Best Bet Diet discussion

Wonderfulworld · Post by **Wonderfulworld** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:11 am

Loobie
this part is extracted from the link DIM provided above and is the essence of BBD - but with supplements. Don't do it without them - I did the last time I was on it and I was very very deficient in some minerals after a while on it. If I'm honest I limit the amount of soy but I don't cut it out because I don't seem to have a problem with it. Likewise with peas/beans etc - I found the diet too restrictive without these things, but I follow the rest of it.

1 - To stop, or at least restrict, the consumption of foods whose molecular structure is so similar to the myelin in our own bodies that they could ignite the autoimmunity process and cause an attack on the myelin in the CNS. These "suspect" foods are as follows;

* Dairy - Avoid all animal milks, and all butters, cheeses, and yoghurts made from them, and all products that contain them. Where appropriate, replace in the diet with rice milk or low fat coconut milk, both of which are widely available on the supermarket shelves, these days.
* Gluten - Avoid all wheat, rye and barley, and all products containing them. It is advised that oats are also avoided despite new research suggesting they contain no gluten. For our purposes, they are still regarded as a "modern" grain, added to the diet only in recent times, and the chances of avoiding autoimmune reactions is greater without them. These "suspect" grains are replaced in the diet with rice, corn, quinoa and a whole range of other grains/flours that are both gluten-free and widely available these days.
* Legumes - Avoid all beans, peas and pulses, especially soya, and all products containing them. All other vegetables are allowed, in particular the green leafy ones, like spinach and brocolli that are high in omega 3 EFA.
* Refined sugar is also avoided, wherever possible, because it can make the leaky gut worse and can also adversely affect the immune system. More acceptable alternative sweetners are honey, maple syrup, fruit sugar(fructose) and stevia.
* Eggs and Yeast are both allowed in limited quantities as long as the individual shows no specific allergic reaction to them.

Loobie · Post by **Loobie** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:16 am

Many thanks

Wonderfulworld · Post by **Wonderfulworld** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:22 am

Loobie
just to add, I find it takes about a month to get onto BBD properly. There's a kind of learning period - you run out of food, or you eat something that you think is ok, then realise afterwards it had lactose etc. Don't get dispirited by this, you'll get there

Ernst · Post by **Ernst** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 5:28 am

Wonderfulworld wrote:Loobie
this part is extracted from the link DIM provided above and is the essence of BBD - but with supplements. Don't do it without them - I did the last time I was on it and I was very very deficient in some minerals after a while on it.

This is interesting. How did you notice this deficiency and was it measured from blood or how?

Loriyas · Post by **Loriyas** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 5:36 am

Lew
I know this thread is about the BBD but when I read your post regarding your trip to Florida and how you felt better then returned to dreary Ohio and didn't feel well I had a thought. When we vacationed in Florida 6 years ago I experienced the same thing. Came back to Columbus and was convinced that it was the sunshine in FL that made me feel better. When I returned to Columbus I went back to feeling as bad as when I had left. This is what made us decide to move here-a decision we have never regretted. I am not suggesting that you move! I wondered if you take vitamin D supplements? If not, it may be worth giving it a try. The doc at Vanderbilt put me on 50,000 IU/week and that is with living in sunshine. When I go back next week I am going to ask if he will check my levels. But regardless, maybe vitamin D would benefit you, especially during the winter days in Ohio. Just a thought!
Lori

Wonderfulworld · Post by **Wonderfulworld** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 8:15 am

[quote]This is interesting. How did you notice this deficiency and was it measured from blood or how?
[/quote]

Ernst I actually had 3 miscarriages (probably unrelated to BBD and I had a successful pregnancy when I took progesterone and baby-aspirin, and stopped Copaxone 3 months before conceiving) and the full bloodwork that was done revealed low vitamin d, as well as anaemia. I also attended a nutritionist, kept a food diary for a few weeks, she was alarmed by my lack of calcium on BBD without supplements. My hair was falling out, extremely dry skin, easy bruising. But in my case it's complicated by being a coeliac so if I'd inadvertantly eaten gluten I would have malabsorbtion anyway.

By the way Loobie, I reread my posts and they sound very bossy - sorry, having a bossy week

Ernst · Post by **Ernst** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:34 pm

Yes, on BBD calsium is a must - especially when taken enough vitamin d. We have followed BBD:s supplement recommendation almost like its written - I guess D3, calsium, omega-3 the most important on diet. We have checked 25ohd from blood at least once a year. Last test showed that wife had 138 nmol/l, it was quite optimal. And she takes about 100 mcg/day (4000 iu).

Post by **jimmylegs** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:19 am

ww, when you had that bloodwork done, what was your zinc level??? from everything you have listed, from reproductive problems, to skin, to hair loss, not to mention the coeliac and the obvious ms, my zinc alarm is going off... have i mentioned this to you before at all?

Wonderfulworld · Post by **Wonderfulworld** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:03 am

Thanks Jimmyvitlegs, you have - I still haven't got that zinc level tested, but I'm trying to avoid GP for a few weeks - we saw him 4 times over Xmas with evil chest infections for all the family! I am going back to re-test my vit d, calcium, iron and I promise I will get my zinc levels checked. I am taking 200% zinc on top of my food intake (take a lot of seeds) and I have felt much healthier in the last 2 weeks since starting back on BBD. You are very good to mention it again - I needed reminding - but writing the D3/cal/mag/zinc/iron tests request in my diary now.

Post by **jimmylegs** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:26 pm

great good to know

keep in touch with updates!

mrhodes40 · Post by **mrhodes40** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:35 pm

WW since you have celiac did your doc consider the possibiity of gluten ataxia? Just curious....

If you never heard of it see it here
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=glu ... &hl=en&lr=

Wonderfulworld · Post by **Wonderfulworld** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:01 pm

No MrRhodes, no one has ever mentioned it to me.

I have wondered myself if gluten was having a negative effect on MS, because 6 years ago I would have been a lot worse than I am now and I started the gluten-free diet then. However I have had relapses since I started the gluten free diet. I also started on Copaxone 5 years ago and that seemed to help.

I have had widespread CNS involvement over the 10 years since diagnosis, and my clinical picture is very much pointing to MS.

Twentymiles · Post by **Twentymiles** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:08 pm

I've been on this diet for 4-years and anxiously waiting for the results of this study. Why isn't this on Direct MS.

I'm glad to see something, but I'm wondering how closely they monitored these people's diets to be sure they did not eat the wrong things.

Post by **jimmylegs** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:33 am

diet diaries, one every three months is it not? i'm pretty sure the proposal is on direct-ms. as for status, i imagine the lead investigators could tell you where things are at with this one.

Twentymiles · Post by **Twentymiles** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 6:38 am

Thanks, I saw the diet journals. Diet is tough to do a real test because people make mistakes. Unless you imprison them and force them to eat the right foods

My guess is the medical community will say the study means nothing because there was not a blind placebo.

I truly believe in the diet, I guess I was looking for some affirmation.