FOOD INTOLERANCE NETWORK
FACTSHEET
Chronic fatigue
Many CFS sufferers in our network say that the diet we
recommend - developed by Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Allergy Unit in
The RPA diet is a major undertaking. You do a trial for 3-6
weeks, followed by systematic challenges. At the end of 3 months you know
exactly what affects you, how it affects you, and what doesn't affect you. You
have to be prepared to eat very different food - although it can be very
delicious and you certainly don't have to go hungry - but it means you can't
eat takeaways and you have to give up most fruits, which is a stumbling block
for most people. And it's not only foods, you have to avoid chemical exposures
as well.
We do not recommend other remedies because the RPA diet
cannot be used in conjunction with most other therapies, supplements or
interventions, at least at first, and in my experience, it is more effective
than all others.
For people who are doing the diet - we call it failsafe,
meaning free of additives, low in salicylates, amines and flavour enhancers -
we have set up a number of email support groups. There is one for adults, see
Email Support Groups on our website www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info.
You can write for our list of failsafe-friendly dietitians: confoodnet@ozemail.com.au
Reader
Stories
[034]
Chronic fatigue (January 2000)
I am 23 years old and I have had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
for two years now. I thought I was never going to get better. It seemed the
healthier I thought I ate (lots of fruits and vegies!) the sicker I became and the
more weight I lost, along with many other symptoms including headaches, muscle
soreness and weakness, bowel disorders. You name it I experienced it! At my
lowest weight I was 32kg which was a total loss of 30kg. After being an elite
athlete I can assure you this was very frustrating.
It was only when my fantastic doctor happened to come across
another patient who had the same problems as me that he was pointed in the
direction of the allergy clinic at
Through a dietitian there I was put on the failsafe diet and
dramatically improved within two days. Even though this meant that I only ate
fish, rice and chicken for four months I didn't mind because I no longer had
stomach pains. I am now able to tolerate most foods on the low list although
not dairy or gluten. That may not sound like much but to me I can eat a huge
variety compared to what I started out with.
I have managed to put on 12 kg and am almost ready to return
to a bit of part time work! I can honestly say that this diet saved my life. -
Emma,
[123]
Chronic fatigue (August 2001)
My husband has suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome for 11
years. We have been following the food lists suggested in your 'Fed Up' book
for about a month and I have noticed a huge difference already. He sleeps
better and is generally having more good days than bad. When he cheated (not on
purpose) by having "junk" food, he suffered for it the next few days,
not sleeping properly, and with the usual general aching and unwellness. The
week after re-commencing failsafe foods, he is again feeling good and positive
that eating failsafe is just the beginning of a great new life. - WA
[144]
A simple diet change has made a huge difference to chronic fatigue (February
2002, follow up from above)
I wrote to you in 2001 about my husband's immediate
improvement to his chronic fatigue syndrome after commencing the food lists
recommended in your Fed Up book. It is now 7 months on and I just wanted to let
you know that we are still following the diet, although not as rigidly. After
having tried so many doctors, remedies, medicines, alternatives (at high cost
emotionally - when nothing worked - and $$$ !! ) over the last 12 years for his
CFS - I can't believe how a simple diet change has made a huge difference to
his (our) quality of life. I wish I had known about this so much sooner and
want to just say thank you so much for helping us get there … When people
comment on how my husband has been looking so much better, we are the first to
sing the praises of "Fed Up" because that's how and where it all
began, as simple (and as hard, to start with, but worth it ) as that !! -
reader, WA
[158]
Chronic fatigue (June 2002)
I'd known about elimination diets for a while, but when a
friend recommended your book "Fed Up" I got a much better
understanding of how it worked and was motivated to try it for my Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome - my brain is working much better now than it used to. - by
email
[143]
How diet helped me beat CFS - Emma's story (February 2002, a follow up from
story 034 in January 2000)
"I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) in
June 1998. At the time I was at university, plus working morning and night
teaching aerobics, and training for competition aerobics every day. As well, I
had an active social life. With glandular fever five years before, I was
probably overdoing it.
I was finally diagnosed with CFS after seven months of
severe weight loss and fatigue, and various other debilitating symptoms
including headaches, blurred vision, memory loss, inability to sleep, and
chronic bowel and stomach irritations. This diagnosis came from a wonderful
doctor who I still see regularly today. He was the only doctor not to diagnose
me with an eating disorder or a mental illness!
My weight plummeted from an athletic 58kg to a frightening
32kg in the space of about 9 months. It seemed the more food I ate the more
weight I lost. Taking a gamble, my doctor sent me off to the food allergy
clinic at RPA in
I was put on an extremely restricted diet of boiled white
rice and white fish and within days many of my symptoms had begun to disappear.
I no longer suffered from stomach pains and wind, and my mouth ulcers were
reduced in number. For someone who loves cooking and food this was very
difficult to come to terms with but since I was facing death if I kept going as
I was, I was willing to give anything a go and stick to it rigidly. The side
effects of not being disciplined were too great and the consequences too risky.
So I followed the chemical free diet and within one month I had
started to regain weight. It took about four months before I could start
introducing the most basic of items such as green beans or potato and it didn’t
take much to tip me over the edge, but using the time I had (lots of it) I
became very creative in the kitchen.
Within six months we could all see that this diet and way of
life was the way in which I would fully recover. It has taken me until only a
few months ago really to be able to go out to a restaurant, for example, and
eat a meal but even so the choices are limited. To others I know my diet is
still so restricting, but to me I am now in foodie heaven enjoying the odd
mango along with limited dairy products and while I used to hate frozen peas I
just can’t get enough of them now. Gluten for me is still definitely a no go
zone, but everything else I can cope with most of the time in moderation. Hey,
I even enjoyed frozen Christmas pudding this year and felt great the next day.
I cannot say how much this chemical free diet has helped me.
I am now fully recovered from CFS after a very long four years and am back to a
healthy weight. I am married and have started my own business called
Floradiction - a wedding and event floral and candle design business.
I will always be restricted in what I eat but the positives
far outweigh the negative effects that occur should I stray too far from the
‘rules’. Moderation is now the key. I know what works for me and that is
important. My failsafe recipe book is huge and I love adapting ‘normal’ recipes
to suit my needs. I haven’t had any complaints from my husband Glen yet so
things are looking good. Funnily enough when he has a meal that is out of the
ordinary from what we eat at home he always feels worse for it.
I have experienced so much with my illness, but I am
actually glad it happened to me. So many good things have come into my life
because of CFS my close relationships are even closer and I have a greater
appreciation for the simple things in life and what it means to be able to get
out of bed in the morning. I can now use my experiences to help others who have
CFS and help to promote a very misunderstood and still poorly accepted illness.
Raising the awareness of Australians of the serious effects that food
chemicals, both natural and artificial, can have on the health of some
individuals is also an issue close to my heart.
All the candles that I sell and decorate through my business
are unscented. The reason for this? People like me can’t tolerate the perfumes
and it is important that there are products available for others like myself. –
Emma,
[260]
CFS and failsafe (June 2003)
A bad case of Glandular Fever triggered my CFS, which
resulted in two miserable years of bouncing from one medical practitioner to
another trying western medicine and other alternatives such as acupuncture. The
responses were often unsympathetic and showed a complete lack of understanding
about the condition.
It was through a recommendation from the CFS society in
The nature of my work made it very difficult for me to
effectively reintroduce all foods so I am still unsure of all the chemicals
that affect me. However, MSG is a shocker!! as are most preservatives. When I
start feeling the CFS symptoms coming back I put myself back on failsafe.
Despite a careful diet I still need more sleep than most
people (9 - 10 hours a night) to function effectively. I rarely drink alcohol,
this makes the CFS symptoms worse and I seem to be very sensitive to strong
smells such as deodorant and perfume. I definitely feel better when living
outdoors.
Without a doubt, going failsafe saved me from years of
depression and frustration. I never take my good health for granted after being
so deprived of the lifestyle I love. - Amanda, Melbourne
Your story: if you would like to share your failsafe story
with others, please write to confoodnet@ozemail.com.au
www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info
The information given is not intended as medical advice. Always consult
with your doctor for underlying illness. Before beginning dietary
investigation, consult a dietician with an interest in food intolerance.
Update June 2006
