Lots of people who have M.E. think they should change their diet or take vitamin and mineral pills.
It can be very confusing to know what to do. You wonder if you are eating the right things.
Some people have problems with their appetite and struggle to eat enough. Other people find that because they aren't doing things, due to the illness, they have put on extra weight. Others find they have lost weight because of the illness and then find it difficult to put weight back on. If you are feeling very weak it may be really hard to feed yourself.
Everyone should aim to eat a daily balanced diet, so try and have three sensible meals a day. If you are underweight try and have snacks between meals.
There are four different food groups that you need in your daily diet:
There is probably no harm in taking a daily multi-vitamin and mineral pill as well. Always talk to your mum, dad or carer if you are thinking about doing this.
Beware of special diet plans or special pills. If Action for M.E. knew of a magic cure we would be shouting it from the roof tops!
If you have tummy or gut problems that seem to be part of your M.E., you may need to cut down on high fibre cereals, brown bread, wheat or sometimes dairy products. It may be worth trying to avoid these - one at a time, each for a few weeks - to see if that makes a difference. If you plan to cut something out of your diet long-term, talk to your doctor as it is really important to make sure that you are still getting what you need.
If eating and nutrition is a big issue for you, talk to someone you trust and go and see your GP for further advice and support. If you think you may have an eating disorder like anorexia it is really important to get some help. See our links section for organisations that can help.
Information produced July 2003
Updated June 2004
