Donna’s Blog

I’ve just been reading a fascinating new book called The MS Recovery Diet by Ann Sawyer and Judith Bachrach. In their book, Ann and Judith talk about a specific diet that has helped many patients with MS to recover. To find out more about the diet and how it works, I asked Ann to answer a few questions for us.Q. What is the MS Diet?
A. The main principle of the diet is that food (also illness, stress, fatigue) activates the immune cells that start the cascade of events that lead to MS symptoms. Food doesn’t cause the disease as such, but fuels the disease process after it manifests. This can be stopped by not eating those foods which overactivate the immune system and, just as important, by eating foods that help the body repair, restore and recover.

The first step is to stop eating the trigger foods that activate the disease process. Reduce intake of saturated fats, most importantly animal and dairy fats. Keep to less than 15 grams per day- and sugar in great quantities. There are five food groups to which people with MS are found to be most often sensitive. These are gluten containing grains and wheat, dairy, eggs, legumes and yeast. Each person has a unique food sensitivity profile, which can include foods not among the usual suspects. Digestive tract health is crucial so use caution or cease to use: tobacco, caffeine, NSAIDS (aspirin, Tylenol), antibiotics, antacids and alcohol as they can be damaging to the digestive system.

It is very important to be well nourished with nutrient dense foods. The following will help to heal the digestive system (leaky gut) and speed recovery: lean protein, vegetables/fruits, foods rich in antioxidants, raw foods for enzyme support and probiotics. Drink plenty of water; get sunshine (vitamin D) and exercise. As time goes on you can reclaim movement, sensations, your cognitive abilities, and full energy.

Q. What would a typical day’s food choices look like for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
A. Dinner can be a chicken or fish, steamed vegetables, a salad and potatoes. Lunch might be a salad with some protein and roasted root vegetables such as turnips, parsnips or rutabaga, or other fillers (sweet potato, taro root or celery root). Breakfast reflects the greatest change from the usual diet. Breakfast can be soup, leftovers from dinner, baked sweet potato, along with some protein like turkey bacon.

Q. How can the diet be implemented simply?
A. The fastest and most effective way, for the first several months, is to stop eating the five usual suspects as well as limit saturated fat and sugars as described above.

The initial healing will have its ups and downs. The return of your ability to do more will happen step by step at first and setbacks happen easily due to stress and fatigue, or if you come down with a virus. Don’t be discouraged. Keep following the diet. When subtle changes in symptoms can be discerned and you feel better, you can begin testing foods to see if they are triggers for you. As you continue to progress, you will refine and individualize the diet for your healing. Begin to exercise more as your healing becomes more solid and permanent.

For the best healing make sure you eat enough nutrient dense foods with an emphasis on protein and vegetables. Keep stress to a minimum. Remember that sleep and rest are treatments. When you have a return of energy or abilities, don’t overdo it. You still need to use your body’s energy to continue to heal.

Q. For whom will it work?
A. A good research study has never been funded to explore all the aspects of this dietary treatment, so we don’t know for sure. However the recovery diet seems to work for everyone who really follows and works with it. How quickly improvements are seen is highly variable. The road is bumpy, but if you stick with it and listen to your body, you will heal and recover. It takes time, persistence, patience and determination.