The Elimination Diet for Fibromyalgia
Even if you do not suffer from mental fog, it can be difficult to recall everything you have eaten in a particular day. This is why it is important to keep a food diary when following the elimination diet. It is also a good idea to take note of any symptoms you experience. You can refer to the diary for comparison at a later time. This is an effective way to gauge the effects of the diet on you.
It is not complicated to come up with a food diary. You just need to come up with a list of foods to eat in a given day. It is the same with the symptom journal. Just list down all the symptoms you felt in a given day.
When starting the elimination diet, observe yourself for the first five days. If you noticed that your symptoms have gotten better, then start re-introducing the foods once again. Do it slow and re-introduce the foods one at a time. If you are not seeing any difference after five days of being in the diet, do not give up just yet. Stick to the diet until you start seeing subtle changes in your symptoms. That is when you can start re-introducing the foods.
I know that I cannot consume artificial sweeteners as well as MSG. I have known about the MSG for over 30 years. I learned about artificial sweeteners about 10 years ago. Eliminating gluten did not change my pain level at all. I tried for 6 months and no improvement. When I reintroduced, my pain level did not increase.