Vitamin D every morning. NO red meat, no milk. Fish, chicken & vegetables are good...

Hi @edmontonalberta Yeah, I take a vitamin D every day too along with an omega oil & a vitamin B complex. I eat lots of fish but I do eat a little red meat and have milk. Did you change your diet because of the MS?

Hello @wobbler,  great that you joined. I have follow high fat, low carb (Keto) diet since September. I’ve lost 28 pounds but day to day, my energy levels are up. This means I have been exercising more, which is walking in my case. So win win. The diet is tricky as I’m veggie and meat and fish are good on this diet. I also make smoothies with flax seed and take daily turmeric tablets. Good luck dude 

Hi @vixen ... yes, helping my walking is my primary aim so I will definitely look into the Keto diet... I am planning a strict 1 month exercise/diet regime for July so I am gathering info. Thanks for the input, much appreciated.

@wobbler

I am probably the wrong person to talk to... I was diagnosed with PPMS 18 months ago; the medical field has done nothing for me yet. Nothing whatsoever except recommend I change my diet, quit drinking & quit smoking.

The diet part was fairly easy. But 45+ years of drinking & smoking; if they are not going to do anything for me I might as well continue my path in life... LOL

@edmontonalberta ... alcohol & cigarettes are not good bedfellows for MS... I've packed up smoking because it made my legs like jelly and I stop at a couple of pints of beer these days. I was smoking infrequesntly up until 5-6 years ago. I gave up the daily habit in my mid-thirties.
But as you say, you gotta do what makes you happy... this game is easier to play with a smile on your face... I'm 54 and don't want to be in a wheelchair anytime soon... Be lucky!

Dear Wobbler, I beat you on all counts, I'm 62 and have had the beast for24 years, hardly ever drink, the odd glass of wine because more than that I'm so wobbly anyway that more than a glass goes straigt to the head, I do smoke 1/2 a doz a day, but it's either that or Cannabis , and I don't want the cannabinoids and everything else so I'll go my route, at my age with ms and cancer I'm not going to worry about it. Hardly changed my diet, it's pretty healthy, a McDonalds is a twice a year treat, and I love fruit & Veg so asI have found I'm doing so well on Tecfidera I don't think I'm going to change, I'm going to enjoy what is left if my time😍

Hi @grandma .... I just want to maintain what I have with maybe a bit better in the walking department until I don't have to go into the office anymore.
I work in printing and just after I was first diagnosed one of the finishers gave me some cannabis saying that it should help me.... hahaha.... I couldn't get off the couch for an hour.
To be honest I think the number one thing is to be stress free with exercise and diet following.
I am going to do a full on exercise and diet regime during July and I will let the forum know how it goes. I think it is the beer I will be missing most!
I'm not quite ready for a pipe and slippers just yet but I can see them distantly on the horizon :)


@wobbler I agree totally with you ! Just been diagnosed with PPMS but my consultant told me diet , excersise and positive attitude is the key. I'm 53 and not ready to give in on my mobility and be a blob in a wheelchair.  He asked if I smoked. I gave up 8 years ago, he said smoking is the worst thing for it, it speeds it up. I still work and will continue to work I'm not going to let it get me. I'll just have to manage it and hope that a massive change of lifestyle will help. I did wonder why suddenly just 1 glass of alcohol over a period of time does me in. 

Hello @lookey and @wobbler, it’s great to know there are others ‘broadly my age’ and also working. I am considering working slightly less. Not because I can’t manage, but because I am choosing to. I think one of the benefits of being around this age, is that it’s possibly slightly easier to work around these types of decisions, given that one has put the career building, promotions and massive mortgages in the shade a little.  Or is it just me? Oddly enough, although MS is beyond my control, in dealing with it I think I feel I have more choices in some ways. Do you get what I mean? Or am I off my rocker?!

@lookey ...you are bang on the money @vixen .... not crazy at all
My MS tips in order
1: No stress.... when you actually sit down and think about it, there really isn't a lot to get worked up about
2: Exercise: Even if it is a struggle up and down the stairs a couple of times a day
3: Eat healthily: There's always room for the odd kebab among the avocado salads 
.... and this is all to be done with a smile on your face
I am now going to put a bottle of beer in the fridge to have while watching the football later.... purely medicinal reasons.... honest guv!

@wobbler. 
I was on the overcoming MS diet, which is basically vegan plus fish, for a year. 
Don't know if it helped or not but my MS became stable. 
I have since changed to the Wahls paleo diet which allows meat but also a shit ton of veggies. I have been on it for a few months. Not sure if MS is still stable. I have a neuro next week so will let you know. I have lost a bit of weight however. 
I exercise every day and take 7000iu of vitamin D per day. 
I am a bit cynical about the diets actually working as both Wahls and OMS contradict each other. My neuro suggests just a healthy balanced diet. 
In regards to smokes and booze. 
I stopped smoking about 7 years ago but have the occasional one with certain friends about once every 4 - 5 months. 
I still drink regularly without any problems. 
Cheers


Hi @cammo
Sounds like your diet regime is pretty similar to my regular one (minus the infrequent cigarette)
I am erring on the side of just cutting out the booze for a month and drastically reducing  my intake of bread and starchy veg. A sort of semi-paleo.
At the moment the foods that I am looking to centre myself around are
Tinned sardines
Avocados
Eggs
Smoked salmon
Broccoli
Raw grated beetroot & carrot
Ultimately I think it's the exercise that will be most beneficial, the diet will just help me shed a few pounds in the process.
I have set a date for the 1st July to start.... my mum turns 80 right at the end of June and I am attending a big family party which will involve drinking and eating 'none of the above'
btw... I lived in Prahran for 6 months when I was a young man & loved it out there.
Another reason for my diet/exercise fixation is that I am visiting my cousin in Canberra this November and I want to be as mobile as I can.
Thanks for your input cammo.... Be lucky! 


@ms-man haha... yeah, I reckon that eating what you are used to is probably best and most of that stuff on my list is what I actually eat. It is going to be the exercise and lack of booze that will be key. Way back in the mists of time I was a proper gym bunny and I want to start feeling the way I did then. When I was diagnosed I stopped my exercise and never really got back into it properly. The optic neuritis left me sightless for a couple of months and threw me off. I really did go to the 'dark side' :)
I now have the bit between my teeth again. I'm off for a big trip later this year to see family in Aus & US and want to be in as best shape as possible.
Pint & kebab.... haha story of my youth!!! 
Cheers m8

I think there are two certainties: 1)  there's never going to be one-size-fits-all diet; 2) the healthier and fitter you can be overall, the best chance you're giving yourself of controlling the MS. How we achieve it is up to us - we're all different.

My foundation diet has always been good, but I tended to "supplement" with a lot of sugary foods which I love. Here is the change i made after this year's really painful optic neuritis attack and diagnosis. I adopted a combination of the Wahl and Swank diets. I could never go off gluten but I've reduced it. So I focus on whole grains, closely watch saturated fat, eliminate refined sugar, and cut out dairy except for ghee. Whole foods are the ticket and I make my food at home whenever possible. Regimen-wise, I make a big smoothie every morning containing 3-5 cups of veggies and some fruit. I call it an antihistamine smoothie because it always has cucumber, celery, fresh apple, parsley, and flax milk. I try to get 2/3 of my veg that way if possible and then add fruit for more flavor. I reintroduced eggs and I eat a little bit of fish now (I was a vegetarian). After the above changes I have noticed that I do not have headaches when I wake up in the morning, I have lost four pounds in about that many months. The doc put me on 5000UI of vitamin D too, but the headaches had abated before that. This is kind of a long post but the changes haven't been that hard, except for making sure the veggie bin is stocked.

Dear David I just noticed in your earlier post that you work in the printing industry, my ex other half (who I'm still good friends with) worked for our local paper for 30 years when it was owned by the .Daily Mail but he hated the newspaper industry as such, used to tell people he worked for British Gas, it carried less stigma than admitting he worked for the Sentinel! He was a computer engineer and had nothing to do with what went in the paper, he moans like mad when I buy a Mail on Saturday (never used to have to pay for one) but I keep pointing out that I am contributing to his pension fund😍 Just thought I'd have a conversation not involving ms fir a change.

@grandma Not long after I started in print was when Murdoch started shifting his operation over to Wapping and gradually they all left Fleet Street. I never worked on the papers but I remember walking along Fleet Stret and seeing them all there in the early 80's.
I started off in the industry as a photo-typositor for a typesetters in Clerkenwell. Over the years I have been a finisher, press minder, estimator, reprographic operator and then moved into account management and sales. I currently work in print management and am fortunate that I can work from home most days only occasionally going in to the office in Covent Garden.
Yes, it's a nice change to talk about something off topic here sometimes. btw my paper of choice is The Guardian, who were always up in Farringdon Road, half a mile from the Fleet Street bear pit.

@sfrox Thanks for the input. Diet starts in a week. I am going to go the route of semi-paleo.
My core foods will be
Fish
Broccoli
Avocados
Shredded raw Beetroot & Carrot
Eggs
Leafy salad
I have discovered some gluten free wraps made from sweet potato which I put some of the above in for both breakfast and lunch.
I will not be giving up my cup of coffee using semi skimmed dairy milk... I tried some soya milk and I really did not like it.
But I think the most important thing will be exercise.
The hardest thing will be giving up alcohol for a month.
I already take a Vitamin D and a few other supps.
I like your smoothie idea. I will start experimenting with some veg & fruit.


The hunter gatherer diet is a good one. However remember to be realistic, nobody should live like Gillian Mckeith except her! There should always be a little flexibility (naugthy meals) otherwise  nobody would stick to their new regime. Good luck.

Hi, I just started using the forum too. I have gone on a better diet since getting diagnosed. I no longer eat any greasy, fast-food places. I eat a lot more fruit and vegetables. I spend more money on good food instead of cheap, unhealthy food. I also take Vitamins D and B. I exercise a lot more regularly. It has helped me to feel better, specifically to gain more energy. It even has helped my mood. I also feel better overall.

@wobbler sounds like a good plan, and methodical. It's easy to overwhelm with too many changes - just ditching the alchohol will probably(?) show a marked change. I too had a large lecture from my doctor about alchohol. Good luck and hope you find enjoyment too.

Switch to Guinness it’s a meal In a glass 👍 all the vitamins one requires.

Hello fellow MS people! I joined up and have been loitering here for a couple of weeks now and have made a few friends... I wish I had found this forum years ago!
I know this isn't the first post on the subject, but this is my first post here and I would like to get some opinions and suggestions on diet.
   
I have recently started a new exercise regime after my neuro (quite rightly) told me off for being lazy. The exercise is proving beneficial (quelle suprise!) and now I'm thinking about my 'fuel'.
   
I generally eat healthily anyway and take the usual supplements. I have been fairly stable for a few years now without any meds.
   
Has anybody significantly changed their diet and has it made a difference?
If so, how long did it take to notice the difference?