Hi I'm Tara. I'm 21 and was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I've never had pain problems before and always stayed active by running and hiking. Now I'm not able to do those things, and am trying to learn how to stay healthy and active with the pain. I would love to have friends for motivation/support. :) If anyone has any experience with chronic pain and/or autoimmune diseases I would love some advice. Thank you x

Hi Tara, first of all, I'm really sorry you have this disease...I have met many people with it. I have rheumatoid arthritis and carpel tunnel, so I understand how it feels to be in pain most of the day. You CAN still be active and run and hike, just have to get real smart about your nutrition, sleep and also think about taking some natural supplements if you haven't already started.

I have read some research that shows harsh chemicals in cleaning products, and everyday personal care products are one of the contributors to diseases like Fibro (and many other diseases). So converting your home to safer, more natural products is a great place to start.

Start taking a REALLY good multivitamin. Many vitamins turn to sand in your intestines as the minerals crystallize. Most vitamins on the market today do not absorb into the body and increase the production of free radicals in your body (due to the source of minerals and formation of the vitamin). So be sure when shopping for vitamins to learn more about their absorption rate.

Grape seed extract supplements have been proven to help with hundreds of health issues. So look for a good one that again has a good absorption rate.

Hope that helps!