Recovery From Chronic Fatigue?

It’s probably not uncommon to consider an illness to be quite temporary, however unpleasant it may be while it’s happening. Or maybe that’s just my take, formed quite early in my life following the then catalogue of childhood illnesses; mumps, measles, chicken pox, German measles. I had them all, and they all came to an end after a few weeks’ duration. With Chronic Fatigue, I find that I’m having to exchange expectation for hope; I can’t assume that I will fully recover, but I certainly hope that I will, and more recently I’ve dared to feel optimistic.

The process of recovery is proving to be incredibly instructive. Much of what I thought I knew is needing to be adjusted, changed or added to in ways that push me to the edge of my comfort zone, which in itself is instructive .. there’s nothing more potent than having to challenge one’s own beliefs about what’s ‘right’, what works, how things should be, and especially, where truly reliable information comes from.

This post would be way too long if I were to detail everything that’s coming into my awareness and proving to be potentially relevant to my recovery, so I’m narrowing the focus to food. It would, however, be more than a little remiss to make no reference to all the other factors that are likely playing a part that I can’t yet fully evaluate, so for now, I will list them in two groups at the end. The first list contains anything about which I feel a degree of certainty, however minimal that may be. The second is more in the category of ‘uncharted waters’ and includes waters I may otherwise have sailed right past without a second glance, but which I’m now willing to try.

I feel extremely fortunate to have been eating a very health-supportive diet for some considerable time; it was the key to a significant recovery once before (despite the label of ‘incurable’ from the medical profession). Nevertheless, simply maintaining the status quo in respect of my diet was no longer adequate if I wanted to make progress from the limitations of this virus-induced condition to experiencing real wellness, as opposed to just being ‘okay’. The basic concept of natural food, mostly plants, is every bit as valuable now as it was say three or four years ago. The tweaks and changes I’ve implemented haven’t put me into reverse: there’s still no room for junk, and meat and dairy are, as ever, off the menu. But I have made changes and they’ve required that I take a look at some of my beliefs about food.

Somehow the inadequate 5-a-day campaign (kept unhelpfully low in the hope that it might be achievable by most Britons) which unofficially seems to prioritise vegetables over fruit, coupled with the increasing inclusion of fruit in the drive to reduce dietary sugar, contributed to a belief I was forming without being fully conscious of it: fruit just wasn’t all that good, or at least not when compared with vegetables. When I had the flu that triggered the fatigue, fruit was virtually all I wanted, I craved it for days. Salads were turned on their heads; they were based on fruit with a few leaves and other vegetables included. I had fruit for breakfast, lunch and dinner (and no sugar rushes, just in case you were wondering). I’m glad I’ve had to confront this emerging belief and banish it. Is there any other category of food that’s played a greater role in the survival of our species? I think not. It seems like arrogance to take the little we know about these complex and wonderful foods and highlight one aspect without understanding the amazing synergy of all the different compounds, and to overlook our evolution; has there ever been a time when we haven’t eaten fruit? Our bodies know what to do with it; they always have.

Similarly I’ve recognised a need to re-examine dietary fat. It isn’t something I’d previously ever given much thought to aside from ensuring I wasn’t consuming hydrogenated oils, or creating trans-fats by frying, especially with inappropriate oils. Butter, cheese and meat disappeared from my day-to-day some time ago giving me free reign, or so I chose to believe, to go wild with coconut and olive oil. We call them ‘healthy fats’ after all, and that’s justified, they are exactly that; they have plenty to offer as do some other nut and seed oils, not to mention the wholefoods from which they’re extracted. But is it just me that heard ‘healthy’ and simultaneously understood it as code for ‘eat lots’? I’ve retained a memory from .. however long ago, by someone attempting to provide a simple explanation for fat absorption. It’s certainly over-simplistic, but it resonates with me, especially now. Do you ever use hand cream to soften the skin of your hands? And have you ever squeezed too much out of the tube, only to find that however much you try to rub it in, it just won’t go? If too much oil can’t be absorbed by the skin, why do we assume our insides will deal well with anything other than modest amounts? Is this what I want to do to my liver when there’s a really high chance that it’s already dealing with viral matter, not to mention toxic waste materials that have to be dealt with by that unappreciated organ? Do my gut microbes like being doused in cascades of oil? Really, I don’t know, but I can’t assume it suits them. In fact it doesn’t suit me; I’ve eaten too much at one sitting on more than one occasion and felt queasy, but ‘high-fat, low-carb’ is the latest buzz, and I appear to have bought into that, too, and so I get to largely ignore the obvious results of my actions. But buying into a current trend, won’t assist my health if in fact it doesn’t suit me. It’s definitely high time I became a little more aware of those unseen parts of my body that are super keen to work well for me, as long as I do right by them.

Alongside beliefs that have crept in stealthily and almost without my noticing, there’s another that I’ve re-examined on various occasions and only now seen fit to jettison, thus taking on board advice from a number of trustworthy sources that I’d previously always dismissed; for the first time in my life I’m snacking between meals! It’s like admitting to a guilty secret, such was the vehemence with which I clung to this personal and almost lifelong rule. But these snacks aren’t crisps and biscuits, they’re fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, enough to assist with energy levels but not so much that my appetite for the next meal is ruined.

So is it working? Well, something is, or more likely a combination of factors, but which of them and in which proportions, I couldn’t possibly say. This condition has a multiple-system impact so alongside trying to clear the virus (or viruses), there’s work to do on reducing inflammation .. it’s fair to say I now know what an inflamed nervous system feels like, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. There are endocrine system effects, cortisol and adrenaline out of balance as well as digestive disturbances which, for me, have been relatively minimal. Many of the symptoms I was experiencing only a few months ago have reduced or gone. I value good health more than ever now, and I’m grateful for the drive within myself to do all I can to get better; it’s worth it, I’m worth it and so is Graham, his life has been restricted too.

Other important factors:

Bioresonance - Cats Claw -  Co-enzyme Q 10 - coriander - essential oils for home-made products - Ester-C - heavy metal detox smoothie - magnesium - meditation - Omega 3 algae oil - pacing  - probiotics - Salus Fatigue Foundation - Vitamin B12 Complex - zinc

Quite possibly relevant:

Ashwagandha - black tourmaline - energydots - essential oils for therapeutic use - lemon balm - liquorice - structured water