Mistakes You’re Making When Healing MS

Last Updated on December 4, 2023 by Cathy

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. It is caused by different environmental factors including diet and lifestyle habits. Healing MS is possible by living an anti-inflammatory life. Healing MS does not mean “cure” it only means putting MS into remission. If you were to go back to your old lifestyle habits MS would come back.

October 2014 my last MS exacerbation. A few years prior my neurologist finally convinced me to start taking one of the interferons. It actually took me years before starting one and now I wish I never started.

While I was on that drug my MS attacks were getting stronger and closer together. When I finally had that last attack, it looked like I had a stroke. I had double vision, was paralyzed on half my face, was dizzy, problems walking. Plus, numbness and tingling on my face and in my mouth, and difficulty talking and swallowing.

I was at my lowest point, I was extremely worried I would never recover. My children were young and I couldn’t take care of them. I couldn’t even take care of myself. That’s when I decided to change my life and start using food as my medicine.

Triggers to MS

Chronic inflammation and infection are the cause of MS. Since there are many different triggers you need to look at each possible cause in order to get your body to heal.

Possible triggers to MS:

• Diet (processed foods, refined sugar, refined carbs, food allergies, etc.)
• Infections (bacterial overgrowth, parasites, viruses, and yeast overgrowth )
• Environmental Toxins (heavy metals, mold, pesticides, plastics, etc.)
• Chronic Stress (especially emotional stress)
• Hormones (vitamin D, insulin, cortisol)
• Genetics (you can’t change your genes but you can change your gene expression by living a healthy lifestyle)

Eating a Healthy Diet

One year later, I was feeling so good I stopped all MS medications. Since changing my diet I haven’t had an MS attack. Plus, I’ve been able to reverse most of my symptoms. Including my heat intolerance and the heavy boot sensation on my feet. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t easy.

Sometimes I read about someone who was able to reverse their MS in a few months. I’m happy for them but it’s not that way for most people. But don’t get frustrated. Stopping the progression depends on your severity and how long you’ve been dealing with MS. Plus, the central nervous system is one of the slowest to heal.

Overlooking Key Steps

If you’re struggling and not seeing any improvements you may be overlooking some key steps. Besides eating healthy foods you need to work on other factors in your life. Are you always stressed? Are you getting enough sleep? These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself. Your body can’t heal until you get these under control.

Areas to improve:

• Diet
• Heal your leaky gut
• Heal your infections (candida, viruses, bacteria, and parasites)
• Manage stress
• Reduce environmental toxins (heavy metals, mold, pesticides, plastics, etc.)
• Sleep

Heal Your Leaky Gut

Besides eating a nutrient-dense diet with LOTS of vegetables. You need to work on healing your leaky gut. There are many things that can cause your gut lining to separate. It allows food and toxins to leak where they don’t belong.

Certain medications can also create a leaky gut. Antibiotics kill the good bacteria in your gut allowing gut infections to grow. Such as Candida overgrowth or SIBO. Oral contraceptives put women at a higher risk for hormonal imbalances and candida. NSAIDs such as Advil or aspirin can irritate the gut lining leading to a leaky gut.

Eating lots of raw vegetables may also be keeping your gut from healing. Many people with gut issues are missing digestive enzymes that help break down food. While starting out it may be best to eat cooked vegetables so your gut has a chance to heal.

Fermented Foods

When I first started the paleo diet I used to eat lots of fermented foods and drank kombucha on a regular basis. However, when I started reading the book Healing Multiple Sclerosis by Ann Boroch. I realized I was sabotaging my progress by feeding Candida.

Researchers discovered people with MS have higher levels of bad bacteria. In other words, they have lower levels of good bacteria. You would think eating fermented foods with “good bacteria” would help rebalance your gut. Unfortunately, when you have Candida or SIBO you are feeding it each time you eat fermented foods.

It’s best to wait a few months until your gut has a chance to heal before introducing fermented foods. Fermented foods can create more histamine in the body which is an allergy response.

Later, you can start introducing fermented foods one at a time to see how your body reacts. Kombucha, however, contains wild bacteria and yeast so it’s best to reintroduce it last. Watch for signs of burping, bloating, or feeling gassier.

Heal Your Infections

Hidden infections may be an underlying cause of MS. You can’t just treat MS symptoms, you need to figure out what caused your MS. For me, it was an overuse of antibiotics, poor diet, lack of good gut bacteria, and chronic stress.

For you, it may be from a virus such as the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Researchers linked EBV as a trigger for MS. The hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine is another link to MS. Researchers discovered after patients in France received the vaccine. A large percentage of them were later diagnosed with MS.

Environmental Toxins

Toxins such as heavy metals (lead, mercury), mold, and pesticides are all around us. We use them as body care products, household cleaners, and herbicides around our house.

Toxins are in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. These toxins end up inside your body. It’s impossible to remove them all but you can help your body by removing them little by little.

Start by buying organic produce to avoid pesticides. Use natural body care products and natural household cleaners or make your own. Use a water filter and air purifier in your home. Stop using pesticides around your house. You’re killing good insects like ladybugs or praying mantis. Plus, your kids and pets roll around in your grass, you don’t want poison on them.

Chronic Stress

Chronic stress, especially emotional stress is detrimental to your healing. Stress raises your blood sugar which feeds Candida. Since your immune system is already suppressed harmful bacteria grow. It’s extremely important to learn how to manage stress.

Find ways to manage your stress. Such as listening to claiming music, gardening, meditation, or watching a funny movie. Sometimes you have to take drastic measures to get your stress under control. That may be changing your job, moving, or removing toxic people from your life. Sometimes someone in my family gets stressed out from small irritating things. I like to tell them “Let it go, it’s not worth the stress.”

Helping Your Body Detox

Our liver is constantly working to remove toxins from the body. But with the high amounts of toxins, the liver can’t keep up. Plus, having MS makes it harder for our bodies to detox. To speed up the healing process help your body detox.

• Bentonite clay
• Daily bowel movements
• Deep breathing
• Drink lots of water
• Dry brushing
• Eat more organic dark leafy greens
• Epsom salt baths
• Enemas
• Exercising (stretching, swimming, walking, yoga)
• Herbal teas (dandelion, milk thistle)
• Herbs (garlic, turmeric)
• Ionic footbaths
• Keep electronics away from your head while sleeping
• Spend time outdoors and get some sunshine (vitamin D)
• Sweating

Keeping Your Immune System Healthy

While diet is a primary cause, you need to address other contributing factors such as inflammation, infections, and toxicity. Including amalgam fillings, food allergies, emotional stress, environmental toxins, physical trauma, and viruses.

• Focus on getting quality sleep, and get at least six to eight hours each night.
• Exercise helps release toxins, keeps your body strong, and helps relieve stress. It also helps to get oxygen throughout your body by deep breathing which helps to remove internal toxins. Do everything you can to keep your circulation from getting compromised.
• Eat lots of fiber and stay hydrated to keep from getting constipated.
• Take vitamin D for overall health and omega 3 supplements to help rebuild your myelin.

Once you make the necessary changes, you should start seeing some improvements!

Get Your Removing Toxins Checklist

Get the password to my library with MANY wellness printables including the Removing Toxins Checklist here by filling out this form:

Want to remember this? Pin this to your favorite Pinterest board!

Mistakes You’re Making When Healing MS