Root Cause of CFS
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has been diagnosed as an official condition for decades, yet it remains in many ways a mystery to the medical community. It doesn’t have one specific cause -- any number of factors seem to be able to bring it on -- and thus it doesn’t have a set cure, either. So can a chronic fatigue syndrome diet help?
There are things that can be done to reduce the symptoms, both medically and psychologically. Many CFS patients find that dietary accommodations can be made that will improve their condition.
One prominent theory among medical researchers is that nutritional deficiency is an underlying cause of CFS, at least in some cases. CFS usually affects the immune system, so a nutritionally rich diet will help counteract those effects. In addition, people with chronic illnesses often stop eating healthily simply out of fatigue: They just don’t FEEL like making healthy meals and carefully choosing what they eat. It’s much easier to grab something quick, easy and pre-packed but nutritionally empty.
To start with, people with CFS should avoid sugat. Sugar wreaks havoc on the glucose levels in your blood, and the constant up-and-down of your glucose levels can cause fatigue. You know how you “crash” a while after eating a lot of sugar? Imagine that feeling for someone who already feels tired all the time to begin with!
For sweetener, use something natural like honey, which contains not just sugar but the proteins necessary to process it. (Isn’t that handy?) Another way to keep blood-sugar levels at a stable rate is to eat several small meals during the day rather than two or three large ones.
CFS patients should also avoid foods with little nutritional value and high fat content. Eat nutritious foods that are high in protein instead. Foods with complex carbohydrates are especially recommended: grains, beans, vegetables, poultry, and fish.
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Raw vegetables and fruits are also very helpful. Cooking them removes some of their nutrients, so raw is best. Whole grains are good, too. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains give you fiber, which will prevent constipation -- a major factor in fatigue. (All those toxins back up into your system and wear you down.) Oat bran, oatmeal, and apples are especially good because they have water-soluble fiber that grabs a hold of everything toxic and drags it out.
Also: Drink eight to 10 glasses of water a day, along with plenty of vegetable and fruit juices. This is invaluable for flushing the toxins out of your system.
Finally, many CFS sufferers also have candidiasis, which is a surplus of the Candida bacteria in the stomach, leading to gastrointestinal problems and fatigue. Follow an anti candida and chronic fatigue syndrome diet that avoids sugar and dairy products, as well as caffeine and alcohol, and see if that improves your symptoms. If it does, candida may be part of your problem, and you can take steps to eradicate it from your system as well as treat CFS.
