@RachaelLouise 

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RachaelLouise

Diet ... Lifestyle ... Life before ms

Just wondering as Always..... What are your diets like ? What do you eat ! Do you take any supplements ? Has anyone noticed improvements on certain diets?foods? Also what about lifestyle ? Such as Sleep, stress/ anxiety? Work? Exercise ? Etc What was life and lifestyle like before ms? If you can remember 😊 Thanks Rachael
@RedSuzuki

Erm......well, @rachaellouise , for someone who's just eaten a 'Tunnock's' chewy bar....diet has taken a nose dive....well it'll be back on the green stuff for me later.....lol....Ah, the previous life memories, boating, Place in France, Squash, Cycling, Motor biking, running, Amateur Draming....lots of things ending in 'ing'....but now, some vets & supplements in the morning, with rest of pills....now stress when I can't do something which makes me anxious.....ho hum, Sleep ok, apart from those 'loo' breaks lol, no work now, Should exercise more....not really a MS gold star example, but thats me....Red

@NiceCupOfTea

Hi @rachaellouise I actually trawled back through my diaries from 2010 to now...just appointment diaries, but I wanted to see when my symptoms started to appear and I had to stay off or go to the doctors more. I was absolutely astounded by how much I did in a day in 2010 and 2011, even most of 2012. It is the end of 2012 that it really seemed to start rearing its ugly head. I can't even dream of having that much energy now! I still do a lot, even compared to people without MS, but nowhere near as much as I used to do, and I have only just started being able to accept that I need to be able to be happy with what I can do...so for 5 years I have been trying to force myself to have the same energy I had back in the day. I was only diagnosed this year so didn't realised there was a 'good reason' I was this tired. I ate well before but I have cranked it up and concentrate on having a good gut environment...high in fibre, as little processed as possible, diverse range of fruit and veg (I make sure I eat things of every colour every day to try and keep it diverse), and probiotic goodness from yoghurts, fermented pickled foods, stewed apples, I generally don't add sugar to things. I got a slow cooker so I could have easy home made easy food without having to resort to ready meals when I'm so tired. I have found this to be really helpful to me, I feel better and more comfortable. I did take multivitamins and minerals but found that I was feeling nauseous and even threw up a couple of times because I was overdoing some of them (and taking them on an empty stomach, stupid me) because I am getting a lot of vitamins in my food. I do take additional magnesium (I also get migraines and I had read it can help with that as well as other nervous system issues and fatigue)...I don't really know if it helps though. I try to make sure I don't use screens after 9pm so that I have an hour before bed without blue light and can relax, and then go to bed around 10pm. I don't eat after 8.30pm. I don't drink caffeine after 8pm, I don't drink caffeinated coffee at all, only decaf. I try and drink plenty of water...I eat little and often rather than allowing blood sugar spikes and falls...I'm not diabetic but I find that normal blood sugar spikes and falls after bigger meals contributes to migraine and fatigue. I have just started pilates and surprisingly love it, I go for massages. I try to go for walks and do balance exercises. I intend to re-start doing resistance training but am adding just one thing at a time and need to get used to everything else first! I keep work informed and control my own diary, I am generally able to accommodate my fatigue by planning my week carefully and not overstretching myself or committing to 3 9am meetings in a row! I can work from home when I don't have meetings and essentially so long as I do my job it's fine how and when I do it. I work part time, and study part time which amounts to more than a full time job, I do find I am utterly exhausted on Saturdays and just give myself the day off from everything, and then okay on the Sunday. I also keep myself cool as much as possible and if I have to be off sick with MS related things it doesn't go down on the normal sick leave paperwork...I have been off sick from work for one day in a year and I don't think it was MS related...it was also before my diagnosis anyway. Stress and anxiety...definitely get that. It stops me sleeping, it makes me feel worse, and is generally exhausting. All I can say is that I try to do the things I enjoy to combat the effects, and plan my time so that if I know something is going to be stressful I can recover afterwards. Also saving my energy when it comes to people who are not supportive, and appreciating the ones that are. If I had an easy answer to that one I'd be a millionaire. Sorry it's so long! I tried to answer all the points!