Fibro & CFS

Best book EVER on alternatives to a cure!

"Fibro" is short for "Fibromyalgia." CFS is the abbreviation for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. If you have been diagnosed with either of these then you are familiar with the worst part of the disease (yes, disease, NOT disorder). That is the fact that people who don't have it, and don't understand those of us who do, are morons.

They say things like, "You LOOK healthy. Are you SURE the doctor knows what he's talking about?" or they'll say, "You're perfectly fine, just stressed. Nothing a little hard work and effort or a vacation wouldn't cure." and the worst, "You're just looking for an an excuse not to...."   I used to want to slap those people who called me lazy, or whiny, or looking for an excuse to get out of something. I've lived and done more than 90% of them. I'm not lazy. In fact, most people who get CFS are the Type A personalities who GO GO GO at breakneck speed all their lives. Then the body says, "ENOUGH!" and pulls the plug on us. We go from 200 mph lives to something resembling a slug or snail on sleeping pills.

It's not fun. It's painful, demoralizing and frustrating. Inside, your head (when it's not fogged over) is STILL going 200 mph, but your body is saying, "We only got 20 hours of sleep last night. I need a nap."

The best book I've found EVER on Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue is by a doctor who developed Fibro during medical school, dropped out to cure himself, returned and finished his medical degree, then went on to devote himself to curing and helping those with it. The name of the book is: From Fatigued to Fantastic. You can buy it on Amazon.com, by clicking the link, or buy it directly from him at his website.
 

Unless you've had the flu, pneumonia or have CFS, you cannot comprehend how severe the loss and lack of energy is. You just don't want, and can't find enough energy to get out of bed. It's not like not getting enough sleep. It's like your life battery is flashing red!

Good News, Bad News

MILD exercise HELPS both fibromyalgia sufferes and those with Chronic Fatigue. MILD EXERCISE. Repeat. MILD EXERCISE. The hard thing is, because it HELPS you feel better and get your energy back, you're soooooo tempted to do MORE because you know, you don't know when you'll feel this good again and you want to enjoy it and take advantage of it while you can. That's what kicks the attacks off.

What causes this? In talking to trainers and experts about this the best I can figure out is it's related to how the body is able to get rid of lactic acid. I wish the doctors would get with trainers and nutritionists on this.  I discovered when I take Lysine before and after a workout, I have less pain, faster recovery and more energy. The other supplement that has helped me IMMENSELY is Corvalen M Ribose . It is AWESOME stuff even if you don't exercise. NOTHING has helped my CFS more than this stuff.

Corvalen M Ribose is a natural pentose sugar that is designed for the support of fatigue, energy production, and mitochondrial function. D-Ribose is a clinically researched ingredient that supports the natural way our bodies produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of the cell. If you talk to real athletic trainers they'll tell you all about how critical ATP is in exercise, muscle development and recovery (unless they got their training certification online or don't have the requisite chemistry background they should).

A deficiency of ATP energy in the cell, also called mitochondrial dysfunction, can lead to symptoms of occasional muscle pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and brain fog — sound familiar all you Fibro and CFS sufferers? If you have CFS or Fibro, your body is NOT making enough ATP. What little you have is so depleted you can't get it back as easily as "normal" people. This kicks in where your body fails!

Add some Magnesium to it (you can get Corvalen Ribose as Corvalen M Ribose , which means it has magnesium added to it, or Corvalen D-Ribose without magnesium. Most people are DEFICIENT in magnesium. Magnesium is critical in facilitating hundreds of biochemical reactions including those involved in energy production, so do up your levels with additional supplements, or better, through your food intake. Magnesium is found naturally in spinach, beans, nuts, seeds and peas.

Magnesium is an essential mineral for human nutrition and metabolic health. It plays a role in the production and transport of energy. It is also important for the contraction and relaxation of muscles (Hello Fibro people!) . Magnesium is involved in the synthesis of protein, and it assists in the functioning of certain enzymes in the body.

How much magnesium do you need?

• Adult females: 310 milligrams 
• Pregnancy: 360-400 milligrams 
• Breastfeeding women: 320-360 milligrams 
• Adult males: 400 milligram

So, Corvalen M Ribose (you can buy just D-Ribose, but the Corvalen is a higher quality of Ribose, and more expensive, but well worth the extra $$ because you'll use less of it) 

According to various manufacturers:

"Although D-ribose is a five-carbon monosaccharide, it does not raise blood sugar. Corvalen M Ribose is highly soluble in both hot and cold solutions and tastes slightly sweet and tart. Corvalen M D-ribose is non-GMO. D-ribose is rapidly and readily (~95%) absorbed with peak blood levels found within 30 to 45 minutes. Ribose not taken up by the cell is excreted unchanged in the urine. Corvalen D-ribose is GRAS (generally recognized as safe), a determination that results only after considerable toxicology studies are performed by the FDA."

So, bottom line? SUPPLEMENTS and NUTRITION matter! I'll be blogging about all that, but this is just so you can go right to it!