Dietary Decisions for an MS Way of Life

Every person is an individual chemical, biological machine and therefore multiple sclerosis (MS) will affect everyone in different ways just like other health conditions would. While you are powerless against the disease itself, you are not without ready access to some powerful retaliating weapons against the disease. Things like exercise and a healthy diet can go a long way toward controlling and living with MS.

Diet is Good

A diagnosis of MS can make you seem like you have no control over your life. However, you can control what you can with a great diet which can positively affect how MS rules your body. One of the main goals in your diet should be a healthy weight for your body. Whether you need to gain weight or lose it, it can all be done with exercise and what food and drink you consume. Here, you have total power.

Take the food pyramid to heart and follow the basic guidelines it sets out for the number of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, fats and meats you should consume daily. Your diet is your foundation so make it a solid one with the right food choices. Do a little research to see which foods are high in antioxidants and which ones have low fat, high fiber and more.

Just like your body without MS, foods high in fat should be consumed sparingly as it can pack on the pounds and use portion control. When you gain weight, it places more undue stress on your body which is already fighting its own battle with MS symptoms. Don’t give your body anything else to stress about.

Be Realistic

Don’t make drastic changes overnight, as going cold turkey on your favorite cupcakes and chips can throw your body into shock. Slowly replace fattening foods with healthier options and experiment with new foods. Meet with a dietician or nutritionist who is well-versed in multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune type diseases to come up with a realistic eating plan.

One thing you should consider is those times when you might experience a relapse and have more MS symptoms than usual. When this occurs, you have to compensate in exercise and other physical activity and you should also consider the dietary ramifications as well. If you will not be able to exercise as effectively to help burn calories, then your diet should be modified to reflect that. You do not want to gain weight during your relapse as it will further exacerbate your MS symptoms.

In addition, some of your MS medications could cause a few side effects which your diet could address. For instance, dry mouth and dry skin are common complaints of drug reactions. There are many foods with high water content which might help with the dry mouth and foods like almonds and avocados which have many beneficial properties which include helping produce softer, more supple skin. These are additional things to consider when it comes to your diet plan.

As mentioned before, work with a nutritionist and your doctor to develop a game plan for eating which can be adaptable for your remission and relapse periods. MS is not a death sentence. Do what you can to make life easier on yourself as well as healthier. Besides exercise, what you eat and drink is up to you. You have the power to change your life for the better.