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



  

Epsom Salts : Granny was Right!

"I'm really old-fashioned. An Epsom Salt bath, that genuinely better than any massage." Emilia Clarke

I remember a couple of years ago (although in hindsight it feels like a lifetime ago!), when a Consultant Rheumatologist I was seeing at the time recommended Epsom Salt baths to me.  I was pretty chronically ill at this point. My condition was deteriorating further.  I was forced to give up my job in Advertising, I was completely financially broke, and had no prospects of how or when I would get well.  All I knew at that point was that I was in pretty big trouble and there wasn't a magic pill that would make this daily hell go away.  I was desperate to find answers to turn my situation around.  I tried some pretty 'out there' things, but I hadn't really found anything that gave me much relief from this chronic pain and all these symptoms that had become my life at that point.  

I'd already put up with the Consultant's weekly Magnesium injections, which felt like lead being pumped into my muscles, and I was literally doing anything I could to get better. (I didn't care how loopy people thought I was, I'd try anything)

The Magnesium injections made no difference unfortunately (and they weren't cheap at £125 a pop!), but the Epsom Salts did..slowly..

When I went to the Pharmacy next door to purchase my first tub, the lady at the till said, "Are you buying that for your Nan..? This stuff is for muscle sores and pain Son..."  If only she knew I felt like 108 inside at that time! (Anyone who has had M.E. or has it will get what I mean)

So..I started trying these Epsom Salts.  First off I followed the instructions on the box, scooping a whole kilo in my boiling hot bath, and soaked for 20 minutes. BIG MISTAKE!! I had a massive detox reaction, with a huge flare up of symptoms, and was back in bed for a few days.  It taught me two things :

1) That this stuff was powerful

2) That it was to be respected!!

People going through M.E./CFS, especially in the earlier stages, can be very prone to chemical sensitivities.  Those of you who have been on supplements, will have ~I'm sure experienced nasty die off symptoms when introducing something new too quickly or in too large a dose.  This is what I suspect happened when I had that first Epsom Salts bath, and it taught me a valuable lesson - start small and build up slowly.  Remember, the tortoise always wins the race. And I'd say take this approach with your health more generally - if you're suffering from chronic illness or not.  

You don't need to climb Everest in a day..if you do you'll just burn yourself out and have to start over again.  If we take it one step at a time, and acknowledge the steps we are taking, no matter how slowly, we can acknowledge we are making progress.

Researchers and physicians suggest these health benefits from proper magnesium and sulfate levels, as listed on the web site of the Epsom Salt Industry Council:

• Improved heart and circulatory health, reducing irregular heartbeats, preventing hardening of the arteries, reducing blood clots and lowering blood pressure.

• Improved ability for the body to use insulin, reducing the incidence or severity of diabetes.

• Flushed toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances.

• Improved nerve function by electrolyte regulation. Also, calcium is the main conductor for electrical current in the body, and magnesium is necessary to maintain proper calcium levels in the blood.

• Relieved stress. Excess adrenaline and stress are believed to drain magnesium, a natural stress reliever, from the body. Magnesium is necessary for the body to bind adequate amounts of serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of well being and relaxation.

• Reduced inflammation to relieve pain and muscle cramps.

• Improved oxygen use.

• Improved absorption of nutrients.

• Improved formation of joint proteins, brain tissue and mucin proteins.

• Prevention or easing of migraine headaches.

 (And if you're well enough to drink any alcohol, it's also great for a hangover!)

My General Guidelines for those Recovering from M.E./CFS (or other chronic illness)

1)  Fill up the bath with warm hot water (you don't want it overly hot as this is likely to  exhaust you)

2) Add in just half a teaspoon. (Don't worry, you can work to up to 2-3 cupfuls over time) I would urge caution when increasing the Epsom Salt load dramatically, as your body is likely to be sensitive to changes in this fatigued state.  

3) Soak in the bath for 12 minutes. (I generally found longer than this and more severe symptoms would start showing themselves again) I wouldn't bathe more than twice a week with Epsom Salts, as too much of one thing can become a burden on the system. 


CAUTION - if you have negative reactions ie hyperactivity or irritability, decrease the amount you put you use. 
                 -  your body may feel a bit heavy the next day. That's good, it shows the sulfate has entered your muscles and softened a lot of tension being held there.
                 - if you feel a bath is too much for you right now, just start by adding Epsom Salts to hot water in a tub and just soak your feet in it.
                 - if you are pretty knackered before having a bath, give it a miss on that occasion, you don't want to make you body more tired than it already is.
                


Where to Buy

Amazon have a wide range of stockists, although the best quality I've found at a reasonable price is http://www.justasoap.co.uk. 



Hoping you're as well as you can be, wherever you are :-)


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

Nutribullet - worth its weight in gold?

'What on earth is a Nutribullet?' That was the first question that came into my head when this fairly recent contraption was mentioned and recommended to me by a friend. The name itself makes it sound like it contains a round of live ammo.  


After being told about it, I checked out the adverts on Youtube, and to be honest, they were all really Americanised with quotes like, "You got all that from one orange???" and so on... Furthermore, the way it did what it did seemed too good to be true, and perhaps even staged. Oh wait, I haven't explained what this Nutribullet gadget is yet. Here goes....

'The NutriBullet is effectively a very powerful blender. It completely breaks down your food, liquefying and mixing together all the essential nutrition. It literally pulverises fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, giving you all the nutrition.'

Sounds cool huh? But wait, there's a catch...most retailers price this product at £99.99, which let's be honest, is expensive for a blender.  However, given that Christmas was round the corner at the time of me discovering this, and the fact my juicer was on it's last legs/dead, I put it on the Christmas/Birthday wish-list. That's what I like about Christmas..if you don't like it, at least you didn't lose money over it, and if you can get your mitts on the receipt, you can swap it for something else! Anyway, I digress..

Once I got it home, I wasn't really sure how I'd fit what I'd normally juice into this fairly small blender on steroids.  So instead I just used about half the amount of fruit and veg I'd normally use (recipes at the bottom of this page).  

Taken From Here

I must say I was really impressed by the flavour and texture. It's a fair amount denser than a juice, but it has the huge advantage of keeping all the nutritional value, along with loads of fibre, which you don't get with a juice.  There was also a noticeable change in my energy levels and strength, which was a wee added bonus.  In addition to this, it's much easier to clean than any smoothie maker or juicer I've ever come across. Takes about 30 seconds. Simples...

There's no doubt it's the best blender out there, but as I mentioned earlier, it comes at a price!  On the flip side, it's cheaper than buying your smoothies and juices retail.  If this is something that interests you, feel free to comment in the box below. I'm always on the lookout for a good deal, so if one comes up for a Nutribullet, I'll post it up on my Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/adam.lomax.73)

Below I've listed a few tasty recipes you can try with Nutribullet, but which can easily be used in any juicer/blender/smoothie maker : 

Spiced Oatmeal Blast

Ingredients  :
1 Handful Kale
1 Ripe Banana
½ Cup Oats
½ Apples
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
2 Dates
1 Teaspoon Maca
½ Teaspoon Ceylon Cinnamon
¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg
To Max Line Almond Milk

Directions
Add all ingredients to your Tall Cup and extract for 30 seconds, or until smooth.

Orange Beet Blast

Ingredients :
1 Handful Kale
½ Beet
4 Chunks Pineapple
½ Orange
1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
To Max Line Coconut Water

Directions
Add all solid ingredients into tall cup
Fill to MAX line with water/Coconut Water
Blend until smooth, approximately 30 seconds


Power Gulp

Ingredients : 
1 Handful Kale

1 Handful Green Grapes

1 Cucumber

1 Green Apple

Directions
Add all solid ingredients into tall cup
Fill to MAX line with water/Coconut Water
Blend until smooth, approximately 30 seconds



NOTE 1 : If you're interested in buying a Nutribullet, the best thing is to buy from source. In that way you know you're getting guaranteed quality and are likely to get some form of warranty for free. Here's the site : http://bit.ly/1xMm0LN

NOTE 2 : Give organic a chance, it really does make a difference, and it usually tastes better too.