[Looking4Me2011]

Ok, so I haven't been around here for 3 years-went through a funk, lost some here and there, gained it all back..until February of this year. I was diagnosed w/Hypothyroidism. It explains alot!

I just got my medication dosage correct (for now) and still wasn't feeling any better. Started seeing my chiropractor again-might as well get overall health right?- and after several visits she diagnosed me w/Fibromyalgia, ugh... along w/asking me if my dr routinely ordered some tests that alot of dr's don't order. (Reverse T3, antibodies etc)

My dr said they don't normally order them but she had no problem-thank goodness for great doctors!-
Well low and behold, my numbers were high and she sends me to an Endocrinologist. My visit was last week and he says I'm auto immune and pre diabetic.

So, as my husband says..I research everything TO DEATH.
I'm so confused as to which food list to use! Hypo, auto immune and pre diabetic foods basically contradict each other. Auto immune says eat this, Diabetes says noooo and vice versa.

Luckily I quit drinking soda in April and since then have lost 47lbs. No it's not just from the soda, but trying to exercise without it wiping me out for 2 days due to Fibro. So where do I go from here? I'm confused as to how to combine these 2 issues and do it right. Any help is much appreciated!

*I apologize for being so long winded!*

[Mrs Snark]

I don't have any practical advice, since I don't know much about auto-immune vs. diabetic vs. hypo plans, but I can offer you a virtual hug, since you are going through some rough stuff!

So <<<<hugs>>>>! Sorry you're in the midst of confusion!

[kaplods]

I also have autoimmune disease (including borderline hypothyroid), fibromyalgia and borderline diabetes, and I also researched therapeutic diets "to death," but I did not find the various recommendations nearly as contradictory as you have. Sure there were some foods that authors disagreed upon, but that was as true within each disorder as between.

I didn't find many foods that were generally considered great for one disorder and horrible for another, with the possible exception of artificial sweeteners. Although even there, authors disagreed more than they agreed over which if any were safe or recommended.

I'll try to summarize what I learned was consistently recommended, and then what I found true for myself.

Firstly, the general recommendations that most of the experts agree on that apply for all three issues:


1. Avoid highly processed foods, especially those with concentrated sugars and starches and little or no fiber.

2. "Eat the rainbow," and I don't mean skittle. I mean freggies (fruits and veggies), a wide variety, with as much color variation as possible.

Eat more of the higher fiber, lower-calorie, lower-carb fruits and veggies than of the higher carb ones (like potatoes, corn, lentils...). You probably still can eat some starchier or sweeter freggies, just make sure you eat more of the low-cal/lower-carb ones.

3. Beans, grains and starchy veggies? Here is one of the foods that are widely disagreed upon. So experiment with types and quantities. The one thing most agree on is that portions should be watched and you should eat more of the low cal/carb veggies than these foods.

4. Dairy? This is another food that is sometimes encouraged, sometimes discouraged. You may have to experiment.

5. Meat, Fish, eggs and meat substitues. Also a lot of debate here, but what is usually agreed upon is avoid processed meats and eat more fish and poultry than red meat. Choose more medium to low fat options for red meats, but choose th medium to high fat for fish. Fish, especially fattier fishes like salmon and mackeral are especially good. Take an omega 3 supplement if you don't eat fish at least a few days per week. Avoid huge portions of red meat. Grass-fed may be better, but still watch portions.

6. Drink up to 2-3 quarts/liters of fluids (all count, and more isn't really necessary). Up to 3 is probably safe for most people, but more than 2 isn't really necessary.

7. Avoid all added sweeteners, artificial and natural, at least as an experiment. You can then experiment with using (one sweetener at a time) to see if you are sensitive to any.

8. Nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes...) Again, here you may need to experiment.

9. Avoid tobacco and for the most part alcohol. If you use caffeine, experiment. Sometimes caffeine makes fibro worse, sometimes it canbhelp treat pain and fatigue.



For myself, I've found that I do best on a lowish carb, semi-Paleo diet. I have a lot more pain if I don't avoid wheat and added sugar (breads especially).

I do use artificial sweeteners (after experimenting without for almost a year). I haven't noticed a difference.

I do use caffeine, but not after 5pm (and lately, I've been stopping caffeine even earlier, around 3pm).

I only eat/drink fermented/aged dairy. Yogurt, cheese, butter.... No fresh milk. I am mildly lactose-intolerant. I experimented to find what worked for me.

I do eat nightshades ( I love peppers and eggplant and tomato sauces) and have never experimented. I'm just not willing to give those up. Maybe I'll consider experimenting in the future, but for now it's a non-negotiable.

Ultimately, it all comes down to avoiding the foods you know are not good for any of your health issues (processed foods, and even natural foods with lots of sugar, starch, salt, and/or fat) and eating a lot of the foods you know are good (the low-calorie, low-sugar, low-starch, high-fiber freggies, fish...) and experimenting with all the rest.

[Mrs Snark]

Ooo nice comprehensive post, Kaplods!

[kaplods]

I did forget to mention the non-food essentials that seem to affect all three health issues:

1. Sleep. Sleep deprivation wreaks havoc on the immune system, the endocrine system, and on pain perception. You may even need more than 8-9 hours, at least until your body starts recovering.

2. Exercise. Consistency is more important than intensity. Do not burn yourself out so badly that you need days to recover from your workout. Increase intensity or duration gradually. Do not ignore pain. Gentle movement can be done safetly even during a bad flare, but try not to overdo. You will make mistakes, but eventually you'll learn when and how you can push yourself and when and how you can't.

3. Stress management. This is hardest (but perhaps most important). Find ways to make even your chores in life, enjoyable and learn ways to "let go" of stress. Hobbies and passions in life are important to keeping a healthy and sane life.

Above all, remember that anything worth doing, is worth doing poorly when you can't do it well. If you don't have the energy to take care of yourself perfectly, do it imperfectly. It's better than giving up and changing nothing, because you're not sure where to start, or because you can't do it all.

You'll never be able to make perfect choices, so do the best you can and be happy with that. Babysteps is often the only way (especially with fibro - trying to go all "bootcamp" will backfire).

[Mrs Snark]

Originally Posted by kaplods

Above all, remember that anything worth doing, is worth doing poorly when you can't do it well. If you don't have the energy to take care of yourself perfectly, do it imperfectly. It's better than giving up and changing nothing, because you're not sure where to start, or because you can't do it all.

Love it. So true.

[ReNew Me]

Considering your constellation of problems, Looking4Me (something I can relate to quite well, actually), I'd strongly urge you to consider looking into a ketogenic diet, or at least a very low carb diet like Atkins. The ketogenic diet in particular requires research and a letting go of some conventional thinking but fibro is linked to inflammation and the evidence keeps mounting that carbs can be inflammatory for certain people. And certainly the best way to nip prediabetes in the bud is cutting carbs.

[mom2threebratz]

first off i don't know auto immune but i do know that pre diabetic is just stating you have higher chance of developing diabetes if you lose weight the chances go down. i would find what works best for YOU and the auto immune. maybe set a calorie amount and do a little experimenting with foods that work for you, try new foods