Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
The newly defined condition – sometimes referred to as ‘Yuppie flu’ - chronic fatigue syndrome is characterised by a variety of symptoms including persistent fatigue, sore throat, headaches, mild fever, and muscle and joint pain. Its cause is still a bit of a mystery although it is commonly thought to be triggered by a viral infection such as glandular fever or meningitis. In the absence of any virus it can also show as symptom of serious diseases of the heart or lungs, or even cancer.
As with the vast majority of medical conditions, you have a much better chance of avoiding or recovering from illness if you eat a healthy diet. That means avoiding foods high in fat and artificial additives, and it means eating plenty of different fresh fruits and vegetables, and a little good quality meat. On the beverage front, avoid all caffeinated drinks – they might give you a short-term energy kick, but studies show that the long-term effects are quite the opposite. What you should be drinking is a little fresh juice and at least 2 litres of clean water every single day!
My recipe this week is for Beetroot Soup. It’s full of minerals, vitamins and fibre, and will give you a boost of really healthy calories. If you feel tired then this is a great soup to boost your energy levels
Recipe for Beetroot Soup
1 tbsp Sunflower Oil
1 Red Onion, chopped
1 Clove Gralic, crushed
2 Celery Stalks,
sliced 4 medium Beetroot,
grated 2 yeast-free stock cubes (1 litre of water)
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 Sweet Potato,
diced Dill to Garnish
Put the oil in to a pan and fry the onion, garlic and celery until golden brown. Add the beetroot, stock cubes and vinegar and 1 litre of water. Bring to the boil and then lower the heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sweet potato and simmer until soft. Serve with a sprinkling of dill to garnish. (Serves 4)
