Linda Lazarides' Diet for Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia
What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? This is when leading a normal life leaves both your body and mind feeling exhausted most 
of the time. Your muscles feel weak, and sleep may not refresh you. Many people with this condition are bed-bound. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) sufferers usually also suffer from a chronic muscle pain known as fibromyalgia, and subsidiary symptoms which vary from one individual to the next, including chronic headache, joint pains and irritable bowel syndrome. In the UK CFS is also known as M.E. (myalgic encephalomyelitis). It often seems to develop after a feverish illness such as flu.
      The body produces energy from food by turning it into glucose, which is processed by the mitochondria - tiny units within our cells where a series of chemical reactions takes place. Energy production can stop if any of these reactions is blocked. Very small amounts of cyanide, for example, can kill by completely stopping one of these chemical reactions. Without energy, none of the body's processes can take place.
      The muscle pain in CFS is thought to be due to the build-up of lactic acid which occurs when alternative energy-making pathways are over-used. It is in fact the same muscle pain which all people experience after over-exertion.
      In chronic fatigue syndrome, it seems likely that toxins are hindering the processes in the mitochondria, but it is not known which toxins these are. Candidates which are capable of blocking steps in human energy production include:
  • Toxins from bacterial or viral infections. If it is of the cell wall-deficient type, the infectious micro-organism cannot be detected by normal medical tests.
  • Toxins produced by undesirable bacteria and yeasts which reside in the patient's intestines. For example arabinose from Candida albicans, and tartaric acid from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Undesirable micro-organisms often thrive out of control after a feverish illness if the illness has been treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics destroy the beneficial bacteria which normally keep them under control. This overgrowth is known as intestinal dysbiosis.
  • Environmental toxins such as organophosphorus pesticides, which are designed to paralyse the nervous system of insects and other pests. Farming communities are especially vulnerable.
It seems likely that dysbiosis plays a major role in chronic fatigue syndrome. One of the major indicators that dysbiosis is present is the development of food intolerances - unpleasant inflammatory symptoms such as headaches, irritable bowel, joint pains or sinus congestion after consuming certain foods. Chronic fatigue sufferers often have food intolerances. In Linda Lazarides' experience, food intolerances are responsible for most of the subsidiary symptoms of CFS.
      Nutritional deficiencies can also slow down or impede energy production. All the processes which take place in the mitochondria depend on nutrients such as B vitamins, magnesium and iron. Nutritional deficiencies are not just caused by poor eating habits. The assimilation of nutrients into cells is energy-dependent, so cells which are not producing enough energy can fail to assimilate enough nutrients - a highly vicious circle.
      A combination of chronic high toxin/low nutrient levels is stressful to the liver and adrenal glands, which must develop compensatory mechanisms to deal with the increased load. If a sufficient level of nutrients is not available for these mechanisms, the liver cannot process toxins, and the adrenals cannot damp down inflammatory food and chemical intolerance reactions.
Conventional treatments In his book Living with M.E. physician and chronic fatigue sufferer Dr Charles Shepherd 
says "Doctors only play a relatively minor role in any recovery process. What is often of far more importance is how patients learn to help themselves." Although there is no evidence that anti-depressant drugs can improve fatigue, they are commonly prescribed because there is a widespread view that CFS is simply a form of depression. On the other hand Dr Shepherd believes that anti-depressants should be reserved for those patients who have true clinical depression. A major side effect of anti-depressants is constipation. Other doctors may prescribe the artificial adrenal hormone cortisone, because the body's levels of natural adrenal hormones are often very low (this itself can lead to depression). However, cortisone is a steroid, and like all steroids it may cause problems of its own. Painkillers are usually prescribed for the muscle pain which accompanies CFS.
How
nutritional
therapy can
help chronic fatigue		 "Diet and supplements" is described as the most effective therapy for CFS, 
according to members of the UK patient organization Action for M.E. This approach can do many things to support energy production functions and reduce the drain on resources.
  • Discourage the growth of bacteria and viruses
  • Reduce intestinal dysbiosis
  • Optimize levels of liver enzymes required for the clearance of environmental and other toxins
  • Remove dietary items which provoke intolerance reactions
  • Increase the concentration of nutrients in the blood to force a higher uptake by cells with assimilation problems
  • Supporting adrenal gland function with nutrient supplementation and blood sugar control. Adrenal hormones play an important role in mood, so these measures may enable anti-depressant medication to be reduced.
Cautions CFS can be an extremely debilitating disease and is still very poorly understood. Under 
these circumstances it is natural for anyone to feel depressed, and people with CFS have committed suicide. If you have been prescribed anti-depressants or any other medications you should never attempt to stop them without your doctor's permission.
Diet for
chronic
fatigue
syndrome

The diet for
CFS is in
three phases

 Phase I: (4 weeks) 
  1. A diagnostic (base-line) diet to exclude foods to which you may be intolerant. During this diet, a reduction in some of the symptoms which accompany your fatigue is a strong indicator that digestive problems and harmful intestinal bacteria (which cause food intolerance) are contributing to your overall poor health.
  2. Maintaining good blood sugar control.
  3. An antimicrobial program to reduce harmful bacteria and fungi which may be in your intestines or elsewhere.
  4. Liver enzyme and adrenal gland special nutritional support.
  5. High-level nutritional supplementation to force an increased uptake of nutrients from your blood, by cells which have assimilation problems.
  6. Supplements to enhance the clearance of lactic acid from your muscles.
Phase II: (4 weeks)
  1. Testing four of the most common foods which can trigger the symptoms which accompany CFS.
  2. Repopulating your intestines with beneficial bacteria.
Phase III: (indefinite)
  1. Continued avoidance of any problem foods
  2. Maintaining a healthy intestinal environment
  3. Careful energy management
  4. Continuing any necessary supplements until your energy improves sufficiently for you to wean yourself off them.
Click NEXT to get the basic diet. You can find more information and full scientific references in Linda Lazarides' Treat Yourself with Nutritional Therapy.
 
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