Fatigue (& Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a long term (chronic) neurological condition that affects the nervous and immune systems.
FOODS TO EAT MORE OF
FOODS TO AVOID OR MINIMIZE
ESSENTIAL OILS
HERBAL
NATURAL
YOGA / MEDITATION THERAPY
SUPPLEMENTS
MIND-BODY CONNECTION
FOOD MEDICINE
Not all recipes are nutritionally perfect, but the options below are a great way to start incorporating beneficial foods into your diet in delicious ways. Always try to buy organic, and feel free to make substitutions to accommodate gluten-free, vegan, etc diets.
FOODS TO EAT MORE OF
- Fruits: Apples, avocado, bananas, berries, clementines, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, limes, mangoes, oranges, pineapple, pomegranates, strawberries, tangerines, tomatoes
- Vegetables: Arugula, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, collard greens, green beans, green/red bell peppers, kale, mushrooms (especially reishi, maitake & shiitake), onions, romaine lettuce, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, watercress, leafy greens, root vegetables
- Garlic, ginger, cinnamon
- Brown rice, whole grains, dates, almonds, dulse, kelp, seeds (especially flax, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower)
- Fish, beans, eggs, oats, olive oil, tofu, yogurt, turmeric, ginger
- Trinity Root (garlic, ginger, onion)
- Chlorella
FOODS TO AVOID OR MINIMIZE
- Red meat & dairy products (except yogurt)
- Process/refined foods, fried foods, artificial additives
- Caffeine, sugar, alcohol, yeast
ESSENTIAL OILS
- Rosemary, clove and/or thyme: add a few drops to bath water, or diffuse.
- Low Energy: Lemon, basil, fir, peppermint (shoulders, solar plexus, bottom of feet, diffuse).
- Exhaustion: Lavender, frankincense, lemongrass, clary sage, basil, ginger, grapefruit, lemon, rosemary, sandalwood (bottom of feet, heart, diffuse).
- Metabolic Imbalance: Oregano (lower back, thyroid, feet, kidneys, liver, glands).
HERBAL
- Alfalfa, amachazuru (Jiaogulan), ashwagandha, astragalus, black walnut (in small doses), borage, burdock root, cardamom, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, dandelion leaf & root, echinacea, elacampane, evening primrose oil, garlic, ginger, ginkgo, ginseng, guarana (avoid if you have high blood pressure or heart disease), lemon balm, licorice, milk thistle, parsley, passionflower, peppermint, red clover, red raspberry leaf, rose hips, rosemary, sage, Schisandra, shatavari, St. John's wort, stinging nettle, thyme, turmeric, Valerian, yellow dock
- Korean ginseng for men; Siberian ginseng for women; Astragalus for children (or some use both ginseng and astragalus together as a general energy tonic).
NATURAL
- Mild aerobic exercise daily
- Stress reduction through yoga, meditation, tai chi
- Flaxseed Oil: 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) daily (can be mixed with food or smoothies, take in the morning).
- Thyme tea, added to bath water.
- Guayusa Tea
- 1 Tablespoon blackstrap molasses or honey in a cup of hot water (take daily until energy returns).
- Chaga, Matcha, and/or Yerba Mate tea
- Juice any (or all) of the following and drink daily: concord grape, cabbage, beets
YOGA / MEDITATION THERAPY
- Movement Medicine - Energy Practice (17 minutes - Yoga With Adriene)
- Yoga for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (27 minutes - Chakrapod)
- Forward bends are especially helpful
SUPPLEMENTS
- Alpha-lipoic acid: 100 mg daily
- Amino Acid Complex: 1 pill twice daily (take on empty stomach)
- Astragalus: 200 mg extract twice daily (rotate in 3 week cycles with echinacea and pau d'arco)
- Carotenoids: 2 pills mixed carotenoids a day with food (should supply 25,000 IU Vitamin A activity)
- Coenzyme Q10: 50-100 mg twice daily (take with food)
- DHEA: 25-100 mg daily
- Echinacea: 200 mg twice daily (should contain at least 3.5% echinacosides; limit consecutive use to 3 weeks or rotate with other herbs)
- Ginkgo biloba: 120 mg in the morning
- Licorice: 200 mg 3 times daily (should contain 22% glycyrrhizin or glycyrrhizinic acid; can raise blood pressure)
- Magnesium & Malic Acid: 300-800mg magnesium citrate or gluconate plus 2400 mg of malic acid daily (take with food; reduce if it causes diarrhea). Can take 4+ weeks to notice results
- Melatonin: 103 mg daily for up to 3 weeks (consult a physician if taking longer than 3 weeks)
- N-acetylcysteine: 250 mg daily
- Panax Ginseng: 100-250 mg twice daily (should contain at least 7% ginsenosides)
- Pantothenic Acid: 500 mg twice daily (take with meals)
- Pau d'arco: 250 mg twice daily (should contain 3% naphthoquinones)
- Reishi: As Directed
- Siberian Ginseng: 100-300 mg twice daily (should contain at least 0.8% eleutherosides)
- Vitamin B Complex: 1 pill twice daily with food (look for B-50 complex with 50 mcg Vitamin B12 and biotin, 400 mcg folic acid, and 50 mg all other B vitamins)
- Vitamin C: 2,000-3,000 mg 3 times daily (reduce if it causes diarrhea)
- Vitamin D
MIND-BODY CONNECTION
- Can represent an imbalance between rational and intuitive thought, your creativity and intuitive energy has been lost or ignored. You feel powerless. Try something new or out of character, take a break, try a new hobby.
- Can also represent spiritual isolation - a sense of meaninglessness tied to spiritual emptiness. Try to start a meditation/prayer practice daily.
- Can also represent acting outwardly in ways that are different from how you really feel internally. If you are feeling deep guilt or self-loathing, your body can turn on itself. Work on improving unconditional self-love.
FOOD MEDICINE
Not all recipes are nutritionally perfect, but the options below are a great way to start incorporating beneficial foods into your diet in delicious ways. Always try to buy organic, and feel free to make substitutions to accommodate gluten-free, vegan, etc diets.
Abbreviation Definitions:
LC = Low Calorie (under 400 for breakfast, 600 for lunch/dinner, and 200 for beverages/sides/snacks)
GF = Gluten Free
KT = Keto / Low Carb
VG = Vegan
VT = Vegetarian
LC = Low Calorie (under 400 for breakfast, 600 for lunch/dinner, and 200 for beverages/sides/snacks)
GF = Gluten Free
KT = Keto / Low Carb
VG = Vegan
VT = Vegetarian