Chronic Fatigue Syndrome-- Natural Cures

Herbal Medicine and CFS

Herbal medicine is a useful tool in the management of CFS.  However, while herbal medicines are useful, it is important to note that they will not start to work instantly.  To completely resolve the symptoms of CFS, it may take as little as four to six weeks or as long as twelve to eighteen months, depending on the severity of the CFS and any other health issues that the person is suffering from.  Some herbs that are helpful with CFS include:

• Echinacea – this herb helps to protect cells during infection and it stops bacteria and viruses from entering the cells.  It is useful for strengthening the immune system.
• Licorice – is an antiviral herb that is useful in the chronic phase of CFS.  Licorice root also supports the endocrine system.
• Lomatium
• Astralgus – enhances the immune function and it is good for cold and flu symptoms.  It strengthens the production of white blood cells which are needed by the body in order to fight off infection and inflammation.
• Gingko Biloba – improves circulation and brain function.
• Chinese Ginseng – helps the body to fight stress and it also increases energy.  As well, it fights off viral infections and supports the immune system.
• Siberian Ginseng – increases the body’s resistance to stress, fatigue, and disease.  It also helps to improve mental alertness and is a powerful antioxidant.
• Goldenseal – is useful for helping to control infection.
• Milk Thistle – protects the liver.
• Pau D’arco – is helping for treating infections of candida.
• St John’s Wort – has antiviral properties and is also helpful for depression.
• Skullcap/Valerian Root – improves sleep, as insomnia is another problem that is associated with CFS.
• Ashwaganda – is a tonic that can improve strength, stamina, vigour and sexual energy.
• Cat’s Claw – is anti-inflammatory and also helps to promote the immune system.
• Kava Kava – is calming and helps ease the anxiety that is often associated with CFS.
• Olive Leaf – is both antifungal and antiviral.

Homoeopathy and CFS

There are many homoeopathic remedies  that are useful in the management of CFS.  You will need to consult a practitioner to find the best remedy for you but some remedies that are useful include:

• Kali phos – is helpful for fatigue that is accompanied by trembling caused by stress or overexertion.  
• Arsenicum album - is helpful for exhaustion that is accompanied by anxiety, as well as a constant feeling of cold with joint and muscle pain.
• Nux vomica – is helpful for fatigue that is caused by lack of sleep, overwork or fatigue.
• Argentum nitricum – is helpful for a person that feels fear, has anxiety, and is secretive.
• Phosphoricum acidum – is helpful for those that feel emotionally or physically drained, or apathetic.
• Picricum acidum – is helpful for those that feel dreadful even after slight exertion, especially mental exertion.
• Silicea – is helpful for headaches and exhaustion that is caused by overwork.
• Zincum metallicum – is helpful if you are forgetful and tend to repeat things.

Acupressure for CFS

Acupressure can help to improve your physical condition as well as helping you cope with the tired, weak feeling associated with CFS.  Some useful acupressure points are:

• CV6 (Sea of Energy) – this is located three finger widths below the bellybutton and pressing on this point can alleviate dizziness and confusion as well as help you to feel better overall.
• Gallbladder 20 and 21 – help to bring energy from the head and keep it circulating throughout the body.  Pressing on these points can relieve fatigue and depression, as well as helping the immune system.
• Gallbladder 41 – helps to regulate the function of the hormones.
• Back bladder points – all of the points on the back bladder help to relax and tone the nervous system.
• Kidney 3 – regulates kidney function (in TCM, a general feeling of a lack of energy is associated with an imbalance in kidney function).
• Large intestine 4, 10, and 11 – pressing on these points stimulates the large intestine so that toxins are properly disposed of.
• Liver 3 – pressing on this point relaxes the nervous system.
• Pericardium 6 – helps to relax the chest and the mind.
• Spleen 6 – helps to strengthen the blood.
• Stomach 36 – helps to improve digestion and the absorption of nutrients.

Bach Flower Remedies

Bach flower remedies are especially good for treating the emotional aspects of CFS.  Aspen is a good remedy if you are feeling fearful but you cannot explain why you are feeling that way.  Holly is helpful for relieving anger and mood swings.  Hornbeam can help to relieve fatigue and a feeling of exhaustion.  Impatiens is good for calming impatience, tension, nervousness, and irritability.  Finally, mimulus is good for those people that are shy and timid.

Exercise and CFS

Exercise is one of the most important things in the management and treatment of CFS.  This is because people that suffer from the condition do not exercise because they feel weak, and like they continually need to rest.  This rest leads to muscle wastage which results in a person feeling even more tired.  In time, this becomes a vicious cycle and exercise helps to break this cycle.  Gentle exercise leads to stronger muscles which leads to increased performance, so that people feel less tired and so that they are able to do more.  Exercise also releases endorphins in the brain, making us feel better emotionally.  It does not matter what type of exercise you choose as long as it is gentle and can be started slowly at first.  It is important to build up the amount of exercise that you do as too much exercise too soon can actually be counterproductive.

Nutrition and CFS

Nutrition is an essential part in the management of CFS.  If you suffer from CFS, you should avoid sugar and sweet foods, as these cause the blood sugar to raise and drop dramatically.  An unstable blood sugar level leads to fatigue.  If there are any foods that you are allergic or intolerant to, be sure to eliminate these from your diet.  Remember to drink plenty of water each day to help flush toxins from the body.
Eating essential fatty acids such as those present in cold water fish, nut and seed oils (such as flaxseed oil) help to strengthen the immune system.  Eat plenty of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains.  These are high in fibre which alleviates constipation, a factor in fatigue.  It is interesting to note that 60 percent of people that suffer from CFS also suffer from candidiasis.  To help with this, eliminate all forms of sugar, and take probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria.
B vitamins are depleted in stressful situations, so it is worthwhile considering taking a supplement or eating more foods that are rich in these vitamins.  Vitamin C is helpful for immune system, while vitamin A is necessary for the production of antibodies that help to fight off viral infections.  Vitamin E is an antioxidant that stops vitamin A from being destroyed by oxygen and it helps to improve the supply of oxygen to the body’s cells.

Traditional Chinese Medicine for CFS

TCM uses a combination of acupuncture, herbs, moxibustion and lifestyle changes in helping to manage CFS.  The emphasis is on strengthening and protecting the immune system and also on conserving and generating energy.  TCM suggests that the immune system can be improved by working on the way that the body makes energy from protein sources.  In CFS, the immune system may be using as much as 60 percent of an energy storage compound in the body called ATP (adenosine triphosphate).  ATP manufactures protein to make immune antibodies and when the immune system is using all of the ATP, there is little energy left for the rest of the body, leaving you feeling very tired.  If this is the case, then acupuncture is used on the points that relate to autoimmunity and also the meridians in the body.
Herbal formulas that are useful in managing CFS include bu zhong yi qi wan, xiao chai hu wan, and astralgus ten formula.

Top Tips to Boost Immune System Naturally and Quickly

Boost immune system with these top natural remedies that exist in food, herbs, lifestyle and supplements that will destroy and remove your foreign invaders and add the key nutrient ‘players’ needed for best functioning of the immune system. 

• Water - single most important nutrient, helps your cells to properly communicate the healing messages, critical for an effective detox, vital for all your body systems to function correctly to boost immune system, helps maintain healthy energy, dehydration promotes cancer cell growth, drink ½ your weight in ounces of pure water, if using distilled water add minerals back to it, Click here for ‘More Water Facts’
• Whole food diet - eat food found in nature as close to original form as possible without added toxins (a toxin is anything not currently useable by the cells and includes pesticides), a whole food diet has many known and many ‘hidden’ benefits that will boost immune system, is our natural source for whole food vitamins and minerals, for help in balancing diet between healthy and enjoyable see ‘Natural Diet of Percentages’
• Raw produce - in a review of 206 human-population studies, raw vegetable consumption showed the strongest protective effect against cancer cells of any beneficial food, is the original diet God gave man in Gen. 1:29, will give the best immune system boost of any food catagory, high enzyme levels remove the ‘covering’ from foreign invaders (bad bacteria) and renegade cells (like cancer cells) so the immune system can destroy them, raw retains 100% of nutrients, enzymes and protein integrity, leaves behind no harmful residue and takes toxins out with them as they exit, the higher the raw the more you will boost immune system
• Greens (raw leafy) - the one food scientific research has shown to have a strong positive association with an increased longevity, helps bring acid pH (disease state) to alkaline pH (vitality state), loaded with phytonutrient protection, antioxidants, natural minerals like calcium and magnesium, Chlorophyll, food sources: romaine lettuce, kale, collards, Swiss chard, spinach and parsley
• Carotene-rich produce - probably the most important nutrient to boost immune system, many immune benefits occur even before they are converted to vitamin A, increases number and function of white blood cells, increases T3 and T4 cells, enlarges the thymus which shrinks tumors, protects healthy cells from carcinogens (cancer causing substances) that would turn them into a cancer cell, zinc is required to activate vitamin A, high yield foods: sweet potato, carrot, spinach, cantaloupe, kale, turnip greens, papaya, broccoli, apricots, mango, peaches, butternut squash, DON’T take synthetic forms of beta-carotene and vitamin A (retinoic acid, the active form of vitamin A increases HIV cell reproduction) or isolated/single carotenes - only in food or whole food supplements.
• Apples and cilantro - both have very special abilities to remove heavy metals (which weakens the immune system) from the body, excellent fiber source, many other great nutritional qualities that will boost immune system
• Juicing - fresh raw vegetable juice is the most bio-available and concentrated whole food source of nutrients, will give the best immune system boost because it is not only raw but also has concentrated nutrients, a carrot that is eaten contributes about 30% of nutrients to cell use while a carrot juiced contributes 90% of nutrients to cell use, an excellent source of carotenes and enzymes when juicing.
• Lifestyle Factors
  The choices you make in your daily routine will determine your health. These factors are crucial for boosting immune system.
  
• Sleep - the time when the body does the most repairing, the amount of sleep is directly related to the amount of energy we have the next day, for best immunity average eight hours per night
• Exercise - increases response time of antibodies, increases body temperature which improves macrophage ‘munching’, stimulates production of beta endorphin that latch onto killer T-cells increasing their ability to destroy invaders by an average of 63%, relieves stress, MOST IMPORTANT - it mobilizes the lymphatic system which collects and removes ‘unwanteds’ from the body (rebounding is excellent for this), top immune booster for oxygenating the body (low oxygen levels breed cancer cells and bacteria), stimulates T lymphocytes
• Alkaline body pH - cancer cells cannot live in an alkaline body pH but thrive in an acid pH (body pH should be 7-8 alkaline), to boost immune system you must have an alkaline pH, factors that effect body pH are stress, hydration, and anything you put into your body including medication, smoking, drinks and diet, green food supplements including sea vegetables are good for alkalizing.
• Protection From EMF's - Electromagnetic field radiation, especially wireless radiation from fast-growing technology, is virtually everywhere in our environment and wreaks havoc on our immune system. Because it is completely invisible, we don't know how much we are being exposed to until we check our envirnment. Learn more about this fast growing problem and the diseases associated with it .

• Fasting - resets DNA, detoxifies, reduces fat cells that store toxins, causes an increase in the ability of white blood cells to destroy harmful bacteria, increases antibody levels of IgA, Igm and IgG (immunoglobulins that fights disease), DO NOT start a water only fast without first preparing the body and working up to it slowly, regular fasting will boost immune system. 
• Relaxation technique - increases antibody levels by reducing effects of stress which is vital for boosting immune system (stress is the most dominant factor over everything that affects your immune system whether good or bad)
• Sunshine - increases killer T cells and adds vitamin D3 which has many anti-cancer properties including helping to protect against colon cancer, too much or too little weakens immune system (don’t burn)
• Fever - one of God’s natural defenses of healing, cooks off bad microbes, stimulates circulation so tissue is visited by immune cells, produces interferon which is a protein that inhibits viral replication in the body’s cells, up to 103 degrees is considered safe without intervention in normally healthy children and adults (excludes babies, elderly and those in a chronically weakened state who should seek medical advice for fevers and for anyone when accompanied by headache, rash, red spots, breathing difficulty or worsening condition), you can also boost immune system by replicating a fever with home saunas and hot baths (less than 105 degrees for 20-30 minutes per day).
• Journaling - writing out troubling feelings on a regular basis increase T-cell response and reduces effects of stress
• Laughter - shown to increase antibodies and boost immune system
• Attitude - the cells of the body derive hope and motivation from the mind... the reason a positive attitude and speaking positive words is so important, a great attitude actually boosts the immune system, try Joel Osteen’s books and t.v. programs to support positive mind, Spirit and body
• Prayer and meditation - scientifically proven and biblically stated that prayer improves your healing chances, of course, praying helps to bring you in line with God’s will for you and your health, God says to ‘think on these things’ that are good and positive as stated in Phil. 4:8 which is meditation on God’s Word and the good things in life, and meditation reduces our overall stress levels physically, mentally and spiritually
• Detox - initial and regular internal cleansing is imperative for a strong immune system and will eliminate bacteria, viruses, fungus, bad cells, parasites, heavy metals and other invaders that weaken the immune system, include colon cleaning (important to cleanse first so everything else can exit quickly), liver detox, kidneys, blood, gall bladder, etc., be proactive and careful about what goes into your body so you don’t need to cleanse as often
• Charity - helping others puts a blanket of underlying fulfillment in our life that is powerful for boosting immune system, try it today!