Jeez, little late with this one.
About 35 days ago I started the ketogenic diet. This lead to a pleasant increase in overall energy and allowed me to get more stuff done in my life. While this increase in energy was fantastic, it was usually followed by a crash a couple days later. These crashes however were not as intense, nor as long as they had once been.
I think the reactive oxygen species model of CFS partially explains why crashes happen. Free radicals build up in the body and it doesn't have enough antioxidants to clear them out. This explains why the ketogenic diet improves overall energy (reduces free radical production, increases glutathione levels). However I think that the ketogenic diet alone is not enough to balance the free radical/antioxidant ratio. I really noticed significant improvements once I started supplementing CoenzymeQ10 (another antioxidant). Inflammation went down, as did post-exertion muscular stress. Brain fog lifted slightly and I found the overall quality of my life went up. I believe I have lowered the amount of oxidative stress to a healthy point in my body.
However in doing this I have unblocked my immune system. High free radical levels can suppress the immune function, and I believe most CFS sufferers do not have properly working immune systems. This can lead to all sorts of shit not being dealt with in the body. To illustrate my point, a week ago my tiredness went from an impotent, frustrated, "I can't do this" sort of tiredness to a drowsy, sleepy sort of tiredness. In the past I hated resting in my bed and found it incredibly frustrating. Now I can nap for 3-4 hours a day and not feel a thing. I believe (and hope) that this is a sign that my immune system has started working properly again and is dealing with the accumulated BS I have built up over the years.
At the very least, I can now take naps unashamedly during the day. My suffering has gotten easier!
View attachment 12609
Chart of my energy levels over the 30 day period
About 35 days ago I started the ketogenic diet. This lead to a pleasant increase in overall energy and allowed me to get more stuff done in my life. While this increase in energy was fantastic, it was usually followed by a crash a couple days later. These crashes however were not as intense, nor as long as they had once been.
I think the reactive oxygen species model of CFS partially explains why crashes happen. Free radicals build up in the body and it doesn't have enough antioxidants to clear them out. This explains why the ketogenic diet improves overall energy (reduces free radical production, increases glutathione levels). However I think that the ketogenic diet alone is not enough to balance the free radical/antioxidant ratio. I really noticed significant improvements once I started supplementing CoenzymeQ10 (another antioxidant). Inflammation went down, as did post-exertion muscular stress. Brain fog lifted slightly and I found the overall quality of my life went up. I believe I have lowered the amount of oxidative stress to a healthy point in my body.
However in doing this I have unblocked my immune system. High free radical levels can suppress the immune function, and I believe most CFS sufferers do not have properly working immune systems. This can lead to all sorts of shit not being dealt with in the body. To illustrate my point, a week ago my tiredness went from an impotent, frustrated, "I can't do this" sort of tiredness to a drowsy, sleepy sort of tiredness. In the past I hated resting in my bed and found it incredibly frustrating. Now I can nap for 3-4 hours a day and not feel a thing. I believe (and hope) that this is a sign that my immune system has started working properly again and is dealing with the accumulated BS I have built up over the years.
At the very least, I can now take naps unashamedly during the day. My suffering has gotten easier!
View attachment 12609
Chart of my energy levels over the 30 day period
