“Even if all the experts agree, they may well be mistaken.”
–Bertrand Russell

A form of Streptococcus bacteria killed as many as 25% of 19th Century women who delivered babies in the hospitals of Europe and the United States.  In the 1840’s, Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis, a physician who was practicing in Vienna, hypothesized that doctors were somehow passing disease from their hands to their patients at delivery. Dr. Semmelweis, after realizing that medical students were dissecting cadavers immediately before entering the delivery room, ordered all medical caregivers to wash their hands using a chlorine solution before examining women in labor. Because of this practice in his maternity wards, the mortality rate dropped to less than one percent.

Dr. Semmelweis became an advocate of hand washing by physicians. This unconventional belief was met with criticism and even hostility from his peers. In his day, hand washing was considered an unnecessary burden because of the lack of indoor plumbing. Dr. Semmelweis’ many critics were unimpressed and unconvinced by his results despite the fact he was able to duplicate them in other maternity wards.

At Dr. Semmelweis’ death in 1865, hand washing by physicians was still a mocked practice. In 1879, at the Academy of Medicine’s seminar in Paris, it was a subject of ridicule and debate.  Well into the turn of the next century, the idea of the need for hygiene by the medical community was met with resistance.

“Society is always taken by surprise at any new example of common sense.”
–Ralph Waldo Emerson
Today, we accept the practice of hand washing as just plain common sense. The United States Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has even recognized it as  “the single most important means of preventing the spread of infection”.

The health practices and concepts that you are about to read are as common sense as hand washing was in the maternity wards of 19th Century Europe.  They are also as controversial. Despite their success rate and ability to duplicate these results, they are today met with resistance and even hostility.

“Within each of us lies the power of our consent to health and sickness … It is we who control these, and not another.”
–Richard Bach
The fact is that an autoimmune condition like fibromyalgia doesn’t just “happen” to you. It is both passively and actively created by your lifestyle and the greedy practices of food manufacturers, who lace your meals with toxins. You eat, drink, and expose your way to immune dysfunction. With little exception, everything you put into your mouth, your surroundings, and even the air you breathe is either making you healthier or sicker.

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As part of my 12 Weeks to a New You course, our group discussed the principles in the Marci Shimoff book Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out.  The lessons taught in this book are so VITAL to individuals with fibromyalgia that I am starting a support forum based upon the concepts that Marci teaches.

In Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out and in this forum you will learn about exercise, supplements, food and behavior that will change your life.

The forum will be a no-cost part of my program. I am extending an invitation to all of you and anyone else that you think could benefit. I sincerely hope you will take advantage of this opportunity! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/happy_for_no_reason/

- Heidi Whitaker

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Is there a link between Lyme disease and auto-immune diseases including Chronic Fatigue Sydrome? 

If you have ever been bitten by a tick, flea, mosquito, gnat, or mite or have been sexually active with someone who has been bitten, then you are at risk for Lyme Disease. Lyme can also be transmitted from mother to unborn child and through breast-feeding. Contaminated food can also pass along the disease.

Forget what you have been told about “bulls-eye” rashes and deep woods excursions – they only make up a small percentage of the population infected by Lyme. Lyme Disease is not rare. It is an epidemic. Lyme disease and the inflammation produced because of it are also most likely a factor in the severity of many individuals’ autoimmune symptoms – if not the cause. (The Lyme Disease “outbreak” of the mid-1970’s caused arthritis.) According to the renowned Dr. Cowden, “…more than 50% of chronically ill people may have Lyme contributing to their condition”. (http://www.mercola.com/2001/jul/25/lyme_disease.htm)

Lyme, which was not even recognized in the United States until 1975, may be one of the most misunderstood and devastating diseases of our day. The test normally used to detect Lyme disease is extremely unreliable. This test does not look for the Lyme causing borreliosis bacteria. Instead, the test looks for the antibodies that your body has produced against Lyme causing bacteria. The problem is that Lyme can go undetected by your immune system for a long period of time, so those antibodies are not produced against it. Even after antibodies are produced, they are generally found in the tissue, not the blood of an infected person. The result is a negative blood test even if Lyme is present all over the body. Many organ systems can be invaded before an infected person even feels any symptoms. Some will never feel symptoms. (http://www.mercola.com/2001/jul/25/lyme_disease.htm)

Dr. Jo Anne Whitaker (no known relation to the author) developed a test that looks for the Lyme borreliosis bacteria, not the antibody. Dr. Whitaker’s lab has tested thousands of people for the presence of Lyme causing bacteria. Every test performed by her lab since 1999 has been positive for Lyme disease. (http://www.healthynewage.com/herbal-health-newsletter2.htm)

Lyme causes autoimmunity in the brain and central nervous system, not just the joints. It can mimic MS, Chronic Fatigue, and many mental illnesses.

Dear Fibromyalgia Sufferer,

Let’s face it.

Knowledge is power! What you don’t know about fibromyalgia, it’s causes, and treatments could be preventing you from taking control of your health and living a fuller life.

For Me, Ignorance Was NOT Bliss!

I understand what it is like to be kept in the dark. I was like most people who suffer from an autoimmune disease like fibromyalgia; I had no idea about the little things I was doing everyday that were contributing to my condition and causing me misery.

I didn’t know because my doctors didn’t tell me!

Frankly, my ignorance caused me needless suffering.

Be Inspired!

Today, I am living steroid and drug free because I know the secrets that enable me to make the most of my life. I am pain free and full of energy! I get to be an active participant in the lives of my children. I make plans without the worry of a flare-up spoiling them.

Fibromyalgia sufferers from all walks of life have been inspired by my story and wanted to know exactly what changed my life so dramatically. I have shared these secrets with countless people. Now it is YOUR turn. I am willing and anxious to pass on these hard to find facts to you.

“Prepare to be EMPOWERED!”

Through my newsletter, fibromyalgia blog, seminars, BRAND NEW support forum, speaking engagements, private coaching, eCourse, emotional support kits, work from home choices blog and books, I have helped countless people find the hope and the help that they need.

Together, we can do this!

Sincerely,

Heidi Whitaker

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue are close related and may in-fact be the one in the same.  All autoimmune disease has the same cause. 

Article by Heidi Whitaker

Contrary what you have been led to believe, autoimmunity is not a disease. It is a consequence of modern day life. Most important of all, it is a consequence that can be avoided. Speaking of how sick I once was from autoimmunity, I often would tell people that I was “broken – very, very broken”. In actuality, I wasn’t broken at all because autoimmunity is not truly a bodily malfunction.

Read the rest of this entry »

Fibromyalgia Pain Relief Supplements

Fibromyalgia is a complicated condition and finding the right supplementation can be just as complicated.  Heidi Whitaker a well know autoimmune disease researcher has studied and tried numerous supplements and has found the following to be most effective.

Germanium, Life Balance 17, Shark Liver Oil, Whole Food Vitamin 9 a day, and Herbal Pain Relief Tincture

If you are in considerable pain I would consider taking this entire combination of supplements.

Fibrmyalgia Syndrome and Serotonin Levels

Fibromyalgia Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Epstein-Barr, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Chronic Lyme are often associated with low serotonin levels. Serotonin helps regulate sleep, appetite, and mood. Depression and anxiety are often caused by a serotonin deficiency and popular antidepressant drugs are prescribed for the purpose of increasing serotonin levels in the body.

The amino acid 5-HTP, which can be taken in supplement form, improves your body’s ability to manufacture serotonin. However, if you eat carbohydrate-rich meals or snacks at night, which causes your blood sugar to rise and then drop while you are sleeping, the 5-HTP will not be effective. In contrast, eating a high-protein snack several hours before bed can provide L-tryptophan, another amino acid, which your body uses to produce serotonin.

Note: It can be dangerous to take 5-HTP in conjunctions with prescription medications for anxiety and depression because you can increase serotonin to unsafe levels.

A dietary choice that can naturally increase serotonin levels is consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids. According to a study published in the American Medical Association’s Archives of General Psychiatry, Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil increase the level of serotonin in a way similar to prescription anti-depressants. Other supplements, which may be helpful, include Ginkgo biloba, DHEA, Acetyl-L carnitine, St. John’s Wort, vitamin B-6, mangosteen, and SAM-e (S-adenosyl-L-methionine). Additionally, the aromatic oil frankincense may be beneficial.

Note: For me, St. John’s Wort was effective, but had the same unpleasant side effects as prescription antidepressants. However, others have used St. John’s Wort with few or no negative side effects.

Quality sleep is crucial to healthy serotonin levels. Sufficient sunshine is needed to allow the body’s internal clock to keep on its normal rhythm. WebMD suggests that you increase your exposure to sunlight or bright light to one or two hours every day.

For many people that live in northern latitudes, the sun’s rays are not intense enough to regulate serotonin or melatonin levels. (Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland that causes you to fall asleep.) In the wintertime, this can result in Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of depression. This inability to regulate melatonin levels can be corrected by “light boxes.” These boxes use what is called full spectrum lighting, which mimic the sun’s rays. Your doctor can write a prescription for full spectrum lighting or it can be purchased over the internet.

Note: At night, you should sleep in complete darkness. Any light in the room can disrupt your pineal gland’s production of melatonin and serotonin.

Check out a new online community just for women.  visit www.connectingwithwomen.com

Fibromyalgia Trigger Points

These are extra sensitive area for those who suffer with Fibromyalgia. 

Use Germanium, Shark liver oil, and herbs to lessen your pain.  Order Germanium, Order Herb Tinture for Pain

Fibromyalgia reasearch suggests a link with cytokines 

Article by Heidi Whitaker 

In the case of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, MS, ALS, autism, Alzheimer’s, lupus, and Lyme Disease, inflammatory proteins called cytokines cross into the brain. They do so through weakened areas of the blood brain barrier (BBB). In the brain, they cause “brain fog,” sleep disturbances, and increased pain, depression, and anxiety. Certain cytokines can deplete the brain of tryptophan, which is necessary in the production of serotonin.

Low serotonin levels can result in non-restorative sleep, depression, increased stress, increased appetite, increased pain perception because of an increase in Substance P, and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). The decrease in serotonin and increase of Substance P may result in low Growth Hormone (HGH) production, which is characteristic of Fibromyalgia.

This tryptophan deficiency is especially detrimental in those who suffer from depression, anxiety, Chronic Lyme, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Fibromyalgia sufferers, who already struggle with low serotonin levels.

It is important to strengthen the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) against cytokine invasion. Cytokines will only cross the BBB in an area that it is weakened. Low levels of vitamin B, a deficiency of certain essential fatty acids, and a viral infection, like a cold or flu can weaken the blood brain barrier. A study published in June 2002, in the scientific journal Differentiation, reported new evidence that mobile phone radiation can also weaken the BBB against harmful substances. (Cordless phones pose the same risk, but to a lesser degree.)

Diet and dietary supplements can strengthen the brain’s protective barrier (BBB) against cytokine invasion. Because vitamin C can strengthen capillaries and the blood brain barrier is made up of capillaries, it is reasonable to believe that vitamin C could provide the BBB with added protection. Additionally, animal studies show that flavonoids, like those found in blueberries, bilberries, and grape seeds can protect the blood brain barrier. These flavanoids can be purchased in supplement form. They are also anti-inflammatory, so they protect the brain by reducing cytokine levels and strengthening the BBB.

Check out a new online community just for women.  www.connectingwithwomen.com

Fibromyalgia Diet - Avoiding MSG 

MSG will futher slow down an already sluggish thyroid in those who suffer from Fibromyalgia.

One hieroglyph found in an ancient Egyptian tomb reads, “One-quarter of what you eat keeps you alive. The other three-quarters keeps your doctor alive.” I can’t help but believe that this is some type of ancient Egyptian prophecy pointing to MSG.

MSG is an inexpensive, great-tasting brain toxin. Because it makes their products taste so good, food producers are eager to use MSG as a food additive. You may think that you are avoiding MSG if you avoid Chinese restaurants, but this flavor enhancer actually is in almost every bottle, bag, or can on your supermarket shelves.

MSG is a nervous system stimulant and intolerance to it is not just an allergic reaction, but a powerful drug reaction. This reaction may mimic autoimmune disorders such as Fibromyalgia and can occur anytime from ten minutes to 48 hours after eating MSG-laced food. Even the FDA admits that MSG has been proven to induce asthma attacks in certain individuals because MSG causes a histamine response and the histamine increases inflammation. Additionally, over 85% of people studied with Type I Diabetes have tested positive for antibodies to MSG. In other words, they are allergic to it.

The toxin MSG also contributes to hypothyroidism by damaging the hypothalamus of the brain, which indirectly causes reduced thyroid production. Symptoms of reduced thyroid production (hypothyroidism) vary from person to person, but may include feeling cold, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression, mood swings, difficulty losing weight, PMS, heavy periods, dry skin and hair, brittle nails, headaches, hair loss, difficulty with memory and concentration, constipation, low libido, frequent infections, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Avoiding MSG and the problems it brings means being a super-savvy consumer. Increased public awareness to the dangers posed by MSG has forced manufacturers to “hide” it on the label. MSG can legally be listed by more than 40 different names on a food label. Food labels can be misleading or even downright deceitful. The government allows a label to claim “No Added MSG” or “No MSG”, but still have a high MSG content if the ingredients are naturally high in MSG.

Besides Monosodium glutamate and MSG, this additive may be listed as Monopotassium glutamate, Glutamate, Glutamic acid, Gelatin, Calcium caseinate, Textured protein, Hydrolyzed protein, Yeast food, Autolyzed yeast, Spices, Yeast extract, or Yeast nutrient.

Anything listed on the label as a type of “flavoring” or “natural flavoring” might contain MSG; so can any form of “bouillon.” The word “seasonings” can mean MSG has been added. Any ingredients that have any form of “soy,” “protein,” “enzymes,” “Carrageenan,” “pectin,” or “Maltodextrin” in it may also have hidden MSG. Foods that are ultra-pasteurized or fermented can also hide MSG. Unfortunately, the earlier a questionable ingredient appears on a label, the higher the likelihood that the food contains MSG.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and nothing that I say should be taken as medical advice, nor has it been evaluated by the FDA.

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