Hi again everyone,

One of the reasons I decided to adopt a diet of living foods is an ongoing and ever-worsening battle with chronic fatigue. In my early thirties, I had tons of energy and I was very fit - I ran 10ks on a regular basis, a few half marathons, and even a marathon. It's been a gradual but steady decline over the last few years, to the point where I barely have enough energy just to work and keep my house tidy, and I'm missing out on all the fun physical things I used to do. I feel like life is passing me by. Of course, mainstream medicine hasn't helped at all, so raw and vegan it is.

In my reading about people's experiences and health recovery after going raw and vegan, it seems like chronic fatigue is the last symptom to go. In a lot of accounts I've read, it's taken folks anywhere from 8 - 18 months of being 90% - 100% raw to find relief from chronic fatigue.

Did anyone here suffer from chronic fatigue before starting a living foods lifestyle? And if so, how long was it before you started feeling more energetic?

Thanks in advance,
Maryl

Hi Mary

I suffered from chronic fatigue in the early 80s. It was likely caused by the Epstein Barrs virus, a common virus causing different symptom in different people. For me it showed up as CFS. I had no energy and could not even move for 2 months. I changed my diet to whole foods, raw; breathed; gentle movement; and had changed my mental attitude to joy. I healed in two years and am fine now except for current issues. I have lots of energy. Good health to you.

Mary,

I am thinking along the same lines as faeterri, in that it sounds like you acquired some sort of immune infection at some point. The good thing is, the raw lifestyle can really aid you body in ridding itself of infections and their consequences in tandem.

Hi Everyone,

I've been tested for pretty much everything... Epstein-Barr, Lyme disease, many autoimmune diseases, vitamin/mineral deficiencies, etc. Nothing. My doc just kinda shrugged it off and slapped the "idiopathic" CFS and Fibromyalgia labels on me.

Of note I was diagnosed with severe hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis in 2001 (my TSH was in the high 80's and life was hell!), which was managed well on levothyroxine until my fatigue symptoms kicked in around 2004. (I ran two-half marathons and a full marathon in 2003.) Last year, I educated myself about hypothyroidism treatment and made the switch to natural dessicated thyroid medication. Unfortunately, it is made from the thryoid glands of pigs, but I feel much better on an NDT than I ever did on levothyroxine or Synthroid and it's just a better way to treat hypothyroidism (IMHO), because it contains ALL the hormones our own glands would normally produce, rather than a single synthetic hormone. I also started supplementation to help support my @#$%& adrenals. Since on NDT, my thryoid hormones and TSH have been in the normal ranges, so at this point I have to rule out my thyroid as being the culprit for this fatigue and look to my diet.

I also noticed a trend that I tend to feel much worse in the winter time. Since I live in Colorado and I am not fond of cold weather, I don't get outside much. I thought Vitamin D might be an issue so I started going to a tanning bed 1 - 2 days per week about a month ago. I might need to go more often because I develop a deep tan VERY quickly (some Italian and a small amount African ancestry) and I read that the darker you are, the more sunlight you need for your body to produce sufficient Vitamin D.

Tenosynovitis in my wrist and now hip problems (possibly bursitis) have also squashed my exercise ambitions... This is all so frustrating so I really hope that a raw food diet brings me the healing and especially the energy I need.

Thanks for your input...
Maryl

Are you happy? In not, what will bring you joy? I have found that this was key in my healing of many of my health issues.

Faeterri,

That's a very good question.

All of this started coincidentally started a few years into a relationship that started out very wonderfully in 2003 but slowly began to sour. Nonetheless, when things were going well and we were getting along, it was a fairy tale romance beyond my wildest dreams. But when it was bad, it was really bad. (Extreme highs and lows, not unlike drug ADDICTION!!!) We moved in together in 2005. The chronic fatigue and muscle pain became so bad that it was difficult if not impossible to work in the summer of 2006. I took some time off work to rest, seek answers, and hopefully heal, and that's when I got the dX's of CFS and FMS.

Ironically, the stress of my loss of income contributed to more relationship problems. I didn't look sick to him, and he always knew me as an energetic, bold and strong women, and I think he really couldn't handle my illness or believe I was feeling what I was really feeling. We separated for a few months in the fall of 2006, reunited, and married in May of 2007. After marriage, the relationship went from bad to worse. I left with a very broken heart in July of 2008. It was the most devastating heartbreak I'd ever experienced. I didn't want to leave him but I felt I had no choice because I could not accept, tolerate nor condone the way I was being treated, and my ex had proven that he was not going to change and didn't even see anything wrong with his behavior.

I like to think that I'm healed and over him. The recovery process was long and difficult. I have reached acceptance and gratitude for the present; since leaving him many wonderful, amazing blessings have entered my life that would have never been possible if I were still with him. I have grown spiritually so tremendously. I can honestly say that I like AND love myself now. :-) Life is so much better without him, that is for sure!!! I wouldn't trade even my worst day alone for a good day with him.

I am in a new relationship for a little over four months now. He's a sweetheart - very supportive of all the things that are important to me, generous, gentle and kind. I think it's still too soon to say where it could be going in the future, for now I'm just enjoying the companionship and getting to know him better.

So it's interesting you ask that question, because at the moment I began to type my reply, I realized that all of this started around the time my ex and I got together, and gradually worsened the longer we were together... And although my mind, attitude, heart and spirit now feel healed, free, grateful, and happy, my body won't follow suit.

Some of it may be my job... my full-time schedule is very inflexible. I do technical support and work from home as an ADA accomodation, but it's all repetitive computer work and there's very little room for movement and creativity. Outside of my working hours, it's difficult to find opportunities and energy for creativity.

Much raw food for further rumination... Hmm....

Maryl



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2010 12:51AM by Maryl_E.

Go Mary! And often just the realization of what has been contributes so much to the healing of it. Congratulations on moving forward, taking care of yourself, being open to new possibilities, your new relationship, staying in the moment, and healing!!!

Faeterri,

I'm thinking the painful past isn't so much an issue, or if it was, it is gone now!

Day 13 AND FEELING GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm even having a little trouble falling asleep and staying asleep at night, but during the day and into the evening I have what I would consider MUCH more energy than I've had in years. My overall mood and mental alertness have been great too!!! For the last few days, my physical energy is good in the morning and late evening, although still lagging a little low in the late afternoon. When I start feeling tired, I find that eating some fresh juicy fruit or a smoothie helps perk me up a little. I also try to move around a bit and take some deep breaths when my eyelids start to feel droopy.

SO FAR SO GOOD!!!! I have read so many positive accounts of the raw food diet really helping people with CFS and FMS, and I honestly didn't expect such positive changes so soon. I AM SO STOKED!!!

Maryl_E,

So happy to hear this! Hope things keep getting better and better for you : )