Which Diet is Better For CFS Recovery?
Which diet is better for CFS recovery? Is a vegetarian or stone-age diet better when recovering from CFS? There are so many diets out there, how do you know which one is right for you?
Everybody is unique and no one diet fits all. Some people have food intolerances or allergies to certain foods.
My Story
When I was recovering from my CFS, I was eating meats such as lamb, pork and also fish such as rainbow trout or seabass 2-3x per week. I was also eating carbs such as gluten-free bread, wild rice, gluten-free pasta and dried apricots. I ate plenty of broccoli, peas and carrots. So I was on a moderate protein, moderate carbohydrate, low refined sugar diet.
When I visited a Nutritionist, she detected that I had intolerances to beef, sugar, yeast and cow’s milk. So being an all-or-nothing kind of person, I immediately cut out these foods. Within a few weeks I felt a lot better. After 5 months of following her nutrition and supplement plan I had my energy back. Basically she put me on an anti-candida diet as my body was overrun with Candida and my immune system was weak.
Benefits of a Stone-Age Diet for CFS Recovery
A stone-age diet is high in meat and animal protein, low in carbohydrates and high in fat. Dr Myhill recommends a stone-age/paleo diet for people with CFS, as meat is rich in amino acids and protein which boost the immune system and heal tissue damage in the body. People with blood type O do better on a stone-age diet as they have high levels of stomach acid and can easily digest meat.
Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet for CFS Recovery
A vegetarian diet done correctly is full of vegetables, lentils, legumes and beans and is rich in nutrients and anti-oxidants. People with blood type A do better on a vegetarian diet, possibly with some fish. For people who have low stomach acid and find meat difficult to digest, or those on PPIs such as omeprazole or lansoprazole which block stomach acid production, may do better on a vegetarian diet. Also meat can be constipating so eliminating meat eases constipation and improves your detoxification abilities.
Conclusion
So which diet is better for CFS recovery? Personally I would recommend a low sugar, anti-candida diet for healing CFS. Avoiding refined sugar, sugary fruits like bananas, grapes and dried fruits, also avoiding yeast found in bread, mushrooms, fermented foods, cheese, peanuts and cashew nuts.
Also you need to avoid your food intolerances which deplete your body’s energy. The most common food intolerances are to gluten (found in wheat, rye, barley and rolled oats) and cow’s milk.
You need to eat plenty of protein when recovering from CFS to boost your immune system and to heal tissue damage. So a Stone-age diet is very beneficial. If you are vegetarian and can’t face eating meat, I would recommend a high protein vegetarian diet eating plenty of beans, chickpeas, lentils, non-GMO tofu and eggs.
If you don’t eat oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines or herring regularly, which I didn’t when recovering from my CFS, you need to take an omega 3 supplement e.g. a fish oil or a vegan algal omega 3 supplement. I took igennus Vegepa supplement.
For more information on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), contact Kate and book a free 15 minute fatigue breakthrough call.
What Causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Do you feel tired all the time? Are you unable get up in the morning? You may have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). Below I talk more about the illness and what causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Firstly to get a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome you will undergo multiple testing. After all avenues have been ruled out then you can be diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. When you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, you have a group of symptoms including:
- Debilitating tiredness
- Flu-like symptoms
- Brain fog
- Poor concentration
- Muscle aches
- Headaches
- Digestive problems
- Dizziness
- Fast or irregular heart beat
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Poor exercise recovery
Currently around 250,000 people suffer with the illness in the UK. Women more commonly get this chronic illness, especially between the ages of 20-45.
What Causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
There are many root causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which is a complex condition. It is caused by a combination of factors that over time have weakened your body. Furthermore many people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome find that a very stressful event triggered their illness. Below I have listed some of the common triggers to chronic fatigue syndrome:
- Unprocessed emotional trauma e.g. divorce
- Physical trauma e.g. car accident
- Chronic stress
- Adrenal exhaustion
- Viral infections e.g. Epstein barr virus / glandular fever
- Candida overgrowth
- Parasites
- Exposure to a lot of electrical equipment (EMFs)
- Sleeping on a geopathically stressed site
- Heavy metal toxicity, especially mercury exposure
- Liver congestion
- Poor diet deficient in minerals such as magnesium
- Food intolerances, commonly to gluten or cow’s milk
However in my experience with ME/CFS patients, the main root cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a high sugar diet. This leads to a suppressed immune system, viruses and a Candida overgrowth. In my new 12 Week Fatigue-Fighting Programme we tackle the root cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with 12 week low sugar meal plans.
For more information on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), book your free 15 minute fatigue breakthrough call.
How to Kill Recurrent Candida
When you have recurrent Candida it can be very difficult to get rid of! You may have tried multiple courses of antibiotics which work for a short time and then the Candida comes back with avengence! Below I explain how to kill recurrent Candida.
You may have horrible symptoms including:
- Yellow vaginal discharge
- Constant fatigue
- Brain fog
- Need to go to bed at 7pm.
- Unable to get out of the house and socialise with friends due to exhaustion.
- Thick white coating on your tongue.
So what can you do?
Well you need to treat the root cause of the problem which is poor diet. Your diet may be high in sugary, processed foods which are feeding the Candida.
How to Kill Recurrent Candida
Step 1
Remove refined sugar from your diet and replace it with low sugar fruits such as apples, pears, strawberries, blueberries and kiwis. When you stop feeding the Candida it will start to starve and die off. You may have sugar cravings for a few days during the die off period. Check out my post on anti-candida diet for ideas on what foods to eat to kill Candida.
Step 2
You need to boost your immune system to help your body to fight off the Candida. Eat more zinc rich foods such as fish and seafood to power your immune system. Also eating foods high in vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant, protects the body during the die off period when Candida release harmful toxins. You can eat more oranges, spinach and tomatoes to get your dose of vitamin C.
Step 3
Drink at least 2 litres of filtered water daily to help flush out toxins during the die off period. It also helps you to stay hydrated so your body can function more efficiently.
Step 4
Eat natural anti-fungals including raw garlic, onion and coconut oil. These work gently to kill off the Candida without destroying all the good bacteria in your gut.
If you want more tips on how to kill candida, download my free guide here.
Contact Me
You can go ahead and book your free 15 minute fatigue breakthrough call! Or you can contact me using the contact form below.
How to Heal Leaky Gut
When you have leaky gut syndrome, holes appear in the gut and large molecules of food can leak into the blood stream. This can cause an immune reaction to the molecules of foods in the blood causing chronic fatigue. Below I will explain how to heal leaky gut.
People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) often have systemic candida. Candida Albicans is a yeast infection most commonly present in the gut. Candida grows roots through the gut wall reaching into the blood stream to suck up nutrients. When the candida grows roots this causes holes in the gut wall leading to leaky gut syndrome. Also when you eat difficult to digest foods such as wheat, the gluten can scratch the gut lining causing further damage.
If you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) then check out my post on tips for recovering from ME/CFS.
How to Heal Leaky Gut
- Remove food intolerances – The first step to healing leaky gut syndrome is to remove any food intolerances by going on an elimination diet. When you have leaky gut, large molecules of foods can leak through the gut wall into the blood stream. When this occurs, your immune system thinks that the food is a foreign invader and attacks it. If you remove the foods that your body is sensitive to, the immune system stops reacting to the foods and you have more energy to heal your gut. Therefore eliminate any foods you suspect you are intolerant to. Many people have food intolerances to cow’s milk and gluten found in wheat, barley, rye and rolled oats.
- Kill the candida infection – Secondly you need to eradicate the candida infection using natural anti-fungal herbs such as oregano oil. It is best to avoid taking prescribed antibiotics for this condition as it wipes out all of your bacteria, good and bad. This leaves space for the candida infection to spread throughout your gut.
- Heal the gut lining – The third step would be eat more foods such as bone broth which contain glutamine which heals the holes in the gut. Also I recommend taking an omega 3 supplement which strengthens the cell walls so they hold their shape firmly.
- Repopulate the gut with good bacteria – Finally you would need to take a probiotic to repopulate your gut with good bacteria. You can eat more fermented foods such as water kefir which is a natural probiotic.
When you undertake this gut healing protocol, it can take 3-6 months to fully heal the gut.
Leaky Energy
One other thing to mention is that people often have a leaky energy as well as a leaky gut. The mind, body, spirit and energy are all linked so if your gut is leaky, then so are all the other areas of your life!
Where else in your life is your energy being drained? Are there energy vampires in your family or at work who drain your energy? Does your mind focus on negative things that cause you stress and drain your energy? Do you waste your money and time on pointless things that do not nourish your energy? It is worth asking yourself these questions and taking action to remove these drains from your life.
Finally if you would like more information on how to heal leaky gut in chronic fatigue, contact Kate and book a free 15 minute fatigue breakthrough call!
Tips for Recovering from ME/CFS
Around 250,000 people in Britain are recognised as having M.E or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Many more are undiagnosed. I suffered with severe Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for 3 years. It was after visiting a Nutritionist and following her plan for a few months that I began to get my energy back. After a year I was fully recovered and back working again. Below you can read my tips for recovering from ME/CFS.
Common Symptoms
- Chronic, debilitating fatigue
- Muscle pains
- Headaches
- Poor concentration
- Low blood pressure
- Insomnia
- Sensitivity to light and noise
- Constipation
Causes of Chronic Fatigue
- Stress
- Viral infections e.g. Glandular Fever or Cytomegalovirus.
- Unprocessed emotional trauma
- Exposure to a lot of electrical equipment (EMR)
- Have running water under your home (Geopathic stress)
- Polio vaccination
- Low blood sugar level
- Heavy metal toxicity
- Liver congestion
- Food intolerances
- Candida overgrowth
- Parasites
- Adrenal fatigue
- Deficiencies of minerals e.g. magnesium
Tips for Recovering from ME/CFS
Foods to Avoid
- Avoid any foods and drinks containing caffeine, sugar and alcohol, all of which lower the immune function, weaken the adrenal system and cause imbalance with blood sugar levels.
- Most mass produced, tinned foods and takeaways are lacking in magnesium. Most M.E patients have low levels if this vital mineral.
- Avoid energy drinks such as Red Bull which contain caffeine which will only serve to weaken you in the long term.
- If you find yourself constantly craving foods such as wheat, sugar and snacks, are bloated, have an urgency to urinate, suffer mood swings and are always tired, you may well have Candida overgrowth. Follow the anti-candida diet.
- Almost everyone with chronic fatigue will have multiple food intolerances, the most common being to wheat and cow’s milk.
Foods to Eat
- Essential fats are vital for people with M.E since they support the endocrine system, boost immunity and help to balance blood sugar. Therefore eat more pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts and oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring.
- It is vital that you eat good-quality protein such as organic meat, chicken, fresh fish, beans or lentils at least twice a day. Protein boosts the immune system and helps to balance blood sugar for longer periods.
- Eat plenty of wholegrain cereals, leafy green vegetables such as cabbage, kale, spring greens, pak choy, broccoli, and brazil nuts, walnuts, almonds, curries, black strap molasses and beans which are all rich in magnesium.
- Replace wheat with amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, millet, brown rice, oats and wheat free bread.
- Drink at least 2 litres of filtered water daily to help detoxify your system.
Lifestyle Tips
- Do some gentle exercise such a pilates stretches to gradually tone the muscles and help to drain the lymph system which is often overloaded.
- Learn to relax. Meditation is a great way to give the body and brain a complete rest. Try listening to relaxing music such as sounds of nature.
- Have a massage to drain the lymph system and soothe aching muscles.
- Look into ozone therapy to oxygenate the body.
- Many people have been cured of M.E by energy healers.
- If you symptoms persist, try having your house dowsed for electrical and geopathic stress. To find a dowser contact The British Dowsing Society.
- Visit a counsellor as many people discover that their ME/CFS was triggered by an emotional trauma and speaking about it helps you to process it.
Recommended Testing
- I would recommend hair mineral analysis testing for ME/CFS. This test can show you if you have adrenal fatigue, thyroid problems, blood sugar imbalances and the levels of toxic metals in your body. It can also show you the levels of minerals such as magnesium, calcium and zinc in your cells.
- Also I would recommend doing a food intolerance blood test to check for sensitivities to wheat, cow’s milk and other foods. Alternatively you can find a practitioner who uses a bio-feedback machine to test for food intolerances as well as for the presence of viruses and Candida.
Furthermore if you would like to learn more nutrition tips for recovering from ME/CFS, contact Kate and book your free 15 minute fatigue breakthrough call!
Anti-Candida Diet
Candida Albicans is a yeast that is found in found in low levels in the gut. However problems can arise when the yeast begins to overgrow in the gut. When you follow an anti-Candida diet, it can help to reduce the Candida naturally without the use of antibiotics.
Causes of Candida Overgrowth:
- Overuse of antibiotics
- Long-term use of the pill
- Steroids
- Chemotherapy
- Diabetes
- HIV
- Pregnancy
Symptoms of Candida Overgrowth:
- Bloating
- Flatulence
- Constipation
- Diarrhoea
- Cravings for sugar and wheat
- Headaches
- Brain fog
- Mood swings
- Skin rashes
- Recurrent thrush
- Arthritis-type aching joints
- Chronic fatigue
How to treat Candida Naturally
It is crucial to kill the Candida or keep it under control by using an anti-Candida diet, herbs and supplements.
Anti-Candida Diet
Foods to Avoid:
- Remove all yeast and fermented food from the diet for 2-4 weeks. This includes bread, all aged or mouldy cheese, beer, wine, vinegar, miso, tempeh and mushrooms. Also avoid mould forming foods such as peanuts, peanut butter and cashew nuts.
- Try to avoid all white-flour products for at least one month including crackers, pizza and pasta.
- Avoid any form of sugar for one month including cane sugar, beet sugar, honey and really sweet fruits such as bananas, raisins and dates. Also avoid fruit juices and canned drinks for this period as they are high in sugar.
Foods to Eat:
- Garlic is a potent anti-fungal. Raw is best.
- Eat fresh fish, chicken, turkey, lean meats, eggs, cooked tofu and pulses.
- Eat more artichokes, asparagus, aubergine, avocado, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, celery, green beans, leeks, lettuce, garlic, onion, parsnips, spinach, tomatoes and watercress.
- Fruits that are okay to eat during the detox are apples, pears, raspberries, blueberries and cherries.
- Use low-sugar organic rice or almond milk instead of cow’s milk.
- Eat live, unsweetened yoghurt containing healthy bacteria acidophilus and bifidus.
- Make your own dairy free water kefir which is a probiotic.
If you would like a detailed diet and supplement plan that is personalised to your specific requirements, contact Kate to book an initial consultation.
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