Chronic Fatigue

More people than ever are feeling chronic fatigue - beyond exhausted, constantly frustrated and powerless. "What's wrong with me?" Most doctors have a hard time answering this question. For example, suppose the problem is chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Doctors also name this...

• CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome) to emphasize the role of the immune system
• ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) because "CFS" implies that fatigue is the only symptom, and there are lots of symptoms
• SEID (Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease) because of all the body systems it affects

The Mayo Clinic says "There's no single test to confirm a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome. Because the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome can mimic so many other health problems, you may need patience while waiting for a diagnosis." The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) says CFS requires at least 6 months to diagnose. WebMD used to describe this time period as "watchful waiting" when "you are being watched by your doctor but are not getting treatment." Wow. And you may not have CFS at all.

Fatigue can be a symptom for hundreds of illnesses

So says the CDC. And chronic fatigue (which is a symptom) is different from the illness known as chronic fatigue syndrome. Muscle pain with the fatigue could mean fibromyalgia. But doctors will usually test for hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus first. If you have a lot of neurological symptoms (such as numbness or tingling) your doctor may also check for multiple sclerosis. They will also test for chronic infections, such as mononucleosis and tuberculosis. As well as emotional or psychiatric conditions. Or it might be adrenal fatigue. Some feel that adrenal fatigue can lead to CFS. Not only this, many people fall into a category the CDC calls "ideopathic fatigue" which means doctors can't diagnose it. How does this make you feel? You spend so much money on testing. And suffer for so long without real treatment. And then you might learn that your doctors still don't know what's wrong!

But...Have You Noticed This?

If you research the symptoms for all these types of fatigue...you'll start to see a pattern. As Dr. John Bergman points out, adrenal fatigue, fibromyalgia, CFS and many other fatigue illnesses...have the SAME symptoms as chronic stress. In fact, Bergman goes through each one of the symptoms in these videos and shows the similarities.

Either physical, chemical or emotional stress can cause the exact same symptoms!

Especially over time. So many people work long, long, stressful hours sitting in an office - and they get no exercise. And their life at home is ...less than ideal. Add in money problems. Or the death, divorce or sudden life change of a loved one and you can have overwhelming emotional stress. But the biggest source of stress for your body? Maybe it's chemical stress. Your body is an amazing machine that can compensate for so many things. But when you allow big corporations to cook for you... Are they always thinking of your best interests? What's healthiest for you? Sadly for many, it's all about the benjamins flowing into corporate pockets. Whether a can from the grocery store or the food supplied to most restaurants. Every day, scientists and companies create new ways to preserve food, produce more food and make it tastier. Sounds noble. But ultimately, the motive is often to make more profit. Strange new substances your body doesn't know what to do with. Yes, your body can easily handle (and benefit from) the many hundreds of natural ingredients in an organic orange or tomato.

But even simple processing (that's often legally labeled "natural") can create chemicals your body can't handle. Sometimes, regulatory agencies have known about these for decades. But it seems big money is keeping mouths shut. For example, here's some history and perspective on MSG. And some of the symptoms some have noticed from eating it. And yes, it's true. Of all the research ever done on MSG, some was not done correctly. However, here are a number of studies showing very harmful effects of MSG (urticaria, obesity, nerve and eye damage and worse). And this research seems to be done in a very careful, valid way. Whatever is true about the research...let's suppose that MSG is completely safe and only a small number of people are sensitive to it for some reason. Then why does MSG often hide behind dozens of different names on food labels? Why hide this from people? Even if it's a small number of people who could be hurt by it?

Could it be...money?

What about organic, all natural, low sodium, free range chicken broth? Sounds safe, right? I see at least one brand lists "yeast extract" on the ingredients. And this is always MSG in disguise. One tomato soup says on the label, "No preservatives, no artificial colors or flavors." However the last ingredient on the label says "spices." This is very, very often how companies can legally have MSG in their products. Especially when the exact spices aren't specified. They don't add the MSG. They just buy spices with the MSG already added. So they can legally say, "Nope. We're as clean and pure as the driven snow. You can trust us." Could this be true? Well, consider the chicken broth above. But really, MSG could be the least of our worries.

Two-thirds of all antibiotics are used, not for the doctor to prescribe, but in the food we often eat. Some worry about eating the antibiotics. Others worry about the superbugs created by all these antibiotics. From the studies being done on gut health, maybe we should worry about both of these. And then there's trans fats. And all the genetically modified foods. And the concern about cancerous effects from food/water storage in plastic. And the absolutely toxic and awful ingredients in the many vaccinations we get from infancy and through our adult life. The research has caused many to feel that these vaccinations will cause 1 in 3 babies to be born autistic within the next 5 years. And certainly not least, are all the drugs prescribed to relieve fatigue symptoms. That often cause far worse problems than they solve. Don't believe this? Just watch their ads on TV and look at the fine print or listen to the quick disclosure at the end of the ad. And remember the MSG? The evidence is mounting. What they say on those drug ads is very carefully worded to hide even more awful drug facts. So, should we all just go out in the woods and eat leaves and twigs?

Get Rid of The Stress

More than a few people suffering fatigue find relief from consulting a trained massage professional. Schedule Now Massage is so powerful for reducing the effects of physical and emotional stress. In fact, a trained massage therapist can help you learn to de-stress and relax on demand. Experts now feel that massage actually helps your body get rid of toxins and reduce chemical stress too.

Eat This, Not That

Dr. Axe's tips for overcoming adrenal fatigue may also help you. Avoid coffee, processed sugar and hydrogenated oils. Yes, these are the very things that very tired people crave and rely on. Yet each of them put you into a vicious circle that spirals ever downward. For example, coffee may be okay for people who don't have a challenge with fatigue. But you must avoid it (and most other caffeine sources) like the plague. For quite some time. You get a temporary "loan" of energy, but it adds to your already large energy "debt" ...with a staggering interest rate. The only way to balance the hormones in your body that can give you consistent, normal, even higher energy levels - is to abstain from coffee. Plan your "cold turkey" date and get it over with. And processed sugar? Many fatigue victims also suffer from tragic sugar spikes and lows. Hydrogenated oils multiply these grave symptoms. How do you start building your energy back again?

Get good quality supplements of B vitamins, magnesium and ashwaganda. Bergman and others add organic cacao (not cocoa) powder to this list. You can add it to your smoothies, for one thing. Be sure to take your B vitamins and cacao earlier in the day so their energy-producing powers don't keep you up at night. But a dose of magnesium in the evening seems to work best to help you alkalize. Magnesium is wonderful for helping getting rid of the muscle pain and cramping that often plague fatigue sufferers. Even if this is not a symptom, fatigue sufferers are often starved for alkalyzing minerals like magnesium and potassium. Get your potassium from fruit, which contains enough fiber to release sugar the right way. Not processed fruit juice, which gives you an unhealthy sugar spike. Fatigue sufferers also often have a hefty imbalance of the wrong kind of fats and oils. Canola, safflower and most vegetable oils have an excess of omega-6 fat, which most Americans are already overloaded with. How do you get more of the healty omega-3 fat?

Add cod liver oil, salmon, flaxseed oil and chia seeds to your daily diet. And use more organic coconut "meat" and oil in your food. Coconut oil is one of the few oils that are healthy to cook with. Most common cooking oils become very unhealthy when cooked, even at lower temperatures. But coconut oil stays healthy up to a far higher temperature. Load up on green veggies like spinach, kale and chard. They give you the alkalyzing and enzyme benefits that fatigued people desperately need. Seaweed and sea vegetables like dulse and kelp give you iodine. This helps your body regulate thyroid activity, which is so often out of balance in people suffering fatigue.

Get Better Sleep

For better sleep, Dr. Bergman recommends you go to bed and wake up at the same time, every day. And be sure to get to bed before 11PM. Why? Research shows that your body's detoxification process is timed to occur between 11PM and 1AM. And this only happens (or works well, at least) if you're in deep sleep at this time. What if you work at night? Sorry, your body is wired to work this way. What else helps you sleep better? No TV or devices for an hour before bedtime. Or at least use apps to counteract the blue light from screens that keeps you from sleeping right. And no eating or drinking for 2 hours before bedtime. Digesting food or having to make extra trips to the bathroom can interrupt your sleep. Allow time to relax before you lie down. Make time to write down anything that's stressing you out (or that's any concern at all.) Bergman points out research showing that the act of physically writing it out with pen and paper trains your mind to calm down. Far more than recording your thoughts digitally. And get exercise for 30 minutes, at least 3 times a week. Among the many benefits of exercise, it helps you to be tired when you should get to sleep.

Essential Oils Can Help You Too

Essential oils can powerfully impact our emotions, our nervous system, even our immune system. Check out these 6 essential oils for stress relief and better sleep.

What All This Means For You

Multiple things can cause fatigue. Fatigue can be a symptom of many things. Relieve the stress and you often get more energy. Massage reduces stress (and fatigue) like no other. Changes in your diet, sleep and exercise, along with supplements and oils ...could bring near-miraculous changes your life. They have for others.

Call us at 303-920-2350 with any questions, concerns or to find out how massage and essential oils can make life better for you.