FIBROMYALGIA

Fibromyalgia is a good impersonator - It can look like Lyme disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, rheumatoid arthritis and many other conditions. The condition may be due to a dysfunction of the nervous and endocrine systems. It is hard to pin down -doctors can't diagnose it by testing, and as a result, fibromyalgia often goes undiagnosed for five years or longer before being identified. (from Solve It with Supplements, by Robert A Schulman, M.D.)

It is an elusive disease, sometimes starting with a flareup that is hard to diagnose, only to go into remission, sometimes for years before it reappears. 

One way to identify Fibromyalgia is that people afflicted by it often feel extreme tenderness in up to 18 "tender points" in specific locations of the body. Common symptoms are musculoskeletal pain, extreme fatigue, poor sleep and insomnia, and "fibrofog" or unclear thinking. Other symptoms include digestive upset, female pelvic pain, and sometimes, depression.

Medications for fibromyalgia include low doses of antidepressant, and muscle relaxant medications. One medication, Lyrica, which can be given in low doses, and is non- habit forming is often given to help with flareups. Lyrica does have some side effects for some people.

Massage often helps relieve symptoms. Regular gentle and aerobic exercise helps keeps muscles strong and more resistant to pain. It is believed that consistent exercise will not aggravate the condition. Gentle stretching and acupuncture have been found to help alleviate some fibromyalgic symptoms.


NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS that help some Fibromyalgia patients :
( From Solve It with Supplements, by Robert A Schulman, M.D. page 448)

Magnesium - 200 mg, up to 3 times daily, with 1200 mg Malic acid,  1 tot 3 times daily.

Calcium- Age 19 -50- 1000 mg of Calcium Citrate or other formula. Age 51 and over;
          1,200 of Calcium Citrate  divided in 2 or 3 doses per day.

Chamomile- Tea- 3 grams of dried flower heads to 1 cup boiling water, up to 3 times daily.

Vitamin D, or D3- follow normal amounts advised.

Co Q10, - 60 Mg 2 to 3 times daily, reducing amount as symptoms decline.

5 HTP, Take  100 mg up to 3 times daily.

Ginsing, - 200 mg of standardized extract containing 4-7% ginsenosides 2 times daily.

Melatonin - 3 mg tablet  1-to 2 hrs before bedtime. Do not increase dosages because
          Melatonin ingested is depleted later in the sleep cycle, helping the person to sleep.

Same - 800 mg, twice daily, taken 1/2 hr before meals.

Vitamin C, 500 mg, taken twice daily.

Vitamin E - 400 IU taken with Selenium 100 to 200 Mcg Daily

St. John' swort - 300 to 375 mg capsules, 1 to 3 times daily, of standardized extract to
           contain .3% hypericin. This has a leveling effect on the emotions, lowering 
           depression for some people.

Valerian Capsules up to 400 to 900 mg daily, before bedtime. Valerian products vary 
           widely. Be cautious. Valerian causes disturbed dreams for some people.


USE CAUTION - As with all Nutritional Supplements, do not start adding all items to your plan at once. Start with one at a time, at a lower dose at first, increasing until symptoms of the condition recede. When you feel well, taper off the supplement over a week or two.

Remember, with AutoImmune Conditions, Natural Supplements offer a benefit largely because your system is not accustomed to the substance. If you don't take a supplement forever, you will not become sensitive or allergic to the herb. That way if you have a future flareup or outbreak, you can use the Supplement later on in the future when you need it.


Article researched and written © by Ruth Zachary

CEREAL SAFETY

White Bread. Computer Design in Kid Pix and Adobe Photoshop.   © by Ruth Zachary

To follow up on the Post  Is Grain the cause of Brain Drain, dated April 4, 2014,  I was curious to know if any grains are safe to eat. 

Dr Susan Blum in her Immune System Recovery Plan stated that she would remove any grains containing gluten from a person's diet for three weeks before re-introducing them.  Thes include wheat, gluten, barley and rye. Removing these grains would allow the patient to see if they are reacting to the grain or cereal. Blum is still cautious about allowing any gluten in the body because gluten protein causes anti-immune reactions in various parts of the body, which may not be noticed for years until accumulated symptoms show up later on.

Another factor may not relate to gluten. Eating any food or grain multiple times per week can cause a food sensitivity as well, a problem for people with auto immune diseases. Yeast, found in many grain products is also a trigger.

    WHEAT & GLUTEN

    BARLEY

    RYE

   YEAST

For this reason, I have crossed them off the list of safe grains.

I have listed several other grains below, with the caution that any grain, including Quinoa or another variety Ken-o wa not be ingested more often than every three days, to try to reduce the chance of developing a sensitivity to one of them. For instance, I am personally reactive to two grains that may be safe for others.

SAFE GRAINS

    AMARANTH

    QUINOA

    WHOLE GRAIN BROWNRICE

    WHOLE SHORT GRAIN BROWN RICE

    TEFF (SHILOH FARMS)

    MILLET

    BUCKWHEAT (EDEN)

    OATS- GLUTEN FREE

    CEREALS- GLUTEN FREE

    CEREAL BARS

    CORN MEAL made from Indian corn or Varieties not descended from those genetically altered  sweet corn

INDIAN CORN-RED,BLUE, is high in anthocyanins (anti carcinogen), and thirty times more antioxidants as our modern sweet corn, which is about 90% carbohydrates. Indian corn blocks inflammation, lowers cholesterol and blood sugar, and even reduces weight gain caused by a high fat diet. White and yellow corn has none of these benefits. Even colored corns grown in this country are grown for seasonal decoration, not for human consumption.

            In South American countries, people still eat purple corn, called maiz morado. It offers more resveratrol than red wine. It calms inflammation, inhibits tumor cells, and has several times more anthocyanins than most blueberries.

            A drink made from purple corn, pineapple skins and cinnamon, called chica morada can be found in health food stores. The traditional drink has no added sugar. From p. 75-76 Eating on the Wild Side.

To see more of Ruth Zachary's images,  visit her blog featuring Abstract Art

Writing and Illustrations are the © copyright of/by Ruth Zachary

 

IS GRAIN CAUSING BRAIN DRAIN?

 Brain Challenges: Scrabble is one of the games that can encourage brain function. ©R. Zachary

Dr.  David Perlmutter spoke on PBS Channel 6 recently. He has written at least two books on the relationship of grains to brain malfunction and degeneration. Perlmutter says the cause is inflammation,  something most people and doctors are not aware of. The inflammation will show up if a brain scan is done.

           

The reason grains are a cause of inflammation is that they are so high in starch, sugars, carbohydrates, and proteins that are difficult for the body to utilize. Free radicals are the cause, and the cure is antioxidants, available in a diet of brightly or deeply colored roots and vegetables.

Cut All Carbs From Your Diet.

Perlmutter stressed the first step to brain health is to stop eating all forms of sugars, which increase the likelihood of developing diabetes. (Diabetes is another auto-immune condition.) He says sugar is toxic to the brain, and is a contributor to Alzheimer’s disease. The hippocampus is the memory center of the brain, and sugar is correlated with brain shrinkage. Sugar binds to proteins in a process called glycation

Sugar increases the free radicals in our body. Removing sugar from the diet is key to anti-aging, Perlmutter explained. In addition, people must also cut back on starches, all forms of sugar, and carbohydrates.

He says the best way to identify the healthy foods to eat is to become familiar with the glycemic index of foods.  Breads, and sugars have a higher index than a candy bar, not that you should eat candy instead. Perlmutter says the body just doesn’t need so many carbohydrates. The brain actually needs fats, but from healthy sources.

Cut All Gluten from Your Diet

The American diet is full of gluten, (the sticky stuff that holds bread together and allows it to form bubbles so it raises.) Gluten is a protein, that many people cannot metabolize. Instead the immune system attacks it, and when the immune system is overly stressed, it may not be able to recognize the difference between gluten and other types of proteins in our own bodies, so that it attacks our own cells.

Gluten appears in processed foods, and the prevalence of that ingredient increases the chance of sensitivity to it. You don’t have to develop Celiac’s disease to be sensitive to gluten. Perlmutter stressed that up to 30 % of people in this country are sensitive to gluten. Many do not recognize they are sensitive, or that they have inflammation, aggravated by gluten. Perlmutter said eliminating gluten and carbohydrates from the diet has improved the health of most of his patients.

Because the symptoms are so diverse, and may show up in ways that are not immediately seen, Perlmutter suspects that it may turn out the !00 % of people may be sensitive to gluten. Why? Because gluten is relatively new to the human animal. Wheat has been part of the human diet for about 10,000 years. Human DNA is about the same as it was from 50,000 to 70,000 years ago. Grains were not always a major staple. We have learned to increase the productivity of the grain plants with hybrids that allow more of them in our diet.

People selling food products promote their own crops as being beneficial, when often they are not, but we believe the claims that have been made often and over years of time, rather than to question that a food may be harmful.
 

There Is More You Can Do

Research is showing that a diet rich in healthy fats is good for brain and cardiovascular health. Sources for these fats is in olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, wild fish, nuts and seeds, and eggs. Even the cholesterol in eggs is a brain food.

Perlmutter said conditions such as ADHD, depression, tremors and other diseases have been cured by removal of gluten in the diet. Many doctors collude with this problem by prescribing antidepressants, or drugs to mask symptoms, even though these substances increase the chance of death by 34 %. 50 % of people at 50 years or more are at risk of developing dementia of some sort.

There are other factors that can also affect brain health and longevity. Aerobic exercise, diet, sleep and more all affect our genetic destiny, and can even change it.  The previous blog post listed activities which can encourage the brain to regenerate. (Did I mention the need to stop smoking?)

Nuerogenesis or regeneration of brain function continues throughout life. Lifestyle changes can help grow a new brain. Perlmutter said a supplement, DHA or Omega 3 turns on the growth of new brain cells and improves our chances of developing Alzheimer’s.  Omega 6 is also important for resistance to aging and brain degeneration.

Writing and Images are the © copyright of Ruth Zachary.

THE IMMUNE SYSTEM RECOVERY PLAN

Still Life 2, With Grocery Store Veggies                 Photo ©by Ruth Zachary

Auto Immune Diseases – New Approach Promises Recovery Part 3 of a book review.

Dr. Susan Blum outlines four steps in her program; 1 Using food as medicine, 2 Understanding the stress connection, 3 Healing your gut, and 4 Supporting your liver.

Chapter one explains how the immune system works on a physiological level, and on a cellular level. This is complicated by the many uniquely individual hereditary factors we each have been born with. The first step is identifying exactly what triggers in each person’s diet, life or environment must be accommodated, and probably avoided. Many triggers may not produce immediate or direct symptoms, but weakens a healthy immune system for years before an individual succumbs to disease.

Dr. Susan Blum M.D., M.P.H. is described by Dr. Mark Hymen M.D, as a visionary who has improved the lives of thousands of people, and as being at the cutting edge of a new approach, Functional medicine, which is helping tens of thousands of patients world wide.

Dr. Blum advocates a dietary approach, offering a three-week plan that has removed the most common trigger foods entirely for that period of time. One might get a jump up on her plan by also removing all other trigger foods if known – anything one is allergic to, or that the person has previously reacted to in some way… including gas, constipation or diarrhea, rashes, or other symptoms, such as dizziness, headaches or more.

Eating foods that reduce, and do not produce inflammation are emphasized, because inflammation and auto immune diseases so often occur together. The diet is high on vegetables containing phytonutrients and fruits with antioxidants. It also advocates the best essential fatty acids. Vitamins and certain minerals are encouraged as supplements.

Once a person has followed the diet for three weeks, they are then instructed to add one food at a time back into their diet. If the food causes no reaction, it is thought to be safe, and if not, it is probably  a trigger. If there is a reaction, the person may stop eating that food forever, or reintroduce it much later in small quantities after the immune system is thought to have healed and the whole metabolism seems healthy again.

After one has followed the program for five or six months, blood tests and other tests for various parts of the physical system would be taken to see if aspects of damage still exist in the body. From this point on, there are more steps for reversing those ill effects, to bring the person closer to a complete state of good health.

Some people may have only to settle upon a diet that does not offend their own immune system, to find their way out of chronic disease. Personally, I have been following the first steps in the plan for almost two months with a great improvement in symptoms of RA at present. (R.Z)

Others may want and need to take extra steps to further improve healthy functioning. Those people may need to find a Functional Medicine Practitioner to achieve that.

Book Review © by Ruth Zachary

AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE RECOVERY PLAN - Part 2

Autoimmune  Disease Basics Part 2 

Dr. Susan Blum explains the way the immune system works, summarized as follows: When you are exposed to infections and illness, molds, parasites, or foreign food proteins, etc, Lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells normally help protect you.

If they don’t work right, they can also cause autoimmune diseases if they mistake some of your own cells as invader cells that will cause an illness. They can then attack your own tissues.

            There are two lymphocyte types; killer T cells,  and another B cell that produces antibodies that attack anything seen as foreign and dangerous. If this happens, your immune system responds with an inflammation. An inflammation can spread throughout the body. These T and B cells need to be in balance so the response is balanced as well.

            If you get the flu, you may have a high temperature while your lymphocytes fight off the virus, but in a healthy system all returns to normal after a period of time. In a healthy system, the chemical DNA in these cells should be fine tuned to be able to distinguish between foreign cells and your own cells, and attack  only invader cells. 

            When there are more T cells than B cells, and the system is not balanced,  the lynphocytes fail to turn off, so immune cells attack your own bodily tissues when they should only be attacking outside invaders.

            Autoimmune diseases or conditions number in the hundreds, often distinguished by the part of the body that is affected. The numbers of people affected increase every year. Some conditions are systemic (over the whole body) and others are organ or area specific. Blum says the underlying problems in all these diseases are similar. They all involve inflammation. An affected person may have several different autoimmune conditions.

            Common causes or triggers of autoimmune diseases are dietary: gluten, food allergies due to overuse, wheat flour, grains, soy, dairy products, meats, poultry and fish, eggs, and corn. Fiber, vegetables and fruits are critical elements to balance the digestive system where the greatest part of the immune system acts and flourishes in the body. A good balance of healthy organisms in the gut is essential.

            Stress and hormone imbalance are the second group of triggers for autoimmune disease. Chronic stress means your levels of cortisol are constantly elevated, which  damages the immune system, and can lead to adrenal fatigue. Inadequate rest and sleep is a major factor, as well.

            Toxins in the food and in the environment are another trigger. Mercury is perhaps the highest damaging of 212 toxins, an is in the top six most damaging to the immune system. The liver must clear the body of toxins, but if too overloaded, cannot function.

            Infections are another trigger. Viruses and bacteria often reside in the body, waiting to rise when the body is weakened by another trigger.

           A trigger is the cause. A trigger is anything that begins an unhealthy immune response. Blum says in her book, “Fixing the foundational systems, which are your diet, stress hormones, gut health and the body’s toxic load– will heal the immune system and help them all.”  

           Functional Medicine focuses on the primary cause of the immune dysfunction, rather than treating only the symptoms of the problem. 

           The next blog post will finish this discussion of Auto Immune Diseases, in Part 3.

Reviewed by Ruth Zachary©

THE IMMUNE SYSTEM RECOVERY PLAN

Fruit Bowl,                                                            Photo © by Ruth Zachary

Part 1- Do You have an Auto Immune Disease?

Auto-immune diseases are among the most prevalent forms of chronic illness in our country. This affects an estimated 23.5 million people. This is a larger number than those who have cancer or heart disease. Many suffer chronic pain, disability and even death.

Dr. Susan Blum, M.D., MPH says in her book, with the above title,  The Immune System Recovery Plan, conventional medicine rarely gets to the root of the problem. Dr. Blum, practicing in a new field of medicine, known as Functional Medicine, differs in that her emphasis focuses on reversing chronic conditions, and if possible, seeks to find cures, rather than to treat only the symptoms.

Most of these illnesses are listed under Auto Immune conditions, (which are listed on one of the pages of this blog.)  Blum says “these diseases are reversible and curable if caught early, before progressing to worse states of illness, or death.

A number of causes for Auto Immune conditions may be boiled down to a few. Causes include sensitivity to certain foods such as gluten, grains, mercury in fillings, heavy metals, toxins in our foods and in our environment, and more. Genetically modified organisms or foods, which have been developed within the last seventy years or so, may be very difficult for many people to utilize or tolerate. Up to 70 percent of the foods we eat may be genetically modified.

The foods that have been fount to have the greatest negative impact are corn, wheat, gluten, dairy products, soy, sugar and maybe peanuts, because so many product derivatives  from these main food sources, appear in different aspects in almost all processed foods. Toxins and disease pathogens can also play a role, because our immune systems can be additionally damaged by these factors.

A person who has a compromised immune system can be treated, to reverse chronic disease, she believes, and says it takes time and effort, but it can be done. Knowing there are few doctors available to treat everyone, she wrote her book to reach the ordinary citizen who might follow the program and eventually reverse their own chronic illness or symptoms. The plan as described in her book is complex, technical and requires discipline, but if you suffer from an auto-immune disease, you may well find it worth while.

Check the Blog Page titled List -Auto Immune Diseases to see if you have or someone you know has one or more of these diseases. The next Post will explain the basic steps of Blum’s program.