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Right diet may be the best way to beat multiple sclerosis and sizzle too August 27, 2008

Posted by Rebecca Hoover in Diet - the right diet for MS, what you need to eat.
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Drop dead georgeous from eating right.

As each year passes, doctors and scientists learn more and more about what is needed to manage MS instead of having MS manage you.  With a modern science-based approach to MS, the odds are on your side.  A key part of a science-based approach involves having the right diet.

Realistically, the best medicines in the world are unlikely to make you well if you have a lousy diet.  A good diet is essential for those with MS, just as it is essential for everyone, but those with MS are wise to be extra careful about what they eat.  Studies show some foods may make MS worse and others seem to help reduce MS symptoms.  The right diet will help you keep your sizzle and even make you look more youthful and more attractive.  In other words, you can forget disability and start thinking about wellness and being classy.  You may not be able to cure MS but, most likely, you can beat it.

Numerous studies have shown a relationship between diet and MS.  Dr. Roy Swank, a professor and neurologist at a university’s medical school in Oregon, believed that eating too much saturated fat helps cause MS.  Other studies have found, MS is more frequent where Vitamin D deficiencies are common, when too much animal fat is consumed and even when too many sweets are eaten.  At the same time, one study shows that eating whole grains and fruits and vegetables helps protect against MS.

Most important for those with MS, Dr. Swank studied the impact of diet on MS patients.   He found that those who followed a low-fat, ultra healthy diet he planned, often lived normal lives.  In fact, he wrote that 95% of patients who started following his diet shortly after diagnosis never became disabled.  In contrast, he reported those who did not eat a healthy low-fat diet, often became disabled and died at a relatively young age.

Dr. Swank carefully defined what a low-fat diet is because he was so concerned about the impact of saturated fats on those with MS.  His diet prohibits eating of more than 15 grams of saturated fats each day and recommends eating of only 20 to 50 grams of unsaturated fats each day.  Of course, Dr. Swank’s diet also prohibits eating of any transfats, monoglycerides and diglycerides because the health problems caused by these are well known.

I believe I have no visible symptoms today because way back in 1992, shortly after I was diagnosed I found information on Swank’s theories about a low-fat, ultra-healthy diet and started following his advice.  (I take no drugs.)  Best of all, you can try his advice for free.   You can borrow his classic book from your local library using an interlibrary loan if necessary. Otherwise, you can buy is book at a modest price at Amazon.com.  His book is entitled The Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book by Roy Laver Swank.  This book is so important for anyone with MS that it should be required reading.   If you read nothing else about MS, this is the book to read.

If the opportunity for better health is not enough to get you to try Dr. Swank’s diet for a few months, please consider this:  his diet will make you look better than you have ever looked.  When you start eating the right fats, taking fish or cod liver oil, taking a few low-cost supplements, and eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains, you are going to be surprised at the difference in your appearance in a few months.  Dr. Swank’s diet is precise, though, so be prepared to be precise when following it.  Cheating is not a good idea.

An excellent web site that includes important information, including dietary recommendations prepared by a doctor, is Taking Control of Multiple Sclerosis, prepared by Dr. George Jelinek who is also a professor of medicine.  I love this web site and I highly recommend its use.  Dr. Jelinek has MS himself and believes most can minimize MS symptoms with the right life style choices.

I also highly recommend Dr. Jelinek’s book.  Of the many books I have read on MS, I most highly recommend those by Dr. Swank and Dr. Jelinek.  Please note, though, that the recommendations of Dr. Swank and Dr. Jelinek do differ somewhat.  I use combination of ideas from both.  I tend to follow Dr. Swank’s recommendations on diet and Dr. Jelinek’s recommendations on supplements.  (Please also note that I do not recommend the web site of the Swank Foundation that was founded by Dr. Swank.  Dr. Swank is now deceased and, unfortunately, the web site of the Swank Foundation now includes recommendations that are not well-grounded in science.)

In summary, I’m not the only one who thinks the odds you can beat MS are good if you eat a healthy diet and follow the other advice included here.  A couple of professors agree with much of what is included here.  So, best wishes in changing your life style.  Eat healthy to live healthy and look drop dead gorgeous!

I will include more information on how you can maximize your sizzle in upcoming blogs.

Please let me know if you find my blog helpful.  Please add a comment.  What did you like?  What would you like added?  Thanks!  Together we can change the way the world views MS.

Is that veggie juice or what?  (Er, I do not think so.)

Is that veggie juice or what? (Er, I do not think so.)

Please remember to consult your doctors about how to stay as healthy as possible. Nothing here should be interpreted as medical advice. Instead, please use the information you find here in your discussions with your doctor.

Copyright 2008 Rebecca Hoover

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Tags: Avonex, Betaseron, Copaxone, Diet – the right diet for MS, Fatigue, Fish Oil, Food, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Nutrition, Prevent, Rebif, Relapses, Sizzle, Tysabri

My thoughts about chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency – CCSVI and liberation treatment November 23, 2009

Posted by Rebecca Hoover in Diet - the right diet for MS, what you need to eat.
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Hope is almost always realistic. Be bold! Hope! Be smart and take action!

The chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) theory and related liberation surgery to remove blood vessel blockages have spurred great hope for those with MS. It is my belief this hope is well-founded but it is important to pay attention to two facts.  First, it is important to understand what the blockages mean in practical terms .  Second it is important to understand what additional treatment is likely to be necessary even if the surgery can be used.

CCSVI essentially identifies blockages in blood vessels as a problem causing MS symptoms. This is not the first time, however, blockages have been identified as a problem in MS. Roy L. Swank, M.D., a professor emeritus of neurology and world wide expert in MS, long ago stated that blockages caused by saturated fat were the cause of MS symptoms.  In fact, Professor Swank identified blockages not in larger blood vessels but in very small blood vessels surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

The widespread nature of blockages suggests the second fact. Even if blockages are leading to MS symptoms, the blockage problem is probably far more widespread than can be surgically corrected in full. This means that dietary changes will still be needed to prevent future blockages and help treat current blockages too small to be surgically corrected. These dietary changes are not surprising because they are also required to treat heart problems that are caused by similar blood vessel blockages.

The likelihood that dietary changes will continue to be important in managing MS is highlighted by a study released in 2009 from South Africa that showed that saturated fat in the blood of those with MS is related to the severity of MS symptoms.  The study show that as saturated fats in the blood increased, MS symptoms and disability also increased.  Those with lower levels of saturated fats in their blood had fewer MS symptoms and lower levels of disability.  Given this, we all obviously want to keep the level of saturated fat in our blood as low as possible.

While all of us wait for additional information on CCSVI surgeries, we all can take steps to decrease blockages right now. The best non-surgical method that I know of to do this has been suggested by George Jelinek, M.D., a professor of medicine from Australia. His website Taking Control of Multiple Sclerosis still offers important and timely information for those with multiple sclerosis.  Taking the steps recommended by Professor Jelinek will help prevent and resolve blockages.

It is wonderful to have a great new focus on hope for those with MS.  Let’s all hope the possibility of surgical treatment will spur those with MS to start making the diet and other lifestyle changes likely to be needed to help heal MS.  We all need to grit our teeth and promise ourselves we will make the lifestyle changes that scientific studies show will probably help us heal or keep us healthy.  Hope, it seems, generally comes with some effort.

To read more about CCVSI and the so-called liberation surgery, you might wish to check the Multiple Sclerosis Research Center in the United Kingdom.  The information at the Multiple Sclerosis Research Center is quite optimistic.  For more realistic information, you may wish to read a press release from Italy about the liberation surgery.  This press release is more realistic in that it points out, for example, that a decrease in the number of MS lesions after surgery lasts for about 18 months.  Even so, the liberation surgery seems destined to help change how we think about MS.  In the future, it seems we may well think of many cases of MS as preventable and reversible.

Please let me know if you find my blog helpful.  Please add a comment.  What did you like?  What would you like added?  Thanks!  Together we can change the way the world views MS.

Please remember to consult your doctors about how to stay as healthy as possible. Nothing here should be interpreted as medical advice. Instead, please use the information you find here in your discussions with your doctor.

Copyright 2009 Rebecca Hoover

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Vitamin D deficiency is epidemic but Vitamin D may help prevent MS relapses November 16, 2009

Posted by Rebecca Hoover in Supplements - what you need to minimize MS symptoms.
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Loves Vitamin D3 for strength and bone building - so sizzling!

Recovering from a Vitamin D deficiency makes you this happy. Vitamin D3 rocks!

Vitamin D may turn out to be central in treating multiple sclerosis.  One study reported in 2009 compared MS patients who took 14,000 IU of Vitamin D3 each day with those who took only 1,000 IU of the vitamin.  The group taking 14,000 IU of Vitamin D3 cut their relapse rate by 41% compared with only 17% for those taking the lower dose.  The 41% is amazing!  This beats the MS drugs such as the interferons–they reduce the frequency by about 30%.  At the same time, studies have shown Vitamin D3 is safe!

It is no wonder the Australian MS society has now issued an advisory recommending one very high dose of Vitamin D3 for MS patients who have low levels of Vitamin D3 in their bodies.  That society now recommends that a one time dose of 500,000 IU be used, when appropriate, to increase levels of Vitamin D in those with MS.

Medical journals are filled with articles about the current Vitamin D deficiency epidemic both in the United State and Europe, and some researchers have found that 60% of those with MS have a Vitamin D deficiency. A Vitamin D deficiency is very problematic for those with MS because many researchers have long believed a Vitamin D shortage helps cause MS and some researchers have long believed adequate levels of Vitamin D may help prevent MS relapses. Also, a shortage of Vitamin D causes weakness–which is the last thing someone with MS needs.

If you have MS and you feel weak, your problem might not be MS but a Vitamin D deficiency.  What should you do?

You can ask your doctor to test the amount of Vitamin D in your blood. This simple test can help prevent all kinds of problems. Scientists believe Vitamin D not only plays a role in MS, it also helps prevent cancer, heart attacks and bone loss.

Some experts believe that your Vitamin D level should between 50 and 60 ng/ml (or about 200 nmol/L if the nmol/L scale is used) . Others believe a lower amount will do but why take a chance when you have MS.  Those who believe the smaller amount will suffice are not experts in the treatment of MS.

Do be careful because, while overdoses are rare, you can get too much Vitamin D. A reasonable dose might be between 1,000 and 2,000 I.U. of Vitamin D3 (not D2 which does not absorb well) per day but this varies by person and it is unlikely this low amount will be enough.  This amount, for example, is not enough for me.  If I take only 2,000 I.U. of Vitamin D3, my blood level of Vitamin D3 begins falling.  I have to take between 3,000 I.U. and 4,000 I.U. to keep my blood level of Vitamin D stable and research shows that this amount is required for many persons.  Many experts believe that those with MS need to watch their Vitamin D levels very carefully and to keep this level at the higher end of the normal range.

It is important to talk to your doctor, have your level tested and monitor your Vitamin D level.  A test every three to six months for a few years and then once a year will give you the information you need to learn to regulate your Vitamin D level.  Also, please remember that Vitamin D3 is a fat soluble vitamin so it should be taken with some fat from olive oil, fish oil. sunflower seeds, walnuts, etc.  A half teaspoon of oil, a tablespoon of sunflower seeds or a few half walnuts of fat is sufficient.

If you are one of the 60% of those with MS who have a Vitamin D shortage, just this one simple thing is going to make you feel better. Best of all, some scientists think enough Vitamin D will help prevent relapses as mentioned above. You can also get Vitamin D3 by spending time in the sun with your arms, legs and face exposed (use no sunscreen). Ten to 15 minutes per day at noon (when the sun is most direct) is all that is needed for a fair-skinned person; more for a darker person. Do avoid burning, though, because that can lead to cancer.

Also, when you start taking Vitamin D3 supplements or spending time in the sun, please be patient.  It takes at least three to six months to increase the blood level of Vitamin D to the desired range.  If you want faster results, some doctors recommend the mega dose now recommended by the Australian MS society.

Please remember to consult your doctors about how to stay as healthy as possible. Nothing here should be interpreted as medical advice. Instead, please use the information you find here in your discussions with your doctor.

Copyright 2009 Rebecca Hoover

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Tags: Class, Fatigue, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Prevent, Relapses, Science, Sizzle, Vitamin D

Universal health care in the United States is desperately needed by those with multiple sclerosis September 3, 2009

Posted by Rebecca Hoover in Uncategorized.
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Rebecca Hoover at protest against Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann and Congressman Ron Paul whose policies help keep those with MS without health insurance.  Photograph taken at the University of Minnesota, Sept. 22, 2009.

Rebecca Hoover at protest against Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann and Congressman Ron Paul whose policies help keep those with MS without health insurance. Photograph taken at the University of Minnesota, Sept. 25, 2009.

Research shows that stress can make multiple sclerosis (MS) worse, and there is almost nothing in the United States that is more stressful than not having health insurance coverage.  For this reason alone, reform in health care is needed in the United States.  Health care needs to be a right.  Those who have MS should not have to worry about not receiving health care when needed.

Despite this, decade after decade conservatives, big corporations and Republicans in the United States have refused to provide affordable health insurance for the many individuals who desperately need insurance.  Those who have MS and many others are hurt by this callousness and suffer needlessly.  Some die.

Every year in the United States, 22,000 individuals die because they lack health insurance.  This is a moral disgrace and must change.

I pledge to work and fight for universal health care in the United States and I encourage others to join me in this work.  I will not give up until access to health care is a right for all citizens.  No one should be denied health care because they lack money or insurance.   Health care must be available to all, affordable for all, and be of high quality.  This is the great moral imperative of our time.

Please let me know if you find my blog helpful.  Please add a comment.  What did you like?  What would you like added?  Thanks!  Together we can change the way the world views MS.

Please remember to consult your doctors about how to stay as healthy as possible. Nothing here should be interpreted as medical advice. Instead, please use the information you find here in your discussions with your doctor.

Copyright 2009 Rebecca Hoover

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Rebecca at Healthcare Vigil - Sept 2, 2009 - Photo 2

Rebecca Hoover at a health care vigil on Sept. 2, 2009. The event had a wonderful turnout of dedicated and concerned citiizens.

Another picture from our Sept. 2, 2009 vigil in Minneapolis.

Another picture of Rebecca Hoover at Sept. 2, 2009 vigil in Minneapolis.

Rebecca Hoover at rally at office of Senator Al Franken, Oct. 14, 2009.

Rebecca Hoover, in tan coat, at rally at office of Senator Al Franken, Oct. 14, 2009.

Cigarette smoking and multiple sclerosis — scary stuff June 19, 2009

Posted by Rebecca Hoover in Smoking - why it is important to quit to avoid MS and disability.
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3 comments
Freedom from smoking is essential.  Those who do not smoke are less likely to get MS and have less MS related disability.

Freedom from smoking is essential. Smoking seems to help cause MS and makes MS symptoms worse. Dumping the stinky sticks makes you healthy and glamorous.

Unfortunately, cigarette smoking seems to be part of the multiple sclerosis (MS) picture for some patients.  Studies have shown that cigarette smoking increases the chances of getting MS and seems to make MS worse.  If you smoke, it is important to quit.

The amount by which cigarette smoking increases the likelihood of getting multiple sclerosis is not small.  One study showed that smoking increases by the chances of getting multiple sclerosis by 27 percent.  A related issue is found in another study showing that it is more difficult for doctors to diagnose MS in smokers so a delayed diagnosis leads to unnecessary delays in treatment.  Most frightening, even children who are exposed to second hand smoke are more likely to develop MS.

For those who already have MS, smoking is also scary.  The studies show that smoking increases the amount of disability in MS and seems to encourage the onset of progressive multiple sclerosis from which there is no relapses.

The increases in disability for smokers with MS vary with the amount smoked.  Those who smoke less than one pack a day become more disabled than nonsmokers and heavy smokers of two or more packs per day become the most disabled of all.  An earlier study showed that, in addition to the general increase in disability among smokers with MS, smoking even causes a temporary decrease in motor functions after a cigarette is smoked.

When it comes to MS, smoking is scary. If you do smoke, this is the time to promise yourself you will free yourself from this expensive and unhealthy habit.  You owe it to yourself and your family, especially the children in your family, to protect yourself and others from harmful effects of smoking.  Also, please remember that if you do not smoke, it is important to avoid second hand smoke.

Please let me know if you find my blog helpful.  Please add a comment.  What did you like?  What would you like added?  Thanks!  Together we can change the way the world views MS.

Please remember to consult your doctors about how to stay as healthy as possible. Nothing here should be interpreted as medical advice. Instead, please use the information you find here in your discussions with your doctor.

Copyright 2009 Rebecca Hoover

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Another story of beating MS–from England March 20, 2009

Posted by Rebecca Hoover in Testimonials - stories from real people who have beaten MS.
8 comments

March 2009 photograph of Julie Calder at age 43--taken 11 months after starting an MS diet.  Julie says she believes the diet not only helped her get rid of MS symptoms, it also improved her appearance.

March 2009 photograph of Julie Calder practicing yoga at age 43--taken 11 months after starting an MS diet. Julie says she believes the diet not only helped her get rid of MS symptoms, it also improved her appearance.

From Julie in England:  I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) on September 4, 2004, but I had been having symptoms since about September 2000. My first symptoms were tingling in my fingers and toes and a sensation of sunburn down my right leg, for no apparent reason. These were dismissed as “probably a virus” by my primary care physician. In subsequent years, I suffered from inexplicable tiredness, which I now know was MS fatigue.

In 2003, I had problems with my vision and I was diagnosed with “convergence weakness” and given eye exercises to do—these did not seem to help much. By this time, we also knew that my sister had MS and her case was severe. She had been hospitalized, had temporarily lost the sight in one eye, and was finding it difficult to walk. This was when I started to research whether MS was genetically related or not and I discovered that I had about a 1 in 40 chance of getting MS, because my sister had MS.

Next I experienced dizzy spells and hand tremors; and I saw a specialist. He did not think I had MS (he thought it was myalgic encephalomyelitis, also called chronic fatigue syndrome) because I could still walk in a straight line and stop my hands from shaking if I concentrated hard enough–for a few minutes, anyway). I asked him to order an MRI scan–he agreed “just to set my mind at rest”. Later he said, “you could have knocked me down with a feather” when he saw the white areas of demyelination on my brain scan. I had to pester him for the result of my MRI, and I eventually received my MS diagnosis–over the telephone!

My eyesight seemed to improve of its own accord, but I started losing my sense of taste, which was very strange and a bit worrying. Also, I was under a great deal of stress. My Mum was ill with lung cancer which upset me a great deal, because we were very close. It was while I was going back and forth to Manchester to see her in hospital that I realized that I was suffering from a new symptom—foot drop! This meant that I had a noticeable limp and I was no longer able to walk long distances.  My eyesight became weaker again, but only for a few months.

To cut a long story short, my Mum passed away in January 2005, at age 62. My Dad, my two brothers, my sister and I were all devastated. Sadly, my Mum’s death seemed to send my sister with MS into a downward spiral of many relapses followed by incomplete remissions. My Dad never got over Mum’s death, and he subsequently passed away less than two years later at age 69, of pancreatic cancer.

To add to my stress, two days after my Dad’s funeral, my husband was diagnosed with colon cancer and he was operated on just before Christmas, 2006. From the beginning, however, he was determined to fight the cancer; and he inspired me to fight my MS. We had a difficult time while he went through six months of chemotherapy, but we survived to tell the tale and I remained stable.

It has now been just over two years since my husband’s operation and his most recent CT scan gave him the “all clear”. Needless to say, we and our three sons (ages 15, 12 and 10), are feeling a lot happier and we are all enjoying life again!

My MS, however, continued to be problematic. Then, last year, I came across George Jelinek’s book; and I was impressed with his well-researched ideas about diet and how to live your life to “take control of multiple sclerosis”. I have been on his diet ever since. My first improvements, after starting his diet, involved reduced fatigue and less anxiety. Prior to starting his diet, I often felt anxious–worrying about day-to-day things–very much out of proportion to the likelihood of them actually occurring. A few months after starting the diet, I actually felt my spirits had been “uplifted”. Before long, I also realized that my foot drop was considerably reduced and I had loads more energy! My balance problems and problems with hand tremors also disappeared almost completely. I was thrilled.

Six months after starting the diet, I realized that I was not taking enough Vitamin D, so I increased my dose from 1,000 IU to 5000 IU; and wow! It was as though I had taken another quantum leap up the scale to good health! I have now been on the diet for 10 months, and I would heartily recommend it to anyone with MS.

I should mention that I do exercise and this helps me feel strong and the exercise addresses specific problems. For example, I swim about once a month, do yoga once a week and do exercises every night to strengthen my ankles and feet.

I am trying to persuade my sister to go on the same diet, because she is now able to walk only with a walker. I think my suggestions are starting to get through – she is now taking Vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids, but probably not enough yet.

Here is a summary of what I take each day:

Methyl B-12 1,000 mg

Vitamin D3 5,000 IU

Vitamin B complex (contains 2 mg Vitamin B6, and 200 mg of folic acid),

Omega-3 from fish oil 1,000 mg

15- 20 ml flaxseed oil

1, 200 mg soya lecithin (I take this to keep my brain as healthy as possible–this is the result of my own research and is not based on George Jelinek’s recommendations)

Amantadine (This is a Parkinson’s disease drug, which is given to some MS patients to help combat fatigue. It works in about 60% of cases and it certainly helps me. However, the real fatigue breakthrough came when I started George’s diet. By the way, amantadine is also an anti-viral, so I get few colds.)

Here is a brief summary of the dietary rules I follow:

  1. Eat absolutely NO red meat, however I still have chicken (breast only) about two times a week–this is more in keeping with Dr. Roy Swank’s diet (Dr. Jelinek suggests no meat, except fish, at all).
  2. Eat lots of fish, especially mackerel, tuna, salmon, lemon sole and prawns (yum!).
  3. Eat absolutely NO dairy products, not even cheese if I can avoid it. I use soya milk with my cereal in the mornings (porridge with apple and raisins, usually). I eat brown bread with seeds on top.

Julie Calder often cooks tasty ultra healthy food with a wok.  Her family benefits from eating right too.  Photograph taken March 2009.  (P.S.  Notice how cute Julie looks--a good diet does that!)

Julie Calder often cooks tasty ultra healthy food with a wok. Her family benefits from eating right too. Photograph taken March 2009. (P.S. Notice how cute Julie looks--a good diet does that!)

To accompany the fish or chicken I eat, I have rice, pasta or potatoes and whatever vegetables I fancy, usually broccoli, cabbage, carrots, mange-tout, and onions. I sometimes saute or stir-fry vegetables with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil, or bake them in the oven after coating them with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil first.

I also eat absolutely loads of tomatoes and red and green peppers, especially in my Italian-style dishes. I add tomatoes to my curries, along with cardamon, cumin, garlic, chilis, and peppers. To my Chinese-style dishes, along with baby sweet corn, I add soy sauce, ginger etc.

If I need something sweet, I have either alpro-soya yogurts or alpro-chocolate or caramel desserts. Alternatively, I have fruit with either alpro-soya cream or non-dairy ice-cream (Swiss glace).

For snacks I have fruit or Mrs. Crimble’s low-fat ginger cake or Dutch apple cake, or oat bars with cranberries and apple.

I love cooking and I have never once felt deprived.

If you met me, you would not know I have MS—I am much healthier than I was before I started following Jelinek’s and Swank’s recommendations. I still have MS (for example, I still experience foot drop after walking a couple of miles) but I also now have hope. I believe that my children will be glad their Mum is taking care of herself. My improved health makes life much easier for everyone.

Julie Calder

With an ultra healthy life style, Julie keeps looking better and better.  Here is another photograph of her taken in July 2009.

With an ultra healthy life style, Julie keeps looking better and better--here is another photograph of her taken in July 2009.

Please let me know if you find my blog helpful.  Please add a comment.  What did you like?  What would you like added?  Thanks!  Together we can change the way the world views MS.

Please remember to consult your doctors about how to stay as healthy as possible. Nothing here should be interpreted as medical advice. Instead, please use the information you find here in your discussions with your doctor.

Copyright 2009 Rebecca Hoover

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Tags:  Diet, Exercise, Multiple Sclerosis, Nutrition, MS

Another story of beating MS by a Seattle Swank fan March 19, 2009

Posted by Rebecca Hoover in Testimonials - stories from real people who have beaten MS.
2 comments

I was diagnosed in July of 1991 with relapsing/remitting MS. I had lost sensation in the fingers of both hands, and I had tingling in the hands and toes and a numb face and neck. The doctor who diagnosed me was less than gentle, he said “Well you either have a brain tumor or MS, but we won’t know until the MRI results come back on Tuesday.” It was the Thursday before a long July 4th weekend, the longest four days of my life!  When the doctor saw the MRI results he handed me some pamphlets, wished me luck, and said “You’ll need to prepare for life in a wheelchair.”

The year after diagnosis was rough–dizzy spells, foot drop, double vision, deep depression, divorce, discrimination at my job of 10 years.  I took a two week course of prednisolone for the double vision. Other than that, I have not been on any meds. There were no MS specific drugs at the time. I did try marijuana, although it was somewhat effective in relieving bladder spasticity it left me with a dry mouth, heavy fatigue, and lethargy.  (Dr. Swank even mentions this in his book.)

Dr. Swank was putting on an informational seminar sometime around the summer of 1992 here in Seattle.  The information was intriguing. I signed up for a consultation at his clinic in Portland, became a patient and traveled there twice a year until he retired.  I adopted his program as a lifestyle more than a treatment.  Doing so allowed me to take control of my health, becoming an active participant in life rather than a victim of disease.

After just a few weeks on the Swank MS Diet, my vision cleared up and my balance returned to near normal.  After two years, my tests were coming back in the normal range. I have had no major problems since then and my most recent MRI showed only very small lesions in just a few places.  (At diagnosis there were dozens, and one was the size of a quarter right on the top of my spine.)  I have been in remission since 1993.

Recently I switched jobs and have found it impossible to take the mid-day nap Dr. Swank recommends–other than that I follow the recommendations in his book to the letter.  Over the years I’ve slipped a few times, such as while on vacation or at a family holiday gathering. (After 17 years some of my family still do not get it!  I usually bring my own food.)

I am 45 years old now, have a five year old son who keeps me busy in the evenings.

I’m not completely symptom free, but have learned to live with the few quirks the disease brings, like a super active bladder and occasional fatigue.  Although not currently doing it, I did bi-weekly injections of vitamin B-12 for several years.

SeattleSwankFan


Please let me know if you find my blog helpful.  Please add a comment.  What did you like?  What would you like added?  Thanks!  Together we can change the way the world views MS.

Please remember to consult your doctors about how to stay as healthy as possible. Nothing here should be interpreted as medical advice. Instead, please use the information you find here in your discussions with your doctor.

Copyright 2008 Rebecca Hoover

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Another neat story: in her 70’s and still beating MS February 16, 2009

Posted by Rebecca Hoover in Testimonials - stories from real people who have beaten MS.
3 comments
the way to beat MS is to follow a healthy low-fat diet, rest when needed, exercise and have goals.

Stories from all generations point the way: the way to beat MS is to follow a healthy low-fat diet, rest when needed, exercise and have goals.

Julie Calder introduces this story: Doreen is a wonderful woman who is in her seventies, very strong and an inspiration to me. I first spoke to her when I was starting the George Jelinek diet–we compared notes and found similarities.

She strongly encouraged me to stick to the diet. I have never forgotten how she told me that when she was first diagnosed, she could not even walk to the end of her garden, without having to crawl back and that her doctors were ready to confine her to a wheelchair! She told me it was after she changed her own diet to a low-fat diet and made other lifestyle changes, she started recovering.

Nowadays, she walks for miles with her dog, Murphy, nearly every day. Just recently, she phoned me to tell me that her doctor had said that she had “cured herself”. She described herself as “the lady who used to have MS”.

Here’s her story in her own words–

I am not going to list the symptoms of MS, we all know those and it is not helpful to raise agitation in those already suffering from them. Neither am I going to list seemingly endless supplements as these are very expensive and not everyone is able to afford them. True, I took Vitamin E, B complete, lecithin, blue fish oil and had an injection of B12 once a month for many years, and no doubt derived much benefit.

I avoided all meat, dairy products, sugar, white flour and all processed foods. A diet which we would all benefit from following.

My MS was diagnosed over thirty years ago in the Maidavale hospital in London by the then leading neurologist in the country–Mr. Henson.

I had hitherto led an active, very public and professional life and the years that followed were filled with feelings of isolation and desolation. I remember one day standing alone watching a little stream flowing under a bridge near my home and I prayed aloud that a friend might be found for me and that friend proved to be the catalyst for my total healing.

This is a story that was to span over thirty years. She was/is a yoga teacher and together we met the fear, despair, frustration and everything else that goes along with this debilitating condition.

I had never experienced unconditional love before, i.e., love that first gives and asks for nothing in return, and it was this love that set the wheels of healing in motion. Today, I have forgotten all about MS and am fitter than I have ever been in my life.

“And there remain three things. Faith, Hope and Love and the greatest of these is Love”

I struggled with an exercise bicycle twice a day, practised my yoga and found a balance between rest and exercise. I sought the help of the late Ted Fricker–world famous healer and kept my eyes forever fixed on simple goals. On my darkest days I refused to believe that I was beaten. I knew beyond doubt that I would once again, walk my dog. Today, we think nothing of five miles.

It takes a lot of effort and a lot of courage, but it can be done. I did it and so can you.

Doreen Kirby

Please let me know if you find my blog helpful.  Please add a comment.  What did you like?  What would you like added?  Thanks!  Together we can change the way the world views MS.

Please remember to consult your doctors about how to stay as healthy as possible. Nothing here should be interpreted as medical advice. Instead, please use the information you find here in your discussions with your doctor.

Copyright 2009 Rebecca Hoover

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Tags:  Multiple Sclerosis, MS, Diet, Exercise

To beat MS, sleep enough but not too much February 13, 2009

Posted by Rebecca Hoover in Sleep - how much you need to beat MS, Uncategorized.
4 comments
7 to 8 hours of sleep are needed each night as well as a nap during the day if needed.  Also, get extra bed during a relapse to help resolve symptoms.

7 to 8 hours of sleep are needed each night as well as a nap during the day if needed. Also, extra bed rest during a relapse helps resolve symptoms.

Studies show that those with MS who get enough sleep have fewer symptoms and fewer relapses!  Those who do not get enough sleep suffer from more MS symptoms and their disease progresses more quickly.  You can use this knowledge to prevent disability and keep MS symptoms at bay.  So how much sleep is enough?

Many studies have shown that even those without MS require 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.  Even those without MS develop problems with cognition (thinking) and coordination when they have less sleep than this for more than a few days.  For those with MS, a lack of sleep can trigger a relapse and a worsening of symptoms.  For this reason, experts recommend those with MS get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night.  Also, experts recommend that those with MS take a nap (up to 2 hours) during the day, if needed.

If you are having a relapse, you can help the symptoms resolve most quickly by getting additional bed rest!  Rest, rest, rest!  At times, I have spent as much as 12 to 16 hours per day getting bed best to resolve symptoms.  I slept part of this time and I also used this time to read, work on my computer projects, etc.  Now that I follow a healthy living program, the need for extra bed rest has not been necessary for a long time.

Ah, sleep, where the gods send us messages from our hearts!  Be sure to get enough sleep.

You may wonder why sleep is so important.  It seems that even one night of only 4 hours of sleep increases the body’s inflammatory response.  An increase in inflammation is, however, is the last think you want if you have MS because inflammation makes MS worse.

If you are having problems sleeping, think about adding some exercise to your daily routine.  Research shows exercise helps you sleep soundly.  A walk or other exercise will help.  (See my post on exercise.)  Also, think about a light snack before going to bed.  I often have a small bowl of rice and some nonfat milk before going to bed–that makes me feel contented and ready to sleep.

Please let me know if you find my blog helpful.  Please add a comment.  What did you like?  What would you like added?  Thanks!  Together we can change the way the world views MS.

Please remember to consult your doctors about how to stay as healthy as possible. Nothing here should be interpreted as medical advice. Instead, please use the information you find here in your discussions with your doctor.

Copyright 2008 Rebecca Hoover

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Tags: Beat, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Sleep, Fatigue

Fish oil makes you sexy and helps prevent MS relapses February 12, 2009

Posted by Rebecca Hoover in Supplements - what you need to minimize MS symptoms.
1 comment so far
Has unbelievably soft skin because she takes fish oil and eats right.

Want unbelievably soft skin? Try fish oil and eat right. This helps beat MS too.

Some studies have shown that fish oil helps reduce the number of MS relapses and the severity of MS symptoms. Even better, taking fish oil which includes Omega-3 fatty acids is likely to help make you sexy. If you combine the fish oil supplements with a healthy low-fat diet, your skin is going to become much more attractive. Women, your skin will become softer than you ever remember. Men, the fish oil will make you look vibrant. (I recommend the Swank MS Diet by Dr. Roy Swank and information on it is available free by borrowing his book from a public library using an interlibrary loan if needed.)

How much fish oil should you take?  Some experts recommend 3 grams or 3,000 milligrams of fish oil each day and this amount includes about 900 milligrams of Omega-3 fatty acids.  But, more recently studies show that fish oil becomes increasingly beneficial when up to five servings of fish are eaten each week.  This is equivalent to about 15 grams or 15,000 milligrams of Omega-3 fatty acids per week (3,000 milligrams for each of five days) or about 45 to 50 grams of fish oil per week.  If one capsule has 1 gram (1,000 milligrams) of fish oil, you would need to take about seven (7) capsules per day to have this amount.

Professor George Jelinek, M.D., who is considered an MS expert by many, recommends even more fish oil than this amount.  He recommends about 20 grams (20,000 millligrams) of fish oil each day for about 6 grams of Omega-3s.  Personally, I find this amount to be overwhelming.  I am a small person, however, so this may be the reason I get an upset stomach when taking as much fish oil as Dr. Jelinek recommends.  I do take the equivalent of about 12 grams of fish oil each day or about 3 grams of Omega-3s.   Based on Dr. Jelinek’s recommendations, I may increase this to about 16 grams of fish oil each day or about 4 grams of Omega-3s.

Of course, you can get part of your fish oil by eating oily fish such as salmon, trout or sardines.  This is what I do.  Be sure to spread your consumption of fish oil over several days during the week.  Taking 28,000 milligrams of Omega-3 fatty acids on just one day is not as effective as taking about 4,000 milligrams for each of seven (7) days.

I like to think the new emphasis on healthy eating with MS is going to make for a new club: MS Hotties!

Best wishes all. We do need some humor occasionally. After you’ve tried a combination of an improved diet like the Swank diet and fish oil supplements, please let us know what you think.

Please remember to consult your doctors about how to stay as healthy as possible. Nothing here should be interpreted as medical advice. Instead, please use the information you find here in your discussions with your doctor.

Copyright 2008 Rebecca Hoover

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Tags: Beat, Fish Oil, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Prevent, Relapses, Sex, Supplements

Infections and the flu – why they must be avoided to beat multiple sclerosis February 10, 2009

Posted by Rebecca Hoover in Infections - why and how to avoid them.
1 comment so far
Being sick is no fun and infections can make MS worse.  Avoid bacterial and viral infections whenever possible.

Being sick is no fun and infections can make MS worse. Avoid bacterial and viral infections whenever possible.

Scientists have found that both viral and bacterial infections can cause multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses.  Unfortunately, studies show that MS relapses are caused by almost every type of infection — urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections, influenza, etc.

Given the problems caused by infections, the only intelligent approach is to avoid infections whenever possible.  There are a few simple steps you can take to do this.  These involve hygiene, quitting smoking if you smoke, avoiding those with viral infections, using the right fabrics for underwear and staying as healthy as possible with a good diet and other healthy life style choices.

The first step, hygiene, involves understanding that most infections are spread by hands so frequent hand washing is the most important thing you can do to avoid infections.  The right way to wash one’s hands is a bit more complex than the type of hand washing most of us learned as children.  The right way to wash one’s hands involves the following steps:

  1. Carefully avoid touching any part of the sink after turning on the water faucet.
  2. Wet your hands with warm water and apply enough soap to develop a generous amount of lather.
  3. Vigorously rub your hands together for at least 15 seconds. (The friction helps remove germs.)
  4. Be sure you wash all parts of the hand, including your wrists, the back of your hands, your palms, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
  5. Be sure to scrub the tips of your fingers, thumbs and nails by rubbing them in the palm of your hands.
  6. Rinse your hands.
  7. Dry your hands with a clean towel.
  8. Turn off the faucet with a towel.

It is probably wise to be more careful about following all of these steps when you might be exposed to infection or are away from home.

Second, in addition to frequent hand washing, avoiding long and polished fingernails is important.  Scientists have found that about 85% to 90% of long and polished fingernails are contaminated with gram positive bacteria.  This is why doctors and nurses do not wear long fingernails or nail polish, and this is why those with MS are wise to avoid long and polished finger nails.

As a third step, if you smoke, it is important to quit.  Unfortunately, those who smoke do get more frequent infections and colds and potentially more MS relapses.

Fourth, it is important to avoid others who have colds or influenza.  It is easy to catch both colds and influenza especialy during some months.

Fifth, women are best off with 100% cotton underwear–they will help you avoid bladder infections.  There is no need to worry about attractiveness–the 100% cotton styles come in a variety of colors and styles and are attractive and stylish.

Sixth, do get flu shots and other needed vaccines unless your doctor recommends that you avoid them for some reason.  I always have an annual flu shot and will get the vaccine for H1N1 and similar flu when they are available.  Be sure to note that experts recommend that those with MS avoid the vaccines with live viruses and get only those vaccines that include the dead viruses.

Seventh, do get enough Vitamin D3.  One study showed that 14,000 IU per day almost completely eliminated colds and flu.  I personally take about 4,000 IU per day because that is what is needed to keep my level at the high end of the normal range–right where I want it.  Other scientists have found that Vitamin D even helps prevent gum disease and dental caries.

Finally, one of the best ways to avoid infections is to stay as healthy as possible by eating right, sleeping enough, taking supplements when needed and exercising.  Please see my posts on just what eating right means for those with MS.  The nutrition needs of those with MS, for example, are best met with the use of a diet designed by doctors for those with MS.

If worst comes to worst and you do get a viral or bacterial infection, treat it aggressively to avoid an MS relapse.  For colds and minor viral infections, get extra rest and eat especially nutritious foods including citrus fruits if possible. For other infections, see a doctor promptly.   Don’t delay.  An untreated infection can make MS worse than it needs to be.

Of course, an ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure–so focus on prevention including hand washing, not smoking, avoiding those with viral infections, use of cotton underwear, a healthy diet and enough sleep.

Please let me know if you find my blog helpful.  Please add a comment.  What did you like?  What would you like added?  Thanks!  Together we can change the way the world views MS.

Please remember to consult your doctors about how to stay as healthy as possible. Nothing here should be interpreted as medical advice. Instead, please use the information you find here in your discussions with your doctor.

Copyright 2008 Rebecca Hoover

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Tags: Colds, Flu, Infection, Influenza, MS, Multiple Sclerosis