Feedback on my list of foods that assist M.E. recovery

[daveu]

Hi there,

I would love to get some feedback on the attached photo of my list of natural food sources that contribute to M.E. recovery. How accurate do you think my list is? Is there anything you would recommend adding?

I'm particularly interested in any natural food sources that can contribute to reducing neuro inflammation which is one of my most debilitating and persistent M.E. symptoms.

Thanks

 

[taniaaust1]

Sorry, i hate to tell u this but things often are not that simple. I can see quite a few foods on your list when have been issues to me and for many others who have ME/CFS. It isnt uncommon for ME patients to have issues with food.

Here's some issues there could be.

dairy - dairy intollerances are more common in ME/CFS. It took me a couple of years to realise that dairy was giving me a headache with the ME/CFS, I ended up having to avoid dairy for a couple of years.

For myself I developed an issue with sulphur foods.. so brocolli, eggs, cauliflower, I now get ill if Im not careful with how much of those things Im eatting.

soyabeans... - soya is a common allergy food

Hyperinsulinemia is more common in ME/CFS (according to the English ME specialist Dr Sarah Myhill).. she recommends a low carb diet due to this. Those with hyperinsulinemia need FULL cream dairys as it slows down the insulin spikes and shouldnt eat low fat dairy.

....

With the ME/CFS I developed 4-5 different diet issues... also got some peanut and cashew sensitivity (intollerence). It took me about 3-5 years to figure out that a lot of what I thought was heathy for me, wasnt and was causing me some issues with the ME


Watch out food issues. It wasnt till I became quite bad with my food intollerances did I become aware I had issues.

 

[Ysabelle-S]

Curcumin maybe. I take turmeric tea most days. Obviously doesn't have as much curcumin as supplements, but if you take it with black pepper, I think it aids absorption. So it's half a cup of milk (soya milk in my case), half a cup of water, heat it up in microwave or whatever, add a teaspoon of turmeric, and you can put in some honey if you want.

I'll add some more since I glanced at Tania's post which has appeared just before mine. I agree that cutting dairy down or out may be helpful. I'd watch for anything that upsets the stomach. In my case that meant gluten being eliminated which stopped the daily stomach issues, which in turn were probably making my orthostatic symptoms worse. Especially since I was already bad at drinking enough fluids and I was losing more fluids on a daily basis. I still take soya, but my stomach seems a lot better. I have wondered about taking the soya milk out just to see, but things improved enough for me on taking out gluten and milk, and seriously reducing butter and cheese, that I didn't feel it was necessary.

Anything that has seriously helped me other than elimination, is supplementation relating to energy production. Eating more protein earlier in the day, and eating a bigger lunch than before has also helped energy.

Also, I'd avoid turmeric if you've had problems with kidney stones.

 

[helen1]

@daveu
I would reconsider soybeans due to very high phytic acid levels which depletes minerals. Soybeans also strongly affect hormones. As well, non organic soybean products such as soybean milk are processed in such as way as to be surprisingly toxic.

I also didn't realize for a while that dairy was causing me GI and skin problems. Now I know it does and stay off it. Many people with ME and autism have dairy issues.

I'm also off all grains as I react the same way to most (except quinoa) as if they had gluten. This is not uncommon. I know a lot of people are fine with gluten, but for anyone with gut issues (most of us here) gluten and similar grains usually prevent gut healing.

I do well with curcurmin and turmeric, probably due to strong anti inflammatory properties.

I do well with a moderately high protein diet, especially in the first half of the day, high fat and low carb. I've seen many people say the same thing on PR especially low carb. Carbs seem to be a problem for many of us.

 

[Esther12]

Is there any good evidence that any food contributes to recovery?

Different people can respond poorly/well to doing and eating different things but I'm not sure we can say much more than that.

 

[gabriella17]

Good start to your list. There are several foods on the list that can often be inflammatory for some people: soybeans, dairy, grains.

 

[ErdemX]

I don't think recovery with diet is possible for the big majority of us. Even a small improvement in fatigue with any diet, food, supplement or probiotic was not possible for me.

 

[belize44]

My new doctor has placed me on a diet that eliminates dairy, food color and additives, grains of any kind, and white potatoes to name a few. I can eat unlimited meats, poultry and fish, and most vegetables and some fruits. In the week since I started, I already feel a bit more energy, and have lost a few pounds!

I have learned that soy products worsened my thyroid issues so I avoid them; I am already avoiding caffeine and I don't drink alcohol so I am feeling excited about this new way of eating!

 

[arewenearlythereyet]

These are some of my regular foods

Red pepper (vitamin C)
Orange juice the same (100ml per day)
Potato crisps/chips for potassium and sodium
Poached chicken breast (protein snacks)
Salted almonds (sodium, vitamin e)
Pumpkin seeds (magnesium and more)
Eggs for protein choline and much more
Full fat live yoghurt (calcium and more)
Pork (protein)
Bacon (nitrates and salt )
Broccoli (calcium and many more)
Full fat mayonnaise
Dark chocolate (85%) manganese, magnesium etc etc
Steak (when I can afford it)

I have IBS like most, although diet seems to have only a little control on this ...the only thing that really works is keeping carbs under control to 100-150g per day. This has nothing to do with gluten for me, just reduced carbs and substitute with fat. My IBS seems to flare mainly when I have other things going on (virus infection/ overdone it ) etc) I don't have any food intolerances but do have fluctuating histamine response which seems to be aggravated if I consume too much cheese, wine or matured/cured meats. The other thing that seems to improve things is to reduce the meal size and I tend to save carbs for the evening meal.

I should eat more oily fish, but I can't face this so take an omega supplement instead.

 

[ghosalb]

strawberry, blueberry, oatmeal, green tea for breakfast......kale, collard, chard cooked with spicy lentil, banana, small amount of dark choc. for lunch, ......tortilla bread wrap with coconut butter, lettuce, avocado, vegetable juice for snack......cooked cabbage and scrambled egg, other curried vegetable(rotate different vegetable to get as many types of nutrients as possible) for dinner......add onion, garlic, ginger and other spices in most cooked meals....lost weight and feel better compared to regular bread, egg, meat, fish and low vegetable meals. Wanted to try for a month but doing it for almost three years now because I don't feel like going back to old diet. Very little cooking and lasts for days without going bad.

 

[Runner5]

If those are foods that you do well with go for it

I have a lot of IBS problems and it's such a pain in my butt, but I finally found a few meals I can reliably eat without getting sick.