From: THMI Subject: (thmi-fms) candida, be sure to clean up the environment Date: 03 Aug 2002 00:42:29 -0600 Dear thmi-fms subscriber, Many people with FMS/CFIDS are plagued with candida overgrowth. There are a number of programs designed to kill candida, some effective others not so effective. However, more importance must be put on cleaning up the environment that allowed the candida to overgrow in the first place, a too alkaline gut. Cleaning up the terrain may be all that is needed to put the candida back in its place. For those on programs designed to kill candida, if the terrain is not restored to an environment that does not allow the spread of candida, the candida will return after the program is halted. I would like to recommend the book "Acidophilus and Colon Health" by David Webster. I have learned a few things from reading this book that I have incorporated into the THMI wellness program. All the best, Jim Fibromyalgia: A Hypothesis of Etiology http://www.xmission.com/~total/temple/index.html - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: THMI Subject: Re: (thmi-fms) Update #2 on June S. Date: 05 Aug 2002 18:29:58 -0600 (MDT) Dear thmi-fms subscriber, Just to let you know of the progress that June is having. June S., residing in Calistoga CA., is the 9th person to start the program. I talked to June this afternoon. (I do a weekly call to everyone following the program to check progress and answer questions) Anyway, June said that Saturday was a very good day. She had much more energy then she has had in a long while. The following day was not so good. This is a typical pattern that almost everyone following the program has experienced. A good day and then some bad days. Some people have described the following bad days as worse than normal but also said that the bad days may have felt worse because they had better days to compare them with. Many people with FMS become accustomed to a certain level of constant pain. From others experiences, this pattern of cycling good and bad days tends to last about 2 or 3 weeks. June also reported that she has lost about 5 pounds. Hopefully she will be able to get online soon and join us in this forum. This is June's third week into the program. Most of the people that have followed the program did not report the greatest gain until about the 6th week mark. From her experience it sounds like June is on track to see some good improvement. All the best, Jim ___________________________________________________________________________ Jim Clements | email: clements@xmission.com Total Health Marketing | ph. 801/583-5060 - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Madi" Subject: Re: (thmi-fms) Update #2 on June S. Date: 05 Aug 2002 20:44:44 -0700 I'm glad June is doing the program and will love to hear of her progress. Madi ----- Original Message ----- Sent: Monday, August 05, 2002 5:29 PM Dear thmi-fms subscriber, Just to let you know of the progress that June is having. June S., residing in Calistoga CA., is the 9th person to start the program. I talked to June this afternoon. (I do a weekly call to everyone following the program to check progress and answer questions) Anyway, June said that Saturday was a very good day. She had much more energy then she has had in a long while. The following day was not so good. This is a typical pattern that almost everyone following the program has experienced. A good day and then some bad days. Some people have described the following bad days as worse than normal but also said that the bad days may have felt worse because they had better days to compare them with. Many people with FMS become accustomed to a certain level of constant pain. From others experiences, this pattern of cycling good and bad days tends to last about 2 or 3 weeks. June also reported that she has lost about 5 pounds. Hopefully she will be able to get online soon and join us in this forum. This is June's third week into the program. Most of the people that have followed the program did not report the greatest gain until about the 6th week mark. From her experience it sounds like June is on track to see some good improvement. All the best, Jim ___________________________________________________________________________ Jim Clements | email: clements@xmission.com Total Health Marketing | ph. 801/583-5060 - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: THMI Subject: (thmi-fms) FMS Conference etc. Date: 12 Aug 2002 15:25:14 -0600 Dear thmi-fms subscriber, It has been about a week since I last posted something to this forum so I'll share a few thoughts. If there is a specific topic you would like me to address please feel free to email me. I would like to welcome the recent subscribers to the list. I hope that you find some information here that will help you. A quick update on June S., the latest person to start the program. June has seen some minor improvement in pain reduction. This is her fourth week into the program. Based on the experience of others she probably has a couple weeks yet before she will see the most dramatic improvement. Unfortunately June is headed off on a vacation so will have to interrupt the program. She will call when she returns and let me know how things went. She seems pleased with the progress she is making. I recently received a brochure for the upcoming fibromyalgia conference to be held in Los Angeles, Sept. 21 & 22. Some of the scheduled workshops look like they may provide some good information. Importance of Calcium and Magnesium Body Ecology Diet: 3 Months to Wellness Detoxification: Its Role in Reversing the Invisible Illnesses of Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and Autoimmune Disorders The Role in Alternative Medicine in Fibromyalgia The Role of Bacterial Overgrowth in Fibromyalgia Metabolic Therapies for the Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome The title of the detoxification workshop is interesting, suggesting that FMS and CFS can be reversed. Anyone familar with the program I recommend knows that all these areas are addressed. Some people wonder about a one-size fits all program. The program is a general wellness program directed to returning balance to the system. Some of the suggested supplements may not be required by everyone but supplementing them does no harm if you don't need them. You no doubt have heard "Every body is different" to explain why a particular supplement may have helped one person and provided no noticeable benefit to another. I would like to qualify this to "Every body is the same, but each body has different excesses and deficiencies" If Joe swallowed some cyanide and it killed him, you would not take the same substance and hope that your body, being different, will respond differently. Every body is the same, and cyanide is deadly (cyanide does provide some benefit in very trace amounts but do not supplement it). The reason why some people do not respond in a like manner to a particular supplement is not because their bodies are different but rather because they may not have been deficient in whatever the supplement was providing. Or, they may be deficient and still not responded because there exists another deficiency or excess that is interfering with what is provided by the supplement. For the most part I believe that nutrients should come from a wholesome balanced diet. The few minerals that I do suggest as part of the program are those that are likely to be deficient. In order for the body to absorb the minerals from our food the mineral must be ionized by the acids in the gastric juice. If stomach acid is not sufficient to ionize those minerals, I assume that all minerals that require ionization by stomach acid may be lacking. And so as part of the program the minerals that are suggested for supplementation are those that are possibly lacking and those that have been found to have a role in either blood building, metabolism, or helping the body maintain pH balances. Well, till next week, take care and hang in there, there is hope for a better tommorrow. All the best, Jim - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Cathy Olson Subject: Re: (thmi-fms) FMS Conference etc. Date: 12 Aug 2002 14:46:02 -0700 (PDT) --0-1645802547-1029188762=:88283 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hello, could you send me some info about the conferance to be held in lo Angeles in September, thank you very much Cathy Olson! Do You Yahoo!? HotJobs, a Yahoo! service - Search Thousands of New Jobs --0-1645802547-1029188762=:88283 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii

Hello, could you send me some info about the conferance to be held in lo Angeles in September, thank you very much  Cathy Olson!


Do You Yahoo!?
HotJobs, a Yahoo! service - Search Thousands of New Jobs --0-1645802547-1029188762=:88283-- - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Cathy Olson Subject: Re: (thmi-fms) FMS Conference etc. Date: 12 Aug 2002 14:47:38 -0700 (PDT) --0-1390572228-1029188858=:67038 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hello, could you send me some info about the conference to be held in September, thank you very much Cathy Olson! Do You Yahoo!? HotJobs, a Yahoo! service - Search Thousands of New Jobs --0-1390572228-1029188858=:67038 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii

Hello, could you send me some info about the conference to be held in September, thank you very much  Cathy Olson!


Do You Yahoo!?
HotJobs, a Yahoo! service - Search Thousands of New Jobs --0-1390572228-1029188858=:67038-- - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Cathy Olson Subject: Re: (thmi-fms) FMS Conference etc. Date: 12 Aug 2002 14:50:38 -0700 (PDT) --0-2042440439-1029189038=:23118 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hello, could you please send me info about the conference to be held in Los Angeles thank you Do You Yahoo!? HotJobs, a Yahoo! service - Search Thousands of New Jobs --0-2042440439-1029189038=:23118 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii

Hello, could you please send me info about the conference to be held in Los Angeles  thank you


Do You Yahoo!?
HotJobs, a Yahoo! service - Search Thousands of New Jobs --0-2042440439-1029189038=:23118-- - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: THMI Subject: (thmi-fms) FMS Conference Info URL Date: 12 Aug 2002 15:54:31 -0600 (MDT) I should have thought to include this with the original post. Anyway, for those that would like more information on the FMS Conference to be held in LA in September, the URL (webpage) to see is http://www.AdMedCon.com Jim ___________________________________________________________________________ Jim Clements | email: clements@xmission.com Total Health Marketing | ph. 801/583-5060 On Mon, 12 Aug 2002, Cathy Olson wrote: > > Hello, could you send me some info about the conferance to be held in > los Angeles in September, thank you very much Cathy Olson! > - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Madi" Subject: Re: (thmi-fms) FMS Conference etc. Date: 12 Aug 2002 15:43:48 -0700 Does the conference on the 21st and 22nd cost anything? I want to be there so need to start saving money if there will be a cost. Madi ----- Original Message ----- Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 2:25 PM Dear thmi-fms subscriber, It has been about a week since I last posted something to this forum so I'll share a few thoughts. If there is a specific topic you would like me to address please feel free to email me. I would like to welcome the recent subscribers to the list. I hope that you find some information here that will help you. A quick update on June S., the latest person to start the program. June has seen some minor improvement in pain reduction. This is her fourth week into the program. Based on the experience of others she probably has a couple weeks yet before she will see the most dramatic improvement. Unfortunately June is headed off on a vacation so will have to interrupt the program. She will call when she returns and let me know how things went. She seems pleased with the progress she is making. I recently received a brochure for the upcoming fibromyalgia conference to be held in Los Angeles, Sept. 21 & 22. Some of the scheduled workshops look like they may provide some good information. Importance of Calcium and Magnesium Body Ecology Diet: 3 Months to Wellness Detoxification: Its Role in Reversing the Invisible Illnesses of Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and Autoimmune Disorders The Role in Alternative Medicine in Fibromyalgia The Role of Bacterial Overgrowth in Fibromyalgia Metabolic Therapies for the Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome The title of the detoxification workshop is interesting, suggesting that FMS and CFS can be reversed. Anyone familar with the program I recommend knows that all these areas are addressed. Some people wonder about a one-size fits all program. The program is a general wellness program directed to returning balance to the system. Some of the suggested supplements may not be required by everyone but supplementing them does no harm if you don't need them. You no doubt have heard "Every body is different" to explain why a particular supplement may have helped one person and provided no noticeable benefit to another. I would like to qualify this to "Every body is the same, but each body has different excesses and deficiencies" If Joe swallowed some cyanide and it killed him, you would not take the same substance and hope that your body, being different, will respond differently. Every body is the same, and cyanide is deadly (cyanide does provide some benefit in very trace amounts but do not supplement it). The reason why some people do not respond in a like manner to a particular supplement is not because their bodies are different but rather because they may not have been deficient in whatever the supplement was providing. Or, they may be deficient and still not responded because there exists another deficiency or excess that is interfering with what is provided by the supplement. For the most part I believe that nutrients should come from a wholesome balanced diet. The few minerals that I do suggest as part of the program are those that are likely to be deficient. In order for the body to absorb the minerals from our food the mineral must be ionized by the acids in the gastric juice. If stomach acid is not sufficient to ionize those minerals, I assume that all minerals that require ionization by stomach acid may be lacking. And so as part of the program the minerals that are suggested for supplementation are those that are possibly lacking and those that have been found to have a role in either blood building, metabolism, or helping the body maintain pH balances. Well, till next week, take care and hang in there, there is hope for a better tommorrow. All the best, Jim - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "JULIE CASTRO" Subject: (thmi-fms) FMS/CFS CONFERENCE Date: 13 Aug 2002 14:54:52 -0600 ------=_NextPart_001_0001_01C242D9.60FFABA0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable DEAR FRIENDS, PLEASE SEND A BROUCHURE OR INFORMATION ON THE UPCOMING FMS/CFS CONFERANCE= . CASTROJULIE@MSN.COM ------=_NextPart_001_0001_01C242D9.60FFABA0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
DEAR FRIENDS,<= BR>
PLEASE SEND A BROUCHURE OR INFORMATION ON THE UPCOMING FMS/CFS CON= FERANCE.   CASTROJULIE@MSN.COM
------=_NextPart_001_0001_01C242D9.60FFABA0-- - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "JULIE CASTRO" Subject: (thmi-fms) need physician specialist team for fms/cfs Date: 13 Aug 2002 15:08:26 -0600 ------=_NextPart_001_0005_01C242DB.46576980 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable DEAR FRIENDS, PLEASE SEND ANY INFORMATION ON LOCATING A SPECIALIST PHYSICIAN TEAM THAT = CAN HELP WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF PAIN AND DEPRESSION IN FMS/CFS. I AM LO= OSING HOPE. =20 I AM WILLING TO TRAVEL TO ANYWHERE IN THE WESTERN U.S. I CURRENTLY LIVE = IN SOUTH WESTERN UTAH, ST. GEORGE. MUCH THANKS, PLEASE HELP ME SURVIVE THIS DISEASE. JULIE J. CASTRO CASTROJULIE@MSN.COM ------=_NextPart_001_0005_01C242DB.46576980 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
DEAR FRIENDS,<= /DIV>
 
PLEASE SEND ANY INFORMATION ON LOCATING A SP= ECIALIST PHYSICIAN TEAM THAT CAN HELP WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF PAIN AND DEP= RESSION IN FMS/CFS.   I AM LOOSING HOPE.  
 
 
I AM WILLING TO TRAVEL TO ANYWHERE = IN THE WESTERN U.S.  I CURRENTLY LIVE IN SOUTH WESTERN UTAH, ST. GEO= RGE.
 
 
MUCH THANKS,  PL= EASE HELP ME SURVIVE THIS DISEASE.
 
 
JULIE J. CASTRO
 
------=_NextPart_001_0005_01C242DB.46576980-- - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: THMI Subject: (thmi-fms) I'll be posting more frequently. Date: 21 Aug 2002 12:32:27 -0600 (MDT) Dear thmi-fms subscriber, This is a warning to let you know that I've decided to start posting more to this forum. In the past, I've been waiting for positive feedback from those that are following the program outlined for reversing FMS symptoms before posting. The latest person to start the program, June in Calistoga, has gone on vacation so it will be a couple weeks before I hear back from her. She had been on the program for about 4 weeks and just begining to see some positive results. (that is about normal, most dramatic results seen about 6 - 8 weeks into program) It will be interesting to see how the interruption effects her progress. Whether she noticed a backward slide from the progress she had made, A leveling off, or even a continued progress. I'll keep you posted. In the past I've been posting to other FMS forums, answering questions posted to those forums. I will continue to monitor those forums for questions raised and information, but my plan is to then answer those questions on this list. That will give me something to write to this list. Since, on other lists, I am seen by some as trying to profit from this condition by selling products, I have been called huckster, spammer, charlatan, uncompassionate, uncaring, and some names best left unrepeated. I doubt that anyone on this list holds similar views. If so, you know how to unsubscribe. Over the last few years I estimate that I've sunk over $60,000 into this venture. I've exhausted my savings account. My sister keeps telling me its time to give up. At times I agree with her. I'm looking for full time employment again, I find this work more rewarding but it doesn't pay the bills. At times I wish that I'd had the money back, it would make a decent downpayment for a house. But along the way I've helped a few people and made a few friends so the money has been well spent. I have no regrets. I am continually trying new products to tweak the program to address all areas of total health impacted by FMS and CFS. I will be sharing some of the things I've added to the program in future posts. Hopefully we will find some others with a pioneering spirits to help prove this approach to reversing FMS symptoms. All the best, Jim ___________________________________________________________________________ Jim Clements | email: clements@xmission.com Total Health Marketing | ph. 801/583-5060 - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: THMI Subject: (thmi-fms) the thyroid and FMS Date: 22 Aug 2002 18:38:50 -0600 Most people with FMS/CFS have a core body temperature slightly lower than the recognized norm of 98.6 degrees fahrenheit. A one half to one degree lower body temperature is typical in people with FMS/CFS. The thyroid gland is responsible for regulation of the body's metabolism. A lower body temperature is one symptom of an underactive thyroid gland. Some people with FMS/CFS have also been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid. Dr. Lowe, specializing in FMS, has taken the approach that FMS is related to lowered metabolism due to thyroid underactivity. If you want to study Dr. Lowe's approach his web site is located at http://www.drlowe.com The thyroid can be likened to the thermostat in your house. Adjust the temperature setting of the thermostat higher and the house temperature rises to the set temperature. However, the temperature of the house can only rise if there is fuel in the furnace to heat the house. In this scenario the house could be cooler due to lack of fuel and no fault of the thermostat. In the body the fuel which is used for energy, and is used to heat the body, is ATP. Researchers have found that ATP is lower in people with FMS. My thinking is that in most cases the thyroid gland may not be the problem. The lowered body temperature may be a direct result of low ATP levels. Body temperature has a direct influence on metabolism. An increase of 1 degree celsius (about 2 degrees F.) will increase metabolism about 15%. We can extrapolate from this that a drop of one degree fahrenheit could result in a drop in metabolism of about 7%. This creates a conundrum. In FMS/CFS the body needs to generate more ATP but the body temperature being lower impedes the ability to manufacture ATP by lowering metabolism. Perspiration is one method that the body uses to regulate body temperature, cooling the body as the sweat evaporates. In FMS/CFS the body temperature is already low so I suspect that that may be one reason why many people with FMS/CFS have a history of not sweating. Some people experience night sweats which I believe is linked to hormone imbalances and is not not related to sweating for the purpose of cooling the body. Lets get back to the thyroid gland. There are a number of nutrients that the thyroid needs for normal function. These nutrients include Vitamins A, B2, B6, and B3, and iodine. Lets assume that if any of these nutrients are lacking thyroid function would be impaired. See http://www.feelhealthynow.com/weight/thyroid_function.htm for more information on the thyroid An enlarged thyroid gland, called a goiter, is the result of a lack of iodine in the blood. The thyroid enlarges so that it can filter more blood in its search for iodine. If the thyroid is not enlarged you may not be iodine deficient but it is a good idea to include a little kelp, a good source of iodine, in the diet anyway. My suggestion is to use granulated kelp for occasional seasoning in salads or other foods. In the research abstract "Vitamin B status in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome" at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=10450194&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b The researchers report, "These data provide preliminary evidence of reduced functional B vitamin status, particularly of pyridoxine, in CFS patients". Pyridoxine is another name for vitamin B6. As was pointed out above, vitamin B6 is an essential nutrient for thyroid function. Maybe, the lowered thyroid function is only due to a nutrient deficiency. Another benefit of vitamin B6 which is pointed out on the thyroid page linked to above is that mosquitoes tend to avoid biting people with high B6 levels". With the increasing scare of "West Nile Virus" carried by mosquitoes, it may be a good idea to get more vitamin B6 in the diet. Already dealing with lowered immune functions, "West Nile Virus" is not something that you want infecting your body. Foods are your best source for nutrients. The body was designed to obtain needed nutrients from a healthy diet. Some people take supplements and expect that since the label says the pill contains such and such vitamins and minerals that the body is taking them in. That may or may not be the case. As the article "Antioxidants in Food May Prevent Memory Loss" at http://kevxml2a.infospace.com/_1_4O9KTEU03WRJCUW__info.schcac/health/hlt-story.htm&qid=507810&qt=9 points out, vitamin supplements did not provide the same level of health benefit as eating foods that naturally contained the vitamins. One reason may be that the foods also contain other nutrients that may be essential for proper utilization of the vitamin that the pill does not contain. I hope that you have found this information of worth. Too many people today don't care to know how their body works. When these people become ill, they only want to know what they must do to get better, a pill is best and better yet that insurance pay for it. I doubt that anyone on this list would fall into this category, no offense intended. If you have any questions feel free to post them to the list. All the best, Jim - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Madi" Subject: Re: (thmi-fms) the thyroid and FMS Date: 22 Aug 2002 22:44:13 -0700 Great article Jim. I've been studying this already and am glad to read anything I can get my hands or eyes on. My body temp is in the 97 range. I did the 10 day temp test. I'm reading a book by Henry G. Bieler MD written in 1965 called Food Is Your Best Medicine. He does a lot of explaining in this book. I took thyroid on my own a few months back and it did change my skin tone. My skin is very dry and one arm had dry bumps all over it that wouldn't go away. After I took the thyroid, my skin turned smooth on that arm. But, now I have hives which I get every summer now for 10 years. It is horrible. They come in July and leave in October. Dr. Bieler explains that the skin is one of the last organs the body uses to get rid of toxins - so I must be pretty toxic! I'm trying to fast with half juice and half water. Food is such a temptation!!!! Madi ----- Original Message ----- Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 5:38 PM Most people with FMS/CFS have a core body temperature slightly lower than the recognized norm of 98.6 degrees fahrenheit. A one half to one degree lower body temperature is typical in people with FMS/CFS. The thyroid gland is responsible for regulation of the body's metabolism. A lower body temperature is one symptom of an underactive thyroid gland. Some people with FMS/CFS have also been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid. Dr. Lowe, specializing in FMS, has taken the approach that FMS is related to lowered metabolism due to thyroid underactivity. If you want to study Dr. Lowe's approach his web site is located at http://www.drlowe.com The thyroid can be likened to the thermostat in your house. Adjust the temperature setting of the thermostat higher and the house temperature rises to the set temperature. However, the temperature of the house can only rise if there is fuel in the furnace to heat the house. In this scenario the house could be cooler due to lack of fuel and no fault of the thermostat. In the body the fuel which is used for energy, and is used to heat the body, is ATP. Researchers have found that ATP is lower in people with FMS. My thinking is that in most cases the thyroid gland may not be the problem. The lowered body temperature may be a direct result of low ATP levels. Body temperature has a direct influence on metabolism. An increase of 1 degree celsius (about 2 degrees F.) will increase metabolism about 15%. We can extrapolate from this that a drop of one degree fahrenheit could result in a drop in metabolism of about 7%. This creates a conundrum. In FMS/CFS the body needs to generate more ATP but the body temperature being lower impedes the ability to manufacture ATP by lowering metabolism. Perspiration is one method that the body uses to regulate body temperature, cooling the body as the sweat evaporates. In FMS/CFS the body temperature is already low so I suspect that that may be one reason why many people with FMS/CFS have a history of not sweating. Some people experience night sweats which I believe is linked to hormone imbalances and is not not related to sweating for the purpose of cooling the body. Lets get back to the thyroid gland. There are a number of nutrients that the thyroid needs for normal function. These nutrients include Vitamins A, B2, B6, and B3, and iodine. Lets assume that if any of these nutrients are lacking thyroid function would be impaired. See http://www.feelhealthynow.com/weight/thyroid_function.htm for more information on the thyroid An enlarged thyroid gland, called a goiter, is the result of a lack of iodine in the blood. The thyroid enlarges so that it can filter more blood in its search for iodine. If the thyroid is not enlarged you may not be iodine deficient but it is a good idea to include a little kelp, a good source of iodine, in the diet anyway. My suggestion is to use granulated kelp for occasional seasoning in salads or other foods. In the research abstract "Vitamin B status in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome" at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=10450194&form=6&db=m &Dopt=b The researchers report, "These data provide preliminary evidence of reduced functional B vitamin status, particularly of pyridoxine, in CFS patients". Pyridoxine is another name for vitamin B6. As was pointed out above, vitamin B6 is an essential nutrient for thyroid function. Maybe, the lowered thyroid function is only due to a nutrient deficiency. Another benefit of vitamin B6 which is pointed out on the thyroid page linked to above is that mosquitoes tend to avoid biting people with high B6 levels". With the increasing scare of "West Nile Virus" carried by mosquitoes, it may be a good idea to get more vitamin B6 in the diet. Already dealing with lowered immune functions, "West Nile Virus" is not something that you want infecting your body. Foods are your best source for nutrients. The body was designed to obtain needed nutrients from a healthy diet. Some people take supplements and expect that since the label says the pill contains such and such vitamins and minerals that the body is taking them in. That may or may not be the case. As the article "Antioxidants in Food May Prevent Memory Loss" at http://kevxml2a.infospace.com/_1_4O9KTEU03WRJCUW__info.schcac/health/hlt-sto ry.htm&qid=507810&qt=9 points out, vitamin supplements did not provide the same level of health benefit as eating foods that naturally contained the vitamins. One reason may be that the foods also contain other nutrients that may be essential for proper utilization of the vitamin that the pill does not contain. I hope that you have found this information of worth. Too many people today don't care to know how their body works. When these people become ill, they only want to know what they must do to get better, a pill is best and better yet that insurance pay for it. I doubt that anyone on this list would fall into this category, no offense intended. If you have any questions feel free to post them to the list. All the best, Jim - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Julie Tingley" Subject: Re: (thmi-fms) FMS Conference etc. Date: 25 Aug 2002 15:33:30 -0400 ------=_NextPart_001_0000_01C24C4C.C3CCCE80 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable which minerals are suggested for supplementation? =20 =20 ----- Original Message ----- Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 6:44 PM =20 Does the conference on the 21st and 22nd cost anything? I want to be th= ere so need to start saving money if there will be a cost. Madi ----- Original Message ----- Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 2:25 PM Dear thmi-fms subscriber, It has been about a week since I last posted something to this forum so I'll share a few thoughts. If there is a specific topic you would like me to address please feel free to email me. I would like to welcome the recent subscribers to the list. I hope that you find some information here that will help you. A quick update on June S., the latest person to start the program. June has seen some minor improvement in pain reduction. This is her fourth week into the program. Based on the experience of others she probably has a couple weeks yet before she will see the most dramatic improvement. Unfortunately June is headed off on a vacation so will have to interrupt the program. She will call when she returns and let me know how things went. She seems pleased with the progress she is making. I recently received a brochure for the upcoming fibromyalgia conference to be held in Los Angeles, Sept. 21 & 22. Some of the scheduled workshops look like they may provide some good information. Importance of Calcium and Magnesium Body Ecology Diet: 3 Months to Wellness Detoxification: Its Role in Reversing the Invisible Illnesses of Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and Autoimmune Disorders The Role in Alternative Medicine in Fibromyalgia The Role of Bacterial Overgrowth in Fibromyalgia Metabolic Therapies for the Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome The title of the detoxification workshop is interesting, suggesting that FMS and CFS can be reversed. Anyone familar with the program I recommend knows that all these areas are addressed. Some people wonder about a one-size fits all program. The program is a general wellness program directed to returning balance to the system. Some of the suggested supplements may not be required by everyone but supplementing them does no harm if you don't need them. You no doubt have heard "Every body is different" to explain why a particular supplement may have helped one person and provided no noticeable benefit to another. I would like to qualify this to "Every body is the same, but each body has different excesses and deficiencies" If Joe swallowed some cyanide and it killed him, you would not take the same substance and hope that your body, being different, will respond differently. Every body is the same, and cyanide is deadly (cyanide does provide some benefit in very trace amounts but do not supplement it). The reason why some people do not respond in a like manner to a particu= lar supplement is not because their bodies are different but rather because they may not have been deficient in whatever the supplement was providing. Or, they may be deficient and still not responded because there exists another deficiency or excess that is interfering with what is provided by the supplement. For the most part I believe that nutrients should come from a wholesome balanced diet. The few minerals that I do suggest as part of the program are those that are likely to be deficient. In order for the body to absorb the minerals from our food the mineral must be ionized by the acids in the gastric juice. If stomach acid is no= t sufficient to ionize those minerals, I assume that all minerals that require ionization by stomach acid may be lacking. And so as part of the program the minerals that are suggested for supplementation are those that are possibly lacking and those that have been found to have a role in either blood building, metabolism, or helping the body maintain pH balances. Well, till next week, take care and hang in there, there is hope for a better tommorrow. All the best, Jim - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.Get more f= rom the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com ------=_NextPart_001_0000_01C24C4C.C3CCCE80 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
which minerals= are suggested for supplementation? 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Madi
Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 6:44 PM
To: thmi-fms@lists.xmission.com
=
Subject: Re: (thmi-fms) FMS Confe= rence etc.
 
Does the conference on the 21st and 22n= d cost anything?   I want to be there
so need to start savin= g money if there will be a cost.   Madi


----- Origin= al Message -----
From: "THMI" <total@xmission.com>
To: <th= mi-fms@lists.xmission.com>
Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 2:25 PMSubject: (thmi-fms) FMS Conference etc.



Dear thmi-fms sub= scriber,

  It has been about a week since I last posted somet= hing to this forum
so I'll share a few thoughts.  If there is a s= pecific topic you would
like me to address please feel free to email m= e.

  I would like to welcome the recent subscribers to the li= st.  I hope
that you find some information here that will help yo= u.

  A quick update on June S., the latest person to start th= e program.
June has seen some minor improvement in pain reduction.&nbs= p; This is her
fourth week into the program.  Based on the experi= ence of others she
probably has a couple weeks yet before she will see= the most dramatic
improvement.  Unfortunately June is headed off= on a vacation so will
have to interrupt the program.  She will c= all when she returns and let
me know how things went.  She seems = pleased with the progress she is
making.

  I recently rece= ived a brochure for the upcoming fibromyalgia
conference to be held in= Los Angeles, Sept. 21 & 22.  Some of the
scheduled workshops= look like they may provide some good information.

  Importan= ce of Calcium and Magnesium

  Body Ecology Diet: 3 Months to = Wellness

  Detoxification: Its Role in Reversing the Invisibl= e Illnesses of
  Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and Autoimmune Dis= orders

  The Role in Alternative Medicine in Fibromyalgia
=
  The Role of Bacterial Overgrowth in Fibromyalgia

 = Metabolic Therapies for the Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  The title of the detoxification workshop is interesting, suggesti= ng
that FMS and CFS can be reversed.

  Anyone familar with= the program I recommend knows that all these areas
are addressed.&nbs= p; Some people wonder about a one-size fits all program.
The program i= s a general wellness program directed to returning balance
to the syst= em.  Some of the suggested supplements may not be required by
eve= ryone but supplementing them does no harm if you don't need them.

=   You no doubt have heard "Every body is different" to explain why a=
particular supplement may have helped one person and provided no
n= oticeable benefit to another.  I would like to qualify this to "Ever= y
body is the same, but each body has different excesses and deficienc= ies"

  If Joe swallowed some cyanide and it killed him, you w= ould not take the
same substance and hope that your body, being differ= ent, will respond
differently.  Every body is the same, and cyani= de is deadly (cyanide
does provide some benefit in very trace amounts = but do not supplement
it).

  The reason why some people do= not respond in a like manner to a particular
supplement is not becaus= e their bodies are different but rather because
they may not have been= deficient in whatever the supplement was
providing.  Or, they ma= y be deficient and still not responded because
there exists another de= ficiency or excess that is interfering with what
is provided by the su= pplement.

  For the most part I believe that nutrients should= come from a
wholesome balanced diet.  The few minerals that I do= suggest as part
of the program are those that are likely to be defici= ent.

  In order for the body to absorb the minerals from our = food the mineral
must be ionized by the acids in the gastric juice.&nb= sp; If stomach acid is not
sufficient to ionize those minerals, I assu= me that all minerals that
require ionization by stomach acid may be la= cking.  And so as part of
the program the minerals that are sugge= sted for supplementation are
those that are possibly lacking and those= that have been found to have a
role in either blood building, metabol= ism, or helping the body maintain
pH balances.

  Well, til= l next week, take care and hang in there, there is hope for a
better t= ommorrow.

All the best,
Jim

-
To unsubscribe to thmi-= fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com"
with "unsubscribe thmi-= fms" in the body of the message.
For information on digests or retriev= ing files and old messages send
"help" to the same address.  Do n= ot use quotes in your message.



-
To unsubscribe to thmi= -fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com"
with "unsubscribe thmi= -fms" in the body of the message.
For information on digests or retrie= ving files and old messages send
"help" to the same address.  Do = not use quotes in your message.

Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com

------=_NextPart_001_0000_01C24C4C.C3CCCE80-- - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: THMI Subject: (thmi-fms) Minerals used, etc. Date: 26 Aug 2002 09:42:11 -0600 (MDT) There are some 15 minerals and 2 vitamins that require stomach acid for ionization before they can be absorbed be the body. Acid reflux is a symptom of insufficient stomach acid, called hypochlorhydria. Many people with FMS/CFS experience acid reflux. I'm starting to think that a person could have hypochlorhydria to the degree that vitamin/mineral absorption is impaired but that it is not yet low enough to cause acid reflux. The assumption that I make is that if hypochlorhydria is the cause for mineral deficiencies such as magnesium, then all minerals that require stomach acid for absorption are likely to be deficient. The Wellness program is a four part program, mineral supplementation is only one part. The reason for the hypochlorhydria must also be addressed as well. That is what the other parts do. In time I may disclose which specific minerals are used in the program but I am not yet ready to do that. I sell the minerals as part of the total program package. My selling price is about 20 percent less than you will find them being sold on other sites. All the best, Jim ___________________________________________________________________________ Jim Clements | email: clements@xmission.com Total Health Marketing | ph. 801/583-5060 On Sun, 25 Aug 2002, Julie Tingley wrote: > which minerals are suggested for supplementation? > - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "craftylady" Subject: Re: (thmi-fms) Minerals used, etc. Date: 26 Aug 2002 10:50:27 -0500 Please don't tell us you are trying to help us, when you want to SELL US INFORMATION................:( ----- Original Message ----- Sent: Monday, August 26, 2002 10:42 AM > > There are some 15 minerals and 2 vitamins that require stomach acid for > ionization before they can be absorbed be the body. Acid reflux is a > symptom of insufficient stomach acid, called hypochlorhydria. Many people > with FMS/CFS experience acid reflux. I'm starting to think that a person > could have hypochlorhydria to the degree that vitamin/mineral absorption > is impaired but that it is not yet low enough to cause acid reflux. > > The assumption that I make is that if hypochlorhydria is the cause for > mineral deficiencies such as magnesium, then all minerals that require > stomach acid for absorption are likely to be deficient. > > The Wellness program is a four part program, mineral supplementation > is only one part. The reason for the hypochlorhydria must also be > addressed as well. That is what the other parts do. > > In time I may disclose which specific minerals are used in the program but > I am not yet ready to do that. I sell the minerals as part of the total > program package. My selling price is about 20 percent less than you will > find them being sold on other sites. > > All the best, > Jim > ___________________________________________________________________________ > Jim Clements | email: clements@xmission.com > Total Health Marketing | ph. 801/583-5060 > > > On Sun, 25 Aug 2002, Julie Tingley wrote: > > > which minerals are suggested for supplementation? > > > > > - > To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" > with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. > For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send > "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: THMI Subject: Re: (thmi-fms) Minerals used, etc. Date: 26 Aug 2002 11:08:03 -0600 (MDT) I have always been open to the fact that I am marketing this program. I have disclosed almost all the information regarding the specifics of the program. There are a growing number of fibromyalgia specialists that charge thousands of dollars for their expertise. I have heard of one that charges $500/hr for his time. I do not charge for my time. (That could be construed as practicing without a license, which is illegal.) The only source of income from this venture is through sales of the products that I have found most beneficial. I might add that the success rate of people with FMS being helped following this program is probably higher than that of those being helped by the "experts". I have gone into debt developing and marketing this program. Do not expect me to give the information away. If I give out too much information people may think that they have enough to surf the net, find similar products, use them and then claim the program does not work because the products that they selected did not help them. I charge less for the products than competing sites. I continue to research to design the most effective program for the least cost. I doubt that any of my customers are displeased with the service I have provided them. If you wish to remain on this email list and learn more from what I have to offer, you are more than welcome to stay. You always have the freedom to unsubscribe. All the best, Jim ___________________________________________________________________________ Jim Clements | email: clements@xmission.com Total Health Marketing | ph. 801/583-5060 On Mon, 26 Aug 2002, craftylady wrote: > Please don't tell us you are trying to help us, when you want to SELL US > INFORMATION................:( > > - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael Harris Subject: Re: (thmi-fms) Minerals used, etc. Date: 26 Aug 2002 13:21:43 -0600 Jim . Thanks for the good research . Janice would not be where she is today without your program . Keep up the good work . Michael THMI wrote: > I have always been open to the fact that I am marketing this program. I > have disclosed almost all the information regarding the specifics of the > program. > > There are a growing number of fibromyalgia specialists that charge > thousands of dollars for their expertise. I have heard of one that > charges $500/hr for his time. I do not charge for my time. (That could be > construed as practicing without a license, which is illegal.) > > The only source of income from this venture is through sales of the > products that I have found most beneficial. I might add that the success > rate of people with FMS being helped following this program is probably > higher than that of those being helped by the "experts". > > I have gone into debt developing and marketing this program. Do not > expect me to give the information away. If I give out too much > information people may think that they have enough to surf the net, find > similar products, use them and then claim the program does not work > because the products that they selected did not help them. > > I charge less for the products than competing sites. I continue to > research to design the most effective program for the least cost. I doubt > that any of my customers are displeased with the service I have provided > them. > > If you wish to remain on this email list and learn more from what I have > to offer, you are more than welcome to stay. You always have the freedom > to unsubscribe. > > All the best, > Jim > ___________________________________________________________________________ > Jim Clements | email: clements@xmission.com > Total Health Marketing | ph. 801/583-5060 > > On Mon, 26 Aug 2002, craftylady wrote: > > > Please don't tell us you are trying to help us, when you want to SELL US > > INFORMATION................:( > > > > > > - > To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" > with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. > For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send > "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: THMI Subject: (thmi-fms) Questions on Probiotics Date: 28 Aug 2002 13:05:09 -0600 Dear thmi-fms subscriber: There were a couple question on probiotics I answered in another forum. I am posting my answer to this forum as well. The first question asked was what probiotic Dr. Cheney recommended. I was surprised to find that Dr. Cheney recommends the same probiotic formulation that I have included in my program. Flora Source. (at least this is per the information on the DFW fibromyalgia web site. I don't know if he still recommends this probiotic.) In time maybe he'll be introduced to the other products I have been using and recommend them as well. :) Another question was related to a particular probiotic product, Primal Defense. Primal Defense is very similar in the listed organisms as Flora Source. The selling point that they use to claim product superiority is the inclusion of SBO (Soil Based Organisms). Primal Defense is much more expensive, especially if you take it at the recommended dosage. I have not tried Primal Defense but I am guessing that it is very similar to Flora Source. I have heard good things about the product, Primal Defense, but for reasons of cost I have stayed with the Flora Source. The reason that most people with FMS/CFS have flora problems is due to colon alkalinity. So as you supplement probiotics you need to address this issue as well to assure that the probiotics have a friendly environment to establish as their new home. In any probiotic, the culture must be from human origin or it will not take up residency in the human digestive tract. So I am not entirely convinced that the inclusion of SBOs makes a difference in results. All the best, Jim - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: THMI Subject: (thmi-fms) misc. questions Date: 29 Aug 2002 15:45:01 -0600 Dear thmi-fms subscribers, The following are replies that I posted in response to a couple questions on another forum. 1. Was a question concerning brain fog. Brain fog is a result of insufficient oxygen being received by the brain cells to produce the energy it needs to do its job. The oxygen is in the blood, it just doesn't seem to make the transfer. My guess is intracellular potassium may be low. One function of potassium is that it tends to attract oxygen. In Dr. Cheney's video he talks about research findings of increased lactic acid around the hippocampus, (especially the right. I suspect that this is because women tend to be more right brained and more women have FMS/CFS) Anyway, one function of the hippocampus is to retrieve information stored in the brain. Since there is more lactic acid in this region it suggests that the cells in the hippocampus are relying more upon glycolysis to produce ATP (The hippocampus uses lots of ATP and therefor needs a lot of oxygen). the byproduct of glycolysis is pyruvate, which is converted to lactic acid in the absence of oxygen. It sounds like your brain fog increases a couple hours after you get up because your activity level increases. As for toxins, research would have detected them by now. There are however, many excesses and deficiencies though. All the best, Jim 2. These replies are in response to some questions on intestinal flora: For anyone that has been been tested and it has been found that acidophilus is not detected in their gut flora, or is very low. Was your colon pH also tested? And if so, what were the findings? My guess is that your colon is too alkaline. Acidophilus, as the name suggests, thrives in a slightly acid environment. If you do not address this issue then acidophilus supplementation is a waste of money. The acidophilus will not be able to establish residency in the gut until colon pH is returned to a more desirable level. All the best, Jim When asked about what to do to restore colon pH: The program that I have been suggesting that people try addresses all affected areas, hydration, circulation and metabolism, resolving mineral deficiencies, and re-establishing a healthy intestinal flora. Many people are on restrictive diets to control candida, but in the process these diets are also keeping acidophilus down. What I suggest is "Sweet dairy whey" not the expensive whey protein that people are taking to increase glutathione. A good health food store should carry it in bulk, costs about $2/pound. Mix a heaping tablespoon in a glass of water. Have a glass of this 3X/day. The whey provides undigestable sugars that feed the acidophilus. As the bacteria digest the lactose, milk sugar, in the whey they produce lactic acid which helps to acidify the colon. Eat lots of fiber foods, the undigestable fiberous material in these foods is food for the bacteria. If you are dealing with candida avoid wheat products until balance is restored then return slowly to eating wheat. Another benefit of whey is that it is a good source of sodium, not to be confused with table salt. The stomach is a sodium organ. This will also help to return HCl production in the stomach. When HCl production is restored and pH levels restored, candida, will be put back in its place. Other benefits of sodium is that it helps to keep blood calcium in solution and helps to hydrate the body. The body does not absorb water. It pulls in sodium and the water follows the sodium. Some people with FMS that experience tissue swelling I believe that this is the result of too much sodium in the cells and the sodium pulling the water into the cell. The reason that sodium excess may be present in the cell is because the sodium-potassium pump requires a lot of ATP to maintain this balance. And, because the cell is not producing sufficient ATP to provide all the fuel the pump needs things get out of balance. This imbalance may also be why oxygen is not getting into the cells. Potassium attracts oxygen, if the sodium-potassium pump is not keeping potassium in the cell, there may be less attraction for oxygen to the cell. I don't know if taking the whey by itself is sufficient. As I said, this is part of the overall program. Another part of the program addresses tissue acidity. Restoring alkaline pH to the tissue may have additional effect of helping acidify the colon (not entirely sure). Hope this helps. All the best, Jim And, when asked about insufficient production of stomach acid Insufficient stomach acid plays a key role. I believe that this is possibly key to the whole problem. With insufficient stomach acid many minerals and vitamins are not being absorbed by the body. Tissue acidification keeps blood CO2 levels low. CO2 from the blood is the first step in production stomach acid. (note: by tissue acidification the tissue never becomes acid, it is just more acidic than it should be. so instead of a pH of 7.4pH it may be 7.3pH, even a slight shift in this pH throws things out of balance.) You may have noticed that your breathing tends to be very shallow. This is the bodies attempt to restore blood CO2 levels. When the stomach produces acid, it uses blood CO2. When CO2 is used the blood shifts to a more alkaline buffering level which is then used when the chyme, acidic food mixture enters the small intestine (at the duodenum). The alkaline buffering of the blood then is able to return the chyme to an alkaline pH, safe for transit through the intestines. You may be interested in studying the presentation that I have online. It all makes perfect sense. All the best, Jim - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: THMI Subject: (thmi-fms) digestive enzymes Date: 31 Aug 2002 18:08:24 -0600 Dear thmi-fms subscriber, The following article and request for my thoughts was posted on another forum. Jim, what do you think of this? Enzymes In Action: pH Perfect? Eileen Harder Little Flower Academey To compensate for enzyme insufficiency or to improve general digestion, many people take manufactured digestive enzyme supplements. But do these enzyme supplements work? Specifically, do they work in the pH environments of the stomach and the small intestine? The purpose of my project was to see if digestive enzyme supplements work in the pH levels of a simulated digestive system. I became interested in this idea when I read that enzymes do not work all pH environments. In Enzyme And Enzyme Therapy, Dr. Anthony Cichoke states, "Enzymes are sensitive to changes in pH (acidity and alkalinity). However, some enzymes can survive more acid (or more alkalinity) than others." Manufacturers claim that their enzymes work in most pH environments. Sisu, for example, claims that its enzymes work in pH environments from 2 to 12, thus they are effective in all parts of the digestive system. My hypothesis was that the enzymes would work slowly in both the strong acidic environment of the stomach and the alkaline environment of the small intestine. To form the basis for this hypothesis, I first had to determine the optimum pH level for amylase, a starch digesting enzyme, because the research on this was contradictory. This became Part One, where I tested how effectively amylase worked in various pH environments. My hypothesis for Part One was that amylase would work best in a slightly acidic pH environment because it is fungus-based. I used a 7.5% cornstarch solution in nine test tubes and added lemon juice and bleach to adjust the pH levels so that the pH levels ranged from 2 to 10. I added nothing to one as a control (pH=7). I then added three drops of amylase to each solution and tested for glucose every ten minutes for ninety minutes. My hypothesis proved partly correct, in that amylase worked well in a slightly acidic, pH=6, environment, but it worked better in a neutral, pH=7, environment. Amylase worked better in strong acid environment (pH<5) rather than strong alkaline environments (pH>8). I noticed, however, that in both extreme acidic and alkaline environments, the starch was broken down quite slowly. At the end of 90 minutes, approximately 10% of the starch was broken down in the alkaline environment and 30% of the starch was broken down in the acid environment. With this information, I designed Part Two to test how well digestive enzymes work in a simulated digestive system. My hypothesis, based on my findings from Part One, was that the enzymes would work slowly in both the strong acidic environment of the stomach and the alkaline environment of the small intestine. Again, I used a 7.5% cornstarch solution and added lemon juice to simulate the acid pH of the stomach (pH=2). Then I put the dosage recommended by each manufacturer for one meal. I used were Sisu Multi-Enzyme, Quest All-Zyme, Omega Nutrition's Plant Enzymes with Herbs, and Udo's Choice Digestive Enzymes. My control was the same solution with no enzymes. After testing for glucose every ten minutes for forty minutes, I added bleach to make the solution alkaline (pH=8), similar to the pH of the small intestine and tested again. My hypothesis was correct. None of the enzyme products worked well in either the acidic stomach environment or the alkaline small intestine. The two products that did work the best, Sisu and Omega, broke down only 33% of the starch, and two worked to only 28% of their optimal level. I concluded, therefore, that digestive enzymes do not work as well as they claim because of the strong acid and alkaline environments of the digestive systems. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ And my response: Thanks for the article, it's an interesting experiment. I do question the methods used to control pH, but it brings up an important point. Most people consider stomach acid as the ingredient responsible for digestion in the stomach. Actually the hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the stomach acid converts the digestive enzyme pepsinogen into the active form, pepsin. It then is the activated pepsin that breaks down the proteins in the food in the stomach. While in the very acid environment of the stomach, the enzymes designed to operate in that environment do their work. The enzymes designed to operate in a more alkaline environment remain inactive. When the chyme moves into the doudenum, pancreatic juices enter the mixture and raises the pH. When the pH increases then the enzymes that function in an alkaline environment (introduced with the pancreatic juices) begin to do their work. In her experiment, Ms. Harder reports using lemon juice and bleach to control pH levels. I don't know how pH control with these ingredients compare with pH adjusted by HCl and sodium bicarbonate, as is used in the human digestive system. Also, she uses a pH of 8pH to simulate the pH in the small intestine. According to the information in the book "Acidophilus and Colon Health" the author gives the the pH range of the small intestine to be 6.5pH to 7.5pH. http://www.xmission.com/~total/temple/Program/datadir/FMS_Etiology/fmspres1pg103.php3 I don't know how a slightly more alkaline pH would affect the results. Digestion in the stomach could be impaired by too alkaline stomach acid, insufficient digestive enzymes, or a combination of the two. If the problem is the result of incorrect pH, then it stands to reason that supplementing digestive enzymes would be a waste of money because the supplemented enzymes would not be activated. Unless, maybe the supplemented ezymes were already in the activated form which based on her findings does not seem to be the case. The program that has been used by some to reverse FMS symptoms focuses on correcting stomach acid pH. I have not found that it is necessary to supplement enzymes. Thanks for the article. All the best, Jim - To unsubscribe to thmi-fms, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe thmi-fms" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.