Carbohydrates, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia
Originally developed to help diabetics control their blood sugar, the low glycemic index diet focuses on foods that keep blood sugar levels consistently low. It’s similar to other diet plans that eliminate the high carbohydrate, highly processed foods that pack the pounds on but eliminates or reduces some otherwise healthy foods. The low glycemic index diet is often used to lose weight, and it forms the basis for some popular diet plans such as the South Beach Diet and The Zone diet.
Study Evidence
But is a low glycemic index (GI) diet a good idea for people with chronic fatigue syndrome and/or fibromyalgia? Some studies and anecdotal reports suggest it might be. We’re not talking about curing ME/CFS/FM here; we’re simply talking about better health.
The glycemic index is all about blood sugar regulation – something that may be of concern for people with ME/CFS/FM
The low GI diet is all about blood sugar regulation—a must if you have diabetes, and possibly a plus if you have ME/CFS or FM.
Insulin removes sugar from the bloodstream when blood sugar levels get too high. Insulin resistance, which often precedes the development of type II diabetes, may be associated with metabolic syndrome. It is common in people with obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease, and “resistance” refers to the inability of insulin to do its job. Lots of blood sugar spikes over time appear to confuse the body enough for it not to respond normally to the presence of insulin.
The study evidence for poor blood sugar regulation in ME/CFS/FM is small but positive. High rates of insulin resistance (79%) were found in FM in a recent Italian study. Higher plasma insulin, body mass index and hip to waist ratio in more memory-challenged patients suggested that insulin resistance could be contributing to cognitive issues in FM. A CDC study found increased rates of metabolic syndrome in ME/CFS in 2010 (using their random sampling approach).
Cortisol, a blood sugar regulator, is often ‘mildly low’ in ME/CFS. Some doctors believe hypocortisolism (low cortisol level) is underdiagnosed in ME/CFS. Early on, chronic fatigue syndrome was identified with hypoglycemia—a finding that didn’t seem to pan out—although Dr. Teitelbaum argues that those tests only pick up very, very severe problems. Dr. Kogelnik believes he’s finding increased rates of diabetes in his ME/CFS patients, but some other doctors don’t appear to be finding that. A small neuropathy study, however, found high rates of undiagnosed diabetes in fibromyalgia patients.
- Dig Deeper: See Hypocortisolism in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by Cort Johnson (unattributed)
The most convincing evidence that blood sugar regulation is an issue in ME/CFS, however, is simply the fact that many people with chronic fatigue syndrome generally do not do well when they skip meals. In his new book, “The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution,” Dr. Teitelbaum suggests that the easiest way to tell if your adrenal glands (producers of cortisol) are whacked is to answer the question, “Do you get irritable when you’re hungry?” If you feel shaky, nervous, dizzy, fatigued, etc., and have a craving for sugar after not eating for awhile, you’ve probably got blood sugar and adrenal problems.
Anything that immediately raises your blood sugar levels such as…gulp – white sugar – is high on the glycemic index
Carbohydrates, starches and blood sugar regulation have been problems for me since I had ME/CFS. (Starches are simply strings of glucose molecules put together; starches with low fiber content actually get into your system faster than some sugars.)
If I don’t eat regularly I get spacey and crave sugar. I also often crave sweets after I ‘exercise’ even when I am eating regularly. Sweet foods, though, send my system into turmoil, often leaving me feeling weak and shaky. They’re so problematic that I’ve never been able to eat sweet foods without supplementing them with protein and fat.
That yummy piece of pumpkin pie and those protein bars get slathered with a nice slab of peanut butter. Ice cream is a mixture of granola, nuts and nut butters. I crave sugar but can’t tolerate it. To be honest, my problems go way beyond sugar. Any high carbohydrate, low protein food is a problem. Eating potatoes, short-grain rice, sweet potatoes, etc., usually means it’s time for a nap.
One look at the low glycemic index diet and it all starts to makes sense. Foods with higher glycemic indexes, even if they are healthy otherwise, such as potatoes, short-grain rice, etc., are going to cause me problems.
Carbohydrates, the Truth About Starches and the Glycemic Index
The Glycemic Index
Glycemic index—On the glycemic index scale, each food is assigned a number from 1-100, with 100 being the highest glycemic index. (Glucose—which dumps straight into your system—get 100 points.). Usually foods are broken down in to three groups.
- Low glycemic index—55 or less (the ‘tricklers’)
- Moderate glycemic index—56-69
- High glycemic index—>70 or more (the ‘gushers’)
Glycemic Load—The best way to assess a food’s impact is not by its glycemic index but by its glycemic load. Glycemic load combines both the quality and quantity of the carbohydrates in a food into one number. You will find the most fine-tuned and rigorous analysis of glycemic indexes at the University of Sydney’s glycemic index pages
FOODS
Grains
Processed grains (white flour, white rice) tend to have higher GI’s.
Rice
GI values for rice run the gamut from moderate (basmati) to high (sweet rice). Long- grain, brown rice is better than short-grain white rice.
The GI values of rice are all over the map.
Serving rice with lower-GI foods such as beans, vegetables, or lean meats will help lower the glycemic load of your meal. Note that boiling rice (as opposed to steaming rice) increases its glycemic load substantially. Microwaving appears not to increase glycemic load values.
- Steamed brown rice—50
- Basmati rice (long-grain)—57
- Microwaved medium-grain brown rice—59
- Brown, short-grain japonica rice—62
- Arborio or risotto rice (medium grain)—69
- Boiled white or brown rice—72
- Sticky or sweet rice—87
- Jasmine (fragrant rice), white-short grain japonica—89
Oats and Oatmeal
Oats have a lower GI than other grains because of they contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Unlike insoluble plant fiber, which does not dissolve in water, soluble fiber absorbs water and becomes viscous, coating food particles and hampering their immediate digestion. Apples and beans are also high in soluble fiber.
There are oats and there are oats, though. Instant oatmeal can have a very high GI index (66-83) since it digests so quickly. “Porridge made from rolled oats” gets anywhere from 49-63 GI, and steel-cut oats are in the mid 50’s. In general, the coarser the oats are cut the better.
Pasta—The Odd Man Out
Pasta lovers can rejoice. Despite the fact that the bran is either missing or is no longer attached to the grain, pasta has low to moderate GI values (30-60). When the starch granules in pasta become enmeshed in the gluten molecules in the pasta dough, they increase the time pasta takes to get digested.
Pasta should be cooked al dente (‘firm to the bite’) to get the full benefit of the low glycemic value of pasta. One website suggests checking pasta 2-3 minutes earlier than the package instructions suggest. They also suggest eating pasta with vegetables.
Asian noodles such as hokkein, udon, and rice vermicelli also have low to intermediate GI values.
Potatoes
Potatoes are delicious and inexpensive but baked potatoes, in particular, are ‘gushers’ that quickly raise blood sugar levels.
Potatoes tend to have higher GI’s simply because they contain so little fiber. Cooking method makes a big difference in the glycemic index of potatoes with steamed and boiled potatoes clocking in at a medium glycemic index (61-65) and the delicious baked potato at a very high 85.
Potato salad (which still wipes me out) has a medium GI. Interestingly, a potato salad tossed with vinaigrette will have an even lower GI because cold storage increases the resistant starch content by more than 30% and the acid in the vinaigrette slows the rate at which your stomach empties.
The fats in potato chips and French fries increase digestive time, thus lowering their GI, but the saturated fats in these products may contribute to heart disease and they’re not recommended. Good fats can be found in avocados, nuts and legumes.
Fruits
With their high fiber content, berries have a low glycemic index
Watermelon, raisans, pineapples, bananas and dried fruits are all ‘gushers’ that send your blood sugar levels up quickly. Berries, apples, peaches, plums, etc. have low GI’s. Note that you don’t have to eliminate all the ‘gushers’; you should use them in moderation and combine them with low GI foods. Because juicing breaks down the fiber, fruit juices have high GI’s.
Legumes and Nuts
With their low glycemic indexes, legumes and nuts get a thumbs up. Be aware of the high fat content, though.
Low-fat Dairy and Soy Drinks
Both have low glycemic indexes.
Sugar Substitutes
Stevia, an herbal sweetener, contributes zero carbohydrates. In fact according to one expert Stevia helps to regulate the blood sugar levels.
Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity
With the low glycemic diet knocking out some foods that gluten sensitive people may be eating, let’s see what a low glycemic, gluten-free diet looks like.
Recommended Foods
- Fruits—apples, citrus, peaches, plums, apricots, pears
- Leafy green and salad veggies—all
- Starches—Be careful of potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro and yams.
- Reduce potato intake by replacing with yams, taro, legumes, sweet corn, peas, carrots, and pumpkins.
- Make breads with chickpea or legume-based flours.
- Gluten-free pastas based on rice or corn tend to have moderate to high GI values. Try buckwheat and bean noodles.
- Try buckwheat, quinoa, and basmati rice for grains. Stay away from millet.
Fiber
Since the goal is to keep blood sugar levels from spiking, anything that impedes the digestion can be helpful.
Fiber types that inhibit enzymes from getting a food (soluble fibers found in apples, oats, beans) therefore reduce a foods GI value. Because the insoluble fiber in grains only impedes enzymes when it’s still attached to the grain, whole grain breads have GI values similar to white breads.
Other Foods
Foods such as beef, chicken, fish, eggs, tofu, avocados, nuts, seeds, many fruits (including berries) and vegetables, beer and wine and liquor have such low GI indexes that they often don’t appear on GI tables.
GI Diet Books from Health Rising’s Amazon.com Bookstore
Glycemic Index ME/CFS/FM Survey
Here are the results from the survey thus far:
Skipping meals often makes me feel irritable, spacey or weak
Response Chart Percentage Count
Agree completely 67% 34
Mostly agree 20% 10
Somewhat agree 10% 5
Don’t agree 4% 2
Total Responses 51
Eating starchy or sweet foods by themselves makes me feel tired and weak
Response Chart Percentage Count
Agree completely 35% 18
Mostly agree 25% 13
Agree somewhat 20% 10
Don’t agree 20% 10
Total Responses 51
When I eat sweet or starchy foods by themselves I add protein or fat to them so I don’t feel bad
Response Chart Percentage Count
Agree completely 28% 14
Agree mostly 18% 9
Agree somewhat 28% 14
Don’t agree 26% 13
Total Responses 50
I’ve tried a glycemic index diet before. It was
Response Chart Percentage Count
Very effective 31% 9
Somewhat effective 59% 17
Not effective 10% 3
Total Responses 29
I’m interested information on
Response Chart Percentage Count
Paleo diet 50% 18
Anti-inflammatory diet 72% 26
Ketogenic diet 28% 10
Elimination diet 17% 6
Anti-histamine diet 39% 14
Other, please specify… 17% 6
Total Responses 36
I’m interested information on (Other, please specify…)
# Response
1. reference for food diary ap that focuses on GI and gluten, not calories
2. I stay away from ALL carbs
3. Balanced, healthy diet that’s right for you and your metabolic, genetic type. Eliminate only if it really helps as it’s a pin and could result in a deficiency.
4.
5. low FODMAPS diet
6. HCG
Conclusions
The low glycemic index diet isn’t the complete answer for me. Some low-glycemic foods such as soy can wipe me out. Eating foods from the nightshade family causes an old knee injury to flare up and I’m experimenting with a gluten-free diet. It may be that all diet plans need to be individualized to be completely effective. The glycemic index does, however, explain some of my negative reactions to foods that were unexplained before.
With some studies and a lot of anecdotal evidence that sugar (and probably blood sugar regulation) is a problem in ME/CFS/FM, the glycemic index is something many people might want to check out.
- More on Diets and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – The Best Diet for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
- Next up – Anti-inflammatory Diets
Appendix: A Glycemic Index Chart
| Food List | Rating | Food Glycemic Index |
| Bakery Products | ||
| *Pound cake | Low | 54 |
| Danish pastry | Medium | 59 |
| Muffin (unsweetened) | Medium | 62 |
| Cake , tart | Medium | 65 |
| Cake, angel | Medium | 67 |
| Croissant | Medium | 67 |
| Waffles | High | 76 |
| Doughnut | High | 76 |
| Beverages | ||
| Soya milk | Low | 30 |
| Apple juice | Low | 41 |
| Carrot juice | Low | 45 |
| Pineapple juice | Low | 46 |
| Grapefruit juice | Low | 48 |
| Orange juice | Low | 52 |
| Biscuits | ||
| Digestives | Medium | 58 |
| Shortbread | Medium | 64 |
| Water biscuits | Medium | 65 |
| Ryvita | Medium | 67 |
| Wafer biscuits | High | 77 |
| **Rice cakes | High | 77 |
| Breads | ||
| Multi grain bread | Low | 48 |
| Whole grain | Low | 50 |
| Pita bread, white | Medium | 57 |
| Pizza, cheese | Medium | 60 |
| Hamburger bun | Medium | 61 |
| Rye-flour bread | Medium | 64 |
| Whole meal bread | Medium | 69 |
| White bread | High | 71 |
| White rolls | High | 73 |
| Baguette | High | 95 |
| Breakfast Cereals | ||
| All-Bran | Low | 42 |
| Porridge, non instant | Low | 49 |
| Oat bran | Medium | 55 |
| Muesli | Medium | 56 |
| Mini Wheats (wholemeal) | Medium | 57 |
| Shredded Wheat | Medium | 69 |
| Golden Grahams | High | 71 |
| Puffed wheat | High | 74 |
| Weetabix | High | 77 |
| Rice Krispies | High | 82 |
| Cornflakes | High | 83 |
| Cereal Grains | ||
| Pearl barley | Low | 25 |
| Rye | Low | 34 |
| Wheat kernels | Low | 41 |
| Rice, instant | Low | 46 |
| Rice, parboiled | Low | 48 |
| Barley, cracked | Low | 50 |
| Rice, brown | Medium | 55 |
| Rice, wild | Medium | 57 |
| Rice, white | Medium | 58 |
| Barley, flakes | Medium | 66 |
| Taco Shell | Medium | 68 |
| Millet | High | 71 |
| Dairy Foods | ||
| Yogurt low- fat (sweetened) | Low | 14 |
| Milk, chocolate | Low | 24 |
| Milk, whole | Low | 27 |
| Milk, Fat-free | Low | 32 |
| Milk ,skimmed | Low | 32 |
| Milk, semi-skimmed | Low | 34 |
| *Ice-cream (low- fat) | Low | 50 |
| *Ice-cream | Medium | 61 |
| Fruits | ||
| Cherries | Low | 22 |
| Grapefruit | Low | 25 |
| Apricots (dried) | Low | 31 |
| Apples | Low | 38 |
| Pears | Low | 38 |
| Plums | Low | 39 |
| Peaches | Low | 42 |
| Oranges | Low | 44 |
| Grapes | Low | 46 |
| Kiwi fruit | Low | 53 |
| Bananas | Low | 54 |
| Fruit cocktail | Medium | 55 |
| Mangoes | Medium | 56 |
| Apricots | Medium | 57 |
| Apricots (tinned in syrup) | Medium | 64 |
| Raisins | Medium | 64 |
| Pineapple | Medium | 66 |
| **Watermelon | High | 72 |
| Pasta | ||
| Spaghetti, protein enriched | Low | 27 |
| Fettuccine | Low | 32 |
| Vermicelli | Low | 35 |
| Spaghetti, whole wheat | Low | 37 |
| Ravioli, meat filled | Low | 39 |
| Spaghetti, white | Low | 41 |
| Macaroni | Low | 45 |
| Spaghetti, durum wheat | Medium | 55 |
| Macaroni cheese | Medium | 64 |
| Rice pasta, brown | High | 92 |
| Root Crop | ||
| Carrots, cooked | Low | 39 |
| Yam | Low | 51 |
| Sweet potato | Low | 54 |
| Potato, boiled | Medium | 56 |
| Potato, new | Medium | 57 |
| Potato, tinned | Medium | 61 |
| Beetroot | Medium | 64 |
| Potato, steamed | Medium | 65 |
| Potato, mashed | Medium | 70 |
| Chips | High | 75 |
| Potato, micro waved | High | 82 |
| Potato, instant | High | 83 |
| **Potato, baked | High | 85 |
| Parsnips | High | 97 |
| Snack Food and Sweets | ||
| Peanuts | Low | 15 |
| *M&Ms (peanut) | Low | 32 |
| *Snickers bar | Low | 40 |
| *Chocolate bar; 30g | Low | 49 |
| Jams and marmalades | Low | 49 |
| *Crisps | Low | 54 |
| Popcorn | Medium | 55 |
| Mars bar | Medium | 64 |
| *Table sugar (sucrose) | Medium | 65 |
| Corn chips | High | 74 |
| Jelly beans | High | 80 |
| Pretzels | High | 81 |
| Dates | High | 103 |
| Soups | ||
| Tomato soup, tinned | Low | 38 |
| Lentil soup, tinned | Low | 44 |
| Black bean soup, tinned | Medium | 64 |
| Green pea soup, tinned | Medium | 66 |
| Vegetables and Beans | ||
| Artichoke | Low | 15 |
| Asparagus | Low | 15 |
| Broccoli | Low | 15 |
| Cauliflower | Low | 15 |
| Celery | Low | 15 |
| Cucumber | Low | 15 |
| Eggplant | Low | 15 |
| Green beans | Low | 15 |
| Lettuce, all varieties | Low | 15 |
| Low-fat yogurt, artificially sweetened | Low | 15 |
| Peppers, all varieties | Low | 15 |
| Snow peas | Low | 15 |
| Spinach | Low | 15 |
| Young summer squash | Low | 15 |
| Tomatoes | Low | 15 |
| Zucchini | Low | 15 |
| Soya beans, boiled | Low | 16 |
| Peas, dried | Low | 22 |
| Kidney beans, boiled | Low | 29 |
| Lentils green, boiled | Low | 29 |
| Chickpeas | Low | 33 |
| Haricot beans, boiled | Low | 38 |
| Black-eyed beans | Low | 41 |
| Chickpeas, tinned | Low | 42 |
| Baked beans, tinned | Low | 48 |
| Kidney beans, tinned | Low | 52 |
| Lentils green, tinned | Low | 52 |
| Broad beans | High | 79 |
Notes: *high in empty calories **low-calorie and nutritious foods
- From the South Beach Diet
Such great timing! I was going to begin my research on Low Glycemic foods today, because my blood sugar has been acting up lately. Thanks for the excellent head start!
I’ve been trying Benfotiamine lately and seem weirdly more sensitive to sugar, though I thought from my docs comments it would go the other way. Any thoughts about that?
Also, would love any recommendations for food diary aps that do glycemic counts and don’t yell at you about calories!
Thanks SO much as always!
Did some work for you :). Good. Didn’t think about food diary glycemic apps.
Here’s a page of glycemic apps for the IPAD/IPHONE
http://appfinder.lisisoft.com/ipad-iphone-apps/glycemic-load-food-list.html
This is great! Thank you!!!
I’ve found that eating coconut oil (nutiva brand from Amazon is the best/cheapest I’ve found, the bigger the jar is the cheaper per oz. it usually is) really helps with blood sugar regulation. I can’t really eat it now due to food sensitivities but when I cooked food in coconut oil I would stay full for much longer and also be more ‘steady’ in my appetite without the sudden cravings. Something to do with medium-chain triglycerides, I think.
Thanks – I’ve heard good things about coconut oil. Good luck on those sensitivities…
I’ve been following Montignac’s Low Glycemic Diet since I was a little child. It’s just a way to have a balanced diet, and not really meant to lose weight as other diets are.
I have medium to severe ME for 4 years now, so I can’t say it makes me feel any better. But at least my iron, vitamin, calcium, etc. blood levels are perfect.
I have tried low glycemic index eating styles before, which tend to make me feel worse. However, lower glycemic LOAD, as mentioned here, is what I thrive on. I have been trying to eliminate a lot of those foods because of the bad rap on grains, but it is exactly the foods listed here (the appropriate pastas, rice, etc.) that I do best with! Going to go back to listening to my instinct!
It certainly validated and gave me a clue why some foods bother me. Unfortunately its harder to find data on glycemic load – altho some of the books mentioned focus on that. The Sydney database appears to be the best.
I only do well if I have very few carbs in my system.
And it takes me at least 4 days to get them out of my system – during which period I feel even more sluggish than usual (have CFS).
The only thing that works is to do the Carbohydrate Addict diet (if you’re going to eat carbs at one meal a day, keep that meal to under 1 hour from start to finish; and make sure you get equal parts fat, carbs, and protein: if you want more, same proportions).
That allows me to eat on a cruise (1 meal a day with carbs) or have a restaurant meal.
The rest of the time, low carb alternatives (can you put the chicken Madeira over broccoli) and desserts such as the Cheesecake Factory’s no-sugar cheesecake make it possible to eat well. I still have to watch quantities – I don’t get much exercise, and really don’t NEED that many calories – but the body craves them.
Once I get the carbs out of my bloodstream, I stop craving them.
I don’t do well without a lot of carbohydrates. I’m better with wholegrains and slow release carbs, they tend to make me fell fuller longer and give me energy for longer, so i don’t need to snack at all.
I’ve always been slim and have needed more carbohydrates than most people, so it’s not always as simple as cutting carbs out, if you naturally burn more off than others.
I couldn’t do that first Atkins type diet. I’m sure the Paleo suits some people and it would have a lot of nutrients in, but I need more filling carbs in addition to keep me from being hungry. Some people say fat and protein fill them up more. That doesn’t work for me unless I eat lots and then an hour later, I’m hungry again as the energy giving carbs are missing.
It would be good to see if it’s metabolism differences or differences in genetic, body types, digestive differences or other that causes some people to do well on low carb diets and others, like me, to hate them.
I have had CFS/ME for nearly 20 years and suffered from blood sugar swings all the time. Cinnamon is wonderful for controling blood sugar, e.g. sprinkled on breakfast. Have not had much trouble at all since starting the paleo diet.
Thanks for info Dily :). Gotta look into the paleo diet.
How can pineapple juice be rated 46 and a whole pineapple rated at 66? Is there some assumption that the pineapple is canned and in syrup rather whole, fresh? I have it right that the higher number means the sugar goes faster into the blood stream, right?
All sugar is out of my diet, and that includes sweet cakes and other bakery items. It amazes me that those things, made with low gluten white flour and lots of sugar are in the medium range. The glycemic index is hard for me to understand, when seen food by food.
My reason to put the sugar out of my diet is not to do with diabetes, but rather to keep my digestion working properly in my M.E.-ill body.
So I am glad that when I get my watermelon craving, I can satisfy it! It fits in the rule of whole fruits, the only allowed way for me to have fruit. Not dried, or in juice, or otherwise concentrated.
There a couple of bizarre numbers on the GI – and that’s one of them – juice should theoretically always have a higher GI number because it should go straight into your system, and yes, the lower the number the better.
Glad you got sugar out of your diet 🙂
One thing my doctor had me do when I was having blood sugar swings was take GTF Chromium. I started out with 2 a day and now only use them a couple times a week. It has kept my blood sugar very level and I’ve not gone into diabetes or having any issues with this.
I do a rather high carb diet because of it being vegan. I don’t have any problems with it. I think a lot of the problems are in the food combining. Some other countries do a food combining diet and meat and starch are not allowed together. You can do starch with veggies and veggies with meat –but, not meat and starch together. This includes a white potatoe. I think that fat plays a part in the way we process our foods too.
Here’s a very interesting video on foods and fat and how we could possibly correct a lot of our illness with lowering meat intake and thereby that lowering our fat intake. I consider this a MUST WATCH video. It’s very thought provoking.
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/treating-multiple-sclerosis-with-the-swank-ms-diet/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=treating-multiple-sclerosis-with-the-swank-ms-diet&utm_source=NutritionFacts.org&utm_campaign=893be8ea4a-RSS_VIDEO_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_40f9e497d1-893be8ea4a-23372221
Issie
I remember chromium from way back but haven;t tried it for years. Thanks to the link to video; it’s amazing who for some people finding the right diet can make such a difference.
Here are the results from the survey thus far:
Skipping meals often makes me feel irritable, spacey or weak
Response Chart Percentage Count
Agree completely 67% 34
Mostly agree 20% 10
Somewhat agree 10% 5
Don’t agree 4% 2
Total Responses 51
Eating starchy or sweet foods by themselves makes me feel tired and weak
Response Chart Percentage Count
Agree completely 35% 18
Mostly agree 25% 13
Agree somewhat 20% 10
Don’t agree 20% 10
Total Responses 51
When I eat sweet or starchy foods by themselves I add protein or fat to them so I don’t feel bad
Response Chart Percentage Count
Agree completely 28% 14
Agree mostly 18% 9
Agree somewhat 28% 14
Don’t agree 26% 13
Total Responses 50
I’ve tried a glycemic index diet before. It was
Response Chart Percentage Count
Very effective 31% 9
Somewhat effective 59% 17
Not effective 10% 3
Total Responses 29
I’m interested information on
Response Chart Percentage Count
Paleo diet 50% 18
Anti-inflammatory diet 72% 26
Ketogenic diet 28% 10
Elimination diet 17% 6
Anti-histamine diet 39% 14
Other, please specify… 17% 6
Total Responses 36
I’m interested information on (Other, please specify…)
# Response
1. reference for food diary ap that focuses on GI and gluten, not calories
2. I stay away from ALL carbs
3. Balanced, healthy diet that’s right for you and your metabolic, genetic type. Eliminate only if it really helps as it’s a pin and could result in a deficiency.
4.
5. low FODMAPS diet
6. HCG
I must say there’s a major difference eating short-grain and long-grain brown rice for me; the first sends me to sleep – the second I don’t even notice the impact at times. For me right now, its all about working on the little things. ..
After watching the intriguing documentary “Eat, fast and live longer” I have been trying the 5:2 diet for six months now, containing 5 days a week eating “normally” and 2 days of fasting (i.e. no more than 600 calories a day and lots of fluids). And guess what… during my fasting days I have lots more energy than on usual eating days!!!
Way before that I had noticed already that I break down after having my first meal on an average day (which is why I have skipped breakfast for years already). My intuition tells me something is badly wrong with my metabolism, but up till now I haven’t been able to find anything that supports my personal theory…
I have considered skipping eating altogether but somehow don’t think that’s the best idea 🙂
Rianne
🙂 I remember Dr. Cheney saying something to the effect of – if only people with ME/CFS didn’t have to eat they’d do much better 🙂
I’ve noticed the same thing with the proviso that I can’t fast very long. I know that large meals are bad because they require so much energy (blood flows) to digest….Good luck with the fasting plan and I hope you can find a diet that doesn’t make you more fatigued..:)