Cooking with fibromyalgia, what have you been eating lately?

[Tipnatee N]

With my fibromyalgia diet I have to prepare my own food to keep up with my craving, so for example.

My breakfast ( cooked for 2 people)

Slice thin gala apples sautéed with chopped bacon , served with poach eggs.

All done under 20 minutes.


At lunch ( cooking for 2 people)

Home made meat ball : made with ground beef , eggs, adobo seasoning, dried chives & dried red onion flakes.

Then I added small amount of butter in the hot pan with some frozen chopped onion, the toss in some half cut fresh Brussels sprouts, adobo seasoning, stir fry mixing it then added the meatball. After the meat ball and brussel sprout looks cooked I added some half cut cherry tomatoes, flip them together till the cherry tomatoes starting to soften then it finish.

I served the dish with microwaved cooked yam that I scraped cooked yam out if their skin and mixed with fresh squeeze lemon juice and cream.

All done under 30 minutes

For the dinner. ( cooked for 3 people)

Brine pork chops : i put all the pork chops I bought in to the zip lock back along with 1 table spoon of adobo seasoning, dried red onion flakes & dried chives, a table spoon of white coconut oil paste, and a small amount of balsamic vinegar, then added 3/4 cup of warm water and mixed them well. Then I squeezed all the air out completely before I sealed the bag air tight and dropped then in to a bucket of warm water, weight it down for the quick and fastest way to get all the brine seasoning in the meat under 15 minutes.

Meanwhile I ground up ( or chopped up) fresh cauliflower, fresh celeries, with fresh mushroom all together in to the size of the rice grains. Then sautéed them in butter and adobo seasoning with a little of black pepper till they all cooked.

After the cauliflower is done I took them out the pan ( in to the serving bowl) then i took the brine pork out of the ziplock back ( toss the brine water out) and just fried them in the same pan no extra oil needed. I added some roasted red pepper I've got from the jar I bought to it as well. After the porked cook , the liquid left in the pan , I added small amount of butter and extra crushed mushrooms then serving them as gravy.

All done under 30 minutes.

Future idea for cooking.

For a snack

I think I will try fresh kale leaf wrap sandwich with picked store bought roasted chicken meat , with adding thin slice of fresh ginger , sweet creamy roasted garlic, and a dash of fresh lemon.

So what about you? What have you been cooking lately?:wink:

 

[sunkacola]

For me, food has to be as simple as possible. Basically, if it doesn't go from fridge to plate in under 15 minutes, it's not going to get done.

I usually eat raw oatmeal in the morning in the summer, cooked oatmeal in the winter. both times I eat it with whatever dried fruit or fresh fruit I have on hand, nuts, seeds, and yogurt.

I don't eat in the middle of the day.
For dinner I eat some kind of meat or fish, usually a small beef steak or a pork chop or a small salmon filet.
I get all of these on sale, buy a bulk amount when they are on sale and the cost usually comes out to about $2 per steak or filet.

I pop one of these under the broiler until done, usually only about 5 to 7 minutes. This I eat with cooked greens (kale, collards, spinach, etc) in the winter and a salad made mostly of greens (lettuce, kale, spinach, mustard greens etc) in the summer. In the winter I sautee the greens and slice up the meat to put on top, in the summer I slice up the meat and put it into the salad. That's about it. Takes usually about 10 minutes, is healthy, and only uses one bowl to eat out of and one small pan to go under the broiler.

If I decide I need a change of pace I make a stir-fry with pork or beef, onion, red peppers, tomatoes, celery, kale to be served over rice. Make a big pan of it and then I can just warm up a bowl of that each night for 5 to 6 days.

My diet is pretty repetitive, but it works for me, is tasty, simple, healthy, easy and inexpensive.

 

[Tipnatee N]

If I only cook just for one as my self no other people around I usually do it quick and fast too.

Like the quick healthy broth I made for soup , I use plain boiling water, a half pack of frozen color peppers, a half pack of frozen chop onions, adobo seasoning, and a teaspoon of Gelatin powder ( no flavor added) . Because I don't have time to boil up bones for collagen, the gelatin powder will replace it in the best and cleaner taste , very silky even. After that I can add any meat or other vegetables that I want and all done under 10 minutes with out me hovering around the pot cause I'm physically very slow moving person now do to my fibro, so I'll sit and watch some tv while cooking. So actually it only take me to prepare about 2 - 5 minutes top after I let it cooked by it self. Comes to think of it .. I could actually made all my meal faster but my body hurts too much to move too fast. Also my grocery store sell all the pre-cut an pre-chopped vegetable and meat, I hardly ever use my food processor.

As far as my most lazy day I'll toss in scraps vegetables, meat with ramen noodles for lunch lol. I know it's not the best but 110 calories per a pack of noodle isn't so bad once a while.

 

[1sweed]

Tipnatee N,
Do you have a recipe for that wonderful light sauce they use on spaghetti at Chinese restaurants. I love eating it but would like to make it at home.
I heard it sometimes has mushroom flavored soy sauce in it. Anyways thanks for the above recipe.

 

[Tipnatee N]

you'll have to explain what flavor that was or what's in it, since I'm not Chinese so I don't have a clue what they would use in their spaghetti.

 

[Pegleg84]

I think you need to come cook for me. That all sounds delicious. I might try that chopped cauliflower thing. Does it fry up like a cake (stick together) or more like rice?

Having Celiac and several food intolerances, I have to cook for myself and use few processed foods. I enjoy cooking and figuring out ways to make good stuff with unconventional ingredients. Lately I often don't have the energy or desire to make anything complicated or time consuming, so I'm trying to make bigger batches of things and eat them over a few days.. I'll cook rice (in a cooker, only have to wash it first) or some (corn) pasta, fry up some meat and easy veggies. I got a pressure cooker/slow cooker last year, and have discovered it's a super easy way to make pulled pork/beef. I'll cook up a big chunk, shred it, and put a bunch in the freezer so I can throw a bit into meals and all it needs to do is thaw in the pan. It's asparagus season here so I've been eating tons of it: no chopping required, just snap off the ends, and it cooks up really fast. For lunch I usually take leftovers from dinner. Breakfast is usually (coconut milk) yogurt, almonds,&banana, though I find it's better if I eat "real" food for breakfast: corn pancakes, sliced sausage, rice noodles and peanut sauce (yes, this is a thing I do and it's super easy)

Oddly enough, on the Cymbalta I haven't felt as hungry lately (part nausea, part not caring) and have been eating less, which I hope is the reason why I've been loosing weight. Problem is I need to eat more to have more energy and keep myself going. I'm less concerned with eating the right thing (aside from what I can't) than eating what I want and what makes me feel good, or simply what I can manage to make at the time (sometimes I need to make something quick and easy just to have enough energy to make something more substantial later). Some days, though, I wish I could just order a pizza (that doesn't cost an arm and a leg) or get takeout, or grab a sandwich somewhere, but such is the Celiac life. Fibro is horrible, but getting glutened is 10x worse.

Maybe a thread of easy recipes or tips to cut down on prep-time would be helpful for everyone.

 

[Tipnatee N]

I love slow cooker!! Although I find it unappealing to just to wipe the thing clean cause I'm fixated on wash everything with water to feels clean. I ended up just using ceramic coated pot ( or any heavy non stick pot) to do the slow cook food. I love making stew and all types of slow cook meat. ( anything I can do to get a chance to go sit down) . And making big pot for the next few days of eating is probably for my weekday. I only cook a lot during weekend cause there's people I wanna feed. And their diet are involving no gluten, no carbs, and low calories. These I found it's very fun to find the substitutes. All because I'm too do get very low appetite to the point where my body had started to absorbed my very own calcium and I woken up one day with my front teeth started to crumbling out of my mouth. It was indeed a frightening situation for me. So I try to watch lots of food network shows to kick up my appetites , and since my mom was a cook so it's easy for even my foggy brain to work with difficult diets.

With my main symptoms of fibromyalgia, panic disorder, and MDD along with the lost of my medical insurance. Food has now became my oral medications. It's fascinating actually cause you can control your body temperature and your inflammation pains level by simply digesting the right simple food.

I eat my strawberry or drink orange juice with some iodine salt ( or high mineral salt like pink salt) . Cause salt turn any sour citrus fruit in to natural sweet and my body will quickly absorb the vitamins and nutrients without damage or hurt my brittle teeth while produce high alkaline in my stomach . ( also contributed to natural teeth whitening). I added spice to my food to slow my inflammatory chronic pains, I love to substituted pasta with spaghetti squash, noodle shredded zucchini, or even noodle shredded onions that I caramelized. There's also lots of non-wheat pasta products you can buy such as Quinoa pasta ( so good), tofu pasta, bean noodles, etc. I also love to substitute ricotta cheese in lasagna with soft cream tofu , mixed with seasoning and Parmesan cheese ( for rich cheesy flavor without over cheesy) and substitutes paste sheets with ribbon cut yellow squash, layered with turkey meat sauce which I added gelatin to ground turkey so the texture won't dry and some Italian seasoning with canned of whole stew tomato soften down while cooking with meat sauce ( cause I like tomatoes fiber uncut) Then topped with fresh basil and some fresh mozzarella cheese with sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil.

Sadly I can't cook all the time so weekend right now is what I usually looking onward to. If only you live closer to me I would have inviting you over for a meal. �� I like feeding friends.

Oh .. and the chopped cauliflower when stir with other vegetables they act like fried rice or to be precise the texture are like couscous . Most people would refer to cooking ground chopped cauliflower as cauliflower couscous. If you cook them longer till cauliflower turn in to mushy paste it will have texture similar to risotto so if you like it that way then you should add some cream to it too.

 

[Marvis]

Tipnatee, you sound like an amazing cook! I find I do well as long as i keep thigs pretty 'clean' and simple - gluten is ok, as long as I don't eat too much - same with sugar, etc. I'd love to go vegetarian, but my body doesn't like legumes very much. I do well with simple grilled meats, rice dishes, fresh veggies. I have challenging eaters in my house, one with food sensory issues (and the foods the one kid loves the other hates lol), so I tend to cook much simpler, basic foods than i would like too. I tend to cook a simple protein, plain rice or a whole grain baguette, and serve it with a variety of fresh and cooked veggies. Something for everyone. I did go on a hard-core candida diet for about 2 years, and i did feel quite a bit better, but it was so much work! My naturopath admitted that the only one who stuck with it longer than me was very wealthy and had a private chef. lol.

 

[Tipnatee N]

Tipnatee, you sound like an amazing cook! I find I do well as long as i keep thigs pretty 'clean' and simple - gluten is ok, as long as I don't eat too much - same with sugar, etc. I'd love to go vegetarian, but my body doesn't like legumes very much. I do well with simple grilled meats, rice dishes, fresh veggies. I have challenging eaters in my house, one with food sensory issues (and the foods the one kid loves the other hates lol), so I tend to cook much simpler, basic foods than i would like too. I tend to cook a simple protein, plain rice or a whole grain baguette, and serve it with a variety of fresh and cooked veggies. Something for everyone. I did go on a hard-core candida diet for about 2 years, and i did feel quite a bit better, but it was so much work! My naturopath admitted that the only one who stuck with it longer than me was very wealthy and had a private chef. lol.

I totally agree, I found simple is the best also! but I would not recommending vegetarian or vegan for fibromyalgia if you don't have a problem with meat. Cause I noticed that meat ( especially red meat) and seafood or fish , especially eggs are very needed to keep up with all our issues. If you try going vegetarian or vegan you will notice the serious health problem very quickly. ( I tried) I lost my sense of taste and smell from time to time do to my allergies and sinusitis problem and with fibromyalgia, It could als be very wacky at the time. Maybe that's when I tried harder by using my other senses and my brain a bit more. Therefore if my family, friends and all my picky eater love it, I'm happy. As far as amazing? I'm still got a long way to go cause I can't seem to follow the book recipes or making the same dish taste exactly alike each time. If you ask me to cook a traditional or classic dish , I'll hand you the apron . But I believe you don't need to be an amazingly cook to cook good food , no? I think you are doing great . And if you happen to make something wonderful or new. Please share your idea . I love to hear it !! :smile:

 

[Marvis]

meh - I never follow a book either. Being a good cook is about being able to sense and smell what spices will work best and to think creatively. You've got that in spades!

 

[VanGogh]

Hi Tipnatee,

Have you said how you arrived at this menu? Since I'm so new here my umbilical cord is still attached ( S ) So I have read enough of posts to know ANYTHING about how food effects Fibro. But that is why I am here: to find out what I need to know.

 

[Tipnatee N]

Hi Tipnatee,

Have you said how you arrived at this menu? Since I'm so new here my umbilical cord is still attached ( S ) So I have read enough of posts to know ANYTHING about how food effects Fibro. But that is why I am here: to find out what I need to know.

With tons of both online and offline research . Lots of fibro sufferer are from long lists of symptoms that ended up crashing each other on the diet department.

For example Migraine, this has very weird diet to avoid the tyramine at all cost ( it had me crying cause I love cold cut meat and Brie cheese ). It loves sugar and it hates all grain or seed oil & canola oil , but love all animals fat & oil , olive oil , and coconut oil. Salt are restricted but also need just a right amount to provide mineral and electrolytes. It has major problem with all citrus fruits , half problem with dairy products , such as fermented cheese or long storage milk , even some yogurt. It has problem with some herble tea , yet it love carbonated drinks ( weird right?) .

Inflammation, this one comes along way since there are loads of spices that can be use almost as effectively as some medicine since most fibro sufferer don't react the same way to all painkillers their doctors prescribed. These pains love verity of salts and minerals. It love high fiber and all fruits especially antioxidants including citrus do to the alkaline property , do you know any fresh fruits that taste sour and acidic in the mouth when eaten and mixed with our stomach acid it instantly become alkaline? So if you have suffer weak teeth like me adding baking soda to any acidic tasting fruit ( it's a same basic recipe for eno or alka seltzer ) or added salt to natural bring out the fruit sweeter. And the list can go on and on.

Chronic fatigue. Depending on which temperature fibro person suffering from. There are a number of many combination of foods that can make you feel colder or warmer , once you have it correctly then you can creat your own energy manu that would feed your symptom hunger to suffer less fatigue. There are subconscious craving sensation beneath the low or high appetite sensation that our body sending signal to our brain . Depend on how wide range of your own food varieties knowledges or memories, you might not yet know what your body trying to tell you . Sometime it will came out as odd or crazy craving . Some of my craving was so awfully bazaar, I had to quicky find the better substitutional food or supplements before my brain force my own body in to the do or die suffering situation to chew on another dozen of extra hard boiled egg shells, quickly consume a pond of fresh green bell pepper without any other flavor added for days , or eat a container full of raw oat like a horse. Seriously I'm not joking. I'm dying a little by little inside whenever these craving strikes. I have to learn every diets I could before my brain starting to see the house pest as edible.

 

[Tipnatee N]

For all friends out there who want super healthy salty crunchy snack . Try this weird recipe

Raw red cabbage, chopped to easy to eat chip size or strip shapes.
Add onion powder, your choice of mineral salt or just salt, and lightly sprinkle olive oil just enough to coated the cabbage . Toss them together the serve as replacement for your nornal munchies crunchy snack. It wil taste different from your normal view of raw cabbage you should try. :wink:

Cabbage probably one of the best eat for most stomach sensitive people ( especially raw).

 

[VanGogh]

Very interesting Tipnatee.

Since I am new to all of this and have yet to be DX;d by a doctor I'm here mostly to read what others are experiencing and to find out what works for them. Maybe at some point in time I will have something of value to add beside my own personal aches and pains.

Thanks for responding!

 

[Tipnatee N]

Somebody was asking me today about sweet tooth craving so I figured I should post it here.

Ever try to eat honeycomb? It's the ultimate healthy sweet goodness, but you shouldn't eat too much of it at once since it can cause blockage in your stomach if you eat like the whole pack of it that is. You can spit out the rest of the beeswax out when you done chewing if you need to eat more than a pack. ( a little few oz of wax is ok to digest each day and good for you) Unfortunately in US not all honey sell in store are 100% honey . Real honey will crystallize while the mix syrup doesn't . So buying honey with honeycomb also can guaranteed you the real deal honey for all your personal use.

Happy sweet tooth :wink: