Book Review - Foods that Fight Fibromyalgia

There is a 'new' movement sweeping the Health and Wellness Community, and that movement is focused on the efforts to heal illness through food. As a member of this community, and a woman with Fibromyalgia, I am an avid supporter of the power to heal through food - hence the title of my Blog "Feast from Within". However, with this sweeping movement of healthy eating also comes a vast array of new diet books, each promising a way to magically cure your illness. Through out the years of my journey toward health and recovery I have devoured and read countless diet books, hoping that one will have that magical diet to cure all of my ailments. However, not all diet books are created equal. And I am here to guide you through each book I have read and add my personal input and perspective that will hopefully help you find the right diet plan for you.

So here we go!

The first book on my list, "Foods the Fight Fibromyalgia", is a well written and informative diet plan comprised by Dierdre Rawlings. The book is divided into two parts. Part I: Understanding Fibromyalgia and Part II: Winning the Battle Through Food.

What I enjoyed most about this book was all in Part I. This section of the book outlines six different chapters that each go in depth to discuss scientific causes of Fibromyalgia. 

The chapters are as follows:

1) The Causes and Cures of Fibromyalgia

2) Fighting Fibromyalgia Through Diet

3) Treating Symptoms with Food - Not Pills

4)  Focusing on Colorful Nutrition: We Are What We Eat

5) Your Lifestyle Guide: Shopping Lists and Eating Tips 

6) Balanced Living Principals

The Chapters in Part I are a great way to scientifically understand what is going on in your body and how to heal through nutrition. Understanding how our body functions is crucial in understanding how to heal. The book goes in depth to discuss genes, cellular energy, pesticides, water quality, immune dysfunction, allergies, pharmaceutical drugs, nutrient deletion, stress, mineral imbalances, and more! These 6 chapters overflow with knowledge that is usually limited to those who have studied medicine or the body, but now it is available to use for the public. This information empowers us to take charge of the state of our own health, and I definitely felt very empowered after I read it! 

There is also a large focus on gluten intolerance and other food allergies that is discussed in Part I. So be prepared to start considering a gluten-free diet!   

Overall, I found Part I to be very informative and beneficial. It far outweighs what appears  in Part II. 

Part II is dedicated all to recipes to try at home, and this is where I came up disappointed. My biggest problem with specialized diet books is the quality of recipes that appear. Each recipe claims to be 'simple' but is NOT. Anyone who suffers from Fibromyalgia knows that shopping for healthy, organic food takes time, energy, and lots of money - something that many of us may not have. Therefore, when I run into healthy diet books I am often left wanting due to the lack of realistic recipes and diet changes that one can actually implement into their life. There are many gluten-free options available in stores that are cheaper and easier to make/buy than most of the recipes listed in the book, and the list of ingredients may come up as quite foreign and difficult to find for anyone who is not familiar with vegan, gluten free, or diary free lifestyles. 

Overall, I was very disappointed with Part II of the book. I am still in search of a realistic and reliable diet book that lists common and well known gluten-free brands and alternatives, as well as recipes that are actually quick, easy, and simple to make. 

In conclusion, I would say that the book is worth the purchase, if only for the benefit of reading Part I and gaining a more in depth understanding of how our bodies function at the cellular and nutritional level. 

I hope this message finds you well. 

Please comment below if you have any other book suggestions

Until next time,

Feast From Within 

xoxo