Tag Archives: multiple sclerosis

The Most Important Anti-Inflammatory Diet Steps You Can Start Today

I stumbled on a highly effective hunger-free weight loss program 15 years ago. It was 1998 and I was twenty-two years old when I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). At the time I was diagnosed my neurologist at the University of Miami suggested a change in diet and lifestyle could make me feel better and help slow the progression of my disease. I quickly learned that MS was a disease made worse by inflammation and that I would need to do absolutely everything I could from a lifestyle standpoint to reduce inflammation, which primarily meant changing my diet. I was a fitness instructor at the time and I had always been slim, so the whole concept of “dieting” was foreign to me.

My husband, Andy Larson, M.D., is a surgeon now, but at the time I was diagnosed he was in medical school and I asked for his help in researching the best anti-inflammatory diet to follow. Even though Andy was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, which is consistently ranked one of the best medical schools in the country, nutrition is not something that was emphasized in medical school, so he pretty much had as much learning to do as I did.

The more we learned together about anti-inflammatory nutrition and disease the more we realized that the common link between MS and many seemingly unrelated diseases (asthma, allergies, heart disease, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, arthritis, etc.) was inflammation. Andy decided to start the anti-inflammatory “MS diet” with me because he figured it was a healthy diet to follow even if you don’t have MS or any other inflammatory condition. Although he was not overweight when he started, Andy promptly lost 15 pounds without even trying (he was not restricting portion sizes or trying to count calories, etc.) and reduced his borderline high blood pressure down to a normal healthy level. That was sort of an “ah ha” moment for both of us. (more…)

Posted on March 18, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Who Will be a Fitter First Lady: Michelle Obama or Ann Romney?

First ladies have a tough job – they are dragged into exhausting campaigns whether they like it or not, must learn to live in the spotlight along with their family, and are required to pull it off with seemingly easy style, grace, and charm. They are called to be supportive of their husbands no matter what, an exemplary mother, great at small talk, have a flair for hostessing, and a penchant for making skirt suits look attractive. Some women can do it, and do it well, while others wilt in the fierce glare of media attention. With their husbands’ names about to be on the top of America’s voting ballots come November, we want to know: do Ann Romney and Michelle Obama have what it takes to stomach (another) four years in the White House?

With four years behind her, Mrs. Obama already has a track record to show for how she balances family, work, and social obligations. Her main platform as FLOTUS has been to reduce childhood obesity through her Let’s Move! initiative.

Mrs. Obama’s family are the first ones to benefit from her activism as she keeps them healthy and fit. She stresses nutritious eating to her daughters, not so that they will be thin but so that they will have energy for sports activities. Her favorite unhealthy food is french fries and she says she tries to curb her husband’s unwholesome snacking as much as she can. Mrs. Obama has said that she doesn’t count calories but simply focuses on how she feels, and how she feels about herself. She has also planted a garden on the White House lawn so that the family can eat homegrown, organic fruits and vegetables. (more…)

Posted on October 8, 2024 by SarahS

How to Manage MS Through Diet and Exercise

In the wake of celebrity TV star and music manager Jack Osbourne – son of famed musician Ozzy Osbourne – recently receiving a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, the world has once again grown curious of what exactly the condition is and how it affects the body. And perhaps of equal importance is whether or not a person can better manage MS through their diet and fitness regimen.

Osbourne, 26, is trying to deal positively with MS, which is a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects the body’s central nervous system. MS has been known to cause blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, extreme fatigue, numbness, paralysis, blindness, memory loss and more. And because of the volatility of the condition, these symptoms can remain permanent or may come and go.

In addition to proper diet and digestion, one of the most crucial areas of the body an MS patient can focus on to better manage the condition is the myelin sheathe of nerve fibers, because it is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system.

Some of the foods experts claim can trigger MS-symptoms include dairy, grains containing gluten, legumes eggs and yeast. According to authors of the MS Recovery Diet, it’s possible to identify other foods that may cause and/or lessen MS symptoms, and then find ways to customize a patient’s diet to avoid worsening the condition. (more…)

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Dana

Montel Williams Uses SafSlim Supplement to Manage His Weight and MS Symptoms

Montel Williams is championing a new product that targets fat about your midsection. With swimsuit season right around the corner, could this product help you have the confidence to go from a one-piece to a bikini?

First I had to ask myself why Montel Williams, a known TV-talk show host with no background in nutrition, is promoting a weight loss product. This is what Ryan Bilvas, a representative from SafSlim told me.

“Montel has personally struggled with body and emotional eating issues and for years has been searching for a natural way to help with his weight and snacking problems. He asked his assistant to find a natural product to help him manage his weight and hunger issues and she ordered him SafSlim after hearing about it from friends. He used it for three months and after seeing his weight go down and his urge to eat all the time decrease, he contacted the company to see how he could help other people experience these results. Montel is known for his passion, he gains happiness and personal achievement by helping others and seeing them live well.”

MS is Multiple Sclerosis, a neurological disorder that can affect so many different parts of the body including vision, muscles, control of bowels and urination, and the list goes on and on. I commend Montel for wanting to take control of his health and pay it forward to others.

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Posted on April 23, 2024 by Sarah

Join or Donate to the 2024 MS Coastal Challenge to Find a Cure

By Rob Cohn

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system. MS is an autoimmune disease and the body attacks the healthy tissue in the brain. MS may cause blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech or even bad memory. Some people lose their ability to walk let alone ride a bike. The unpredictability of the disease can present many challenges, including the possibility of facing increasing limitations. Anyone may develop MS but there are some patterns. Two to three times more women than men have been diagnosed with MS.

I am participating in the 2024 MS Coastal Challenge in Ventura, CA because my husband Randy has MS. Every week he has to take an injection of medicine that will hopefully slow down the progression. The side effects that he deals with every week are having symptoms of having the flu, headaches and chills. He has to take over the counter medicine to help counteract the side effects. My wish is that a CURE is found so that people like Randy can live a life without the need for these horrible side effects.

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Posted on August 23, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Staying Fit with Multiple Sclerosis

March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month In the United States. (Canada will celebrate in May.) Although Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can be understood as a neurodegenerative disorder, it is defined as an autoimmune disorder because the immune systems of sufferers attack their own central nervous systems, damaging the myelin sheath of neurons. This damage causes miscommunication and missed messages between the brain and the nerves. MS can be a very emotionally heavy diagnosis because it is chronic, there is no known cure, and it a very unpredictable disorder. MS can effect any function controlled by the central nervous system.

Symptoms tend to come episodically without any warning. One day a person with MS may be functioning just fine and the next muscle weakness may inhibit walking. These symptoms can also terminate without any warning. The unpredictable nature can be very stressful, the lack of a cure can be disheartening, and the often degenerative nature of the disorder can be depressing. (more…)

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Brooke Randolph