Diet and Lifestyle to Help You Thrive with MS, Part 10 – Searching for Balance

We have another wonderful installment from the health and wellness guru, Laurie Erdman:

In my last installment, I wrote about the role of inflammation in multiple sclerosis. I promised to tell you how I determine which foods to eat and which foods to leave off your plate to reduce inflammation, while still enjoying meals.

While there are many approaches to determining which foods are pro or anti-inflammatory, I like a straightforward approach. I’ve never been a fan of pyramids. Honestly, not all fats or proteins are created equal, and pyramids don’t do a good job of covering that and other important nuances.

I prefer a chart. In particular, I prefer an acid-alkaline chart that gets down to the nitty gritty of the good and bad about numerous foods. It’s amazing the subtle differences between certain foods.

I first discovered an alkaline-acid approach to eating shortly after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It just made sense to me. Our bodies want to stay in balance. One measurement of balance is our pH. When our body is inundated with acid producing foods and thoughts (yes, stress is inflammatory), it goes in search of alkaline sources (typically stored in our bones and our tissues) to stay in balance. The result is inflammation.

As I explored so-called MS Diets, I realized most of them were built on eliminating acid-producing foods such as dairy, gluten and sugar. I prefer to use the pH charts to determine what foods to eat. For instance, kale, bok choy, limes, watermelon, sweet potato, miso, dandelion greens and seaweed provides a simple place to start to return your body balance.

When creating an anti-inflammatory diet for clients, I start by working them up to 80% of their foods being anti-inflammatory or alkaline producing. This helps rebuild mineral reserves, boost energy and reduce inflammation. I have found the longer a person has had multiple sclerosis and the farther progressed they are in their symptoms, the longer they should be eating 80% alkaline (Note: you don’t want to do 100%). For me, I was strictly 80% for 20 months before scaling back to 60 to 75% alkaline.

Before I close out this installment, let me say that each person is different. What works for me and many of my clients, might not work for you. However, until we have a cure, diet is one lever we have to improve our overall health, if not affect the MS. Eating alkaline foods is just the beginning.

Laurie Erdman is an energy creator and healing instigator. As Chronic Wellness Coaching’s Chief Wellness Hero, Laurie helps those suffering from fatigue and auto-immune conditions transform fatigue into fabulous, sick into super and lethargic into lively. Book Laurie as your organization’s next inspirational speaker or as your personal coach. She’ll help you Get Up & Go!
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