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My journey with functional medicine -- wheat-free,dairy-free,sugar-free

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    #16
    I just started with a Functional Medicine NP, too!!

    HI, Mamabug,

    I am so interested in hearing your journey because I just started going to a functional medicine Nurse Practitioner (NP) about 4 weeks ago.

    I went to her because I've been having nausea/vomiting (N/V) since around Nov last year with elevated liver enzymes. Since November, I've had 2 GB ultrasounds, Brain and neck MRI (to rule out MS cause), three abdominal CT scans, liver MRI, liver biopsy, upper GI scope (EGD), gastric emptying study, Gall Bladder (GB) emptying study, and a partridge in a pear tree! I also had a blood clot behind my retina and a small retinal tear due to the pressure from the vomiting. Thank goodness those resolved ok. I had my gall bladder out in May (the liver BX at the same time). Still having N/V almost constantly unless I am taking anti-nausea pills. My traditional medicine doctors (both VA and non-VA) really didn't have anything else to offer me.

    The only upside is I lost around 45 pounds and am back into size small/medium clothes (from extra large and 1x extra large). Oh, darn! I'm having to buy a new wardrobe!!

    She drew all kinds of labs (thank goodness the VA did a bunch of them at my request!), and she started me on a 21 day liver detox program. It includes cutting out all eggs, sugar, dairy, tomatoes, gluten, red meat, shellfish, corn (mainly because most corn strains are GMOs) for that 21 day period. I have a vegan protein shake mix, another vitamin power, ox-bile, good probiotics, and pyloricil to help my liver enzymes. The second of the three weeks there was no animal (or fish, chicken) protein. I have 4 days left.

    I am really concentrating now on buying organic meats, fruits, and vegetables, and non-GMO stuff. I already buy most of my meat from farmers I know (I've been to their farms) and seen how the animals are pasture raised with non-GMO feed (and no feedlot corn finishes for any of them!!)

    I learned how to make my own hummus (really, really easy, and better than store bought!), almond and coconut milks (really simple, too!) I am doing a lot more real cooking, and no eating out right now.

    It really wasn't that hard to give up all that stuff, as I know that I will be able to add eggs, limited dairy (I know the farmer from whom I buy my milk), and all but the gluten, corn, and sugar back into my diet as I can tolerate it. The hardest thing was I needed to limit my fructose (fruit sugar) to under 25 grams/day because I have been pre-diabetic. I also recently took some bread making classes at a local artisan bakery (sourdough and baguettes), and have a bunch in my freezer to get rid of.

    I have an appointment with the NP in 2 weeks to go over labs, the next steps and narrow down the supplements I need to take. She also recommends the "Practical Paleo" and "Wahls Protocol" books. I also have appointments with her nutritionist and health fitness coach to work out a fitness plan for me.

    Oh, I also have stopped taking my Modafinil/Provigil (for fatigue) and haven't noticed a difference. I also am off my BP meds. And I am slowly weaning myself off the anti-nausea meds.

    I will keep you updated! Good luck with your journey into better heath!!
    Melissa
    _____________________
    Symptoms started around 2000, Diagnosed with RRMS April 2014, On Copaxone.

    Comment


      #17
      Oh wow. Thanks so much for posting, Melissa. We really need to follow each other's journeys and keep posting updates. You are a little further along than I am. I will be interested to hear doc's recommendations after he receives my lab results. Also scared, about what additional foods I will need to give up.

      The last 4 days, I've complied well with my no wheat, no dairy, no sugar regime. Before that, I was working on progress, but didn't even try to follow 100%. It may be difficult to comply the next two weeks; we'll be on vacation and my daughter will be cooking so I'll have less control about food choices.

      Have you observed any changes in your symptoms yet?

      Please keep posting!
      ~ Faith
      MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
      (now a Mimibug)

      Symptoms began in JAN02
      - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
      - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
      .

      - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
      - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

      Comment


        #18
        I returned from my vacation on Sunday. And, yeah. It was more difficult to comply with dietary restrictions when someone else is doing the cooking. The first 3 days, wheat and dairy seemed to be the main part of each meal, but the rest of the vacation went somewhat better. I avoided wheat and dairy for my breakfasts -- usually just had a handful of almonds and a piece of fruit. Most other days, after the first few, I could usually have one additional meal where I stayed on track and another one where my food choices were not as prescribed.

        Since I've been home, I've been able to stick to my dietary restrictions.

        Next appointment -- Wednesday. I hope to get my lab results and find out what else Dr. Garrett wants me to do.
        ~ Faith
        MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
        (now a Mimibug)

        Symptoms began in JAN02
        - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
        - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
        .

        - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
        - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

        Comment


          #19
          Wow. Dr. Garrett told me, after yesterday's lab reveal was over, that this is the appointment when his patients cry.

          The results were for a Food Allergy and Sensitivity Panel; this test was a 184 comprehensive food panel. Food allergies and food sensitivities are abnormal responses to a food component triggered by the immune system. They trigger either an immediate or a delayed response.

          The results are grouped into categories. My results surprised me. This next section is long, so feel free to skim it or skip it.
          I have no sensitivities to meats, and only to clams in the fish and seafood category. Dr. Garrett says that doesn't mean that I need to eat meat, only that I have no sensitivities to it. He recommends that, if we eat meat, that we use it to flavor our other food and that we don't over-consume it. Not having to give up meat was the best news of the day. I love meat.

          In the grain category, there are many grains that I should not eat -- including barley, bran, corn, quinoa, rice, rye, of course wheat, and others. Dr. Garrett says that we don't need to eat grains anyways.

          The vegetables category surprised me, especially, and even Dr. Garrett somewhat. He said that I had sensitivities to the highest number of vegetables that he'd seen. I should not eat artichokes, asparagus, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, green beans, kale, spinach, potatoes, turnips and tomatoes. Wow. So my green smoothies with spinach and kale, that I believed were good for me, are even out.

          Some foods in the legume group were also out -- kidney beans, navy beans, peanuts.

          Dairy is out. Regarding eggs, I can eat egg whites but not the yolks.

          I am not sensitive to most fruits. But, I need to avoid bananas and blueberries (also often in my green smoothies), pineapple and watermelon.

          I need to avoid black tea, but most other beverages are OK -- carob, cocoa, coffee, honey, green tea.

          There were a surprising number of nuts that I was sensitive to - almonds (I eat a lot of them, and almond butter), cashews, flaxseed (also in my smoothies), pistachios, poppy seed, walnuts, etc. Mostly, I can have pecans and sunflower seeds, so I can use sun butter instead of almond butter.

          And, just a few spices/seasonings that I need to avoid.

          Dr. Garrett recommends that I avoid all of the sensitive food for about 9 - 12 months. He expects that, after that amount of time, my immune system will "forget" that it used to believe that the foods were a virus and not a food. At that point, he will retest me and expects that some (or many?) of those foods will come off of the list.

          He recommends giving up wheat, dairy and sugar completely and permanently. He recommends that for everyone. My lab results indicate strong sensitivities to those; I wonder if everyone's do?

          I didn't cry, but I was certainly overwhelmed. Eating out in restaurants (which we do a lot), seems like it will be an immense challenge. I already had to make some major changes since the no wheat/no dairy/no sugar edict. Dr. Garrett gave some specific suggestions that will probably help me in ordering. And, of course, other suggestions about how to implement this at home, etc.

          So, now to begin. He sent home a food diary again, for me to record my dietary intake, my comments, and my observations about my symptoms. He encourages "progress over perfection".
          ~ Faith
          MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
          (now a Mimibug)

          Symptoms began in JAN02
          - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
          - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
          .

          - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
          - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

          Comment


            #20
            I will be out of town attending a conference for 3 days. They honor dietary restriction requests, so I have requested: Gluten-Free, Dairy-free, sugar-free, no tomatoes, no nuts. I have quite a few additional restrictions (especially vegetables), but it just seemed too overwhelming to list them all, so I'll just do my best to avoid the other restricted foods on my own.

            Or, maybe I'll take a copy of my lab results with me and see what they can do with it. I don't know.
            ~ Faith
            MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
            (now a Mimibug)

            Symptoms began in JAN02
            - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
            - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
            .

            - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
            - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

            Comment


              #21
              My health journey ...

              As quickly and painlessly as I can (is it ever quick and painless?!?!) I'd like to share my journey with health.

              Background: my mom was unhealthy from the get-go, and also a young mom (17 when she had me). She smoked, drank, and maybe did some drugs when she was pregnant with me. She was in an accident, and that caused me to be born 2 months early and breech. Not sure if I would have been breech if I were full term but I'm just trying to paint a picture of my life thus far

              She left my us when I was about 6 months old and my brother was 1.5 yrs old. My dad did his absolute best to raise us on his own. He was also young, but not quite as young as her. He worked a hard labor job - long hours, stressful conditions. Lower middle class, if that. We lived pretty rough, were exposed to smoking daily, as well as alcohol and drugs. We at everything junk, with the exception of eating at grandma and grandpa's house once or twice a week. So, mostly it was cereal, pb&j, mac and cheese, hot dogs, fast food, fast food, fast food, diet coke, and country crock. For real. I am not exaggerating.

              Pause. I want to take a second to say I have the utmost respect for my dad!! He did the best he could considering the circumstances. He loved us dearly.

              Ok, back to the story.

              I started smoking, drinking, and doing drugs at the ripe old age of 11 or 12. Yes. So sad. That was my peer group. Just a bunch of misfits from broken, damaged homes, grouping together and supporting each other in our own messed up sort of way.

              Pregnant at 16. 3 children by the time I turned 21. Single mom for most of their lives. I did not want to be a statistic. I fought my way through the mess and tried to better my life. Dropped out of school and went to college while waitressing full tim. Got a job as an accountant. Some where in there, before I was about 25, I quit all of the smoking, drugs, and alcohol.

              When I was about 24 I started gaining weight. My eyes were open to my unhealthy lifestyle. I discovered the McDougall Diet program "12 Days to Dynamic Health" ... I was desperate. I figured what was 12 days compared to a life time??? Why not. I put me and my 3 children on the McDougall Diet 12 day program (they joined in for my sake ... it was easier for me to go through it if I did not have to make different meals). IMMEDIATELY I started losing weight and my sinuses were clear for the first time in my life. If you are not familiar with the McDougall Diet - it is LOW FAT, STRICT VEGETARIAN (a.k.a. 'vegan'), whole foods, heavy emphasis on "good carbs" from whole grains, potatoes, and such the like. I followed the diet religiously. Because of my immediate results, and continued improvements with weight and skin issues, I was hooked. Totally convinced I had found THE BEST DIET FOR HUMANS.

              I got all in to whole foods cooking. A whole new world of food opened up to me. I already really enjoyed learning how to cook, but before McDougall I did not know much about whole foods. I started adapting recipes in my favorite cookbook to be compliant to McDougall. I got thinner and thinner. No more meat, so I took the advice from other McDougall followers and replaced the meat and dairy with soy alternatives. Soy 'burger' crumbles, soy milk, so 'chicken' nuggets, so 'lunch meat', you get the point.

              This went on for about a year and at some point in there I noticed my oldest son was having a huge problem keeping his emotions under control. He would just start crying for no reason at all. It was very much out of character for him. "By chance" (though I was an atheist at the time [raised that way], I do believe it was divine intervention) I ran across an article in a homeschooling magazine that talked about the dangers of processed soy ... saying things like how it has a crazy amount of estrogen in it and is not good for growing children, especially boys. OH MY!! I immediately eliminated all of the processed soy from our home, and within a week my oldest son was no longer emotional and weird.

              A year or so after that we moved to San Antonio for a while. It was there that I noticed I was going through some sort of health crisis. I just wasn't feeling so good any more on the diet. I was craving meat (but I was so convinced meat was the devil that I did not heed the warnings). My hair started thinning out like crazy. I was about 28 years old at that time.

              I started researching other diets, but all of the ones I looked at were strict vegetarian ('vegan'). I discovered the raw food movement and dabbled in that for a few years. So, out went the grains. Still no meat or dairy, and no soy because of what happened to my son. Some times we were ALL raw food (the longest we went all raw was maybe 6 months?? and then occasionally we'd eat all raw for a few weeks to a month or so). If we were not all raw, we ate mostly raw with some cooked things too (maybe 75% raw??).

              I was about 90 pounds at my lowest. I'm very, very thin boned, and 5'4". While I am SURE 90lbs was way too thin, I am comfortable at about 105lbs.

              Somewhere in there I got in to fermenting vegetables.

              Somewhere in there I started eating a little bit more 'normal' ... still all whole foods and dairy free. I forgot to say that I never could handle sugar much and was always near the diabetic range with my a1c, so it was easy for me to avoid sugar.

              Somewhere in there I started making sourdough products.

              And, all of the time in there I was very active. Hiking, running on trails, bike riding, walking 4 miles a day, jogging, etc. I could go go go all day long and never stop. I was on top of things. Organized. In control.

              Somewhere in there (about 10 years ago for sure, but maybe longer) I noticed my legs would get unusually tired. Also, I would get fatigued and need to lay down for a 'power nap' ... 10 to 20 minutes of rest and I was good to go. Sometimes I took two short naps or rests each day, but they seemed to refresh me.

              Fast forward to about 9 years ago. We moved to SW MO. By that time I was still all whole foods, still very active, eating all sorts of fermented things, lots and lots of veg, focusing on low-glycemic load foods, eating meat, eating some wheat but mostly in the form of sourdough, sprouting most of my grains, nuts and seeds before consuming, and so on. But, my body just kept acting up. Legs were giving me more and more trouble. I was getting fatigued more easily and my short naps were no longer helping.

              And then ... my body was getting bad enough that others around me told me to go to the doctor. He did a whole lot of tests. Everything (except the a1c, which didn't surprise me) came back normal, so he suggested an MRI to check for 'things like MS and other central nervous system problems'. I had no idea what MS was, so it went in one ear and out the other. And besides, MRIs were for really sick people.

              More decline and more people telling me to go back to the doctor. A doctor friend visited from Canada. He asked me about my issues and told me he would definitely get checked out for MS.

              So, I went to another doctor. Same thing, except he did a whole bunch more tests. Finally I got an MRI of my brain and then saw a neurologist. I cannot even remember what year that was now. I'll guess though and say it was 2013???? Maybe 2012. She said their were spots on my brain scan, but they were no MS-specific. She said if it were not for the McDonald criteria, she would have already diagnosed me. She didn't even want to do the spinal tap because of all the other tests and things that I had done - she just didn't see the need. Of course she talked this all over with the MS specialist on her team, and he agreed. So, they just monitored me for a few years. I went in about once a year for about 3 years and then quit going.

              I saw one other neurologist closer to home - but she was very confusing, talked fast, did not listen, rushed me out of the office, etc. It made me very anxious and nervous, and I left there a crying mess!!!!! I tried so hard not to cry, but I just couldn't help it. I knew she could never be my doctor, so I did not go back.

              OK ... so ... I really am going to talk about functional medicine!!

              I was SO EXCITED a few years ago (3 years??? I am just not sure) when I found a neurologist in my area that was also a functional medical doctor. I thought I had just discovered the best of both worlds. I saw him as a neurologist first. Of course he asked me what I was doing ... my lifestyle. I told him: Wahls Protocol (at that time I had been on the protocol for less than a year, but prior to that I did not eat much different), mostly organic, home-grown food (even the meat is raised and butchered here on our little farm), lots of rest, exercise/as active as possible, stretching daily (modified yoga stretches - very relaxing ... but pathetic because I used to be a yoga super star!!), lots of fresh air, sunshine, etc. And, the biggest help for me personally: huge reduction in stress. My family and loved ones have really done an awesome job chipping away at my responsibilities to where all I have to do is ENJOY MY LIFE. Nothing is required of me. I don't even have to do my own laundry if I cannot do it, but I really do try to do as much for myself as I can.

              I was strict on Wahls too. Daily fermented foods (was getting that daily for years anyway), fatty fish, liver, sea vegetables, coconut oil, etc. I followed it exactly. I kept loosing weight and got down to about 100lbs. I tried and tried to eat enough fat to keep my weight up, but I eventually had to go back down from level 3 (the strictest) to level 2. At the time I saw him though I was still on level 3.

              He could not believe all of the things I was already doing. He said to just keep doing what I'm doing and I should see improvements soon. He was skeptical about me having MS since the MRI scans still did not show MS specific spots. He suggested a specific book about Adrenal Fatigue. I promptly bought it and read it. It even had a lengthy test in there. While I was reading the book I just thought "this is not me at all". And then I took the test. According to that test, I do not have adrenal fatigue.

              I decided to see this doctor as a functional medical doctor - yes out of pocket. The informational session was free, so why not? After that meeting I decided to pay the reduced price of $120 for the initial consultation visit. I took a lengthy test online and his nurse was to spend a half hour going over the test with me and giving me more information. The meeting was a joke. She was unorganized and had to leave the room twice because she forgot some paperwork. She went over the test with me, but all she did was read the printed results to me. She used all the words that were on the test - a lot of words that i had no clue what she was saying. I would stop her and ask for clarification, but she could not clarify. She started telling me about the Wahls Diet, eating fermented foods, not eating grains, getting plenty of good fat, rest, etc. literally EVERYTHING I was already doing. I had said all of that stuff on the lengthy computer evaluation and there she was telling me all of it ... I assume she never read my responses because ... well ... it was just obvious that she never read my responses.

              She showed me the price of the program. It was like $4,000 or $5,000 to go through the whole program. She said it was individual, yet most of the classes were with other people and I had to attend and pay for the whole thing even though I was already implementing 80% of it. I asked her if I could just have the testing done - like the gut testing and whatever else they tested for. She said no, I had to go through the whole class so they could personalize things for me.

              I'm sorry, but it was just a big sales gimmick to me. I'm sure it helps some people ... especially those who are clueless ... but it is NOT individualized!! If it were, I would not have to go through everything I already knew and pay for it. I could probably teach most of those classes, and they wanted me to pay for them.

              This is no small-time guy either. He is partners with Wahls, speaks at her conferences, etc. I'm sorry. He reminds me of a used-car salesman. Just trying to get popular and make money. Again, I am SURE he helps a lot of people. I am SURE he is a blessing to some. But ... it totally turned me off to functional medicine, and I gave up seeing doctors again after him.

              Here I am. Worse and worse. Still trying to eat right, but what is eating right?!?!?!?! I watched something the other day ... some woman claiming she cured her MS by diet, and the main thing she said that helped her the most was that she quit eating gluten. I wish it were that simple for me. I was gluten free for years. Dairy free. Soy free.

              So, I just eat the best I can. Common sense eating like lots of vegetables, 'good fats', clean meats that are usually home grown and organic (I do not eat biblically unclean foods like pork, shrimp, etc.), not much dairy (and when I do it's either from our goats, or I order raw organic cheese), berries (not much other fruits), fermented things, organic beef liver from local grass/pasture raised cattle, and so on. I walk as much as I can, though it's getting less and less (I'm going to do a post about that soon). As little stress as possible - like I said, nothing much is expected of me, and everything is optional. I enjoy life as much as I can by doing things I enjoy. Fresh air daily. Lots of rest and sleep.

              What more can I do??????????? I hope to see a new neurologist soon. I'm waiting for medicaid for the disabled to be approved (pray!!!). I'm going straight to an MS specialist. No messing around. I do still see my regular GP - such a nice guy. He tests my blood annually for everything he things is relevant, including D3 levels and B levels, and all sorts of other stuff. He's also re-check all of the things he checked me for back when I first started seeing him 7 or so years ago, just in case something showed up. Everything looks great, and the one improvement with the Wahls Protocol: my a1c now reads normal for the first time in my life. That's been going on for about 3 years Yet I decline.

              That's my story I guess. I'm sorry, it got really, really long. I do not know how to shorten things.

              Not officially diagnosed due to non-MS-specific spots on MRIs, but the neurologists all agree it's MS.
              Frustrated. January 2019: finally saw an MS specialist worth seeing. Maybe we'll get to the bottom of this.
              EDSS of 5.5, sometimes 6.0

              Comment


                #22
                Oh wow, jjs. What a story! Thanks so much for sharing

                I hope you can figure something out to get you healthy.
                ~ Faith
                MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
                (now a Mimibug)

                Symptoms began in JAN02
                - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
                - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
                .

                - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
                - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

                Comment


                  #23
                  I attended a conference in Topeka W-F. They accepted requests for dietary restrictions, but weren't very good at following requests. I mostly tried to do as best I could.

                  Next appointment with doc: Wednesday.

                  I've been having some intestinal symptoms this past week that I usually don't have. A few days of loose stools, followed by some normal days, and now a few days of constipation. Anyone else experience this when making intentional dietary changes?
                  ~ Faith
                  MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
                  (now a Mimibug)

                  Symptoms began in JAN02
                  - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
                  - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
                  .

                  - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
                  - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

                  Comment


                    #24
                    Originally posted by Mamabug View Post
                    I attended a conference in Topeka W-F. They accepted requests for dietary restrictions, but weren't very good at following requests. I mostly tried to do as best I could.

                    Next appointment with doc: Wednesday.

                    I've been having some intestinal symptoms this past week that I usually don't have. A few days of loose stools, followed by some normal days, and now a few days of constipation. Anyone else experience this when making intentional dietary changes?
                    I haven't had that specific problem, but now that you mention it, I remember after being on Wahls level 3 for several months, all of the sudden I was constantly bloated. I stuck with it anyway and kept being bloated. This went on for several weeks, or maybe even months. I finally added back in a small bit of grains each day and that seemed to help. By small I mean about 1/4c-1/2c of cooked grains, like rice or quinoa, each day.

                    I really don't know why I had those issues ... I mean, why all of the sudden then after several months of no issues on the diet? Transitioning to the diet was seamless as far as digestion and all go.


                    Not officially diagnosed due to non-MS-specific spots on MRIs, but the neurologists all agree it's MS.
                    Frustrated. January 2019: finally saw an MS specialist worth seeing. Maybe we'll get to the bottom of this.
                    EDSS of 5.5, sometimes 6.0

                    Comment


                      #25
                      Appt. #4

                      Please excuse the long post if you aren't interested. But, I thought some of you might want to read the details.

                      We talked briefly about how I have been doing on the diet.
                      - I do pretty well at home. I've found one local restaurant that is absolutely wonderful at working with me on my restrictive diet.
                      - Other places can be a challenge.

                      He talked more about his "food as medicine" approach. He uses a Food Pyramid with Leafy Greens and Fruits and Vegetables at the bottom.

                      He also talked about harmful foods:
                      - corn-fed and feed-lot beef; fish that is farm-raised, corn-fed or lake fish; chicken or turkey that is "cage-free"
                      - cooking oils (butter, lard, vegetable oils, regular canola oils);
                      - dairy ("Dairy is the Devil" is his quote);
                      - beverages -- sports drinks, sodas, diet drinks, energy drinks, coffee, black tea (never drink decaffeinated); limit fruit juices;
                      - most grains that are labelled "gluten-free",also those labelled "instant"; also avoid white rice
                      - gum that is colored, flavored, or sweetened with petroleum (he says most gum is);
                      - Never microwave or store food in plastics, or use Teflon or aluminum;
                      - he says all cleaning products are toxic;
                      - baby oil, petroleum, mineral oil and most lotions are toxic;
                      - most make-up is toxic

                      And he talked about healthful alternatives:
                      - "100% grass-fed" beef, bison, lamb, etc. Fish that is "wild-caught" only. Chicken that is "free-range".
                      The size of a deck of cards, 5x per month, is enough for beef, chicken, etc. You don't have to eat it all at once. Rather, he recommends using a small amount of meat as flavoring instead of a whole serving at once. Unlimited amount of fish is OK.
                      - Recommends olive oil for cooking below 350F. Recommends California Olive Ranch brand, purchased it a glass jar, and not too much at one time so it will last better. Can be stored in the refrigerator. Avacado oil can be used for foods up to 500F.
                      - Recommends green smoothies, with no sugar added.
                      - oats, quinoa, wild rice, brown rice, black rice, red rice, etc. But, grains are not necessary for a healthy diet.
                      - Spry gum with xylitol or Glee gum
                      - Use stainless steel, cast iron, ceramic, glass containers. Can use toaster oven.
                      - use natural cleaning products (1 part vinegar to 4 parts water in a spray bottle; can add lemon for scent and thymol oil for antiseptic properties)
                      - use natural lotions; or make your own (he gave a recipe); or just use straight olive oil or coconut oil
                      - natural make-up from the health food store that doesn't contain harmful chemicals

                      He also recommended some supplements to start with. He says that, after awhile, we can begin to obtain most necessary nutrients from our food and can start to do away with most supplements.
                      ~ Faith
                      MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
                      (now a Mimibug)

                      Symptoms began in JAN02
                      - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
                      - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
                      .

                      - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
                      - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

                      Comment


                        #26
                        These recommendations and restrictions are a lot like the diet our naturopath put us on awhile back. We are fortunate that we have quite a few grocery stores that cater to our needs. Natural products too.

                        We still cheat on sugar. It's in everything it seems!
                        Good luck, Mamabug!
                        1st sx '89 Dx '99 w/RRMS - SP since 2010
                        Administrator Message Boards/Moderator

                        Comment


                          #27
                          Seasha, what do you do about eating out? We have a restaurant that we frequent about once a week, and it's great with the specific food restrictions. But, I doubt that its beef is grass-fed or its chicken is free-range.

                          Dr. Garrett seemed encouraging about the restaurant catering to my specific allergy and sensitivity list, but that was prior to the conversation about beef and chicken. Perhaps he doesn't believe it's horrible to consume the other once in awhile.
                          ~ Faith
                          MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
                          (now a Mimibug)

                          Symptoms began in JAN02
                          - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
                          - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
                          .

                          - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
                          - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

                          Comment


                            #28
                            Originally posted by Mamabug View Post
                            Seasha, what do you do about eating out?
                            We seldom go out to eat, but when we do we try to go to the restaurants that are healthy conscious and organic with Df and Gf options- again we are fortunate we have some.

                            Other times, we cheat and not worry about it. Like, I'll order a salad with chicken or a taco salad with beef, and don't know if it's grass fed or cage free.(the amount is small anyway) It's my belief that one does the best that they can, but not sweat about it to the point of not enjoying a meal. That's just me. We sometimes laugh when we're eating sugary, dairy ice cream -and say let's not hope we don't see Dr. "X" here!

                            It's hard being a purist!
                            Last edited by Seasha; 08-02-2018, 01:05 PM.
                            1st sx '89 Dx '99 w/RRMS - SP since 2010
                            Administrator Message Boards/Moderator

                            Comment


                              #29
                              Originally posted by Seasha View Post
                              It's hard being a purist!
                              Even diet purists don't all believe the same way about which foods to eat or which to avoid.

                              A vegan would frown on the above diet, which includes meat and fish!
                              PPMS for 26 years (dx 1998)
                              ~ Worrying will not take away tomorrow's troubles ~ But it will take away today's peace. ~

                              Comment


                                #30
                                Yes; "it's hard being a purist". I guess purist can mean being "pure" about whatever diet you are attempting to carry out. In my case, it would refer to "wheat-free, dairy-free, sugar-free" (if I don't count all my additional restrictions).

                                I learned a new term last week. Maybe it's familiar to some of you who have experimented with alternative diets more than I have. Flexitarian. Flexitarians have received criticism from vegetarians and vegans for being noncommittal or just plain lazy, but the dietary choice is more than being a vegetarian who cheats.

                                The flexitarian label suggests an active and purposeful movement away from a meat-heavy diet. It’s a healthier way of eating that includes significantly more whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables than the Standard American Diet.

                                It's flexible. It focuses on eating fruits, veggies, nuts, and plant-based proteins and on reducing reliance on meats and fish and dairy, but can include them in their diet occasionally. I'm pretty committed to giving the "wheat-free, dairy-free, sugar-free" approach a try. And, I've definitely cut back a lot on meats. But, it is not currently a goal to be a vegetarian or a vegan, although I've often used a raw vegan approach to eating in recent weeks.

                                Although my last post included a lot of instructions related to meat and fish, I've really consumed either pretty infrequently since then.

                                I've shared on the weekly weight loss thread that, in the past three weeks, without even trying, I've lost almost 5 pounds of unwanted weight. I'd been wanting to shed 10-15 pounds for about 4 years. And, I'm doing it with no hunger. When I lost significant weight 8 years ago (60 pounds), I had a lot of hungry days in order to accomplish it.

                                Other efforts, because recent conversations with Dr. Garrett have indicated that he plans to move me in this direction, include:
                                • decreasing use of microwave oven
                                • working towards going more plastic-free.
                                ~ Faith
                                MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
                                (now a Mimibug)

                                Symptoms began in JAN02
                                - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
                                - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
                                .

                                - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
                                - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

                                Comment

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