What Is Adrenal Fatigue
Adrenal fatigue is a medical expression related to a compilation of imprecise symptoms including fatigue, inability to sleep, anxiety or nervousness, body aches, feeling run down, depression, and digestive problems. Adrenal glands are endocrine glands that are located directly above the kidneys where specific hormones are secreted to help the body deal with daily life events and activities. When these adrenal glands do not function the way they are supposed to, a series of symptoms can occur giving way to a syndrome known as Adrenal Fatigue. Symptoms of adrenal fatigue include depression, weight loss, low blood pressure, body aches, fatigue, anxiety, and loss of body hair, nervousness, and insomnia.
Benefits Of Following A Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diet
The benefits of following a professionally tailored chronic fatigue syndrome diet can strongly outweigh the cons when it comes to symptom management!
Opportunities to reduce inflammation , maintain a personally desired weight, learn fun, new recipes, and have independence over your lifestyle choices are wonderful gifts to unwrap each day!
How Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosed
Because of the complex nature of chronic fatigue syndrome , no single test exists to confirm a diagnosis of CFS. The fatigue and other symptoms of CFS mimic many other medical problems and so these need to be ruled out first.Other medical problems that cause fatigue include:
and accompanied by at least four of the following eight signs and symptoms:
- Impaired short term memory or concentration
- Sore throat ~ persistent or recurrent
- Tender lymph nodes in the neck or armpit region
- Muscle pain without injury
- Headaches of a new type, pattern, or severity
- Unrefreshed sleep, and
- Post-exertion malaise lasting more than 24 hours.
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Best Foods To Reduce Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
A balanced diet is themain source of energy that is much needed to a person who is already feeling weak and tired. Studies showed that eating small frequent meals assist CFS patients as it fuels them up throughout the day without over-indulging them.
The truth is eating larger amounts can tire anyone sick or healthy because blood get directed away from the brain and limbs but to your stomach and intestines.
So how to adapt your nutrition routineto reduce your Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ?
Here are the 10 Healthy superfoods to add to your diet to beat CFS :
Contents
Therapy Effective Treatment For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome benefit from:
- Talking with a counselor can help build coping skills to deal with chronic illness, address limitations at work or school, and improve family dynamics. It can also help manage depression.
- Addressing sleep problems. Sleep deprivation can make other symptoms more difficult to deal with. Your doctor might suggest avoiding caffeine or changing your bedtime routine. Sleep apnea can be treated by using a machine that delivers air pressure through a mask while you sleep.
Note: The treatment for adrenal fatigue includes good diets, minerals, and vitamins like vitamin B-5, B-6, and B-12, vitamin C, and so on. Reducing stress is also one of the adrenal fatigue treatments that are effective.
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Low Stomach Acid And Digestive Enzymes
Stomach acid and digestive enzymes are important for absorbing nutrients from food. Both play a critical role in digestion and nutrient assimilation. Optimizing digestion and the absorption of nutrients is important for improving chronic fatigue.
Low stomach acid creates a cycle of poor digestion, gut inflammation, microbial overgrowth, leaky gut, elevated stress hormones and decreased nutrient absorption. Enzymes are key for breaking down carbohydrates, protein, and fatty acids. This prepares these macronutrients for proper digestion and assimilation in the body.
Two excellent supplements for optimizing digestion and nutrient absorption are betaine HCL and digestive enzymes. You can find supplements that contain a variety of compounds which support gastric acidity, digestive enzyme production and normal gastrointestinal flora.
Why A Mediterranean Diet Is Easier To Follow
Chan says her patients like the Mediterranean diet because it’s “not restrictive.” Sure, processed foods are omitted and red meats are minimized, but it’s a diet of abundance not sacrifice.
“The Mediterranean diet is focused on what you can eat more of, not less,” says Chan. “It’s more of an eating pattern versus a traditional diet that restricts this food or that food the message is a positive one.”
As a refresher, here’s a menu of dietary changes to healthier eating, Mediterranean style:
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Overview Of Studies And Study Quality
Figure 1 shows the PRISMA flow diagram with the number of included and excluded studies. Seventeen studies were included in this systematic review of nutrition and dietary interventions in CFS/ME patients. The included studies were six randomised control trial parallel designs 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 three RCT crossover designs where patients were their own control 6, 25, 26 three comparative studies without concurrent control 27, 28, 29 one prospective cohort study 30 and four pilot studies 15, 31, 32, 33. All RCT 6, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and two pilot studies 31, 32 reported using a doubleblind design. Studies varied in study quality, with the Rosendal score ranging from 10% to 86%. Eleven of the 17 studies had a Rosendal score of > 60% 6, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 32 .
Flow diagram of database and secondary search for included studies in the review of nutrition intervention on chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis outcomes.
Alternative Or Complementary Medicine
Since there is no standard treatment for CFS/ME, people often consider alternatives to traditional medicine or use non-traditional treatments to complement their other medications. Commonly used alternative and complementary treatments include:
- Mind-body treatments, like qigong, tai chi, and meditation
- Trigger point therapy, called myofascial release
- Chiropractic treatments
Complementary therapies have received mixed results when scientifically studied. Before beginning an alternative or complementary treatment, talk with your doctor to ensure that you arent trying something potentially dangerous.
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Interventions On Secondary Outcomes
Of the 17 studies, 14 studies evaluated the effect of the nutrition intervention on either quality of life 20, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, physical activity 20, 23, 26 and/or psychological wellbeing 15, 22, 24, 27, 29, 31, 32 . Three studies observed improvement in psychological wellbeing 29, 31, 32. One RCT study observed decrease in anxiety but not depression following probiotic supplementation 31. Two comparative studies reported significant improvement in both anxiety and depression after consumption of polyphenol rich chocolate 32 and lcarnitine 29 compared to baseline. Consumption of lcarnitine also improved five other psychometric tests 29. Two RCT observed significant difference in quality of life for supplementation of BioBranTM MGN3 22 and guanidinoacetic acid 26. Two comparative studies reported improvement in quality of life after supplementation of acetyllcarnitine and propionyllcarnitine 28, as well as lcarnitine 29. No studies reported improvement in physical activity level however, one study reported significant improvement in quadriceps isometric strength and VO2 max after 3 months of supplementation of guanidinoacetic acid in patients compared with controls 26. All other studies observed no difference of the nutrition intervention on any of the secondary outcomes 15, 20, 23, 27, 30, 33.
Symptoms Of Chronic Fatigue And Autoimmune Disorders
Chronic fatigue syndrome does not have defined symptoms. It might range from not focusing, feeling dizzy, and even low blood sugar, but the most common thing associated with it is severe tiredness.
Unfortunately, CFS symptoms are almost the exact symptoms of many other conditions, diseases, or infections . In addition, the side effects of certain drugs can make you get or feel the symptoms of CFS. Even allergies can contribute to it.
So in a situation where you have all the symptoms, it would still be reckless for you to presume that you have CFS. However, many tests and other means of eliminating the different conditions from the pool of possibilities. From there, you can then go ahead to receive treatment for CFS.
But as a general rule, the symptoms of CFS are present below:
Fatigue: Of course, the number one symptom for CFS is fatigue and tiredness. Round the clock tiredness irrespective of whether you just woke up or you took a day off work, or you only did a hobby. Theres permanent tiredness in your muscles and your bones, and it almost feels like theres a dark cloud hanging over your head.
Orthostatic Intolerance: Dizziness and fainting from simple actions or movements is another strong indicator. The way a person is dizzy from standing up too fast after deep sleep is how people with CFS feel after almost every slight movement.
Headaches and sore throats too can be present.
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The Epidemic Of Chronic Fatigue
Chronic fatigue is when you are tired, worn out, drained and depleted most of the time. This profound and unrelenting exhaustion typically develops over time and it can be hard to pinpoint when it first started . It impacts your physical, emotional and psychological well-being.
Many people consider chronic fatigue normal and a necessary symptom of having a busy life. The fatigue has persisted for so long that they do not remember the last time they had energy or felt well.
At least 30% of American adults have chronic fatigue . Fatigue is a common complaint of a third of patients who go to their primary care doctors in the United States . Fatigue is more common in women than in men. It is associated with adverse health outcomes such as mortality, morbidity, and disability.
Diet Changes That Can Help You Fight Chronic Fatigue
Making small changesand sticking with them for the long haulmay lead to a full recovery.
If youre having trouble managing your chronic fatigue syndrome , you might want to take a look at your diet.
Characterized by extreme exhaustion, fuzzy thinking, and a general feeling of blah-ness, chronic fatigue syndrome affects more than 1 million people in the U.S. alone, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. And while there are no known cures, healthy lifestyle choicesincluding eating the right foodscan go a long way towards keeping symptoms in check.
Making small changes over time can lead to a full recovery, says Rachel Straub, MS, CSCS, a nutritionist who has CFS. Finding a diet you can stick to consistently that enhances your energy is essential.
Here are five small diet changes that can help you do just that:
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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.
Causes Of Chronic Fatigue
Many factors can play a role in chronic fatigue. A specific cause of fatigue is only found in about 5% of people suffering from fatigue. For the other 95%, there is no specific cause.
In addition to CFS, chronic fatigue is a main symptom of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by widespread nonarticular pain, stiffness, and fatigue.
Additional underlying health conditions that can cause chronic fatigue include iron deficiency anemia, chronic infections or inflammation, hypothyroidism, sleep apnea, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Too little or unrefreshing sleep, lack of or excessive exercise, chronic stress, anxiety, and depression are all linked to fatigue .
Perhaps the biggest contributors to fatigue are poor diet and lifestyle factors. Fortunately, these factors are within your control. Lets look closer at the importance of diet.
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Nutrition For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
What you put into your body is extremely important in managing CFS. Avoid refined foods, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and saturated fats. Eat more fresh vegetables, legumes, whole grains, protein, and essential fatty acids . Many people with CFS develop sensitivities or even allergies to foods. An elimination diet may help you identify which foods to avoid.
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What Causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
The exact cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is unclear.
It can be caused by infection, hormonal imbalance, and immune system problems.
Many people who have chronic fatigue syndrome will often identify that an intense infection, a vaccine or a dental procedure often happened prior to the beginning of their chronic fatigue syndrome.
As a result, if youre interested in helping those who struggle with chronic fatigue syndrome, its a good idea to add live blood cell microscopy imaging training to your holistic nutrition training.
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Foods To Eat If You Have A Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Your diet can significantly help you to manage or reduce the symptoms of CFS in your body.
The number one thing you can do to alleviate CFS without going to the hospital is to adjust your diet. Your intake influences many things on your body, and even a slight change can make a lot of difference.
Here are ten kinds of food you should include in your diet if you are suffering from CFS.
Skip Heavily Processed Foods
Heavily processed foods typically have fewer nutrients than their whole food counterparts. Its important to load up on plants like legumes, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to support your bodys needs.
Dont know what to eat? Groppo recommends sticking with foods that are as close to how Mother Nature made it as possible. Choose popped corn instead of corn flakes or brown rice instead of pasta, for example.
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Using Holistic Nutrition As Treatment For Chronic Fatigue
Holistic nutrition is a great resource to help combat chronic fatigue.
Eating a chronic fatigue diet can help to manage the syndrome and boost your energy as much as possible.
Plus, addressing any nutrient deficiencies will help to reduce muscle pain.
Itll involve some trial and error to discover what foods work best for your body, but its worth it to understand how food affects your body.
Now, lets dive into some holistic nutrition strategies for chronic fatigue.
What Foods Should You Avoid
Although all foods are okay in moderation, if youre hoping to achieve great results with your chronic fatigue syndrome diet, you need to avoid certain foods. Since many foods make you feel more tired and cause inflammation its important to make smart choices!
Some foods to consider limiting or avoiding are:
Most of the foods on this list are the number one culprits for body inflammations and pains.
You can almost think of them as camouflage culprits because most of their negative effects dont show up right away. Even things like energy drinks drain your body of energy since they are packed with sugar and caffeine. While you might feel better short-term, youre almost guaranteed to experience an energy crash later on.
We know what youre thinkingsome of these foods are delicious! This is exactly why, as someone battling CFS, you shouldnt try to completely eliminate these foods from your diet all at once. The golden rule is to limit your intake of these inflammatory, energy-depleting foods as much as possible.
Just making gradual changes toward avoiding these foods makes a huge difference long-term.
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