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From being on this forum, I've read a lot about "finding out what you're allergic to" and eliminating it from your diet to improve your symtoms and overall health. I believe and trust in this approach and since I'm not looking into starting any DMT's any time soon, I would like to start the healthy lifestlyle changes as soon as possible. I've read the Swank book and started with that. Then I started trying to limit wheat and dairy, but I've also read some opinions that it's not neccessary to eliminate both completely unless you are allergic to them. So how do you find out which foods your body doesn't take well?

Also, I've read people's opinions on low carb diets being helpful, why is this? I understand that if you eliminate wheat, a lot of carbs would go with it, but what about carbs in non-gluten products like rice, are they still bad? What about the carbs in fruit? (I followed low carb diets such as south beach and atkins of and on for years before diagnosis and found them to be very hard, resticting, and not very healthy considering so many food groups were being eliminated. However they were very helpful in losing weight. )

Sorry to sound clueless, I just have been gathering so much information and now need help sorting it before my head explodes!

here are a couple of links

http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/introdu ... s-allergy/ (this link includes reliable tests)
http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/introdu ... ial-tests/

i had the skin prick test done when i was about 21 or 22.. i reacted mildly to oats and mold but nothing else. i know it can change over time, but i haven't had it done since.

I dont know much about the diet part of your question but how to find out your allergies you just need to go see a good allergist(most ear nose and throat dr's are also allergists).

I saw one here in Regina that told me im allergic to everything...but i was still having anaphylaxis...so my family Dr sent me to a better one in Saskatoon, who tested me for everything the one here did. Wasn't allergic to any of it other than the usuals(dust mites, mold, cats etc)...but in the year between seeing him for a follow up I was still having anaphylaxis so this time he figured i have a sulfite sensitivity(sulfites are a perservative found in a lot of foods), so I stopped eating everything with sulfites in it and here I am now free of anaphylaxis since I saw him in July.

Just make sure if you go see an allergist that they are a good one cuz the first one i saw didnt know anything and he didnt even perform the tests himself but an employee did. But then again he did send me for some tests that helped diagnose a couple other things wrong with me(ie-hiatus hernia and a small meningioma)

Thats all I have

If you want to approach ms from the diet angle (not a bad idea), first go to these websites:
http://www.direct-ms.org/
http://www.msrecoverydiet.com/
You will find a wealth of info there.
Also get a copy of the MS Recovery Diet - great book.
As far as finding out what bothers you, this can be tricky - the MS Recovery Diet covers this. Also you can get an ELISA test, which is a blood test. MSRC, a UK based MS support group can help you with this, and get you a home test kit at discount, even if you don't live in the UK. Go to their website - http://www.msrc.co.uk and give them a call.

As for carbs - I'm not a medical person but here's my take. Yes, gluten could be a problem, and is best avoided. Carbs in general are considered inflamatory, so in large amounts they can cause flare ups. Of course we all need some carbs to survive, and from what I've heard, rice (preferably brown) is the best choice for starch. There are now some very 'wheat like' rice pastas on the market. I think carbs like corn, potatoes, etc. are fine in modest amounts. As for fruit, I think they are ok, especially berries. However some feel that the high sugar content of many fruits can be problematical. Everyone has their own theory on diet issues, so you may get other advice.

hlm286 wrote:From being on this forum, I've read a lot about "finding out what you're allergic to" and eliminating it from your diet to improve your symtoms and overall health. I believe and trust in this approach and since I'm not looking into starting any DMT's any time soon, I would like to start the healthy lifestlyle changes as soon as possible.

Hi hlm, I completely agree with that approach and have posted about it extensively - especially on the thread I'll link here, where I also explained how I've figured out what I'm "sensitive" to by listing what I eat and tracking symptoms daily. There's other advice in that thread also.
http://www.thisisms.com/ftopicp-67081-.html#67081

Personally, I read a lot about nutrition and I've skimmed over all the official diet books, but I've never been "on a diet" in my entire life. However, I truly believe that you are what you eat, and that people would be astonished if they knew how much they are screwing up their bodies (and even their MS) with food. Trouble is, it appears we're all different, and all the recommended diets are different, and there's no simple way to tell what works for you.

In my case, I've had severe reactions to most all food/supplements that are supposed to be good for MS, like most omega-3s. Some reactions have been worse than anything MS has ever done to me. So I just eat as fresh & healthy as I can and keep track of the reactions.

But...official (and expensive) allergy testing last year showed I'm "allergic" to NOTHING. All that swelling & vomiting & itching throughout my life has only been from "sensitivities." But in the meantime, I've practically eliminated daily hives - and RLS - by avoiding junk food.

It's a challenge, I know, but worth the effort if you can come up with a system of your own. I started the healthy diet/strenuous exercise thing 15-20 years ago and I'm convinced that's what has kept me so mobile, alert, and improved both my mood and my fatigue. Good luck!