Wahls diet discussion

A board to discuss various diet-centered approaches to treating or controlling Multiple Sclerosis, e.g., the Swank Diet
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dkep11
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Fruit

Post by dkep11 »

I do hear you on bananas; I need to stop that - but I currently think berries are OK.
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NHE
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Re: Wahls diet discussion

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Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of Eat to Live, recently gave a talk which aired on PBS. In it, he discussed ideas which seem to parallel those of Dr. Terry Walhs concerning micronutrition and phytochemicals. He has rated several foods in terms of their phytochemical content contributing to micronutrition and calls it a "nutrient density line." I should note that with this rating system, it’s not surprising that salmon comes out just a notch above ground beef. Surely, fresh, wild caught salmon is much healthier than ground beef in terms of healthy fat and protein content and also in terms of astaxanthin content.

100: Kale, Collard Greens, Watercress
90: Brussel Sprouts
85: Bok Choy
81: Spinach
76: Arugula
60: Cauliflower
55: Cabbage
52: Romaine Lettuce
46: Broccoli
47: Asparagus
37: Flax Seeds
35: Carrots
34: Green Bell Pepper
30: Almonds, Onions
28: Cherries
27: Grapes, Strawberries, Mushrooms
25: Tomato
23: Sesame Seeds
19: Blueberries
18: Sunflower Seeds, Artichoke, Walnuts, Orange
14: Cantaloupe
13: Peaches
12: Kidney Beans, Lentils
11: Edamame, Pineapple, Cucumber, Iceberg Lettuce
10: Pomegranate Juice, Sweet Potato, Tofu
9: Apple, Pastachio Nuts
8: Green Peas
7: Avocado
6: Mango, Cashews, Peanut Butter
5: Corn
4: Banana, Brown Rice, Oatmeal
3: White Potato
2: Salmon, Skim Milk, Whole Wheat Bread, Olive Oil
-4: Ground Beef (85% lean)
-5: Feta Cheese
-6: Low Fat Cheddar Cheese
-9: Potato Chips, French Fries, Vanilla Ice Cream
-10: Cola



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LR1234
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Post by LR1234 »

I just wanted to make a quick point that Terry Wahls and the ladies that did the MS recovery book (can't remember the ladies names) anyway all of them did some heavy dose Chemo.

They all claim that they continued to progress despite the chemo but I always wonder whether the chemo knocked the MS on the head in some way and then the diet helped them to rebuild myelin/strength.

Just thought I would throw that out there.
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dkep11
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Post by dkep11 »

verrry interesting!
How do you know?
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Post by jimmylegs »

@NHE that food web site i like whfoods is based around the nutrient density concept, it's very good. also www.nutritiondata.com is awesome. includes information on inflammation factors etc. so good.
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Post by LR1234 »

Terry is open with the fact she had copaxone and then chemo..... ( I read it in her book)
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dkep11
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Post by dkep11 »

aha, thx, I have the book but I missed that.
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Wahls diet 5 month update

Post by dkep11 »

Wahls diet, 5 month update

MS has been hammering me since 1998 and nothing seems to slow it down. On
4/20/2011 I finally decided to go 100% on the Wahls diet. This is my 5-month
report.

Dr Wahls' story is compelling. (see www.terrywahls.org) In 2007 she wasn't too
far physically from where I am today. She changed her diet and by 2008 she could
walk and ride her bike! That will get the complete attention of someone like me!

(she did other things in addition to diet changes, like eletronic muscle
stimulation, meditation - but she thinks diet played the primary role in her
recovery)

(and, she was never as bad as I am now)
My version of the Wahls diet:

Lots of veggies, esp. sulfur-rich and leafy greens and bright colors.
Small amount of fruit, some grain (but no gluten!)(I do quinoa and rice), small
amounts of meat (chicken, turkey, or seafood)(I avoid beef and pork).

ZERO gluten, dairy, sugar, yeast, legumes, red meat, processed food.

I think the first 2 on this list are the important ones, and #3 (sugar) isn't
far behind.

Low starch; I do eat some grapes or blueberries or corn on occasion. But never a
potato or potato chips.

On day 62 I began including a commercial daily green drink; we use Green Magma.

Wahls is sort of the Swank diet (the first recommended MS diet) of today, except
I'd say it trades an emphasis on low-fat for an emphasis on veggies.

Wahls = Paleo-diet + anti-inflamatory diet + extra veggies.

I started on this 100% on 4/20... Before, I was 90% on the diet - it isn't far
from how I ate normally... but if you walked in with a pizza before 4/20 and
offered me a slice, I'd have one. Today - no thanks.

For me, the hardest things to totally give up were pizza, bacon, and cheese.
Pretty much everything else was EZ; I don't have a sweet tooth. In the old days,
I'd eat sweets occasionally but I never crave them.

My wonderful wife Janelle is on board with the diet (she ought to be; she found
it and directed me to it!) and the food prep - out of necessity; I can't do it.
@
VVV new stuff VVV

No physical change; I'm still 100% on the diet as defined above.

I was being a bit flip last month in saying I'd eat a bacon cheeseburger if I
don't see an effect after 13 months... I'd be better off going more paleo,
eliminating non-paleo stuff from my diet like rice and tomatos. Aaah, no salsa!
And I do love salsa!

There was a Q raised last month whether non-gluten grains are in the Wahls
diet...

Yes and no; there are several recipes in Wahls' book that include rice or
tomatos, (although neither is paleo) & she doesn't explicitly discuss it in the
book.

HOWEVER

She is also available as a Facebook contact and I've seen her say online that
if no gluten/no dairy doesn't give the desired results, go more paleo.

I have read a bunch online re: people going paleo (or at least no gluten/no
dairy) and improving a variety of health concerns. As great as it is to read
these success stories, it feels hollow 'til it happens to ME!

2 drink updates & a question:

*) You can make a decent Sprite-like beverage by adding stevia to sparkling
water - add a bit of lemon or lime & it's pretty good! Check the ingredient list
of the sparkling water; ideally there's only one thing on it!

*) The only other semi-unusual thing I do -when I'm not drinking my usual
beverage, water - is I make a cup of hot tea & let it sit out for 2-3 hourwaters
'til cool.

*) I've seen TV commercials for a lactose-free milk... Has anyone tried it? Does
it circumvent the "no dairy" rule?

-Gastronaut Dave, over and out
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Re: Wahls diet 5 month update

Post by lyndacarol »

Dave, I admire your perseverance. Stick with it! I think you are on the right track. Dr. Wahls' improvement was so dramatic – I am sure she is onto something. Of course I think it is the insulin angle. Please continue to post periodically; I am so SURE that you will have great improvements to report in the near future.
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Re: Wahls diet 5 month update

Post by tzootsi »

Hi Dave, lactose free milk is NOT ok. It's not the lactose that's the problem, it's the casein proteins. Have you tried rice milk? We've been on rice milk for years, and it's quite good. They even make rice milk ice cream and yogurt if you can find it!
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Re: Wahls diet 5 month update

Post by dkep11 »

Hi lyndacarol

Thx for the encouragement!

I know many MSers on similar diets, even going back to the original work of Swank, began to see a physical change in months 6-12 - of course, I want it to happen to me, starting yesterday! Patience is hard.

I can commit to 13 months of sticking 100% to this diet, and if I see an effect, I'm on it for life.
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Re: Wahls diet 5 month update

Post by dkep11 »

Hi Tzsootsi
Thx, I figured it couldn't be that easy!
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Re: Wahls diet discussion

Post by lyndacarol »

From the publication Bottom Line/Health, October 2011, page 3-4: "Dr. Terry Wahls's Brain-Boosting Diet Helped Her Conquer Multiple Sclerosis" by Terry L. Wahls, M.D., University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine:
At age 44, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Three years later, when I became dependent on a wheelchair, my MS was classified as "secondary progressive," meaning that the disease was steadily progressing with no periods of improvement. I kept getting weaker, even though I was receiving widely used treatments for MS including chemotherapy and immune-suppressing medications.

Now: Thanks to the regimen I designed, I haven't needed a wheelchair or even a cane for more than three years. I ride to work on my bicycle, my energy is good and I've stopped taking medications to treat my MS. What happened?

Here's what I credit for my dramatic turnaround – and a description of how it might help you, as well. Because MS is a neurological disease, this program is designed to also help people who are concerned about dementia or Parkinson's disease, have depression or have suffered a traumatic brain injury or stroke.

FINDING A SOLUTION
With the help of my medical training, I began pouring over the medical literature and designed my own treatment protocol in 2007 based on my theories of what allowed MS to develop and progress.

In people with MS, immune cells damage the myelin sheath, proteins and fatty substances that surround nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. This results in slower nerve signals, which lead to muscle weakness, lack of balance and muscle coordination, bladder or bowel spasms, blurred vision and other symptoms.

Medications can reduce symptoms, but they don't accelerate nerve signals. As a result, MS patients battle physical and neurological disability – experienced either episodically or in a steady, unrelenting course. The disease often continues to worsen despite therapy. Within 10 years of initial diagnosis, half of MS patients are unable to work because of disabling levels of fatigue, and one-third need a cane, scooter or wheelchair.

After thoroughly reviewing the research, I decided to put myself on a diet that increases the efficiency of mitochondria, units within cells that supply the energy that's needed for nerve activity. Although the effect of diet on MS was unproven, I firmly believed that this was my best hope for fighting MS.

My eating plan was designed to improve the balance of neurotransmitters and supply the mitochondria with the building blocks needed for healthy nerve activity.

MY BRAIN-HEALTH DIET
People who follow this diet typically notice improvements in neurological symptoms within weeks.*

Because natural foods contain a variety of nutrients that can work synergistically, I recommend taking supplements only when you are unable to get the following nutrients in your diet. Be sure to discuss the supplements (and dosages) with your doctor If you take blood thinning medication – some supplements may have a blood-thinning effect.

In addition to taking such general steps as avoiding sugary and/or processed foods that are low in key nutrients, make sure you get enough…

Sulfur vegetables. Cabbage, kale, collard greens and asparagus are excellent sources of sulfur, which is used by the body to produce gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA). This "inhibitory" neurotransmitter counteracts the early brain-cell death that can occur if the neurotransmitter glutamate reaches excessive levels.

My advice: Consume 3 cups of greens each day, including one to three cups of sulfur-rich vegetables daily. Also: To get other important nutrients, consume one to three cups of brightly colored vegetables or berries each day.

Coenzyme Q-10. Exposure to environmental toxins, such as detergents, pesticide residues and mercury, has been linked to MS and other neurological conditions, such as dementia and Parkinson's disease. Coenzyme Q-10 is a fat-soluble compound that helps minimize effects of these toxins while increasing the amount of energy produced by mitochondria.

Organ meats, such as calf liver and chicken liver, are among the best sources of co-enzyme Q-10. I particularly recommend organ meats for older adults because coenzyme Q-10 production declines with age. It's also suppressed by cholesterol-lowering statin drugs

My advice: Eat organ meats at least once a week. If you don't like organ meats, sardines, herring and rainbow trout are also high in coenzyme Q-10. Coenzyme Q-10 is available in supplement form, too.

Omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-3 fatty acids in cold-water fish, such as salmon and sardines, are used by the body to produce the myelin that insulates brain and spinal cord cells. Myelin is also used to repair damage caused by MS. Omega-3s are concentrated in the brain and are necessary to help prevent depression and cognitive disorders.

My advice: To avoid concerns about mercury and other toxins in cold-water fish, such as salmon, get your omega-3s from fish oil supplements that are purified. Recommended dose: 1 g to 3 g daily.

Kelp and algae. These detoxify the body by binding to heavy metals in the intestine and removing them in the stool.

My advice: Take supplements – one to two 500 mg to 600 mg capsules of kelp and one to four 500 mg capsules of algae daily. Or, as an alternative, add about a tablespoon powdered algae – different types include Klamath blue-green algae, spirulina and chlorella to morning smoothies.

Green tea. It's high in quercetin, an antioxidant that reduces inflammation. Green tea also changes the molecular structure of fat-soluble toxins and allows them to dissolve in water. This accelerates their excretion from the body.

My advice: Drink several cups of green tea daily. Best choice: finely milled Matcha green tea. It has more antioxidants than the typical tea brewed with dried leaves. Note: Most types of green tea contain caffeine – on average, about 25 mg per cup.

*Consult your doctor before trying the diet and/or supplements described here – especially if you take any medication or have kidney or liver disease.
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Re: Wahls diet 5 month update

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there's a sticky for this subject... just sayin...
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Wahls diet - improvement to report

Post by dkep11 »

I have some exciting news to report...
On, 10/9/2011, about month 5.6 of this diet, I repeated the MSTest I do every 2 or 3 weeks: I try to climb into my scooter from the floor, unaided.

This is an ability I lost most recently. My last record of doing it sucessfully in my daily log was in February of this year, though this ability was eroding in Feb, Jan, and Dec 2010.

I could not do it at all in April when I started this diet, nor at any time since.

On this day I did it, totally unassisted.

I call this "smoking gun" proof that this diet I'm doing is the right thing.

I'm not *just* talking myself into it. I'm not *just* doing something better. I am not *just* seeing what I want to see.

It is the fact that I can do it at all that is important.

It is not debateable.

This is the first time I have ever (in my MSlife) gotten even a tiny bit better MSwise.

Before now it has been a slow one-way downhill ride. If I lose an ability it doesn't come back.

I'll eat like this for the rest of my life.

-Dave
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