Overcoming Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

November 22nd, 1999 at the Mansion House, London, England

For years I considered myself to be health conscious - almost vegetarian - if I ate meat, the preference was white meat over red etc. For years since I can even remember, I suffered with a chronic sore throat. I should have had shares in a throat lozenge company because all throughout the year I would consume a packet a week of the strongest lozenge on the market and in more severe cases, three packets a week!

At the beginning of 1999, following many visits to the doctor and many medical tests, I was "diagnosed" with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I felt hopeless as modern medicine could not do anything to change the course of my downward spiraling health. A year and a half before I had cycled from John O'Groats to Lands End - the longest length of Great Britain - 1,000 miles in two weeks, so to be unable to walk half way down the small street where we live was incredibly frustrating and upsetting to me. I just didn't have the energy!

A friend of mine, Mary Anderson, had been telling me for a while that I should give her friend, Ginny Harper, a call as she felt sure that she would be able to offer me some hope through an alternative approach - macrobiotics. At first, I felt a little skeptical, but I had tried homoeopathy and aromatherapy in the past and had had some pleasing results from those, so I was somewhat open to alternative "medicine". In March I reached the point of desperation when I fell ill with the flu AGAIN and all I seemed to have been subjected to since the beginning of the year was ill health.

Some of my friends were suggesting that the house where we lived contained mold that was adversely affecting my health and that we should perhaps move into a new house! Whatever the measures taken I knew that something radical needed to be done to turn my health around, so when I called Mary to ask her "What's that woman's name you keep asking me to call? And what's her number?" I was ready! I first attended a cooking class where I learned about the importance of cooking food in harmony with the seasons and cooking in such a way as to get the most energy from the food. This was a complete revelation to me! After the cooking class and a consultation a few days later I came home and announced to Paul that I was going to need to radically change my diet, but not to worry - that I would continue to cook as I had been for everyone else in the family. Being the incredibly loving and supportive husband that he is, he said to not worry to cook differently for him - he said that he was ready to start eating healthy also, so that was a real help for me.

Well, within even a couple weeks my energy started to come back and I noticed a huge difference! For the first time in ages, I was ready for a bike ride! Ginny advised me to take it easy and that my body needed this energy to build up its immunity. We've not looked back since. We love the food. Paul was on the verge of needing medication for high blood pressure and cholesterol. Within a couple of months both his blood pressure and cholesterol had come down to below average and have remained so! Plus he lost about 20lbs which he'd been trying to shift for a long time.

I'm really grateful for the great macrobiotic community we have here in Nashville - there are potlucks every couple weeks and I go to Ginny's cooking classes every month for new inspiration. I love reading macrobiotic books as there is still so much for me to learn. But little by little, we are making changes and have come a long, long way. I'm just amazed by how something so simple can change my health in such a huge way! I no longer even desire the kinds of foods that I thought were going to be so hard for me to give up.

The biggest miracle of all for me has been not only the increased energy, but also to go this far through a winter and not even have an inkling of a sore throat! THAT IS AMAZING! Before macrobiotics I would always be coming down with something every couple weeks and usually once a month I would have to stay in bed for several days! I'm so excited to be able to do so much more and to be more in touch with my health. I'm so grateful to God for allowing me to meet Ginny and learn about how to take better care of my temple and thus better serve Him. 1 Cor 3:16-17

Nashville, Tennessee - January 7th, 2000