Chronic Fatigue: A Pathway Toward Healing

 Because chemical exposure of various kinds has been linked to chronic fatigue syndrome, I am interested in reducing my exposure to synthetic chemicals of all kinds. As part of this quest, I started researching dental hygiene products, which are loaded with synthetic materials.  Toothpaste comes packaged in plastic tubes lined with a thin layer of aluminum, which makes them almost impossible to recycle. The toothpaste itself contains artificial sweeteners like xylitol. Dental floss is woven with non-biodegradable nylon . Even so-called natural floss made from bamboo is woven together with nylon. Nearly all toothbrushes have nylon bristles and plastic handles.  Because of environmental concerns, I decided to make my own toothpaste that contains no artificial ingredients, no unrecyclable contains, and that is effective. I tried using plain baking soda but the sodium seemed to destroy the toothbrushes faster. A good recipe for a sodium--free toothpaste combines:  one pa...

Mold exposure can wreak havoc on susceptible people. Recent studies have found that people with CFS often have evidence of mold exposure as measured by urine tests. One study   published in 2013, found that an astonishing 93% of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome had mycotoxins present in their urine.  Another study , published in 2022 found similar results: over 92% of patients with CFS showed evidence of exposure to mold toxins.  Ridding the body of mycotoxins can be difficult: it is hard to find a doctor who is "mycotoxin literate" and once you do, the process can be expensive.  Obviously, the first step is reducing exposure. This itself is an expensive process. I lived in a water-damaged building because contractors had installed the plumbing and air conditioning in the wrong way. To add to my problems, a drug addict across the street took offense to my bumper stickers and decided to get even by plugging the condensation pipe that lead from my air conditioner...

The lead author of this study, Claudia S. Miller, M.D., has done some pioneering research on autism as well as the effects of chemical exposures on the non-autistic.  I am linking to an earlier video because it provides a useful background on Dr. Miller and her research, even though the main subject of this post is about CFS.  This post is about a somewhat older study --published in 2021 and described in an article on the University of Texas San Antonio website. In an interview for this artcle, a study author describes the effects of chronic chemical exposures on the development of "mystery illnesses" whose causes are difficult to pinpoint.  The populations studied included government employees who became ill after new carpeting was installed iin their office, Gulf War veterans, pilots and flight attendants exposed to "fume events," firefighters responding to the World Trade Center attacks on September11, 2001, women with breast implants, those exposed to mold eithe...

Anyone who suffers from sleep disorders has heard, multiple times, "Exercise." While exercise does help people who already sleep well do even better, it may make insomnia worse for insomniacs, at least initially. In addition, a  recent study found that the effectiveness of exercise as a treatment for insomnia varies with sex and age. While exercise improves sleep in children and older adults, it does little to help adolescents and young adults.  However, unlike healthy people, exercising six or more times a week could lead to poor sleep quality among insomnia patients. Three months or less of physical exercise was more effective in improving sleep quality than more than three months of physical exercise. This indicates that using physical activities in managing patients with insomnia should be tailored to the particularities of these patients. The same article reports that exercises like yoga, tai chi, and qiqong improved sleep more than other types of exercise. These author...

Article 1: J.D. Vance: A Childless Cat Lady Responds https://www.counterpunch.org/2024/08/02/j-d-vance-a-childless-cat-lady-responds/ ugust 2, 2024 J.D. Vance: A Childless Cat Lady Responds Jessica Ramer Facebook Twitter Reddit Bluesky Email Image by Jessica Ramer. People who know J.D. Vance describe him as a true intellectual and an all-around good guy. Overcoming a troubled childhood marked by parental substance abuse and domestic violence, he served in the Marine Corps, graduated summa cum laude from college, and attended Yale Law School. While still in law school, he began work on  Hillbilly Elegy,  a book that has garnered favorable reviews from people on both sides of the political divide. Unfortunately, his intellectual acumen fails him when he writes about childless women. While some news reports have implied that these comments were a one-time, impromptu gaffe during an interview with Tucker Carlson, in fact, Vance sent out at least six emails about childless people t...