If you come down with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the first thing you want to know is the cause, but how do you determine the cause when the illness’s myth, fiction and reality are all so obscure, so complicated and so mixed up together?
Case in point, most of us involved in any fashion with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) can recite the signs and symptoms of the illness by heart.
However, the issues of a cause and cure continue to be debated for more than the twenty years that most people have known about this illness. At this point in time, I refuse to believe that there is one single cause to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Here’s why… .
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The Health Matters Show is now on Kindle.
I’m guess we’ve finally arrived because the Health Matters Show is now on Kindle! This is fun. I invite you to check it out if you own one of these fantastic little devices, I invite you to check it out. Kindles are great.
Or- If you don’t have one yet, check out Amazon’s latest offer for buying a Kindle. They have come down in price. *I really appreciate you accessing your Amazon.com links from here, because I make some income if you make a purchase. That helps keep my enterprises going. 
Thanks, Cinda Crawford
Host of the Health Matters Show
Some foods or food substances are linked to increasing pain symptoms in many people.
Eating and drinking are some of the few pleasures often left to people severely affected by debilitating chronic illnesses, especially Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. If that’s you, by asserting your right to eat and drink as you please, you may be making yourself feel worse. An indignant assertion to enjoy whatever you wish to eat or drink may not be worth the price you’re paying it.
According to Daniela Boykin, RD, “Ask a Nutritionist” column in the last Pain Community newsletter by the American Pain Foundation, some of the problem substances are caffeine, alcohol, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), and Aspartame (Nutrasweet). Those substances have long been suspected as heightening pain symptoms (and possibly causing other symptoms)!
Some people experience a lowering of pain by maintaining a vegetable diet and/or a diet higher in complex carbohydrates and lower in protein. (For me, my system works best if I get an adequate supply of daily protein. I suspect that level is a bit higher than what Ms. Boykins is suggesting. I must do what works well for me. Each of our bodies is different in the ratio of protein, fats and carbohydrates that the body system requires.)
However, consuming a high level of fats and sugar should be avoided. In fact, in many circles, sugar is suspected of increasing inflammation. More inflammation usually means more widespread body pain.
From the newsletter:
The most practical thing to do is keep a food diary and note what you are eating while monitoring your pain to find out how foods make you feel. As with other chronic illnesses, persistent pain should incorporate a variety of treatment approaches and eating well can help boost energy and mood. Try to work with a registered dietition or nutritionist in partnership with your healthcare provider to work out a plan for healthy eating and physical activity.
To eat and drink what is best for your body and health takes conscious thought and planning for most people. Be sure that you don’t take yourself for granted at any time and instead quit eating and planning for your good health.
Thanks, Cinda Crawford
Host of the Health Matters Show
It’s not always the big things that get us, so managing life stress effectively can be as important as knowing which vitamin to take or who is the best doctor in your community. Today’s objective: Reduce Stress.
Click on the 7 minute 10 second audio, download it -or- catch it in iTunes
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It has taken a long time for this fruit to ripen, but thanks in large part to valiant efforts of the IACFS/ME, the International Association of CFS/ME, and influential members of their board, a major change is coming to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) where the efforts to study and make guidelines concerning Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) are controlled.
Hallelujah! A leadership change at the CDC is coming!
Just announced today, Februrary 3, 2010,
Dr. William C. Reeves will be leaving his post as head of the CFS program at CDC as of Feb. 14th to accept assignment as Senior Advisor for Mental Health Surveillance in the Public Health Surveillance Program Office. Dr. Elizabeth Unger will serve as Acting Chief, Chronic Viral Diseases Branch, which includes the CFS program.
It is no secret among CFS folks and the people who support us that we have not been pleased with the leadership of Dr. William C. Reeves. Hopefully, with the introduction of Dr. Elizabeth Unger at the helm, we will witness advancements and major leaps forward. Finally, we should see an end to the two decades of virtual stonewalling at the CDC.
Thanks, Cinda Crawford
Host of the Health Matters Show
Just a few days ago, Dr. Judy Mikovitz made a lengthy presentation about XMRV, the suspected new retrovirus and possible causal agent for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The HHV-6 Foundation and ProHealth.com sponsored this event.
Here is the free link to the video, plus there are several other videos on Vimeo concerning this subject of XMRV research. The videos are a bit hard to hear, but they’re worth your time in viewing them. Turn up your speakers and listen -or- mark them to come back to later.
Hopefully, the major questions about the connection between XMRV and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are not going away anytime soon because researchers will thoroughly investigate them and the long term health implications.
I’m looking forward to solid, verifiable data and I think we’re going to get it. Thank goodness for brave researchers like Dr. Judy Mikovitz and the people and organizations that support her like the HHV-6 Foundation and ProHealth.com!
Thanks, Cinda Crawford
Host of the Health Matters Show
Have you heard about some of the alternatives to expensive, high-priced prescription drugs to relieve Fibromyalgia pain symptoms? To help with some of the other awful symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Well, I say don’t be blinded or stick your fingers in your ears any longer because today we’re discussing two great choices, plus the second choice will be discussed in detail during the audio/ podcast version of today’s Health Matters Show. It includes specific information about products to help you feel better and help to improve the quality of your health.
LET’S GET STARTED.
ANSWER #1, of course, is not the brand new prescription drugs that get all the media hype, press attention and advertising dollars. Certainly those new drugs are out there and may be worth investigating if what you’re doing isn’t working, but you’ll pay a lot of money out of pocket if you make this choice. For those people who are absolutely determined to find less expensive answers that are highly effective, you’re in the right place today.
Note: When you completely finish reading the post and listening to the audio podcast for the Health Matters Show, come back here and click on this link at About.com, but don’t do it yet. Hang in here with me for a few minutes. This is important and you don’t want to miss anything or get side-tracked.
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*Today’s Health Matters Show podcast is whoppingly big and super packed with information. That’s why it’s 41 minutes and 50 seconds. Don’t miss even one single, itty-bitty second. You just won’t find such quality “how to heal” information on the Internet anywhere else!
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Did you know that when you graciously accept the prescription sample drugs that you get at your doctor’s office that you could be setting yourself up for aggravation and lots of money out of pocket?
Well, it’s true.
A) Those sample drugs are available because drug reps (representatives) came by your doctor’s office. They educated him or her on the value and use of their newest, most fantastic drug. They want him to write a lot of precriptions for it, so they in turn leave sample drugs for the doctor to try out on his patients.
B) IF those samples do work for you, that’s a win for the drug reps and the drug corporation which they represent because, ordinarily when you call in, a new prescription will be written for that same drug.
BEWARE: You’re opening up pandora’s box and out pops two very troubling and potentially expensive problems:
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As you probably know, the vaccine, prescription drug Gardasil, produced by Merck, is advertised in the medical marketplace to help guard against someone contracting HPV (Human Papillomavirus), which can cause cervical cancer and other outcomes. The vaccine has been marketed and recommended for girls as young as age nine.
It’s been a few months since I blogged about Gardasil, but it’s time again. I (and a lot of other people) believe that so many vaccines in our systems may set us up for immune system dysregulation and confusion. And when the subject, immune system dysregulation comes up, I’m ripe and ready to listen to what can cause such an occurrence. I lived with it most of my life and I can’t imagine doing anything further to cause dysregulation of my immune system! (The latest occurrence was a terrificly tough case of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).)
FACT: Every vaccine and every prescription drug that you put into your body has the chance to negatively impact your immune system! And you never know what that impact will be.
That’s why I do not take a prescription drug unless absolutely necessary. I first look for alternative health means to solve my problems.
Since my last post about Gardasil, I’ve found a lot more information. I’m trying not to repeat myself, so be sure to put the term “Gardasil” in the search engine on this website to read my past posts. Now, here are the additional resources:
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When it comes to managing your pain level to actually get some pain relief, everyone is interested, especially if they endure chronic pain and need pain management. It can be such an important component of living a happy life! (Almost everyone that I know who carries the diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has the symptom of chronic pain -and- absolutely everyone who has Fibromyalgia fights it all the time.)
Pain is one symptom that can feel like it’s taking over your life!
Recently I found a good resource for you…
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Most of the time when a person is watching a research drama (like the connection of the XMRV retrovirus and ME/CFS or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) unfold with opinion (s) and contradicting research on both sides, that person is quiet.
Not so with me any longer, because I’m not sure we’re comparing apples to apples. To begin this discussion, read about this week’s happenings and what we can expect next week. Then let me know what you think about this opinion piece and my “publication” concerns:
“On January 22, Dr. Judy Mikovits, PhD, director of research for the Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease, conducted a 2½-hour XMRV seminar in Santa Barbara that was streamed live online to an audience of more than 1,100,” reports ProHealth, plus a video on this event is due out early next week.
Sponsored jointly by the HHV-6 Foundation and Prohealth, this presentation plus a question and answer session covered many areas evident in this debate.
Per information at ProHealth.com:
- a) Interesting details, clarifications, insights, and plans that patients and researchers have speculated about since October 2009 (since discovery of the XMRV retrovirus in ME/CFS patients’ blood)
- b) The latest non-confirmation effort by UK researchers, as published in PLoS, the Public Library of Science and a non-profit organization.
Now, to highlight what could be amiss in this situation, I’ve heard that…
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Even though I work in the healing business of helping people heal, I shy away from calling myself a healer. I believe that God is the ultimate healer. You and I are capable of little without His help.
Still, every once in awhile, people will tell me that what I do is nothing short of incredible. I guess that’s because SCH is so different and the process works well.
Decide for yourself with the following 3 truisms, plus something I’ve discovered… the fact that I’m not the only person who thinks this way or is saying these things:
Listen to the 10 minute 9 second audio podcast by pressing the small right-facing arrow on the bar. (Or, feel free to download it.)
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The value of Mindfulness, as a health concept, can be seen as you become more aware of your world and are better equipped at reducing your stress level and achieving more stress relief. Mindfulness is also a very popular philosophy. It’s getting more press and I could not be more pleased. As I read an article in the Seattle Times, I am reminded just how much of our world needs great tools for stress relief to help:
1) Our military veterans returning from active duty (for stress level reduction) and
2) The group of people fighting severe chronic illnesses, such as Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
As you read the article…
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New research from London warns that prolonged sitting endangers your health.
Even if you exercise regularly, scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for prolonged periods could be bad for your long term health.
And the type of sitting you do does not seem to matter: at the office in your work chair, at school attending classes, in the car commuting to work or before a computer or the television trying to wind down after a stressful day. The overall number of hours that you sit during the day seems to be the problem and the risk factor here.
Most of us knew that sitting for long periods of time endangers and spreads the waistline and hips, but actually the act of sitting being an overall health risk? Yes, that’s news. Check out the following link… .
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If your memory muscle is ailing because you’re suffering with brain fog from either Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or some other illness, you feel like your brain is operating in the middle of a swamp. Good news! Today you can do something about your brain dys-function.
“How to improve your Memory Muscle.”
When you’re really sick, your brain may feel as weak as a newborn kitten. You can’t think, you can’t make decisions, you can’t follow directions… you can’t even read well. Happily there are things you can do to increase your functionality and make your brain grow stronger and more capable again. I know that comes as good news.
Now don’t think of this as the recommended treatment approach known as cognitive behavior therapy that is advocated by the UK medical model. This is not that concept at all… .
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