Archive for February, 2012

Creating Your Healthy Life – Fibromyalgia

Muscle aches, spasms, fatigue, weakness in the arms and legs, inability to concentrate (brain fog), sleep disturbance and depression. These are some of the common complaints related to Fibromyalgia. This chronic illness which affects approximately four percent of the population and nine times more women than men has no known cure. Anti-Seizure drugs, pain relievers, antidepressants and muscle relaxants are some of the common prescribed medications to treat the symptoms.

My personal experience with Fibromyalgia brought me to the realization that this chronic illness is not just “one” illness but a combination of the body’s organs and systems that are unable to function properly resulting in the aforementioned symptoms and complaints. Not treating the underlying cause of the illness only results in a vicious cycle of drugs and their side effects.

I have listed ten of the issues that I addressed and should be addressed if you suffer from this illness.

1. STRESS! Chronic stress plays a major role in our health, robbing our bodies of nutrients and required sleep which in turn reduces our resistance to disease and chronic inflammation, i.e., fibromyalgia.

2. Environmental Toxins is next on my list. Not many conventional doctors address this issue because there are just too many to test for. If you have ever come in contact with chemicals on the job, lived on a farm, eaten foods high in preservatives or additives, i.e., MSG, used household chemicals to clean or you use personal care products that are high in chemicals, you probably have been exposed to environmental toxins.

3. Diet is another issue that is sometimes overlooked. Are you a junk food junkie? Do you snack, eat out a lot, eat prepackaged meals! Your diet could be a contributing factor to your illness. Refined carbohydrates and processed fats are adding fuel to an already inflamed body. This inflammation aggravates arthritis, aches and pains, bowel disorders and contributes to heart disease, diabetes and memory loss. Avoid caffeine and NO soft drinks! Learn to live without the sugar and caffeine but remember to wean yourself off of caffeine by reducing the number of cups of coffee or glasses of tea or cans of soda.

4. Drugs, both over the counter and prescribed give the illusion of addressing health issues. They do not treat the underlying cause; they only treat the symptom(s) related to the underlying cause. The body was not designed to process these toxic substances and treats them as such. When a drug is absolutely a necessity, educate yourself to possible alternative methods that could be used. Never stop any medication without professional guidance.

5. Hydration is another often overlooked but a very important issue. You must learn to drink at least 8 large glasses of filtered water a day. Water is crucial to our bodily functions! If you do nothing else for yourself, do this. Pure water helps our bodies rid itself of toxins by flushing them out of our systems. It’s like a refreshing shower for your internal organs!

6. Get yourself on a sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time every night and get at least 8 hrs of rest and then get up at the same time every morning. The body likes a schedule, knowing when it can relax, refresh and heal itself. It also likes to know when it will be nourished and exercised. There are natural supplements that can help set the sleep clock in the brain. The bodies need for sleep is more important than you realize.

7. A sluggish thyroid may also contribute to fibromyalgia. It can cause weight gain, fatigue, depression and many other complaints. The thyroid can be supported with natural supplements.

8. Exhausted adrenals, this can rob us of sleep and energy due mainly in part to good ole stress. The adrenals help us to cope, give us energy, and regulate our mineral, fluid and blood sugar. Adrenals can also be supported with natural supplements.

9. With a poor diet and overload of toxins (including medications) the liver becomes compromised. When nutrients are deficient and there are too many toxins the liver does not function properly resulting in internal toxicity. Most people suffering with fibromyalgia have a stressed liver due to all the medications. The liver needs to be detoxified and at the same time supported with natural supplementation

10. Another issue that is not usually addressed by conventional doctors is Candida or yeast. When our immune system is suppressed, this friendly bacteria is decreased by the antibiotics we take directly or indirectly, by pesticides, chlorine and other toxins and fed by our craving for sweets and refined carbohydrates. When this happens there is a shift from the good yeast form to the fungal form. This yeast overgrowth can cause inflammation throughout the body. A yeast detoxification should be done to balance the condition.

These are some of the underlying conditions that could be contributing to your chronic illness. You should contact a qualified alternative practitioner or physician to create a personalized protocol for you. Every individual is unique in their health and in their illness.

Healthy Living Tips

I wanted to put together some healthy living tips, all on one page, they range from exercise to eating habit tips. I realize there are a lot of fitness and healthy living advice out there, so I have listed all my favourite tips here.

    • Drink plenty of water The experts normally recommend about 6 – 8 medium size glasses a day, and more if you have been exercising or when the weather is very hot. Water helps to remove waste from the body, your body uses water to regulate your body temperature and allows nutrients to travel to vital organs. Also drinking lots of water and keeping your body and skin hydrated helps to fight the signs of aging.
    • Exercise Do some form of exercise everyday, you could do a controlled workout 3 times a week for 30 minutes, and on the other days you could just go for a walk, or do some light exercises at home.
    • Stop eating 2 hours before bed time This can be very important, if you’re eating just before you go bed, those calories are not going to get burnt off, but if you must eat something make sure it’s a high protein low carbohydrate snack, especially good if you are looking to build muscle.
    • Don’t go crazy What I mean by this is, don’t get crazy with your workouts, training 2 or 3 hours a day everyday, it doesn’t take this much effort unless you’re a professional athlete. Be patient it will take time to get results, that’s just the way it is.
    • High protein – Low carbs High protein foods help to build muscle, they fill you up better, and the calories from high protein foods are burnt off quicker.
    • Food alternatives Look for healthier options in your current diet, for example, switch from white bread to brown, white rice to brown rice, replace ice cream with yogurt, skimmed milk, low fat spreads instead of butter.
    • Eat smaller meals Eating smaller meals will help prevent bloating, and make you feel more active, plus it will help to keep your stomach size down. Eating regular smaller meals also tells your body that you’re getting enough nutrients and that it doesn’t need to store fat.
  • Don’t stave yourself You will be depriving your body of nutrients, and slow your metabolism and therefore reducing your bodies ability to burn calories. Starving yourself could also cause harm to your organs.

I have given you a list of good healthy living tips, these will take time to have an effect, try to focus on being healthy more than being slim.