The MS Recovery Diet by Ann Sawyer and Judi Bachrach

With Amelia’s permission, reflecting her hopes that through her story others will be helped, I offer this blog.
Amelia has been diagnosed with MS for 37 years. Up until around 2000, she had done quite well as her MS was relapsing-remitting. In response to an exacerbation she would rest, take better care of herself, and the symptoms would clear in several weeks. This changed.
Amelia’s walking worsened with her left foot dropping. The solution given was an apparatus, described by Amelia as resembling a bungi cord, that pulled her left leg up so she could walk, with a goose step like some armies. This worked for her until, through this unnatural movement, her left knee became hyper extended backwards. Now, her leg would no longer support her as the knee was unreliable and would hyper extend, so Amelia was fitted with a leg brace. This brace, extending over most of her calf and thigh then supported her leg, but over time her walking worsened. She went to a cane, walker and then a scooter and a specially outfitted van for the scooter. Beyond these very visible signs of disability, Amelia had extreme fatigue which limited her to one activity a day and balance problems, further restricting her movement. MS fatigue, as we have written, is the most common symptom and is not fully understood as the word fatigue hardly captures the experience of just not functioning in any way. Amelia had some other cognitive symptoms and physical symptoms, but those were not large in respect to the fatigue and walking.
That was the situation when Amelia began the diet. It took a while for her to fully institute the diet as she didn’t fully understand some of the tenets. However, she was able to discover her triggers as upon eating the wrong foods an area of her head and scalp would become painful in reaction.
With the diet Amelia’s fatigue abated, allowing her a fuller life again which is a huge improvement. Her smaller symptoms also cleared. But, her most visible sign of disability and MS remained, in fact her walking continued to decline.
Examining her leg, how concentration-camp thin it had become, Amelia realized how much this atophy might be hindering her. The leg had become so weak, it was dead weight to be dragged. The apparatus which caused the hyperextension, then the leg brace had actually done Amelia and disservice, perhaps causing more problems than the original MS symptoms, rendering her leg useless. She decided to go to a gym and have a trainer help her to rehabilitate the leg, restoring strength and enough muscle mass to hold her knee in place.
With a better understanding of the diet and more progress on the road to recovery, Amelia’s balance and foot drop problems will hopefully lessen. Then with a stronger leg and sufficient muscle mass to hold the knee in place, walking again should become possible. In short, Amelia’s MS looked worse than is was with all the other damage to her leg. She is improving now and has hopes for recovery.
In terms of Amelia’s MS, looking back at her history, all of her exacerbations were the result of stress. And, she found, she does better when she is relaxed and de-stressed. As we have said repeatedly, don’t underestimate the power and impact of stress, both physical and emotional, on MS symptoms.
As you can see, each person’s situation is different so it is helpful to really examine all aspects of your life, not just your food profile, to find your individual proscription for your healing path.

List of Foods for MS Diet. Please note this is not exhaustive, but rather a starting point of the many foods that can be eaten and that will serve to enhance health.

Entrees/Meats
Chicken
Turkey
Fish & Seafood:
Salmon
Swordfish
Scallops
Tilapia
Tuna
Other white meat fish (Note 1)
Venison, Elk
Bison

Vegetables
Asparagus
Beet
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Carrot
Chard
Cucumber
Eggplant (4)
Greens/Salads
Kale
Lettuce
Mushroom
Okra
Parsnips
Peppers (4)
Potatoes (4)
Pumpkin (Soup)
Radish
Rutabaga
Spaghetti squash (use as pasta)
Spinach
Squash (Winter)
Sweet potato
Tomatoes (4)
Turnip
Zucchini (Summer squash)

Starches
Rice, rice, rice
Dirty rice

Fruits
Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Banana
Berries:
Blueberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
Cherries
Citrus:
Grapefruit
Lemon
Lime
Orange
Currant
Figs
Grapes
Kiwi
Melons:
Cantaloupe
Honey dew
Watermelon
Peaches
Pears
Pineapple
Plums
Rhubarb

Other foods/snacks
Almonds
Chestnuts
Dried fruit
Homemade trail mix
Pecans
Pine nuts
Walnuts

Drinks
Fruit juices (100%, no sugar added, very little)
Kiefer/kiefer shakes (Note 2)
Vegetable juice
V8

Miscellaneous
Pickled foods
Relishes
Soups/Stews
Spices

Notes:
(1) Some fish possibilities are bass, cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, sole, trout, etc.
(2) Kiefer shakes must be non-dairy and can be flavored with fruit (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc.) or with chocolate.
(3) See separate list of meal ideas
(4) Nightshade vegetables; there is some thought that the lectins in these foods are triggers. Experiment before you act.
(5) Use spray oils (olive) to reduce quantities

This is the 7th and last in a series of blogs. The list is not exhaustive and reflects taking a very conservative approach to foods as used in the beginning of the diet, before the person figures out which foods he or she reacts to and which do not affect him or her. Once healing is well under way it is advisable to test foods and figure out which you can or cannot eat. Why be restricted when you don't need to be?
Italian: spaghetti squash possible sauces, pesto (spinach, kale, any nut) or primavera (vegs in olive oil, garlic, onion)
Greek: seasoning is oregano, mint and garlic. Can cook fish, chicken, ground elk (will mimic gyros)
Shish-kabob with pineapple, summer squash
Rosemary chicken or scallops (marinade is olive oil, worcestershire, rosemary, garlic, lemon)
Taco salad, lettuce, vegs and seasoned ground elk or turkey
Salmon in mustard and lime, or with lemon & your favorite spice(s)
Stir fry; vegs with chicken, shrimp, ground turkey (careful not too much soy or no soy at all, rely on garlic and onion for flavor)
Roasted vegetables with roasted chicken, elk
Stew with elk and vegetables, rutabaga, turnips or parsnips as substitute for potatoes
Soups: chicken, turkey, pumpkin (canned pumpkin), squash (frozen)

Make large servings so you have leftovers. Try not to use prepared foods.

I received notice that some people were unable to download the list of foods that I had attached to Blog 6. My list was done on EXCEL and if the person did not have that program, then the file was unable to appear. I have converted the list to word and will attach below. If you have trouble, please let us know.

This is the 6th of 7 blogs generated after my work with Marie. As I have writtine earlier, it is important and helpful to focus on the foods that you can eat rather than on the foods you can't eat. So, I've generated a list of health enhancing foods. Remember everyone is unique, so there may be foods on this list that are triggers for you. For example, my daughter reacts to white fish and I react to too much fruit; it is highly individual. Generally, these foods should be safe. I am sure this list could be made longer, but here is the start attached below.