Wahls diet discussion

A board to discuss various diet-centered approaches to treating or controlling Multiple Sclerosis, e.g., the Swank Diet
User avatar
lyndacarol
Family Elder
Posts: 3394
Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2005 3:00 pm
Contact:

Re: Wahls diet discussion

Post by lyndacarol »

Thekla wrote:jimmylegs, How do you feel about the nightshades? I've heard rumblings about them on and off for years and lately cholinesterase inhibitors. I really hate the idea of eliminating chili peppers, etc from my diet. I prefer a modified wahl's/paleo with loads of veggies and grassfed meats including organ meats---they are cheaper! Incidentally, wild/game meats might be an option for those in Eastern Europe and homemade sauerkraut for probiotics! Incidentally, I had difficulty with the sheer quantity of food on the wahls diet. In 6 months, I gained weight and didn't fit in my clothes.
Sorry to take this off-topic, Thekla. Have you looked into the possibility of a B12 deficiency? There are many points in this video from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, that I do not agree with; however, this section on taking medication is confirmed in other sources – @11:40 it is said that cholestyramine binds effectively to bile and effectively takes out B12, rendering patients deficient; the drug decreases Intrinsic Factor receptors in ileal mucosa by blocking ileal cell proliferation.




Vitamin B12: New Understanding and Approach to an Old Problem
University of Wisconsin, Madison; Department of Family Medicine physician, Irene Hamrick, MD, discusses Vitamin B-12 deficiency with some tips on diagnosis and treatment.

The following reduce vitamin B12 absorption or availability: metformin, cholestyramine, and omeprazole.

Glucophage (metformin)
competes with calcium necessary for ileal receptor transport,
reverses with calcium intake
Caspary 1977;Bauman 2000; Gilligan 2002

Cholestyramine (@11:40 "binds effectively to bile and effectively takes out B12, rendering patients deficient; decreases IF receptors in ileal mucosa by blocking ileal cell proliferation"
Coronato A, Glass GB 1973Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 142:1344

Colchicine
reduces Intrinsic Factor receptors in ileal mucosa by blocking villous cell proliferation
Webb DI, et al. 1968 NEJM 279:845-850
Stopa EG, et al. 1979 Gastroenterology 76;2:309-14
Back on the topic of Dr. Terry Wahls' protocol…Compliments of Kronk:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24476345

J Altern Complement Med. 2014 May;20(5):347-55. doi: 10.1089/acm.2013.0188. Epub 2014 Jan 29.

A multimodal intervention for patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: feasibility and effect on fatigue.

Bisht B, Darling WG, Grossmann RE, Shivapour ET, Lutgendorf SK, Snetselaar LG, Hall MJ, Zimmerman MB, Wahls TL

University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease influenced by environmental factors.

OBJECTIVES:
The feasibility of a multimodal intervention and its effect on perceived fatigue in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis were assessed.

DESIGN/SETTING:
This was a single-arm, open-label intervention study in an outpatient setting.

INTERVENTIONS:
A multimodal intervention including a modified paleolithic diet with supplements, stretching, strengthening exercises with electrical stimulation of trunk and lower limb muscles, meditation, and massage was used.

OUTCOME MEASURES:
Adherence to each component of the intervention was calculated using daily logs. Side-effects were assessed from a monthly questionnaire and blood analyses. Fatigue was assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Data were collected at baseline and months 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 12.

RESULTS:
Ten (10) of 13 subjects who were enrolled in a 2-week run-in phase were eligible to continue in the 12-month main study. Of those 10 subjects, 8 completed the study and 6 subjects fully adhered to the study intervention for 12 months. Over a 12-month period, average adherence to diet exceeded 90% of days, and to exercise/muscle stimulation exceeded 75% of days. Nutritional supplements intake varied among and within subjects. Group daily average duration of meditation was 13.3 minutes and of massage was 7.2 minutes. No adverse side-effects were reported. Group average FSS scores decreased from 5.7 at baseline to 3.32 (p=0.0008) at 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS:
In this small, uncontrolled pilot study, there was a significant improvement in fatigue in those who completed the study. Given the small sample size and completer rate, further evaluation of this multimodal therapy is warranted.

PMID: 24476345
Last edited by lyndacarol on Sun Aug 10, 2014 10:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Thekla
Family Elder
Posts: 149
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 2:00 pm
Location: Germany

Re: Wahls diet discussion

Post by Thekla »

Very interesting---I wasn't aware of the B12 connection. I have been supplemented B12 sublingually though. I'll have to dig more. Thanks 8)
User avatar
ThisIsMA
Family Elder
Posts: 218
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 3:00 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: Wahls diet discussion

Post by ThisIsMA »

I thought I'd report my experience with adding some aspects of the Wahls protocol to my own diet. I've been blending up 9 cups of organic fruits and veggies per day as follows in a Vitamix blender most days (I manage to do this something like 5 out of every 7 days).

3 cups of organic kale
2 cups of organic bak choi and/or red cabbage
2 organic carrots
1 organic beet
omega 3 fatty acid fish oil
ginger
1 cup frozen organic pineapple
1 cup frozen organic strawberries or peaches
2 cups of water

Blend on high for 1 minute

I don't precisely measure the ingredients, I just pack things into the blender container in roughly these proportions. The ingredients I list above completely fill the container on a 5200 model Vitamix blender that I bought at Costco. I also bought three tall glass tumblers that have plastic lids at my local food co-op.

The above recipe is enough to fill all three tumblers. I blend up a new batch in the morning, drink one with breakfast and put the other two in the fridge, one to drink with lunch, the other with dinner.

I've been doing this for 3 months now, and I have more energy and less cog fog. For example I notice things that I used to not see: like the fact that my lawn is full of dandelions and my ceiling is full of cobwebs, LOL! And my mood has improved and my baseline anxiety level has markedly decreased.

Fatigue has been a huge limiting factor in my life, and I have less fatigue though I definitely do still have fatigue. I am GAINING WEIGHT on this diet, which for me is a GOOD thing, and has to do with the fact that I am no longer so tired that I don't have the energy to cook or eat.

Also my dry skin has dramatically improved. I used to have dry flaky skin on my lower legs. I've had that my entire life and my mother has it too, so I always assumed it was genetic. But it just went away within a month or so of beginning this dietary change.

I traveled to stay with a friend for a few days on vacation recently who I hadn't seen for a year and she said my level of alertness and my fatigue level was obviously, markedly improved.

There are still a lot of improvements I could make to my diet and I'm trying to add those in a little bit at a time. For example I don't eat enough protein, so I'm just now beginning to add organic eggs, sausage, wild salmon, and chicken.

The improvements I'm having may be due to the fact that I used to eat very few veggies at all, because I was so exhausted all the time that the thought of cooking and washing pots and pans was overwhelming. I definitely am not yet doing the full Wahls protocol. I still eat a little cheese, I eat quite a bit of organic bread in the form of toast with olive oil (instead of butter) and nutritional yeast. I did pretty much cut out soymilk, but I eat beans in soup occasionally. I haven't been doing the bone broth or organ meat.

What got me to take the plunge into blending up veggies, was A) watching Dr. Wahls "Minding your Mitochondria" TED talk, and 2) having a friend show me that to clean her Vitamix blender, all she had to do was refill it with water and a drop of soap and blend it, then rinse it out again. As a chronically exhausted person, that really sold me on that blender! And by the way, I'm not in any way affiliated with that company other than having bought one of their blenders!

I'm only going into this level of detail because if others out there have as much fatigue as I do and feel like its not possible for them to follow the Wahls diet because of how labor intensive it is (even the labor of chewing up all that food!!), blending your veggies is an option to consider.

And a regular blender can't do this. I can put carrots and beets into this thing and it purees them. There may be other brands that can do this too, I just don't know what they are.

Oh, lastly, I would not say that my smoothies taste wonderful, they just taste o.k., which is fine with me since I'm drinking them for health, not for the taste.

M.A.
DX 6-09 RRMS, now SPMS
User avatar
djurliv
Newbie
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Mar 12, 2010 3:00 pm
Location: Northern California
Contact:

Re: Wahls diet discussion

Post by djurliv »

We are using the Wahl's protocol, and I am encouraged. Let me give some background, and then I'll tell you the results we are seeing.

My wife Linda was diagnosed with MS in 1994 at age 45. After an initial dramatic loss of muscular function (loss of sensitivity and leg control on one side) and loss of optic function (pin hole vision) at that time, function gradually returned. By the late 1990s, nearly all of that had been restored. During 2001-2005 we lived in Northern Europe and walked and bicycled nearly everywhere.

After a fall in 2005, MS progression accelerated, and Linda suffered a steady decline of function until 2010. She was treated with veinoplasty for CCSVI symptoms that fall in Albany, NY. There was immediate improvement, but improvement was short lived, perhaps because the veins returned to their former constriction. The good news is that MS "progression" seemed halted, or at least dramatically slowed from that time until now. Today she gets around with a walker and I help with a transport chair for longer distances.

Two additional falls in 2010 and 2013 resulted in substantial ongoing back pain. She takes strong pain medication daily as needed, along with Tramadol to reduce inflammation.

Healing prayer has resulted in improved balance, better function in her left arm and hand, less pain, and for one glorious two-week period a year ago, no pain at all. :-D In our Church environment, we often see people healed....but why some are not, and some not permanently, remains a mystery. But we take no offense at God, and instead rejoice with others who are healed, and wait with faith for more for Linda.

We began the Wahl's protocol in early August. She and I shop, prepare the food, and eat together. We purchased a 5-week Wahl's protocol recipe plan, and have been more than 90% compliant. We recently purchased a second 5-week recipe plan and are starting in on it.

It is not necessary to use these recipe plans to adhere to the Wahl's protocol. We decided to use these plans to train ourselves for this way of eating. The food prepared using the recipes has been quite good -- mostly gourmet quality, in fact. On the downside, our grocery costs have increased, and meal preparation time has increased.

As I wrote at the outset, I am encouraged. Here's why:
1. Linda has "twitched" at night for years. After about three weeks on the protocol, she largely stopped twitching. Stress and non-compliance seems to restart the twitching.
2. She has lost weight, she feels better, and she gets around more easily. The same has been true for me.
3 Her need for the pain medication has declined, and the pain level has become more manageable. That alone is huge to us. My theory is that this diet protocol has diminished the inflammation around the pain loci in her back.
4. The rigidity of her left leg has diminished considerably and is now some days almost completely absent.
5. I have also lost some stubborn pounds, and feel more energetic. I like what we are eating, although I sometimes miss the comfort of carbohydrates.

Wahls writes that months are required for improvement in many people. Based on what we have seen so far, we are willing to follow this way of eating for a much longer term.
PointsNorth
Family Elder
Posts: 683
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2006 2:00 pm
Location: LeftCoast Canada
Contact:

Re: Wahls diet discussion

Post by PointsNorth »

I've been using cholestyramine for the last 2-4 years prescribed for bowel issues - probably caused by a B12 deficiency in the first place!!! Cholestyramine is known to interfere with vitD absorption too.
Albany 2010. Brooklyn 2011
Hayes inspired Calcitriol+D3 2013-2014
Coimbra Protocol 2014-16
DrG B12 Transdermal Spray 2014-16
Progesterone 2015-16
Low-Dose Immunotherapy 2015-16
My Current Regimen http://www.thisisms.com/forum/regimens-f22/topic25634.html
ElliotB
Family Elder
Posts: 2058
Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2014 4:08 pm

Re: Wahls diet discussion

Post by ElliotB »

Back in June 2013 I decided to go on a high good fat, low bad fat diet as recommended by the owner of the company I purchase my grass fed meats from. He calls his diet "The Real Diet of Man". I found his company just after my diagnosis in May 2013. In fact, I found out about Dr. Wahls from a testimonial that she left on his site. Until June 2014, I had been consuming small quantities of lean grass fed meat, basically following a Swank type diet. I had also worked in some Paleo aspects to my diet. But in June 2014, I decided to follow "The Real Diet of Man" as I had a minor relapse in the spring of 2014. I felt my Swank/Paleo diet was just not working.

The "Real Diet of Man" is simple. From their website, http://www.texasgrassfedbeef.com/:

The basic tenets of this approach is that all foods required for optimizing body and brain function must cover three critically important "A, B, C" parameters or else don't eat them.

A. Eat low glycemic foods. High glycemic foods are foreign to body function and cause fungal issues that negatively impact the body.
B. Eat foods that are low in Omega-6s and high in Omega-3s, seeking a 1:1 ratio. This 1:1 balance between Omega-6s and Omega-3s is critical for a strong immune system.
C. Eat nutrient dense foods, especially those that provide 100% of the nutrients needed for optimal body function. Why eat foods that do not significantly contribute to the needs of the body?

In any case, after much research and consideration, I decided to do this diet. The thinking is that there are many health benefits to the nutrients in meat, especially in the fats. EFAs, or essential fatty acids, are, like certain vitamins and minerals, needed for good health. It was a scary decision as all MS diets pretty much rule out meats. I went ahead with it anyway. I felt I had everything to gain and little to loose.

Shortly after I started this diet, I read The Wahls Protocol book. It validated my decision and brought some mental relief to me. And I have indeed been feeling better overall. In fact, I am amazed how good I feel most of the time.

I have made the switch with the supervision of my Doctor. I am in the process of having blood work done again just to be sure everything is still OK. I did blood work in June and September and everything looked good. I have to say I feel great and expect good results from this round of testing. Interestingly my cholesterol has dropped into the high end of the normal range. My weight has also dropped. I am now 45lbs lighter than when I was first diagnosed. And I eat a lot of food! I am never hungry. As recommended by Dr. Wahls, I only eat two meals a day, although I had begun doing this on my own prior to reading her recommendation or even having any knowledge of why it was a good idea. One of the benefits of this diet is that you are never hungry. In addition, my cholesterol has always been high and in fact my Doctor had me on Crestor for almost a year. I gave up the Crestor around the time I started this diet and my numbers have improved steadily. I have had many other numerous benefits.

Although I am not symptom free, I am feeling great and the symptoms I do have are minor compared to my overall condition 1 1/2 years ago. Lots of energy physically and mentally. My vision has improved. I have minimal disability now and very limited time of disability during the day (basically during episodes which are infrequent and becoming even less frequent) I am overall extremely healthy.

The diet is not an easy one. I consume over 2 lbs [yes TWO Pounds] of meat , mainly fatty meat, and ONLY grass fed meat) a day, lots of deep greens (spinach, kale and similar), seafood and some wild fish (salmon and tuna) and berries. I never cheat. Although Dr. Wahls does not recommend it, I take a lot of supplements.

Is anyone here really following this diet without 'cheating' and the rest of the protocol? How are you doing? There are obviously many testimonials in her book. I have seen some say that they have given the Wahls Protocol a 'try' but few really follow it to the letter and for that matter, the entire protocol, which to my pleasant surprise, I have basically been following all along, discovering it through my own research and again validated by Dr. Wahls.
metabolic
Getting to Know You...
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2015 1:51 am
Location: London, England

Re: Wahls diet discussion

Post by metabolic »

Hi,
I have been on the Wahls Diet for approximately 2 years now. I can say that there are two things wrong with it:
1. She recommends a large amount of raw crucifers/brassicas. These are highly goitrogenic and impair thyroid function. I find this quite contradictory as her diet focuses on providing the body with as much energy as it needs to heal. Poor thyroid function impairs mitochondrial energy production. I have now started cooking the death out of kale.
2. The amount of food. I lost an incredible amount of weight on her diet far too quickly underwent both muscle wastage and fat loss. This is because my body was cannibalising itself (done by releasing stress hormones).

The above meant that I was always cold, weak and was living on a calorie deficit.
I've modified the Wahls Protocol for myself and now do not fear salt, have large meals, drink less water, cook all brassicas well and ensure I get plenty of MCTs (via coconut oil and sometimes palm kernel oil). I don't take foods with excessive polyunsaturated fat, except a little fishtail (with Vitamin E) once every few days. I don't fear carbs anymore as fruit sugar (from fructose and glucose) have different metabolic pathways to starch and they can all be beneficial.

My day typically looks like this:
7:30: berry, cinnamon, coconut milk, orange juice smoothie with acetyl-l-carnitine, taurine, creatine, collagen powder (great lakes), undentured rice protein, a little salt
Supplements: Poliquin multivitamin, zinc, rhodiola rosea, 5000 IU Vit D
Put on some scrambled eggs
Simmer approx 200g kale for about 20-30 mins while I get ready for work
Go to work
Eat kale/eggs at work
12:00 Gym
13:00 lunch at desk which would be a large tub of salad with 2 packs of mixed seafood, lots of fruit
15:00 Snack (some fruit or dark chocolate)
19:00 dinner, usually some starch, meat, greens (organic roast chicken & veg or cottage pie etc)

This combination seems to work best for me. I have found that sugar gives me energy and starch helps me recover and sleep from the day.

If you are interested, some nutritional advice can be picked up from googling Ray Peat, Danny Roddy, Matt Stone, Andrew Kim.

My diet is a combination of theirs and Terry Wahls's

They are metabolically focussed and give advice on sound physiology. Interesting takeaways from them are to increase salt (YMMV) and sugar and decrease water consumption.

Thanks
Multivitamin
MitoQ
Calcium Citrate
R-Lipoic Acid
Zinc Glycinate
Mixed Magnesium chelates
5000I D3
Acetyl-l-carnitine
Taurine
Creatine
Vitamin C Ascorbic Acid
Vitamin B Complex
Gelatin/Collagen
Lamb liver every week
ElliotB
Family Elder
Posts: 2058
Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2014 4:08 pm

Re: Wahls diet discussion

Post by ElliotB »

metabolic how are you feeling?
metabolic
Getting to Know You...
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2015 1:51 am
Location: London, England

Re: Wahls diet discussion

Post by metabolic »

It's up and down but to summarise, the only thing holding me back is my sleep and stress.
I am much stronger: e.g. at the gym my deadlift has increased from 50kg to 90kg
I am sleeping a little bit better, however my job is very stressful and is not helping matters. Cortisol and adrenaline is not helpful to the situation and this is where the salt and sugar comes to help.
I don't think I've had any relapses in a year, but previous symptoms seem to 'tingle' now and again when I haven't slept properly or am stressed (can be quite regular). My Neuro's going to give me another MRI in September.
I used to have bad afternoon fatigue, but this is almost gone.
A friend of mine is also a personal trainer, who suggested I can measure my levels of inflammation via pinching my fat around the tricep - hard fat means higher levels of inflammation, soft dough like fat is lower levels of inflammation (although I can't find research to back it up). This has gone down. Although I had a month of pure eating for metabolism (dairy, wheat etc) and this made my fat harder, so I stopped that quickly. Physically, I've gained 7kg of muscle and lost 7% body fat. When I was on the pure Wahls I was gaining body fat and losing muscle due to the goitrogens and lack of calories putting me into hibernation mode.
I think the Wahls Diet has very good merits, but you need to keep the calories up and ensure you cook your goitrogens well. Unfortunately overcooked broccoli is pretty bad tasting. One thing that Wahls/Peat/Swank emphasise is the reduction in polyunsaturated fats which seems to be a universal theme. The Wahls camp think that saturates are beneficial in small doses, Peat followers are generally neutral/positive, and Swank is negative. For me the safest option is coconut oil, which is not really saturated in my opinion and is full of MCTs.
@ElliotB, if you are hesitant about meats, supplement with glycine, collagen, gelatine or bone broth alongside with a good bio available b-vitamin for methylation
Multivitamin
MitoQ
Calcium Citrate
R-Lipoic Acid
Zinc Glycinate
Mixed Magnesium chelates
5000I D3
Acetyl-l-carnitine
Taurine
Creatine
Vitamin C Ascorbic Acid
Vitamin B Complex
Gelatin/Collagen
Lamb liver every week
ElliotB
Family Elder
Posts: 2058
Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2014 4:08 pm

Re: Wahls diet discussion

Post by ElliotB »

I am not a dietitian, scientists or doctor but I believe, based on the research I have done, that the concentration of nutrients and especially essential nutrients in the fat of grass fed meats (EFAs) may balance the the negative effects of eating raw crucifers/brassicas. All I know is I must be doing something right because overall I have never felt better in my life (again, I am not symptom free - I am referring to my overall health).

"her diet focuses on providing the body with as much energy as it needs to heal."


And that is why it is suggested to eat a lot of fat from the grass fed meats. It was recommended to me by the owner of Slankers Grass Fed Meats to eat the fattiest cuts of meats they offer rather than the lean cuts which I had been eating previously. Honestly, the switch to eating fatty meats was difficult, not because of taste as the taste of meat is enhanced by the fat, but because nutritionists have in the past led us to believe that fat is bad. I have seen more and more articles in recent times admitting this premise is indeed incorrect.

My personal opinion (not based on anything scientific) is that the health benefits of the Wahls Diet may come more from the fat in the grass fed meats than it does from the large amount of greens she suggests we eat. Not being a scientist or doctor, I had decided to eat large amounts of both and take supplements (which Dr. Wahls does not recommend), leaving nothing to chance. Again, I follow "The Real Diet of Man" diet as I posted previously. And have added some aspect of the Wahls Diet (especially with regard to greens). Dr. Wahls is after all a doctor and is much better educated than most. And she has had tremendous success.

Interestingly, my mother had begun following a similar diet to me over the past few months as she has seen my successes. She is 85 and became diabetic a few years ago. She has chosen to control her diabetes through diet and takes no medicine. She recently had her best checkup ever and is now considered pre-diabetic. She told me today because of my success and hers that she was going to give up many of the so called 'healthy' foods she has been eating in place of more grass fed meat.

I also recently started my dog on grass fed dog food and he is doing well and definitely has more energy than he did when he was on typical high quality dog food. Many wild animals are carnivores - I don't think anyone would expect a lion or tiger to eat a salad! So many, many, many animals exist just on meat and do extremely well with regards to health and energy.
metabolic
Getting to Know You...
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2015 1:51 am
Location: London, England

Re: Wahls diet discussion

Post by metabolic »

That is very interesting. The fats from the meats get stored, your body and brain are using the ketones from it for fuel. The brain's primary fuel source is glucose, so this suggests to me that we are inefficient in using glucose for brain fuel. I take ketones in the form of coconut oil, which cuts out the difficult and potentially stressful conversion of saturates. A couple of refererences online suggest the process of converting fats to ketones is done by stress adaptation hormones when you are in a sugar calorie deficit. There are a couple of papers about MCT on the net in the context of Alzheimer's. Glucose is very necessary - even the low carbist Wahl's has kept sugar quite high in her protocol. Low sugar could again potentially cause thyroid and stress issues. Wahls has suggested to keep starch low. I think this is because starch particles can end up in CSF by a process called persorption...who knows what result this may have.
Multivitamin
MitoQ
Calcium Citrate
R-Lipoic Acid
Zinc Glycinate
Mixed Magnesium chelates
5000I D3
Acetyl-l-carnitine
Taurine
Creatine
Vitamin C Ascorbic Acid
Vitamin B Complex
Gelatin/Collagen
Lamb liver every week
ElliotB
Family Elder
Posts: 2058
Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2014 4:08 pm

Re: Wahls diet discussion

Post by ElliotB »

I have been re-reading through the many pages of posts on this thread. I decided to review The Wahls Protocol book as I had read it last summer and some things just did not make sense to me. I saw many references to the consumption of foods not in my diet. And realized how different The Real Diet of Man is from the Wahls Diet. The Real Diet of Man is very, very limited in variety. Basically meat (grass fed), seafood and greens. No dairy, wheat, legumes, extremely minimal and selective fruits (only fruits low in sugar which limits you basically to berries). So I have posted additional information for anyone interested. Here is a link to a better/more complete description:

http://www.texasgrassfedbeef.com/grass- ... ery-simple


some quotes from his diet article...

"Anthropologists tell us that about 60% to as much as 85% of early man's food was meat – and it was only grass-fed meat (meat from animals never fed grain). Meat was followed by vegetables (for instance spinach, kale, collards, beet greens, romaine lettuce, etc. followed by broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, etc.). Then, since they were seasonal, at times in very minor amounts there were some nuts and tart fruits (such as squash, berries, small apples, and the tiny wild fruits such as persimmons and wild plums we sometimes find when hiking in the woods). Sure, at times man also lucked out and had some honey. But that was real rare."

"As for dairy, well modern man is the only beast on earth that figures he needs milk post weaning. In fact, dairy is one of man's most recent agricultural inventions. So all of this nonsense about drinking milk for strong bones and teeth is mythology. It really does not matter if milk is raw or not. It is flat out unnecessary post weaning. To make matters worse, nearly all diary products available today are from grain-fed cows and goats."

"Many so-called health experts are telling people to eat fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Many of the veggies I will not dispute, but most of today's highly developed sweet fruits are sugar shots. Orange juice and potatoes are perfect examples of sugar and refined high-glycemic-index (GI) carbohydrates. Sugar and refined high-glycemic-index (GI) carbohydrates can power drive fungal infestations that can produce mycotoxin overloads. (To learn more about mycotoxins check out our Science Links section.)"

"The eating of grain disrupts cell function, breaks down the immune system, and feeds fungi if one has a fungal infestation. Virtually everyone today has some fungal contamination within their bodies because damaged immune systems open the door to fungal infestations. So grains, of whatever kind, other food products loaded with Omega-6 fatty acids, and sugar and refined high-glycemic-index (GI) carbohydrates are taboo."

"Also, the idea that wine, or beer, or booze of any kind is good for you is also a myth."

"As you can see the real diet of man (which focuses on the fundamental nutritional needs of man prior to his invention of agricultural pursuits) includes little if anything beyond grass-fed (wild) meats, wild caught seafood, veggies (greens and the immature flowers of vegetative plants) and in a very limited way some nuts and tart fruits. Excluded foods are grains, grain-based foods, grain-fed livestock products, potatoes, sugar and refined high glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates, all other high GI foods, even some fruits, all foods high in Omega-6 fatty acids, dairy products, and nearly all concocted foods especially those laced with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and preservatives such as partially hydrogenated oils. All modern grocery stores, fast food joints, and convenience stores stock mostly excluded foods! This is why so many people are suffering from chronic disease and at least 90% of them are overweight. The food is literally killing them -- and THEY LOVE IT!"



The owner of the company, Ted Slanker, has done a tremendous amount of research. Everything he says makes sense. Everything he said would happen with regards to my health has happened and continues to transform my health The information is free. There is a lot of it. He had some kind of illness that he was able to control through diet, his diet. There are many testimonials on his site as well. If you have read this far and have a serious interest in your health, I suggest you take the time to read everything he has to say.


I had been corresponding with Mr. Slanker through email last year and it was through those conversations and the reading and re-reading of the information on his site, including numerous testimonials posted on his site, and other information readily available on the web that led me to following his diet. It just makes sense. Everything he says makes sense. As I mentioned previously, it is a difficult diet to follow and takes a tremendous amount of discipline. But the rewards are tremendous. At least they have been for me and my family.

I have read many MS books and The Wahls Protocol is IMHO, one of the better ones because it deals with all aspects of 'self help', not just diet. But I do think that her diet does not go far enough for someone with a major illness, and that some of the foods she lists might need to be eliminated , as recommended by Mr. Slanker (and others). The only consensus on diet there is, is that there is no consensus. Who is right? You get to decide for yourself.

Why do I feel so strongly about The Real Diet of Man? Because it is working for me. My improvement has gone beyond anything I had hoped for.
User avatar
NHE
Volunteer Moderator
Posts: 6221
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2004 3:00 pm
Contact:

Re: Wahls diet discussion

Post by NHE »

metabolic wrote:1. She recommends a large amount of raw crucifers/brassicas. These are highly goitrogenic and impair thyroid function. I find this quite contradictory as her diet focuses on providing the body with as much energy as it needs to heal. Poor thyroid function impairs mitochondrial energy production. I have now started cooking the death out of kale.
Here are some alternative thoughts on "goitrogenic" foods from the World's Healthiest Foods site.
http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=250

In addition, cruciferous foods contain isothiocyanates, many of which, for example phenylethylisothiocyanate in watercress, have been shown to inhibit cancer and also make cancer cells more prone to apoptosis from chemotherapy drugs.

Broccoli and watercress suppress matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity and invasiveness of human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15953625

Epigenetic impact of dietary isothiocyanates in cancer chemoprevention.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23657153

Phenethyl isothiocyanate sensitizes human cervical cancer cells to apoptosis induced by cisplatin.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21595016
metabolic
Getting to Know You...
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2015 1:51 am
Location: London, England

Re: Wahls diet discussion

Post by metabolic »

You are right that these 'goitrogenic' foods can be incredibly healthy, however. I was eating an extraordinary amount of raw kale, broccoli, cauliflower etc (over 1kg a day). This I think fried (or iced) me. I now still eat these foods, but I ensure I cook them and not 1kg a day. I eat 200-300g well cooked kale daily, a large salad for lunch and usually steamed cauliflower or broccoli for dinner and I sometimes take DIM/I3C.
I do agree with most of the article, eg
there is no research to show that daily intake of cruciferous vegetables in ordinary dietary amounts poses any unwanted risk to the thyroid
However the Wahls protocol advises to eat large amounts of the stuff, preferably raw - this I don't agree with.

Additionally, it suggests the use of flax, hemp, almond milk, nuts etc etc. All containing large amounts of inflammatory omega 6s.

I also agree with ElliotB and like her in that her Protocol is not purely diet, but stress management, exercise etc etc, however I have tweaked it to have more whole, natural foods.

If you look at the past century with increasing ill health of humans, I see there have been various dietary changes (amongst others).
1. Homogenization of milk (leading to A1 proteins passing through a leaky gut into the brain)
2. Increased consumption of seed oils (corn, canola/rapeseed, sunflower etc)
3. Increased usage of nuts & seeds
4. Increased amount of frying in polyunsaturated fats (seed oils) <- the real killer IMO

There's a growing movement that is suggesting that it's omega 6 and stress that are contributing to diabetes by interfering with cell insulin sensitivity.

Our brains use glucose and produce their own insulin, my hunch is that in MS our brains are insulin insensitive through both day-to-day low-level office stress and polyunsaturated fats. This is why I think MCT seems to be so therapeutic for Alzheimer's, epilepsy and autism (and potentially MS). I don't doubt that there are multiple contributory factors for MS, including previous infection, genetics, leaky gut, stress, poor nutrition (micro and macro), hormonal imbalances etc and if all the ducks are in line you get hit.

My own protocol is basically

reduce stress (reducing killer cortisol)
sleep well
become insulin sensitive (so your brain and body can use both glucose and ketones for fuel)
Meet your calorie quota (or potentially exceed it a little)
Eat highly nutritious whole foods that has the macro/micronutrients to repair the CNS, nose to tail eating
Exercise (but not too hard).
Look after your thyroid and metabolism
Detoxify
Multivitamin
MitoQ
Calcium Citrate
R-Lipoic Acid
Zinc Glycinate
Mixed Magnesium chelates
5000I D3
Acetyl-l-carnitine
Taurine
Creatine
Vitamin C Ascorbic Acid
Vitamin B Complex
Gelatin/Collagen
Lamb liver every week
metabolic
Getting to Know You...
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2015 1:51 am
Location: London, England

Re: Wahls diet discussion

Post by metabolic »

...and I even think the Swank Diet is very good - the drastic reduction in fats means that polyunsaturated ones are far less likely to cause insulin insensitivity, oxidise in vitro and cause inflammation. If required carbs can metabolise to fats e.g. palmitic acid, mead acid, and the short-chain saturated fats butyric, propionic, and acetic acids, so I don't really think that you will be deficient. The introduction of fishoil in it is positive too as I don't believe the body can make its own EPA and DHA. I don't understand the inclusion of milk + wheat though - I think it the lactose and A1 proteins can cause stomach problems from milk (broken down A1 can cross the BBB), and giladin from wheat can cross the BBB. However if your stomach is OK, then I think these particles are less likely to pass through into the blood.
Multivitamin
MitoQ
Calcium Citrate
R-Lipoic Acid
Zinc Glycinate
Mixed Magnesium chelates
5000I D3
Acetyl-l-carnitine
Taurine
Creatine
Vitamin C Ascorbic Acid
Vitamin B Complex
Gelatin/Collagen
Lamb liver every week
Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “Diet”