Blog Entries for Maff

Facebook for Environmental Illness and Unexplained Chronic Illness Sufferers

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Once upon a time Facebook was the domain of students who used the social networking site to keep track of friends and share their academic and non-academic exploits.

However, since Facebook opened its cyber-doors to the the online community at large it has g [...]

CDSA Interpretation - Microbiology

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Continuing my series on interpreting the sometimes confusing results of the Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis (CDSA) today we're going to look at the Microbiology section.

Beneficial Bacteria

By now almost everyone has heard of so called "beneficial" or "friendly" bacteria, thanks mainly to probiotic yoghurt advertising that seems to be everywhere these days. Beneficial bacteria are in basic terms seen as the good guys within a h [...]

Low Stomach Acid Test: Home and Lab Methods

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Low stomach acid, or hypochlorhydria, occurs when the the parietal cells lining the stomach are unable to produce enough acid (HCl) for whatever reason.

Low stomach acid can be a significant problem since sufficient amounts are required for a number of purposes. Firstly stomach acid is required for the digestio [...]

Halloween - Allergies and Chemicals Make it a Scary Night for Kids and Parents

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Without going into the history and traditional meaning of Halloween, these days October 31st is seen simply as a night for kids to dress up and have fun with the added bonus of treats a plenty bein [...]

Swine Flu Vaccine Worrying Many Natural Health Experts

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Since the first reported cases of swine flu, or influenza H1N1, were reported in Mexico in the early months of this year the subject has hardly been out of the media. Much of the coverage has been sensationalist and misleading and has led to what many [...]

Is a Cure for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Really a Big Step Closer?

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Since Thursday of last week when news of research linking the XMRV retrovirus to chronic fatigue syndrome hit the headlines many patients (and I suspect their doctors) have been wondering what exactly this finding means.

The amount of media attention this discovery by the Whittemore-Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease (WPI) generated in the press was unprecedented. After having the WPI press release delivered to my email inbox, the next day my mum handed me a copy of [...]

Dawn Simulators for SAD and the Winter Blues

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0100

It's that time of year again for those of us in the northern hemisphere, the days are quickly getting shorter now and for many that means symptoms of fatigue, lethargy, depression and more. As a result, it can require the willpower of a polar [...]

Pets to help fight depression and anxiety in environmental illness

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Many people suffering from environmental illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and particularly multiple chemical sensitivity, lead very lonely existences. This blog entry will look at how pets can offer valuable company for some.

The symptoms of these disabling c [...]

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in the Media and Entertainment Industry

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Browsing through the online news looking for stories about multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) yesterday, I came across a review of a play which features a main character with the illness.

The review featur [...]

Candida & Yeast Infection Treatment - Rotating and Combining Antifungals

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0100

When it comes to what is variously known as intestinal yeast overgrowth, fungal-type dysbiosis, gut fermentation syndrome, or simply Candida, it is safe to say that prevention is much simpler than cure. Ignored by the conventional medical establishment, people affected by this condition often struggle to treat themselves to alleviate their many symptoms which can range from fatigue, muscle aches and pains, and general malaise to cognitive symptoms such as poor concentration and memory, and mo [...]

Truly Non-toxic and Natural Insect Repellants

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Following on from my previous blog about a NY Times article that didn't live up to its promise of offering a safe way to combat mosquitos I wanted to provide some genuine advice on non-toxic insect repellants and techniques for avoiding the troublesome pests.

After a quick internet search I came across a fantastic article on About.com written by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., the site's chemistry guide.

Helmenstine explains that mosquitos use complex mechanisms to detect h [...]

An environmentally friendly insect repellant? - Not for those with environmental illness!

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:00:00 +0100

As I was browsing my Google Alerts emails covering multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) yesterday I came across what looked like a very interesting article in the New York Times which looked like it would be useful for those suffering from MCS and environmental illness (EI).

The article is titled 'An Environmentally Friendly Mosquito Repellent?' so I thought, great, this sounds like great news and perfect material for my blog tomorrow. Unfortuately when I actually read [...]

The Science Behind LifeWave Technology and Energy Meridians

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:00:00 +0100

For those of you who might be interested in learning a little more about LifeWave patches and how they work I thought I would pass on this information supplied by the company this week.

I rece [...]

Daily and Seasonal Fluctuations in Symptoms in Environmental Illness

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:00:00 +0100

I thought for my main blog entry this week I'd discuss a subject that has for the past 10 years or so had a major impact on my ability to cope with daily life and plan for events in the future - the daily and seasonal fluctuations in the appearance and severity of my symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, environmental illness, and related conditions. I'll also talk about what I have done to adapt and minimise their impact.

Daily Fluctuations

First I [...]

Natural, chemical-free head lice and flea control with innovative electronic comb

maff@ei-resource.org — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:00:00 +0100

My regular readers will know that I don't often use my blog to talk about a product or service but since I'd discussed the problems I'd had finding natural methods to rid my cat of fleas a few weeks ago, I thought I'd let you all know about a new product I found [...]

Novel Pain Relief Techniques for Fibromyalgia

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Fibromyalgia is a condition that can literally leave sufferers disabled by intesnse pain, both generalised and at specific "tender points" around the body.

Traditional medicines used for pain relief often have little or no effect or be [...]

CDSA Interpretation - Metabolic Markers

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Continuing with my blog series aimed at helping you decipher the results of a comprehensive digestive stool analysis (CDSA), this week I will describe the various "metabolic markers" that might be referred to on your test results.

n-Butyrate
This short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) is produced as a result of the fermentation of dietary fibre, particularly gums and pectins, by certain bacteria that inhabit the intestines (particularly probiotic bacteria such as Lact [...]

Natural and safe flea control for the home

maff@ei-resource.org — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 01:00:00 +0100

For the first time my cat (Stimpy) has recently developed a very persistent flea problem and managed, despite my best efforts, to infest my home as well - so I ended up covered in itchy bites!

I don't mind treating Stimpy with the regular anti-flea products as I can apply them wearing my c [...]

Foods and Supplements to Balance Phase 1 and Phase 2 Liver Detoxification

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Last week I blogged about how the two phases of liver detoxification can get out of balance due to chronic exposure to toxins, for example, and how this can impact on a person's health. As discussed, the most common problem is that phase 1 speeds up and phase 2 cannot keep up - someone in this situation is known as a pathological detoxifier because of their increased risk for symptoms and disease.

The previous blogs with more detailed information can be found at:

Patholog [...]

Detoxification Profile Results - The Pathological Detoxifier and Chronic Illness

maff@ei-resource.org — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Following on from my blog - Pathological Detoxifiers and Environmental Illness which explained the process of detoxification in the liver and when someone might be termed a 'pathologicial detoxifier' - I wanted to share the results of my own Detoxification Profile and explain how the results related to my illness at the time and subsequent developments.

The Detoxification Profile uses caffeine, paracetamol, and aspirin, to determine how well phase1 and some of the most important [...]