Over 1 million Americans suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). This illness strikes more people in the United States than multiple sclerosis, lupus, and many forms of cancer (1). While many Americans are diagnosed with CFS, many are not diagnosed because it is very difficult to diagnose; there are currently no tests that test for CFS. There are many other illnesses that include chronic fatigue issues. For this reason, diagnosing CFS can be difficult. People with diabetes, auto-immune issues such as: lupus, thyroid issues, M.S., fibromyalgia, and more can also experience chronic fatigue.
In order for CFS to be diagnosed or considered, the chronic fatigue has to be present for a minimum of 6 months. Other symptoms of CFS are the following (2) :
Feeling unwell for more than 24 hours after physical activity
Muscle pain
Memory problems
Headaches
Pain in multiple joints
Sleep problems
Sore throat
Tender lymph nodes
My story
Personally, I struggled with fatigue issues my entire life. I would feel so exhausted that I couldn't get out of bed in the mornings. It affected my college career because I could not stay up during my classes. It also affected my personal relationships because I could not spend much time with friends because I felt as though my body was going to crash very quickly.
Here’s a video that you can watch where I share my testimony and how I was able to overcome my chronic fatigue NATURALLY!
Here are my 3 Steps that helped me overcome my chronic fatigue as well as reasons that actually caused my body to experience fatigue issues in the first place.
1. Removing the Interference in my Nervous System
You may wonder, “how do I do that?”. How do I remove interference in the nervous system, and what does that even mean? The nervous system controls every single cell, tissue, organ, and muscle in the entire body. A well-functioning nervous system is key to having good health. If you have interference in your nervous system, your body will not communicate with itself the way it should. So what causes interference in my nervous system? The answer is Subluxations. Subluxations are when a bone is out of alignment along the spine. The bone or bones put pressure on a nerve in your spine. The communication from your brain through your nervous system is now like a hose that is clamped; your body will not receive the proper “water supply” or nerve supply that it requires in order for your organs, cells, muscles, and tissues to be function at 100%. It was Hippocrates that stated, “Look well to the spine for the cause of disease”. Hippocrates knew that the nervous system encased by the spine is the breaker panel that controls your body. This is why when I was 19 years old, I went to a Chiropractor to help me with my fatigue issues. Chiropractors specialize in the nervous system and have a vast amount of knowledge as to how the body functions. The doctor of chiropractic that I went to explained to me that I had many subluxations that were not allowing my body to function at 100%. After 2 months of being under chiropractic care, my fatigue issues were resolved. My body began to communicate with itself. My organs began to heal internally, and it improved my digestion, my energy levels, and my scoliosis.
2. Improving my Gut Health
70,000,000 people everyday suffer from some form of digestive issues (heartburn, acid reflux, GERD (gastro esophageal reflex disorder), IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), indigestion constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, etc.) (5).When I was 19 years old, I was consuming fast food almost every day. This was weakening my already poor digestive health, and was causing my immune system to be weaker as well. I was getting sick all of the time, and because of my immune system being weak, I experienced fatigue issues.
Improving your gut health is another key to good health. We need to have a strong healthy digestive system in order to be healthy as well as to combat issues with fatigue. If your immune system is suppressed, more than likely, you will experience fatigue issues.
How did I improve my gut health? Number one way that I helped my digestion was through chiropractic care. I made sure that my organs were functioning closer to 100%. Then, I ate things like collagen (I like this one). Collagen seals and heals the lining of the intestines through repairing the gut wall. Collagen is the most prevalent protein in our bodies. It makes up approximately 30% of the proteins within the body. These are tough and strong structures found all over the body: in bones, tendons and ligaments (3).
So make bone broth from Grass Fed Cow bones or you can get it in the powdered form and put it in smoothies. This will be an incredible start to healing your gut!
3. I Increased My Water Intake
Many people experience chronic fatigue issues due to dehydration.
What Is Dehydration?
Dehydration is caused by not consuming enough water. Water makes up at least two-thirds of the human body. It plays a large part in your normal functions, such as lubricating your joints and eyes, keeping your skin healthy by eliminating toxins, and facilitating proper digestion. Once the water in your body is reduced, it needs to be replaced because an imbalance between the salts and sugar in your body can affect the way you will perform. If your body has lost one to two percent of its entire water content, you will feel thirsty, a sign that you need to replenish the lost liquids.
Dehydration happens when you've lost too much water in your body without replacing it, preventing your body to perform its normal functions. Mild dehydration can easily be treated but if it reaches extreme levels, it can be life-threatening and will require immediate medical attention (4).
Dehydration can cause chronic fatigue because your body is not detoxifying.
How much water should you drink?
You should ideally drink ½ of your body weight in ounces. If you weight 150lbs, you should drink 75oz of water a day. Most of us don’t drink enough water because we are used to drinking sodas, juices, and other sugary beverages that do harm to our bodies! They also make you more thirsty.Also, when you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated.
There are many other factors in overcoming CFS, but these are just simple, practical ways that we can take action to overcome CFS. Getting a good night sleep (not mentioned above), having a proper diet, getting adjusted, and upping your water intake are great steps toward overcoming CFS for good!
So what are your next practical steps to overcome your chronic fatigue issues?
References
http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/causes/risk-groups.html
https://medlineplus.gov/chronicfatiguesyndrome.html
http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Collagen.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/dehydration-symptoms.aspx
http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/digestive-issues