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
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
"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 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
