Which diet?

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

Post by Maybems »

Two days ago I was diagnosed with ms and have been searching the web ever since, looking for ways to prevent this disease from attacking my body. Diet being one of the best ways mentioned, so I would like to know what diet do you guys recommend? I was looking at the different diet topics and noticed that the bbd diet had the most success stories out of all of them, so is this diet still recommended?

Also is there any type of medication I should mention to my doctor the next time I see him?

Thanks in advance
ElliotB
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Re: Which diet?

Post by ElliotB »

Welcome to the forum.

There are many diets recommended for those with MS. In general, they are all pretty similar. Most MS diets recommend foods that are low in saturated fats.

I suggest you look into the Paleo Diet, the Swank Diet and Dr. Terry Wahls's diet to start with. There are many more and it is probably a good idea to investigate many of them and then make a decision on how you plan to handle your diet. I 'mixed and matched' to my personal preferences and beliefs.

Exercise is also very important. As is lifestyle change (remove all stress from your life) and is the addition of supplements. Consider B12, D3, CoQ10, Omega 3 and a good multi to start. There are obviously many, many more to choose from. Do some research and take what makes sense to you. I probably take 20+ daily. I strongly recommend you get your vitamin levels checked though blood tests to see if/where you have any deficiencies and correct as necessary.

When I was first diagnosed, I decided to eliminate all foods from my diet except for what I considered 'safe' or 'neutral' foods such as selected fruits and mainly deep green vegetables. I currently consume only 100% grass fed meats, wild caught seafood (both choices very high in Omega 3 fat and low in Omega 6 fat), and rarely eat any chicken or turkey. I also stopped eating everything else, including all diary, nuts, beans/legumes, wheat, gluten, potatoes, rice - I eliminated everything.

I wish you the best of luck in your search for the perfect diet. There is a lot of diet related information on this site.

Hope you recover/feel better soon!
Maybems
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Re: Which diet?

Post by Maybems »

Thank you.

Your diet is really restricted though. Also what's wrong with chicken and rice if I may ask?

And do you feel better on the diet?
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NHE
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Re: Which diet?

Post by NHE »

Hi Maybems,
Welcome to ThisIsMS. You might also want to take a look at Dr. George Jelinek's diet recommendations.

He has published a couple of MS books.

Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis: An Evidence-Based Guide to Recovery
http://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Multip ... ref=sr_1_1

Taking Control of Multiple Sclerosis: Natural and Medical Therapies to Prevent Its Progression
http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Control-Mu ... ref=sr_1_5

NHE
ElliotB
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Re: Which diet?

Post by ElliotB »

Maybems, after reviewing the various diets, I chose to follow a mainly Paleo diet. Rice is not considered Paleo. Additionally, it has very little nutrition.

As far as chicken goes, it was a food that I ate a lot of prior to becoming ill. After being diagnosed, I decided to eliminate just about all foods that I had consumed prior to becoming ill. I used to eat very, very little red meat and consumed a lot of poultry products. The research I did confirmed for me that the choice was a wise one. Read up on chicken and you may come to the same conclusion. I read many articles such as ones like this:

http://truth-out.org/news/item/19517-se ... en-you-eat


Chicken breast, always considered healthy by most, while low in fat is surprisingly high in cholesterol, 65 mg in each 4 ounce serving. I am not suggesting anyone eliminate it from their diet, I just chose to eliminate it from mine.
grandsons4
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Re: Which diet?

Post by grandsons4 »

Brown rice is quite nutritious, and even more so when sprouted or fermented.
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lyndacarol
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Re: Which diet?

Post by lyndacarol »

ElliotB wrote:Maybems, after reviewing the various diets, I chose to follow a mainly Paleo diet. Rice is not considered Paleo. Additionally, it has very little nutrition.

As far as chicken goes, it was a food that I ate a lot of prior to becoming ill. After being diagnosed, I decided to eliminate just about all foods that I had consumed prior to becoming ill. I used to eat very, very little red meat and consumed a lot of poultry products. The research I did confirmed for me that the choice was a wise one. Read up on chicken and you may come to the same conclusion. I read many articles such as ones like this:

http://truth-out.org/news/item/19517-se ... en-you-eat


Chicken breast, always considered healthy by most, while low in fat is surprisingly high in cholesterol, 65 mg in each 4 ounce serving. I am not suggesting anyone eliminate it from their diet, I just chose to eliminate it from mine.
From this article that ElliottB posted:
More than 70 percent of US antibiotics go to livestock (http://www.louise.house.gov/index.php?o ... &Itemid=55—) – more than 29 million pounds (http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/ ... -per-year/) of antibiotics a year
And as euphoniaa posted on April 28, 2014, in General Discussion:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplem ... b-20060243
From Mayo Clinic:
Vitamin B12
Safety
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not strictly regulate herbs and supplements. There is no guarantee of strength, purity or safety of products, and effects may vary. You should always read product labels. If you have a medical condition, or are taking other drugs, herbs, or supplements, you should speak with a qualified healthcare provider before starting a new therapy. Consult a healthcare provider immediately if you experience side effects.

Allergies
Vitamin B12 supplements should be avoided in people sensitive or allergic to vitamin B12, cobalt, or any other product ingredient.

Side Effects and Warnings
Vitamin B12 is likely safe when taken according to the recommended dietary amounts (RDA) or less.

Use cautiously in people with heart concerns, due to an increase in rates of restenosis (reoccurrence of narrowing of a blood vessel) after stent placement and vitamin B12 supplementation.

Use cautiously in people with high blood pressure, as high blood pressure following intravenous (IV) administration of hydrocobalamin has been reported.

Use cautiously in people with a history of cancer.

Use cautiously in people with skin disorders, as rash, itching, and burning have been reported. Pink or red skin discoloration and facial flushing have also been reported.

Use cautiously in people with genitourinary concerns, as urine discoloration has been reported.

Use cautiously in people with gastrointestinal concerns, as nausea, difficulty swallowing, and diarrhea have been reported.

Use cautiously in people with blood disorders, as it has been reported that treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency may lead to an increase in blood volume and the number of red blood cells.

Use cautiously in people with low serum levels of potassium, as the correction of megaloblastic anemia with vitamin B12 may result in fatally low potassium levels.

Use cautiously in people with a history of gout, or elevated uric acid levels, as the correction of megaloblastic anemia with vitamin B12 may start a gout attack.

Use cautiously in people taking the following agents, as they have been associated with reduced absorption or reduced serum levels of vitamin B12: ACE inhibitors, acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), alcohol, antibiotics, anti-seizure agents, bile acid sequestrants, chloramphenicol, colchicine, H2 blockers, metformin, neomycin, nicotine, nitrous oxide, oral contraceptives, para-aminosalicylic acid, potassium chloride, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), tobacco, vitamin C, and zidovudine (AZT, Combivir®, Retrovir®).

Avoid in people sensitive or allergic to vitamin B12, cobalt, or any other product ingredient.
Whether we are taking antibiotics directly, or indirectly through animal-sourced food that has been fed antibiotics, the effect may be the same: vitamin B12 levels are reduced by antibiotics.
ElliotB
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Re: Which diet?

Post by ElliotB »

There is no doubt that there is no consensus of what is best to eat. One article will say one food is good and another will say the same food is not.

With regard to rice, some say it is nutritious. Others not. Everyone gets to make their own decisions on diet. I have made mine and choose not to each rice which I did eat a fair amount of before becoming diagnoses with MS. Whether you should eat rice or not is up to you. All I can say is I feel great following the Paleo Diet, better than I have at any time in my adult life.

FWIW: another article, titled "more-than-you-wanted-to-know-about-rice"

http://www.fitbomb.com/2011/10/more-tha ... -rice.html
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