At the bottom of this page you
will find a list of ME & CFS articles, videos, audio files, tips and
tricks which will reassure and assist you during your recovery.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, M.E., or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, C.F.S, is not a new thing,
it has been around for centuries and it has been misunderstood and sidelined for centuries too.
In the 1800's they called it 'The Vapours' - the very name suggesting that it was regarded
as an inconsequential or, at best, misunderstood illness. In the 1980s they called it 'Yuppie Flu',
again a name that trivialised the problem, as I have said, if you've got CFS (M.E.) you know about
it, it's very real indeed; you aren't just tired, you're exhausted, you're not just aching,
you're sometimes completely disabled and are often unable to cope with the smallest mental
or physical tasks.
NOT all in the mind!
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (M.E.) is not 'all in the mind' as many professionals and 'helpful'
people would have us believe. The power of the mind to influence the body is not disputed
and the fact that the mind is closely linked to the immune system is widely recognised BUT,
know now that your illness is NOT 'all in the mind', it is in the mind and the body.
There is no one specific cause for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or M.E., it usually affects
busy people who 'burn the candle at both ends' and constantly push their bodies to the limit.
This might be through work or sport or through emotional crisis or the environment in which
you live. CFS, (M.E.) is usually triggered by something really trivial, an everyday virus
such as a cold or a bout of flu. If you are unlucky enough to catch a cold when your body
is severely run down then your body may not be able to rid itself of the virus and it
remains in the system.
What about the link with digestion?
In simple terms:-
When the body is run down it is thrown 'out of kilter' and often the result is that
the body becomes less tolerant to food; in fact, foods that the body thought were
beneficial may now cause an allergic reaction or sensitivity. This happens because
when the immune system malfunctions, highly reactive molecules called Free Radicals
are produced and these damage other body tissues.
The body can then become susceptible to other viruses, bacteria and fungi. For example,
many people who develop M.E. / C.F.S. also develop Candida Albicans, a bacteria which
can invade the gut making the lining 'leaky'. This then allows the digesting food and
bacteria to leak into the blood stream which can have quite radical effects on both
physical and mental health and makes the body become less tolerant to high stress levels.
This is not fixed, your threshold is unique to you, but at some time in your life
you may reach your threshold. This could be by working too hard and letting the
body become run down, or by overloading the body with stress - the sort of stress
that you get when you lose a loved one, or lose your job, or fail your exams, or
as I have mentioned before, you could breach your threshold simply by catching
a cold or flu.
When your threshold is reached, the body becomes weakened and more susceptible and,
instead of all food being taken in and utilised fully, the body will reject food and
find that it starts to have an adverse effect, both physically and mentally.
This situation is dreadful and the very nature of the problem means that you are
making it worse every day by the simple process of eating to live.
If you have CFS or M.E., you need to present your body with food in a way your body can cope
with and if you do this, the immediate effect can be astounding.
CFS and M.E. lowers the body's defence system and makes it more vulnerable to reactions to
additives in food such as colourings, flavourings and preservatives and also makes worse the
problems associated with repetitive diet; but this is only part of the story.
An average person's diet contains dairy wheat and sugar products every day and many foodstuffs
that contain additives. Plus, in addition to this, we lead a less natural, more stressful lifestyle.
If you smoke or have smoked in the past you have exposed your body to even more chemicals
and if you drink or have consumed a lot of alcohol in the past you have exposed your body to
high levels of toxins, why do you think we get a 'high or hit' from cigarettes and alcohol?
Because we are ingesting things which make our bodies react, ADVERSELY.
This is done through poisoning. Even by breathing the city air you are
exposing your body to chemicals and pollutants.