There are differences between people officially diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (they must meet certain symptom criteria set forth by the Center for Disease Control) and people who are frequently tired. Although people diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome take more time, skill and knowledge to help, both types have similar approaches. We have been medically conditioned to treat every ailment with some kind of pill. When presenting symptoms to a health care provider we ultimately expect to receive something to take to help correct our condition, whether it be a prescription medication, an herb, homeopathic remedy, vitamin or mineral. There are times that this approach works however for most people with chronic symptoms what to take is only half the answer. The other half to getting well is to figure out what to take away in regards to foods, drinks, cosmetics and environmental exposures that may be hurting your body. Practitioners well versed in Applied Kinesiology can identify these substances. No matter what nutrients you take you must remove daily exposure to the things that weaken you (commonly referred to food and environmental sensitivities) to get well.

The most common food reactors are dairy products, wheat, yeast, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils and tap water. If you use a water filter it must be a solid carbon block (not an activated granular charcoal filter) or reverse osmosis filter. Bottled waters that test good with kinesiology are Poland Spring and Deer Park. There are other brands that do test good but beware of the no name brands.

Assuming you have identified your major food sensitivities and are doing your best to avoid your “food reactors” how do you decide what course of nutrients to take? What should you be looking for, does brand really matter, synthetic versus natural, are cheaper ones as good as the more expensive ones? There are many decisions to make and it does make a difference what you take. Before you decide what to take you must know if you can utilize.

The most common finding seen with chronic ailments, especially fatigue is an inability to absorb nutrients on a cellular level. Nutrients are normally absorbed through the small intestines and enter the blood stream. This aspect of absorption is usually intact with chronic fatigue, however after the nutrients are in the intestine they must now penetrate the cell membranes of trillions of cells in the body. This is where many people have the problem and that is why intravenous delivery of vitamins and minerals will not work any better. The problem is not getting the nutrients into the blood, it is the cellular absorption.

There are several common reasons why we see malabsorbtion which practically always coincides with thymus gland weakness (the thymus is the master gland of the immune system). The most frequently observed finding is metal toxicity- commonly seen are lead, copper, aluminum, mercury, and cadmium (occasionally we see arsenic and I sometimes wonder if the spouse isn’t just a little annoyed with the patient). On occasion asbestos has been the culprit or other industrial contaminants.

When there is a toxin and it is creating thymus weakness with an associated malabsorbtion, nutrients will do little to get you well. A good analogy is to think of having a monkey on your back weighing you down. You could take nutrients to try to strengthen the body but eventually no matter what you take the weight of the monkey will pull you down. The more efficient method is to get the monkey off your back (the toxins out of your body) and then supplement with the proper specific nutrients to repair the damage that has already been done. The use of specific homeopathic remedies, herbal formulas, vitamins and minerals have a tremendous ability to bring back health and vitality. Taking the wrong formulas however could make your condition worse. Many people think of nutrients as being benign meaning if they don’t help they can’t hurt but that is simply not the case. The wrong nutrients can be toxic and they must be tested for compatibilty by a competent kinesiologist. Without doing this you can be creating liver toxicity which will make fatigue and any other symptom you have worse. When the ability to absorb nutrients is restored and the proper nutrients are given and the diet is cleaned up, the body will start to repair. Generally speaking it will take anywhere from one month to six months to get well depending on the chronicity of the problem and the age of the patient.

For those people that would like a copy of an article defining the exact symptomatic complex to be considered officially diagnosed with “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” please send a self addressed stamped envelope to me at 111 Mineola Avenue, Roslyn Heights, New York 11577. Monthly lectures are given in my office discussing the effects of Chronic Fatigue, Epstein-Barr Virus, Fibromyalgia, Candida Albicans, Multiple Food and Chemical Sensitivity, and Chronic Lyme disease.

Look for future articles on why you should never drink or cook with tap water, fibromyalgia, how to choose the proper supplements for your body, and many other health related topics.

Dr. Silverman is a chiropractor and state certified nutritionist who has been in practice for 20 years. He has taught college level courses in holistic health and nutrition and has appeared on many TV and radio shows including the Gary Null show and News 12. He has lectured and consulted for several homeopathic and nutritional companies and has two offices, one in Hauppauge (631-724-6780) and one in Roslyn (516-484- 0776.)