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1. Choose Whole Foods Instead of Processed Ones

Holton says to stay away from prepared foods and eat more whole foods.

Foods that have been processed tend to have more chemicals and less fiber and nutrients than foods that have not been processed. In prepared foods, nutrients that are naturally found in foods are taken away, like those found in white flour, white pasta, and white rice.

When planning your meals that contain carbs, pick whole grains like buckwheat groats, quinoa, amaranth, whole wheat berries, or wild or brown rice. You can also eat a sweet potato or a regular potato instead of bread, pasta, or rice.

2. Try the DASH or Mediterranean Eating Plan

The Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) have both been shown to improve health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.

There are some small differences between the two diets, but they both include a lot of fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, lean proteins, and low-fat or no-fat dairy foods.

A lot of the things in the DASH diet lower inflammation in the body, which can help with a lot of long-term problems.

3. Eat Cold-Water Fish and Fortified Foods for Vitamin D

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says that giving people with fibromyalgia who are low on vitamin D may help them feel less pain.

Swordfish, tuna, sockeye salmon, and eggs are all natural sources of vitamin D. Some foods, like orange juice and milk, also have vitamin D added to them. You can also take vitamin D as a pill or in cod liver oil, which has omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D.

Your body also makes more vitamin D when you spend time outside, but too much sun can make you more likely to get skin cancer and eye disease.

4. Choose Dark, Leafy Greens, Nuts, and Seeds for Magnesium

A study from 2013 found that taking magnesium citrate supplements may help people with fibromyalgia. The supplements worked even better when taken with amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant.

Holton says that magnesium is needed to help stop the excitotoxicity that glutamate causes.

Nuts and seeds, avocado, yogurt, bananas, fatty fish, dark chocolate, and dark leafy greens are just a few of the healthy foods that are high in magnesium.

5. Add in Fish, Flaxseed, and Chia for Omega-3 Fatty Acids

It is possible that omega-3 fatty acids can lower oxidative stress, lower inflammation, and improve the immune system. There is oxidative stress when the body has too many free radicals, which are molecules that are not steady and hurt cells. It has been linked to the growth of many health problems.

Wild-caught fish, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds all have a lot of omega-3s. You can also take it as an extra.

But omega-3 pills shouldn't be taken because they contain gelatin, which has the amino acid aspartate in it. A substance called aspartate may turn on a glutamate receptor on nerve cells, which is linked to fibromyalgia. Glycine, which is found in gelatin, helps that receptor work.

6. Include Good Sources of Antioxidants in Your Meals

Because excitotoxins also cause oxidative stress, you may need to eat more antioxidants to fight the effects of eating excitotoxins on your fibromyalgia symptoms.

So that things stay easy, Holton says to look for colored fruits and vegetables to add to your diet. Increasing the amount of bright red, green, orange, yellow, and purple foods you eat will give you an antioxidant boost.

7. Read the Labels on Packaged Foods

Holton says to put a food item back on the shelf if the list of ingredients on the label is long and hard to understand. It's unlikely that "glutamate" will be written on that label, but there may be other ingredients there that hide glutamate. Stickers should be short and easy to read. They should list things you can put on a dish when you cook them.

"Don't be fooled" by the words "spices" or "flavorings," she says, because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't require companies to explain what they mean on food labels.

Lesson Summary

Here are seven dietary recommendations to help manage fibromyalgia symptoms:

1. Choose Whole Foods Instead of Processed Ones:
   • Avoid prepared foods and opt for whole foods with more nutrients and less chemicals.
   • Consider whole grains like buckwheat, quinoa, and brown rice over white flour and pasta.
   • Swap bread, pasta, or rice for sweet potatoes or regular potatoes.
2. Try the DASH or Mediterranean Eating Plan:
   • Both diets include lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and lean proteins.
   • These diets can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol and reduce inflammation.
3. Eat Cold-Water Fish and Fortified Foods for Vitamin D:
   • Include fish like salmon and tuna and vitamin D-fortified foods in your diet.
   • Consider supplements or cod liver oil for vitamin D intake.
   • Balance sun exposure for natural vitamin D synthesis.
4. Choose Dark, Leafy Greens, Nuts, and Seeds for Magnesium:
   • Include magnesium-rich foods like nuts, seeds, avocado, yogurt, and dark leafy greens.
   • Magnesium supplements may be beneficial for fibromyalgia patients.
5. Add in Fish, Flaxseed, and Chia for Omega-3 Fatty Acids:
   • Consume omega-3 sources like fish, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
   • Avoid gelatin-containing omega-3 pills due to potential triggers for fibromyalgia.
6. Include Good Sources of Antioxidants in Your Meals:
   • Eat colored fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants to combat oxidative stress caused by excitotoxins.
7. Read the Labels on Packaged Foods:
   • Avoid foods with long, complex ingredient lists and unclear labeling.
   • Watch out for hidden ingredients like glutamate under vague terms like "flavorings" or "spices."