Category: 1 - Your Answers Are Within
 
Your Answers within - Candida a Major Cause of My Chronic Illness CFS/ ME
What is Candida
Candida is a yeast that changes over time into a fungus that spreads,sending out roots which then grow new shoots. It multiplies under the ideal conditions in our gut to undermine the working of our immune system. It is this overloading of the candida in the body which then causes the body to have various symptoms such as digestive disorders and of course Chronic Fatigue.
A yeast cell produces over 70 known toxic substances that contaminate the tissues where it weakens the immune system, the glands, bladder, kidneys, lungs, liver and especially the brain and nervous system. The candida yeast can become so invasive that it penetrates the mucos lining of the gastrointestinal wall. From here it is able to breakdown the protective barrier between the intestinal tract and the bloodstream, allowing toxic substances to enter and pollute the body systemically.
From this point onwards the proteins and food wastes that are not completely digested can assault the immune system, causing allergic reactions and fatigue. It is also free to enter the bloodstream from where it attacks other tissues.
Candida covers the intestinal wall interfering with the digestion and assimilation of food nutrients. Many sufferers of CFS / ME digest less than 50 % of their food because the candida robs them of their nutrients and greatly slows down the healing process.
The major waste product of yeast cell activity is a substance known as acetaldehyde and it’s by-product of ethanol. Many people have low iron content because the mineral is hard to absorb when candida is present, and therefore have little oxygen in the tissues which is vital for the healing process. Ethanol causes excessive fatigue and reduces the strength and stamina of individuals, sounds familiar also it destroys enzymes needed for cell energy.
How Diet can help in the Fight against Candida.
Yeasts thrive on any type of sugar, so you need to remove from your diet , sucrose ( table sugar ) and also avoid fructose ( natural sugars in fruit ) lactose ( in milk ) and a high glucose intake from refined grains. Also avoid yeasted products ( bread ) fermented products ( vinegar, soya sauce, alcohol, cheeses ) and stimulants such as tea, coffee and cola. Read supermarket labels carefully many products contain sugar as preservatives.
Foods to eat
Beans and pulses
Whole grains
Fresh vegetables
Fish
Organic white meat
Natural yoghurt
Seeds and nuts
Yeast free bread. Oat cakes, rice cakes
Cold pressed vegetable oil
Foods to avoid
Sugar in all it’s forms
All foods containing or derived from yeast
Refined grains such as white rice and white flour products
Malted products
Fermented products ( as above )
Fresh dried fruit as they are high in fructose
Tea and coffee
All artificial sweeteners
Supplements that help
Immunopro Rx to encourage cell rejuvenation and detoxification
Chromium and vitamin B3 - shown to balance blood sugar levels
Vitamin C - for it’s immune boosting properties
Essential fatty acids - Both Omega 3 and Omega 6
Natural anti fungals - such as caprylic acid
Probiotics such as acidophilus and bifido bacteria
Milk thistle to encourage detoxification
Digestive enzymes to improve digestion and absorption
Important
Before taking any supplements it’s best to take professional advice by a qualified nutritionist because every ones requirements are different. In my case I had a detailed form to fill out giving varied information such as family history of medical conditions, diet, supplements currently taking , weight and many more things. All this information was vetted by the nutritionist before my current supplement programme was issued, and this has been followed up with regular telephone consultations to see how effective my treatment is.
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Waterless Cooking For Optimum Nutrition in ME/CFS

 

As I indicated earlier, diet is very important for a healthy lifestyle and good nutritional absorbtion is vital to help our bodies repair and overcome ME/CFS. Presently my nutritionist has prescribed a selection of 12 different supplements to improve my body balance and to aid the healing process.
We are advised to buy the freshest possible foods and even organic, if budget allows. So we buy these expensive, organic, fresh vegetables and free range chickens and therefore surely we need to prepare them correctly in order to get the optimum nutritional value from them. This is where it gets a little technical for me and so I intend to hand over to my husband to explain!


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Hi there,
In my quest to help my wife overcome her debilitating illness, ME/CFS I have researched quite a few different topics. I would like to share with you all my findings on waterless cooking.
What is waterless cooking you might ask? Well the first thing is, it isn't waterless! Waterless cooking means cooking with very little water, or oil at very low temperatures (the moisture within the vegetables is almost sufficient). This method of cooking leaves your vegetables tasting as nature intended - you don't need to over season to make them appealing. Your vegetables will be as colourful and fresh as when you first put them in the pot. Usually vegetables lose most of their flavour and nutritional value in the excessive amount of water we boil them in. Look at all that goodness going to waste - we pay for the best and through poor cooking habits throw all that goodness away. ME/CFS sufferers need all the nutritional help they can get in order to progress along the healing path.
Here are a few facts I have discovered:


Almost 50% or more of the nutrients in food are lost when boiled
Your meat and poultry will shrink 70% less with waterless cooking
When you prepare chicken with oil 60% of the flavour goes into the oil
The three great destroyers of food value are 1. Water (the great robber of food) 2. Oil (disolves the vitamins out of your food) 3. High heat (destroys the vital enzymes).
Any of these factors can make your food taste dull. Water and oil strip the nutrients from food. The high heat destroys the vitamins and enzymes. With waterless and oil less cooking, all three of these dangers to your food are avoided.
After extensive research I was suitably persuaded to purchase some 'waterless' cookware. My research highlighted some alarming facts about the cookware most of us use. Aluminium cookware is very popular, but clearly the most dangerous. Aluminium is a dirty metal which dissolves into your food when you cook. It has been linked to headaches, cold sores, diabetes, alzheimers and cancer. I have read that doctors have found that alzheimers sufferers have 10 to 30 times the normal amount of aluminium in their brains. In the last two years my father was diagnosed with this terrible condition and I knew that my mother had used aluminium pots for many years. I was shocked to see the condition of the pots when I checked them. Although spotlessly clean, all the surfaces had small black pits in them where the aluminium had dissolved over the years - coincidence? draw your own conclusions.
Iron cookware and 'Teflon' pots and pans are both said to have their own health risks, so the main one left to check out was stainless steel cookware. Apparently, not just any stainless steel will do. The recommended type to use for waterless cookware is T304 surgical stainless steel with titanium, either 5 or 7 ply construction. This distributes the heat evenly across the bottom and up the sides of the cooking utensil. This type of cookware is not cheap when compared with everyday cookware, but you have to ask yourself, are you and your family worth the extra pounds to ensure they are eating healthily? Some of the benefits of these products far outway the initial cost e.g. lifetime guarentee, savings on electricity and gas as you only ever have to cook on a medium to low heat, the pans can be stacked for cooking.
So does it work? Well, we purchased our set from ebay via America. With shipping costs and custom tax added a little under £300 for a 17 piece set. This way of cooking took a little getting used to because it is difficult to get out of the habit of drowning your vegetables in water and cooking on full heat. However, it does work! Food is far tastier, you only use 4 tablespoons of water and you cook on a medium and then low heat. I wouldn't have believed you could cook a 2kg chicken in a pot (Dutch Oven) on top of the cooker, on a low heat, but it works and tastes fantastic!
You might be able to reduce the price if you go direct to the supplier. I have included a link for you to try. 

http://www.discoverwaterlesscooking.com/

There are many to choose from, but I found this one to be the cheapest and I am very happy with the product and the end results.
I am sure that cooking in this way will help many ME/CFS sufferers get the most nutritional value from their food and help them on the sometimes long road to recovery.


*For all who read my blog, It would be amazing if you could forward my link  http://dld.bz/mBZq  to as many people as you know (twitter/facebook/your email list etc). You will then be doing your own bit for ME/CFS awareness and spreading the word to people who one day might just need it!* x


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DIET

I have suffered with lifelong constipation and this became much worse just prior to and on being diagnosed with ME/CFS. My g.p. referred me to a gastroenterologist who recommended that I cut out all wheat and dairy products. This certainly helped with the painful bloating and had some effect on the constipation.
However, as constipation can put a lot of stress on the whole system and my system needed all the help it could get at the moment, I decided to look further into my diet. (I had always thought my diet was pretty healthy anyway).
I read lots of diet/nutritional informtion, particularly related to ME/CFS sufferers. These are some of the things that I have implemented and found extrememly beneficial:

Buy all foods as fresh as possible and organic if budget allows
Eat a portion of vegetables raw as cooking reduces their nutrient value and many of the beneficial enzymes. On this note I juice veg/fruit every day. I have found that this definitely has an effect on my constipation as well as my energy levels. After trying a cheap juicer, which didn't last long at all, I would definitely recommend the one I am using now - it is sturdy and is standing up well to very regular usage: VitalMAX Oscar 900
www.oscarvitalmaxjuicer.co.uk

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Ensure you drink filtered water and lots of it to aid detox. I use an under the sink filter. Next best is bottled water, but I was told by a nutritionist that Britta filters were not effective enough. My tap is by Franke it's a triflow tap so you get your hot, cold and filtered water at the one point.
www.frankekitchensinks.com   
Something that certainly helped me when trying to control my blood sugar levels was to make sure that I ate some protein with every meal - particularly at breakfast and also to include protein in snacks (eg nuts, seeds, fish, poultry, eggs, red meat etc). I had always ate cereal for breakfast and never had time to cook, so I now include a protein drink at breakfast. Having a protein drink at breakfast is probably the best way to create sustainable energy throughout the day. I was told by a nutritionist that Protein powders, like micro-filtered whey protein, are the most bio-available form of protein in the world. Protein has the ability to increase your body's levels of glutathione, by providing the building blocks needed to create this molecule. Glutathione is a potent anti-oxidant which helps liver detoxification and boosts the immune system! (At this point also note that all red berries are a very potent source of anti-oxidant). ImmunoProRX by Allergy Research is the protein powder I use, it's expensive, but I experienced an almost immediate effect on energy levels and would highly recommend it.

ME/CFS sufferes are generally advised to stay away from artificial sugar replacements, however I have discovered an exception! XYLITOL is a 100% natural sweetener found in fruit and vegetables. It has the same sweetness as sugar but 40% fewer calories, no unpleasant aftertaste and none of the tooth decay problems or insulin release effects. I buy mine from Holland and Barret.

We are told to avoid alcohol (which I find I can't tolerate anyway), but tea is another matter! Caffeine is dehydrating, causes blood sugar imbalances and often contain toxins. Red Bush Tea (Rooibos) saved my life!! it has none of the toxins, caffeine or tanins which stops minerals getting into the system.
One more thing I feel I really must mention. At the beginning of my illness I was found to have a severely underactive thyroid gland. During my research I discovered in many articles that Soya (I had been substituting all dairy products with Soya) can stop the body absorbing many things and in particular Thyroxine and protein in general. I therefore switched to rice milk. (oat milk and almond milk are also ok).

At this point I have been ill for almost 12 months and have researched lots during this time (when energy levels allow!). I really hope that my findings will save you some time and energy and that you will find them as beneficial as I have. 

*For all who read my blog, It would be amazing if you could forward my link  http://dld.bz/mBZq  to as many people as you know (twitter/facebook/your email list etc). You will then be doing your own bit for ME/CFS awareness and spreading the word to people who one day might just need it!* x 



 
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Diet in ME - is it such a big deal?

By Jane Colby
Executive Director of Tymes Trust

compiled with advice from

Dr Alan Franklin
Consultant Paediatrician and ME and allergy specialist

Dr Elizabeth Dowsett
Honorary Consultant Microbiologist for South Essex Health Trust

Introduction

This leaflet has been compiled with advice from Dr Alan Franklin, a consultant paediatrician and ME specialist who also specialises in allergies including food allergies, and also Dr Elizabeth Dowsett, whose especial concern is that malnutrition can occur in people with ME who restrict their diet too much. She advises against sugar-free diets for this reason.

One particular point Dr Dowsett makes, which is especially relevant to young people, is that going without breakfast is not only generally bad for you, as people with ME often suffer from periods of low blood sugar, but intellectual performance has been found to drop because of going without breakfast.

We hear many conflicting things about food in ME. Some say it is better to eat organic food, others say that additives are a problem, and yet others claim that they have been made dramatically better or worse by sudden and dramatically big changes in their diet such as completely cutting out bread, for example.

The problem with all these ideas is that ME naturally fluctuates so much that it is often impossible to say that you would not have felt worse or better anyway. You would need to keep very careful records over a long period of time to have enough evidence to judge from, and during this time you may have been improving or going through a down period which is nothing to do with what you are eating. The way you feel may, indeed, have more to do with how you have been managing your energy, whether you have had to cope with periods of upset, or whether you have had extra support from friends. There are so many variables in life.

Therefore you need a common sense approach to food if you are not to become too worried about what you are eating in case it makes you worse. We hope that this leaflet will help you in this common-sense approach.

It is of course quite true that diet can produce some problems in ME because people with ME typically develop sensitivities (rather than true allergies) to various foods. For the moment, their bodies may overreact to certain food substances. This can lead people to adopt such restrictive diets that they do not get enough nourishment for a healthy person, let alone a sick one whose body needs all the nourishment it can get.

The two key tenets to keep in mind are:

  1. Don't restrict what you eat more than you really need to because you will end up malnourished and this is bad for your healing processes.

  2. Do use your common sense about what agrees with your own body, rather than following some standard recommended diet.

Bloating and pain are two common problems.

Following the general principles below should help you minimise these difficulties.

Root vegetables like potato and turnip and parsnip are easier on the gut than green vegetables and things with skins.

Potatoes are easier to digest than bread and are therefore a very good source of slow-release carbohydrate, avoiding too many highs and lows in blood sugar.

Bananas are also good for slow-release carbohydrate and are rich in potassium. They do not appear to cause problems in many people with ME although almost anything can be a problem if you are really ill at the time.

Don't eat the skins of baked potatoes if they irritate your gut; take the skins off tomatoes (remove the pips too) and fruit etc. if you need to. You'll probably - eventually - be able to eat them again, but it can take several years for your gut to steady down enough to manage them with ease. An in-between phase may be necessary, when you re-introduce them to your diet in small stages.

Fruit which may cause various problems are oranges (including orange juice) and apples. If you can't eat raw apples without getting pain, you'll most likely be OK to eat them cooked, due to a chemical change caused by the cooking.

Wholemeal or granary bread may also cause bloating and pain. Use white bread if so - it may be all the rage to eat fibre but it's no good if it causes you trouble. Bran-type bread may be much more easily tolerated if it's made from oat bran - Lionheart do a very good sliced oatbran bread - wonderful as toast spread with an olive-oil based margarine like Olivio.

Likewise it's all the rage to eat half-raw vegetables, but cooking them thoroughly is easier on the gut. We have known many people with ME who have no problem with raw vegetables, but if you are having trouble with bloating and wind, try making sure your vegetables are all well cooked and this may help to alleviate the problem.

If you find that reducing your fibre produces a problem with constipation, the most gentle remedy we have found is prunes. They don't seem to give the same problems as some other fruit. You can buy them tinned in syrup (delicious - avoid the ones in apple juice for the reasons above) or even nibble them as a tasty snack out of a packet. Buy the ones that have been de-stoned (these are referred to as pitted prunes) or you'll likely break your teeth on the stones! Dried apricots may be OK for you too. Drinking a lot will also help with constipation.

Keep away from fizzy drinks because of the gas problem.

Too much pepper or other spice can also irritate your stomach.

Wheat itself can produce problems. People who have this problem are better with bread made from other grains.

Other useful pointers

Some people find that goat's milk or soya milk suits them better than cow's milk.

Alcohol is generally not tolerated by people with ME and makes them feel ill or sets them back in some other way. It may also interfere with heart rhythm. Check if you are in a restaurant (or eating packet mince pies!) that there is no alcohol in the food. Generally, if the wine, beer, cider etc. was cooked in with the food, all that will be left is the taste. Most of the alcohol will have been lost in the cooking process. But if the chef has put in some neat alcohol at the last minute, this can be very bad news for someone with ME. I was once having French onion soup in a pub and I asked (feeling very foolish because it seemed so unlikely) "Is there any alcohol in the soup?" Not only was there alcohol in it, but it had been added at the last minute. No soup for me, thank you very much.

Caffeine can also interfere with heart rhythm and make you "high", which will exhaust you. Try decaffeinated coffee and weak or decaffeinated tea. (Sometimes even the coffee itself can be a problem.)

You will want to avoid things which bring on really bad headache or migraine. These are typically cheese and chocolate, but may include other things too, such as the spices found in Chinese or Indian meals. Keep a record of what you ate/drank before each headache or migraine and you may be able to see a pattern, though migraine can be triggered by many other things. If you have a real problem, consult your GP and make contact with the Migraine Trust.

If all this advice sounds complicated, remember the three simple principles behind it:

  1. Not too much fibre or gassy stuff to avoid pain and bloating.

  2. Nothing that gives you headaches, migraine, or makes you very unwell.

  3. Don't get constipated.

If it all sounds like too many "don'ts" then remember the "do's":

  1. Do try eating a little and often. Many people find that "grazing" is better than eating three meals a day with nothing in between. It stops the highs and lows in blood sugar and it is gentler on the stomach.

  2. Do find lots of foods you can enjoy and get plenty of them.

  3. Do carry a snack with you when you go out. If you start to feel panicky, weepy or just "weird", eat something. It often works like magic.

What's the safest bet?

Traditional "meat and two veg" - especially potatoes - is excellent. You won't go far wrong with that. Vegetarians with ME need to be very careful to get enough protein. Most people find that lots of protein, ideally in the form of meat, really does help, and this has recently been underlined by work in America headed by Professor Richard Bruno. My own finding was that a helping of meat twice a day may be better than just one large meal.

Hints and Tips

Contrary to popular myth, if you are too tired to prepare and cook fresh vegetables without suffering ill-effects from the sheer effort of the task, frozen vegetables are every bit as good with regard to getting the vitamins you need. If microwaved, they take even less time to cook than in a saucepan, and may retain more goodness too. Tinned vegetables, on the other hand, have lost much of their vitamin content because of the high heat they undergo in the processing.

Dr Dowsett is a great advocate for ice-cream because it's nice and it's full of nourishment and easy on a sensitive tum. Custard's good too. My own favourite for a painful tum with trapped wind is a tin of Ambrosia creamed rice, heated up. YUM.

As an alternative to proprietary tablets or mixtures, peppermint sweets or ginger biscuits are both effective if you have trapped wind. Keep some by the bed. A hot drink may help - not tea at this point though, or it may aggravate the wind pains rather than help.

Caution:

If you are taking an MAOI antidepressant, or St John's Wort, AVOID Bovril, gravy mixes, cheese and Chantilly wine (chance'd be a fine thing!) see our Herbal Remedies leaflet. There is a potentially serious interaction.

And finally...

If you were able to eat things before your ME which are causing trouble now, you'll probably be able to eat them again one day without trouble. But you may need to be a bit patient.

Food ought to be a source of pleasure. Sadly, because of the problems in ME, some of the pleasure may be lost. At times you may even get too exhausted to chew properly (meat should be tender, eaten in small mouthfuls, perhaps casseroled rather than roasted or grilled) and things may taste different from the way they did before you were ill.

So try to find seven special snacks that you really like and which make you feel good. Then give yourself a treat with one of them every day. (Work them into your daily food plan if you have one, so as not to put on too much weight; some people with ME lose weight alarmingly and extra treats help to alleviate this, but some go the other way.)

Buy a matching mug and plate with a picture that you really like. My favourite for the winter months is the Winter design from the Brambly Hedge series - mice sitting in a warm kitchen toasting themselves by the fire, nibbling hot crumpets - at least I think they're crumpets...outside the snow is coming down...

There's probably nothing quite so comforting when you're ill as curling up under a rug by the fire, like the mice, with a steaming hot mug of something soothing and a small plate of chocolate covered raisins, or if you can't take chocolate, try jelly babies, crisps, pieces of crunchy toast, dried fruit pieces - anything you can nibble slowly while you uncover the picture bit by bit.

The subliminal (secret) message you're giving your body when you take care of it like this is, "I love you, I know you're going through a bad patch but I'll make it as painless as possible." Loving and caring for your own sick body is one of the best ways to help it heal you.

If you are reading this in Spring, you'll want a different picture of course, and in Summer you can sit outside for your treat - be careful of direct sunlight though - shades, a hat and plenty to drink are in order. We people with ME may need Vitamin D but we often react badly against too much heat. But that's another story.

Happy eating.

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