What Causes Cfs & Cfs Weight Gain
In order to understand why there is CFS weight gain, its important to understand what causes CFS. Infections can cause CFS. Strands of the herpes virus and conditions such as LYuniquee disease can create physical manifestations that are diagnosable as CFS.
Any type of infection can cause much stress on the body. With the body being occupied by trying to fight off an infection weight gain or even weight loss can occur.
Other causes of CFS are nutritional deficiencies. It seems like the odds are low that people in a developed country would suffer from nutritional deficiencies, but its quite common. As modern society began to evolve and foods were made more available and affordable, peoples health started to take a turn for the worse.
Processed food, food that is readily available, and junk food contain many harmful ingredients that contribute to poor health. The problem with processed foods are many, but one is an imbalance of minerals. Without the proper nutrients, the body does not have fuel.
Hormones are another cause of CFS. As we age, our hormones deplete. Hormone depletion can manifest in many ways. Fatigue though is a certain sign of decreased hormone levels. Hormones are the bodys signaling agent. They tell the body to perform biochemical processes.
But If I Cant Exercise How Can I Lose Weight
Since the exercise boon of the 1970s, the general consensus has been eat less, move more. However, nutrition research has not always supported this notion. For starters, moving more makes one eat more. And in some instances, overweight people actually consume fewer calories than their normal weight peers. Moving more and eating less is clearly a gross oversimplification.
Is Exercise The Missing Piece
Whats combined with nearly every diet?
Exercise. If you want to lose weight you need diet and exercise.
Or do you?
First, let me state that exercise is incredibly important. There are thousands of excellent studies citing the many health benefits of exercise. And I completely agree with them.
But exercise does not automatically lead to weight loss. When you are trying to lose weight, exercise works the same way as reducing calories.
Sure, exercise can help. But its more likely that it will end up adding to your fatigue. Decreasing your calories through diet and then asking your body to do high-intensity exercise is a sure-fire way to feel exhausted!
What happens to your appetite after exercise?
It increases. So how the heck are you supposed to eat fewer calories and work out? Through sheer force of will. But youll feel miserable the whole time youre doing it.
Exercise is not the secret to weight loss.
Much like reducing your calories, adding an exercise plan is an overly simplistic way to approach weight loss. Just like when you reduce your calories, after exercising for a while, your brain re-adjusts the calories it uses for basic functions. And suddenly youre no longer losing weight.
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Eat A Healthy Balanced Diet To Boost Energy
If youve been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome or suspect you have it, eating a healthy, balanced diet will support energy production and ensure your nutritional requirements are met. In turn, this can help with symptom management.
Following the Australian Dietary Guidelines is a good place to start. This involves eating a wide range of nutritious foods from the five food groups each day.
Please note the amounts recommended below are for Australian adults. Children, teenagers, breastfeeding mums and older adults have special dietary needs. More information is available here.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet can boost your energy
The One Hormone That Ensures You Cant Lose Weight
With a lot of fatigue-related conditions, cortisol can be the villain of your weight loss drama. But theres another hormone thats even more likely to cause weight gain and contribute to fatigue.
That hormone? Insulin.
When you eat, your blood sugar rises. Insulin is the hormone responsible for taking the sugar in your blood and transporting it into your cells. Having too much sugar in your blood is dangerous. Diabetes is the medical condition in which you have excess sugar in your blood and inadequate amounts of insulin. Insulin protects you from high blood sugar levels.
However, insulin is also a storage hormone. When theres excess energy , insulin instructs your body where and how to store it.
The first thing insulin does with energy storage is it converts glucose into glycogen. Think of glycogen as glucose stored away in mason jars within your pantry. The pantry is your liver.
Should your energy levels dip, all your body needs to do is take a jar of glycogen out of the pantry and convert it back into glucose. Its a super easy process.
But your pantry is only so big. Once its full, theres no more room to store food. Such is the case with your liver. Your liver can hold a decent amount of glycogen. But once its full, the glucose need to be stored somewhere else.
Fortunately, your liver has a neat trick with the help of insulin, it can change that extra glucose into fat.
Where does that extra glucose go? Right to your waistline.
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Getting Older And Me/cfs
There is very little information on getting older and ME/CFS, however people can develop ME/CFS at any age. Additionally, all of the strategies such as pacing to reduce PEM and managing symptoms still apply. As people age, other problems with their health may also arise, so discussing any new symptoms with their doctor important.
How Does Me/cfs Affect People
ME/CFS affects different people in different ways, some more severely than others. There are four levels of severity of ME/CFS, which give an indication of the level of disability ME/CFS can create:
- mild: 50% reduction in pre-illness activity
- moderate: mostly housebound
- severe: mostly bedridden
- very severe: totally bedridden and need help with basic activities including nutrition and hydration.
The severity of ME/CFS can vary over time. A person living with ME/CFS could be at one level of severity now, then their disease could either improve or deteriorate over time. For some patients, their disease can worsen significantly with no known cause. Other patients have a fluctuating illness where they have better and worse periods, which last for months or years. It is unclear why this happens.
For most people, ME/CFS is a lifelong disease. Full recovery is rare and estimated at less than 10%. For some people with ME/CFS, as time passes and their disease improves, they will find they can do more, but it is a slow and gradual process. However, this is not the case for everyone. Some people find their disease worsens over time, others may remain somewhat stable. With support and pacing, people can often improve their quality of life.
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Caring For Someone With Me/cfs
Having a supportive community of family, friends, school, work, employers and health workers, who understand the potential seriousness of ME/CFS, can also help improve the quality of life of people living with ME/CFS.
Everyone involved in supporting someone with ME/CFS needs to understand Post Exertional Malaise, which is an abnormal, biological response to exercise or activity. This means the patient will not be able to do all of the activities they used to be able to do, and will benefit from practical and emotional support. People with ME/CFS will each have different needs and preferences, so it is important to talk with them about how best to provide support. This may include help with daily routines, family life, accessing healthcare and other personal priorities.
The Challenge Of Weight Loss
Oftentimes, it can feel as if no matter how many times you change your diet or how many hours you put in at the gym there are zero results.
Sometimes people fall victim to the weight loss yo-yo. You lose weight only to gain back what was lost and then some.
These challenges are caused by a metabolic condition known as weight loss resistance which is caused by harmful neurotoxins in our bodies.
These neurotoxins have been on the rise over the past decade.
They can be responsible for not just weight gain, but for many chronic diseases such as:
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Pacing Activity For People With Me/cfs
Pacing, or keeping within your available energy, is a self-management strategy to help people with ME/CFS make sure that they dont overdo activity or exercise. It reduces the likelihood of triggering PEM and can help reduce symptoms. Pacing is not a cure for ME/CFS and does not treat the underlying, physical cause of the disease.
The goal of pacing is for activity to be sustainable, so that the person can have some stability in their symptoms and what they can do each day. Pacing should be used in conjunction with rest.
The most challenging aspect of pacing is that PEM is very often delayed by as much as 24-48 hours, which can make it difficult to recognise when youve done too much. Using tools like an activity diary or heart rate monitor help you learn about your body and how much activity you can safely tolerate.
Suggestions on how to pace yourself include:
Not So Virginal After All Choosing Your Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Olive not only tastes good but has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties and one of the group in the study took at least 4 tablespoons a day. They used extra virgin olive oil something that may be hard, believe it or not, to find given that that a UC Davis study found that up to 70% of store bought olive oils arewatered down with canola, sunflower and other oils. In fact an entire book has been written on the scams perpetuated on consumers of this unique and delicious oil.
How tell if youve actually purchased real olive oil? One blog recommended putting the bottle in the fridge to see if thickens and becomes cloudy. A better way to ensure thats it real is purchase from the few manufacturers oils that passed a UC Davis test in 2010 , McEvoy Ranch Organic, Corto Olive, and Kirkland Organic). You might also focus more on California olive oils because these oils which must pass stricter standards, were far less likely to be bogus than European oils.
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Adrenal Fatigue & Weight Loss Resistance
I work with women all the time who are doing everything right or have seemingly tried every diet and fitness program on the planet, but theyre still struggling to lose weight.
Weight loss resistance is really common, and its generally an indication of an underlying imbalance of some kind. In my practice, adrenal fatigue is almost always behind weight loss resistance.
Adrenal fatigue interferes with digestive function, contributes to insulin resistance, and contributes to hormonal imbalances in general, another common issue that underlies weight loss resistance.
Adrenal fatigue also has the special ability to lead to a buildup of belly fat, which is one of the hardest kinds of weight to lose, and one that can lead to more serious health problems.
Chronic Fatigue And Diet: Advice From A Clinical Dietitian
Home » Dietetics » Chronic Fatigue and Diet: Advice from a Clinical Dietitian
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a complex health condition that affects many body systems. As the name indicates, fatigue is the main symptom, and can range in severity from mild to severe and debilitating. While there isnt a single chronic fatigue diet that will make a miraculous difference, you can make good dietary choices that support your energy levels and better overall health.
Active Abilitys NDIS dietitians talk about how to modify your diet to manage fatigue and help ensure you experience the best possible quality of life.
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Mum With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Walked Her Way To 25kg Weight Loss
Tegan use to spend hours upon hours in the gym, six days a week. She would go between cardio and weight training in an attempt to lose weight and get fit. However, one day, Tegan passed out on the treadmill.
You see, Tegan suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as well as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Hashimotos Thyroiditis, Sjogrens Syndrome. These are all different types of autoimmune diseases.
After visiting her general practitioner, she was informed that she was pushing her body way, way too far and such exercises were impacting her health super negatively. Tegan was determined to lose her weight and get both fitter and healthier. So, she turned to a different sort of exercise. Walking!
What Causes Chronic Fatigue And Weight Gain
To understand why there are chronic fatigue and weight gain, its important to understand its causes. :
- Infections can be the cause. Strands of the herpes virus and conditions such as LYuniquee disease can create diagnosable physical manifestations like CFS. Any type of infection can cause much stress on the body. With a body being occupied by trying to fight off an infection, weight gain or even weight loss can occur.
- Another cause of chronic fatigue and weight gain is nutritional deficiency. Essential nutrients like Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Iodine, Folate, Zinc, etc., play important roles in the human body. It seems like the odds are low that people in a developed country would suffer from nutritional deficiencies, but its quite common. As modern society began to evolve, and foods were made more available and affordable, peoples health started to take a turn for the worse. Processed food, readily available food, and junk food contain many harmful ingredients contributing to poor health. The problem with processed foods is many, but one is an imbalance of minerals. Without the proper nutrients, the body does not have fuel.
Note: According to UNICEF, at least half of the children worldwide suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
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Food To Cut From Your Diet
Knowing the things you should be eating is only half the battle. If you continue to eat food that is bad for you, you can sometimes cancel out the good work you are doing by introducing healthier foods to your diet.
As you gradually introduce healthier foods, you should start reducing some unhealthy food in your diet until you completely replace it. Here are some of the foods that you should cut from your diet:
- Packaged meals Packaged meals and snack foods tend to be processed and contain pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats.
- Sweets and white bread The white flour and sugar added to sweets, desserts, and white bread is known to promote the production of cytokines, a compound that causes inflammation.
- Caffeine Coffee drinkers often use it to boost energy temporarily. However, there are adverse effects that include the increased production of cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone, and if you are already suffering from exhaustion, this can exacerbate matters.
- Alcohol Like caffeine, alcohol can also increase the production of cortisol and increase inflammation.
When starting a new diet or introducing new foods, it can help to keep a food diary. This will help you keep track of the foods you eat and their effect on your body.
It is also essential for you to stay hydrated. Dehydration can cause the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome to worsen, and staying hydrated will improve your overall health.
More Proof That Diet And Exercise Dont Result In Weight Loss
Consider a groundbreaking study known as the Womens Health Initiative. One part of the study looked at the effects a low-fat, low-calorie diet and exercise plan would have on weight loss. Researchers estimated the average women would lose approximately 32lbs of bodyweight each year.
Seven years later the women who followed the diet and exercise recommendations had an average weight loss of less than one pound!
In seven years they had an average weight loss of 0.88lbs compared to the women who didnt reduce their calories or exercise. Even though these women stuck to both their diet and exercise routines for 7 years, they were still unable to effectively lose any weight!
Another study found that obese individuals who were given diet and exercise plans had a failure rate of almost 100%.
Neither of these studies tracked fatigue or energy levels of participants. If they did, I would not be surprised to learn that the majority of participants felt a decrease in energy while implementing the nutrition and exercise changes.
Dont feel guilty about your own struggles to lose weight. Its not your fault. Youve been given the wrong information.
Keep reading to learn the real reasons you cant lose weight. Plus Ill tell you what you can do to lose weight and keep it off and how you can do it without experiencing any fatigue!
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Benefits Of A Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diet
It is essential to mention that a diet designed for people with ME/CFS will not cure you of all the symptoms, but it can alleviate some of them and give you a healthier lifestyle.
Nutrient deficiencies can cause issues that result in muscle pain and fatigue, so addressing this will help you get into the best position possible.
Generally speaking, the kinds of food you eat and the different types you should cut from your diet should help with weight loss.
Carrying excess weight poses countless health issues, and not being as active due to ME symptoms can cause people to gain weight. Losing excess weight will make it easier to move around, reduce the pressure on muscles and joints, and make you healthier.
A healthy diet that ensures you get the vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids will improve your overall well-being. Including specific supplements in your diet can also benefit you.
Losing belly fat following a calorie-controlled diet