The Connection between Fibromyalgia and Weight Gain

There seems to be a link between fibromyalgia and weight gain. People suffering from fibromyalgia experience weight gain in most of the cases. Let us examine the relationship between fibromyalgia and weight gain. If you are suffering from fibromyalgia, you should be interested in this feature. Once you have a comprehensive understanding about the link between fibromyalgia and weight gain, you can take effective measures to prevent weight gain from becoming a problem. Firstly, we will explore the triggering factors behind weight gain during fibromyalgia and then discuss the type of diet you should follow so that your weight can be properly managed.

Slower Metabolic Process

Fibromyalgia triggers weight gain because of a number of factors. They may be either directly or indirectly connected to the occurrence of the disease itself. Since fibromyalgia creates hormonal imbalances, it can disrupt the normal levels of thyroid, insulin, cortisol, and serotonin. In addition, the condition directly affects the production of growth hormones. With the body affected by hormonal imbalance, the metabolism process is also affected. It becomes slower than normal, which in turn, leads to weight gain.

Fatigue and Sleep Apnea

Apart from the effects of hormonal imbalance, fatigue, which is one of the common symptoms of fibromyalgia, can also leads to weight gain problems. It has been shown that there is a strong association between fatigues from fibromyalgia and weight gain. People suffering from fibromyalgia often suffer from sleep disturbances and hence a poor quality of sleep, which lead to even more fatigue. These people actually lack the ability to stay active, which means fewer calories are actually burnt. All these contribute to weight gain problems.

Excessively Low Blood Sugar

People suffering from fibromyalgia also developed an increased sensitivity towards insulin, which causes an excessive amount of glucose to be created and transferred from the blood to the muscles. However, the muscles have a limited capacity for storing glucose. To deal with this glut of glucose, the body constructs more fat cells, effectively turning the excess glucose into fatty tissue. Contrary to the popular belief, weight gain is caused more by high carbohydrate diet than by intake of fatty food.

A Suitable Diet for Fibromyalgia

Since fibromyalgia has strong influences on the metabolism process, a suitable diet needs to be designed for fibromyalgia patients in such a manner that these factors can be effectively taken under consideration. A high carbohydrate diet is not beneficial for patients suffering from fibromyalgia; it could exacerbate the condition further. Since the body metabolic rate is much slower, eating less is normally a difficult option for these people.

Since the body metabolism rate is much slower, the fibromyalgia patient must eat very slowly and must chew the food well. By selecting the appropriate type of foods, patients suffering from fibromyalgia and weight gain problems, can reduce the effects of both. Choose good proteins such as low fat dairy products, lean meat, turkey, eggs, soy, and legumes. Opt for suitable carbohydrates such as different types of fresh fruits and fresh vegetables and good fats such as plant oils, fish oil, almond and avocado.

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