Yes, they can.
This isn’t talked about that much in your neurologist office unfortunately. At least it wasn’t in mine. When I asked if a certain diet or foods will help, he went palms up and said “maybe medeteranian?”.
At least he was on the right track.
There are many “MS Diet”s out there from The Wahls Protocol to the Swank Diet. They all have their principles and “rules” about what is eliminated and increased.
I was curious about which foods seemed to have the most bang for your buck regarding MS, improving MS symptoms and healing our brain.
In no particular order, these are the ones I settled on:
Seafood & Shellfish:
Seafood and shellfish are one of the most powerful foods we can be eating. On top of having a wonderful dose of omega 3’s, they also include iodine, zinc and selenium. These are important to our bodies because they improve brain function, repair myelin and lower inflammation.
Serving size: 4-6 oz, 2-3 a week.
Examples: Salmon, tuna, muscles, oysters.
Healthy Fats:
As I mentioned above, omega 3’s are very helpful for helping to lower inflammation among many other things. We need a proper balance of omega 3 and omega 6, and when we have too much omega 6 in our diet, it can increase inflammation. Healthy fats are a wonderful way of getting more omega 3 and restoring the balance.
Serving size: 1-3 servings a day
Example: cooking with avocado or walnut oil, salad dressing with EVOO, 4oz of nuts as a snack
Brightly Colored Fruit and Veggies:
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “eat the rainbow”. This is exactly that. You want as many colored fruits and veggies into your rotation as possible. The brighter the color, the more nutrients it contains. Bright fruits and veggies also contain an array of antioxidants which help to protect cell membranes and mitochondria.
Serving size: At least 3 cups daily
Examples: Fruit as a snack, roasted veggies with dinner, smoothie with greens for breakfast.
Deep Leafy Greens
Yes, green is a color and could have been combined with the above category. But, they add enough extra to your life to give them their own category. Deep leafy greens are a powerhouse of a food, they contain magnesium, vitamin c, vitamin k and B vitamins. These help to improve our cellular energy, repair myelin and restore the immune system.
Serving size: 2-3 cups daily.
Examples: Spinach in a smoothie, sauteed greens at dinner, collard green wrap
Organ Meat
I hear the resounding “GROSS” now! Yes, organ meat is maybe the most nutrient dense food we can eat. They include all B vitamins, iron, copper, zinc, coenzyme Q and creatine. We need all of these nutrients for a functioning immune system, to repair myelin, neurotransmitter production and many more.
Now, if that sounds gross to you, that’s ok. It does to me too. You have a few options. You can cut your meat into bite size pieces then freeze them and swallow frozen. It’s basically like taking a pill, but actual frozen food.
The next best is a desiccated liver pill. There are several options but Perfect Supplement brand is my fav.
Serving size: 4oz 1-2 times a week.
Examples: chicken heart or liver, beef liver. Liver pate.
There are so many ways to help your MS symptoms. Even if you don’t follow a specific diet template, adding these foods into your week will go a long way to reducing inflammation and reducing symptoms!
If you want these foods in a handy dandy PDF cheat sheet, you can download it here!
Previous Post
BTT- Episode 19- Mobility Series 2Next Post
BTT- Episode 20- Mobility Series 3 Knees