A GOOD MS DIET

[lindaz9]

Does anyone have a good MS diet? The food that I am eating seems to bother me and I feel if I change my diet, I might feel better. Is gluten free the way to go? Thanks.

[LissaH]

@lindaz9, Good Morning. I heard many people talk about the Mediterranean Diet. I've recently looked into it myself and they seem to have some really tasty looking food there. I am willing to give it a try. It supposes to help with inflammation which is what I'm dealing with lately. Hope this help and good luck.

Lissa

[Juliew19673]

Veggies! Fruit! Less gluten is good. Less sugar is good. Avoid heavy fats. Fish is good. Don't throw out everything, I've tried being militant a couple times following what supposedly was THE diet for MS and had issues. Just keep all things down to a "Dull Roar" and you will find what works for you. MS is so specific for each individual, you can't just paint it with a broad brush that some "Expert" says works for all.

[greaterexp]

You'll find many different and very strong opinions on this topic. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is, but I lean toward a diet that I can actually stay on forever, rather than any very restrictive or fad-type diet. For some of us, it may be easier to make changes gradually. Diets that appear to be good for one system of our bodies, but are deficient for other systems don't seem like a good idea to me. We have to consider our medical histories, too.

Do your research, being careful of unrealistic promises and just testimonials. I'm leery of any diet or product that insists we buy something from their company. It's probably a very good idea to fill your doctor in on your plan of diet.

[Lilith08 in reply to greaterexp]

Excellent advice 🧡

[Frances_B in reply to greaterexp]

Spot-on advice. But do be careful of many doctors such as PCPs - they are often very poorly informed as their standard medical training generally includes almost nothing of any substance on diet, and they tend to just spout out-of-date stuff that some one handed them at a conference or similar.

[falalalala]

I just started the Best Bet diet.I can't imagine that cutting out processed food would be a bad thing.(also dairy,wheat,fatty cuts of meat)

[anaishunter]

here is where I started: msdietforlife.com/ms-diet/

I thought the model was easy to adopt. But I also took the time to research every type of food and whether it was creating or fighting inflammation.

My general rule now is: no dairy, no sugar, no or only good quality meat. and a few other very specfic things I suppressed.

[Frances_B]

Every website for every one of the "MS Diets" claims their diet is the be all and end all for MS. The fact is there is no real proof that any of them are any better than any of the others, and each person is different - some people swear by Wahls, others love Swank, and there's another mob who worship Jelinek and OMS, while Matt Embry (Best Bet diet) also has its followers. Virtually every naturopath or "functional doctor" has their own take on what should be done by a PwMS. Everyone is different and some people may feel better on one of these diets and others will feel b........ awful on the same diet. Often people who commit to one of the more restrictive diets seem to feel they have to justify their dietary sacrifices by singing loudly from the tree-tops about how well they're doing - even if there's no appreciable or discernible difference - sometimes it seems they are looking to be praised for their self-discipline as much as anything else.

There is also no evidence whatsoever that someone who does not have a properly diagnosed gluten sensitivity or Coeliac Disease needs to go gluten free - it's one of the biggest cons in recent years, and blinded trials of gluten free diets etc have shown this to be the case. Many people who self-diagnose as having problems with gluten may actually have problems with FODMAP foods. Any diet which excludes whole food groups such as meat, or dairy, or grains, or whatever, risks causing deficiencies of essential nutrients, and unless there is a definite medical problem which warrants exclusion of some foods, it is best to eat as varied a diet as you can.

If your food seems to be "bothering" you then it's probably worth seeking some proper food sensitivity tests e.g. lactose, gluten and other things. If these don't identify any real issues, then cut out as much processed food as you can (no more Maccas), eat more vegies and fish, don't go overboard on fruit or red meat, restrict sugar intake (no fizzy drinks - or diet drinks either for that matter), use wholemeal grains/products, etc - it's actually quite easy to follow these guidelines and enjoy your food (and still allow yourself an occasional treat such as chocolate cake ). If you had to put a label on anything I'd be heading down the Mediterranean pathway - it's the only one which really has evidence on its side, and diet is really about about good health not MS.

[kdali]

I have done the main ones and they are all good. I had my labs done after about 6 months on each one and two stood out as the best, so I went with the one that cut my symptoms in half. Take your pick, stick to it for 6 months. Eating real food is a great place to start if you don’t already.

[greaterexp in reply to kdali]

I simply ate way less meat, no processed foods, cut out refined sugar (and cut down on any sugar, such as honey, etc.), used only extra light olive or avocado oils, had plain oatmeal with berries every morning, and my high lipid (the bad ones) levels dropped significantly. I do fall off the wagon now and then, but generally stick to "real food," as kdali says.

I can't speak to so-called "inflammation diets," as there is so much disparity between the myriad types; no one seems to agree about which foods actually cause inflammation. One source claims that tomatoes will practically kill you, and another reports that they are full of good nutrients and do not cause inflammation.

Getting off my rear and exercising a bit more really helps, too, in terms of strength, flexibility, and overall wellness. That's what I look for, really.

[kdali in reply to greaterexp]

That’s great about your lipids! 🎉 I think there are a lot of ways to reduce inflammation besides avoiding tasty fresh organic produce, like tomatoes. If I meditate, then I can have peanuts because they cancel each other out? 🤣 Jk, I don’t think about it like that!

[falalalala]

I started the Best Bet diet a few days ago. Essentially no dairy,no soy,no wheat. My energy level has been pretty good along with my blood sugars.I also noticed I was flexing my bad foot last night. That's something I can't usually do with out a lot of effort.

My husband noticed a huge difference .He does not have MS but wanted to help/suffer with me.

After a few days of following this way of eating,he said he was feeling great. He then went out and got himself a small chocolate milkshake last night and it flared up the arthritis in both shoulders.He says it's not worth eating that garbage.

I agree.

[Neworleanslady]

I like the Mediterranean diet for myself. In addition to this i stopped eating fruit and have noticed significantly less bloating in my belly. So lots of vegetables, limited red meat and nightly wine. I learned about this diet in a continuing education course, not an ms course, but i like it.

[lindaz9 in reply to Neworleanslady]

Thanks. I will look into it.