Could my elimination of meat & food additives really be what's improving my chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms?

I've been dogged by chronic fatigue syndrome and associated symptoms for over two years, and nothing I tried was making me feel any better. It wasn't just the poor sleep, tiredness and vague flu-like symptoms, but also depression, joint pain, digestive problems, ringing in my ears... just a ton of stuff. Finally, in desperation, I made some drastic changes to my diet. I started with a colon cleansing regimin about two months ago. At that time I also took all meat out of my diet, and I began eating only whole, unprocessed foods containing no chemicals. I upped my water intake. One day about a month later, I suddenly realized I was feeling a whole lot better. I had more energy, was headache free for the first time, and my digestion, muscle and joints, and my general mood were all improved. Then, a week ago, I slipped back into old eating patterns when I couldn't do my regular shopping, and I've felt horrible for three days. Could my diet really be responsible for such dramatic changes?

Wow, Laura. I THINK there was a positive answer to my question somewhere in there...I really just was just seeking an answer in regard to my own health issue, not the start of a blog war. So, anyone else who wishes to reply to my immediate concern, please od!

No question about it. The hormones, antibiotics, preservatives, and other toxins in foods are harming our bodies. I see a lot of visceralsomatic complaints in the past 20 years that's really coming from the junk they're eating.

For chronic fatigue syndrome, it's a two prong attack. You need to maintain your healthy organic diet. #2, make sure you find a very good chiropractor. The adrenals are very sensitive to toxic garbage and chiropractors can help restore nerve flow to your adrenal glands.

I'm a former CFS sufferer. Took me six months to get rid of it. And that's how I did it. I still maintain both regiments to keep my lifestyle at 80% efficiency. It's most notable when I try to push myself beyond 40-50hr work, I don't have the energy as I used to pre-CFS working 80-90hrs week.

It's very possible, but unfortunately at this time, there is no totally conclusive information for either side of that. CFS is a very debated illness that some say can be controlled by diet and some say it's completely unrelated.

I know a couple people in my family that had CFS, and they have mentioned that they did feel better when they were off of meat and were juicing lots of fruits and veggies for a while, so I know it works for some people at least

Absolutely. I have seen it time and time again. Stick to the diet that made you feel good, your body will thank you for it. And well done on taking the initiative instead of just wallowing in it like a lot of people do!

One of my good friends had CFS. She was able to get over it by eliminating all preservatives and going organic, so I believe diet can make all the difference. I didn't know about avoiding meat though. Why is it thought that meat can cause fatigue? I would think the protein in meat would boost energy and carbs would cause fatigue. I wonder about wild meat like antelope that is fat and cholesteral free??

Yes, your eating habits can cause dramatic changes, because your system is weak and getting easily out of balance. I suggest that you visit my Website, where I am describing what I have done to heal myself from Fibromyalgia. It was not easy, but I can tell you that I am completely healed, although the doctors said that there is no cure and that I must live with it. That's now more than two years and no symptoms have been coming back.
What you started to do is the right thing, there is more to do, but it is worth the engagement.
BeiYin

The meat causes fatigue because your body have to work hard to digest it,your body needs sources of food that it can easally digest for energy and to burn fat calories.
keep it simple.

Yes! Your diet is most probably responsible for how you feel.
That is fantastic that you started feeling better and I feel certain that once you resume the healthy eating habits, you will feel good again. It's a shame more people don't realize that diet and toxins are to blame for most illnesses.
I hope you feel better again very soon!
Sincerely, Ralph M