The MS Recovery Diet by Ann Sawyer and Judi Bachrach

I have just become a grandmother and with that I hold in my heart all the best wishes that my new granddaughter have a long, happy and healthy life. But, with 8 out of the 16 direct descendants of my Swedish immigrant grandparents having either autoimmune or neurological diseases, the question becomes what can we do to proect our next generation? This is especially relevant in the face of the rising rates of these diseases which are appearing at earlier ages. Even in my own family, the diseases are manifesting at a much earlier age than in my own generation.

A careful diet alone will not suffice, as food is not exactly a cause of MS, rather once it manifests, food fuels symptoms. But. certainly a healthy diet, low in saturated fats, sugars and high in vegetables, lean protein, and essential oils is important. What do we know of the causes? Environmental factors seem to be on the rise, as evidenced by the increasing incidence at earlier ages, but we don't know much about them or do we always have much control. Genetics plays a part, but we have no control there.

Stress and coping mechanisms for stress are one way we can intervene, not just as a prevention of MS, but for all diseases. Stress kills. Given our modern society, eliminating stress is not realistic, but teaching good coping skills and an approach and attitude that prevents internalizing all the visissitudes of life can prove protective. An adequate intake of vitamin D--good old sunlight has also been proven to be protective. Again, this recommendation extends to many diseases. Twenty minutes a day is the best, supplements of vitamin D --fish oil--also serve as preventative.

Ultimately, it would seem that following the advice of our grandparents is best, "eat well, a variety and not too much, include your vegetables, get adequate rest, be relaxed and not stressed, wash your hands, go outside and play...." Good health and good health habits are our best protection, not just from MS, but from all disease. In a family where there is MS, like mine, be watchful of any early signs. If caught early, MS will have not real impact on our loved ones lives--other than they will be very healthy.

The Townsend Letter, a highly respected alternative health journal, has an artilce about the MS Recovery Diet in the latest issue. To get accepted for publication, this article had to be reviewed and endorsed by two medical doctors, so we are very pleased with it being included.
Of possible interest is that this article focuses on the science behind the diet, including how the latest scientific discoveries fit into the picture. It is footnoted. Along with this piece there is a very concise summary of the diet itself and a three day sample menu to give a better feel for how the diet translate into food.
Hopefully, this article will be another vehicle to spread the word that MS can be beaten and full recovery achieved.

We recently got an e-mail from a woman who has a very delicate digestive system and found she could not change her diet all at once. She had more reaction than what is more often the case where people feel worse for a while. Interestingly, she worked with her neurologist on this--reporting to us that he said the diet made sense, and is now addressing questions to us about how long it will take to recover and how fast she can test foods. I thought that more people might be interested in my response to her about the diet--what we know and what we don't know.
So, here is my e-mail back to her
Thank you for your confidence in the diet, I am sure you will succeed. I know it sounds hard to believe but you will be able to detect problem foods quite readily. Tara, who I believe has her story somewhere on the web site, has as a main trigger meat that was given anti-biotics or growth hormones or any chemicals. She can eat totally organic meat. Other than saturated fat which is also a trigger, she can eat everything else. You may think now that would be impossible to detect, but as you get to know your body and the diet, your body will tell you when something is not right.
First we have to get you to that place--
We know that your digestive tract is sensitive so you need to make sure you are supplying it with probiotics and not doing anything to damage it. A healthy digestive tract is crucial, otherwise what good is done by the diet is undone by the damaged digestive tract. (One woman, who had a hard time getting the diet started because as we discovered later on her digestive tract was sensitive, finally had gotten to about an 80% improvement. Then she had an infection, took antibiotics for a month, and lost all her progress. her digestive system was damaged and she didn't take probiotics. Once this was figured out, she is recovering once more.)
On eliminating the food groups. It seems to work best if people eliminate all the most common triggers first--saturated fat, sugar, gluten grains, dairy, eggs, legumes and yeast--then when they start to feel better ( several months usually), test and add back. During this time, it is important to eat sufficient quantities of food so as not to lost too much weight and also to aid in healing. I can't explain exactly why this works better than first testing one food, either adding it back or eliminating it, then another--we need research on the diet. I suspect it has to do with the whole load of troublesome foods on the body--in other words, if there are 5 major triggers and you eliminate one, then you might not see the improvement since the other four are active. Also there seems to be some kind of accumulative effect.
So, I would suggest for the most effective way for you to recover that you slowly eliminate all the usual suspects. Perhaps this could be done at intervals of 3 to 4 weeks. At the same time, your body will be adjusting to the new foods you introduce. The diet should be very much vegetable and protein based. (I have attached a write up of a three day diet--it is going to be part of an article in the alternative health journal The Townsend Letter, so I ask that you not share it.) Both additions and subtractions are adjustments for your digestive system--let it be your guide.
In a couple of months, maybe as long as 6, you should start to feel better and notice small changes in symptoms. Recovery is in small steps, but they add up to big changes and a return to full functioning. At that point, you will be at the point I mentioned in the first paragraph. Test your foods then, if you hadn't already discerned what individual foods do to you. Not only will you detect what foods cause you problems, but what foods make you feel better and adjust your diet accordingly.
I hope this answers your questions, if you have more, feel free to write. Good luck to you and if you don't experience change, please let me know. We will figure it out. Best, Ann
----- Original Message -----

We ar receiving a lot of feedback from people who are working with the diet and their disease, which is giving me more insight into the healing process. Since each person has a different experience, it is very helpful to share these hard won insights.
Now I know from personal experience and the experiences of others that stress, illness, fatigue and even menstrual cycles can cause a spike in symptoms. The disease is not worse at these times, rather the reaction to these 'stresses', over rides the progress temporarily. After the situation has cleared up, the progress and recovery return.
I received some good feedback from a man who had been discouraged about his progress. One day, since the heat bothers him, he wore an ice vest and had chipped ice with some flavoring. To his amazement, he was able to do things for a protracted period of time that he had not been able to do for years.
It would appear that his body was recovering due to the diet all along, but the heat symptoms masked the progress he had made. Then all of a sudden, to him, all this progress became evident. Needless to say he was thrilled.
I thought it might be helpful to share this insight. This also points once again to the need of good research to be done on the diet and its working.

I had an experience recently which was a delightful exploration of new foods. I went to an Ethiopian restaurant in New York City. Much of their diet is based on a bread, Injera or Taita, made from Teff flour. Teff is a highly nutritious grain that is ground then let to ferment before it is fried on a hot skillet. The resulting bread is flat and spongy. Meals are then comprised of this bread along with several side dishes, often well spiced. It was delicious and exciting for me to expand my horizons.
Historically, mankind ate a much larger variety of foods than we do now and without refrigeration, ate mostly foods in season. Eating limited variety and the same foods all year round, are postulated to contribute to the greater incidence of food sensitivities seen in our culture. This goes beyond MS, and you will find so many people complain that this or that food causes them problems. Think of the growing incidence of allergies to peanuts not seen when I was a child in the 50s.
So, I'd suggest one way to add some interest and fun in your eating is to buy some new types of vegetables as found in an ethnic grocery or even your own. Taro root, when boiled for about 25 minutes and peeled is an interesting and nutritious food, for example.
Have fun and play with the diet as you recover or as you maintain your recovery.