One bandwagon that I admittedly jumped right on after my MS diagnosis was a Paleo/Mediterranean-inspired diet. I’ve always been pretty “healthy” in that I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, but I also ate a great deal of processed sugar–mostly in the form of gummy bears and Sour Patch Kids. Despite the fact that there is no firm evidence that suggests diet plays any sort of meaningful role in the management of MS, I have been swayed by the many, many positive accounts of people who suffer from various autoimmune diseases and follow Paleo-inspired diets.
You may come across Dr. Terry Wahls–a doctor who has come up with a Paleo-like diet and lifestyle for people who are dealing with autoimmune disorders. Narrowed down to its most salient points, Wahls explains that eating more vegetables (especially dark, leafy green vegetables), along with the elimination of inflammatory foods like gluten and dairy, can reduce the inflammation that’s at the heart of most autoimmune conditions and therefore reduce a lot of the symptoms that folks with MS deal with on a daily basis. If you’re interested in reading more about Dr. Wahls, visit her website here.
I do want to stress that I personally do not follow the Wahls Diet–I find it very, VERY restrictive, and as someone with a history of disordered eating, I don’t want to go down that path. However, I have taken some of her recipes and adapted them to fit my lifestyle. I also do not believe that my MS can be cured by diet and diet alone.
I have to say–and this is more common sense talking than anything else–since I’ve stopped eating as much gluten and dairy (and I do still eat both of these things), eliminated processed sugar, and started focusing on primarily eating fruits, vegetables, and certain meats, I feel good. I’m not so sure I feel any alleviation of my symptoms due to this dietary change, but I do feel like following a healthier diet gives me some sense of being in control of managing this illness. Plus, as I often say, the Placebo Effect may be just that– a placebo– but if it makes me feel better, then dammit, I’m doing it!
I thought I would share some of the recipes I’ve been making that do not sacrifice flavor, despite the fact that they’re devoid of anything delicious like cheese, butter, or processed sugar. My goal in sharing these recipes is not to promote a certain kind of lifestyle (you do you), or to imply that certain foods are “bad” (because they’re not), but to share what’s making me feel good and what’s making me feel happy.
Happy eating!
Living in Color 