Overcoming Isolation In Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

The role of connection, bonding and love is a key part of the human existence. Yet for those with ME & CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) the symptoms they experience such as fatigue, post exertion malaise etc. makes it difficult to participate in social activities, maintain relationships and leads to feelings of isolation. When having a telephone call, getting ready for socialising etc. can drain their already depleted batteries so much, leaving them floored for days or weeks you can understand why social connections often drop by the wayside as people struggle with the basics of life.

Oxytocin is often referred to as the "love hormone" due to its role in promoting social bonding and positive emotions. It’s a hormone that has been shown to have several positive effects on physical and emotional well-being. The role it plays in recovery from ME/CFS is an important part of the jigsaw of recovery.

Here are a few ways that oxytocin may help with your ME/CFS recovery:

1. Reduces stress: Oxytocin has been shown to reduce stress levels and improve mood, which can be beneficial for individuals with ME/CFS who may be experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety.

2. Improves sleep: Oxytocin has been shown to improve sleep quality and reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, which can be especially helpful for individuals with ME/CFS who often experience sleep disturbances.

3. Supports immune function: Oxytocin has been shown to support immune function, which can be beneficial for individuals with ME/CFS who may have suppressed immune systems.

4. Increases social connection: Oxytocin has been shown to increase feelings of social connectedness and reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation, which can be particularly important for individuals with ME/CFS who may feel isolated due to their condition.

5. Anti-Inflammatory: Oxytocin is a powerful anti-inflammatory which is useful for the high levels of inflammation commonly found in those experiencing ME/CFS.  

So how do you create opportunities to boost your oxytocin when you’re still early in your recovery or in the throws of a ‘crash’. There’s a certain element of changing priorities involved, which from first hand experience can be very difficult if you’re struggling with enough energy to wash, dress, eat etc. Making joy a part of your everyday existence even when in a ‘crash’ or a ‘flare’ will really help bump up your levels of oxytocin and other neuroprotective hormones.

Connecting with others online through the many online communities and support groups for individuals with ME/CFS where you can connect with others who understand what you are going through. Try to find communities that focus on the positive. It’s very easy to come away from certain groups with ‘negative’ and ‘victim’ thoughts and these do nothing for our chances of recovery. I’m in the process of setting up a Facebook group with the aim of being a positive, supportive community where I can share my tips and advice from years of experience of specialising in CFS/ME as a Functional Medicine Nutritionist. Sign up to my newsletter to be one of the first to find out when it launches.

Look for low-impact activities that you can participate in, such as reading or listening to audible books, listening to music, or gardening. Pursuing a new hobby or interest can be a great way to connect with others who share similar interests and boost your mood. Depending on your energy levels and where you are in your recovery you could consider volunteering for a cause that you care about. Volunteering can provide a sense of purpose and allow you to connect with others who share similar values.

Make use of technology such as video calls to stay connected with friends and family, even if you are unable to leave your home. Let them know ahead of time you may cancel if your energy is low and allow yourself time to rest after the call. All of the unseen complexities of interacting with others can take it out of you. If you’ve ever experienced a ‘crash’ after your emotions got heightened after a negative experience with a family member or friend you’ll know what I’m talking about.

If you want to diy your feelings of connectedness there are ways you can hack your own oxytocin levels. If you have a pet you can give yourself an oxytocin boost from fussing and looking into their eyes. Even telling your dog you love them boosts their oxytocin levels, so there’s a double win! I’m sure you’ve already had many people telling you to meditate but did you know that studies have found doing a loving kindness (metta) meditation boosts our oxytocin and feelings of love and connectedness.

With all of these ideas it is important to find a balance between staying connected and conserving energy. Finding what works best for you and making adjustments as needed can help you avoid feelings of isolation and improve your overall well-being. Consider seeking professional help if you are struggling with feelings of isolation. As a Functional Medicine Nutritionist I provide support, guidance and coaching for all areas of your recovery including how to rebuild your social life and hobbies. Book a complimentary 30 min ME/CFS Transformation Strategy Call to take the first step to getting your life back.

Why Should We Detox?

In the 21st century, more than at any other time in history, we are bombarded with toxins. The average adult holds 500+ man-made chemicals in their body and new-born babies are found to have 300+ man-made chemicals in their umbilical cord blood.

In addition to environmental pollution, there are many toxins in food sources: pesticides, plasticisers, additives both in food, cosmetics and cleaning products, hormones in intensive farmed meats, even in our carpets and furniture! Our bodies are left to 'deal' with these substances for which we weren't designed. Stone Age man didn't unwrap the plastic from his woolly mammoth steak before he popped it in the microwave! The true long-term impact of all this on human physiology is yet to be revealed. However, along with numerous different illnesses, obesity rates are rising year on year.

Who Needs To Detox?

When the liver is not functioning optimally, this can result in poor digestion of fats, weight gain, intolerance to fatty foods, bloating, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and stomach pain.

If you have fatigue, brain fog, hormone issues, bloating, excess weight, feel low, skin conditions, PMT, bad breath, etc. then it’s likely toxins are creating irritation and harmful effects in the body, undermining your health and stressing your biochemical and organ functions.

The Liver’s Role In Detoxification

Your liver is one of the most important organs in your entire body and plays an important role in detoxifying the body. It neutralises toxins from the lungs, the bowel, the skin and excretes excess hormones. When the liver is overburdened, it cannot filter out the toxins in the blood properly, leaving you feeling tired, sluggish, and generally unwell. You will also be more prone to colds, infections and allergies. Your metabolism becomes sluggish making it much more difficult to lose weight. When the liver is overloaded, as it commonly is with the modern diet, it cannot successfully eliminate everything we are subjected to both internally and externally. Anything that cannot be eliminated and excreted is locked up safely in the fat stores. Think toxic dump!

What Are Toxins?

Alcohol, sugar, caffeine, prescription drugs, recreational drugs, smoking, environmental chemicals, improper digestion, imbalance in gut flora, constipation, repressed emotions all act as toxins in our body, overloading our liver. This creates a greater demand on important nutrients used in the detox process such as B Vitamins, Magnesium, Zinc, Omega 3, Selenium to name but a few. I commonly see these nutrients in deficient levels as a result in my clients whose livers have been chronically overloaded for years. Nutrients that are also key players in energy production, immune function and stress management among other important bodily functions.

Why Detox?

With everything our body is faced with day to day in the modern world we all need to detox from time to time to re-balance our health, improve energy levels and shift those pounds that creep on. Allowing the slow release of toxins from our bodies by following a healthy eating plan that is simple to follow, removing those foods and drinks that add to our toxic load and increase the foods that provide the nutrients that support our detoxification process. I commonly see a return to great energy levels and vitality, clear skin, improved digestion, clear thinking and focus, improved memory and a stronger immune system in my clients when we’ve supported the body’s natural detox systems.

How to Detox?

·      Cut back on those things that overwork the liver (listed previously),

·      Up your fruit and vegetable intake to 6-8 servings a day, including cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, pak choi.

·      Use turmeric, fresh ginger and cinnamon in your cooking.

·      Up your water intake: at least 8 glasses a day (2-3L).

·      Eat a diet rich in fibre.

·      Take plenty of exercise, including aerobic which brings oxygen to the body.

·      Drink green tea, which is good for the liver.

·      Eat organic if possible.

·      Follow a gentle detox 1-3 times a year.

For more support join my 14 Day Detox For Energy Online Program which runs every February to get all the support, recipes and information you need to kickstart your energy levels and regain your health!

Are You Addicted To Stimulants?

If the thought of giving up coffee, sugar or alcohol makes you panic, then the chances are you are currently addicted to stimulants. Before I tell you why we shouldn’t consume these products, I’d like to deal with the question of why we do consume them in the first place.

There’s no one who doesn’t know that products like these, consumed in excess, can severely harm our bodies. Yet, we still find them hard to resist. The desire to eat stimulant food is a simple human weakness that has existed for ages: humans (and many animals) have always indulged in foods that give a sort of emotional high (release of dopamine). In clinical terms, this means rapid a heartbeat, a little sweating, dilation or constriction of the pupils of the eye, a warm flush on the face, and a sense of greater sensitivity, concentration and perception.

Most of us are fond of at least one product that has the effect of a stimulant and that eventually becomes an addiction. These products include exercise or energy drinks (they come in cans and look like cola), fizzy aerated drinks, tobacco, strong coffee, strong tea, sugar and alcohol. These products contain caffeine, nicotine or sugar and all keep your blood sugar out of balance by giving you artificial boosts, closely followed by an energy slump. Triggering the brain’s pleasure and reward centres – areas in the emotional centres of the brain responsible for the release of the “feel good” neurotransmitter called dopamine.

These sensations of ‘high’ die down within a few hours, and we are left feeling listless and low. This leads to a craving for that food again, to experience the high one more time. And there we are going round and round in a vicious circle. Those cravings and satiating them is what keeps you addicted.

Your body has to work hard to deal with these elements, which it treats as toxins that need to be eliminated, if we are to detox effectively. When we are faced with the 500+ manmade chemicals already found in the human body in this toxin filled modern world we can start to understand why cutting down or cutting out stimulants can give your detox pathways a break and a real chance to work on everything else that’s being thrown at it.

Caffeine

Caffeine is dehydrating and will not help the detox process. It’s also addictive - watch out for withdrawal symptoms! A cup of coffee contains an average of 100mg of caffeine, which is deemed enough for an addictive dose.

Even more chemicals are used in the manufacturing of decaffeinated coffee and it contains 2 other stimulants (theophylline and theobromine). It’s better, but it’s not perfect. Try to go for coffee that’s decaffeinated using the swiss cold water method to avoid those chemicals. Caffeine makes you more stressed and tired as well as causing inflammation in the body and disrupting normal sleep patterns. For improved energy, mental clarity and improved mood:

AVOID: coffee, tea, colas, energy drinks and alcohol.

CHOOSE: Herb and fruit teas, Rooibos tea, water.

Alcohol

The more alcohol you drink, the more antioxidants you need. It is very acidic and toxic (hence the hangover), causes premature ageing, osteoporosis, irritate the intestinal lining, causing ‘leaky gut’ and food intolerances, cause insomnia, inflammation, weaken the immune system and can lead on to other disease states such as cancer (affects intestinal bacteria and has been shown to increase the risk of some cancers), liver disease, pneumonia as well as many other health issues. It also dehydrates and depletes B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and vitamin C which among other things affects the ability of the liver to detoxify.

Sugar

It’s hardly a newsflash that we eat too much sugar. The white stuff is ubiquitous. It goes without saying that you’ll find it in sweets, cakes and cookies. However, you’ll also find it creeping into practically every type of processed foods (which is why you don’t realise you’re eating so much) – even some of the least likely. Whoever heard of sugar as an added ingredient to flavoured crisps?

Sugar is connected to many chronic health issues e.g. type 2 diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancer to name a few. Sugar causes fatigue as the initial energy peak from the excess sugar in the blood stream quickly turns into an energy slump as all the sugar is packed away into the cells. This will lead to cravings for more sugar as your body tries to get itself out of the slump.

Excess glucose is initially stored in the liver and if you have a high sugar diet over time this can put a lot of pressure on the liver and cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. All of this will of course impact the liver’s ability to carry out its’ other important job of detoxing all the nasties that get thrown at it.

But cutting it out (or even cutting down) can feel hard – especially if you have spent years using sugary treats to give you enough energy to get through the day or as a reward for something you achieved.

I see huge improvements in my clients’ health when they cut out or even cut down on these stimulants and work on lowering their toxic load, such as:

• Get their energy back so they can accomplish so much more, whether that’s at work, with the kids or whatever.

• Lose that bloated feeling because they have better digestion – no more looking six months pregnant!

• Rev up their metabolism so they can ditch the extra pounds that have crept on over the last few years.

• Have clearer, more radiant skin – even without a trip to the beauty salon.

• Sleep more soundly so that they can wake up full of energy instead of dragging themselves out of bed.

• Say goodbye to hot flushes and/or intense PMS symptoms, which in turn creates much more peace at home.

• And so much more.

If you want further coaching and guidance on cutting out stimulants and increasing your energy levels join us on the Detox For Energy 14 day online program which starts 6th February.