Changes to Your Diet and Multiple Sclerosis

By Karen Cioffi

Healthy Eating is an important factor in everyone's well-being, but it's especially important for people suffering with autoimmune diseases and other chronic illnesses, such as Multiple Sclerosis.

The old expression, "You are what you eat," is absolutely true. There has been a great deal of research that points to the benefits of eating healthy. This research also lets us know what we need to eat to improve our health.

Most of the research points to eating a low-fat (especially saturated fat) and low-carb diet. The Swank Diet, developed by Roy Swank, M.D., former head of University of Oregon's neurology department, focuses on a low-fat diet. He has had amazing results with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) sufferers. Dr. Swank has spent over 35 years treating his patients with this diet and has had very impressive results. The Swank diet consists primarily of grains, vegetables and fruits with about 20 percent fat by calories.

While this type of diet may be a little drastic for some, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society you can help your body and MS even if you make small changes at a time.

Simple Changes to Your Diet That Will Help Your Body and Multiple Sclerosis

1. Portion control - reduce the amount of food you eat. Pay attention to how much food is on your plate. It's important to know what healthy portion sizes are.

2. Change your eating habits slowly - make it a point to have a healthy breakfast. Instead of bacon and eggs on a bagel, have an egg white omelet on whole grain toast. Better yet, have a bowl of rolled oats with fruit. Once you're comfortable with eating a healthy breakfast move on to lunch, and then dinner. And, slowly add more fruits and vegetable into your diet.

3. Have snacks - snacks help curb the appetite and also keeps your metabolism going steady. The key here is to eat healthy snacks such as baby carrots, fruits, nuts, and low-fat yogurt.

4. Go lean - limit the amount of fatty meats you eat and pay attention to portion control. Chicken, turkey and fish are healthy choices.

5. Focus - it's important to eliminate distractions while you're eating. It seems if you're distracted, you will eat more and be less satisfied. So, pay attention to what's on that fork or spoon.

Along with the foods we should include in our diet, there are also foods that should be avoided to help our bodies function properly.

Foods to Avoid to help Your Body and Multiple Sclerosis

1. Sugar
2. Processed foods
3. Fatty foods
4. Super sized portions
5. White bread

According to Dr. Henry Zhen-Hong Lee, a NYS Licensed Acupuncturist and NCCA DPL Herbalist, sugar actually stops the immune cells from functioning. This is essential since you are then left with no line of defense.

All evidence points to the fact that improving your eating habits will improve your health. Start today to make slow and steady changes in your diet so you will reap slow and steady benefits to your overall health. And, remember to discuss all changes to your diet with your doctor.

If you'd like to learn more about Multiple Sclerosis you can visit:

National Multiple Sclerosis Society
http://www.nmss.org

PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine)
http://www.pcrm.org/health/prevmed/multiple_sclerosis.html

For more health tips, information, and options stop by Health Tips to a Healthier You and sign up for the free newsletter. You'll get two free health reports.

Reducing Your Stress To Reduce Your MS Episodes

By Kim Austin

One of the triggers for Multiple Sclerosis episodes is linked to stress. When you are stressed, your body releases certain hormones and enzymes, which affect your immune system. Anyone with MS will know that Multiple Sclerosis is an immune related disease, so these stress hormones and enzymes are likely to cause some impact. In fact, studies have proved that stress has a negative affect on the human immune system.

Your body regulates itself through the immune system, which controls overall inflammation levels. Stress has been known to upset this process, allowing inflammation to unnaturally increase. This is not good for MS sufferers as they are heavily impacted by changes in the inflammation levels of their bodies. Without proper regulation of inflammation, MS episodes quickly follow.

In order to prevent stress from exacerbating your MS condition, here are 7 tips to think about:

1. Learn to understand when you are stressed. This might sound easy, but often, you get caught up in the moment and don't realize it.

2. Practize managing your stress when you are feeling stressed out. The more you do this, the better you will become at preventing your body from suppressing your immune system.

3. Find ways to relax and have them available to you should you start to feel stressed. This could include things like riding a bike or playing guitar.

4. Schedule time for yourself regularly. This will help keep your overall stress levels down. Just the thought of having a schedule time-out coming up can go a long way to help.

5. Make sure you are exercising enough. It is well known that exercise reduces stress levels in general.

6. Practize breathing techniques that help calm you down quickly. This might look strange to others around you, but it is more important to ensure you are not stressed out.

It is important to remember, your perception of an event is the major contributor to stress in your body. If you are able to be a bit more optimistic, you might see things a bit more positively. Doing this will help reduce the amount of stress you feel and ensure your body does not release as many stress hormones.

Other than managing your stress, you should be managing your diet. Designing the correct MS diet is the primary treatment option for people with Multiple Sclerosis. Food, more than stress, has the ability to trigger an immune response, which can allow inflammation to increase. Uncontrolled inflammation for MS sufferers is very bad as it can cause scarring ("sclerosis"), and lead to loss of nerve functioning.

In addition to this, you can get more useful help from Kim about how to fight the symptoms and progression of Multiple Sclerosis at http://www.msdietforwomen.com. MS Diet For Women is a site dedicated to women with Multiple Sclerosis, providing recipes, supplement tips, support and other resources to help you eat the natural way to recovery through a correct MS diet plan.

Fish Oil for MS - Yay or Nay?

By Laura J Andrews

Do you ever feel frustrated that there can seem to be so much conflicting information about what kind of natural supplements can help MS, and what really doesn't help? I was going to write this article about the benefits of fish oil for MS, something I myself have taken for years and my neurologist has long recommended as being beneficial. Much to my surprise when I went to read a little more and do some research I found article after article telling me that fish oil "doesn't do any good" for MS patients, "won't help," and "disappoints as MS therapy." After years of being told the opposite, what is a person to think? In this article I will tell you a little more about both sides of this important issue and my personal conclusions as a MS patient myself.

Most of these conclusions are based on a study done recently in Begen, Norway, headed up by Dr. Oivind Torkildsen, from Haukeland University Hospital. The report was published in the April 16, 2012 online edition of the Archives of Neurology. In this two-year study, 92 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis were followed and chosen to receive either fish oil or placebo pills. To make a long story short, the consensus was that fish oil had no measurable beneficial effect on MS progression, disease activity, or quality of life for the participants, and thus according to Torkildsen, "We have stopped advising patients to take omega-3 supplements."

So does this mean as MS patients that we should just flush our fish oil down the toilet then and consider it just a waste of money and time? I don't think so! This was one study done with 92 patients. This isn't the first time fish oil's impact on MS has been studied, and not all of the studies have come to the same conclusions. There have been numerous studies done previously that have shown that fish oil does indeed make a difference, especially combined with a low-fat diet, and can have a significant influence on improving function, decreasing disability, and decreasing relapse rates of MS. It is well known that the polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially DHA, found in fish oil help to decrease the inflammation associated with other autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, and also depression, and patients participating in those studies showed decreased disease activity and lowered use of anti-inflammatory drugs. It stands to reason that there is enough similarity between those diseases and MS for some benefit to be gleaned from the use of fish oil.

For me, I feel that fish oil's benefits for conditions that are very common with MS like depression, alone makes it worth taking, not to mention all of the other proven benefits it has on a person's overall health status. MS is such a complex disease and there is so much still that is not yet even understood about it. I view fish oil holistically as part of a piece of the puzzle that can help to improve the quality of my life, along with a healthy diet, exercise, less stress, etc., and not as a "magic bullet" that is going to cure my MS, slow down the progression of it, or stop disease activity. If others with MS can see it in this light also, I don't think the results of this one study necessitate us to throw the baby out with the bathwater so to speak, and I think fish oil still can and should play an important role in helping us to strengthen our bodies in every way we can and have a better quality of life while having to live with the challenges that MS presents us with.

As a wife, busy mom of four, and MS patient, Laura is a passionate advocate for healthy living. She researches and writes about a number of natural health and wellness topics. For support and resources and to learn more about how to help alleviate the symptoms of MS naturally, visit her website athttp://www.msdiet.net.

Tips for Coping With Multiple Sclerosis

By Natali S.

If you suffer from multiple sclerosis, then you know just how difficult the smallest tasks may be. You are also aware of how much your abilities can change from day to day. One day you may be hurting so badly that you can't get out of bed, while the next day you feel reenergized and ready to do your favorite things. Since these fluctuations are so common, you need to have equipment on hand to help you on those days that you are feeling poorly. You may not need to use these devices all of the time, but they are good to have on hand to keep you safe and comfortable when you have flare ups.

Wheelchair

A lightweight wheelchair is perfect for those days when you don't want to slow down but still want to participate in various activities. It will allow you to take part in meetings, go shopping or play with your kids without putting unnecessary strain on your muscles. You may also want to keep it nearby if you are up walking around for quick and easy access to a place to sit. This will keep you from getting so fatigued that you hurt yourself or have to postpone your activities.

Walk in Bath Tub

A walk in bath tub is an excellent piece of equipment for MS sufferers. You can enjoy the warmth and comfort of a warm bath without risking your safety by climbing over a tub's rim. You will be less likely to fall or slip as you are getting into the tub.

Elevated Bed

You may also want to invest in a bed that allows you to adjust the height of the foot or head. You will be able to find the position that is most comfortable to you regardless of where your pain may be that particular day. It will also help to improve circulation during those days when you can't get out of bed due to the intense pain.

Scooter

A mobility scooter is perfect for those who suffer with MS. It will give you a way to complete your grocery shopping quickly and easily, and you can even use it during your family's afternoon stroll around the neighborhood. As your symptoms worsen, a mobility scooter will allow you to continue to visit your friends, book club meetings or family parties without expending all of your energy.

There are many devices on the market that will help you cope with Multiple Sclerosis. If you find that your activities are limited because of the pain, talk to your doctor about which devices will help you lead a more active lifestyle.

If you're looking for the right deals for some of the products outlined in my article, there's one site I strongly urge you to visit. You can buy scooters and walk in bath tubs directly from USMedicalSupplies. The shop has a huge selection of quality products with easy shipping and the lowest prices online.