How To Have A Healthy Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diet
The most important thing for a chronic fatigue syndrome diet is to try to eat healthy meals. A good diet will not cure chronic fatigue but combined with other good management techniques, it will give you the best chance of being as well as you can be, while a bad diet will make the condition worse. In this article we will consider what is a healthy chronic fatigue syndrome diet and how you (or the person you are caring for) can eat well even if unable to cook regular meals.
What Is A Healthy Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diet?
You probably know the answer to this already. A good chronic fatigue syndrome diet contains lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, less sugar and less ‘junk foods’. If you are overweight, you can also cut down on fats, but we do need some fat in our diet. Aim for healthy fats like olive oil where you can.
Keep in mind that some foods will almost certainly make CFS worse. Stimulants like caffeine and sugar may seem to give you an energy boost, but in fact just destabilize the body and make you more likely to collapse later.
Refined grain products (white bread, pasta, white rice) have the same ‘boom and bust’ effect on your blood sugar. Avoid them and choose whole grain options like whole wheat bread and pasta or brown rice.
Also avoid alcohol, artificial sweeteners and additives. Keep your food as natural as possible.
Many people who have chronic fatigue syndrome turn out to have food allergies or intolerances. It is worth being tested for allergens. Cutting out foods that you are allergic to could make a big difference to your health.
How To Have A Healthy Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diet With Low Energy
People with mild CFS may be able to cook healthy meals from scratch using organic vegetables, good quality meats and fish, etc. People with severe CFS may have a carer who is willing and able to do this for them. But in between these two situations, there are many patients who find it difficult to have a healthy chronic fatigue syndrome diet because they do not have the energy to cook. Here are some tips to make it easier for you to eat healthy without spending hours in the kitchen.
1. Plan menus for 3-4 days at a time. Planning your meals can seem like a lot of work at first but keep the menus and after a couple of weeks you can simply repeat them.
2. Make a list before you go grocery shopping. Always go to the same store so you don’t waste energy searching for things. Even better, order online. Have your shopping delivered.
3. To increase the amount of vegetables in your diet without having to wash and chop them, buy ready-to-cook vegetables and prepared salads. They are a little more expensive but they can save you a lot of energy. Or use frozen vegetables which are both cheap and convenient (but not so tasty).
4. Prepare twice as much as you need and keep half in the refrigerator or freezer for another day.
5. Don’t stand if you can sit. Get a high stool that allows you to sit at the kitchen counter while chopping vegetables, washing dishes or stirring pans.
6. Take frequent breaks. If a recipe book says that a dish takes 30 minutes to prepare, allow an hour so that you can rest between activities.
7. Have some ‘TV dinners’ in the refrigerator or freezer that can simply be heated in the microwave or oven on bad days, but be sure they are healthy options. Meals intended for weight loss diets are often good choices because they are less likely to have added sugar, but choose those that do not contain artificial sweeteners and additives. Add extra vegetables. You can also add fruit, olive oil, whole wheat bread, whole wheat noodles etc if diet meals don’t give you enough calories. Don’t buy pizza and snacks.
8. Take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement (after consultation with your doctor). Ideally we would satisfy all of our nutritional needs with healthy food but a supplement is better than nothing and can prevent deficiencies in a chronic fatigue syndrome diet.
It is worth doing everything you can to ensure that you eat well. It can make CFS easier to manage because energy levels are more predictable. Even more important, good nutrition with plenty of antioxidants helps the body to fight off infection, which can help to prevent relapses. A healthy chronic fatigue syndrome diet can make a huge difference to your health.