Fulenn's MS page New: before/after pics on page 15
Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 10:43 am
I have not talked about it on this site, but I have had multiple sclerosis for 12 years. In the past, I read about the Swank Diet and did it briefly, but I was not having any big physical problems and never took it too seriously. At one point I had some symptoms flare-up and decided to look online again; I remember coming across the McDougall site but couldn't even imagine following this type of eating style, so I passed it up.
A few years ago, in 2008, I had some sensory problems and I came across it again and began making a lot of changes in my food intake. I did well and it happened quickly: the numbness I was experiencing went away within a few months, I lost a few pounds, and I felt better overall.
My family is on-board with this way of eating, at least at home and on family getaways. Dairy has been a stranger for a long time, and HFCS is a thing of the past--even my teenagers know to read labels for both of these items.
Since then, I continued trying to eat this way, but it took me logging my food intake for a year to see that I was not really following the McDougall diet like I needed to. I was still overweight and, last fall, I began having more MS symptoms than I have had since I was first diagnosed and they have continued to today. I completely take responsibility for this happening: if I had not been driving through places for fried chicken, I do not believe it would have happened. I have been writing down everything that I eat--even one bite of something--in My Fitness Pal. (I have the app and take it with me so I can write stuff down right away.) Dr. Swank found that you cannot veer off of this diet's low saturated-fat maximum by much at all without ruining the results MS-wise. I believe Dr. McDougall also mentions that in the video he has up here. I already began this super-strict version, but need to stick with it. I plan to succeed at this and want to show a friend of mine who also has MS how well this can work, but that will not be successful until I can show in my own life how it works. I am still waiting for the results of the study Dr. McDougall did in Portland, but, given that his diet is a more refined and strict form of Dr. Swank's diet, and given that Dr. Swank's showed great success, this should have wonderful results. It will just be the first time that I will see this from a multiple sclerosis point of view.
I know that eating this way eliminates most saturated fats, but I have still had occasional meat-substitute and cheese substitute products from the store and until the past few months was still "cheating" (myself) by eating chicken. I had to break that craving and quit doing that to myself. Now that I have I think I have a chance.
That's all for now. I'm off to fix lunch: collards and kale, portabella mushroom, baked sweet potato.
Fulenn
edited on 4-30-2015 to change 1998 to 2008. Never noticed that until today!
A few years ago, in 2008, I had some sensory problems and I came across it again and began making a lot of changes in my food intake. I did well and it happened quickly: the numbness I was experiencing went away within a few months, I lost a few pounds, and I felt better overall.
My family is on-board with this way of eating, at least at home and on family getaways. Dairy has been a stranger for a long time, and HFCS is a thing of the past--even my teenagers know to read labels for both of these items.
Since then, I continued trying to eat this way, but it took me logging my food intake for a year to see that I was not really following the McDougall diet like I needed to. I was still overweight and, last fall, I began having more MS symptoms than I have had since I was first diagnosed and they have continued to today. I completely take responsibility for this happening: if I had not been driving through places for fried chicken, I do not believe it would have happened. I have been writing down everything that I eat--even one bite of something--in My Fitness Pal. (I have the app and take it with me so I can write stuff down right away.) Dr. Swank found that you cannot veer off of this diet's low saturated-fat maximum by much at all without ruining the results MS-wise. I believe Dr. McDougall also mentions that in the video he has up here. I already began this super-strict version, but need to stick with it. I plan to succeed at this and want to show a friend of mine who also has MS how well this can work, but that will not be successful until I can show in my own life how it works. I am still waiting for the results of the study Dr. McDougall did in Portland, but, given that his diet is a more refined and strict form of Dr. Swank's diet, and given that Dr. Swank's showed great success, this should have wonderful results. It will just be the first time that I will see this from a multiple sclerosis point of view.
I know that eating this way eliminates most saturated fats, but I have still had occasional meat-substitute and cheese substitute products from the store and until the past few months was still "cheating" (myself) by eating chicken. I had to break that craving and quit doing that to myself. Now that I have I think I have a chance.
That's all for now. I'm off to fix lunch: collards and kale, portabella mushroom, baked sweet potato.
Fulenn
edited on 4-30-2015 to change 1998 to 2008. Never noticed that until today!