Can a healthy diet help MS? Yes, but it’s not a cure

Diet? Me? No. we just don’t get along. Try to lose weight, have some minor success, then get disillusioned when the diet continues but the weight plateaus out. Sound familiar? And you end up back where you started or, horror of horrors, even heavier.

And I have never paid much attention to people saying that diet cured them of MS. In fact, it’s nothing short of hogwash. That’s not to say that diet cannot help, just that it is not a cure by itself.

A few weeks ago, this site carried news that Lisa and I were going to start eating a totally healthy and balanced vegetarian diet.  Not one that has been sold to us but one that we decide for ourselves.

Before going further, l must make it quite clear, our decision to go vegetarian was not a desire to lose weight, there were no allergies involved, and we both actually like meat. Our motivation was purely the horrendous way we, as humans, treat other sentient beings with cruelty and contempt.

Hamburgers? No, no meat in these tasty veggie burgers.

Having said that, how is our veggie adventure going? In short, amazingly well.

Lisa loves cooking and now uses her skills to create the most wonderful tasty meals that are nourishing and have a great balance of protein and everything else we need – minus the animal fats.

Must admit to having misgivings at first, but the dishes that are new to my palate are fantastic. We don’t just eat a plateful of vegetables, there’d be no enjoyment in that. There is so much that can be done in the kitchen, we have not even touched soya yet.

So, have we noticed any differences yet? Well, it’s early days yet but we are both delighted to have lost a bi of weight. Lisa has lost two kilos (almost 4.5lbs) while I am down to 105.8kg (that’s 233.25lbs to my American readers and 16st 9.25lbs to my British ones). Whatever way you say it, that’s my healthiest weight for too many years to remember. A few years ago my weight was more than 120kg (266lbs, 19st). A heart scare prompted my first step, the initial loss, and our new vegetarian way of life is helping me take the second.

What can a diet do for someone with MS? In my opinion, about the same as it can do for someone without the disease; a balanced diet helps to achieve and maintain a healthy level of fitness. But it is not a cure and never can be; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Note: Health-related information available on 50shadesofsun website is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. I am not a doctor and cannot and do not give you medical advice. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult a doctor before starting a new diet or exercise programme. Any opinions expressed are purely my own unless otherwise stated.

50shadesofsun is the personal website of Ian Franks who is Managing Editor of the columns division of BioNews Services. BioNews is owner of 50 disease-specific news and information websites, including MS News Today.

Ian has enjoyed a successful career as a journalist, from reporter to editor, in the print media; during which he gained a Journalist of the Year award in his native UK. He was diagnosed with MS in 2002 but continued working until mobility problems forced him to retire early in late 2006. He now lives in the south of Spain. Besides MS, he is also able to write about both epilepsy and cardiovascular matters from a patient’s perspective and is a keen advocate on mobility and accessibility issues.

Advertisement