Recently, I've written and published material about the absolute necessity of getting good sleep. You can't and won't be healthy unless you consistently sleep well.

The definition of what comprises good sleep can be a bit varied, but I urge you to use your common sense. If you don't feel well when you get up, then your sleep is not all that is could be. If your health is in a rut or declining with a chronic illness like Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, then begin suspecting your slumber time as a possible complicit culprit to your demise.

Today, I'm bring you another great resource on this topic. It talks about some of the basics to consider. You're still responsible for doing your part.

(I urge you to read Kevin Kielty's article with almost the same title as this post. Kevin may be in the insurance business, but he's right on target when he talks about sleep.)

Okay, here's your link.

Enjoy your slumber time and sleep well during any cooler nights that we have left. Summer is coming quickly! And people suffering with either Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are always fighting with adequate energy levels, balanced hormones and some type of sleep dysfunction.

Tip: Have you ever noticed that when you're in immense pain or you're exhausted that sleep won't often come at all? If I really overdo my day, sometimes I have to rest before bedtime so that I can actually fall asleep when I go to bed!!

Also, feel free to share your comments here about what works for you and what doesn't work in your pursuit of sleeping well and of attaining good health. The more information the better.

Thanks, Cinda Crawford
Host of the Health Matters Show

Anyone who knows me well hears me talk about the good bacteria your digestive tract needs in abundance. (If you don't have the right quantity or quality of this beneficial bacteria, you can regain them by taking an excellent probiotics product. Otherwise, your digestion and immunity will suffer and that's the short list of consequences.)

People get in trouble when the good bacteria in the intestinal tract is destroyed by:

a) A broad spectrum antibiotic, b) An abundance of prescription drugs, or c) Simply because life is filled with too much stress.

If any of those three circumstances are occurring in your life, consider replacing those good bacteria that you need in your digestive tract with a fantastically effective probiotics product like Life 5.

'Now you can fool around with eating yogurt that contains live cultures if you like. And it's true that most brands of yogurt contain some probiotics so, all in all, that's not a bad first step. Yogurt with live cultures will eventually help a bit.

However, you're applying a thimble full of good to a wheelbarrow-sized problem that's broad in scope and sometimes tough to solve. It will only be remedied by some very specific answers. Your chances of your gut getting back into a homeostatic balance on its own without intervention are exceptionally poor.

Plus, you need your digestive and immune systems to function at peak efficiency so that you can begin to feel better soon. Absolutely!'

Your best course of action is to work aggressively on your gut deficiency with Young Living's Life 5 Probiotics product. The design of Life-5, as a superior digestive formula, is truly unique. I've never found anything like it and I'll tell you why.

Life 5 contains "sticky" strains of good bacteria...

(Audio 12 min 25 seconds)

Nervous system is certainly a health term you've heard by now, but what is it? How does it affect you? Your quality of life? Your health and symptoms?

Let's take a quick look at this silly little primer that's darned good at explaining some of the elementary terms about how the nervous system works. (And... if we do keep this critical body system working in your body, like you want to do everything else, it will support you and function properly to maintain your good health.)

Thanks, Cinda Crawford, host of the Health Matters Show and a great supporter of the Nervous System! :-))

Once again the proposed, brand new drug to treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Ampligen, is being delayed.

With this situation being quite a few years in the making, the underlying corporation, Hemispherx, has been forced to jump through hoop after hoop. The Food and Drug Administration, FDA, has been unrelenting. And that's not necessarily bad since we all want every good, effective and safe new drug to make it through the system because it's earned that status.

But this one's been so long coming and so many people are waiting for this first-ever drug to treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome!

Right? Agreed? But how will this work?

Today I'm writing to people with chronic illnesses like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but the principles here apply to everyone. You may have heard that we (as a population of people) are eating more high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) than is almost imaginable and certainly good for us. We're even eating more HFCS than we are sugar... and that's a lot!

If you begin to read the labels of any type of pre-packaged food product or drink, high fructose corn syrup is likely to be a main ingredient. Often it's the first ingredient and our "health" as a people is beginning to suffer because of our high level of consumption.

*Remember that on a food label the highest quantity of all components are listed first, going in reverse order to least ingredient showing up last. Hint: If you haven't been reading your food labels, begin doing so today. You'll be amazed at what's in all the processed foods that most people are consuming regularly.

Research continues about HFCS because so many lives are being affected negatively. Begin scanning the air waves and the net and you'll find the cries of many a nutritionist and health worker/writer.

The new problem arising with high fructose corn syrup is the high degree of mercury that is now showing up in such food products and that could mean...

Young Living Essential Oils are some of the highest grade, best quality essential oils on the market today. I don't bother buying any other brand.

Wintergreen essential oil is one that's I've used and had used on me during massage so-o-o many times. It is fantastically warming, nurturing and healing.

On these warm days and cool nights, I thought you may need a bit of warmth and comfort. Take a look at this post from Gary Young's blog to learn a bit more about Wintergreen and exactly what is this company called Young Living.

Pss-ss-t... for those of you interested in a business opportunity through the Young Living organization, I'd appreciate you letting me know. I'll be happy to talk to you about it.

Thanks, Cinda Crawford
Host of the Health Matters Show

If you're going to understand Fibromyalgia to (a) determine if you or someone you know has it, and to (b) decide what your next step is in getting rid of it, you must learn the basics and then further your knowledge from there. So let's take a close look at the most accepted symptoms.

If you have Fibromyalgia and the nice term for your sleep pattern is dysfunctional, then you probably:

A. Suffer with it greatly and
B. Don't have a clue how to really solve the problem for good that doesn't involve prescription drugs or a hammer and being unconsciousness.

For a long time, I've had a box on this website that encourages people to tell their story, especially stories of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There haven't been many who have done that, so I'm about to take the box down. But recently I saw an announcement by a Florida ME/CFS non-profit that is encouraging people to do that in either written or video format. There's even a contest involved and prizes.

Personally, I think it's incredibly important to tell your story. Sometimes when we say these things outloud, we realize...

As much work as everyone put into getting the word out about Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Day (and week), the hard work is done in the trenches by brave volunteers and very tired, painful folks. (Make that pain-filled folks.)

You'll find these same people and almost every other person who suffers with Fibro and CFS in one of three situations: