Last Updated on December 5, 2023 by Cathy
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a hard disease to live with but fortunately, by eating a healthy diet you can reverse it. Eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables gives you an excellent source of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
When you live with MS you never know if you’re going to wake up paralyzed, blind, or who knows what. Doctors don’t have a lot of hope for MS patients either. They push their drugs with horrible effects and they are probably getting paid to do so.
If you are lucky you will be one of the 33% where the medication works and slows the disease down IF it works. You read that correctly! MS medications only SLOW the disease process down and not they DO NOT stop the progression. Sound scary? It is!
There is a long list of side effects. Including, headaches, flu-like symptoms, depression, and death. Then there are more medications for the side effects caused by the drugs. And they also include side effects. Not to mention liver damage, heart damage, and other organ damage.
But, I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be hopeless. I have been living with MS for over thirty years and I’m still walking. Granted, I don’t walk straight and my feet are still numb. But most of my symptoms have reversed, including my heat intolerance. My husband likes to joke with me as we are heading into a store by saying “You’ve got to stop drinking!” I may not be walking straight BUT, I’m still walking! I’ve included how I did this at the bottom of this post.
Food As Your Medicine
I was sick and tired of the drugs making my MS flares stronger and closer each time. I knew there had to be something other than those drugs my body was reacting so horribly to. That’s when I started searching the internet and realized FOOD would be my medicine.
And today, I am sharing that information with you!
MS is a disease caused by inflammation in the central nervous system of the brain. Today, there are many studies linking nutritional factors to the onset and progression of MS. Researchers have also linked poor gut bacteria to MS compared to healthy people. In other words, people with MS are missing good bacteria. Antibiotics, over-the-counter painkillers, poor diet, stress, and much more are toxic to our gut health.
To stop MS from progressing you need to remove these triggers. Start with your diet, improve your gut health, then remove the other triggers. You may need to visit a functional medicine doctor in your area for help.
MS triggers:
- Poor Diet
- Infections (bacteria, parasites, viruses, and yeast overgrowth)
- Environmental toxins (heavy metals, mold, pesticides, etc.)
- Chronic stress
- Hormones (adrenaline, cortisol, etc.)
You will need to be a detective and figure out your triggers, usually, there is more than one trigger. First, stop eating foods that cause inflammation in your body. This includes soft drinks, fast food restaurants, boxed meals, and yes, pizza. Below is a list of foods as you change your diet to an anti-inflammatory diet.
Remove:
- Gluten (wheat, rye, or barley)
- Grains (you can add non-gluten grains back after you have healed)
- Dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.)
- Legumes (beans, peas, peanut butter, soy)
- Any foods that cause a sensitivity (ex. chocolate or nightshades)
- Caffeine (except green tea)
- Processed foods
- Unhealthy fats
Reduce:
• Fats
Most people with MS also have some kind of infection that feeds on sugar. It’s important to eat a low-carbohydrate meal to get these under control.
– Candida (yeast overgrowth)
– SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)
Quick Links to Information in this Post:
• MS and Candida Overgrowth
• How To Tell If You Have Candida
• What is SIBO?
Foods to Include
Include foods that are anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense, and full of antioxidants. Your diet now should focus on vegetables. Try to include as many as possible for each meal, up to nine cups each day. It’s easier than you think, to make vegetable soup, make vegetable stir fry, and add them to smoothies.
Include:
- As many vegetables as possible with a wide variety, except corn (it’s a GMO)
- Fruit
- Wild-caught fish
- Organic grass-fed and finished meats
- Healthy fats, in moderation (avocado, coconut oil, olive oil)
- Nuts, in moderation (not peanuts, they are a legume)
- Herbs and spices
- Non-caffeinated herbal teas
Supplements
Vitamins and supplements are an important part of the nutritional strategies for MS. Look for high-quality brands that are plant-based. Below are a few recommendations that remove inflammation and rebuild the myelin sheath.
Supplements and Vitamins:
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin D3 (most people with MS are deficient)
- Omega 3 (rebuilding the myelin sheath)
- Magnesium
- Dietary Supplement (multivitamin)
It is very important to see your doctor for blood work and get your vitamin D tested! Make sure you get a number and not a “normal” on your test results, anywhere between 60-80 ng/ml is a good range. A daily supplement of 6000-8000 IU of vitamin D3 is a recommended amount. It is safe for people with MS to take up to 10,000 IU but don’t go over without help from a vitamin D specialist. Instead of taking lots of supplements, I took a liquid form by Thorne Research.
Other Triggers To Remove
After you get comfortable with your new diet, start cleaning up your environment. Use water filters on your faucet. Add air purifiers to each room, especially in rooms you spend a lot of time in. Stop using plastic and use glass or BPA-free plastic containers.
Remove dental amalgam (silver) fillings. Make sure your home is free from mold. Stop using toxic household cleaners. Start using natural body care products, your skin is your largest organ.
Get extra sleep, this is when your body is working on repairing your damaged body. It’s impossible to avoid stress but you can learn how to control stress. Such as listening to relaxing music, soaking in a warm tub, walking, yoga, laughing, or meditating.
Healthy Diet for Multiple Sclerosis Management
The central nervous system is one of the slowest to heal. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results right away. Everyone is different so don’t expect to get the same results as the next person.
The biggest and most important thing to do is to stay positive. Your body believes what you think. If you are always thinking negative thoughts your body reacts negatively. If you ALWAYS think positive thoughts, your body will react positively.
Believe You Will Heal!
Healthy Diet for Multiple Sclerosis
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Healthy Diet for Multiple Sclerosis Management
