Chronic Fatigue - Why? How? What?

Trying to understand Chronic Fatigue? So are the doctors and medical community, here is where the research and theories stand today:

http://www.prohealth.com/ME-CFS/library/showArticle.cfm?libid=18755&B1=EM022614C

Chart for Gluten Sensitivity Symptoms

The chart on this link is a pretty good resource for determining if you have a gluten sensitivity (I know I do.)

http://www.prohealth.com/fibromyalgia/library/showArticle.cfm?libid=18738&B1=EM021214F

Gluten Free and Fibromyalgia

I AGREE! WIth this article, yes, I do not have Celiacs disease (allergy to gluten) but I know I DO have a SENSITIVITY to gluten! When I stay away from gluten, I feel better, less pain, less fatigue, more energy. I understand my tolerances, maybe something every couple of days, but even then yes, I do begin to feel the difference. And really, when i cut out breads, I don't miss them so much. And gluten free bread? Mighty tasty to me!  just wish I could bring it to the restaurants with me to substitute!

http://www.prohealth.com/fibromyalgia/library/showArticle.cfm?libid=18639&B1=EM021214F

Top Diets Reviewed for 2014

The Best Diets of 2014 were recently reviewed and released. I have been sticking to a vegetarian/vegan diet since last September and I can say it def makes my fibro and fatigue better, and a little weight loss has also occurred along the way as well :) I am intrigued by the Mediterranean Diet, as it always seems to rank high and its pretty close to vegetarian but includes fish (which I enjoy.)

http://www.prohealth.com/library/showArticle.cfm?libid=18590&B1=EG012214

Is anyone familiar with the DASH diet? It seemed to rank highly this year in many categories...

A Whole Foods Plant Based Diet for Health

So a friend invited me to a "vegan" luncheon this past weekend to try vegan dishes and also watch the movie, "Forks Over Knives." I'll be honest, I had always kind of avoided this movie because I thought it was going to show animals being harmed, in crates etc. (Horrible) And yes, I think that is horrible, but I did not want that to be what made me change the way I eat. No, this movie is not like that at all! It is an EXCELLENT movie - VERY scientific and clinical and fact based, not an in-your-face kind of movie at all. They follow 2 guys throughout a 13 week diet change from eating animal protein to eating a whole foods plant based diet (very similar to vegan.) Let me just say - extraordinary results! And that's just a small part of the movie.

And can I say that I was amazed at the variety of dishes we came up with at our luncheon! Appetizers, entrees and desserts! Mac n cheese, quinoa patties, chocolate "mousse", fudge brownies, spiced carrot cake.

Now back to the movie. So it really got me thinking. Yes, its a healthier way to eat and to live - a whole foods plant based diet. It will help my fibro and CFS even more for sure and help me feel even better. Now for the game plan. The big thing - cut out meat. Well, to tell you the truth I had not cooked meat at home for years, only ate it out, so that's easy (just stop eating meat at restaurants), milk - again I already replaced cows milk with almond milk. At home I cook and eat a lot with chickpeas, brown rice and veggies already, I am already on the game plan and I didn't know it! I did logon to my Pinterest account and deleted all recipes with meat :) Seems temptations outside of the home will be the biggest challenge. I looked up local vegan and vegetarian friendly restaurants. Even local burger joints have some super yummy looking mushroom and falafel burgers! Friends BBQ? No problem, I'll bring my own patties, and a few extra patties in case others are curious ;) Chicken salad? Um, can they substitute with black beans?!  Sounds like I have an attempt a game plan! Now do I have the discipline.... Though my friend said that the more she ate on the plant based diet the better she felt and less she was tempted to go back to her old way of eating!

Here are a few super helpful links I found for creating veggie patties - really, the sky is the limit here! Who needs meat??

http://engine2diet.com/recipe/plant-strong-burgers/
http://www.veganlunchbox.com/loaf_studio.html
http://rmcrayne.hubpages.com/hub/Vegetarian-Burgers-Vegetarian-Burger-Recipes

If you want to watch the movie I believe you can watch it online here at their website, and their website itself is such a  wealth of information! Also check with your local library, they may have a copy of the movie too:

http://www.forksoverknives.com/

This is also related, and an excellent resource and starting point:

http://engine2diet.com


I'd love to know anyone else's thoughts, experiences?

Fibro Comes in Cycles?

Lately I seem to have discovered a trend. It seems no matter what I do, eating healthy, exercising as I can, taking supplements, getting plenty of sleep, avoiding stress, I still have bouts and episodes with fibro that seems to get worse. It seems cyclic - seems to come and go in cycles, so I guess I have to not despair and just keep plodding through with my best practices. Has anyone else noticed this trend in their fibro/cfs?

Veggie Burger Recipes!

This is a great resource for creating all natural healthy burger/meat alternatives. Often on Sundays I like to make a handful and keep them in the fridge all week to grab as a quick reheat meal. Often I will change the toppings I use to make it seem more like a different meal each night, simply using the burger as the basis.

My favorites are the black bean and mexican burgers, with a sour cream/jalepeño/lime topping, as well as the garbanzo bean burgers with mustard and jalepeños on top; and of course mashed up avocado on anything!!

http://rmcrayne.hubpages.com/hub/Vegetarian-Burgers-Vegetarian-Burger-Recipes

Follow Up: Even More Celebrities with Fibromyalgia

In another follow up to my posts about celebrities coming forward with their struggles and successes with fibro, I found this slideshow highlighting the following celebrities as fellow fibromites:

• Susan Flannery
• Rosie Hamlin
• Sinead O'Conner
• MichaelJames Hastings

(The headline of this slideshow is a bit misleading as it says "5" celebrities but only sows 4....)

http://www.thirdage.com/fibromyalgia/celebrities-with-fibromyalgia?shuffle=1

Yoga and Fibromylagia

Yoga has been a HUGE helper for me with keeping my fibro pains under control. I don;t think it was a coincidence that the same year I was diagnosed with fibro (Oct) I also had a New Year's resolution to try yoga (Jan) -- and I loved it from the start, so it was natural to keep in going once diagnosed. Here is a slideshow on WHY yoga helps with the pains:

http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/cf/slideshows/why-yoga-may-soothe-many-types-of-chronic-pain/strengthen-your-breathing-pattern?ic=8831

Lifestyle Changes for Fibromylagia

I often talk about lifestyle changes and adjustments for helping manage fibro symptoms. I found this great link on about.com detailing the top 10 lifestyle changes. I've highlighted the list below, but it really is worthwhile to read though the article with details and more links for each.

http://chronicfatigue.about.com/od/copingwithfmscfs/ss/lifestylechanges.htm

1. Pace Yourself
I have learned to do this, I am/was a type A personality pre-fibro, so was always on the go go go, but have learned now to balance activity (work, errands, dinner out with friends etc.) with periods of rest. This keeps me from fibro flares. Sometimes going out to dinner on a Friday night means not scheduling plans on the following Saturday for anything. Or dinner out on a Tuesday means not going out on Wednesday as well.

2. Holding a Job / Disability
This has been a struggle, but I have noticed having a job to go to helps keep my mind off the fibro for a few hours, and helps give me more purpose for the day.

3. Change Your Diet
Big proponent of this, less chemicals and processed foods, more fresh fruits and vegetables!

4. Exercise
I have settled on yoga for this, it really, really helps! It gently stretches my muscles and keeps them active, but its not too strenuous, and I can pace myself. I think the meditative part of yoga helps too, calm my mind, and even helps me sleep easier.

5. Focus on Better Sleep
I think my natural inclination has always been to be a night owl, but I've learned that maintaining proper sleep habits is an ESSENTIAL part of managing fibro. I try to start settling down by 9:00pm and start heading to bed @ 10pm, aiming to fall asleep no later than 11pm.

6. Learn Coping Skills
I've learned to accept my fibro, learn what I can do, and can't do, how to balance my social life with the fibro.

7. Little Things/Changes Can Have  a Big Impact
Foods, clothes, drinking lots of water. I've learned changing my diet helps, paying attention to how my clothes feel on and changing those if it makes me feel better, and drinking lots of water daily, all help me manage my fibro. IT really is amazing how different I feel on days that I drink a lot of water vs days I do not.

8. Surviving the Holidays
I order online for gifts (the amazon wish list is an AMAZING tool that everyone in my family now uses!) I always bring a dish/foods to get togethers that I know I can eat, and I usually try to eat a bit before I go to a get together just in case there are a lot of foods and dishes there that are on my no-no list.

9. Manage Stress
I've learned to realize what in life is worth worry about and getting upset over (not much is worth the effort and accompanying stress I've found!) and the meditation and deep breathing exercises from yoga helps calm my mind and eases stresses a lot too. I'll even listen to some calming music during times of stress, which helps refocus my energies.I'm a sucker for the Tibetan Bells music from yoga :)

10. Find Support
I have found a local support group as well as a few online that are amazing. To speak with others with the same struggles, and share stories and successes makes me feel less alone with my struggles. I highly recommend http://www.chronicbabe.com

Follow up: Celebrities with Fibromyalgia - Captain Michael Hastings

As a followup to my post from 5-29-13

I have discovered another celebrity that struggles with fibromyalgia.

You may know him as the Navy “Captain Mike” from the popular series “The West Wing,” but Michael James Hastings creates more popularity by being a spokesman for fibromyalgia. He follows Dr. Teitelbaum's protocol with supplements and coupled with lifestyle changes and adjustments has found success in managing his fibro symptoms.

Here is the article I found highlighting Captain Mike

http://www.homecuresthatwork.com/columns/celebrity-health-watch/michael-james-hastings-fibromyalgia-activist/#.Udl9nlOHQZw

And here is a link to his website with extensive links and information:

http://www.captainhastings.com/

This is an inspiration, and another step in the right direction seeing celebrities come forward with their fibro struggles, and supporting the focus on fibromyalgia and treatments.

Travel Tips from Sue Ingebretson

Sue's book - Fibrowhyalgia - is a great one. I follow her on facebook and her blog. I received an email today with travelling tips, which is perfect as I am getting ready for a trip in 2 days :) I thought I'd pass along her tips:

http://www.rebuildingwellness.com/10-fibro-travel-tips/?utm_source=getresponse&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=blogtobox&utm_content=Top+10+Fibro+Travel+Tips

Celebrity Battling Fibromyalgia

Its unfortunate that the stigma of fibromyalgia (and misunderstanding) means that celebrities are much less likely to come forward and speak about their experiences with the illness. For a celebrity announcing that you suffer from fibromyalgia can be a career killer, so many keep quiet and suffer through. I've always thought and even wished a celebrity would come out and speak in support, I feel that would shine more light on the illness and even more understanding and support.

I did come across this interesting article today about a celebrity battling fibro:

http://www.lifescript.com/health/centers/fibromyalgia/articles/actress_aj_langer_how_fibromyalgia_affects_her_life.aspx

How to Read Basic Lab Tests / Results

This is good info on reading the results from basic lab results and what they may mean:

http://www.amarillomed.com/howto

CFS Unravelled - a Book Review

Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia as often treated and talked about as one in the same. I feel that yes I do suffer from both, and whereas pain seems to be dominant in Fibro the fatigue is dominant in CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.) I feel I have been pretty good in managing the pains, and now suffer mostly from  such extreme fatigue (well of course and all the lovely other bodily functions that are disrupted by CFS/Fibro.)

This book was shared in a forum I am part of (chronicbabe.com) and so I looked into it a little bit, and even ended up purchasing it (downloading from Amazon to my smartphone Kindle App) $9 or so purchase (or FREE if an Amazon Prime Member!). And I can say the investment and read is WELL worth it if you are afflicted by CFS/Fibro!! I think even doctors trying to treat CFS/Fibro should also read.

http://www.amazon.com/CFS-Unravelled-Fibromyalgia-Discovery-ebook/dp/B00B3OCVGI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363455517&sr=8-1&keywords=cfs+unravelled

I did a little research first, and started listening to this fibro talk radio show interviewing the author, Dan Neuffer. (Skip to about minute 10, thats when they actually introduce him and get into the book and his CFS/Fibro info)

http://ec2-184-72-220-142.compute-1.amazonaws.com/thefibroshow/2013/03/08/the-fibro-show-interview-with-author-dan-neuffer

Also here is part of the theory behind its cause explained:

http://www.prohealth.com/library/showArticle.cfm?libid=14508&site=articles

Yes, the author, Dan Neuffer, was afflicted with CFS/Fibro for years, but through his own research was able to overcome his CFS/Fibro. He is/was a physicist, so the first half of the book is a but heavy in the science behind his theory of the cause of CFS, but it is still worth the read. I didn't understand it ALL but I got the gist of it, and a LOT of it did relate to info I have already heard and read about over the years, so it did give me the confidence that I am on the right track and to keep reading the book. And I agree with the author, though its not easy to understand ALL the science, do NOT skip that part of the book, it helps to even semi-understand the science part before you start treating.

The author does emphasize throughout the book that it is up to YOU to help YOURSELF, and I think some people get offended by that. But it is true, when you are ready to tackle it, only you can help yourself, find the right resources, listen to your body, and help heal yourself. Yes, you employ the help of doctors and naturopaths, supplements, food, diet, exercise, meditation, life balancing techniques, but it IS up to YOU to take control and define your healing destiny. His book is an excellent guide as to what you are treating, and the overall key elements to hit -- again let me emphasize it is an overall program managing stress, diet, sleep, exercise (gentle yoga is especially highlighted YAY!), maintaining a positive attitude and outlook and creating a healthy life balance to move forward with.

It all may sound very simple, and yes, it is simple and logical, but again it really helped me to understand WHY the supplements that I take - like Magnesium, Malic Acid, B vitamins -- help with the CFS/Fibro. And again it gave me confidence that I am on the right track with my yoga, supplements, all natural diet and meditating etc.

I highly recommend this read. I would love to know if anyone else has also read and your thoughts on the book, the theory and the treatments discussed.

Dr. Oz & Fibromyalgia

Interesting, thought I'd share:

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/fibromyalgia-real-illness-pt-1

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/fibromyalgia-real-illness-pt-2

Comments?

55 Responses to "But You Look So Good"

This is GREAT!! I love it. I do get this a lot, "but you look so good" and I am always stumped at what to say so I just smile and move on, irritated. Even though I don't look sick, I still am sick and suffer! In an effort to try and live a semi-normal life unfortunately I engage in masking my symptoms, pains, illnesses, trying to remain positive and have a good outlook. I hide it from most everyone, no one knows what I go through on a daily basis. Some of these are gentle reminders for when people think I "look good" and might be "cured."

http://invisibleillnessweek.com/2012/08/14/you-look-so-good/

My 3 favorite are:


- Thanks I wish I felt better
- I'm very good at pretending
- Goo becasue if I looked like I feel I'd scare you to death

Top Five Tips When Facing Fibromyalgia

My Top 5 pieces of advice for helping tackle fibro, for the newly diagnosed as well as the chronic sufferers:

(I know, these sound very simplistic, but these are what gets me through and are the BIGGEST factors in helping me!)

1. 2 Books: FibroWhyalgia & How To Be Sick -- they helped me get mental clarity, calmness and strength to tackle the fibro (amazon.com)

2.  www.chronicbabe.com - check out the forums, this is the BEST place for constant doses of positivity and support and advice from others with similar issues!

3. Yoga &/or Massage! The gentle stretching is AMAZING for my body, and helps me sleep. Yoga is a gentle form of exercise that really, really helps with my fibro if I keep up with it (twice a week); I also get a massage 1-2 times a month, it has similar effects as yoga, muscle stretching and relaxing, cleansing and revitalizing.

4. Write a Letter for close Friends & Family - Here is a link to one I wrote when I was diagnosed. I sent it to close F&F, I felt like it helped explain things that are complicated to explain, and I wanted them to know what I was going through and that I really needed their support, and this told them exactly what they could do to help me. Please feel free to copy this and make it your own! http://adayinthelifeoffibro.blogspot.com/p/my-letter.html

5. Supplements & Fresh Foods - look into some that can help - Magnesium, Ginger... many others. They take longer to start to work, but are all natural, and have no side effects, and most are available at your local drugstore inexpensive! Keep to all healthy - eating too! No chemicals or additives - fresh fruits, veggies etc!

BONUS: Aim for a balanced life!

Lecture Review - Virasyl for Fibro & CFS

I attended a lecture today entitled "Fatigue, Pain & Chronic Conditions" at Tunies Natural Grocery in Coral Springs, FL. I will be honest, I went into it not expecting much, as I have already done so much of my own research into fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, and since this was connected to a natural grocery store/nutritionist I figured it would be a pretty generic lecture on how to eat better and a prescription of a list of which supplements to take. My pain and suffering of the past 2 years has spurred my initiatives to look into ANY kind of help, so since I got out of work early I thought I'd stop by this lecture.

In speaking with the presenter, Pam Ross (certified Physician's Assistant), before the lecture, during and after, I was astounded. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING hit home with me. When she was talking about "Mrs. Jones came to our clinic with X, Y and Z symptoms" I wanted to suggest that she was not talking about Mrs. Jones, but was actually talking about me, outlining my life! When another attendee mentioned having such foot pain that she feels like she is walking on glass, I wanted to shout out ME TOO! I have never been in a room of people like this that I could relate to SO much. And all of my research that I have done over the past 2 years came up in the lecture, as a nice assurance that I am on the right track here, and Pam is too.

Pam has done her research on fibro, cfs and how viruses may trigger these, and start much more of a chain reaction (IBS, food allergies, chemical sensitivities, migraines, skin rashes etc.) in our body. I was very glad that the focus of the lecture was NOT on selling the product. It was really a great informational lecture on fibro, cfs, chronic pain, nerve damage and their related research. She did present and discuss the product that she has developed, Virasyl. It is a very simple compound of Humic Acid and Shilajit, with nothing else added, which, if you are familiar with supplements, this is nice! So many have so much extra gunk added unecessarily. I will let you read more the Virasyl at her website, which also has the info covered in her lecture, about the virus connection. PLEASE do so, as she has much more of the medical background and info than I do, and I could never paraphrase her findings and research, and I could never explain it as well as she does. But it all MAKES SENSE to me, so it give me HOPE!

She also handed out some info on a protocol to follow (simple, 1 page), in addition to the daily supplements of Virasyl. I was delighted to discover that I am already following about 85% of the "Fibrobusters" protocol (another affirmation that my research has lead me in the right direction, and Pam too!)

I did purchase a bottle/1 months supply and am going to try it. It is all natural and does not interact with anything, so its all natural and worth a try!I will definitly follow up with my results!

Fall in Love & Ease Pains :)

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/pain/articles/2010/10/14/romantic-love-natures-painkiller.html

As a part of the dating world I love this article! :) I am looking forward to finding someone and falling in love :) And of course, easing my pains too! Super benefit!