Health-spy chronic fatigue syndrome cfs cfids nlp m.e. fms

<body> <H1> Health-Spy </H1> <H4>Up-to-date information about possible causes and treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, M.E., CFS and CFIDS; also easy NLP and psychology techniques</H4> cure, cfs, chronic, fatigue, syndrome, post viral, pvfs, myofascial pain, mps, immune dysfunction, cfids, myalgic encephalomyelitis, me, m.e., fibromyalgia, fm, fms, nlp, probiotics, prebiotics, mycoplasma, cwd, multiple sclerosis, ms, neuro-linguistic programming, cancer, gulf war, leaky gut, lgs, psychology, transactional psycho-analysis, heavy metal toxicity, detoxification, candida overgrowth, parasites, bad bacteria, protozoa, protein digestion problems, disorders, thyroid, circadian rhythm, adrenal insufficiency, magnesium deficiency, insomnia, eric berne, tony robbins, unleash the power within, upw, living health, raw food diet, dale carnegie, taylor hartman, john grey, spirulina, chlorella, pca-rx, maxam, cilantro, whey, bio-energy healing, shiatsu, acupuncture, body stress release, bsr, drug, psychological addiction, omega 3, 6, 9, fats, fatty acids, ncd, natural cellular defense, waiora, serotonin, melatonin, noradrenaline, adrenaline, cortisol, anti-ageing, anti-aging cure, cfs, chronic fatigue syndrome, post viral fatigue syndrome, pvfs, chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome, cfids, myalgic encephalomyelitis, me, m.e., fibromyalgia, fm, fms, nlp, neuro-linguistic programming, cancer, gulf war syndrome, leaky gut syndrome, lgs, psychology, positive thinking, transactional psycho-analysis, heavy metal toxicity, detoxification, candida, parasites, protozoa, digestive problems, digestive disorders, thyroid problems, circadian problems, adrenal insufficiency, magnesium deficiency, insomnia, sleep disorders, stress, fight-or-flight response, eric berne, anthony robbins, tony robbins, unleash the power within, living health, raw food diet, dale carnegie, taylor hartman, john grey, spirulina, chlorella, pca-rx, maxam, cilantro, ultra muscleze, whey protein, similase, bio-energy healing, shiatsu, acupuncture, body stress release, bsr, drug abuse, psychological addiction, identity, youth culture, probiotics, prebiotics, mycoplasma, cancer, gulf war syndrome, multiple sclerosis, ms The purpose is to provide visitors with a clear, simple understanding of the causes of <b>Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)</b> and related conditions <b>Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome (PVFS) and Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS)</b>, and a no-nonsense approach to curing these complex conditions. There is significant evidence to suggest that many of the contributory factors of the above conditions may also be major factors in a wide variety of conditions, such as <b>Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.), Fibromyalgia (FM, FMS), Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and even Gulf War Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Autism</b> and <b>Cancer</b>.<br><bR> The causes of ME, FMS, IBS and MPS seem to follow those of CFS most closely, but may indeed be unconnected and/or vary in which factors apply, in which combination and severity, depending on the individual. Indeed, the rigid classification of some of these 'unusual' conditions is largely pointless as each condition in each individual is a unique combination of factors, and often predisposes individuals to seek a 'generic' treatment for the condition, which by definition will not work with everyone. There are a large number of people who suffer from only some of the symptoms of the above conditions severely, but suffer none of the other symptoms of the classic categorisation, and thus do not fit into any of the above categories. Indeed, most of the population suffers from some of the causes outlined in this web site in lesser degrees, meaning that they only experience some of the symptoms of 'classic' CFS very mildly, and not enough to stop them carrying on normal lives. The investigative approach is usually the same.<br><Br> The information on this site is intended to help sufferers of CFS, friends or relatives or sufferers, or those who just wish to have optimal rather than mediocre health. This site shows the general, universal, investigative approach and principles that may help to identify the causes, and then steps that could be taken to treat them, to enable a full recovery for the patient. It looks at the main methods of treating each condition available. It offers high level, general information, drawn from a wide variety of sources, and is meant to inspire further study and consultation with a specialist to engage in testing and the correct type of treatments. It is intended as an aid to help patients understand their treatment process. The level of detail is meant to help the sufferer to understand the nature of the causes and the treatments, but is not intended to be used as an 'self-prescribed remedy obtained from the internet'. The site advocates that all identification and treatment is conducted by a qualified specialist. Please see the <A HREF="termsofuse.html" target="rightside">terms of use</a> page.<br><br> The site also looks at the main theories of progressive psychology, bringing together a diversity of ideas and techniques, such as <b>NLP</b> and <b>Personality Types</b>, summarising the key areas for you. This section is intended for use by anyone, not just those with an interest in CFS or related conditions. Everyone can benefit! BlackSpy has attempted to integrate psychological theories from famous authors such as <b>Anthony Robbins</b> (Awaken The Giant Within, Unlimited Power), <b>Richard Bandler and John Grinder</b> (Frongs into Princes: Neuro-Linguistic Programming), <b>John Gray</b> (Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus), <b>Taylor Hartman</b> (The Colour Code) and <b>Eric Berne</b> (Games People Play). BlackSpy has also included some <b>Social Anthropology</b> theories and some ideas of his own. BlackSpy hopes you find this a unique approach. This site is intended to educate and inspire new thoughts and ideas, to encourage readers to ask the right questions, and ultimately inspire action for self-improvement.<br><br> The purpose of the site is to stop needless suffering and spread empowering knowledge to people of all religious and political beliefs, backgrounds and locations; to eliminate ignorance about mind and bodily health in a direct, but fun and respectful manner. The site is continually growing and new information is being added on a daily basis. I hope you enjoy this web site, and if you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to email us. Thank you. <B>Overview of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:</b><br><br> It is not this site's purpose to make gross generalisations about the various categories of <b>post viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS)</b>, or other related conditions, and to deal with them all in the same manner. These are all complex conditions, where the patient is suffering from a complex web of minor or major disorders or deficiencies. To interpret such patients as having one problem, and trying to fix with a single, universal cure or supplement will not work in the vast majority of cases, however well intentioned. Each case is unique, and takes many years to develop. People's physiology and genetic make up is different before we even subject each person to different factors and influences. Each patient has a unique combination of internal and external stressing factors, in varying degrees. In order to be successfully treated, one must get to the root(s) of the problem. Without addressing the primary causes, treatment may help for a while but is ultimately unlikely to be effective.<br><br> The whole concept of referring to people as having CFS, for example, is meaningless, as it confuses the issue and groups together people who probably have vastly different reasons for their health problems, but happen to display similar symptoms in many areas. The medical profession normally categories patients by the cause of their problem, not by their symptoms! When you are categorised by your symptoms, it normally means that the medical establishment doesn't know what to do with you. But patients are reassured because at least they can point a stick at the name of their condition. They crave a feeling of certainty, having been in a nightmare situation where no one has any certainty about their condition. Let us hope that in the future, terminology will be redefined, and will actually describe what is happening in the patient, the causes, rather than a blanket category to describe people with broadly similar symptoms, and thus can be used to accurately describe each person's condition. Terminology should define and reduce confusion, not cause confusion. CFS is a non-definition.<br><br> It is estimated that 5-10% of the population of the USA has suffered from mild symptoms/effects of Chronic Fatigue or related conditions at some point in their lives. Everyone seems to know someone with ME nowadays. This is abnormal! Is this a coincidence? Or is this condition actually increasing? Or are more people just admitting it now? And is there a link to our modern lifestyles? More and more people suffer from CFS and related conditions, but very few people seem to actually know how to treat or cure their conditions. Those who have friends or family with CFS or related conditions (as well as the general public) seem to be largely ignorant and have little understanding of the conditions involved. Perhaps they assume the victim of CFS is an 'exception', a 'freak anomaly that doesn't threaten their world view about health and cause and effect' and that it 'can't happen to me'.<br><Br> The unfortunate reality is that most sufferers are in the dark, get little or no help from their health service, from people they know, the media and private medical professionals. In most cases, they are told that they should rest and that there is no cure and that they must just manage their condition. The internet is full of confusing information and in many cases is conflicting and varying in credibility and accuracy. Sometimes it is safer to know nothing than to know only half the truth. Partial truth is often dangerous in any area of life. Many sufferers are forced to independently figure out what their illness or condition is caused by, and try treatments that seem plausible or that are recommended to attempt recovery and treatment. Health authorities should be providing proper guidance. Sufferers can feel emotionally isolated, mistreated, forgotten and often lack hope. It is sad that so many sufferers are in this situation and that the health service and government do so little to really tackle the problem and educate people. Many never figure their condition out and suffer needlessly for a large part of their adult lives. Literally millions of years of people's lives are being wasted because of widespread misinformation, misunderstanding and unwillingness by the governments and health services to look into the facts more closely. This affects not just CFS but health in general.<bR><br> The good news is that <b>CFS is indeed cureable</B>, but that the course of treatment is highly complex and has to be tailored to the individual's unique set of problems.<br><Br> Whilst the root causes of CFS is discussed on this site, there is significant evidence to suggest that some of these may also be major factors in a wide variety of conditions and diseases, such as <b>Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.), Fibromyalgia (FM, FMS), Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS), and even Gulf War Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Autism</b> and <b>Cancer</b>.<br><br> The causes of ME, FMS, IBS and MPS seem to follow those of CFS most closely, but may indeed be unconnected and/or vary in which factors apply, in which combination and severity, depending on the individual. Indeed, the rigid classification of some of these 'unusual' conditions is largely pointless as each condition in each individual is a unique combination of factors, and often predisposes individuals to seek a 'generic' treatment for the condition, which by definition will not work with everyone. There are a large number of people who suffer from only some of the symptoms of the above conditions severely, but suffer none of the other symptoms of the classic categorisation, and thus do not fit into any of the above categories. Indeed, most of the population suffers from some of the causes outlined in this web site in lesser degrees, meaning that they only experience some of the symptoms of 'classic' CFS very mildly, and not enough to stop them carrying on normal lives. Their symptoms are just an inconvenience. The investigative approach is usually the same regardless of the condition. Treatment of conditions such as MS, Autism and Cancer are clearly much more complex than treating CFS or related conditions. Prevention rather than cure is of course more desirable and much simpler! Prevention is however not always so profitable.<br><br> Many doctors, web sites and books have a tendency to promote the cure that worked for them, which of course may or may not work for everyone else, depending on what the predisposing factors are, what the root causes are. This site is not denying that many 'out of the box' or 'off the shelf' treatments for CFS and FMS do work and have considerable success with a large number of people. This site supports all progress in CFS patients and is respectful of the techniques that people use to treat their conditions. Whilst fixed solutions may indeed provide partial or full recovery in some patients, a single treatment may not work for everyone because of its specific focus, and because it does not identify and systematically treat the different possible permutations of different causes in other patients. This site encourages sufferers to carry on with whatever is working for them, but that they keep their options open and consider other possible causes and eliminate them one by one, and treat those that remain, in order to compliment what they are already doing and to amplify the effects of their current treatment or treatments. It is best not to make any assumptions or conjecture about what other contributory factors do and do not apply, until they have been definitely proven or ruled out.<br><br> Let's use a metaphor for a second. If doctor is used to treating people with cut fingers and routinely puts a plaster on the victims' fingers, making them feel better, he is likely to continue this approach with all other people who have cut fingers. Person A has just been in an explosion, and has had his leg severed, and happens to have a badly cut finger. If the doctor comes across person A, but it is a little dark, then he will try to help him of course. If however the doctor gives person A a plaster for his finger, and perhaps give him a manicure, but does not notice the absence of a leg because he wasn't looking carefully enough (it is dark!), then although person A's situation has indeed been improved in certain respects, but he is unlikely to feel any better! One of his problems (i.e. his cut finger) has been cured, but the overriding problem (i.e. his blown off leg and the resulting bleeding and infection) hasn't been tackled. For a doctor or specialist to prescribe a single solution to people who fit into a certain category or arbitrary classification without knowing what their actual individual problems are is unlikely to be successful or effective in all cases, even though he may well enjoy some success in some patients. It is more sensible to identify what the specific problems are in each individual, and then specifically treat them, in the order of highest priority first, taking into account any other complications.<br><Br> In addition, without knowing the exact severity of a problem, then taking too much or too little of the right supplement could be unnecessarily harmful or ineffective. For example, if you want to hammer a nail into a piece of wood, you won't get very far with a kid's plastic hammer. Nor will the piece of wood look very good if you drive over it with a steamroller (but the nail would be pushed in though!) So in addition, to identifying the problems, we need to establish the severity of each and therefore the most conservative but effective course of treatment.<br><Br> This site is for informational purposes and is not prescribing any kind of medical treatment. Anyone following any recommendations on this site do so entirely at their own risk. Anyone seeking treatment or instigating dietary changes should do so under supervision of a qualified specialist. The endocrine system in the body controls hormonal and neurotransmitter production and regulation. Hormones are the thermostats and regulators of the body's metabolism, and their production and balance is controlled by the hypothalamus in the brain. The hypothalamus releases neurotransmitters, which provide instructions to the various glands and regulate their hormone production. These glands include the pituitary gland (located in the brain), the pineal gland (also in the brain), the adrenal glands (one located on each kidney), the thyroid gland (located in the neck), ovaries in females (I think you know where these are) and testicles in males (are they those two...?[YES!!]...Ooooh!). The hypothalamus also produces a neurotransmitter oxytocin, which appears to be important in the hypothalamus' own performance.<br><br> A diagram and general introduction to the endocrine system can be viewed at the link shown below. Once viewed, click back on your browser to return to this page.<br><br> <a href="http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body_basics/endocrine.html" target="_blank">http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body_basics/endocrine.html</a><br><br> Ironically, the major factor behind fatigue in supposedly healthy and those who are chronically fatigued is usually hormonal imbalance, namely underactive adrenal and thryoid glands. Probably around 70% of people with CFS have underactive adrenal and thyroid glands. It is however unfashionable to focus on this, and 'experts' prefer to focus on factors like candida. The CFS web page on psychological management looks into stress, over activity and lack of rest periods as a factor for adrenal burn out. There are many other factors contributing to the stressing of the adrenals glands, such as high carbohydrate diet, nutritional deficiencies, prolonged periods of hunger between meals (3 large, square meals a day approach) and heavy metal toxicity.<br><br> The adrenal glands produce a number of hormones, cortisol, DHEA-S, aldosterone and estrogen and testosterone. The adrenal glands produce more cortisol in response to stress. Cortisol increase blood sugar levels and blood pressure and also controls immune function. Increased cortisol production is part of the fight or flight mechanism and allows us to effectively deal with stress. Of course, overproduction of cortisol through extended periods of stress will result in adrenal burnout and the eventual underproduction of cortisol and other adrenal hormones. DHEA-S is associated with feeling good and muscle growth, and natural production decreases with age, but dramatically so with CFS sufferers. Aldosterone helps in fluid and salt retention in the body (as well as vaspressin produced by the pituitary gland, an anti-diuretic hormone (ADH)). Symptoms of adrenal and pituitary hormone insufficiency include fatigue, poor ability to respond to stress with subsequent 'crashing', achiness and recurrent infections, hypoglycemia, frequent urination, constant thirst (despite high water intake), inability to retain fluids and salt effectively, low blood pressure and dizziness when first standing up.<br><br> The thyroid gland produces two primary thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Thyroid hormone underproduction is known as hypothyroidism, and may cause symptoms such as fatigue, confusion, achiness, intolerance to cold and constipation. T4 is converted in the body to T3, the active version of the thyroid hormone. In run down patients, the body may not be able to convert T4 into T3. Many thyroid hormone tests tend to focus on the T4 levels in the blood and thus may not provide useful results.<br><br> The pineal gland produces melatonin, which the body converts to seratonin. Seratonin is a hormone that makes us feel good naturally (ravers taking the drug ecstacy seek this elixir whilst similtaneously damaging their bodies and glands), and which allows the mind to calm down so that one can fall asleep easily and stay asleep. This gland, in conjunction with the adrenal glands, governs the body's day and night cycles (circadian rhythm). The pineal gland is supposed to produce its peak melatonin output at bedtime, at around 11pm normally. The adrenal glands are supposed to produce their peak amount of cortisol in the morning, and to stop production during the night. The problem is where the pineal gland is not producing enough melatonin. The brain does not calm down as easily and it is harder to fall asleep (and feel good naturally). Those patients with adrenal hormone insufficiency, not enough cortisol is produced during the day, causing inability to deal with stress effectively and frequent 'crashes', but because not enough cortisol is produced during the day, the adrenal glands are still producing cortisol at night, meaning the person wakes frequently, feeling awake and finds it very difficult to get back to sleep. Such a person may sleep a couple of hours a night, waking up anywhere between once and ten times a night, and perhaps only half-sleeping most of the night. See the CFS web page on insomnia for tips on effectively managing insomnia. The net effect is that the person cannot cope well with stress, has not had a proper night's sleep since the condition began (in turn making the condition worse - a downward spiral) and feels shattered all day.<br><br> The good news is that adrenal, thyroid and pineal insufficiency can be effectively treated. This can be done through a variety of methods, homeopathically, nutritionally (bovine adrenal cortex (e.g. NutriWest Core Level Adrenal), the amino acid tyrosine, B-vitamins, iodine, etc.), adaptogenic herbs (licorice, ginseng, cordyceps (e.g. Metagenics Adreset), Echinacea, ginkgo biloba, TCM herbs etc.), through other adaptogenic supplements such as Stabilium (Garum Amoricum - an ancient remedy for stress and fatigue) or Maxam Labs CRS (not aware of its effectiveness), and energetically through TCM, Shiatsu and/or Bio-Energy Healing. Some specialists recommend the use of adrenal or thyroid hormones and claim excellent results in patients. The effectiveness of hormones such as DHEA is inconsistent at best, and taking synthetically manufactured hormones is easing side effects of hormonal insufficiency. They are not actually curing the problem. They are not stimulating the adrenal glands. This is akin to a bald person wearing a toupe, rather than growing new hair (if this were possible)! The same can be said of taking Melatonin and 5-HTP, a precursor to Melatonin, however, these are shown to assist in sleeping in CFS patients, which can dramatically help in the healing process. This is discussed more in the section on Insomnia. Mitochonrial disfunction can also be a contributary factor in hypothalamic dysfunction. It is a good approach to treat multiple factors to CFS and related conditions, when building up the body, rather than focussing on one factor, as they are nearly always interlinked.<br><br> As you can see above, supporting the adrenal glands during treatment is critical, and treatment should be effectively customised for you by your naturopathic doctor or consultant. Self-prescription may be ineffective and may over-stimulate your adrenal glands and may exaccerbate hormonal imbalances rather than correct them. Failure to make progress in returning the hormonal balance (i.e. feeling good) during the course of one's treatment however can often indicate excessive heavy metal toxicity. Excessive heavy metals in the body tend to diminish hormone production, and if they are present, adrenal recovery is virtually impossible without undergoing a full detoxification process. This is something a good naturopath or consultant can advise you on and should notice. What is 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome'? Below we shall list the symptoms commonly associated with this condition and other related conditions.<br><br> <ul><ul><ul> <li>Flu-like headaches for days/weeks</li> <li>Tiredness</li> <li>Inability to recover from flu quickly (can take many months or even years for full recovery)</li> <li>Prolonged flu symptoms for weeks or months after a cold or flu</li> <li>Frequent recurrent viral infections and susceptiblity to viral and bacterial infections</li> <li>Insomnia (inability to stay asleep - i.e. waking 1-10 times a night or not sleeping at all)</li> <li>Spending a long time in bed, abnormally large requirement for sleep</li> <li>Very temperature sensitive when sleeping</li> <li>Muscle and joint weakness</li> <li>Muscle ache and tender spots</li> <li>Lower back pain/ache</li> <li>Tightness in cranium</li> <li>White coating on the tongue</li> <li>Bad breath</li> <li>Low blood pressure</li> <li>Slow body healing - joint/muscle injuries that never fully recover</li> <li>Inability to concentrate</li> <li>Mental cloudiness or 'brain fog'</li> <li>Low mental energy</li> <li>Low physical energy</li> <li>Inability to cope with stress</li> <li>Tendency for energy levels to 'crash' for hours/days/weeks if person overdoes things physically or mentally</li> <li>Inability to relax or for conscious mind to calm down</li> <li>Dizziness</li> <li>Depression</li> <li>Anxiety</li> <li>Tendency to become cold easily</li> <li>Bloated feeling in stomach and intestines</li> <li>Excessive wind</li> <li>Soft faeces</li> <li>Light coloured faeces</li> <li>Frequent bowel movements during day (3+), often for small amounts and often immediately after eating</li> <li>Frequent urination</li> <li>Excessive thirst</li> <li>Specific food allergies</li> <li>Itcy anus (occasionally or frequent)</li> <li>General ache in intestines/lower abdomen</li> <li>Pale complexion (a sun tan is no substitute for having enough blood in the face)</li> <li>Sugar cravings</li> <li>Extreme fatigue when hungry, poor blood sugar regulation</li> <li>Premature hair loss</li> <li>Excessive mucus production, sinusitis</li> <li>Decreased libido/sexual desire</li> <li>Weight gain through overeating</li> <li>Muscle loss through inability to exercise.</li> <li>Many more</li> </ul></ul></ul> <p>Severity of the above symptoms can vary considerable from person to person, and also which stage the person is at in the course of the illness. A person may feel relatively 'normal' for much of the time, and only 'crashing' or experiencing flu-like headaches if they have overdone things over a period of days. Depending on the exact cause, such a person may never 100% recuperate if the root cause is not addressed, and symptoms usually become worse over a period of time. <br><br> This is why it is critical to try to treat the person early on, as it is much easier and quicker! Severe patients may not be able to work. Or socialise. Or in extreme cases, may not be able to walk or hold things properly and even get out of bed for weeks on end. In such cases, muscle wasting makes matters worse.</p> <b>Bodily Requirements</b><br><br> Our bodies are magnificent devices, and have an amazing ability to heal themselves. However, the weak link in the chain is your mind! You mind controls the necessary inputs the body needs to function optimally. However, it frequently does not do its job properly as it is preoccupied with abstract matters. These inputs are summarised below, and are fairly obvious.<br><br> <ul><ul><ul> <li>Sufficient oxygen, clean air, correct breathing</li> <li>Sufficient clean water, bodily hydration</li> <li>Nutritious and uncontaminated food</li> <li>Sufficient sleep</li> <li>Sufficient rest, mental and physical</li> <li>Right amount and type of exercise for the individual given physical and mental condition</li> <li>Balanced emotions, no excesses of anger, frustration, worry or fear</li> <li>Proper posture and skeletal alignment</li> <li>Relaxed muscles</li> </ul></ul></ul> <p align="justify"><a href="#top">back to top</a><br><br><a name="causes">&nbsp</a><br> <B>What causes 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome'? Can it happen to me?</B><br><br> When the above inputs are inadequate, then a state of fatigue may arise. If out of balance over decades, then the body's functions may become seriously disrupted. Below we shall list some of the causes of CFS and related conditions, although the causes vary even more so than the symptoms themselves in terms of which apply and their severity. Please note that not all causes apply to all patients. This is not an exhaustive list.<br><br> <ul><ul><ul> <li>Excessive stress, mental trauma or negative belief systems, often resulting in adrenal burn out, i.e. being stuck in fight or flight response for long periods of time and never dissipating adrenaline. Worrying types, you know who you are!</li> <li>Too much heavy exercise, e.g. 5-7 times a week!</li> <li>Drug abuse, legal and/or illegal (e.g. alcohol, tobacco smoking, pharaceuticals, anti-depressants, marijuana/hashish smoking, cocaine, amphetamines, ecstacy, LSD, heroin, etc.)</li> <li>Modern rush-rush lifestyle, with little chance for proper rest and mental quiet times</li> <li>Insufficient sleep (too many late nights, disrupted sleep)</li> <li>Shallow breathing means the body is short of oxygen</li> <li>Poor diet (too much sugar, too much simple carbohydrate and starchy food, too much fried food, too little fibre, too few fruit and vegetables, too little or too much raw food, too many preservatives/pesticides/heavy metals/biotoxins/carcinogens/free radicals etc.)</li> <li>Introduction of foreign organisms into intestinal tract and rest of body (e.g. candida, bad bacteria, mycoplasma, fungus, protozoa, parasites, etc.) through contaminated food/food poisoning or low protein diet which results in too little stomach acid being produced, which in turn reduces the stomach's defences to invasion! Other sources include the air we breathe (fungus present in modern, carpetted city homes with inadequate ventilation, unclean kitchens and shower cabinets, rotting food in trash cans and dust bins, car and office air conditioning systems that are often inadequately serviced and not regularly decontaminated, etc.)</li> <li>Over use of anti-biotics, resulting in the destruction of beneficial gut flora (bacteria) and susceptibility to bad bacterial and candida overgrowth</li> <li>Over use of synthetic anti-inflammatory drugs, which weaks the intestinal lining and reduces digestive efficiency, thus overburdening the immune system, and also pharmaceutical drugs everytime we have a cold or headache, etc.</li> <li>Leaking mercury/silver amalgam fillings - introducing heavy metals into the body</li> <li>Introduction of heavy metals into the body through amalgam fillings, contaminated water supply (lead pipes) or through air, through fish consumption (mercury increases in concentration as it passes up through the food chain), through aluminium cans for drink, aluminium foil using for baking, aluminium salts in deodorants, etc.</li> <li>Living in a polluted area (every town, anywhere near a road)</li> <li>Physical injury, physical trauma, skeletal problems, muscle injuries or poor muscle tone, tendon/ligament inflammation or scar tissue.</li> <li>Some of above factors passed onto child from mother in the womb</li> </ul></ul></ul> <p align="justify"> Please bear in mind that it is easy to think that our current diet is 'normal' and humans have been eating like this for centuries, even millennia. This is not the case, and western diets have hugely changed over the last 100 years. Several hundred years ago, it was rare for the common population to eat any sugar at all. It was a luxury reserved for royalty. Now, we consume huge amounts of sugar. Drinking raw milk was also commonplace at the turn of the century, but now virtually all milk is pasturised, denaturing the certain amino acids and killing off naturally occurring enzymes etc. Tescos ready-made dinners were also not the common staple of 19th Century westerners. There are many other examples, but I am sure you get the general picture. <br><br><a href="#top">back to top</a><br><br><a name="effects">&nbsp</a><br> <b>Effects of the above factors on the body:</b><br><br> The above factors may result in a number of effects on the body. These are listed below, and are explored in more detail in subsequent sections. Each person has a unique combination of the problems below. The specific root problems that a person has need to be identified before they can be dealt with properly.<br><br> <ul><ul><ul> <li>Toxicity</li> <li>Digestive Problems and bacterial/mycoplasma/fungal/parasitic systematic infection</li> <li>Adrenal Gland/Thyroid Gland underproduction</li> <li>Insomnia</li> <li>Vitamin and Mineral (Nutritional) Deficiencies</li> <li>Cell membrane problems</li> <li>Fatty acid imbalance</li> <li>Immune System Depression</li> <li>Mitochondrial</li> <li>Skeletal, muscular, tendon and joint problems</li> <li>Others</li></ul></ul></ul> <p align="justify"><a href="#top">back to top</a><br><br><a name="children">&nbsp</a><br> <b>Children and Teenagers with CFS:</b><br><br> Whilst many of the above causes may apply to people who do not suffer from CFS or related conditions, this is not to say that they are particularly healthy either. CFS happens gradually over a period of many years, usually afflicting people in their 20s or 30s. It is not a binary condition.<br><br> It is becoming increasingly common for young children and teenagers to become affected by CFS or related conditions. Surely the above causes don't really apply to babies? Whilst increasingly unhealthy diet and lifestyles are partly to blame for CFS or related conditions in teenagers, one can also assume that it is likely they were actually born with some of the above problems. This explains why children as young as 3 or 4 can have CFS or related conditions. BlackSpy believes this is a result of the biochemical, immune system and toxic condition of the mother as opposed to genetic characteristics. A mother may well building up minor health problems and bodily biochemical dysfunction over 20 to 30 years of life of poor nutrition and lifestyle, stress and environmental exposure. However, when it comes to rearing a child, the child in the womb absorbs all the toxins and harmful micro-organisms from the mother through the umbilical cord. Even slight affliction of digestive unhealth, impaired immune system functioning (often resulting in overgrowth of bad bacteria, mycoplasma fungus and/or parasites) nutritional deficiencies and toxicity will be passed on to the child in the womb. The foetus is effectively lightly poisoned from the actual egg stage and inception onwards. Red Cross studies have shown that umbilical cords contain up to 200 different toxic compounds, 60 of which are carcinogenic. The umbilical cord does not contain a filter to remove toxins in anticipation of poor life management of the mother. The human body's biology has not taken that into consideration and assumes that the mother is doing her job properly by staying alive, safe, warm and eating healthily. Of course, the foetus has a liver too (depending on how old it is) to filter out some of the toxins, assuming it is fully healthy.<bR><br> Over generations, this effect is likely to be amplified. This is no doubt exaccerbated by the decline in the quality of diets over the last 100 years and it is highly likely that the general health of new born babies has declined over this period. This is probably why we are seeing more and more CFS cases now. And this trend is likely to continue and intensify for the forseeable future unless radical lifestyle changes become the norm and popular across the whole of society. Afflicted families may well more than one child developing CFS, as well as perhaps the mother to a lesser extent. This may also be partly due to the food prepared in the household, which is normally a common factor to all family members. Parents therefore pass their poor nutritional habits onto their children. What a gift! What a start in life! Many mothers give sugar containing foods and processed foods to babies, setting the child up for further digestive system impairment later in life.<br><br> In strictly biological terms, the ill health of the father does not influence the biological health of his child at birth. The father has merely contributed his sperm to fertilise the mother's egg in the uterus. The father is not biologically related or connected to the mother. The mother however passes her blood to the foetus for 9 months prior to birth of the child. So the mother's health during child rearing is of critical importance. It could be said that women who intend to one day bear a child or several children should take particular care with respect to their digestive health, levels of toxicity and nutrition, as it affects not only themselves but their children. For men, their health affects only themselves. However, their dietary and lifestyle habits may well indeed influence the mother's and hence the children. It is therefore every adult's responsibility to look after his health and to become knowledgeable in what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and how to maintain a healthy body and mind.<br><Br> The woman's body is genetically designed to pass on more nutrients such as amino acids on to the baby in the event of starvation. In the case of mothers with chronic nutritional deficiencies, there simply aren't enough of the deficient nutrients to provide for both the mother's and child's requirements. The result is that neither mother nor child get enough of certain key minerals, amino acids and vitamins. This is partly on account of the poor nutritional value of the modern diet but also because most people's digestive systems are not working at optimum efficiency either. The average person doesn't not fulfill his requirements with a poor to average diet and taking a multivitamin tablet daily. It is likely that the nutritional deficiencies, foreign micro-organisms and toxicity from birth have increased gradually over the last hundred years on account of shifting diets and increasing environmental exposure and pollution. Of course, BlackSpy is not looking back on history with rose tinted spectacles, and lack of basic healthcare, smog, industrial pollution and limited food type availability etc. have played a significant impact on people in the past few hundred years also. So we've improved some areas and gone backwards in others.<br><br> It is also observed that mothers who have multiple children in close succession often suffer from nutritional deficiencies, partly because they pass more nutrients onto their children than they use for themselves, and that the body does not have time to recover and restore the balance of nutrients before the next child is conceived. This can result in successive children being born with increased nutritional deficiencies.<br><br> In cases of severe heavy metal toxicity of new born babies, the mother often has a history of a leaking mercury filling, recent dental surgery, a filling become chipped or elevated biotoxin levels during pregnancy. These toxins are transferred directly to the baby via the umbilical cord.<br><br> Chinese medicine believes that people are born with certain genetic dispositions with regards to energy weakness in certain areas (for example, low kidney or spleen energy). However, this is in all likelihood a function of the toxic burden and nutritional deficiencies that a child may be born with, with impacts the child's health from birth (or perhaps before!) BlackSpy does not personally believe in genetic predisposition when it comes to CFS, but in a 'genetic' personality type or types that one is born with, which if negative characteristics of the respective personality types take hold, then unhealthy emotional imbalance will result, with associated health impact. However, who is to say if we can't discount genetics completely from the equation. But seeing as you can't change your genetics, but you can influence everything else mentioned above, then it's not really worth exploring! It is clear that a mother's health is critical in conjunction with child bearing. What can we do about it? How can we ensure we overcome these health issues and stay in optimum health? Please read on. Johnathan Kerr of St George's University of London has conducted a research project into the genetic causes of 'M.E./C.F.S.' This was discussed at a seminar held by M.E. Research UK in Cambridge in May 2008 - as reported by The Economist on 10th May 2008.<bR><bR> Quoted directly from M.E. Research UK's web site:<bR><bR> <a href="http://www.meresearch.org.uk/research/projects/genesnps.html" target="_blank">www.meresearch.org.uk/research/projects/genesnps.html</a><bR><bR> 'Dr Jonathan Kerr’s group has been one of the most active in defining the molecular basis of ME/CFS. Their initial study of gene expression in patients demonstrated marked human gene dysregulation, principally affecting the immune system. And in 2007, the latest in a series of papers was published in the Journal of Clinical Pathology outlining the identification of a putative ‘gene signature’ for the illness consisting of 88 human genes. These genes can be subdivided into categories by diseases and disorders, say, or by molecular and cellular functions. The research team says that three of the genes identified are directly linked with mitochondrial metabolism, and a further ten have indirect links with mitochondrial metabolism. As these 88 genes have been linked directly to the pathogenesis of ME/CFS, the next step is to study the inherited determinants of susceptibility by examining single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), pronounced ‘snips’, within these genes. Some SNPs have been linked with features and complications which might be associated with ME/CFS (e.g., IL10RA SNPs are associated with lymphoma, a disease which some have speculated occurs more frequently in ME/CFS).'<bR><br> Dr Kerr claims to have identified 88 genes that are expressed differently in the blood of (a group of 55) patients who had been diagnosed with 'M.E.' Dr Kerr is hopeful that a blood test can be created to identify these genes and thus provide a definitive 'diagnosis' for 'M.E.' One tactic for 'dealing with M.E.' is to 'treat' its symptoms with drugs that are already used against other diseases, e.g. drugs to increase blood pressue in those with low blood pressure and irregular heartbeat.<bR><br> The number of patients examined is extremely low in relative terms and whether these results can be applied to all sufferers of CFS or M.E. is another matter. Indeed, how many people who 'did not have CFS' were studied to determine that they did not possess any of these 88 genes? i.e. conclusive prove of a binary finding. It may also be possible that on account of the small control group that there is in fact no connection between 'M.E.' and these 88 genes. It does not bode well for scientific analysis if the terms 'M.E.' and CFS are used interchangeably as the symptoms are slightly different.<bR><bR> In addition, assuming that all cases of 'M.E.' have a genetic cause may be barking up the wrong tree entirely. We need to define what is a 'cause' and what is a 'trigger'. And indeed if there is just one cause or multiple interrelating causes. If indeed these SNPs are connected with 'M.E.' cases, then they may be just one of many 'predisposing' factors rather than an actual (primary) cause of the condition. In other words, whilst those with these SNPs may be more likely to develop symptoms of CFS or M.E., they are probably not the actual cause, and indeed, in order to 'trigger' these conditions, a variety of other contributary factors must be present.<br><br> In a sense, then, genetics may be completely irrelevant, as they may have no bearing on the actual treatment and eventual cure. Indeed, if people who have never had M.E. or CFS have these SNPs, does this necessarily mean anything? Unless we establish a larger experimental group and survey, then the results cannot really be conclusive. Are those that carry these genes a 'genetic timebomb' who will 'probably' or 'definitely' develop M.E.? If so, when? M.E. can be seen in young children as well as those in their 20s and 30s. It is sometimes developed in those in their 60s. It must presumably be determined with 100% certainty that every single person who never develops M.E. during their lifetime does not have any of these 88 genes. Is this a realistic thing to verify? One would presumably need to study 1000s if not 10s or 100s of thousands of people, not 50-100!<bR><bR> Indeed, what about those who suffer from brief periods of exhaustion or fatigue in their lives but never 'develop traditional M.E.'? Are the causes of their temporary biochemical and mitochondrial inefficiency analysed? And do they have genetic causes? How can only explain temporary M.E. like symptoms that afflict 'non-M.E.' cases compared with 'actual M.E.' cases? Is Dr Kerr suggesting that only the latter case is due to genetic causes? Presumably given enough abuse, the bodies of those in the former case will end up like the latter case (i.e. with full blown Chronic Fatigue)?<bR><bR> Post Viral Fatigue is considered by most medical professionals to be distinct from M.E. or CFS, as it is a temporary condition. Yet most M.E. and CFS cases 'originate' from a viral episode. Are they so very different? Of course, in reality, one can trace the onset of a CFS debility to long before the actual trigger of a virus or bacterial infection etc., in terms of biochemistry etc. What about the many people who have had Post Viral Fatigue briefly - indeed this is said to have afflicted most people at one time or other (of course, some people more severely or more frequently than others)? A team of Australian researchers has postulated that many cases of 'M.E.' are in fact Post Viral Fatigue. Do these arbitrary classifications really mean anything? BlackSpy himself had 'just' PVFS for 1-2 months after each bout of flu during his early 20s, but once recovered from this, felt 'normal'. However it was not until his 30s that he developed CFS. Were these then 'unrelated'. It is clear that arbitrary classifications are often used to imply a diagnosis or 'measurement' or 'qualitative' analysis of a condition, when in reality there is no basic understanding of what the condition actually is and what biochemical factors have been working to bring it about over a long length of time. Unless one is going to analyse what is going on on a biochemical level in people with these different conditions, these distinct classifications are quite meaningless. To classify them as different conditions is to then give licence to ignore any possible connections between one and the other, and in short, to utterly miss the point.<bR><bR> If specific genes do in fact negatively affect mitochondrial function or the immune system in those afflicted, does this automatically mean that these people will develop disorders associated with poor mitochondrial function or immune function, e.g. M.E.? Clearly there are many possibilities here, and we are specifically talking about those 88 genes mentioned above. The studies by Dr Kerr seem to imply (if we assume the small number of subjects is reflective of the general population and M.E. sufferers as a whole), that assuming those who have one or more of these genes have an equivalent lifestyle to those who don't (i.e. the 'average', career oriented, modern lifestyle with a heavy reliance on processed foods, an excessive simple carbohydrate intake, a relatively low fibre intake, and an excessive exposure to harmful electromagnetic fields and excessive psychological stress), then the results would indeed be correct. However, because one has one or more of the above genes, does it necessary imply that one will develop M.E. at some seemingly random point in one's life? Presumably if one looked after one's mind and body properly, had a healthy diet, a good Omega 3 to 6 ratio, detoxified the tissues of the body, ensured plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables in the diet, low levels of psychological stress, ensured sufficient vitamin and mineral levels in the body and minimal exposure to harmful EM fields, then it is highly likely that such a person even with one or more of these 'M.E. predisposing' genes would in fact be healthier than the 'average' 'healthy' member of the population and in fact never develop M.E., CFS or any other environmentally related illness. To say that this gene was the cause of M.E. would be foolish if the other factors working on an 'average' person with these genes were more significant - they could in fact be said to be the primary causes of the condition. So naturally, if people with these genes with an 'average' lifestyle, i.e. one that is somewhat abusive to the body, may well end up in Dr Kerr's group of people with M.E. with one or more of these 88 genes! Clearly if they hadn't, then chances are they would have had M.E. and thus would not have been studied by Dr Kerr or anyone else. So whether this research actually proves anything other than genetics having a minor role is pure speculation, unless other factors are also taken into consideration.<bR><bR> Dr Julia Newton of Newcastle University believes that the early build up of lactic acid in M.E. patients engaging in exercise could be influenced entirely, or at least in part, by the degree to which the autonomic nervous system fails to properly maintain blood flow. She believes it could also mean that drugs used to improve blood flow might also be of help to some M.E. patients. However, has she considered other factors that result in early lactic acid build up? For example factors affecting mitochondrial efficiency such as availability of Krebs cycle co-factors at the mitochondrial membrane? The cell membrane fluidity? The amount of congestion and partial detoxification products on the mitochondrial membrane? The 'qi' levels of that person? And any number of other factors that may affect mitochondrial and aerobic efficiency? Perhaps she might consider widening the focus of her research somewhat in order to find out what factors actually were in play causing the low blood flow in the first place, e.g. the historical biochemistry of the patient.<bR><bR> Stephen Graves of the Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory, said that they had found a proportion of Australian M.E. sufferers may have a genetic predisposition to developing M.E. as a result of exposure to Q Fever or Flinders Island Spotted Fever (rare bacterial diseases). If so, Dr Graves believes that occurrences of M.E. may be greatly reduced by public health measures. However, much as a bacterial or viral episode may be a trigger for CFS and M.E. in many patients, are we focussed on the very last downstream factor in our view of these conditions? And blindly ignoring all the primary causes that resulted in an inefficient immune system function and biochemistry, where the body was gradually weared down over time, with a particularly bad viral or bacterial episode resulting in the immune system being overstrained and the patient developing the stereotypical symptoms of M.E.? Are we viewing 'M.E.' too narrowly as a set of symptoms and not dealing with the actual mechanisms and causes? Presumably if we focus on a downstream trigger, then we are playing a dangerous game, kidding ourselves that those with frail immune systems and mitochondrial/endocrine issues, but who don't display too many adverse symptoms, are in fact 'healthy', and it is only when the trigger 'causes' the symptoms to appear that the person is now 'sick'. This is a rather short sighted approach. A little like trying to stop drunk drivers getting into their cars, rather than addressing the reasons why they drink and drive so they don't take a drink in the first place if they know they need to drive later on.<bR><BR> If the bacterial infection was not the primary cause, but just a superficial trigger, then surely one should be more focussed on why an infection or virus should be a trigger in some people and not others in developing 'M.E.'? One may arbitrarily attribute this to genetics (and assume there are no other factors), or one could look at other factors that affect the immune system health and mitochondrial efficiency - in those that develop 'M.E.' after these bacterial episodes, and those that developed 'M.E.' through a different medical history, and those that do 'have M.E.'; and perhaps even those that 'just' have Post Viral Fatigue (PVFS) occasionally. Compare these people's lifestyles (stress, diet etc. over many years), endocrine systems, mitochondrial efficiency, the presence and levels of mitochondrial co-factors, mineral and B-vitamin levels, appearance of their red and white blood cells, any signs of oxidative damage, the cell membrane fluidity, the amount of partial detoxification products blocking the mitochondrial membranes, the level of toxins in the blood and tissues etc. Perhaps even compare these factors before and after the bacterial infection, in those who did and didn't develop 'full blown M.E.' and also those somewhere in between (i.e. PVFS). Ideally one would monitor these factors over a period of many years.<bR><bR> Clearly there are many factors to consider, and assuming that genes predispose one to 'CFS' or 'M.E.' would probably be foolish and stop one examining environmental, toxicological, psychological and dietary factors that may actually be the primary cause. Of course, scientists and researchers do not like 'messy' problems and like to indentify a single 'cause', and assume they are working with control groups when in fact they are not as there are so many other factors in play that they are not considering. They do not also like to consider the magnitude of health problems amongst the majority of the population and what indeed constitutes a 'healthy body'. Attitributing genetics to the cause of CFS is a little like saying that because you are short sighted you will invariably have a car accident; or because you are skinny, you will invariably drown. There are many layers of potentially incorrect assumptions here. BlackSpy is all for genetic research into 'M.E.', but as long as it is done in a scientific manner, and taking many other factors into consideration, and done with some basic understanding of cellular health and biochemistry. To not do so is to waste money and the opportunity for actually usable research. <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="5"><b><u>Digestive Disorders</u></b></p> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"> <p align="justify"> <a href="#introduction">Introduction</a><br> <a href="#insufficient">Insufficient Stomach Acid/Digestive Enzyme Production</a><br> &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp<a href="#betaine">Betaine Hydrochloride</a><br> &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp<a href="#enzymes">Digestive Enzymes</a><br> &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp<a href="#precursors">Pre-cursors</a><br> &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp<a href="#herbs">Herbs</a><br> &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp<a href="#stocks">Stocks</a><br> <a href="#spirulina">Assimilable Protein Sources: Spirulina, Chlorella and Quality Whey</a><br> <a href="#hot">Hot and Cold Energy</a><br> <a href="#acid">Acidity and Alkalinity</a><br> <a href="#combining">Food Combining</a><br> <a href="#harmful">Harmful micro-organisms in large & small intestine/system-wide</a><br> &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp<a href="#bacteria">Bad Bacteria</a><br> &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp<a href="#candida">Candida Albicans (Fungus/Mould)</a><br> &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp<a href="#lgs">Leaky Gut Syndrome (LGS)</a><br> &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp<a href="#parasites">Parasites</a><br> <a href="#anti">The Anti-Candida Diet</a><br> <a href="#mucoid">Mucoid Plaque and Dietary Fibre Intake</a><br> <a href="#fatty">'Good' and 'Bad' Fats - Fatty Acid Imbalances</a><br> <a href="#free">Free Radicals and Oxidative Damage</a><bR> <a href="'#junk">Processed and Convenience Foods</a><br> <a href="#organic">Organic Foods and 'Health' Foods</a><br> <a href="#personal">BlackSpy's Own Dietary Regime</a><bR> <br><a name="introduction">&nbsp</a><br><b>Introduction:</b><br><br> Digestion of food gives us our energy and our nutrients. With this impaired, we do not have a solid foundation for life itself. Digestive disorders can be classed into basic three categories, acid/enzyme production, mucoid plaque and foreign organisms.<br><br> A brief overview of the human digestive system can be found at the link below.<br><br> <a href="http://www.biologymad.com/Digestion/Digestion.htm" target="_blank">http://www.biologymad.com/Digestion/Digestion.htm</a><br><br><a href="#top">back to top</a><br><br><a name="insufficient">&nbsp</a> <br> <b>Insufficient stomach acid / digestive enzyme production:</b><br><br> Please see the overview of the different digestive enzymes producted by the stomach and pancreas at the wikipedia link below.<br><Br> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestive_enzyme" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestive_enzyme</a><bR><br> A description and diagrams of the stomach can be found at the Wikipedia link below.<br><br> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stomach" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stomach</a><br><br> There are 3 main valves in the digestive tract, one at the top of the stomach, one at the 'bottom' (and to the side) of the stomach (between the stomach and the small intestine), and one at the end of the small intestine (between the small intestine and the large intestine (the colon)). The purpose of the valve at the top of the stomach is to prevent the contents of one's stomach from pouring up the throat and out of the mouth if one is lying down or bending down! Overeating can sometimes temporarily open this valve and cause stomach acid to rise up into the mouth. the purpose of the valve at the 'bottom' of the stomach is to control when food is passed into the small intestine (i.e. when the body determines that sufficient stomach digestion has taken place and protein break down), in small amounts at a time, and to prevent stomach acid from simply pouring into the small intestine. When the stomach 'rumbles' or makes a gurgling sound, it is not because the stomach is asking you for more food (!), it is the process of opening and closing the valve and allowing some of the content of your stomach to pass into the small intestine. The purpose of the valve at the end of the small intestine is to similarly regulate when digested and waste matter is to be passed into the ascending colon.<br><bR> The stomach is lined with mucus to prevent stomach acid from attacking the lining of the stomach. The stomach in normal and optimal healthy circumstances regulates the amount of acid it produces in accordance to the amount and type of food in the stomach, and is highly acidic. Sufficient acidity is required to break down proteins effectively and also to absorb nutrients. When food moves from the stomach into the small intestine, the liver secretes bile into the duodenum to help neutralise the acidic chyme (mixture of semi-digested food and stomach juices) that has come from the stomach such that the pH in the small intestine and large intestine becomes approximately neutral. The mucusal tissue of the small intestine is alkaline so that pH of the semi-digested food moving through the small intestine gradually increases to around 8.5. This alkaline environment is required for many of the pancreatic enzymes to function. The pH of the large intestine depends on the metabolic activity and the nature of waste products excreted by the micro-organisms in the stool, to some extent.<bR><bR> A description of the pancreas can be found at the Wikipedia link below.<bR><br> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancreas" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancreas</a><bR><bR> Patients with CFS or related disorders most frequently have protein digestion problems and nutrient absorption. This has a knock on effect on muscular and joint integrity. Without sufficient essential and non-essential amino acids to use to repair and build the body, the patient can fall into a never-ending cycle of re-injury and susceptibility to new injuries, leading to muscle volume decrease and eventual immobility. Amino acids and the body's ability to break down protein and synthesise different amino acids (including processes like methylation) is essential in a huge number of bio-chemical processes in the body, including for example the synthesis of enzymes and other vital types of protein. The cause of this is insufficient stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) and digestive enzyme production and excretion by the stomach and also pancreas into the small intestine. Even if the patient has a high protein diet, the proteins are not broken down and digested properly. A tell tale sign is frequent, pungent wind. 'Wet' or 'damp' wind is associated with incomplete oil and fat digestion and may imply an excessive amount of oil/fat consumed for the current state of the digestive system. Odourless wind is usually CO2 and is in general a sign of taking too much antacid tablets or excessive parasite, bad bacterial or candida overgrowth in the colon.<bR><bR> Another effect of insufficient stomach acid and enzyme production is the inability to extract and absorb vital nutritional elements from food and even supplements, for example magnesium, calcium, zinc or potassium, and prolonged time food is spent in the stomach. In addition, inefficient amino acid conversion and stress can result in the wasting of vital amino acids in the kidneys into the urine, for example, Taurine, which is required to effectively transport minerals into the tissues and cells. This can over long periods of time result in huge cellular nutritional element deficits. Please see the <a href="nutritional.html" target="rightside">Nutritional Deficiencies</a> page for more information.<br><br> Poor protein digestion can also result in peptide complexes attaching themselves to the mitochondrial membrane, perhaps causing mitochondrial clumping (which in turn may disturb the function of the cytoskeleton within the cytoplasm of the cells). This does not normally affect translocator protein sites, but could affect ATP function in a more general way. More information on cell membrane congestion can be found in the <a href="identification" target="_blank">identification</a>, <a href="nutritional.html" target="_blank">nutrition</a> and <a href="toxicity.html" target="_blank">toxicity</a> pages. Cytoskeleton is defined by wikipedia below.<bR><bR> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytoskeleton" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytoskeleton</a><bR><bR> Remember that the mouth is part of your digestive system. Saliva contains enzymes that help to break down food whilst it is still in the mouth. The purpose of chewing is not simply to break food into swallowable sized chunks and to titilate your taste buds. Chewing is a necessary part of digestion and it increases the surface area of the food to ensure it is digested properly further downstream. If food is swallowed in chunks rather than as a paste, then you are simply reducing the surface area of digestion. The Edwardians went to great lengths to chew their food at mealtimes and stereotypically looked down and chewed sometimes up to 100 times before swallowing! People were very concerned with health and digestion in those days. Now people are too impatient for everything and rush everything, not really savouring or experiencing the here and now in any detail. A tell tale sign of improper or insufficient chewing is finding small pieces of undigested food in one's stool. If this happens to you, then remember to chew your food more. You might even taste it! Chewing also sends a signal to the brain to begin the sensation of being full. If one eats too quickly or does not chew one's food very much, then one may not feel full until one has overeaten.<br><bR> Please note that during a period of CFS or related conditions, one's level of regular physical activity may go up and down depending on a number of factors, for example how much energy one has. This has a knock-on effect on one's resting metabolic rate. This in turn has an effect on one's digestion and rate of digestion, and hence appetite. A reduction in regular physical activity thus means that one needs to eat less often or smaller meals (or both). If one rigidly sticks to the same routine or portion sizes, one my find oneself at times overloading one's stomach's capabilities, which could lead to severe digestive problems and unpleasantness as described above! Overloading may result in meals being taken later and later, and an evening meal eaten too close to bedtime will often lead to a feeling of 'lead' in the stomach and an inability to get to sleep. Listen to your body and adapt accordingly.<bR><bR> It is probably sensible to eat one's meal slowly and savour the taste of what one is eating. Trying to be in the 'here and now'. Often, if one rushes a meal, then one isn't really focussed on what is going on, and the ego may then require a large quantity to get the same level of stimulation. One is in a sense tasting the memory rather than the actual taste of what is in the mouth. Eating more slowly may also help one to sense when one is becoming full. Often, when sitting down it is difficult to feel how full one is, and it is only when one stands up that one notices how full the stomach really is. It may help to periodically stand up during the course of a meal to feel what is going on and to know when one is comfortably full. For those 'blue' personality types, who suffer from the negative personality traits/tendencies of perfectionism, obsessive nature etc., be careful not to feel that you have to eat every single thing on your plate in order to 'complete' the 'task' and to 'pass the test'. You are not going to get a pat on the back for doing this and often it will lead to overeating and training the mind to ignore what the body wants and how it feels, and to override this forcefully with this obsessive urge! You may find it useful to leave an amount of food on the plate after each meal in order to 'deprogram' this tendency.<bR><bR> If you do not produce enough stomach acid, then it may help your digestion to consume a food type that is acidic increase the acidity in your stomach and thus aid in the breakdown of protein and other nutrients. For example, bio-live natural yoghurt is slightly acidic and also contains probiotic bacteria. In general, when a strong base metal reacts with a strong acid (e.g. HCl), then the resulting salt in neutral in solution. In addition, in general, when a strong base metal (e.g. sodium, calcium, magnesium, etc.) combines with a weak acid (e.g. an organic acid like an amino acid), then the resulting salt is basic (alkaline in solution). The converse is also true. Amino acid salts tend to have the word ending '-ate'. So Magnesium Glycinate (amino acid salt of Magnesium) is slightly alkaline in solution. Sodium Ascorbate (ascorbic acid (vitamin C) salt of magnesium is slightly alkaline in solution) etc. Bear this in mind when combining your supplement intake with your meal.<bR><bR> Some nutritionists are of the opinion that spinach is harder to digest than other vegetables, so if you have a problem with your stomach acid production and digestion in general, eating spinach regularly may not be such a good idea - it may be more sensible to stick to other vegetables.<bR><bR> A tip for aiding digestion is to avoid any activity that draws blood away from the stomach and intestines for at least one hour and preferably two hours after a meal. This includes heavy exercise and taking a hot bath or shower. And also mental stress (at any time of the day) which diverts blood away from the digestive tract. In addition, for an impaired digestive system, it is better to avoid large meals and instead eat smaller amounts more often, spreading out one's food intake as much as possible during the day. It is not particularly helpful to starve oneself for hours and then have a heavy meal. Heathly and light snacks can be consumed between meals, for example. Large meals can not only overload the digestive system but cause 'energetic damage' to the body's meridians. Overeating can also result in stretching of the colon, which can result in excessive built up of stool in the ascending colon. It is also psychologically unhealthy and serves to mask/distract attention from underlying issues to do with stress and self-esteem.<br><br> The stress response draws blood away from the digestive tract, and as such, it is generally a bad idea to eat a large meal when one is feeling stressed, as there will be less blood available to absorb nutrients and potentially less digestive enzyme production.<br><bR> Vinegar suppresses enzyme production associated with starch digestion. This may be viewed as a good thing if one is dieting or a bad thing if one is eating the correct amount of food! Vinegar is also acidic, which may add to one's level of stomach acid if insufficient or result in excess acid consumption in those with enough stomach acid. Whether the Brits came upon pouring vinegar on their chips (French Fries) by accident or not is another matter! However, excess undigested or partially digested starch in the digestive tract is likely to be broken down by bad bacteria which is not a good thing.<bR><bR> <a href="http://health.howstuffworks.com/the-health-benefits-of-vinegar3.htm" target="_blank">http://health.howstuffworks.com/the-health-benefits-of-vinegar3.htm</a><bR><bR> If you eat nuts and seeds, then it may be beneficial to soak them for 2 hours prior to consumption. This helps to remove the enzyme inhibitors and mineral absorption inhibiting phytic acid. One may choose to also soak the seeds overnight in order to begin sprouting them. Please see the link below for more information.<bR><BR> <a href="http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/nuts_soaked_dried_organic.htm" target="_blank">www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/nuts_soaked_dried_organic.htm</a><br><bR> As a general rule, red meat takes longer to pass through the GI tract than white meats, fish and pulses (other protein sources). The prolonged period of passage through the digestive tract may result in more decomposition of the food and may use up more energy during this prolonged digestion process.<br><Br> Some people have the reverse problem, in that their stomach's produce too much acid, rather than too little, i.e. heartburn. This is not as common as producing too little stomach acid amongst sufferers of CFS and related conditions. It is often caused by a high junk food or acidic food intake (fried foods, excessive consumption of red meats and processed meats, sweets, etc). Simply shifting the diet away from these food types and eating more salads, fruit, vegetables etc, will often cure the problem. However, additional steps can be taken to alleviate symptoms. Various antacid tablets are available from chemists, but these tend to produce a great deal of CO2 (i.e. increase wind). The more natural and nutritionally beneficial approach is to take an alkaline substance such as an algae like chlorella or spirulina, or perhaps some magnesium supplements (all of which are alkaline in nature). Drinking additional water will also help to dilute the stomach acid (ionised water is slightly alkaline also). Taking stomach acid production suppressants is a rather short sighted way of curing the problem, as often people will take these so that they don't have to improve their diet.<br><bR> Please also note that if you were taking a urine test or tests, these require you to avoid supplementation for up to 5 days prior to the day of collection. This may be particularly tough on your digestive system, as without any additional acid or enzymes in the stomach, your stomach may struggle to cope with high protein meals, oily meals or large meals, and you may feel very uncomfortable and bloated at each meal depending on the state of your digestive system. As well as being in some cases an endurance exercise, it can also put too much stress on your digestive system and actually dramatically worsen the quality of your digestion just over a couple of days. So be careful, seek advice from your doctor/consultant about what supplements you really need to stop taking, and if your digestion is particularly poor, you may want to avoid repeated urine tests as it is likely to do more harm than good, even if they provide some potentially useful data. You may also want to discuss which alternative tests may be as or more useful in your particular case.<br><bR> The causes of insufficient stomach acid and digestive enzyme production can be stress, spleen meridian weakness (c/f TCM - please note that this does not literally correspond to the spleen organ, which regulates red blood cell production), nutritional deficiencies (in particular: vitamins B1, B3, B6, Folic Acid, Biotin, B12, and also the mineral potassium), hormonal deficiency/imbalance, heavy metal toxicity (especially mercury), excessive toxins on the inter- and intra-cellular membranes, poor metabolic functioning, old age and many other factors. Whilst treating the body as a whole, and specifically the methylation processes involved in the production of stomach acid (e.g. high strength Vitamin B12 supplements or B12 injections); building up the energy of the body, and specifically the spleen (TCM, Shiatsu or Bio-Energy Healing can help here); it is highly recommended to resolve the symptoms simultaneously, until the stomach is functioning properly. Methods to achieve this are described below in the following sections.<br><br> A gradual decline in stomach acid and digestive enzyme production is sometimes observed in the elderly, and is alleviated through supplementation. However, in the case of CFS patients, this decline occurs whilst still young and its onset much more rapidly.<bR><bR> Please note that taking additional digestive enzymes and Betaine HCl and readily assimilated protein supplements will not actually encourage your stomach to produce more acid or enzymes. It is just relieving symptoms of poor protein digestion and allowing the body to assimilate more nutrients from your food. It will not compensate for the lack of enzyme production in the pancreas, but only the stomach. It is in effect alleviating a side effect of your current condition (to an extent). As mentioned above, curing protein digestive problems (in stomach and intestinal tract) requires treatment on many fronts, including nutritional deficiencies, hormonal dysfunction, spleen energetic deficiency etc, and may involve complimentary therapies as well as supplementation. Some patients may require temporary supplementation with a specific amino-acid, depending on his amino acid test results, for example. Some complementary therapies that work on the body's qi (energy) levels as outlined on the <a href="energetic therapies" target="rightside">energetic therapies</a> page. <br><br> <a href="#top">back to top</a><br><a name="betaine">&nbsp</a> <ul><ul><ul> <u>Betaine Hydrochloride</u><bR><br> Betaine Hydrochloride (aka Betaine HCl) capsules are one of the major ways of increasing the acidity in the stomach and aiding in digestion, especially of proteins, in the short term. Betaine HCl capsules form additional hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Betaine, also known as trimethylglycine (TMG), is derived from sugar beet. Betaine has many commercial uses for example as a homocysteine regulator and a restorer of the body's osmotic balance. It has many uses in agriculture in animal/fish food.<bR><br> Betaine Hydrochloride (HCl) is not derived from betaine (and is not to be confused with betaine), but is artificially synthesized. Stomach acid contains hydrochloric acid (HCl.) Betaine HCl releases HCl into the stomach when dissolving in the stomach juices. The stomach lining is protected under normal circumstances against acidity by the protective mucus lining. However, too much acid in the stomach may cause considerable discomfort and pain (heart burn). Betaine HCl is the only convenient way of getting more HCl into the stomach (drinking HCl solution is NOT an option, and would not only burn your throat and oesophagus lining but cause extensive damage to your teeth if consumed regularly). Please see the links below for more information on betaine and betaine HCl.<br><BR> <a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/betaine-hydrochloride?cat=health" target="_blank">http://www.answers.com/topic/betaine-hydrochloride?cat=health</a><bR><BR> <a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/betaine?cat=health" target="_blank">http://www.answers.com/topic/betaine?cat=health</a><bR><BR> It is more convenient to take Betaine HCl in capsule form than the tablet form, as it does not expose your teeth, mouth and throat to hydrochloric acid. If you get a Betaine HCl tablet stuck in your throat, it is not a pleasant experience as it starts to really sting/burn, and one should immediately drink some water to wash it down to the stomach.<br><br> As a general rule, one can increase the amount of Betaine HCl tablets/capsules at mealtimes incrementally, and when one feels heart burn (not harmful to health), then one has taken slightly too much, and next time one has a similar meal intake, one should take slightly less. If you do take slightly too much, then the sensation (heartburn) can be a little uncomfortable and last for hours. You can however immediately rectify the situation and reduce the amount of acidity slightly by taking a small amount of an alkaline substance to lower the pH in the stomach such as an algae like spirulina or chlorella or a magnesium supplement (or perhaps some ionised water). It is probably better if you need to perform this stomach acid correction regularly (once or more a day) that you take magnesium rather than algae, as algae has a cold energy property which may affect your energetic balance if too much is taken daily. This is not an issue with magnesium, although excessive magnesium (more than the daily requirement) may cause a little loosening of the stools - patients are likely taking close to their maximum daily dosage of magnesium already. One may of course elect to only take the magnesium supplement once one has taken the Betaine HCl and other supplements for that meal, and evaluate how much one needs to take. It is best to be accurate in your assessment of how much Betaine HCl you require in the first place of course.<br><br> You may need to tailor the amount of Betaine HCl you take according to what type of foods you are eating. For high protein meals, slightly more is required, and for low protein meals, then a lesser amount is required. This is something you have to feel yourself. On occasion, when the stomach has particular difficulty digesting a particularly large, high protein and/or oily meal, one may need to take a couple of Betaine HCl capsules every hour or two after the meal to assist digestion in the stomach - this is in addition to the Betaine HCl that you have taken with the meal. You may also require additional Betaine HCl capsule(s) during the night, perhaps at 3 or 4am, if you happen to have woken up at this time and feel that your stomach feels slightly uncomfortable.<bR><br> Those with impaired digestive systems are usually able to comfortably eat 'within their limits' relative to food volumes and types, but if one crosses the limit even a little, the effect can often be disproportionately negative, not only on the stomach but also on the small intestine. For example, if you eat too much quantity, a very heavy protein meal or a very oily meal, your stomach may not feel very happy at all and the food may remain in your stomach, feeling bloated, for a long period of time, regardless of how much Betaine HCl you take. This feeling may continue in your small intestine even after the stomach finally becomes empty and may last several days. When this happens, the stomach's and small intestine's energy levels take a bit of a battering and the stomach's ability to produce acid is greatly impaired, and if you repeat the same level of abuse the next day, the same will happen, probably a little worse. This may severely impact your energy levels. Affecting your stomach's energetic balance in this way often affects your hormonal balance, and in particular your balance of adrenal hormones to melatonin, affecting your ability to sleep for a night or perhaps two. If you overeat or eat aggressive food types/volumes on consecutive days, you may really greatly lower your stomach's energy levels and the amount of stomach acid produced may noticeably reduce just over a couple of days, and make yourself feel very sick and greatly slow your ability to recover. As with many aspects of CFS, building the stomach's resilience back up again can take a long time indeed. It is therefore recommended to understand your limits, listen to your body, use your common sense and exercise self-discipline. Sometimes it is worth resisting that temptation to have a little more of something or an extra 'course', as 30 seconds of pleasure can result in hours or days of extreme discomfort. As you can appreciate, even crossing your limits and taking enough Betaine HCl can be very problematic. If you are taking no Betaine HCl at all, e.g. in preparation for a urine test, then your limits shrink, and if you cross them, the effect can be more pronounced. However everyone is different of course and this is something you will have to figure out yourself. If you do happen to eat too much of a particular food type or too large a quantity during a meal, and your stomach struggles to cope, it may be advisable to treat your stomach gently for the next few days at least, with smaller portions, enough time in between snacks and meals to digest the food, and food types that are easy to digest (e.g. steamed vegetables, rice, oats etc.)<bR><bR> In certain instances, particular healthy food types that have not been a problem, may over time and after perhaps a couple of years of abundant consumption, may start to create problems for the stomach (in large quantities), even when harmful micro-organisms such as parasites and candida are not prolific in the body, and so not causing food allergies. There may be other reasons why the stomach does not react well to them. The result may be a feeling of having eaten some lead weights! And a total inability for the stomach to break it down (and allow food to pass into the small intestine) and to get to sleep that night. And the addition of additional Betaine HCl does not help. Affecting your stomach's energetic balance in this way often affects your hormonal balance, and in particular your balance of adrenal hormones to melatonin. In such instances, it is best to avoid that particular food type for a while and perhaps slowly reintroduce it at a later date if desired. BlackSpy had this problem with fish, both line caught and also farmed. This may have been on account of a sensitivity to higher toxin levels. Or perhaps related to the protein type. <bR><br><a href="#top">back to top</a><br><br><a name="precursors">&nbsp</a><br> <u>Precursors to Stomach Acid Production</u><bR><bR> An alternative to taking just Betaine HCl to boost the stomach acidity in the short term is to take a combination of the amino acid Histidine (a precursor to HCl production) and (slightly less) Betaine HCl with each meal. It is expected that around 3g (3000mg) of Histidine is required at a time, but it may vary according to the individual. <bR><br><a href="#top">back to top</a><br><br><a name="enzymes">&nbsp</a><br> <u>Digestive Enzymes</u><bR><br> Digestive enzymes vary widely in strength and type of enzymes included. BlackSpy has found that most brands are not effectively utilised by the body, and that good brands to try are Vital Nutrients Betaine HCl and Nutri Similase. Some brands of Betaine HCl contain additional ingredients such as digestive enzymes or herbs to aid in digestion. For example, Vital Nutrients Betaine HCl contains Pepsin and Gentian Root Extract. Nutri Similase contains a variety of different digestive enzymes such as protease, amylase, cellulase, lipase, phytase, lactase, invertase (sucrase), malt diastase (maltase). When comparing digestive enzymes, one should take into account the number of different digestive enzymes, their respective concentrations and the overall quality of the supplement. Which supplements work for you can of course be determined kinesiologically by a qualified specialist.<br><br> The majority of digestive enzyme supplements are manufactured from plant sources. Animal sourced digestive enzymes are also available. <br><br><a href="#top">back to top</a><br><br><a name="herbs">&nbsp</a> <br> <u>Herbs</u><bR><bR> Specific herbs may help to stimulate stomach acid production and also to assist in the movement of food through the small and large intestine (Peristalsis). These can be taken in addition to Betaine HCl and Digestive Enzymes. These herbs are examined below.<bR><BR> 'Peristalsis is the rhythmic [wave-like] contraction of smooth muscles to propel contents through the digestive tract...In much of the gastrointestinal tract, smooth muscles contract in sequence to produce a peristaltic wave which forces a ball of food (called a bolus while in the esophagus and gastrointestinal tract and chyme in the stomach) along the gastrointestinal tract. Peristaltic movement is initiated by circular smooth muscles contracting behind the chewed material to prevent it from moving back into the mouth, followed by a contraction of longitudinal smooth muscles which pushes the digested food forward.'<br><bR> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peristalsis" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peristalsis</a><bR><br> Please see the <a href="#mucoid">Mucoid Plaque</A> section below for more information. A lack of Peristalsis may be a result of poor diet, build up of mucoid plaque and a low blood supply and 'qi level' of the small and large intestines. This can be stimulated by various <a href="energetic therapies.html">Energetic Treatments</a> and also herbal products (discussed below).<bR><br> Certain herbs such as peppermint, cinnamon, gambir, dandelion, celandine, beet leaf, black radish, slippery elm, ginger, fennel seed, gentian root, papaya leaf and rhubarb may assist the intestines by relaxing the walls and encouraging more peristaltic action, thereby encouraging food to pass through the digestive tract more easily. This can assist your body's ability to clear the colon also. Your specialist or shiatsu practitioner should be able to give you guidance on this. Herbs come in the form of additions to detoxification/digestive aid supplements (for example Thorne Research's Lipotrepein), in digestive aid herbal teas (available in packets of tea bags from your local health food shop or supermarket) and also from specialist herb suppliers such as HerbCare (whose Ojibway Tea is prepared by boiling herbs for 20 minutes.)<bR><bR> Herbal capsule products such as Practitioner Supplies' Co-Ton A are also available. Co-Ton A is a very powerful product, and as well as it's intestinal function, taking 2 capsules with a meal may mean you need to take less Betaine HCl for that meal. The ingredients of Co-Ton A are Cascara segrada, Barberry, Cayenne, Fennel, Ginger, Goldenseal, Lobelia, Raspberry, and Turkey Rhubarb. More information is available at the link below.<bR><bR> <a href="http://www.practitionersupplies.co.uk/enherbs.html" target="_blank">www.practitionersupplies.co.uk/enherbs.html</a><br><bR> The leaves of various members of the Aloes family are regarded as being the most powerful herbs for promoting peristalsis. These include Aloe barbadensis and Aloe ferox. Cascara segrada is also one of the most powerful herbs for promoting peristalsis. Sennae folium is regarded by some as the 'third' most powerful herb for this purpose.<bR><bR> Another example of a herbal formula to assist with peristalsis is Dr Schultze's Intestinal Formula 1. This contains Curacao and Cape Aloe leaf, Aloe barbadensis and Aloe capensis or ferox, Senna leaves and pods, Cassia angustifolia, Cascara Sagrada aged bark, Rhamnus purshiana, Barberry root bark, Berberis vulgaris, Ginger rhizome, Zingiber officinalis, Garlic bulb, Allium sativum, and Habanero peppers, Capsicum species.<bR><bR> The herb Forskolin (yes I did write Forskolin and not...!) is reputed to be a very good herb to stimulate stomach acid production.<bR><BR> Whilst such herbs described above may indeed help, they also have energetic properties (c/f Traditional Chinese Medicine theory) that may imbalance the body if used long term.<bR><bR> The quality and strength of herbs may vary from supplier to supplier. In general, fresh, organic herbs are ideal. Tinctures in general tend to be more readily absorbed than dry capsules. Whilst the leafy parts of a plant may be readily absorbed in the form of a tea or when consumed as a capsule, the roots of plants are much harder and may not be absorbed very well, even when ground up, and so may require prolonged boiling (or their vital ingredients extracted using alcohol). This is why many Chinese herbs are boiled for 30 minutes prior to consumption. Some hold that using deionised water is optimum as it is likely to absorb more nutrients from the herbs than is ordinary mineral/filtered water. This may not however be very practical! <br><br><a href="#top">back to top</a><br><br><a name="stocks">&nbsp</a> <br> <u>Stocks</u><br><bR> Several studies show that gelatin in freshly prepared bone-based stocks can help considerably in protein digestion and assimilation. An article from The Weston A. Price Foundation's web site on the subject of the benefits of Gelatin can found be at the link below. Manufactured gelatin may contain small amounts of MSG (some do not) and so freshly prepared stock is better (although requiring 24-72 hours boiling!) Gelatin is normally derived from cows and sometimes pigs. Gelatin is produced by the partial hydrolysis (boiling in water) of collagen, which is the most common protein in animals, making up 25% of the total. Gelatin does not occur naturally in animal tissue. Collagen is however found in the connective tissue, i.e. cartilage, ligaments, tendons, bones and teeth. When boiled, the molecules are split and bond with OH- and H+ atoms in water to form Gelatin. This is why broths and stocks are boiled. Gelatin is also a protein. It has been a common staple of western diet until the last century. Collagen is the oldest known glue in the world and its use in rope baskets and embroidered fabrics has been carbon dated to 8000 years ago. Collagen is a fibrous compound. Gelatin is a powder that when dissolved in water forms a thick gel, which when heated melts. Gelatin-based glues are today used in the manufacture of musical instruments such as violins or guitars. It is also a protein supplement and used in desserts and sweets. Please see the links below for more information on collagen and gelatin.<br><bR> <a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/brothisbeautiful.html" target="_blank">http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/brothisbeautiful.html</a><br><br> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collagen" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collagen</a><br><bR> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelatin" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelatin</a> <br><br><a href="#top">back to top</a><br><a name="spirulina">&nbsp</a> </ul></ul></ul><p align="justify"> <b>Assimilable Forms of Protein: Spirulina, Chlorella and Quality Whey</b><br><br> Whilst addressing the quality of digestion, it is also useful to take a readily digestible form of protein, such as a Whey supplement or Spirulina. Many cheap whey supplements are available on the market, however, most are heat-denatured, and the body is actually allergic to them. Good products include Metagenics'/Nutri's UltraMeal Whey, Mercola's Whey Healthier (also branded PaleoMeal by Designs for Health) and Designs for Health' WheyCool (the actual whey protein concentrate used in Whey Healthier/Paleomeal). Both contain semi-digested whey and are enhanced with a wide variety of nutrients. In terms of taste, BlackSpy finds UltraMeal Whey to be by far the tastiest, with the other variants being more 'functional'. By weight, WheyCool is the best value for money. The ingredients of these products can be found at the links below.<bR><bR> <a href="http://www.metagenics.com/products/detail.asp?pid=245" target="_blank">www.metagenics.com/products/detail.asp?pid=245</a><bR><br> <a href="http://www.mercola.com/forms/whey_healthier.htm" target="_blank">http://www.mercola.com/forms/whey_healthier.htm</a><bR><bR> <a href="http://catalog.designsforhealth.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1244/.f" target="_blank">http://catalog.designsforhealth.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1244/.f</a><bR><br> BlackSpy personally finds that a Whey drink is best consumed thick. This can either be achieved by using more powder for a glass volume of liquid (if your stomach can handle it), or adding less water, whichever suits you best. You can always drink additional water afterwards.<bR><bR> Two types of algae, specifically spirulina and chlorella, are also excellent sources of readily assimilated protein. There are examined in more detail in the dedicated section below.<br><br> These protein supplements may help patients to gain more muscle strength and to increase the amount of resistance training they can do, which they never thought possible. BlackSpy has personal experience of people who go to a physiotherapist for many years, without any progress, but start taking a protein supplement such as whey protein or spirulina, and are back on heavy weights again in a matter of weeks. However, progress clearly is dependent on the individual's exact condition. It may be wise to kinesiologically test which protein source agrees best with you. Taking easy assimilated forms of protein may be helpful, but if the body still cannot effectively convert and synthesize the different amino acids it requires for various bodily processes and muscle/tendon growth, then it may be of limited benefit. It is best to have a good consultant to kinesiologically test protein supplements on the patient to ascertain which can be readily assimilated (as assimilation is the key issue here.) Such protein supplements, and taking additional digestive enzymes and betaine HCl may assist in some conversion of specific amino acids, they are unlikely to completely relieve amino acid conversion issues that a person may have. Clearly the extent of physical capability varies dramatically between sufferers of CFS and related conditions, and some are barely able to walk, whereas others are active in weight training and cardio-vascular exercise. Much of this relates to the person's general energy (qi) levels, and also his or her ability to effectively convert and synthesize all the different amino acids properly. Amino acid conversion dysfunction is rarely exactly the same in one person as in another person, and is often highly complex.<br><br> Spirulina is a blue-green algae, rich in a variety of nutrients, such as B12, enzymes, carotenoids, chlorophyll, phytonutrients, and contains some Omega 6 and 9 fatty acids and pigments, and minerals. It has very mild detoxifying properties, on account on the high chlorophyll content. It is 95% digestible (as opposed to Chlorella which is 70% digestible). A heaped teaspoon three times a day can be highly beneficial. As with Chlorella, Spirulina has a cold energy (c/f TCM) and so it is best not to take large amounts. Algae is also alkaline in nature, and it is helpful to take additional betaine HCl tablets with your chlorella so that your (probably very low levels of) stomach acid is not neutralised (generally 500-700mg of Betaine HCl per heaped teaspoon of Spirulina). It may be best to kill parasites and candida first before taking algae supplements, on account of food allergies resulting from foreign organism overgrowth, but this varies according to individual. Algae supplements are ideally taken 30 minutes before a meal. Candida may cause food allergies making a person sensitive to certain foods/supplements. <br><br> Chlorella Pyrenoidosa is a more nutritious form of Chlorella than Chlorella Vulgaris. Whether Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica is actually better than Spirulina Platensis is a matter of debate. It is probably best to try smaller quantities of various brands from local suppliers and to see which one agrees with you best, then bulk buy your favourite. It is recommended to stick with a high quality brand, as low quality brands can often contain high levels of heavy metals. Please note that Cyanotech in Hawaii are the only company to actually grow Spirulina Pacifica (which is a sub-strain of Platensis), grown only in Hawaii. Various brands resell this Spirulina Pacifica, including Nutrex, Now and MicroOrganics in the UK. Earthrise is a well respected supplier of Spirulina Platensis. Earthrise Chlorella is Chlorella Vulgaris, as are brands such as Jarrow's Japanese Yaeyama Chlorella. Nature's Balance Chlorella is Chlorella Pyrenoidosa, as is the UK brand Optimum Source. Please see the <a href="links cfs.html" target="rightside">links</a> page for a list of suppliers and distributors, where you can also find nutritional composition charts if you would like to compare.<br><Br> There is no such thing as organic Spirulina in the technical sense. Spirulina is a water-based crop. In land-based agriculture, the use of nitrates is considered to be non-organic, and is a source of pollution in run off as it encourages algael blooms (non-edible!) and deoxygenation of the water, which is deadly for fish when severe deoxygenation occurs. Spirulina is nitrogen-based and chlorella is oxygen-based. Spirulina requires nitrogen to grow and reproduce in the pond farms. Nitrates are used as 'food' for the Spirulina ponds and the uptake is 100%. The fresh-water ponds themselves are self-contained and are not part of river systems. If nitrates were not used, the spirulina would grow extremely slowly. The normal 'organic' fertiliser or source of nitrogen is manure. Manure cannot be used in marine agriculture. It would contaminate the spirulina and would require extensive cleaning procedures to remove the manure from the spirulina, and it is debatable whether full decontamination would be possible. Buying 'organic' spirulina is very much a philosophical affair, and many brands have been forced for legislative reasons to stop using the term 'organic' to describe their spirulina. Apart from Spirulina, there is one other edible source of blue green algae, known as Lake Klamath Blue Green Algae. This algae comes only from Lake Klamath, a crater lake in Oregon, USA. It is nitrogen-based also, and similar in composition to Spirulina, but not quite as nutritious. There are reports circulating that it is more susceptible to heavy metal contamination. Whether this is true or not is not certain, but given its slightly inferior nutritional value, it is probably best to stick with spirulina if you are going to consume a blue-green algae.<bR><bR> Cynics criticise spirulina and chlorella as very expensive types of food which is less nutritious than other water-based food sources like seaweed. Whilst this may be true to a certain extent, as the levels of vitamins and minerals in both types of algae are very low, except for vitamin B12, Beta Carotene and Iron, they are simply excellent sources of protein and fatty acids. NASA have conducted trials in spirulina growth and regard it as an ideal food source for long term space flight and space habitation. Chlorella has been heavily researched by the Rockerfeller Foundation and Carnegie Institute, and is taken by approximately 30% of the population of Japan. Although chlorella is much more detoxifying than spirulina, some people find that spirulina agrees much better with them than chlorella, which has a somewhat 'colder' property. However, this is very much dependent on the individual. A kinesiologist should be able to determine which is better for you if you have not figured it out yourself by sensing which feels better to eat and digest.<br><br> It should be noted that the levels of beta-carotene in Spirulina are approximately 10 times higher than those in Chlorella. As such, approximately 1-2g of Spirulina is sufficient to provide 100% RDA of Vitamin A. Prolonged intake of large amounts of spirulina may result in the patient's skin taking on a slightly orange tinge, in the face or the hands. This is the same effect as eating an excessive number of carrots each day. It's not a problem, but if this does occur, cut down on your dosage and discuss this with your consultant. This is less of an issue with Chlorella. The exact nutritional content of spirulina varies according to the variety. Spirulina contains large amounts of Beta Carotine and Vitamin B12 (probably good for vegetarians and vegans), and some Iron, but the other nutrient sources are very low, and often exaggerated. Please see below the nutritional composition of NOW's Spirulina, as an example. The Calcium and GLA content is clearly very low.<bR><br> <a href="http://www.nowfoods.com/index.php?action=itemdetail&item_id=15168" target="_blank">http://www.nowfoods.com/index.php?action=itemdetail&item_id=15168</a><bR><bR> Comparing the Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) content of Spirulina and Chlorella, it appears that Chlorella contains approximately 9% unsaturated fatty acids (presumably GLA?) whereas Spirulina only contains approximately 1% unsaturated fatty acids in the form of GLA. Even so, if one takes a couple of grams of Chlorella a day (not an insignificant amount), the relative Omega 6 intake is still relatively low.<bR><br> Alternative green 'superfoods' and green foods also include phytoplankton, seaweed and cereal grasses such as wheat grass and barley grass. Seaweed makes for a good, tasty vegetable side dish, but can be rather costly. None of these greed foods and superfoods however contain the levels of protein and other nutrients that spirulina and chlorella do. These foods also have a cold energy component, especially cereal grasses and phytoplankton, and should really be tested kinesiologically first before starting supplementation with these. As a general rule, spirulina and chlorella are far superior to cereal grasses. If your body is agreeable to cereal grasses and phytoplankton, there is no reason why you cannot take these in small doses along with chlorella or spirulina.<br><br> Various algae types, quality whey supplements, and also amino acid supplements (particularly branched chain amino acids) may also help when detoxing, as heavy metals and other toxins may attach themselves to them and create a way of carrying them out of the body when it comes to their elimination.<br><br> <a href="#top">back to top</a><br><bR><a name="hot">&nbsp</a> <br> <b>Hot and Cold Energy:</b><br><Br> Raw fruit, algae and vegetables contain a wide variety of enzymes and nutrients. So is eating huge amounts of raw vegetables good for everyone? Our society seems to be polarised into those who do not eat any raw vegetables or fruit whatsoever, and those who eat far too many raw vegetables (or only raw foods). Much in the same way that political views and social strata are highly polarised. Raw foods, in particular raw vegetables, are harder to digest than their cooked counterparts and are a major source of cold energy in <a href="energetic therapies.html" target="rightside">Traditional Chinese Medicine</a> theory. We should really treat raw fruit and steamed vegetables seperately from raw vegetables. Everyone should probably eat at least a couple of pieces of fruit a day, and plenty of different kinds of steamed vegetables, no matter what condition he is suffering from. Of course there is no harm eating an occasional raw vegetable, but to do so regularly may well cause energetic problems in the body in those that are in severe imbalance already.<br><br> BlackSpy has noticed that the body appears to be most susceptible to disruption from cold energy food sources when the body is low in energy itself, in particular when qi deficiency, qi stagnation and yin deficiency are present in the body. This may of course vary according to the individual. A sign of too much cold energy intake is a continuous damp headache, particularly after eating the food source in question (e.g. a spoonful of spirulina or juiced raw vegetables).<bR><BR> Whilst juicing certain raw vegetables and consuming them in moderation can be very beneficial, an excess of raw vegetable intake will put a strain on anyone's digestive system and introduce too much cold energy into the body. An excess of cold food consumption cannot be counterbalanced by eating certain hot foods or herbs. It is unfortunately not as simple as this.<bR><br> Consuming too many sources of 'hot' energy (e.g. a diet high in spicy foods or frequent consumption of herbs, e.g.2. oregano, peppermint, cumin, turmeric, coriander, mixed herbs etc.) can itself be a major source of ill-health (dry skin, night sweating and a red tongue being just the external symptoms). For those suffering from CFS or related conditions, a poorly functioning digestive system and chronic energetic imbalance is often at the heart of their problems, and a raw food-biased diet is unlikely to provide great benefit, and may conversely make the person more ill and further negatively impact the energetic system. However, some individuals have shown to benefit greatly from such diets. However, response is not uniform, and one has to consider each individual's physiology and digestive and energetic health before prescribing a blanket approach. Those who benefit from raw food diets in general probably do not have chronic energetic problems in terms of spleen function, for example. There is no 'one size fits all' diet, and each individual's needs, tolerances etc. are different.<br><br> For those with impaired digestive systems, it is probably best to be conservative and exercise caution, and avoid or limit those food types that will put a strain on one's digestive system or that are too 'cold' in energetic terms, for example, avoiding too many fried foods, soft drinks and too much raw food. If you are in any doubts about your diet and your raw food/cold energy intake, consult an acupuncturist or Chinese herbalist, and discuss your diet. Chinese doctors in general recommend eating fresh fruit, but in general only raw vegetables a couple of times a week for those with impaired digestive systems. The easiest 'vegetables' to digest raw are lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes (tomatoes are strictly speaking a fruit, but are usually eaten with savoury foods and not with other fruit). All other vegetables are much harder to digest raw. Moderation is the key. Once one's digestive system is functioning much more effectively (i.e. one's spleen energy is much higher), then one can reintroduce more raw food up to a certain point. Whilst some (non-mainstream) dieticians recommend raw food diets, they are often looking at diet from a Western perspective, and are ignoring 5,000 years of oriental medicine and health science. It is not the business of this web site to give dietary advice, but we recommend that you seek dietary advice from a number of different sources, including oriental medicine specialists, and not just rely on one particular source. And use your common sense of course.<br><br> Please note that bananas are a source of cold energy and excessive banana consumption (disproportionately favoured over other fruits) can result in too high a cold energy intake. In addition, consuming chilled foods or drinks (e.g. water straight from the fridge) or frozen foods (e.g. ice cream) puts unnecessary strain on the body. In addition to the cold energetic property, they require heat from the body to warm them to the body's own internal temperature. It is generally best to avoid eating overly hot or cold foods.<bR><bR> Below is a chart listing the energetic properties of a cross section of food types.<bR><bR> <a href="http://qi-journal.com/TCM.asp?-token.SearchID=Essential%20Energy%20of%20Foods" target="_blank">http://qi-journal.com/TCM.asp?-token.SearchID=Essential%20Energy%20of%20Foods</a><bR><bR> The macrobiotic dietary system uses the concept of hot and cold energetic properties of food. Whilst BlackSpy agrees with many of the principles of macrobioticism, this web site does not subscribe necessarily to all macrobiotic concepts (relgiously or at all). Macrobiotic concepts derive from Japanese internal medicine and practices like Shiatsu. The web sites below discuss hot and cold energy and how they relate to the macrobiotic diet.<bR><BR> <a href="http://www.macrobioticcooking.com/4.html" target="_blank">www.macrobioticcooking.com/4.html</a><bR><bR> <a href="http://www.macrobiotics.co.uk/yin.htm" target="_blank">www.macrobiotics.co.uk/yin.htm</a><br><bR> BlackSpy is an ideal case study for this subject matter. For example, from the age of 18 onwards, BlackSpy developed a taste for Indian and Mexican food, and any foods that were spicy, as they had more 'flavour' and were 'more interesting'. When BlackSpy left home, he cooked all his own meals and made either a spicy curry or a spicy chilli almost every single night of the week. In addition, he would eat bagels with cinnamon and cardemom in them, and often eat Swedish gingerbreads which contained plenty of ginger. As well as large amounts of butter and cheese (being vegetarian it is sometimes tempting to rely heavily on such hot energy dairy products). The net result was that his daily intake of hot energy herbs and foods was extremely high. This resulted in frequent sweating, especially at night, a total downward spiral of his immune system (frequent colds) - with stress as an additional factor, constant thirst and of course a red tongue. Eventually he came down with exhaustion and post viral fatigue syndrome (where he would feel exhausted a month or two after each bout of influenza, but after that he would feel ok again). The second acupuncturist BlackSpy was clued up enough to question BlackSpy about his diet, and put him onto a herb and spice free diet! BlackSpy made a massive recovery, hardly needed any sleep and felt full of energy. Many years later, BlackSpy went to a Tony Robbins seminar, where he was sold the idea of eating large amounts of raw vegetables and salads. BlackSpy altered his regime massively, and ate blended raw green vegetables every morning for breakfast (either green peppers, broccoli or celery (with added water to make it possible to blend it)). He would also eat large amounts of salad with lunch and dinner. This was a huge intake of cold, damp energy. Initially this felt very good (after a 7 day raw vegetable cleanse - incurred huge and unhealthy weight loss (BlackSpy was asked if he had been in a concentration camp by one ex-colleague)) and BlackSpy went back to needing very little sleep each night, but over a period of a few months, this feeling of wellbeing disappeared and BlackSpy gradually had one cold after another, before coming down with the flu and never recovering (into full blown CFS). BlackSpy did read a newspaper article about the damage raw food diets can do, with a baby being fed raw vegetables by his parents and actually dying (an extreme case). BlackSpy then stopped eating the raw vegetables for breakfast and immediately felt much better, as if a constant background 'brake' had been removed. He later discussed this with another acupuncturist who concurred that the high intake of cold, damp energy was very bad for the immune system and energy levels. Unfortunately, at the time, BlackSpy did not know all that he knows now and did not begin a positive health regime for full recovery from CFS. Does anyone have a time machine please? :-)<bR><bR> For those that can tolerate (some) raw vegetables, sprouting is a good way to eat seeds and beans as it ensures the maximum nutritional value in terms of vitamins and other nutrients. Probably the most convenient method of sprouting is to use a glass sprouting jar with a screw top mesh lid. And BlackSpy's favoured sprouted seed is Alfalfa, which is easier to fork out of the sprouting jar when ready, compared with beans sprouts which can be a real pain!<bR><bR> If you eat nuts and seeds, then it may be beneficial to soak them for 2 hours prior to consumption. This helps to remove the enzyme inhibitors and mineral absorption inhibiting phytic acid. One may choose to also soak the seeds overnight in order to begin sprouting them. Please see the link below for more information.<bR><BR> <a href="http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/nuts_soaked_dried_organic.htm" target="_blank">www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/nuts_soaked_dried_organic.htm</a><br><bR> 'Raw foodists', or raw food vegans, never eat cooked foods and only raw foods. This of course does not just comprise of raw vegetables and fruit, but also nuts, nut oils, sprouted beans etc. and on occasion very light cooking which is claimed not to affect the enzyme content of the food. It could be argued that no animal cooks its food apart from humans. And this is a valid point. However, if one looks to historical context, humans have been cooking food for many thousands of years. Not that thousands of years of habitual activity necessarily constitutes something positive. However, not all forms of cooking are equal and some are more damaging than others (e.g. type of frying, type of oil used, steaming vs boiling, duration of cooking etc.) Oriental medicine's studies of the body have been in existence for many thousands of years, and raw food diets have only become popular in the last 30 years or so, mainly amongst Western Industrialised countries, amongst a small segment of the population. Who has the greater wealth of knowledge and experience? You decide for yourself. Some (many?) raw foodists appear to be partial to drinking alcohol, which is a poison. It may well be possible to obtain vegan wine, but is it really doing you any good? There is nothing energising about consuming alcohol, a concept which is cited as being one of the main reasons for the raw food intake in the first place. Is this consistent with the anti-drugs stance? Clearly it is up to the individual what style of diet they choose, but one should keep an open mind and also look at one's overall health and energetic/digestive levels prior to commencing any extreme diet. Many people appear to have benefitted from a raw food diet, whereas others have experienced rapid decline in their health and in extreme cases, death.<bR><bR> <a href="#top">back to top</a><br><br><a name="acid">&nbsp</a> <br> <b>Acidity and Alkalinity:</b><br><br> Acidic conditions can render a body much more susceptible to fungus, parasite and bad bacteria overgrowth, immune system dysfunction and general ill-health. In general terms, the more acidic the body is, the more unhealthy it is. The acidic balance of the body is largely determined by the type of foods, drinks and drugs we consume. Excesses of carbonated drinks, baked goods and fried red meats, for example, can over time alter the pH balance of the body and render it acidic.<bR><br> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acidosis" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acidosis</a><bR><bR> Acidosis is said to occur when the aterial blood plasma pH falls below 7.35 pH units. The term Acidemia describes the state of low blood pH, while acidosis is used to describe the processes leading to these states. Nevertheless, physicians sometimes use the terms interchangeably. <bR><bR> Respiratory Acidosis results from a build-up of carbon dioxide in the blood (hypercapnia) due to hypoventilation (inadequate ventilation). Carbon dioxide, when dissolved in water or blood, partially ionises (in equilibrium) to form carbonic acid. Poor cell membrane fluidity (e.g. <a href="http://www.health-spy.com/nutritional.html#fatty" target="rightside">Fatty Acid Imbalances</a>) can result in poor gas exchange in the blood and tissues.<br><br> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_acidosis" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_acidosis</a><bR><br> Metabolic acidosis is an increased production of metabolic acids, usually resulting from disturbances in the ability to excrete acid via the kidneys. Renal acidosis is associated with an accumulation of urea and creatinine as well as metabolic acid residues of protein catabolism. Metabolic acidosis can also result from the production and build up of other acids in the body (e.g. lactic acid in the tissues, produced by anaerobic respiration and insufficient aerobic respiration (e.g. in CFS sufferers, where there is mitochondrial inefficiency). High levels of <a href="toxicity.html" target="rightside">toxins</a> in the body may also result in compensatory metabolic acidosis.<bR><br> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_acidosis" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_acidosis</a><bR><br> General articles about Acidosis and CFS can be found at the links below.<bR><bR> <a href="http://members.aol.com/doewatch/cfs.html" target="_blank">http://members.aol.com/doewatch/cfs.html</a><bR><br> <a href="http://www.myoptions.com.au/OptionsMagazine/backissues/ContentsIssue10/WaterQualityforWellness/tabid/1566/Default.aspx" target="rightside">Myoptions magazine</a><bR><br> The stomach is lined with mucus to prevent stomach acid from attacking the lining of the stomach. The stomach in normal and optimal healthy circumstances regulates the amount of acid it produces in accordance to the amount and type of food in the stomach, and is highly acidic. Sufficient acidity is required to break down proteins effectively and also to absorb nutrients. When food moves from the stomach into the small intestine, the liver secretes bile into the duodenum to help neutralise the acidic chyme (mixture of semi-digested food and stomach juices) that has come from the stomach such that the pH in the small intestine and large intestine becomes approximately neutral. The mucusal tissue of the small intestine is alkaline so that pH of the semi-digested food moving through the small intestine gradually increases to around 8.5. This alkaline environment is required for many of the pancreatic enzymes to function. The pH of the large intestine depends on the metabolic activity and the nature of waste products excreted by the micro-organisms in the stool, to some extent. The large intestine or colon is where the majority of harmful micro-organism overgrowth starts. The pH of the blood is of critical importance when it comes to immune system function and systematic fungus, parasite and bad bacteria overgrowth.<bR><bR> A list of those foods which are acidic in nature and those which are alkaline in nature can be found on the following web sites.<br><br> <a href="http://www.rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm" target="_blank">www.rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm</a><br><Br> <a href="http://www.thewolfeclinic.com/acidalkfoods.html" target="_blank">www.thewolfeclinic.com/acidalkfoods.html</a><br><Br> <a href="http://www.ctds.info/acidic-foods.html" target="_blank">www.ctds.info/acidic-foods.html</a><bR><bR> <a href="http://altmedicine.about.com/od/popularhealthdiets/a/alkalinediet.htm" target="_blank">http://altmedicine.about.com/od/popularhealthdiets/a/alkalinediet.htm</a><br><Br> Let's pick on soft drinks consumption for a moment. pH is a scale measuring the concentration of Hydrogen ions (protons) in a given solution. It ranges from 0.00 to 14.99, where the former value is extremely acidic and the latter value is extremely alkaline. pH 7 is neutral. Soft drinks have an average pH of 2.5 - 3.4, which is extremely acidic. The body's natural pH is around 7.36, which is slightly alkaline. pH is a logarithmic scale. A pH of 6 is 10 times more acidic than a pH of 7. Therefore the average soft drink is 10,000 times more acidic than the rest of the body! One can therefore see that drinking additional fluids will not dilute down this acidity very much! So not only are soft drinks a source of chemical toxicity (including Caffeine and numerous additives), they are also very damaging to your body's pH balance. Please think of this next time you think of buying your children large bottles of Coca Cola. There is even evidence to suggest that consuming soft drinks from cans stored in very hot conditions (e.g. in Kuwaiti desert in Operation Desert Storm) is a significant factor in Gulf War Syndrome, on account of aspartame degradation etc. And it is not surprising.<br><br> Below is an informative link giving 10 reasons as to why you should avoid drinking soft drinks.<br><br> <a href="http://www.watershed.net/top10sd.htm" target="_blank"> http://www.watershed.net/top10sd.htm</a><br><br> Dr Tullio Simoncini has conduced research into the parallels between systematic candida overgrowth and cancer cell growth. He has established the similarities between the two, in terms of growth occurring in anaerobic, acidic conditions, where candida and cancer cells ferment simple sugars for energy and are killed off in an alkaline environment. He postulates that candida and cancer are one and the same thing. Whilst BlackSpy is not totally convinced of this theory, there are many parallels and much common ground. His book on the subject can be read at the link below. His main web site is listed at the second link.<bR> <a href="http://www.cancerisafungus.com" target="_blank">www.cancerisafungus.com</a><br> <a href="http://www.cancerfungus.com" target= "_blank">http://www.cancerfungus.com</a><bR><bR> Excess consumption of acidic foods may raise slightly lower the pH of the blood and tissues in the body. This may in turn weaken the negative electrical charge around red blood cells, and cause clumping of red blood cells, and a lowering of the amount of oxygen that can be absorbed by these cells. This in turn leads to a lower level of oxygen in the blood and tissues. Low body oxygen levels, over time, much like excess relative acidity, sets up conditions for the proliferation of disease and ill health. Low blood and body oxygen levels are also frequently associated with excessive fat, insufficient cardiovascular exercise, fatty acid imbalances and/or poor cell membrane permeability. Low body oxygen levels in many cases have been associated with a variety of environmental illnesses, such as cancer and multiple sclerosis. Excess acidity in the body, in particular, lactic acid, results in increased aches and pains. <bR><br><a href="#top">back to top</a><br><br><a name="combining">&nbsp</a> <br> <b>Food Combining:</b><bR><bR> Modern western food is obsessed with combining as many food types into a single meal as possible, regardless of the effects on effective digestion, for example, meat, dairy products, vegetables, fruit, starchy carbohyrates, grains, etc. For example, fruit is best digested on an empty stomach and away from other food types. Starchy vegetables such as potato should be eaten away from large amounts of protein for optimal digestion. Everyone has no doubt experienced feeling incredibly bloated for many hours after eating a steak with french fries, or even worse, a hamburger with french fries and a milkshake! Not every meal requires a dessert. In fact, desserts are best avoided completely. When a lion makes a kill on the plains of Africa, does it pause before tucking in to cook some french fries or boil some rice? Does it stop to suck milk from a mother's breast? Does it bake a loaf of bread? Or when it has finished consuming the carcass, does it have a chocolate mousse? The heavy dependency on grains and starchy vegetables has entered into homo sapiens diet relatively recently in his existence on the planet of 200,000+ years. The human body has yet to adapt properly to modern diets, and is probably not likely to ever do so.<bR><Br> Please take note of the following food combining chart. It illustrates what food types are best combined and which are not. In particular, fruit is best eaten on its own, on an empty stomach. Otherwise it can be very useful, although perhaps does not always have to be followed religiously.<bR><bR> <a href="http://www.alderbrooke.com/chart.htm" target="_Blank">www.alderbrooke.com/chart.htm</a><bR><bR> <br><br> <a href="#top">back to top</a><br><br><a name="harmful">&nbsp</a> <br> <b>Harmful micro-organisms in large & small intestine/system-wide:</b><br><br> <img src="alienstomachache.jpg"><br><br> The gastro-intestinal tract's healthy function relies on the presence of beneficial bacteria, in a relationship called symbiosis. Beneficial bacteria aid in digestion, correct pH balance, break down of foods and prevent the build up of harmful bacteria. They are an extension of our immune system. amd probably make up the majority of our body's immune system. A different cross section of beneficial bacteria types exists in different parts of the small and large intestine. They act to consume much of the simple carbohydrate food sources available in the intestinal tract so that bad bacteria and organisms are deprived of food and cannot reproduce as fast. Dys-symbiosis, or dysbiosis occurs when the balance of flora and organisms in the GI tract becomes upset. Our good, supportive bacteria (as well as bad bacteria) are virtually completely killed off with the use of antibiotics, which many GPs tend to give out like sweets to patients who come with any kind of bacterial or viral illess. Repeated use of antibiotics can virtually eradicate our good bacteria, which have to build up from scratch again each time a course of antibiotics is taken, allowing bad bacteria and yeast to take a foot hold in our GI tract and multiply at high rates. This is exaccerbated by poor modern, western diets high in sugar and simple carbohydrates. In addition, there is considerable evidence to suggest that eating antibiotics fed animal meat can kill off good bacteria in the GI tract and therefore encourage harmful micro-organism overgrowth. Most non-organic meat derives from antibiotics fed animals. Antibiotics has also other damaging effects on the body, for example, a prolonged influence on folic acid metabolism it the body, making methylation (adding carbon atoms to carbon chains) and DNA synthesis more difficult. Synthetic (sulphur-based) antibiotics may also stick to one's mitochondrial membranes and inhibit proper metabolic functioning (energy production). Antibiotics should only really be taken in very serious conditions, where necessary. Otherwise, a good natural anti-microbial herb can be taken instead, such as Olive Leaf Extract.<br><br> There are three categories of nasty organism that thrive in the low oxygen (anaerobic) environment and neutral pH of the intestines: bad bacteria, candida and parasites. All three classes of organism thrive and grow in number on account of modern, western eating habits, mainly a high sugar intake, a high pasturised dairy intake (many vegetarians), a high wheat (bread) intake and high alcohol intake. All these are simple carbohydrates and are readily digested food for these bad organisms. Diets high in such foods tend to provide an ideal environment for harmful organisms in the intestinal tract, which multiply in alarming numbers. All of the foreign organism problems have a major impact on your digestive system and