Fibromyalgia Multi-levelled approach

In fibromyalgia, the glandular system is under a lot of stress and it is vital to nourish the thyroid and the adrenals since they are most affected.  This usually helps re-establish the energy level. 
 
Adrenals are the body’s stress absorbers and when stress management is more difficult (like in fibromyalgia) it is a good idea to nourish the adrenals to help them function optimally.  

The thyroid gland often lacks energy in cases of fibromyalgia.  Medical tests will only show if the thyroid functions at less than 50% capacity.  If it functions at 60%, test results are normal but symptoms can already be present. Thyroid Support from A.Vogel will help support a normal function of this gland.  

During and following pregnancy as well as during menopause, women are more likely to suffer from thyroid hormone deficiency.  

Symptoms of an under-functioning thyroid are: cold intolerance, weight gain, hair loss, lack of energy (especially when getting up in the morning) and needing more sleep.  Thyroid Support is the only kelp tablet on the market that contains a standardized quality of iodine.  This helps to feed the thyroid gland effectively and consistently. 

When there is an accumulation of toxins in the body it is an excellent idea to make sure the liver functions properly.  The liver is a huge gland containing a large amount of blood and that can weigh up to 5 pounds. It has several functions:

• Digestion: it helps the digestion of fats and the absorption of all fat-soluble vitamins. 
• Filter: located between the bowel and the heart, it filters everything that is absorbed by the body. It purifies blood by eliminating toxins coming from the cells. The liver also neutralizes all the medications and chemicals that we ingest, rendering them easier to eliminate. 
• Construction unit: the liver helps in the formation of blood components, enzymes and construction and repair elements. 
• Transformation organ: it activates some hormones (such as T3 from the thyroid) and transforms proteins and lipids. 
• Regulation: it has a key role in hormonal balance. It plays a part in protein synthesis, carbohydrate regulation and lipid metabolism (e.g. controls the production of cholesterol). The liver also regulates the blood cell iron content. Finally it contributes internal body temperature regulation.

A normal liver condition is essential to attain a good health. 
Summary of what may cause liver overload:

• Excess are responsible for liver congestion: alcohol, saturated fats, medications, coffee, and smoking. 
• A lack of fibre reduces the efficiency of the liver to eliminate toxins, since they are used as a mean to transport toxic substances out of the body. 
• Transformed food creates excess work for the liver and it is always better to eat food in its most natural state. Margarines and commercial oils are abnormal molecules for the body and must be transformed and eliminated, which is still extra work for the liver. 
• Excess food is also an overload since the liver must put in storage the elements the body cannot use right away. 
• Coffee, tea and chocolate have several components that must be rapidly neutralize and they also rob the body of essential nutrients necessary for a proper liver metabolism (e.g. vitamins B, calcium and magnesium). 
• When someone has an inactive lifestyle it tends to slow down the intestinal transit, which, in turn, slows down the elimination of toxins from the liver. 
• Finally, stress and overworking causes more toxins and hormones to be produced, and then degraded and eliminated by the liver.

An overloaded liver presents some of the following symptoms:

• reflux
• indigestion
• gas
• bloating
• constipation
• diarrhea
• headaches
• coated tongue
• bad breath 
• yellow complexion
• brown spots on the skin
• dizzy spells
• light sleep
• lack of energy and/or sore spots 

When the liver is not functioning normally, the following may occur:

• constipation
• diarrhea
• intestinal spasms
• anemia
• indigestion
• poor assimilation
• appendicitis
• kidney overload (causing an acidic overload which result in skin problems, arthritis, sore muscles…)
• obesity or excess thinness
• a sensation of always being too cold
• demineralization (e.g. osteoporosis or flat feet)
• diabetes 
• high cholesterol
• toxins overload

The direct consequences of liver overload are:

• high blood pressure
• oedema
• adenoids
• tonsillitis
• sterility
• impotency
• chronic bronchitis
• insect bites
• vision problems
• hearing problems
• asthma
• allergies
• weakness of muscles and tendons
• congestion
• sinusitis
• cellulite
• hemorrhoids
• varicose veins
• arteriosclerosis
• rheumatisms
• glandular unbalance

To favour a normal liver function it is important:

• To adopt a healthy diet with 10 portions of fruits and vegetables a day to benefit from all the fibre, vitamins and minerals you need. 
• To choose whole foods since complete fibres act as a big broom in your digestive tract. 
• Avoid dairy products since pasteurization change a lot of their nutrition elements, making them unusable by the body. 
• Only use cold pressed oils (instead of commercial oils and margarines) and raw nuts (instead of roasted) since they will supply good oils to the liver for the production of several hormones (e.g. progesterone, estrogen, testosterone…), the control of circulating fats (e.g. cholesterol and triglycerides) as well as the absorption of lipid soluble vitamins (e.g. vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K). 

Half a lemon freshly squeezed in a cup of hot water every morning helps the liver eliminate toxins.

A small glass of fresh carrot juice also helps the liver.

Rest and exercise are also an essential part of the program.

To help accelerate the process of liver detoxification, a few good herbs can be useful.  

Boldocynara from A.Vogel contains artichoke, milk thistle, dandelion, boldo and peppermint. Those plants are very effective for cleansing the liver and regenerating damaged liver cells. Researches show that milk thistle has a toning and regenerating effect on the liver. For those that never did a liver cleanse, always start with the liquid form since you can start with lower dosage (ex. 5 drops after each meal for the first week). This helps avoid cleansing reactions such as headaches, diarrhea and nausea. After this step, you can increase gradually to the full dosage of 15 drops 3 times a day.

For those with severe liver issues or who have been suffering from liver congestion for a long time, it is highly recommended to take Milk Thistle for as long as needed following the cleanse.

Finally, a one-month Boldocynara cleanse in spring and fall can be beneficial.

In cases of fibromyalgia, the body is usually very acidic, which increases inflammation and pain.   A healthy gut flora usually produces lactic acid however, stress, bad eating habits, coffee and medications (such as antibiotics) can dramatically lower its production. 

When there is a lot of muscles spasms and cramps, it is highly recommended to take magnesium biglycinate as a muscle relaxant.  Start gently and increase the dose gradually until the stools get looser and this will indicate the saturation level for magnesium (the amount the body needs to rebalance).