How do you get Multiple Sclerosis?

Last Updated on November 29, 2023 by Cathy

Multiple sclerosis isn’t a disease that happens for some unknown reason like some medical experts think. So then, how do you get multiple sclerosis (MS)? It’s caused by something you did.

Not that I’m saying it’s your fault but… what you eat and what you put on your skin matters. Granted, some things are out of our control, like our genes. No one in my family has MS but when I had my DNA tested it showed I had a three times higher risk for MS.

Your genes aren’t your destiny. For example, one identical twin can have MS and the other one doesn’t and they share the same DNA. That proves it was some kind of environmental trigger.

How you live your life matters. You can either accept your diagnosis or do nothing. Or you can make lifestyle changes to improve your health. Your choices do make a difference.

A friend of mine was diagnosed with MS, she did everything her neurologist told her to do. Even though I tried to convince her to avoid processed foods and eat real foods but she wasn’t interested. I watched her decline year after year until she passed away, it was extremely sad.

I can’t say changing her lifestyle habits would have made a difference. My point is, she didn’t even try. Once diagnosed with MS she gave up. Since you’re reading this it shows you care and wants to improve your health.

Improving your diet and lifestyle habits will help your body heal. You will need to become a detective and look for your triggers and improve them. There’s a really good chance you have more than one trigger. A 20-year study found Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the main cause of MS. However, EBV is not the only factor.

Possible triggers to MS:

• Poor Diet 
• Infections (bacteria, parasites, viruses, and yeast overgrowth)
• Environmental toxins (heavy metals, mold, pesticides, etc.)
• Chronic stress 
• Hormones (adrenaline, cortisol, etc.)

Clean Up Your Diet

First, you should stop eating processed foods, refined sugar, and refined carbohydrates. Unfortunately, people are choosing to eat convince foods over their health. These foods cause inflammation in your body.

If you’re eating the standard American diet (SAD) you’re eating a diet that causes the most health issues today:

• Acne
• Anxiety
• Autoimmune diseases
• Depression
• Digestive health issues
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol 
• Insulin resistance
• Obesity 
• Sleep apnea 
• Some cancers
• Strokes
• Tooth decay
• Type 2 diabetes

As they say, you are what you eat. You can either choose to eat foods that will feed diseases or you can choose to eat foods that will heal your body. When you replace junk food with healthy, real foods your body isn’t fighting inflammation. By eating an anti-inflammatory diet your body receives the proper nutrients it needs. 

Every cell in your body regenerates, some cells regenerate quicker than others. Unfortunately, the central nervous system is one of the slowest systems in our body to heal. It may take one or more years for your body to heal so don’t get discouraged.

If you’re tempted to cheat remind yourself that you’re trying to heal your nervous system. Consuming a burger and a milkshake from a fast food restaurant is not worth the setback. You need to stay committed and stay positive that you can do this. 

Even if you start to feel better don’t go back to your old habits of eating. This is NOT a cure if you were to start eating processed foods again your MS can flare back up. That’s why this is a lifestyle change and not just a diet.

What to Eat

Eat an anti-inflammatory diet that includes mostly vegetables. Eat organic produce as much as possible to avoid pesticides. If money is a concern, only eat organic fruits and vegetables if it’s on the EWGs Dirty Dozen list. This is a list that includes fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residues.

Dirty Dozen:

1. Strawberries 
2. Spinach
3. Kale
4. Nectarines 
5. Apples 
6. Grapes
7. Peaches
8. Cherries
9. Pears
10. Tomatoes 
11. Celery
12. Potatoes (can cause inflammation)

Eat foods that are nutrient-dense and as close to nature as possible. If you can’t grow, hunt, or fish for it then you should probably not be eating it.

Include foods such as:

• Vegetables 
• Fruit
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Healthy oils and fat (avocado, coconut, olive oil, etc.)
• Wild-caught fish
• Pasture-raised poultry
• Grass-fed and finished meat

Stop eating any foods that cause a bad reaction in your body. For example, eggs cause me to have extreme gut pains and tomatoes cause my face to break out. You may need to try an elimination diet to find your hidden food sensitivities.

Fear

Some neurologists will use fear to push medications on you. Taking MS medications is completely up to you. If you feel uncomfortable taking them then don’t take them. But, if you feel more uncomfortable not taking them then take them. 

Don’t let your doctor or your family push you into something you don’t want to do – it’s your body. MS didn’t happen overnight, it took years before your first symptom appeared. Take time and educate yourself first into what’s the best option for you. 

Don’t let fear make your decisions.

I didn’t take MS drugs until I had a horrible flare. My neurologist pushed me into starting one using fear as a factor. It came with horrible side effects and caused my flares to get stronger and closer together. I eventually stopped all medications against my neurologist recommendations.

Let your doctor know that you’ll think about starting a medication and you’ll have a decision later. Then commit yourself to eat and living healthy for 3-4 months, you may find you don’t need an MS medication. 

Stress

Learning to manage stress is important. Stress is usually the final trigger to MS and many other health issues. And it’s not just mental or physical stress it’s the stress from eating a poor diet it puts on our organs.

Internal stress such as:

• Adrenal fatigue 
• Dysbiosis (unbalanced gut bacteria)
• Hormone imbalance
• Impaired methylation
• Infections (bacterial and yeast overgrowth, Lyme disease, etc.)
• Leaky gut
• Oxidative stress

Use nutrients and herbs to help bring your body back into balance. Work on fixing your leaky gut, eat plenty of fiber to feed the good bacteria in your gut, and drink plenty of water. Get good quality sleep, your nervous system repairs itself while your sleeping.

Don’t forget to exercise, experts say that a sedentary life is the new smoking. Exercise helps blood circulation, muscle strength, and it delivers nutrients to your tissues. Plus, exercising helps to lower stress. My favorite online gym for OptimalBody Personal Fitness. The owner, David Lyons, also has MS was developed these exercises for himself along with eating healthy he put his MS into remission. Now he shares these exercises with others.

This takes time and commitment but you can do it!

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