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Fighting Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with
food
To fight the tiredness, feelings of
depression,
weakness, and muscle pains associated with
chronic
fatigue syndrome, a diet high in vitamin B12,
vitamin
C, magnesium, and zinc may prove to be
beneficial.
While this may appear to be a rather large
cornucopia
of nutrients to obtain from your diet, it is
important
to remember that these nutrients can be found in
foods
commonly consumed.
What
You Should Eat & Why
magnesium
Foods high in
magnesium can help to reduce the muscle
aches that often occur in
people with chronic fatigue
syndrome. An underlying deficiency in
magnesium may
result in chronic fatigue and symptoms similar
to
chronic fatigue syndrome including muscle pain,
sleep
disturbance, depression, headaches, and
low-grade
fever.
Leading Food Sources of magnesium: Spinach,
Avocados,
Barley, Almonds, Buckwheat, Amaranth, Brazil
nuts,
Sunflower seeds, Oysters, Chocolate, Pumpkin
seeds,
Quinoa
vitamin B12
Vitamin B12, working closely
with folate, helps your
body to make red blood cells, and is
important for the
prevention of nerve damage, muscle weakness,
memory
loss, fatigue and depression. Vitamin B12
deficiency
may result in fatigue and anemia.
Leading Food
Sources of vitamin B12: Beef, Lamb, Tuna,
Trout, Crab, Oysters,
Clams, Yogurt
vitamin C
Vitamin C helps strengthen a
weakened immune system,
believed by many to be a factor in this
disabling
disorder.
Leading Food Sources of vitamin C:
Cabbage, red, Kiwi
fruit, Tangerines & other mandarins,
Peppers, bell,
red, Oranges, Potatoes,
Strawberries
zinc
Some studies suggest that CFS is
partially due to an
impaired immune system. Foods high in zinc
help to
boost, enhance, and repair the immune system.
Zinc
also acts as an internal warrior and promotes
the
destruction of foreign microorganisms, and inhibits
the
growth of certain viruses such as the common cold
and herpes
simplex.
Leading Food Sources of zinc: Barley, Crab,
Oysters,
Lamb, Beef, Chicken, Wheat, Turkey
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Oat-Walnut
Crust
This luscious reduced-fat cheesecake, with a
crust
full of nutritional goodies, is really a very
creamy
pumpkin pie that easily could become a
traditional
favorite on Thanksgiving or any special family
dinner.
* 2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled
oats
* 1/2 cup walnuts
*
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
* 2 tablespoons
plus 1 cup firmly packed light
brown sugar
* 2 packages (8 ounces each) reduced-fat cream
cheese
(Neufchatel)
* 16 ounces soft silken tofu,
drained
* 1 can (16 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
puree (not
pumpkin pie filling)
* 2 large
eggs
* 2 large egg
whites
* 2 tablespoons dark rum or
bourbon
* 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
extract
* 1-1/2 teaspoons
cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon
allspice
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/2
teaspoon salt
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place oats and
walnuts on
baking sheet and bake 5 minutes until lightly
toasted.
Transfer to food processor. Add wheat germ and
2
tablespoons brown sugar and pulse until finely
ground.
Transfer to a 9-inch springform pan and press
mixture
into bottom of pan.
2. In food processor (no need
to rinse), combine cream
cheese, tofu, pumpkin puree, whole eggs,
egg whites,
rum, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, salt,
and
remaining 1 cup brown sugar and process until smooth.
Pour
batter into springform pan.
3. Bake 1 hour. Turn oven off,
prop oven door open
slightly and let cake stand 45 minutes in
turned-off
oven. Cool to room temperature, then chill
overnight
before serving.
Nutritional Information
Per
serving: 294 calories, 14g total fat, 6.4g
saturated fat, 3.8g
monounsaturated fat, 3g
polyunsaturated fat, 2.9g dietary fiber,
11g protein,
31g carbohydrate, 64mg cholesterol, 280mg
sodium.
Good source of: beta-carotene, copper, fiber,
iron,
thiamin, isoflavones, magnesium, riboflavin,
selenium,
thiamin, zinc.
Servings
12
Prep
Time
2 hours 5 minutes plus
chilling
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Butternut & Sweet Potato
Bisque
Fresh ginger and ground coriander spark this
naturally
sweet soup, fragrant with the flavors of sweet
potato
and squash.
* 1-1/2 teaspoons
olive oil
* 1 cup chopped
onion
* 4 cups peeled and cubed butternut
squash
* 1 medium sweet potato (8 ounces),
peeled and
cubed
* 1 cup corn kernels,
fresh or frozen
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh
ginger
* 1-1/2 teaspoons light brown
sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground
coriander
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4
teaspoon pepper
1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over
medium-high
heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until it begins
to
brown, three to five minutes.
2. Add squash, sweet
potato, corn, ginger, brown
sugar, coriander, salt, pepper, and 3
cups water;
bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and
simmer
until squash is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. With
slotted spoon, transfer solids to food
processor or blender and
process to a smooth puree.
Return puree to saucepan and stir to
blend with liquid
remaining in pan. Serve hot.
Nutritional
Information
Per serving: 188 calories, 3.0g total fat,
.3g
saturated fat, 1.4g monounsaturated fat,
0.5g
polyunsaturated fat, 3.1g dietary fiber, 5g protein,
40g
carbohydrate, 0mg cholesterol, 304mg sodium.
Good source of:
beta-carotene, potassium, vitamin B12,
vitamin
C.
Servings
4
Prep Time
50
minutes
From
Mother Nature
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