If I Can’t Have Sugar, What Can I Have?

It is my belief through years of trial and error that one of the biggest reasons for pain in fibromyalgia is sugar consumption.  No one wants to hear this and I’m often asked, “If I can’t have sugar, what can I have?”  First, you are an adult, you can do anything you want.  You can continue to do whatever you want, you are the person that faces the consequences.  However, if you are serious about getting out of pain once and for all then it is time to take a serious look at eliminating sugar, and foods that act like sugar.

The Feedback Mechanism

There is a system present in your body called a feedback mechanism which alerts you to sensitivities and allergies to food and other products.  Most people who are symptomatic of fibromyalgia just kind of feel bad all the time and have no idea which food or combination of foods is causing which symptom.  It really is impossible to tell and lab tests are not very helpful with this either.

The first time I tried getting off sugar, I white-knuckled it for about a month.  At that point I was still highly symptomatic with fibromyalgia, but after a short time without the sugar, my pain medication started working better and I was much more comfortable.  However, I was still really craving sugar and after about a month I finally succumbed in a big way. Then I noticed I was in so much pain, especially in my back and shoulders.  I had my feedback mechanism in place!  I could finally see the cause and effect of my diet because I had removed the gunk.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Forever

My suggestion is to try to go one day without sugar.  Just one day and see how it goes. You will probably not notice any significant health improvements, but in this day and age it is actually a really big deal to go one day without sugar.

Next, go one week without sugar.  You don’t have to get fancy, just one week without ingesting obvious sources of sweetened foods.  You will probably start to notice improvements in everything from joint mobility and body pains.  If you are taking pain relievers, you may start to notice them working better.

Finally, set out to go one month without sugar. Once you make that, your feedback mechanism will be firmly in place.  At that point you should be able to gauge how much sugar it takes to start feeling bad.  So in my case, one piece of cheap-quality grocery store cake is enough to hurt my back and give me an immediate headache, so it is actually not tempting at all to turn down cake at a party.

However, one scoop of gourmet ice cream every once in a while seems to have little effect on me other than gaining weight, which although I’m not happy about gaining weight, I’d rather that than be in pain.  So I can have the occasional high-quality treat and not succumb to pain.

There is Help

Like I mentioned it above, the first time I tried cutting out sugar I “white-knuckled” it.  I just went by shear will power.  I don’t suggest that, it is very difficult.  Nine out of ten of the cells in your body are actually not you, they are microbial life forms.  So when you have a sugar craving, it’s not just you, it’s them too!  So to help keep the natives calm, the best way I have found is to flood your system with microbial life that does not crave sugar, with a therapeutic-grade probiotic.  (See the article here on Why You Need a Therapeutic Grade Probiotic.)

Eating other foods rich in probiotic life forms such as raw sauerkraut and beet kvass are also helpful.  For intense cravings, I suggest a chunk of raw cheese.  I also suggest applying magnesium oil every night to head off chocolate cravings.

Finally, a detox bath of 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup sea salt (like Hain’s) is one of the best ways to help your body get into balance.

There are alternatives

If you are avoiding sugar, then you want to be on the lookout to avoid the following ingredients as well because they can set off cravings for sweets:

Nutrasweet

Aspartame

Sucralose

High fructose corn syrup

Sugar alcohols such as Maltitol

Also, avoid super sweet fruit such as dates, grapes, melons, pineapples and figs.  Instead try berries and citrus fruits such as grapefruit.

What you can try is the herb stevia.  It is available in powder or liquid, but I like the organic, least-processed form the best.  It can satisfy a sweets craving without triggering more.

Later, after your feedback mechanism is in place, you can try foods that have unrefined sweeteners to see how they affect you.  Here is a list of some unrefined sweeteners:

Honey

Maple Syrup

Jaggery

Date Sugar

Unfortunately, you may not be able to eat much of any kind of sweetened foods.  I am basically “allergic” to any kind of sweetener.  If I eat sugar, I usually feel the effects pretty quick.  If I eat something with honey or maple syrup, I generally have a little more leeway, but too much too frequently and I feel pain again.  Now, I want to clarify, I am not in so much pain I need to take any pain relievers.  I feel uncomfortable and that is my feedback mechanism letting me know I have overdone it.  If I were to continue, then I would probably see a cascading of negative outcomes and I really don’t want to go there.  I would rather forgo the sweet and live the sweet life!