This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Hi All,

I'm 27 and had my first attack in October '08, and modified my diet a month later. I've since had my second attack in May that I'm almost over. I'm set to start Copaxone next week. I've got roughly a dozen lesions in my brain and I believe 1-2 on my spine.

Originally I have been trying to follow the BBD diet, and I've eliminated wheat/gluten, dairy and legumes from my diet. I have not been keeping my fat intake to a minimum though. I've also been taking supplements daily.

My current regime looks like this:
- supplements: vitamin D 10k IU, B12/B6/Bcomplex, Omega-3 4g, Calcium/Mag 1200/600, ginkgo,
- daily salad + turkey breast coldcuts, olive oil + balsamic vinegar
- daily nuts/almonds
- daily 2-3 of: bananas, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, apples
- no exercise yet
- dinner is usually chicken or fish with rice and veggies
- I still occasionally eat chicken wings, bacon, steak, hamburgers (no bun), and drink red wine, gluten-free beer, and non-grain spirits

In light of reading more and more about the CCSVI research, I'd like to start a more vein-friendly diet... I've been avoiding dairy/gluten/legumes only because of BBD's insistence that the proteins contained in them are similar to myelin so they may trigger additional attacks... this is starting to seem less and less likely to me.

I've been reading cheerleader's PDF(link) and would like to follow her diet recommendations more closely.

I'd love to add in small amounts of low-fat cheese and be able to eat soy and beans again... so I'd like to ask everyone's input if they've been avoiding legumes+dairy+gluten and how that's affected their symptoms and anything else.

I'd also like to ask how people manage with specific diets and any tips they have on making things simpler (eg. preparing meals in batches/freezing, preparing supplements in advance for the week/month/etc)

This is my proposed regime that I will start to follow soon and would appreciate any input anyone has on it:

Daily:
- take copaxone shot
- yoga 20min
- cardio exercise 20min
- weightlifting exercise 20min
- fruit + vegetable smoothie
- eat salad + chicken lunch
- take daily supplements
- have salad + protein + rice/potato dinner

Sunday:
- rest
- prepare all supplements into sandwich bags for the following week
- prepare work lunches for the week
- cut up lettuce/greens for salads
- grill some chicken to use in salads
- go shopping for bananas, apples, nuts, snacks for work week

One Week of the Month:
- daily milk thistly supplement

Supplement List:
- vitamin b1, b3, b12, b-complex
- resveratrol
- gingko biloba
- omega 3
- CoQ10
- acidophilus
- alpha lipoic acid
- calcium / magnesium
- milk thistle
- vitamin D

Just also wanted to say thanks to everyone who posts on this site, it's been a great help and I've learned an incredible amount since I've started lurking... I hope to be able to give back to the community some day as well

Daniel, I think you are looking at lots of good things. I'll pass along a bit of what I do in case that helps.
I've always taken a low fat approach. For me, that means I really cut back on things like pizza or ice cream. I don't eat meat, but do eat seafood and legumes and dairy and gluten. I organize my supplements once a week. (In addition to most of the ones you list, I also take NAC and tumeric.) And I often try to cook up a bunch of vegetable one or two times a week so then I have them readily available. So I will sautee a bunch of veggies and herbs and then have them to add to omelets or pasta or as a side dish. I've found this approach really helpful.
Best of luck with the changes you are making!

Looks great, Daniel! Thanks for sharing your program. I'd recommend a regular blood test (you probably get a CBC- complete blood count- done regularly since you're on copaxone.) It's good to keep your eye on your coagulation numbers and liver enzymes, to make sure your blood is flowing and being cleansed thru your liver. Also, it's good to know how your vitamin B, zinc, vitamin D and iron levels are.

Some people have allergies to eggs and legumes- the reason BB diet excludes them- if you're concerned take the allergy tests to make sure you're OK with those foods. Jeff doesn't have any food allergies- so he's good with edamame and lots of eggs (they help replenish myelin) Also, EGCG (green tea extract) has been found to be helpful in all kinds of situations- as an antioxidant and nitric oxide balancer. Drinking green tea or taking the supplements help many people.

As far as fats, it's really about the quality. Heavily saturated fats in red meat are no good. Olive oil and fish have the best fats. Cheese/dairy in the lower fat variety is best. Manmade fats are terrible....those are the hydrogenated ones found in processed foods. Our bodies weren't made to digest them, and they mess with nitric oxide functioning. God didn't make fritos. Here's some great info on fats and our bodies-
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter. ... tifier=532

Keep us posted on how you're feeling, and keep up the heart healthy living.
cheer

_________________
Husband dx RRMS 3/07
dx dual jugular vein stenosis (CCSVI) 4/09
dual stents placed 5/09
CCSVI in MS