Chantale Michaud – Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Wellness Consultant
When the myelin sheath is damaged, nerves do not conduct electrical impulses normally. This results in sensations like: muscle weakness, tingling pins and needle sensations, memory problems, and fatigue. Yes, all the symptoms of MS! The good news is that with the help of certain nutrients, the human body has an amazing natural ability to repair myelin. In the video, I talk about 6 of them.
You probably came here looking for a definitive answer about what specific diet is the very best diet to follow when you have multiple sclerosis. From vegetarian to vegan, to raw vegan to paleo – I’ve known people who have tried them all, including myself!
One thing I would say is this. Be cautious of taking advice from someone who gives general advice claiming one specific type of diet either cures or heals MS.
Even though nutrition can have a profound impact on our health and how this disease plays out in the body, there is no ONE specific type of diet for slowing, halting or preventing multiple sclerosis – other than a whole foods, anti-inflammatory diet that addresses some of the points I discuss further down in this post. Each and every one of us who have been diagnosed with MS are metabolically, genetically, biochemically unique, and we have different factors that could be contributing to inflammation in the body.
What is balancing for one person, isn’t necessarily going to have the same effect for someone else. And why would it? Your liver, your kidneys, your adrenal glands – every cell in your body has lived a distinct life specific to you and your experiences. Even the state of your digestive health is unique to only you. We all might have been diagnosed with the same health condition but the lives we have lived are very different.
I have been living with multiple sclerosis since 2001, and I’ve spoken to so many people who follow all kinds of different diets. Some people manage their MS quite well following a vegan diet, but that might not work for you if you an intolerance to grains, beans and legumes, or serious digestive problems.
Many people with MS have a tendency of having food sensitivities, meaning certain foods can keep the body in a state of low grade systemic inflammation and steady rate of progression. It’s up to each of us to figure out what works for us as individuals.
One popular diet for MS is the paleo diet, which includes animal proteins. Vegan and paleo are both completely opposite diets from one another, yet there are many people who are quite successful in managing their health while eating in these different ways. And well, some people are not successful at remaining symptom-free at all. So why do you think this would this be?
We each have to figure out what is anti-inflammatory for us as individuals! And this doesn’t just include food. Sleep, stress levels, and exercise also play a very important role.
The online program I have created is not a specific diet plan. It’s a program designed to teach you how to bring balance back onto your body – YOUR unique body. There has to be balance in the diet no matter what type of diet you’re following. Most importantly, it needs to be anti-inflammatory!
So the best diet for MS?
– is anti-inflammatory for YOU as an individual
– focuses on gut health
– corrects nutritional deficiencies
– supports brain health
– contains nutrients that helps regenerate myelin
– supports natural detoxification and functioning of the liver
– helps you identify and minimize all stressors that could be contributing to inflammation (above and beyond diet)
– addresses the importance of restorative sleep
– incorporates stress management techniques and exercise
The best diet for MS is one that nourishes your mind, body and spirit!
The best diet for MS doesn’t give you unrealistic, unattainable goals. It helps you achieve balance in your body and develop healthy diet and lifestyle habits for lifelong success.
My online program A Holistic approach to Living with Multiple Sclerosis, is now up and running!
Never let any medical diagnosis stop you from pursuing the best health possible!
~Chantale, Registered Holistic Nutritionist
Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2001
Health conscious and relapse free since 2007!
Studies have shown that the bacteria in our gut play a very important role when it comes to the development and progression of autoimmune conditions.
Researchers have discovered that MS patients have a distinct microbiome compared to their healthy peers. One specific study divided RRMS patients into groups that separated those with active disease and those in remission. They found there was less diverse gut bacteria in the patients in active relapse compared to those who stay in remission for longer periods of time.
One cause of this gut bacteria imbalance is caused by an overgrowth of candida, a type of bacteria that lives throughout different regions of the body. Even though it’s natural to have a certain level of these types of bacterial colonies in the body, problems arise when the levels grow to unhealthy levels.
Not all gut bacteria are created equal!
Some of the good bacteria in the gut help to digest food, some manufacture specific vitamins, and other strains of bacteria even help protect the lining of the digestive tract. When there is an imbalance, too many strains of certain types of bacteria outnumber the beneficial strains. This can cause digestive problems and is an irritant to the cells that line the digestive tract. When left untreated, any irritation in the digestive tract can lead to inflammation and something called leaky gut syndrome, which can be linked to autoimmune reactions.
Anything that irritates or stresses the digestive system can lead to systemic, wide-spread inflammation. By controlling inflammation in the digestive tract, we can begin the process of bringing balance back into the body and potentially stop the immune system from misfiring.
To learn more about the different underlying causes of candida and how balance gut bacteria, visit the second module of my free online program: A Holistic Approach to Living with Multiple Sclerosis.
Sources:
Specific Gut Bacteria May Drive Progression of Multiple Sclerosis, Study Finds
Gut Microbes Could Help Trigger Multiple Sclerosis
Gut germs play role in multiple sclerosis, studies show.
The reason why Module 1 of my MS program starts with addressing gut health is because according to the holistic model of health, the underlying cause of autoimmune reactions is triggered by intestinal hyperpermeability, commonly referred to as leaky gut syndrome.
In this scenario within the digestive system, the intestinal lining becomes irritated and inflamed and allows substances such as undigested proteins, microbes, and toxins to slip into the bloodstream (where they do not belong). The immune system detects and registers them as foreign substances. This puts the immune system on high alert to attack these substances as a method of self defense.
A mechanism called molecular mimicry, in which these foreign antigens in the blood stream share structural similarities with self-antigens now has the body attacking your own tissues. In order to stop this misguided immune system response, it’s important to remove foods and other factors that could be contributing to inflammation in the body. This is crucial because anything that irritates (the body or mind), can keep the body in a state of low-grade inflammation.
We start with the basics in this program by addressing digestive health. The reason for this is because we could be doing all the right things and eating the healthiest diet possible, but simple eating habits we might be practicing could be undoing all that good.
For example, if we’re drinking large amounts of water with meals or eating too fast, these type of eating habits stress the digestive system and impairs the way the body digests and absorbs nutrients. This is a stressor to the body and the digestive system. If we want to stop the body from initiating an autoimmune response, we need to be aware of some very simple habits that could be causing irritation to the gut lining.
Check out the first module of the program. It’s free, seriously no catch.
Check it out >> HERE <<
