The Healing Powers of Food For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Long Covid

[@lynnchristian9304]

I have had CFS for 13 years. I have done your program 3 times in the past. It obviously works well for many people but unfortunately not for me. I have now been on Keto for 3 months and have had the best improvements from this. I am at least 50% better. My crashes are only for hours now not days or weeks. I am so happy with the results. I will try carnivore in 3 months if I don't improve further. Thanks for your videos

[@nizamansari569]

Have you tried carnivore

[@Awaken_Together]

Hey I understand your struggles! I've been having improvement from my deep traumas that caused the underlying issue. No CFS channel could help until I found something!

[@DianaBrown]

"Don't let your body get hungry, it starts to go into rescue mode". I worked this out a while ago and put it into action, but I have never heard anyone talk about it or recommend eating at regular intervals as an important strategy towards recovery. Thank you so much, now I know I'm not crazy or alone in carrying food and drink supplies with me wherever I go. Even eating out requires an extra food supply in order for my body to feel safe if there is a delay in the food appearing. Thank you so much.

[@CFSHealth]

You’re welcome Diana! Nope you’re not crazy, you’re smart!

[@nunolilogo7914]

I behave exacly the same way Diana! Thank you

[@janem1990]

This is so reassuring it’s not just me. Sometimes I lay in bed at night with my stomach rumbling even though I had a good dinner and I know I won’t sleep well if I don’t go have a snack as I’ll be anxious.

[@gingerindian1141]

i found low carb and intermittent fasting since 2015 - one of the biggest benefits I use to give energy. Its 50% - 75% of my solution. So far, only podcast I am not in alignment with. Shifting to keto increased energy by 75% at least. Eating low carb and high fat brain is happier, concentration improved massivley, more contented and control over eating, satiety was consistent. Using carbs or glucose is not of use to me - as a person who has CFS for 28 years, with 3 5 year cycles, I am strong advocate for low carb lifestyle. There is so much science to support this. Keto diet is the healthiest diet. We dont need carbs for sustainance - these are not essential. But fat and protein are. Its well documented that the brain is happeist when using ketones. Anyway hunger cycles increase when you eat carbs and sugars, and the urge to eat or the signal is your glycolytic metabolism pushing you to consume and not tap into long term stored fats - so we keep it for another day. Your body and brain preferred energy is ketones. Its an established fact. Mitochondria dramatically reduce functionallity when eating sugar or carbs, or processed synthetic fats, and also reduce serotonin production is downregulated, as well as dopamine, and is also responsible for energy production - processed foods stop these mitochondria. THere is a lot of evidnece for this. Thats what i have learned, and I appreicate the practical adivice on other podcasts form this channel, but I strongly disagree with what to eat. Fasting - also a tool for improved energy management and weight managment. Dr Chris Palmer - Harvard Psychiatrist, makes the connection between cell mitochondria and removing sugar and processed foods. He goes on to say that human cell mitochondria a) create our energy each day b) increase serotonin production (serotonin dictates your calm mood - this is what a calm mood is - serotonin) - from a psychiatric point of view he prescribed a low carb diet to all patients, as he said all mental health conditions can be cured by using a keto diet (keto diet was created ''100 years ago as an intervention to treat seizures for epilpsy'') c) increase dopamine production - so a sense of accomplishment is achieved. IN short a keto diet improves mental health - this is fact, not a myth or silly claim and also upregualtes mitochondiral output meaning we increase energy. I have run a low carb support group since 2015 In Scotland. I cant stress enough about removing sugars and processed food from everyone's diet never mind CFS people.

[@lynnchristian9304]

I agree gingerindian. The keto diet is the only thing that has helped me over the past 13 years of CFS!

[@gingerindian1141]

@@lynnchristian9304 for me, its 75-90% influence on energy. Its 'miraculous'. Ironically, it feels miraculous because we were lied to with what to eat for decades filling our body ful of sugar. I found another guy - Harvard Pyschiatrist - Chris Palmer. He treats all patients with keto diet, and he believes its the cause of all mental health problems. He goes on to talk about cell mitochondria - you may know from schoo? the cells energy maker + also serotonin maker - your mood stabiliser. SO when yo eat processed food the Cell MItochondria do not produce energy, or serotonin meaning energy crashes, mood plummets. And the thing to fix this - more sugar. Or, dont eat any of it but it is easy to say that when you have been brainswashed nonsense for years.

[@joannaferre4814]

Totally agree.

[@RalfyCustoms]

Absolutely my experience too

[@LoveFrequencyEmpath]

Thank you for sharing your detailed post; sugar and carbs are my absolute weakness; I've tried to stop eating it several times but it's a literal addiction, in everything that's cheap and convenient and I get so hungry 😩 but I obviously want to get better. I've limited my intake of carbs and sugar but am going to take more accountability and my life back by getting serious about going keto. Thank you

[@renitaleong7551]

Grey's Anatomy had an episode where a character wouldn't share her snack food. They realized she wasn't being rude but needed it for constant refueling. I felt so seen on this topic for the first time. Hands off my almonds!

[@CFSHealth]

😊

[@nm628679c]

Forget the new-age remedies. You need 3 proper meals a day. That will stop the snacking.

[@Ella-ps1lg]

Such a great video Toby. Thankyou. I've long thought this is such a "gap" in most courses for ME/cfs recovery. I've created SO so much more stress over the years by cutting out this or that or following a certain restrictive, complicated diet in order to heal. Nothing more stressful and joyless than sitting with your family who are eating pizza or a roast whilst you're picking at grilled fish and plain vegetables. This video was so soothing and reassuring to my brain. Thankyou 🙏

[@CFSHealth]

You're welcome Ella! 😊

[@krystalwaine4175]

I don’t really get hungry, I eat 2 meals and 2 snacks a day. I find fasting till lunchtime works cause eating breakfast makes me feel sick and I crash. So I eat at 11am, have a snack at 3pm, dinner at 6pm then a snack at 8pm. Has really helped balance my energy.

[@Celest-gu7ex]

me also skip eating breakfast

[@briechilli4496]

Me also. I just dont feel like eating till lunch time. Thankyou

[@Celest-gu7ex]

1 effective thing i wana share ,, i always take 1000mg vitamin c before eating my lunch ,,, its very helpful to minimize my symptoms

[@hugoingelhammar6163]

Finally someone who put all my thoughts into words. For a long time I stressed out so much when people wrote down long lists on what to eat and what not to eat for Long covid/CFS. But something about this felt wrong. I didn't feel any worse after having a pizza, and when I tried all the different diets it always felt unsustainable to keep up.

[@Shannon_Robbie]

I was just about to try a reduced sugar or maybe even a sugar free diet. People keep saying that sugar causes inflammation and inflammation causes fatigue to get worse. Did you notice any negatives from eating desserts or sugary foods?

[@hugoingelhammar6163]

@@Shannon_Robbie Not directly. Ofc if you eat too much you'll feel bad. But I rather listen to my body and keep things in moderation, without forcing me into a specific diet. At the end of the day it comes down to the basic principles. Eat enough protein, slow carbs (fiber), and get your greens. I also eat till I'm about 80% full, so I'm satiated but not jam packed. That helps keep the insulin levels not too high, which is the whole point with reducing sugar

[@tashfairbanks7669]

A really good reminder, as I often feel too tired to bother to eat. Having food at hand, that doesn’t need preparation is something I must make sure of.

[@joannaferre4814]

Very true

[@lisadennys6045]

The biggest aha for me was about the body -already being under stress with CFS, will be hair-triggered as being under threat when hungry- ie, nervous system activation, hypervigilance etc. It brought my own experiences long term to light in a new way, when I had only been considering western medical views / blood values of low blood sugar previously. Since I was told my blood sugar is fine, I could not get my head around why I felt calmer eating more frequently. Thanks for putting this together! I understand my body in a new way now and feel better about my need to eat frequently.

[@bettyjeanpetrinovich7373]

Encouragement to put out the effort to eat regularly ... very helpful. Prioritizing use of energy is always a challenge.

[@lynnpaul2743]

Can completely relate to this. I've been through that stress of trying out different diets to try & heal, and just getting worse due to the added stress - the physical & mental work load of sourcing/prep etc.. I finally realised this was happening, but it took me a while. What you're saying also makes complete sense of why fasting is a complete no-no for m.e. sufferers! Thank you, your talks are always so helpful & reassuring :)

[@CFSHealth]

You're welcome Lynn!😊

[@krystalwaine4175]

Interesting I find fasting has helped me. If I eat too early I crash. I fast till 12pm and eat 2 meals a day and 2 snacks. It has made a huge difference for me with managing my energy. We are all so different 😊

[@JacquiQ]

I am in this now ..went Keto - felt awful - not Keto flu either - went no carbs to lose weight but ended up with some better symptoms but some worse and then read not enough glucose can cause too much cortisol to be released which stresses the body and increased my anxiety - all such a big diet mess now. I get that it puts too much stressed on an already stressed out ( sick) body.

[@genevievebaril4746]

So true!!!! I realized that if I stress too much about food, my cortisone rise ( I guess) and I feel worse. Having a comfort food meal with the family, that we all cooked together has so much more value to my body, even if it contains butter or sugar. Its all about balance. And doing it this way, I dont have cravings.

[@CFSHealth]

Absolutely Genevieve! ❤

[@nm628679c]

Thats the key to not snacking-proper meals!

[@lillight4JC]

Dear Tony, I really dmire all your efforts to help others with this debilitating illness. I was just wondering if you'd be kind enough to do shorter videos as well for those of us who have more brain fog or struggle with too much talking & information overload? Just some simple summary videos or even brief dot-points that we can then take screen shots of to keep for future reference? Kindest wishes Mandy (Western Australia)

[@renitaleong7551]

I would find a transcript very helpful.

[@CFSHealth]

Check out our Instagram for short video tips. We also have written transcripts for every podcast episode at www.cfshealth.com/podcast

[@BunnyRabit-yo3lx]

I found a hack for the digestive problems. Its probably a zinc deficiency because that causes loose stool. Cooked oysters (the tins from the supermarket) work better than zinc tablets for me because they are high in zinc and have a balance of other good things your body needs. It's not a food i like or would usually eat but i was desperate to get better. I mash it into a dip with the soft herbed cheese from coles and eat with rice crackers. The dairy and crackers would usually set me off but once the oysters get in my system it fixes everything. Has reversed IBS symptoms for me twice. My doctor said one can of oysters a week is OK for two weeks. Another way might be to put the oyster inside an empty gelatin capsul and take like a pill. I hope this helps someone. It's been amazing for me. I can eat most foods again when i correct the zinc deficiency (was discovered on a blood test.) It works fast too.❤ This fixed IBS but not CFS. Now I'm looking at my B vitamins.

[@michellelucas7332]

Thank you I can relate to this right now I've been stressing over food but today I'm wiser food is Energy ,I noticed my nerves calm after eating Nice Food that I like Thanks so much again Toby you helped me more than any Doctor here and I always refer back to you ❤

[@ThereseRunesson]

I’ve been trying lots of different diets…AIP, keto…. And its really been stressig me out… thanx för your words. New way of thinking now 😊

[@aboutthed00r]

This is so TRUE! It's helping me. A complete gamer changer. I encourage you to try it and see how you go.

[@CFSHealth]

Awesome!

[@kathbond45]

Sustaining your food input consistently throughout the day - Keep the food fire burning - keep the brain safe! 🔥

[@Shannon_Robbie]

Some people with long covid have sworn by fasting though so it's confusing to know what the right thing to do is.

[@lindsayanderson1755]

I was almost vegan for 3 years before the crash and after i tracked my protein intake which was low! Ive since increased my protein and have this first thing as bone broth powder in my morning cacao. Ill have more protein & fats mid morn, snack on nuts and seeds, a lunch and dinner. I also introduced a steak once per week as watched a functional medicine practitioner explain he had terrible brain fog and fatigue on a vegan diet so he introduced red meat (apparently some enzyme in red meat). I’m blood type 0 which is hunter gatherer so Going to try Paleo after watching Dr Sarah Myhill for longevity. So much out there and im willing to try anything. I dont stress about it as i love clean food and if i feel like a cheeky brownie or a chippy ill have it and been okay so far. I always carry a bag of nuts, dates and water everywhere! I learned pretty early on i needed to have my wee food stash and eat when not hungry - thank you for your video as affirmed on right track 😊

[@cassieratcliffe9840]

Really like the fire analogy! Will change the way i look at when i eat, im a bugger for waiting until i'm hungry!

[@justbecauseican1410]

I went on a diet immediatly after i found out i had cfs. It didnt help a bit. And when i became a mom i gave up because it was to hard ro maintain. I ate normal foods. But i noticed i did get more inflammation. But i also had more energy. I felt happier, i socialised more. I went from 30 ->60% just by eating normal. I funtionally recovered bu doing so.

[@lando2755]

You fully recovered from me/cfs?

[@karenburdett7571]

Brilliant video Toby, thank you. I love the log / fire way of thinking and I will definitely remember this going forward 💡😊

[@CFSHealth]

Thank you Karen!

[@simongarner5340]

Toby - this is GOLD. I was worried it would be a video on "what" to eat but I was pleasantly surprised! Great job!

[@CFSHealth]

Thank you Simon! Glad you liked it! 😊

[@juliesmith5237]

Love the Log/fire analogy! A really, tangible take away!

[@jennypascoe1612]

I've just been learning about fasting and that for my age bracket I should be having a 15 hour break between my night time meal and my breakfast. I guess that this may be OK for healthy people but not people with CFS.

[@JenWieners]

Thank you so much Toby! Nutrition and good food is such an important piece of recovery 🙏🧡

[@CFSHealth]

You're welcome!

[@DawnJordan-j8z]

Clear calm sensible information 👍

[@BelindaJohns]

Great to hear this, thanks Toby! Good to be reminded to eat before feeling hungry. So much of the advice out there is to wait until you’re hungry and that never works for me…

[@CFSHealth]

You're welcome Belinda!

[@pigfood1]

Thank you. Going to put logs onto a burning fire more often 👍

[@CFSHealth]

You're welcome!❤

[@carlesriberaberenguer7469]

keep the fire burning!

[@sarahdowling2478]

But what about fasting ? If you constantly eat then your gut never gets to rest. I don't fully believe in the constant need to eat for fuel as our bodies have sufficient vitamin and mineral supplies and our liver stores glycogen for our energy and also helps to burn fat. People who are fatigued feel the need to eat for energy for fuel but it's not the answer. This is a bad habit as it will be misinterpreted and people become obese especially if the fatigue sends you to your bed then this to me in effect is a bad combination.

[@francescam.6999]

Such a good video. I love everything you say. You always find the right words.

[@CFSHealth]

Thank you Frances!

[@dawnlawrence7124]

Sound advice Toby. Trying my best to follow this advice

[@CFSHealth]

You got this! Reach out to my team if you’d like more in depth help for you! [e-mail]

[@elkeseemann9420]

I ve tried every diet under the sun too. I thought. I am fine how I am eating now. What I eat is very good indeed. But I needed to just two times a day. You are argumenting really convincing. It is not a big deal to try that. If it will help . Fine. Thanks. And a ton of love

[@carolannmacarthur759]

My takeaway is that I wait to long before eating. I will eat more frequently and not wait so long as I do now until I feel tired and deflated. 👍🏻🙏🏻

[@carlesriberaberenguer7469]

I can't relate to this in the sense that I'm doing pretty well on some foods but still get awful reactions to other ones. I've been very anxious with food sensitivities in the past, but I am pretty relaxed nowadays, but just as long as I don't eat certain foods. I haven't experienced a situtation like the one you have described with the fast food day no harm, and I attempt indulgent meals from time to time. I suffer from CFS and more things, I'm afraid the root cause is long lasting emotional trauma I am not dealing with. Thank you, part of my improvement has come from applying the knowledge you share.

[@mariebrett2179]

I was told emotional trauma was part of my illness (cfs)

[@laurencem6448]

Does 3 days fasting or more help the body to make a reset about inflammation? When body is too tired perhaps it helps it to get less tired?

[@jack-dy7cx]

I didn't find this to be the case

[@judecalderwood9774]

All makes sense but I struggle with getting the balance of eating regularly & eating too much in relation to the amount of energy I'm burning. With having to have a more sedentary lifestyle, due to PEM, I'm not burning as many calories then I put on weight!

[@emilyswearingen4536]

Eat frequently & before you run out of energy with good balanced foods

[@CFSHealth]

Yes

[@Emma-km4mz]

Wow this was so helpful, I am constantly trying not to eat to loose weight but have bad CFS and notice when I feel really virusy I need more food but I try to ignore it. I will adding fuel to my tank every few hours

[@CFSHealth]

Glad it was helpful! Game changer

[@kirsteetu131]

This was great thanks. Really helpful to hear about what can/can't work. I tried a juice cleanse but it just made me feel worse, and triggered a migraine. I find not stressing about food, but just eating fruit and veg and easing off junk food and sugar to be the most helpful. It's just making sure i eat regularly, because if i don't I just crave junk food and sugar due to the energy dip.

[@CFSHealth]

You're so welcome!

[@Wds__99]

Great practical tips here with no diet dogma.

[@CFSHealth]

Thank you Swyllie!

[@CFSHealth]

Hey everyone! Make sure you check out our free trainings to help you get started with your recovery! Links are in the description of this video! Enjoy 😊

[@charcoal8]

Ngl implementing having protein with every meal has changed things for the better. I hadn't even noticed that my body was getting stressed coming up to lunchtime before.

[@janetcrabbe7576]

Another great video !!👏👏

[@alexandrecouture2462]

Very good video, thank you!

[@CFSHealth]

You're welcome!😊

[@nicholasmcquillin4659]

I can honestly say that I had a McDonald's burger n chips n after it made me feel sick n terrible, my brother doesn't have M.E but he has to be very careful bout wat he eats, cos it sets of his gut ibs,candida etc, no trying to be difficult just the truth.

[@maryburruss4865]

I’m interested in free training

[@jenniferfoster2200]

My biggest takeaway, excuse the pun, was not to wait till your really hungry to eat. Thanks for the tips Toby.

[@CFSHealth]

You're welcome Jennifer!

[@maiqueashworth]

It's really important to understand that there really is no such thing as a vegan diet, because Veganism only tells you what you're not eating, not what you are eating.

[@carlesriberaberenguer7469]

it's supposed to be a lifestyle cult, not a diet. It is supposed to tell you don't harm animals to live, which doesn't make much sense in a developed country where all the animals are gone because of human progress.

[@Jamie5633]

Great video For a while now I see food as fuel As a teen it was comfort food then Diets none worked I agree non diet approach What works for you as a person For me vegan for animals but because also my body feels so so much better on it To each their own Sometimes I have a late lunch or breakfast and thank u so much for this video as it reminds me how I must not do that It does relate to stress if so hungry at times A video on sleep would be good I find I need to sleep 10pm till 7 or I’m stressed more easily and drag feet a bit Plus Toby the ENERGY GAINERS V ENERGY DRAINERS that’s my motto now Rest is the gainer yet sometimes when we feel good we do too much and are unaware of what’s in the tank BASELINE.

[@penneymcnutt4413]

My key take aways are "food is fuel" and frequency. Am a part of foundations, so after watching the nutrition video there, I've been eating more frequently - and I can definitely tell a difference! So, many thanks, Toby! Will keep on keeping on!

[@CFSHealth]

Glad to hear it Penney! Keep it up! 🥗👍

[@cveki007]

What do you think about vitamin B1 deficiency? Is it somehow related to CFS/ME? Just did a test for it, the results are in 8 days or so.

[@kirsteetu131]

Dr Berg on KZbin has a helpful video on B1 deficiency.

[@stantonsteed1957]

😢It is not just what you eat but what you drink if I drink tea made with hard water I get pains my knees and my ankle swell up.and if I drink coffee made with hard water I get pains I'm my. Knees and My ankle swell up and I also get pains in my feet bottom of my feet. And if I drink fizzy drinks I get pains in my knees and in My foot and my ankles swell up and I also get pains in my hands and My fingers stick together And you cannot get your fingers unstick

[@motionmuse5684]

Doesn't this spike your insulin? Everyone is saying intermittent fasting. I'm confused 🤔

[@32446]

Funnily I feel better when I don’t eat and I cleanse. It’s the only thing that makes me well.

[@sofibregman4671]

I feel that for some fasting or intermittent fasting is what the body asks for. For me it is definitely so. I like to follow intuitive eating for my ovulation week but often time i feel like 15-16 hours of fasting is what makes me feel better and makes sense to do. I see no reason to eat breakfast of i feel zero hunger)

[@JaneBroome-qk4wi]

Don’t wait to get hungry and don’t be obsessive about your diet

[@greigsanderson]

Recovery? You can't recover from CFS.

[@michellelucas7332]

That's exactly what I order if the family go to mc Donald's a chicken wrap 😂I'm so anal about food and I have a beef with burgers jokes aside fasting is not helping my nervous system fact ❤

[@maryburruss4865]

16:40

[@MichelleHeighway]

This is fantastic thanks ! I’m gluten free now .., I like to think it’s helpful. I do feel actual starvation signals upon waking up with CFS sometimes and it’s terrible. I eat every two hours also as per my local NHS M.E Services. And I take snacks when I go out anywhere now.

[@CFSHealth]

Glad to hear you find it fantastic Michelle!

[@johnbaker1712]

Sadly Although I am in sympathy with a lot of what you say, I felt really let down when you brought a fast food chain into the dialogue. Why? An alternative like " A little bit of what you fancy is OK as long as your main diet is organic and fruit and vegetables are prominent in your daily eating habits. Before I unsubscribe I would like to hear your reason . You have my email. E.John. B

[@carinjohnson8324]

I know you are not asking for a response from just another audience member, but I think splitting hairs, instead of looking at the moral of the story, is not the most productive, or gracious way of showing up in any scenario. You can not learn from someone you don't respect. And if your respect is so easily shaken, you might want to ask yourself why, or even: Why were you so easily triggered?