Thanks to The Store Wars Veggie Tales-style animation, Chewbroccoli and a galaxy of other characters can help educate you and your family about the benefits of organic foods. The animation even has a “salad bar” cantana sequence!

It doesn’t end there. Unless you’re fortunate to have a store like Whole Foods Market in your neck o’ the woods, finding organic products isn’t always an easy task. More and more supermarkets are adding some organic foods to their store selections, but as anyone who doesn’t have the time and energy to read each and every label can attest, those selections are limited. (Until recently, none of the local supermarkets in my “farm country” smalltown Ohio area have preservative-, nitrite-, or nitrate-free deli meats, for example. So, if I wanted bacon, ham, salami, or other deli cuts, I had to rely on my niece bringing some with her when she visits from Atlanta or a nephew picking some up for me in Detroit — or I had to order directly from the Wellshire Farms Web site. While choices are still limited — and unfortunately far more expensive than regular deli meats, Kroger and WalMart now carry such brands as Hormel® Natural Choice® lunch meats and bacon.)

While the choices may not be certified organic, most local farmer’s markets do have vendor’s who sell locally grown, pesticide-free produce. Another way to find sources of organic foods is to visit The Organic Trade Association Web site; they’re the organization responsible for the “Store Wars” animation and they have an extensive organic foods directory available on their site.

May the (Organic) Source Be With You is a post from: Chronic Illness.org

Related posts:

1. Details on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet™ by Bernie aka TigerLilea Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health...
2. Nutritional Ingredients: Preservatives and Their Link to Allergies and Sensitivities Because many diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia also...
3. Garlic: One of 10 Natural Remedies That Can Save Your Life Excerpt from: 10 Natural Remedies That Can Save Your...

You can view the entire index for the comic strips by clicking on the Comic Strip link in the Categories section of the middle column on this (and every) page.

Updates Done on Chronic Illness Realities Comic Strips is a post from: Chronic Illness.org

Related posts:

1. Chronic Illness Realities Comic Strip Calendars Chronic Illness Realities Comic Strip Calendar Chronic Illness Realities...

Let the Changes Begin! is a post from: Chronic Illness.org

No related posts.

Once my (self-named) Code Monkey gets the foundation in place, I’ll be able to begin building the new and improved home for this chronic illness- and chronic condition-related site. Once that’s done, archives will appear on this site that are dated before the date of this post. That’s because I intend to maintain the original dates of the prior Chronic-Illness.org content. New content will be announced on this page on the date that it appears on the site. All content will be available via a series of keyword-related and category links.

Chronic-Illness.org Will Soon Undergo Some Changes…. is a post from: Chronic Illness.org

No related posts.

Not everyone experiences the same symptoms — nor the same “triggers” — that lead up to a diagnosis for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. On this page, read quotes pulled from posts on a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Forum that show how some with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome relate what led to their CFS diagnosis. (The links associated with the Forum nicknames will take you to the complete text of the message from which a quote was pulled.)

“About 1 month after getting a mercury filling removed I suffered my first bout of exhaustion. I became too exhausted to eat! Then about 1 month later I was shopping when I became too weak to walk! I found a bench nearby and had to sit down for a while before I could get up so that I could drive home.” — 1deadinbed

“I had two infected teeth that went unnoticed, which lead to infected sinuses, which lead to a cold that lasted for over six months. Take your pick, all I know is that everytime my sinuses flair up, my CFS gets worse and doesn’t recover.” — TigerLilea

“My illness started with a viral infection that was going around my dorm. Everyone else recovered from it. At the time, I had significant exposure to toxins (I was in art school) so perhaps this was a factor.” — nancyhallatr

“Woke up one morning with vertigo – no other symptoms – in 1984. Vertigo went away in a week or so but was left with profound fatigue and weakness, and a list of symptoms including sore throats, low-grade fevers, etc.” — grannycfs

“I had a severe reaction to the anaesthetic, Articaine,… Within two weeks, I couldn’t read or understand words, nor could I speak or walk properly. In bed for about two months then developed fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome. Within six months, I had a diagnosis of CFS, Fibro, and MPS, as well as mild brain damage. I’ve had allergic reactions to mercury in other forms (contact lens solution, etc.). My quality of life definitely improved after switching to non-amalgam fillings but nothing like a cure.” — solarsail

“I went from years of having chronic ear infections to having chronic sinus infections. Then in 1989, I found out I had gall bladder problems when mine exploded! (Well, a duct erupted or something, but an explosion sounds more dramatic.) I’ve often wondered how much that resulting peritonitis etc. played in my getting CFS. … Just prior to the diagnosis (and about a year after the surgery), I had a severe bout with mono, too. … Several months prior to coming down with mono, I’d moved from an all-electric home to a natural gas-heated one. I’m now severely sensitive to gas heat, etc. (In hindsight, I realized that the most productive times in my life had been when I’d lived in all-electric homes. I’m in no ways living in my ideal home now, but it’s an all-electric one again.) … [Note: During this time, I changed dentists and the new one discovered that I had a pocket of infection in the area above an improperly done root canal. That problem was later corrected, but no overall improvement in my health occurred.] … Sometimes I think it would be easier if I could point to one single thing that caused my problems.” — Pamela Rice Hahn

Quotes on “How Did Your Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Start?” is a post from: Chronic Illness.org

Related posts:

1. What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), which is also sometimes referred to...
2. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/CFS/CFIDS T-Shirts and Gift Ideas This page is the index to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome...

This Cochrane review study is a sore subject!

I obtained a copy of the entire review, and it is just horrible. The author examined 9 studies, accepted only 5, and none were from the USA. Here are some of the problems:

1. Fatigue was the main outcome measured; depression and quality of life were secondary outcome measurements.

2. Fukuda international criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) were used in only two studies, and it appears that the subjects were not terribly ill.

3. In two of the studies (Fulcher and Appleby), 80-92% of subjects were working at the time of the study; in Powell’s study 35% were working. The others did not report. Obviously this was not a very sick cohort.

4. Of the 5 studies, the Appleby study was the only one with a rigorous exercise plan (70-75% of aerobic capacity for 30 minutes). This study did NOT show any improvement in subjects, and had the highest dropout rate. The 4 other studies used a low level of exercise (40% of aerobic capacity).

5. The so-called “experts’ [plural] that were listed were Dr. Peter White [only], whom I believe works closely with Wessley and Sharpe. Read biased.

6. Even though the authors concluded “patients with CFS who are similar to those in the trials should be offered exercise therapy,” the press did not make it clear that these CFS patients were rather high functioning, and that most CFS patients could not tolerate such exercise.

7. The authors also concluded from this same cohort that “exercise therapy may not worsen outcomes on average.” This is very misleading since it is part of the Fukuda definition that exercise causes post-exertional malaise, and all Persons with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (PWCs) may trigger prolonged relapses if they overexert.

Sadly, this Cochrane review study once again sends the incorrect message to primary physicians — that they should exercise all PWCs and not worry about post-exertional sequelae.

Charles W. Lapp, MD

HUNTER-HOPKINS CENTER, P.A.

E-mail contact

Web site

…specializing in CFS, ME, FM, and related illnesses.

Charles W. Lapp, MD Provides a Response to the “Exercise May Help Those with CFS” Study is a post from: Chronic Illness.org

Related posts:

1. Setting Goals While You Cope with a Chronic Illness by Shelly Burke Our society as a whole is very...
2. What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), which is also sometimes referred to...
3. Garlic: One of 10 Natural Remedies That Can Save Your Life Excerpt from: 10 Natural Remedies That Can Save Your...