Benign Fasciculation Syndrome (BFS) is a fancy term that refers to neurological twitching that apparently isn’t harmful and has no apparent cause. I run a group on Facebook called “Benign Fasciculation Syndrome – Holistic Approaches.” We are always trying to figure out why we are twitching! Many of the people in this group have reported symptoms of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), which is basically the body overproducing mast cells, which kind of serves to be an ongoing allergic reaction of sorts. An autoimmune disorder is when the body is attacking itself, confusing body cells and tissues as a foreign invader. These two syndromes may be related.
Category: Health and Wellness
A Holistic Look at Possible Causes of a Neurological Tremor
I was on a forum today and saw someone ask for a friend about herbs for a hand tremor that the doctor’s couldn’t find a cause for. I responded in part: There are many possible reasons for a tremor. It’s important to see a neurologist to rule out anything degenerative. Once they’ve ruled out anything degenerative most neurologists won’t be a huge help otherwise (at least holistically).
Free Webinar: Ayurvedic and Holistic Approaches to Coronavirus
In this class, we will look at coronavirus (COVID-19) from an Ayurvedic perspective. What doshas may be involved? Is there a way to help prevent or mitigate coronavirus? Can herbs help? (Please note: If you have any symptoms of coronavirus, you should contact your doctor or local health department right away.) When: Friday April 3 at 03:00 pm EDT Where: Learn It Live – click here to sign up! If you can’t make the webinar live, sign up anyway and you can watch the recording. Remember: None of the information in this course should be construed as medical advice. Please consult your doctor if you have symptoms of coronavirus.
Coronavirus Growth Numbers: Be Prepared
Coronavirus numbers: Over the weekend, I took the number of “community cases” in the US (22 on 2-29-20) and calculated the virus spread based on it doubling every 3 days. Mind you, we have more cases than what are being tracked.
Coronavirus and Medicine Shortages: Start Growing Herbs
I’m not trying to be overly alarmist by posting this, but I received an intuitive message from above in beginning of January of 2020 that went somewhat as follows: There will be medicine shortages in the future, so you should learn how to grow your own herbs.
A Few Thoughts on Ayurveda and Healing
One of the things I like about Ayurveda is that it is not exclusive. If you need to take medications prescribed by your Western medical doctor, you can still do that. On the other hand, if Western medicine isn’t giving you any answers, then Ayurveda provides another way to look at things.
Holistic Approaches to Benign Fasciculation Syndrome (BFS) – aka “Twitching”
Do you have a random twitch or two that won’t stop or moves around? You may have “Benign Fasciculation Syndrome” (BFS) or its sibling, “Benign Cramp Fasciculation Syndrome” (BCFS). BFS is not fatal – thus, the term “benign,” but it can be disruptive and distressing. It varies in symptomology, duration, and intensity. For some, it might just manifest as a slight twitch in the thumb. For others (such as myself), it can involve full body tremors and internal shaking. Benign Cramp Fasciculation Syndrome can also involve muscle cramping.
Naps are Good for Your Brain
When my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) would flare up, taking a mid-day nap would be essential to functioning. People with CFS get “brain fog,” and there’s something about a nap that seems to reset or reboot the brain. My body might not actually be that tired, but the brain would be sleepy. A nap can make all the difference.
Acupressure for Hiccups
When I was a kid, if I had hiccups I’d take a spoonful of sugar and chase it down with a full glass of water. It works! But the sugar hiccup cure is not that convenient unless you happen to keep sugar on hand (I don’t even have it in my kitchen anymore). And it costs calories!
Acupressure is another way to cure hiccups and no props are needed. There are many different acupressure points that you can try for hiccups. Each person is individual, so you might find a certain combination works best for you.
Easy Do-It-Yourself Liquid Water Enhancer
We need to drink sufficient water to keep ourselves hydrated, but water on its own can be tasteless and bland. So what to drink? There is herbal tea of course, but I was always more of a tea “sipper” – it’s not something I drink in large quantities.
I was also never a big soda fan, but I love juice. Juice, sadly, has a lot of sugar in it. In an effort to cut down on the calories in sweetened drinks, I started drinking stevia-sweetened Kool-Aid.
Alas, using low-calorie sugar substitutes can paradoxically raise blood sugar levels, and after a few bouts of hypoglycemia, I started to wonder if the stevia Kool-Aid was the culprit. (Mind you, I was drinking it all the time!)
I started looking into the latest trend of “liquid water enhancers” and it is surprisingly difficult to find natural ones. Many are filled with chemicals and even “propellant.” Health food stores like Sprouts don’t seem to carry natural ones yet (last I checked, locally). The best I have found at my local HEB grocery store is Stur, which is all “natural” and sweetened with stevia.