EiR Blog

Intentionality in changing our buying and cleaning habits is vital for protecting our well-being. In order to be stronger and live longer, we must choose to create a healing habitat that effectively eliminates toxins in our bodies and reduces the source of toxins in our environment so that restoration of optimum health can occur.   These check-points will alert you to some of the ways to improve your health through behavioral changes:   1. Check in your sink and under it   Dishwashing liquid residue is left on dishes and eaten, use a non-toxic alternative such as Seventh Generation Free & Clear Laundry Liquid Clean your sponge; studies have shown that the degree of contamination of sponges of a hundred million to one billion microorganisms of any kind per sponge. Wash your sponge (put it in your dishwasher even). Toxic chemical arsenal under the sick! Yes, most of us are...

 I feel I must apologise for my recent lack of blogging activity but I'm sure when I explain why you'll understand - plus the reason has given me the inspiration for this post! As regulars will be aware I have suffered from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for a long time - since I was 11, so 20 years now. Like many ME/CFS sufferers I am also burdened by adrenal fatigue, low thyroid function, hypoglycaemia, Candida and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) amongst other things. I also suffered from severe Multiple Chemical Sensitivity for a number of years in my early 20s but thankfully was able overcome it (touch wood)! Like most suffering from environmental illnesses (or more appropriately here 'invisible illnesses') I have been constantly frustrated by the absence of any abnormal findings on conventional medical tests over the years. After all, if the standard lab tests are normal there can't possibly be anything wrong...

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 phase 2 liver detoxification pathways are functioning.   My Detoxification Profile Results     Interpretation As you can see, although my phase 1 is within the reference range, it is towards the upper end of normal. In combination with this my phase 2 glutathione conjugation is borderline low. The other phase 2 pathways are all what Genova ,I believe, now classes as high and indicates increased toxic exposure.  Other testing revealed my d-glucaric acid was high...

As someone who became ill with chronic fatigue syndrome at the age of 11 I have spent my entire adolescence and adult life struggling with the condition. My personality is one that could be classed as predominantly type A and I like to "burn the candle at both ends" as the saying goes. After being diagnosed with ME/CFS and discovering there was no treatment or cure available this led me to ignore my illness and push even harder during my teens. I continued full-time at school, took part in physical education (P.E.) classes, played soccer with my friends after school and went to parties. For a while this seemed to work as I was very happy which obviously makes you feel better anyway. Inevitably however things began to go down hill in my late teens and my life eventually came to an abrupt halt after a two semesters of university. I was then virtually bedridden...

 Back in November of last year I reported on the efforts of the Fair Name Campaign which has the aim of promoting a name which truly represents the medical and patient reality of the illness currently known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in the United States and elsewhere. The majority of patients, as well as some in the medical community (doctors, researchers etc), have felt that the name Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) trivializes what is a very serious and disabling illness. Not only that but it is medically inaccurate and does nothing to confer the fact that it is an organic illness. This has understandably contributed to much of the public, and to the chagrin of sufferers doctors as well, dismissing the condition as "all in the head". The weight of evidence conclusively demonstrates that CFS is not a psychological illness. Patients, backed by knowledgeable doctors and researchers, have now decided that the...