Last Updated on June 24, 2024 by Cathy
Thankfully medical advances are getting better. Unfortunately, chronic diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) and cancer are on the rise. Then why are so many of us chronically sick?
First, I am not telling you to stop any medications or therapies you’re currently on. I am not a doctor, this is only what I’ve learned since I changed my diet in 2004. In 2005, I stopped all MS medications and started managing it naturally.
Chronic diseases are due to viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, and toxic chemicals. Is it possible to heal from these diseases? Yes, it is! The key is to boost your immune system and stop feeding these pathogens.
Toxin Exposures
Image by Racool_studio on Freepik
You may think your house is clean so you haven’t been exposed to too many toxins. But, toxins are everywhere, they are in the air, food, water, soil, and products you buy. Harmful toxins come in many forms! Heavy metals are another toxin exposure. Think you haven’t been exposed to heavy metals? Think again! You may not realize it but heavy metals are used in many products.
Here are some common ways you can be exposed to heavy metals:
- Air fresheners
- Amalgam fillings (silver fillings)
- Aluminum foil
- Aluminum pots and pans
- Car exhaust and gasoline fumes
- Carpets
- Cigarettes, cigarette smoke, vaping
- Colognes and perfume
- Cosmetics
- Fluoride, a byproduct of aluminum
- Fluorescent lights
- Furniture
- Grass in public parks
- Household dust
- Larger fish
- Laundry detergents and dryer sheets
- Lipstick
- Mattresses
- MRIs with contrast have gadolinium, a highly toxic heavy metal
- Nonorganic produce due to pesticides and herbicides
- Old paint
- Pharmaceuticals
- Scented candles
- Soda and beer cans
- Some dark chocolates
- Sunscreens
- Tap water and water from older copper or lead pipes
- Tattoos
- Whitening toothpaste
How many of these things listed above were you exposed to? Unless you’re actively working on removing heavy metals, they build up over time. And it’s not only what you were exposed to. It also includes your ancestors!
Mercury, for example, was once used as medicine. DDT was once widely used in agriculture and sprayed on food. It was also used for pest control and lice treatment. Both are extremely toxic to humans. Although DDT is currently banned in most countries it’s still used today. DDT spray enters the air and then travels around the world falling on you.
Mercury isn’t used as much as once but is still in use. Products such as batteries, electronic appliances, and cosmetics still use mercury. Plus, mercury and DDT are passed down from previous generations. If your parents or grandparents were exposed it was passed down to you.
Hidden Infections
Infections are another concern. Viruses come and go but some stay dormant in the body permanently. People have these viruses without knowing. Nearly 95% of the world’s population has Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).
Common viruses and bacteria:
- Epstein-Barr Virus
- Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)
- Streptococcus (strep) – a bacteria
- Varicella-Zoster Virus (EZV) also known as chickenpox and shingles
These hidden infections cause many symptoms and lead to diseases. A 20-year study found EBV is the main cause of MS. It also causes mononucleosis (mono) and some cancers. EBV is linked with many diseases including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and long covid.
The step to removing these viruses is to make your body inhospitable. You do this by cleaning up your diet and environment.
Foods to Avoid to Heal
There are a lot of foods to avoid. Avoid heavily processed foods, junk food, soda, and fast food restaurants. There are also “healthy” foods you should avoid like yogurt.
Avoid these foods to help you heal:
- Dairy – higher in fat and contributes to inflammation (dairy causes MS flares)
- Gluten – can cause inflammation, especially in your intestinal tract and bowels
- Refined sugar (sugar beets and sugar cane)
- Corn, soy, and canola oil – they’re mostly a GMO (Roundup)
- Farmed fish – washed in toxic chemicals including wild-caught Atlantic salmon
- Pork – it’s high in fat and more prone to parasites
- Larger fish – King mackerel, shark, and tuna – it’s high in mercury
- Processed citric acid – it’s mostly derived from corn
- Whey – it’s dairy
- Milk chocolate (dairy) and dark chocolate because it has heavy metals in it
- Artificial ingredients – sweeteners, dyes, preservatives, and flavor enhancers
- Eggs – both the McDougall Diet and The Wahls Protocol recommend avoiding eggs
- Vinegar – it can disrupt the body’s natural pH balance making it more acidic
Instead of salad dressing that has vinegar and/or oil, use lemon or lime juice. I like orange juice mixed with raw honey. – Yum! Avoid iodized salt, use sea salt or Himalayan salt (it has more minerals). Instead of salt and pepper use herbs and spices.
If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t”
– Michael Pollan
You Are What You Eat
Image by bublikhaus on Freepik
Healing chronic diseases naturally can start by changing your diet to a healthy one. Eat LOTS of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. – These are the foods that heal your body. Eat a mostly plant-based diet or better yet, avoid all meats temporarily. Meats like red meat and processed meats increase inflammation.
Eat foods that are:
- Antibacterial
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-parasitic
- Antiviral
- High in antioxidants
- Lower in fats
Help your liver out by eating a low-fat diet. This includes healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds. Your liver is your defense for clearing our toxins. When it’s sluggish due to a high-fat diet, it can’t work as well. Ever heard of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)? The cause is an accumulation of liver fat in people who drink little or no alcohol.
Buy organic as much as possible to avoid pesticides. If it’s too expensive buy organic only if it’s on the Dirty Dozen list. These are fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residues.
If you buy nonorganic apples or cucumbers, peel them before eating them. They have wax on them to make them more appealing. Wash all nonorganic produce well before consuming them.
Drink filtered water to remove harmful chemicals, heavy metals, chlorine, and pharmaceuticals. Make sure you drink at least eight 8-ounce cups or more each day to flush out toxins. If you don’t like plain water add lemon or lime juice (electrolytes), berries, cucumbers, or mint. – Track your water intake on an app or write it down if needed.
Don’t forget about herbs and spices! They are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifungal, antimicrobial, and anti-cancer.
Powerful healing herbs and spices include:
- Garlic
- Turmeric (curcumin)
- Ginger
- Oregano
- Cilantro
- Olive leaf
- Thyme
When going out to restaurants do your homework first. The goal is to make smart choices. First, choose your restaurant wisely, check their menus online. Keep it simple. Order a salad and ask for lemon wedges instead of dressing. Steamed vegetables are another good option.
Read the ingredients on ALL food labels, this includes “healthy” products. If you don’t recognize it, don’t consume it!
Protein – Yes or No
Image by serhii_bobyk on Freepik
Doctors love to push protein on their patients. But, a diet high in animal proteins isn’t the best diet. – The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the healthiest diets. It is a mostly plant-based diet. Plant foods have anti-inflammatory properties.
Dr. Roy Swank, the Swank Diet, recommends patients avoid red meat for the first year. So, do we need to eat more meat?
Eating meat increases the risk of MS and progression of the disease. It’s not only MS but other diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
There’s a highly popular belief today that the brain is made out of fat and you need to eat a lot of “healthy fats” to have good brain health and function. Sadly, this is more damaging misinformation. High-fat diets are disastrous for the brain.”
– NCBI (a U.S. health database)
The brain runs on glucose (sugar), not fat. I’m talking about natural sugars in fruit, carbohydrates, raw honey, and pure maple syrup. Don’t be afraid to eat fruit! It’s full of antioxidants, fiber, minerals, phytonutrients, and nutrients. Everything your body needs to heal.
To get a boost it’s best to avoid all animal foods at first. You don’t need to avoid meat forever just make sure it’s healthy meat.
Best animal proteins to eat:
- Wild-caught fish to avoid toxic chemicals (except Atlantic salmon)
- Pasture-raised poultry to avoid GMOs and stressed birds raised in unsanitary conditions
- Grass-fed meat to avoid GMOs, growth hormones, and antibiotics
Remember, you are what you eat so eat healthy.
Books and Websites
When you’re eating healthy to manage MS, you’re also preventing other diseases. Having MS puts a person at a higher risk for heart disease, osteoporosis, and some cancers. Eating and living a healthy lifestyle improves your overall well-being.
Chris Beat Cancer
Chris beat his stage III colon cancer by eating a plant-based diet. If you or someone you know has cancer have them check out ChrisBeatCancer.com.
According to Chris, he says to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Plus, no meat (animal food – meat, poultry, or fish) or dairy. This helps to slow down 70% of cancer cells.
Anthony William aka the Medical Medium
A self-proclaimed medium that offers health advice based on communications with a “spirit.” You don’t need to believe in the Medical Medium but he has a 28-Day Healing Cleanse you should try. The cleanse is a raw fruit and vegetable diet.
His book “Medical Medium: Secrets Behind Chronic and Mystery Illness and How to Finally Heal” has lots of information. There’s a section about EBV being the cause of MS. – This book was written before the 20-year study was released. It also covers many other chronic diseases.
It has many delicious plant food recipes. – Do this cleanse more than once. You can find his book on Amazon or from your local library. He also has many plant-based recipes on his website MedicalMedium.com.
The Blue Zones
This book discusses regions where people live longer and have fewer diseases. Although they eat differently they have things in common such as:
- Eating a plant-based diet and limited meat
- Eat a large breakfast and a smaller dinner
- Making movement a natural part of daily life
- Putting family first and connecting with their community
- Have a purpose in life
- Prioritizing stress relief
Check out their website at: BlueZones.com
Mira Carlton
Mira reversed her osteoporosis naturally. Instead of drugs she used nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes. Like the others, her diet is rich in plant-based foods to support bone health.
Her book is titled Rebuild Your Bones: The 12-Week Osteoporosis Protocol. You can also check out her website at RebuildYourBones.com.
All these people promote eating a mostly plant-based diet to reverse chronic diseases.
Extra Tips for Healing
Image by Racool_studio on Freepik
I avoid all caffeine, including green tea, because it stimulates the nervous system. It also raises adrenaline, triggering the fight-or-flight response. – It’s important to try and keep your body calm so it can work on healing,
Berries are high in antioxidants which protect the body from cell damage. Wild blueberries have the most antioxidants and are in many grocery store freezers. – Eat these every day!
Add cherries to your diet, they help repair myelin nerve damage. They also reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, and prevent cancer. Be careful though, they are nature’s laxative so don’t eat too many in one sitting.
Eat lots of foods high in vitamin C because it helps boost your immune system. Vitamin C isn’t only in oranges. Some foods have more vitamin C than oranges Including:
- Bell peppers
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Papaya
- Strawberries
- Broccoli
Vitamin C is crucial in restoring the central nervous system. I take 6,000 mg of vitamin C every day. If you decide to take a higher dose start with a lower dose and work your way up. Vitamin C can cause diarrhea.
Always talk to your doctor before starting a new supplement. Supplements can interfere with certain medications.
To keep the cost down check Costco, they sell organic produce and organic frozen berries. Sign up for loyalty programs, shop on Senior Citizens Day, and watch for weekly sales. Stock up when items are on sale. Shop at stores like Walmart, WinCo, or Aldi.
Spending time in nature can do wonders for healing chronic diseases and boosting your mood. Go outside, soak up some vitamin D, and relax. It’s amazing how being in nature can calm your nerves.
I get it, sometimes it feels like nothing works, but keep trying different approaches to find what clicks for you in managing chronic diseases including MS. Have you considered alternative therapies? Sometimes unconventional methods surprise us with their effectiveness in healing chronic diseases.
Alternative therapies for chronic diseases:
- Acupuncture
- Aromatherapy – I like Plant Therapy
- BioCharger
- Cannabis
- Chiropractic
- Magnetic therapy
- Massage
- Reiki
- Taopatch – this helps me
- Vibration plate – this helps me
Healing Chronic Diseases by Living a Healthy Lifestyle
Healing chronic diseases can feel like navigating a maze blindfolded—it’s tough, and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed by it all. Don’t get stressed, take one step at a time. Every little bit adds up. Also, don’t hesitate to lean on supportive friends or find online communities. They can be lifelines when dealing with the challenges of chronic diseases.
Clean your environment, keep moving, sleep enough, and improve your mindset. It’s impossible to remove all toxins but every little improvement helps. Stop thinking negative thoughts and teach yourself to have a positive attitude.
For help read: https://www.mswellnessroute.com/the-power-of-a-positive-mindset/
My last MS flare left me looking like I had a stroke including facial paralysis and double vision. My doctor made me wait one week before I saw him. It was extremely depressing, I was at my lowest point of having MS.
If you’re feeling desperate, depressed, or scared, take a deep breath. Stress plays a HUGE role. It suppresses the immune system allowing diseases to progress. It’s important to lower your stress as much as possible. Stay away from negative people including negative thoughts.
It’s not just about physical health; your mental and emotional well-being are crucial in healing chronic diseases. Try to stay positive, studies found cancer patients do better when they have a better outlook. This applies to all chronic diseases including MS! Depression suppresses your immune system.
Believe you are going to heal!
Want to remember this health tip? Pin it to your Pinterest board!
Image by lifeforstock on Freepik
Resources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10105836
The Ultimate Guide to Healing Chronic Diseases
