General

For today’s show I am interviewing Mary Moeller, author of Fibromyalgia Cookbook, A Daily Guide to Becoming Healthy Again (revised). I am impressed with this marvelous lady. She has lived in the deepest trenches of Fibromyalgia, not only fighting for herself but for her young daughter to get well, too.

As a Licensed Clinical Nurse, Mary worked in a doctor’s office at the time she grew more and more ill. No traditional medicines helped her. But Mary found her way out of the long, deep “illness” ditch and walked out a winner.

Through the aid of a caring doctor and her own intensive, investigative work, Mary uncovered many secrets of what it takes to get well from an illness like Fibromyalgia. Both this week and at least one more week, I am featuring my interview of Mary Moeller on the Friday podcast edition of the Health Matters Show. Access the audio below by clicking the right-facing arrow or feel free to download the file.

(18 minutes 5 seconds)
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Recently the Journal of Disability Policy Studies published new information about the number of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) sufferers. A Constructive Debate With the CDC on the Empirical Case Definition of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

In essence, the number of people considered to suffer with the illness has gone up by a multiplying factor of 12.7. That means that now the new United States patient population for CFS is a whopping 4 million!

I suggest that we don’t become too alarmed yet, because some of this difference could be due to the interpretation of the case definition used by the CDC: what is CFS, what symptoms does someone have to have to be classed as having Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and all of the rest of the criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, that is required to meet a literal diagnosis. That’s because… .
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Almost everyone who suffers with Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome wonders about stopping muscle pain quickly. How do you do it? Today on the Health Matters Show, I’ll give you 3 tricks that work for me and some examples of how to do them yourself.

Since I’ve healed, I don’t have the tremendous, ongoing volume of muscle pain like I used to experience. Thank God, it’s not there anymore.

That does not mean that I don’t have pain. Because I’m still a bit physically de-conditioned, I am overweight for my body size, I have two slightly bulging spinal discs and I don’t have all the energy that I need when I get ready to do something really physical, I still experience some pain.

Now, of course, being inspired and motivated to engage in a physical activity helps, so that leads me to explain my first example today about stopping muscle pain quickly. This last Monday night I had my first Tai Chi session in over twenty years. I still remembered some things, but I could tell that my body was older and not in as good a shape as before.

The instructor had us warm up with some energy enhancing stretches, one of which he described as hugging a tree. (Sorry I don’t remember the specific name of the posture… .) We were told to stand tall in a good, straight stance. Imagine a string being attached to the top of my head near the back portion. As that string was gently pulled upward to the ceiling, I was to straighten and lengthen my spine with my shoulders back. As I breathed in deeply, I was to imagine energy coming up from the earth and through my feet, the energy rising to the top of my head and then settling back down into my hands which I held out in front of me hugging that imaginary tree.

Now this exercise was wonderful, exciting, and energizing for about two minutes. As I stood there, my back began to ache and my energy waned. I noticed these symptoms, but instead of panicking, I decided to practice mindfulness and be proactive. I had the intention of stopping my pain before it got worse.

(Audio podcast is 14 minutes 32 seconds)
Here’s what happened…
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In an effort to create greater worldwide awareness to ME and CFS young people, I would like you to call your attention to an appeal that was listed in Co-Cure Listserve this week from Jane Colby, Executive Director, The Young ME Sufferers Trust (of the UK), which is affiliated with the Thymes Magazine and the Thymes Trust. In a heartfelt appeal she asks people to forward their unused Christmas cards. Her note goes as follows:
(Please keep reading. Your action can make a difference!)
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This time of year I’m seeking out the recipes of a few goodies and maybe even trying to make some as edible gifts and treats for my friends, guests and my family. However, I believe in making it easy on ME.

Here is a recipe for “The Easy Good Stuff” that I made last night for my husband’s office staff and they are raving about it this morning. It took all of ten minutes and I had plenty to keep for our family’s holiday needs. Now that’s the type of dish I like to slave over in the kitchen, pun intended.

I sent the requested recipe to his office staff via email this morning. Feel free to use it, change it or whatever suits your fancy. I hope you enjoy making and eating holiday goodies, too. Note: lots of different ingredients will work. You can substitute what you like to eat or what you have handy in your kitchen, but the “bark” is what binds everything together and makes this so fast and easy.
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Whether it’s Black Friday or any day of the week, many of us like shopping from home on our computers. It’s just easier if we’re not feeling too well from Fibro pain or CFS exhaustion. Point and click is simply an easier route to get done what we have to get done and it’s certainly less painful this way. Saving a few bucks helps, too.

Today many stores have designed this whole process with you in mind, stores like

I encourage you to click on this Amazon link and shop directly from here to find some super special Black Friday deals. (Note: If you’re looking at this anytime before Tuesday, it will automatically offer super special Monday deals, too.)

I appreciate you honoring me by making your purchases through my website.

Happy shopping on Black Friday or anytime,
Cinda Crawford, host of the Health Matters Show

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As I ponder having an attitude of gratitude this Thanksgiving season, I’m thinking about my hometown newspaper, the Roanoke Times, that added a new comic strip this year to its lineup. It is named Mutts and is written by Patrick McDonnell. One episode this week featured a simple lady, pink sweater, hair in a bun. One of her mutts (I think a cat) is peeking out from beneath an over-stuffed, highback green chair with a doily.

What is so special about this clip is not the magnanimous scene, but the lack thereof. The etching of a simple, small verse seems to appear on her plain, white wall beside the chair:

Silent gratitude
isn’t very much to anyone.

-Gertrude Stein.
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When I’m considering how to get healthy and stay that way, I think how smart it is to include some of nature’s most perfect plants as part of my health regimen, namely Ningxia wolfberries. (That’s pronounced ning-sha.) For centuries, a superb quality Ningxia wolfberry product has been grown in the elbow-shaped plateau region of the Yellow River, Ningxia Hui, China. From ancient legend to modern miracle, this phenomenon now comes full circle today in the form of a fantastic product that the Young Living Corporation calls NingXia Red®.

NingXia Red is a naturally delicious wolfberry drink that is infused with essential nutrients. That means it energizes, fortifies and replenishes the very building blocks of health that your body instinctively wants and needs.

Rich in wide-spectrum antioxidant activity, NingXia Red contains the highest levels of naturally occurring, age-defying components. (*If offers the greatest protection against dangerous superoxide free radicals as documented in the S-ORAC test conducted by Brunswick Laboratories.) Through such antioxidant action, this powerful drink dynamically supports immune function and cardiovascular health, plus it nourishes the eyes.

The Ningxia wolfberry, the primary ingredient in NingXia Red, has been cherished for centuries in the orient for aiding a person’s health, energy and stamina, and longevity. Whole Ningxia wolfberries and other nutrient-dense fruit juices, like blueberry and pomegranate, make NingXia Red the perfect choice for optimizing wellness and allowing you to step up to a whole new level of health. This power drink also contains lemon and orange essential oils rich in the powerful antioxidant d-limonene to promote healthy liver function.

In the NingXia Red product, Young Living combines the finest Ningxia wolfberries, a proprietary ingredient called “Nutrient-Guard” in the preparation, and other all-natural, nutrient-dense ingredients that together provide:

1) Dynamic energy and stamina without stimulants (e.g., without caffeine);

2) Key nutrients that fuel vital energy systems;

3) Unique protein-polysaccharides that help sustain proper immune function;

4) Highest levels of naturally occurring, age defying activity components (e.g. “anti” free radicals);

5) Great taste, high quality, non-sugary (as opposed to lower quality juices that may be sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, sugar or artificial sweeteners);

I find the taste of Ningxia Red really real and pleasant. It wakes up my mouth, tongue and lips. After my daily dose, I feel like I’ve done something special for my health for the whole day through. Now… I need to be totally transparent and tell you that I’m only in the elementary stage of using Ningxia Red. Yet, I already feel stronger and have more energy and stamina. My body is loving it! And right here in the middle of flu season, being healthy is a blessing. I’m counting on Ningxia Red and the other Young Living products to continue to bolster my immune system.

6) Essential nutrients in NingXia Red also support the following: normal cardiovascular function, normal eye health, normal cell growth, and healthy liver function. I’m betting that each one of those categories is high on your list.

*KEY FACT: The Ningxia wolfberry is one of only a handful of legimately, documented super foods. People with immune system irregularities and chronic health problems need exactly this kind of health boost if they want to feel better.

I invite you to watch two great videos below. They explain the history and use of Ningxia wolfberries and how Ningxia Red might help you to jumpstart your health. Enjoy and daydream about feeling really well… .
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Since we’re well into the fall season now, your immune system may have started to run wild with symptoms of allergies, sinus and bronchial infections. Plus, the seasonal and H1N1 flu bugs are causing their own misery and, pardon my pitiful pun, none of these are anything to sniff at… .

Both indoor and outdoor allergies can cause problems. Many people are treated for them everyday. Allergy symptoms are the body’s way of trying to rid itself of some “foreign substance” that it doesn’t like. These substances cause irritation. The body therefore produces mucous, and possibly inflammation.

The same symptoms are attributed to moderate to severe sinus problems: (horrible) irritation, (voluminous) mucous, (abundant) inflammation, and finally pain, pressure and swelling. A sinus infection caused by an overgrowth of bacteria will make you feel worse because your immune system becomes fully stimulated and invested in the battle to fight and get you healthy again.

TWO ADDITIONAL SCENARIOS:
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Now that you’ve had a chance to read my post from yesterday about Fibromyalgia or Fibro and the WebMD published article, I’d love to know your thoughts on one particular part of it:

“—Fibromyalgia is not a specific illness,” says Michael McNett, MD. McNett directs the Fibromyalgia Treatment Centers of America, headquartered in Chicago. “Fibromyalgia is more like a symptom complex, and different people appear to have different reasons why they get this symptom complex,” he says. “So what works for one person very frequently does not work for another.”

Hm-m-mmm. I don’t know if the beginning part of that statement rubs you the tiniest bit wrong or not, but I’m having some trouble digesting it. I guess I’m wondering if Dr. McNett really meant to imply that Fibromyalgia really is not a specific illness? After all, even though Fibromyalgia is thought to be quite complex and manifests differently in many individuals, it is classified as a) a specific chronic illness and b) is recognized as such by the general medical establishment, Social Security Administration and more. Until major revisions are made otherwise, illness information and disability criteria for Fibromyalgia Syndrome have already been established!

This type of thinking is similar to the debate surrounding Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Why? a) Because even after more than twenty years, neither illness is specifically categorized or understood 100%, and b) Because there is a lot of information pointing to the fact that both illnesses are indeed complex medical problems. Many people wonder whether there is more than one simple illness going on within each category, but time and proof will have to reveal these answers.

There’s more…
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If you’ve ever wondered how much money is being spent to investigate the cause and cure for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS, CFIDS), I’m sorry to say it’s not nearly enough. Over twenty years have gone by with some the same people in charge of the information being put out, the research being done and the ongoing influence that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and National Institute of Health (NIH) are doing I use that word gingerly. The progression of our goals for CFS/ CFIDS is languishing on the sidelines.

Take a look at just one of the testimonies going on this weekend. What do you think of it? Can you hear the passion in this woman’s voice for her husband? What can and will you do to raise awareness of these issues? Will something you say on your blog raise awareness within your circle of friends and readers? How about your Twitter account or Facebook page? What can you share on a platform or within a forum? Can you raise awareness at your local political level in the town and state where you live?

Dear One, if we don’t take the time and make the effort to raise awareness, many of the issues that we care about so strongly will not be pushed to the top of anyone’s agenda. The struggle is left to us, our families and our friends. Don’t give up fighting. Don’t give up. We’re at an important starting point in the information and research of XMRV retrovirus and so many issues.

Push forward? We absolutely must.

Have a great Sunday,
Cinda Crawford, host of the Health Matters Show

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With Election Day being tomorrow, Nov. 2nd, it might be a good time for people with health issues, such as those suffering with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, to think ahead. You don’t want to face any big surprises at the polls. The time you spend now planning for your election day trip might help you make it there safely and with fewer symptoms after the event is over.

Last year I wrote a post about health issues on election day and the information is worth your time and energy to review again.

Plus, here are a few more tips: (If you think of any more, comment below and send them in. Maybe what you contribute will help out someone else.)
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A woman was asked by a coworker, “What is it like to be a Christian?”

The coworker replied,

It is like being a pumpkin.’ God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.

This was passed on to me by another pumpkin. Now it’s your turn to pass this “fall” wish on to the other pumpkins in your patch.

I liked it enough to share it with all you, so I’m encouraging you to ‘Share This’ by clicking the link below. Send it to Digg or DeLicious or to a friend who could use a silly smile or a little seasonal fall encouragement… . Sometimes the upcoming winter season can be a bit tough for people who are already having a hard time.

From one crazy ‘lil vegetable to another!

Cinda Crawford, host of the Health Matters Show

*This is borrowed from some unknown creative person. I’d love to give him or her credit, but I don’t know who did it. Hope you enjoy.

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On the Health Matters Show today, I’m reviewing all of the questions submitted this week about healing and getting well from Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) on the blog, on Twitter and on my Facebook page.

There have been some good ones, plus the comments are priceless. Let’s take a quick look at them. I hope you stick around for all of this week’s podcast. There’s extra special info at the very end.

Dear One,

Your healing path may be quite different than someone else’s journey. For just a moment, picture yourself sitting by the side of the road.

You’re hurting from Fibromyalgia pain and the numbness of unending brain fog. 

Your body feels like screaming from the total exhaustion of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but you’re too tired to emit even one sound.

Still, you need someone to hear your call.

Please help me! I need help…

  

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Yes, that’s a dramatic opening, but these diseases are dramatic! I know because I lived with them for 15 years. Now, I’m helping other people… people like you. So stick around for this great information.

Thanks so much, Cinda Crawford
Your host of the Health Matters Show

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