Best tips to start

[South7]

I've just started looking into the various MS diets. At this point I don't feel ready to jump entirely in to one of these plans, but have started to make changes to my diet that I can work with for now. What would people suggest for the top tips for getting started? I am avoiding saturated fats, and eating more fruits and veggies. I've been searching for the foods that have the highest anti-inflammatory factors, as I assume that is best. And, just saw the post about beans, too - kind of disappointed as I thought that was going to be my new perfect food!

[Sequoia]

You'll probably get a variety of answers to your question, but that's a good thing! You can choose what seems most reasonable and doable to you at this time.

I would say the first thing is to eliminate all hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. Substitute olive oil, canola oil, and maybe flaxseed oil and coconut oil.

The second thing I'd suggest is eliminating gluten from your diet. That's harder to do, but there are a lot of good how-to ideas on this forum, as well as information on why going gluten-free is a good idea.

Good luck as you begin the adventure of dietary change, whatever path you choose to follow!

[Chais Papa]

Google Dr. Andrew Weils anti-inflammation diet and food pyramid. That's a good place to begin. What you eat can make a huge difference in how you feel. My theory is that inflammation is the cause of the symptoms and progression of MS. Good luck.
Be well and stay strong
{URL}http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02012/anti-inflammatory-diet{URL}

[Sequoia]

I agree with Chais Papa, Dr. Weil's anti-inflammatory diet is an excellent place to start. I meant to congratulate you on your use of anti-inflammatory foods, but it slipped my mind by the time I finished the rest of my earlier post. Sorry!

Dr. Weil also counsels eliminating all hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, but he doesn't go as far as eliminating gluten. That can come later if you choose to try it, or can be incorporated easily into Dr. Weil's plan.

[Sir-Voor]

Hi South7,

Almost a year ago I started changing my diet and I did not jump in, with each step/change I made it got easier.

I now believe the best diet for you is a diet you create for your health issues and taste.
The various MS diets are really just a combination of different basic diets, an anti-inflammatory diet is one they all have in common.

And a good place to start in creating your own diet.
NutritionData.com has really helped me, and I highly recommend it.
I really like the IF (Inflammation Factor) system they use and got from “The inflammation free diet plan”.

Anther common basic diet is a gluten free diet.
The odds in being gluten sensitive are 1 in 7, if you are gluten sensitive going gluten free can make a dramatic difference.
Some say everyone should go gluten free, and also meat and legumes free, personally I think that is going too far but if I had more MS issues I like would consider.

I’m doing a gut healthy/leaky gut diet, see that I’m not going gluten, meat and legumes free at lest I’m reducing how much leaks into my blood system.

OK I’m getting to far from getting started tips.

Tip 1. Switch from cows milk to rice milk and or almond milk,
I did it to reduce fat and dairy intake, I thought I was going to be hard but was not.

Tip 2. Stop drink soda! Even diet soda! I was hard but it gets easier, it took me about a month for my taste buds to change. Now I don’t miss soda at all.

Tip 3. Switch from sugar to spices! This is a fun, healthy, and taste change that you will enjoy a lot. There are spices good for inflammation and high in antioxidants, and taste WOW!
For quality and low cost spices I recommend Penzeys.com, their “China Tung Hing Cinnamon” is fantastic.

[South7]

Thanks for the replies! I had checked out the pyramid and that's what really got me thinking. I don't think I can go so low as the 1-2 other proteins per week, but the meats I eat are lean. Lots of venison (deer hunting is a big thing around here .) I am going to try to eat more fish though.

I don't know if it's all in my head, but with eliminating most of the daily bad fats over the last week - I just seem to feel better already! A couple wks ago I had a bad day and was just starting to worry...I feel 180 from that at this point. I will stay positive!

[Sequoia]

Sir-Voor, you say "the odds in being gluten sensitive are 1 in 7"...could you please tell us where you got that figure?

My impression is that gluten sensitivity, as opposed to gluten (wheat) allergy and Celiac Disease, is more widespread than that.

[South7]

Also, I've been using the site, nutritiondata dot self dot com to look up the inflammatory factor/rating of foods. Kind of interesting!

[Sir-Voor]

Sir-Voor, you say "the odds in being gluten sensitive are 1 in 7"...could you please tell us where you got that figure?

My impression is that gluten sensitivity, as opposed to gluten (wheat) allergy and Celiac Disease, is more widespread than that.

The 1 in 7 is the % of people that are gluten Sensitive, the % of people with gluten intolerance is much lower (1 in 200).

Source: http://www.foodintol.com/celiac.asp

Now other sites with vary in the numbers, for example;

Celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, is a genetic disorder that affects at least 1 in 133 Americans.
http://www.celiac.com/

This is not to say that 6 in 7 have no reaction to gluten, I really don't don't and can not say how or if they react.

[Sequoia]

Thanks, Sir-Voor. You're right, different sites do give different numbers on gluten sensitivity.

In a recent post, a member asked Tara if going gluten free was of benefit to everyone, or just to sensitive individuals. Here's Tara's response:

Benefit to EVERYONE!!

It makes the immune system behave badly.....not a good thing for anyone!

[Bob698]

Before we get hung up on the specifics, don't get hung up on the specifics.
If there are other people in your household, doing a diet change will get tricky. You can always claim that:
A). You're trying to save more money.
B). "The store doesn't carry it anymore" or "It just didn't look good, the last time I bought it".

By all means, keep it simple. Instead of going Vegan overnight, phase in the changes over time. Smaller portions of meat and larger portions of veggies over time are less noticable.
Start pushing salads more as a way to get into raw veggies.
Be very careful with fish. Those of us who live in the north love fish- as long as its deep fried with an inch of coating on it. Same goes for the south east. Fish is good, the way we make it isn't. Check into new ways using soups, grilled, baked or boiled.

Above all, diet doesn't have to be All Or Nothing. Once you spend some time eating healthy, its OK to stray once a month or so. You'll still get the cravings for a loaded pizza or a grease burger and fries. Eventually, you'll notice the "gross factor" in stuff you used to love to eat.

[Sequoia]

There's wisdom in what you say, Bob698.

However, for someone whose MS is progressing quickly in spite of the available medications, a more drastic approach to dietary change may be warranted.

As with everything else, it's a matter of individual choice, of what works best for a person given his/her temperament, circumstances, etc.

For me (and I've tried it both ways, gradual and sudden), dietary change was easier when I did it all at once rather than a bit at a time.

When you make a radical change, such as giving up gluten, it's difficult at first but your palate adjusts fairly quickly to the new tastes and textures. That's how it was for me.

Going slowly, or cheating from time to time, just encourages the cravings for the old, familiar foods to hang on indefinitely. Again, that's how it was for me.

If there are other family members involved (there were for me...husband and kids), it's not all that difficult to fix meals that have things you can eat and things they can eat.

[Twenty Miles]

There's wisdom in what you say, Bob698.

However, for someone whose MS is progressing quickly in spite of the available medications, a more drastic approach to dietary change may be warranted.

As with everything else, it's a matter of individual choice, of what works best for a person given his/her temperament, circumstances, etc.

For me (and I've tried it both ways, gradual and sudden), dietary change was easier when I did it all at once rather than a bit at a time.

When you make a radical change, such as giving up gluten, it's difficult at first but your palate adjusts fairly quickly to the new tastes and textures. That's how it was for me.

Going slowly, or cheating from time to time, just encourages the cravings for the old, familiar foods to hang on indefinitely. Again, that's how it was for me.

If there are other family members involved (there were for me...husband and kids), it's not all that difficult to fix meals that have things you can eat and things they can eat.

This is my expereince as well. It is easier for me to just do it. People in my office bought me a poster from Nike that says "Just Do It" because I say that quite often. My family and friends have no problem "living" with my diet. If anything we all eat healthier as a result.

[South7]

Be very careful with fish. Those of us who live in the north love fish- as long as its deep fried with an inch of coating on it. Same goes for the south east. Fish is good, the way we make it isn't. Check into new ways using soups, grilled, baked or boiled.

That's funny, Bob698 - Friday night fish fry anyone?
Luckily my husband likes to bake the fish he catches, with lots of interesting spices!

[Mamabug]

I try to choose "good carbs" and "good fats". And, lots of fruits and veggies.

"Good carbs":
Mostly vegetables and fruit. Also, oatmeal every morning, and a daily piece of dark chocolate. And, a nutritional meal substitute product that I use has carbs, protein and fat in it. I don't use a lot of legumes, and, some people say they should be avoided. Actually, though, I've considered adding more into my diet. I eat some low fat or fat free dairy. (IMO; but some people say they should be avoided.)

Although I don't eat totally gluten-free, I don't personally cook myself any food that uses gluten. I do a lot of veggie and low-fat protein meals. Usually, though, when my husband does some cooking on the weekends, I eat a little bit of gluten (generally in tortillas), and, sometimes, when I go out to eat, I do too.

(Personally, I don't notice any health differences when I avoid gluten, or when I include it. I limit it because much of the gluten I used to eat was white flour, and avoiding it helps with weight loss.)

"Good fats":
Like I said, the dark chocolate every day. Also almonds. Salmon. Olive oil or canola oil, rather than vegetable oil. I avoid trans fats (hydrogenated).

I try to avoid too many whole eggs, due to cholesterol issues, but, I believe eggs are good for me, so I include 2-3 egg yolks in my diet each week.

I don't avoid all saturated fats, but, most days I keep them under 15g; some days they are as low as 4g.

Fruits and veggies:
Cruciferous vegetables are good (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc). I like to throw sliced fresh mushrooms and chopped celery (or, sometimes, other vegetables) in with a whole egg and 1-2 egg whites and cook 'em up in the skillet.

Blueberries every morning, on my oatmeal. usually 1-2 other fruits each day. I "eat" my fruits, not drink them.

I've also done some reading about anti-inflammatory foods, and, it looks like I already include quite a few.

~ Faith