...Oh, I know...I'll tell my Story!!

2012-06-07T15:01:00.000-05:00

Over the past couple weeks, the thought has crossed my mind as to what the heck I was thinking when I decided I would start a blog and share my life with people...and actually be able to keep them interested and intrigued by me and my life - as it realtes to my fibromyalgia. I figured I could blog on my bad days about what is bothering me, and on my good days post the yummy things me and my husband decide to cook up in our kitchen or on our grill...but beyond that, what else can I possibly write about that people will want to read!?!? Oh, and not to mention, I've never really considered myself to be much of a writer...that's evident from my childhood diary and journal...they're kinda sad interpretations of what my day was like - and of course they skip a year at a time between entries. So, I am deciding, and posting it for all to read, that I'm going to do my best to just "keep it real" and be honest about life with Fibromyalgia, post interesting info when I see it or read it, and of course I'll keep posting recipes as I make them!

So, here's a little about myself...I was born and raised in Minnesota - small town life was where I grew up. I was a pretty active kid - I liked to run around outside and play with my friends. In junior high and high school I was in a number of activities and sports. I went on to college right after high school and loved every minute of being at Winona State University - I may be biased, but I think it's the best school ever!! Anyways, time flew by there and I was soon spit out into the "real world." I didn't realize that there was anything "wrong" with me until I was well into my later 20's. I thought the pain I felt and the fatigue that could hit me like a brick wall were "normal" and that everyone had those issues...

I didn't start to realize there was something wrong until the summer of 2009, stress from work had gotten so bad that I wasn't sleeping at night, which in turn made my fibro symptoms flare up, which just perpetuated the cycle of lack of sleep and painful days - which of course caused the stress to become even worse. I started by entering my random and seemingly unrelated symptoms into WebMD - yup, that awful online doctor that flesh and blood doctors despise...but it lead me to the conclusion that I wasn't crazy, and that there was something wrong with me, which in turn meant - there is a way to treat and manage these symptoms!! YAY!! There was a light at the end of my tunnel!

I finally convinced myself that I needed to go in and see a doctor about these symptoms and see what he/she could come up with to help. I called my clinic and told the appointment person that I wanted to see a doctor about my symptoms and that I think I have Fibromyalgia, she scheduled me with an internal medicine doctor. So, I went to my appointment as scheduled and started talking to the doctor and telling her my symptoms. She then did the trigger point test (anyone with Fibro is familiar with that); but she barely touched me (literally), so her immediate conclusion was that there was no way it could be Fibromyalgia, that I must have arthritis and/or a sleep problem. So, she sent me to the lab for blood work and a sleep study for my sleeping problem. Both came back negative - no problems there. I went back in to this doc and she basically told me there was nothing wrong with me, that I don't have fibromyalgia and that I'm just going to have to deal with it.

I refused to accept that...it was a couple months later when I had an appointment with my OBGYN for a regular yearly check up that I mentioned something to her and asked if she knows any docs in their clinic system that is familiar with diagnosing and treating fibromyalgia, and she referred me to a rhuematologist. I have to say, that referral was the best I could have gotten. I quickly scheduled the appointment and when I went in to see the Rheumatologist, I didn't even get through my entire list of symptoms before he said that he was pretty sure I had fibromyalgia, but he needed to run some blood work to rule out anything else. After the lab assistant took about 6 vials of my blood, they ran just about any and every test known to man that related to an autoimmune disease and all came back negative. So, here I am, diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. When I first started talking about it, people would say how sorry they were to hear the news...but I was THRILLED!! Okay, not necessarily thrilled, but excited to have an answer - and to know that I didn't have anything that was damaging my joints, my nerves or any other part of my body - AND, I now had an answer and could figure out how to manage it!!

So now I had a mission...to find out a way to lessen my symptoms so I can live as FULL a LIFE as I had always dreamed of. On one of my follow up visits to my Rheumatologist, I asked him what he sees as the best way to manage symptoms. He said that his most successful patients learn to manage their symptoms through lifestyle and diet changes, the ones who manage with little or no prescription medications seems to live the fullest life. I made a decision that day, that I would be one of "those" patients then!

I went completely gluten-free the end of August 2010 and haven't regretted or turned back! I noticed within a week or two that my pain and fatigue had greatly diminished; however, I did notice when I ate something I didn't realize had gluten in it, my symptoms would come blazing back almost immediately. I have lived and grocery shopped now for almost three years buying one set of food for me and another for my husband. It can be a bit more costly, but the benefits far exceed the monetary cost! Now don't get me wrong, I do still take 1/3 my prescribed dosage of gabapentin as well as a small dosage of muscle relaxers to help me get to sleep and stay asleep at night, and I would go without those if I could, but I do still need the small bit of help at night.

Well..that gets us to where we are today. I am LIVING my life with my wonderful (and amazingly understandable) husband, working full-time during the week in the receivables department of a law firm, running a small photo booth rental business on the side, spending as much time as I can with family and friends and still managing to stay sane and keep my symptoms to a minimum. I am so amazingly blessed to have family and friends who understand and accept my limitations and go out of their way to support me and the lifestyle changes I've made to manage my symptoms. I pray for each and every one of you that you have people surrounding you who are equally supportive!

God Bless Each and Every One of You!
Katrina

Tomato, Cucumber & Red Onion Salad

2012-06-02T19:11:00.000-05:00

I've just realized that once it gets warm out, we pretty much live off of tomato based fresh salads...I have another one today to share with all of you out there. I hope you're as big a fan of tomatoes as I am! Unfortunately I don't have step by step pictures for today's post, I thought of it after I was all done with the chopping and mixed the salad up...but here it is:

Tomato, Cucumber & Red Onion Salad
4 Medium Tomatoes (chopped)
1 English Cucumber (chopped)
1/2 Medium Red Onion (thinly sliced)
1/4 c Basil-infused Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a small bowl, fill with cold water. Thinly slice the red onions and put in the cold water while you chop up the tomatoes and cucumber. Drain red onions and combine with tomatoes and cucumber. Add basil-infused olive oil, salt and pepper and mix until evenly coated. Enjoy!

My husband and I also add a little bit of feta cheese, but it's excellent on its own!

My Name is Fibromyalgia

2012-06-01T11:50:00.001-05:00

by: Terri Been

Hi....My Name is Fibromyalgia, and I'm an Invisible Chronic Illness. I
am now velcroed to you for life. Others around you can't see me or hear me,
but YOUR body feels me. I can attack you anywhere and anyhow I please.

I can cause severe pain or, if I'm in a good mood, I can just cause you to
ache all over.

Remember when you and Energy ran around together and had fun?

I took Energy from you, and gave you Exhaustion. Try to have fun now! I
also took Good Sleep from you and, in its place, gave you Brain Fog. I can
make you tremble internally or make you feel cold or hot when everyone else
feels normal. Oh, yeah, I can make you feel anxious or depressed, too. If you
have something planned, or are looking forward to a great day, I can take
that away, too. You didn't ask for me. I chose you for various reasons:

That virus you had that you never recovered from, or that car accident,

or maybe it was the years of abuse and trauma. Well, anyway, I'm here to stay!

I hear you're going to see a doctor who can get rid of me. I'm rolling
on the floor, laughing. Just try. You will have to go to many, many doctors
until you find one who can help you effectively. You will be put on pain pills,
sleeping pills, energy pills, told you are suffering from anxiety or depression,
given a TENs unit, get massaged, told if you just sleep and exercise properly I
will go away, told to think positively, poked, prodded, and MOST OF ALL, not
taken as seriously as you feel when you cry to the doctor how debilitating life
is every day.

Your family, friends and coworkers will all listen to you until they
just get tired of hearing about how I make you feel, and that I'm a debilitating
disease. Some of they will say things like "Oh, you are just having a bad day" or
"Well, remember, you can't do the things you use to do 20 YEARS ago", not
hearing that you said 20 DAYS ago. Some will just start talking behind your
back, while you slowly feel that you are losing your dignity trying to make them
understand, especially when you are in the middle of a conversation with a

"Normal" person, and can't remember what you were going to say next!

In closing, (I was hoping that I kept this part a secret), but I guess you already

found out...the ONLY place you will get any support and understanding in dealing

with me is with Other People With Fibromyalgia.

FRESH is best!

2012-05-31T19:48:00.001-05:00

With the start of summer in Minnesota...comes the fresh foods we love. Although, at the beginning of the season, there aren't many local fresh options, but that doesn't mean we can't still cook fresh! Since one of mine and my husbands favorite foods to make (and all variations of it) is tacos. We love beef tacos, chicken tacos, fish tacos, ground turkey tacos...you name it, we've had it as tacos. And one of our favorite ways to have our tacos is with fresh chunky salsa. Because it's something I absolutely love, I decided to share it with all of you so you can enjoy the fresh yumminess!!

All the ingredients used were bought at my local Cub Foods grocery store. If you live in a warmer climate area, some of these ingredients may be available locally, if so, definitely go for the local or organic when you're able to - they just taste that much better!

Gather all your ingredients, and get ready to chop!

Start with your tomatoes and chop them roughly (no need to worry about size)

Next you'll move on to your red onion. We use about half of a medium size red onion and chop it into smaller pieces.

Add the chopped onion to the bowl of tomatoes.

Next, the avacado's. Everyone seems to have a way to de-pit, peel and cut up avacado, but we usually cut it in half and then use a knife to twist the seed/pit right out.

After getting the pit out, we usually peel the outside off which allows us easily dice the avacado.

YUM!

Next we chop up the fresh cilantro. We like a bit more cilantro, but you can add more or use less depending on your preferences.

Next squeeze the juice from one lime and add to the rest of the ingredients.

Finally, add just a bit of salt and pepper to taste.

We prefer and use fresh cracked sea salt and peppercorns.

Now, mix and ENJOY!

Fresh Tomato, Avacado & Red Onion Salsa

4 Roma Tomatoes, chopped

2 Avacados, chopped

1/2 Medium Red Onion, chopped

Juice from 1 Fresh Lime

1/8 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and enjoy!

Tomato Klamata Olive Quinoa Salad

2012-05-30T19:39:00.001-05:00

As many of you may know, to manage my fibro symptoms, I went gluten free a couple years ago. I've found many ways to alter my favorite "comfort" foods to gluten free, but every once in a while, I come across something new, tasty and refreshingly healthy. Today, I had my first experience making Quinoa. I made it and used it in a salad recipe I got from a "health fair" at work a while back. I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it is and, to top it off, my husband likes it too!

The ingredients are really pretty simple, you may even have these in your fridge and cubboard already.

1 cup Quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cup Klamata Olives, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Green Onion, chopped
1/8 cup Fresh Mint, chopped
1/8 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
2 Tomatoes, chopped
1-2 Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/8 cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring water to boil, add Quinoa, reduce to simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa is soft, about 15-20 minutes.

Set aside and chill. Combine herbs, tomatoes and olives.

Toss with chilled Quinoa. Drizzle Olive Oil and Lemon Juice over the top. Mix well. Season with Salt and Pepper.

Approx. 6 servings

This can be refridgerated overnight or enjoyed immediately.

**This recipe was originally created by Chef Marshall O'Brien with Taste Success

Camping...Fibro Style

2012-05-28T18:43:00.000-05:00

My husband and I welcomed in the Memorial Day weekend...and the start of summer camping season with a new pop-up camper. I can't even begin to tell you how much easier camping with fibro is when you aren't sleeping on the ground, have a fridge, stove and sink to make "real" food, and are able to regulate the temperature when you sleep! I was in heaven compared to past camping trips!

I (as I've mentioned before) have been gluten free for quite some time, and I've found that camping for a weekend in a tent makes sticking to my gluten free diet a bit more difficult...but this weekend was much more enjoyable. I was happy to be able to make the foods I need to eat and to have heat at night when it got too cool out for me to sleep well. I did find out though - since we just purchased the camper - that there are a handful of items that will make camping even more pleasant - like a thicker memory foam mattress, better pillows and more things to help with organization (life is always easier when things are organized!).

Don't get me wrong...the storms over the weekend and sleeping in a new bed still left me exhausted by the time I got home today, but not as exhausted as past camping trips in a tent...Has anyone else found ways to change fun outdoor activities to make them more managable and pleasant so you are still able to continue despite your fibro?

Fibro and Facebook

2012-05-18T10:26:00.002-05:00

As I'm sitting at home today (sick with a cold), I decided to finally start that Facebook (FB) page I've been thinking about starting. I get so frustrated reading so many of those posts by some folks where all they do is complain about their aches and pains. I know, and I understand that we have to deal with them all day every day (to some extent depending on the severity for each person), BUT in order to LIVE with fibromyalgia, I feel like I need to put dwelling on the aches and pains to the side and focus on how to manage them and LIVE my life.

My hope is that this FB page will be a place for people to gather to share natural remedies and lifestyle changes to ease symptoms. If you look at your Fibro and life in that life, please join me at https://www.facebook.com/Live.Laugh.Learn.Fibro to share what works and some of the crazy things we try and find don't work.

I am one of those Fibro fighters who has gone Gluten Free (GF) to ease my pain and fatigue symptoms, my goal with this blog is to start sharing some of the ways I've found to change my favorite foods over to GF and some foods that I had never considered eating before going GF that me and my husband couldn't live without now!

Let's live life! :)

FIBROMYALGIA AWARENESS DAY 2012

2012-05-11T10:17:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, May 12th, is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day!

A day dedicated to making those around us more aware of what we go through on a daily basis. A day dedicated to standing on our soapboxes to yell to the world about the pain we live with and that it IS REAL! A day to stand next to each other...and to just know, that we're not alone.

I did some google searches recently (yup, last minute of course) to see what events might be planned here in my home state of Minnesota and possibly near my hometown of Hopkins, MN...I was very dissappointed to find nothing :( The Courage Center will be having their monthly meeting with a special speaker, but nothing out in public to make them more aware of Fibromyalgia. Of course, I have these grand thoughts - had I done some searching months agao - of what could have been set up to mark this date and raise awareness...kind of a coulda, shoulda, woulda moment.

So, since it is WAY to late to start planning some grand event for tomorrow to make those around me more aware of this syndrome of Fibromyalgia, I will just blog about it and share, share, share!!

Some information about Fibromyalgia syndrome (Shared from the National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Associations website:

Fibromyalgia (fi-bro-my-AL-ja) is a very common condition of widespread muscular pain and fatigue. Seven to ten million Americans suffer from fibromyalgia (FM). It affects women much more than men in an approximate ratio of 20:1. It is seen in all age groups from young children through old age, although in most patients the problem begins in their 20s or 30s. Recent studies have shown that fibromyalgia occurs worldwide and has no specific ethnic predisposition.

The Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia patients have widespread body pain which often seems to arise in the muscles. Some FM patients feel their pain originates in their joints. Pain that emanates from the joints is called arthritis; extensive studies have shown FM patients do not have arthritis. Although many fibromyalgia patients are aware of pain when they are resting, it is most noticeable when they use their muscles, particularly during repetitive activities. Their discomfort can be so severe it may significantly limit their ability to lead a full life. Patients can find themselves unable to work in their chosen professions and may have difficulty performing everyday tasks. As a consequence of muscle pain, many FM patients severely limit their activities including exercise routines. This results in their becoming physically unfit, which eventually makes their fibromyalgia symptoms worse.

In addition to widespread pain, other common symptoms include a decreased sense of energy, disturbances of sleep, and varying degrees of anxiety and depression related to patients' changed physical status. Furthermore, certain other medical conditions are commonly associated with fibromyalgia, such as: tension headaches, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, irritable bladder syndrome, premenstrual tension syndrome, cold intolerance, and restless leg syndrome. Patients with estalished rheumatoid arthritis, lupus (SLE), and Sjogren's syndrome often develop FM during the course of their disease. The combination of pain and multiple other symptoms often leads doctors to pursue an extensive course of investigations, which are nearly always normal.

Prevelance
Fibromyalgia is one of the most common chronic pain conditions. The disorder affects an estimated 10 million people in the U.S. and an estimated 3-6% of the world population. While it is most prevalent in women —75-90 percent of the people who have FM are women —it also occurs in men and children of all ethnic groups. The disorder is often seen in families, among siblings or mothers and their children. The diagnosis is usually made between the ages of 20 to 50 years, but the incidence rises with age so that by age 80, approximately 8% of adults meet the American College of Rheumatology classification of fibromyalgia.

*Photo shared from Fibromyalgia Awareness Day 2012 FB Page

Time Flies!

2012-05-03T11:18:00.000-05:00

Boy, it's been quite some time since I last posted on here. I was thinking that it would be a good tool to use to help others who choose to LIVE with Fibromyalgia instead of giving in to it. I guess I've had an extended fibro fog when it comes to keeping up with this blog.

I would like to use it to share some of my experiences with others - good and bad - and what I find that works for me. I strive to live my life without depending on medications to get me through the day, so I've made some changes to my life to make changes to how my body feels. Please feel free to share your experiences, comments, questions, etc. on any of my posts so we can all LIVE life despite Fibromyalgia!