ME Support (page 1 of 2)
1. Eat to beat fatigue - 2. Dealing with having ME

Eat to beat fatigue! By and for people with ME Quick healthy recipes Energy-saving hints and tips for shopping & cooking Information on diets that can increase energy Includes recipes by famous cooks and cooks with ME Approved by ION-qualified nutritionist All profits to Action for ME For more details see article in fund-raising section of Interaction To order, email jane.harries at virgin.net. Books cost £5.49 including post and packing. There's also a new expanded edition - for details email the Erskine Press at ERSKPRES@aol.com or see Action for ME's site www.afme.org.uk and follow the Quick Links to 'shop'.

EAT TO BEAT FATIGUE!
….AND RAISE MONEY FOR 'ACTION FOR ME'

I’ve produced a cookbook in aid of ‘Action for ME’, a charity which supports people with ME and campaigns for better treatment and research. It’s called Eat to Beat Fatigue’ and contains easy healthy recipes, tips on how to save energy when shopping and cooking, and also ideas for foods that can help give you energy.

I’ve had ME for 15 years. The first 10 years I worked full-time, but after a bout of pneumonia, I was unable to work. I was struggling to cook anything: I had to rest after peeling a carrot, and after 10 years’ illness, my arms were too weak to carry ready meals from the freezer to the cooker! Eventually I consulted a nutritionist who said I shouldn’t be eating wheat, sugar or dairy foods, and gave me some recipes. Some of these were rather elaborate, so I ended up devising simpler meals.

Having healthy, fresh food helped my condition. I am still ill, but I no longer have the migraines I used to have, and know how to manage my occasionally weak digestion through what I eat. My ‘brain fog’ has mostly gone, too, unless I really overdo it, and I’m slowly getting fitter. And I enjoy my food more!

I was inspired by a little recipe book in aid of a church bell fund to collect recipes for Action for ME. However the book has developed beyond a recipe collection. People with ME have not only donated recipes: they have contributed hints on shopping, cooking, portable food, alternatives to wheat, sugar and dairy (for those who are sensitive to those foods), useful contacts for organic and specialist foods, and further reading. There are also recipes from some famous names, such as Ainsley Harriott, Nigel Slater (author of Real Fast Food), Cranks Restaurant and Delia Smith. Each recipe is graded according to the level of energy required. My nutritionist, Christianne Parker, has approved the recipes and written a foreword.

I chose recipes that were quick and easy to cook, didn’t require expensive ingredients, and that need not contain wheat, dairy foods or sugar, as these are the foods that most commonly cause fatigue in some people.

I’d like to thank everyone who sent in ideas, particularly Laura Shave, who also gave me a lot of encouragement.

This book is relevant to a wide range of people. The food and ideas apply to people who are too tired to cook elaborate meals, but want healthy food, for whatever reason: they may just be tired after work or childcare all day, or they may be suffering a debilitating condition. Women interested in phyto-oestrogens (for menopause symptoms) will be interested in the tofu and chickpea recipes. And most people would like some quick meal ideas!

One useful feature of the book is that it’s spiral bound, enabling the book to lie flat when you’re following a recipe.

To order, send a cheque payable to AJ Harries, to: Action for ME, PO Box 1302, Wells, Somerset. BA5 1YE. Copies cost £5.49 each including postage and packing.

Any queries please call Action for ME on 0845 123 2380 and they will contact me.

All profits from book sales go to Action for ME (Registered Number 1036419).

To find out more about the charity's work, or to join it, and benefit from their quarterly magazine, helplines, postal library and information packs, please call the number above, or visit their website at www.afme.org.uk.

Christianne Parker, Dip ION, practises in Northampton. Call her on 01604 677854 to arrange a nutritional consultation.

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