Why am I not healing faster?

Last Updated on November 29, 2023 by Cathy

You’re eating a clean diet to stop the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). Plus, you think you’re doing everything right. Then why are you not healing faster? 

We live in a world where we expect to get what we want right now, and that includes our health. For some people, they see immediate results – which is great! But for most people, it’s a long journey and it can get very discouraging.

There is a FREE Mind, Body, and Spirit worksheet at the bottom of this post for you!

I’m a perfect example. I started eating a clean diet back in 2004 and started feeling better immediately. One year later I stopped all medications. But, my symptoms didn’t reverse.

I don’t know why I didn’t work harder to reverse my symptoms. I guess it’s because I was extremely busy. Working full time, raising kids, scouts, volunteer work, homework, school events, and sports. Plus, we had a small farm with animals to feed and take care of. I was putting everybody (including animals) first.

Our goat Wilbur

The Central Nervous System 

The central nervous system is one of the slowest systems in your body to heal. Everybody is different so you can’t compare yourself to anyone else. It will depend on how long you’ve had MS and how severe your symptoms are as to how quickly your body will heal.

According to Dr. Terry Wahls:

• Every day your cells are rebuilding
• 1-2 weeks to replace your gut lining
• About one year to replace your skin
• 1-3 years to replace the cells in your liver and kidney
• 7-10 years to replace the myelin sheath and the nerves in your brain and spinal cord
• 15 years to replace the muscle cells in your heart
• 20 years to replace the minerals in your bones and teeth

For more details read The Wahls Protocol by Dr. Terry Wahls.

I’m not trying to discourage you! I was able to reverse my heat intolerance about three months after starting a candida diet. I suffered with it for about twenty years. It. Can. Happen. – You need to keep reminding yourself of that.

A really good way of keeping track of your progress is by keeping a symptom tracker (below). Fill one out then several months later you’ll be able to look back to see if there is any progress. When I rechecked my questionnaire I realized my severe dry mouth was much better. It had improved so slowly that I didn’t realize it was improving. It’s a good idea to fill it out more than once and date it to see if you are improving each time.

Is it something you ate?

The reason you’re not improving could be because you’re not fully compliant with your diet. Sneaking in a processed snack once in a while only hurts you. Remove all processed foods from your home to stop any temptation. Always keep healthy food available.

If your family isn’t on board ask them to not eat in front of you. Tell them it’s very important in order for you to get better. Hopefully, they will understand. It could also be a hidden food item that your body is reacting to.

Pay attention to your body for any kind of reaction:

• Acne
• Bloating
• Brain fog
• Diarrhea 
• Headache
• Heartburn
• Joint pain
• Mood swings
• Runny nose
• Skin rash

Functional Medicine 

It’s frustrating when you’ve been eating healthy and still not seeing results. That’s when you should look into other areas of your life. It may also be a good time to contact a functional medicine provider to help you get to your root cause.

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)
• Genetics (you can’t change your genes but you can change your gene expression by living a healthy lifestyle)

Everybody’s trigger is different. Dr. Terry Wahls believes hers were from exposure to toxic chemicals while growing up on a farm. Plus, extreme stress while attending medical school.

For me, I was predisposed through my genes. But it was many rounds of antibiotics starting when I was a baby and throughout my life. My first MS symptom was optic neuritis at the age of fifteen so I didn’t have a lot of years beforehand.

I also had:

• A high level of mercury. I believe it came from always being under fluorescent lightbulbs (home, school, work). 
• A severe yeast overgrowth due to the antibiotics
• An EXTREMELY high level of mycotoxins (mold)
• Stress

When the yeast overgrowth becomes severe it begins to release byproducts. One of these byproducts is mycotoxins which are very toxic to the brain. A functional medicine provider will evaluate your life’s story. Including possible infections, Lyme disease, or parasites. They may ask you to get a DNA test to see if you have any mutated genes.

A DNA test will show if your body has a hard time absorbing vitamin D or absorbing B vitamins. It can also tell you if your body has a hard time detoxing or with methylation. You can get tested through 23andMe Health DNA.

The very first thing my functional medicine doctor told me was to get a vitamin D test. This was before I even had my first appointment with him. He told me “everyone” in my state was vitamin D deficient. After getting tested I discovered my level was at 30.5 ng/mL, it should be between 60-100 ng/mL. They may also test you for hormone imbalance, gut health, heavy metals, or viruses. Some of the tests you can do yourself like a DNA test, food sensitivity test, or using an online lab for bloodwork. 

Stress

Stress plays a huge roll in MS, it is a toxin and until you learn how to manage stress it will hold you back. Unfortunately, I know this all too well, it’s what caused my huge setback many years ago.

I used to work in the newspaper industry which I loved but it was causing me a lot of daily stress. Especially when my employer started laying off many employees. Every day I went to work not knowing if this was my last day of work, it was highly stressful.

I did eventually get laid off and what did I do… I got another job at a newspaper. And again it was highly stressful trying to hit the press deadlines. After one year they closed their doors and I decided I’m done with stressful jobs. 

I know it’s not possible for everyone to quit their jobs. It’s also impossible to remove all stress from your life. Sometimes you need to take drastic measures to remove your stress so you can begin to heal. Take a hard look at what’s causing your stress and try and fix it. 

• Fix your finances 
• Get out of an abusive relationship 
• Move if you’re living in a stressful neighborhood 
• Quit a stressful job
• Seek help from a counselor 
• Set boundaries with negative people including your family
• Turn off your TV
• Unfollow social media
• Uncluttered your house

Second Guessing Doesn’t Always Work

You can guess what your triggers are and spend lots of money on supplements. But you still may not see any improvements. Getting tested can help solve some mysteries to uncover the true root cause.

I figured since I was always under stress that my cortisol levels would be high. Then I decided to get tested to confirm my belief. It turns out I had the exact opposite problem – it was low. My chronic stress caused my adrenal glands, which produce cortisol, to finally wear out. 

Mind, Body, and Spirit

Food is medicine but it’s your whole body that your healing. Don’t concentrate on your symptoms alone. Concentrate on improving everything in your life. When the disease affects your body it also affects your mind and spirit.

To beat MS:

• Avoid processed foods, refined sugar, and refined carbohydrates 
• Eat a clean diet
• Eat a wide variety of colorful vegetables 
• Buy organic as much as possible
• Avoid the Environmental Working Groups Dirty Dozen
• Buy grass-fed meat, pasture-raised poultry, and wild-caught fish
• Drink 8 glasses of water daily
• Replace chemical-based body care products and household cleaners with natural products
• Learn to manage stress
• Check for infections
• Exercise
• Get plenty of quality sleep
• Take slow deep breaths throughout the day
• Think positive 

Unlock faster healing in your MS journey with our holistic clean diet approach. Get a FREE Mind, Body, and Spirit worksheet now!

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Quick Guide to Remove Inflammation

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