Detoxification

Hello! :-)

Long time no post!!  It's all been rather busy and exciting last few months as I've been increasing my exercise and activity, along with increased work commitments, but it's most definitely been a 'good' busy!  It seems crazy that just 5 months ago I was doing 25 minute walks, and that now I'm jogging on a weekly basis, doing light weights once-twice a week, doing yoga a couple of times a week, and now working (not paid!) for a Charity.  

Today I want to talk about Detoxification, and I'd love some feedback from you guys as I have a question or two!  

Firstly, Detoxification can be vitally important for people recovering from M.E./CFS.  Chances are that a contributing factor to you getting ill in the first place was a heavy toxic burden on your body, which may be due to poor diet, living in a heavily polluted area, living near a farm where lots of dangerous chemicals and pesticides are used, or even having Mercury Amalgam Fillings!  All these things put a strain on the body, and need to be detoxed in some way or another to free up energy for the body to function optimally.   

After having some blood tests done it was found that I had a moderate blockage called Methyl-Benzoquinone.  From what I've been told, this can be found in exhaust fumes, paints, glues, air fresheners, tobacco...no wonder given I live in London!  I must say I've found this blockage quite hard to reduce and eliminate so far.  I've cleared my house of any potential blockages and I've also been on Detoxification supplements for around 6 months now.  I'm having the blockage re-tested next week, so I'm hoping it's gone down and perhaps even gone completely.  Although intuitively, I feel there is still some there.  I also use Epsom Salt baths to help the Detoxification process, although not too often as this can overwhelm the body.  I also exercise around 5-6 days per week, which is also supposed to help the process.   

I'm stuck in a tricky place you see. I need to keep building on my recovery by going out more, as getting back into normal life and work will help lubricate these last stages of the process. However, in London with all the pollutants and such, there's a chance my body is getting 're-blocked' as it were. Bloody London..! haha.  One potential solution, which is very likely to happen at some point anyway, is to move away from the Capital.  This isn't just for health reasons - it's also because London is completely unaffordable these days.  I've just had a mate rent a flat near me with his girlfriend, and he's paying £1800 a month minus bills -_- Crazy huh?

So I have 2 questions :

1) Where is nice to live that is affordable and not too far from London?

2) Has anyone tried/got a Far Infrared Sauna?  A friend mentioned this to me as useful for ongoing Detoxification, and Dr. Myhill raves about it too, so I'm tempted to potentially purchase one when I have the money.  They can set you back £189 (click here) but could be a worthy investment in the long-term I suppose. 

(I know it looks ridiculous, but hey, if it works!)


Adam

x



  

M.E. Thought Patterns

Anyone who acknowledges the psychological aspect of M.E./CFS will be aware of the impact our thought patterns can have on our symptoms.  I'm sure you're all familiar with at least some of the following : 

• 'Will I ever recover...?'
• 'What's wrong with me...?'
• 'How long will it take me to get over this..?'
• 'Why me..?'
• 'What can help me improve...?' 
• 'Why do I feel so crap..?'
• 'Will they ever find a cure..?' (Excuse me for being dogmatic here, but in my opinion and from what all the latest research suggests, M.E./CFS is far too multi-faceted and complex for there to be a 'miracle cure.')

Having been treated at a great M.E. clinic in London, I've learnt some really useful tools to work with these thought patterns.  

These thoughts dominated my mind for so so long. In a way, it's a pretty normal response to a scary situation, right? it's understandable! We have all these unexplained symptoms..we're in pain..we unsure of why this is happening. Scary fearful thoughts are the brain's normal way of processing this, right? 

However....are they useful?  Are they helping us find a solution? Are they offering us a choice in the situation...or are they just keeping us stuck in limbo?

Interestingly, the latest research on Neurology has found that our thoughts have a massive impact on how we feel in our body.  I'll let this short clip explain : 

Interestingly, at around 0:44 secs the narrator mentions how when our body detects a potential threat (ie fear of symptoms, worry about the future etc), it releases adrenaline and cortisol into the body, putting it in a state of stress.  Imagine if we're doing this all the time..or even most of the time..or even some of the time..keeping ourselves in that 'wired' stress state. How can our bodies even begin to recover when it's constantly in a state of alarm?  Here you can see why the psychological impact of M.E. can have such a negative stressful impact on our bodies. 

Ever notice that your symptoms can intensify when you're worrying?      

I'm going to break these common thought patterns down into 4 segments to make it more digestible and easy to understand :  

1. FEAR OF SYMPTOMS ie continuously checking in with symptoms  -  probably the most common one of all.  Always checking for symptoms getting worse.  This fear kicks in that adrenaline/cortisol response  
2. MENTAL TENNIS ie should I stay in tonight or should I go out? Should I do yoga today or not? And it becomes problematic when you're going to and fro for minutes or even hours, rather than just making a decision based on what you feel your body can do  
3. CATASTROPHE THINKING ie going from feeling a bit rubbish to thinking 'I'm never going to recover' - when you start with one thought and this snowballs into something much bigger.  This again sets off that adrenaline/cortisol fear response
4. MIND-BLENDING - constantly pre-empting, planning, or replaying situations.  This type of feeling has a very speedy feeling to it

Do these sound familiar?

A massive way I've worked with this on myself is by becoming aware of the pattern, and just asking, "Is this useful to me?" or "Is this supporting me and taking me forward?"  Usually the answer is a big fat No! Then by identifying this, then asking, "What do I choose to do/think instead that would be more supportive right now?"

It may be as simple as choosing to have a nap rather than doing some work.  It may be deciding to go for a short walk rather than watch TV.  I found that letting my body guide me was the best way.

This way of stopping and reflecting has massively helped me health-wise, and enabled me to realise I have a choice in what thoughts I have!

Adam

x

Mitochondrial Function and Blockages

As some of you will know, Mitochondrial Function (or should I say Dysfunction!) can be a source of several problems for ME/CFS sufferers, the most notable being a lack of available energy!!  Respected M.E./CFS specialist Dr. Myhill even says that it is the 'cental cause' in M.E./CFS.

I had my 3rd Mitochondrial Function test back this week, and the great thing is, now my Mitochondrial function is at the level of a normal healthy person! However, I do still get symptoms.  This underlines the fact that recovery from this condition is not just purely about sorting out nutritional imbalances.  It's also about addressing the psychological element, dealing with the underlying anxieties and stresses in our current environment, which are burdening our system.  I've already done a post on this which you can read here.  I'll do another one on 'Common M.E. Thought Patterns' soon.  It's also important to address the physical re-conditioning aspect when you are at the right stage of recovery. Chances are you haven't been hugely active for a while.  This is where the exercise comes in. I talk about this and the importance of it being done in a graded and considered way in another previous post - click here.

My aim in this post is to talk about potential blockages that stop your Mitcohondria from functioning properly.  I can only talk about my personal experience, as I'm not a Nutritionist or Doctor with vast experience about this, nor am I claiming to be.  I have a blockage of about 10% outside the normal healthy range in my system, which causes certain elements/substances to stick to my DNA, meaning my ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) isn't being recycled to it's optimum level.  Therefore my consistent access to energy is still suboptimal..to an extent.  I know this sounds really scientific and confusing..to be honest, I don't properly understand it either.


This, on top of the physical re-conditioning I still need to do and psychological work, is certainly contributing to the fact I'm still experiencing symptoms.  The blockage they found in me relates to petrol, vehicle exhausts, furniture waxes, air fresheners and Benzoates...basically any toxic cleaning materials haha!  Therefore I've taken responsibility to make my house as clean as humanly possible! I've decided to replace these toxic cleaning materials with home made alternatives :

Kitchen &  Bathroom Cleaner :

• 1 Spray Bottle
• 3 Tablespoons Vinegar
• Squeeze of 1/2 a lemon
• Water

Place in a large spray bottle and shake vigorously.

Homemade Dusting Spray : 

• 1 Spray Bottle 
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
• 30-40 drops essential oil, optional (clove, orange, lemon, etc)

Place in a large spray bottle and shake vigorously. Spray directly on furniture (being careful of overspray) and buff with a clean, dry cloth.

Plants : 

I read that plants literally eat up pollutants in your house, so I've now got a few in my room, living room and dining room.  It also makes the rooms look a bit nicer.

Baths : 

No more Radox bubble bath..just pure Epsom Salts

Avoiding Benzoates : 

I plan to do this by simply avoiding anything Benzoate related in preservatives ie Benzoic Acid, Sodium Benzoate etc.


Avoiding Pollution : 

Well..this is pretty much impossible. Living in London, one of the busiest Cities in the world, and being under a flight path, means I'm always going to be in contact with pollution.  However, I've lived here my whole life, and I was pretty damn healthy for 21 years of it, so I'm sure I can survive a few more pollutants here and there! You become more resistant to pollutants as you get stronger anyway.


Let's clear as much of this blockage as possible!

P.S. If you are interested in getting your Mitochondrial function tested and getting support in normalising it, the best thing to do would be to get in contact with either Dr. Myhill's clinic here, or with the Nutrition Team at The Optimum Health Clinic here.

Adam

x

'If we as a society are willing to have a preference for organic food, the farmer can pass on the savings.'

Before my health nose-dived at the end of 2009, I don't think I'd ever had organic food.  In fact, food as a whole didn't interest me in the slightest. It was simply a means to keep me going through my day.  Sometimes I didn't even bother with breakfast, or lunch..I just didn't believe there was enough time in the day for it.  My shopping list was this : microwaveable Iceland meals, rigorously sticking to my self-imposed £15 budget. Alcohol and nights out at Uni came first for me at that time. Toad in the Hole was a favourite of mine:

Little did I know how much my physical and mental performance was being hindered.  I suppose I learnt the hard way. I was grumpy and on edge in the mornings, and I'd get very sleepy around late afternoon.  My blood sugar was often low, meaning I'd usually go for the coca cola pick-me-up, or even a Red Bull.  I'd get a quick buzz, and then it would be back to feeling somewhat tired again and unfocused.  

It was only once I got diagnosed and referred to a Nutritionist who specialised in my condition, that I realised, firstly, how important a good balanced diet is in the function of a healthy human being (it's basically more important than everything except oxygen and water!), and secondly, the importance of keeping to as many clean fruits and vegetables as possible whilst in recovery.  Fast food went out of the window, and along with that, alcohol (most of the time!)  In through the window came good quality fruit, veg, and meat (as much organic as I could find!)  

Of course, the importance of diet is magnified when going through ME/CFS. To get better can often mean cutting out anything that could be a burden on your body i.e. gluten, wheat, sugar, dairy etc.  It's really tough, but it encourages you to get creative, make your stuff from scratch, and be as clean as possible with your food.  

It's not always possible to get organic, but if you prioritise what would be really helpful to your body in organic form, and what may not, it makes things much easier.  In today's mass consumer society, all our meat is pumped full of anti-biotics to stop them from getting sick. Remember, what goes into them, goes into you once you consume it. And people wonder why we're becoming immune to anti-biotics! The food the livestock consume is also low grade and usually full of pesticides. Again this goes into use and makes our bodies weaker as a result. As a rule of thumb, therefore, I go as organic as I possibly can with meat.  Vegetables aren't quite as important, as you can wash off the pesticides with water, a veggie brush, or veggie soap : http://bit.ly/1uxlLK5

Despite this, there are certain vegetables which are intensely sprayed with pesticides throughout the growth process, and are worth getting organic if possible.  They're known as the Dirty Dozen (diagram below). The Clean Fifteen signify those lowest in pesticide content. 

So...where to buy?

• OCADO - the best range of organic produce I'm aware of AND cheaper than Tesco!
• TESCO/SAINSBURY'S - both have a good quality organic fruit & vegetable range.
• ASDA - lower quality organic, but still organic and cheaper than most other supermarkets.
• WAITROSE - great selection but burns a hole in your wallet!
• PLANET ORGANIC - (if based in London) this is a great chain of purely organic supermarkets across London. Click here for details
• WHOLEFOODS - organic fruit, veg and snack market. Click here to see if there's one near you
• ABEL & COLE - explained in my Vlog below.... All organic fruit, veg, and great quality meat, at a fairly reasonable cost all delivered to your door. You even get a free fruit and veg box with every 4th order Click here for their website