As a newbie on this diet I am getting a lot of negative feeback from my husband. Are these authors credentialed? Now you concentrate on only waht YOU eat and I have to cook for myself! What kind of wierd stuff are you eating? He is a real meat and potatoes man and LOVES everything with white flour and sugar. I am trying to learn one new recipe a day (even THAT is overwhelming) and to incorporate my evening meals into side dishes for him. Either way I end of making two dinners and I am so tired!
I have been on the BBD for
I have been on the BBD for two years now and on the recovery diet for almost one month. My husband is not a healthy eater himself but he never doubted my own approach to nutrition. I have explained him my alternative orientation, the mechanism of the diet and the sought results. Although sometimes he is anxious about my low weight, he respects my approach and tries to help, eg as the time passes he came to know byheart the foods I am allergic to (the list is on the fridge door) and sometimes he does some extra shopping for me without my asking. This is very encouraging. As to our common meals, sometimes we share grilled meat and he has his extras, sometimes I cook for me and he orders his food or cooks his spaghetti, sometimes I cook for him and I have salad, nuts and fruits. Being supported by the spouse is very important.
The most difficult part is social eating. In my country (Greece) people are very focused on food. Aquaintances who don't know about my ailment think I have very strange food habits or think I might be anorexic. Some of my friends who know about my health are supportive and some are sceptic. As a result, I avoid eating at some friends' houses and when I go out I usually have grilled meat or fish and salad. I don;t hestitate to ask about ingredients declaring that "I am allergic to some foods". The whole think is a bit confusing at the beginning, but it is much easier as soon as you come to terms with it.
Well, all I can say is that
Well, all I can say is that my wife (and five year old) are 110% behind me on my diet. Our house was healthy before and we're now at a whole new level. The only thing is the house that aren't on the diet are milk for my son's cereal and some occasional bread. Other than that, they eat what I eat. I can't imagine doing this without a supportive spouse, but stay the course, feel better and your husband will come around, and hopefully start to eat healthier himself.
Gerald McGrew
Food Rotation. I am having
Food Rotation. I am having trouble with rotation of foods. I am so glad to have leftovers in the fridge from the night before, so that I don't have to think about what (or how) to make something I can eat. How do you keep track to rotate food? Do you write everything you eat down?
Thank you SO much for your
Thank you SO much for your replies, I printed tham off and shared them with my husband!
Hi godlistener, Regarding
Hi godlistener,
Regarding the comment about the author's credentials... I just wanted to say that the work Judi and Ann are doing is a continuation of a long history of treating multiple sclerosis successfully with diet. Dr Swank's book shows 30-40 years (following the same patients) worth of data supporting the idea that a low saturated fat diet can halt or significantly slow the progress of MS. I skimmed through Dr Swank's book and he confidently claims that by following the low saturated fat diet he outlines that if you start the diet early after diagnosis you can be assured not to have any dissabilities after 30 years based on real data. That is a bold claim from a practicing medical doctor and is backed up by a lot of compelling data. Another comment he says is that people generally start to feel like their old selves again after a couple of years on the diet. So, halting the progress of the disease comes first then gradual improvement.
The way I see it Judi and Ann are continuing Dr Swank's work and have touched on the gut issues and food sensitivity issues that Dr Swank did not. So that could mean even faster results following Swank's diet and identifying and avoiding problem foods rather than just Swank's diet.
Just wanted to throw in my 2 cents about the diet already being proven to work well as a treatment for MS. In fact Dr Swank's studies show much better results than the conventional pharmaceutical treatments. Who wouldn't take 30 years of no disabilities or no additional disabilities vs. 30% slow down of the disease progression with the ABC drugs (that may not work for everyone and have bad side effects)???
Best of luck to you. Your husband will come around. Just give him Dr Swank's book to have him read that for the scientific evidence and then he can read Judi's and Ann's book in context and he will be confident about the diet as treatment for MS and he will help you to get better when he understands the alternative.
Regards,
Jason
When I started on this diet
When I started on this diet in 1995 I had nothing like Ann and Judi's book, just the old Swank book and lots of research and intuition. I was fortunate to be alone, after a break up of a long term relationship at my instigation. I got the same kind of flack from lots of friends and people. The mildest form was the looks "we know she's crazy, but we'll let her do this until she has to have a wheelchair". The most aggressive form was debating me or harassing me. I later dated a guy who would go with me to places for his daughters and I'd have herbal tea while he ate some white flour sugar thing. I was perfectly happy, but he's have to announce at high volume. "Look at all the things Mary can't eat."
My husband of 9 years 100% believes and supports me, but he keeps eating his NC BBQ and other stuff. Less often now because he uses Pepcid daily and is getting a weight issue. If you husband loves you and supports you he'll make his own meal, eat out or cooperate in the change. He's got a lot invested in the belief that what he likes is right and other things are wrong. The MS society and others do their part to reinforce his correctness. But after 13 years of symptom-free, a new life, a delightful 8 year old and trouble free pregnancy I want no one in my close contact who isn't at least silent about their beliefs because I know what it true and so do you.
You may have to decide is the meals or me.
Mary C., Cary, NC