Mathew Embry, fellow Canadian and founder of MS Hope, was diagnosed with MS in 1995 and has been symptom free since changing his diet. He has a documentary called "Living Proof" that you can watch on several streaming platforms, and he gives talks around the world to those living with MS or caring for those with MS to share how changing what you eat can have a profound effect on how the disease progresses.  If you see this guy, he looks like the picture of health! His website is loaded with information on diet, exercise, his story, a free cookbook that you can download, videos you can watch, it's incredible. Here are some links if you'd like to check out his journey: 

https://mshope.com/

https://www.instagram.com/mathew.embry

https://www.facebook.com/teammshope/

Now, on to Dr. Jason Fung, a Canadian doctor of nephrology who specializes in treating person's with Type II diabetes. His approach to diet is different from most doctors; he actually recommends fasting as a method to decrease inflammation in the body, lose weight and promote healing. He's written several books on health, cofounded of the Intensive Dietary Management Program, and gives talks around the world teaching other doctors about the benefits of intermittent fasting for patient health.  This guy is honest, down to earth, and he explains things simply so that anyone can understand the science behind fasting. His YouTube video's even feature success stories of everyday people who've employed his method and changed their lives. 

Books:

The Essential Guide to Intermittent Fasting For Women, The Obesity Code, and The Complete Guide to Fasting...just to name a few! He has several more books available for purchase on his website. 

He also has an app for those following the fasting method diet:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-fasting-method/id1571760038

https://www.thefastingmethod.com/

https://www.dietdoctor.com/authors/dr-jason-fung-m-d

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoyL4iGArWn5Hu0V_sAhK2w

And last, but not least, Dr. Terry Wahls; her story is nothing short of incredible. Of the three person's I'm listing, I have found her journey to be the most inspirational because she went from  a downhill spiral with MS to symptom reversal. This woman is amazing.  She is an educator, a researcher, and an author who went from spending nearly four years in a reclining wheelchair due to MS progression, to walking and bicycling with her family.  Dr.Wahls worked tirelessly to research what she could do to regain her function, and her research is now benefiting many others suffering with chronic illness. Please check out her amazing story!

https://terrywahls.com/about/about-terry-wahls/

Facebook (Terry Wahls MD)

Twitter at @TerryWahls.

So now I'm picking up this question from you dear reader, "Two of these people are focusing on MS, and FND is NOT MS! How will this even apply to me?" Well, it might not do you a lick of good at all to be honest. But here's the catch, if someone said to you "You can relieve some of your FND symptoms by cutting out the following foods from your diet (insert random unhealthy crap here)." Would you change how you eat?  I certainly would! In fact, I have done exactly that.

Before getting diagnosed with FND I was convinced that MS may be the underlying cause of my symptoms, and if it wasn't MS perhaps there was an inflammatory/immune system connection to what was happening in my body. In the meantime, I went on a search to find out what I could do to mitigate symptoms. That's how I came across the above mentioned people. One thing they each have in common is recommending a whole foods/paleo/keto approach to eating. Basically stop eating processed crap, sugary snacks and drinks, and start eating vegetables, fresh fruit, lean cuts of meat and nuts...you know ACTUAL FOOD! 

I've always been mindful of what I'm eating, even if it meant "I don't MIND if I do..." and I've never met a cake I haven't liked, or a cheese for that matter! But when it comes to choosing between my quality of life, and the sugary addiction that I love to indulge, I will choose quality of life thank you very much! I've read several of Dr.Fung's books and follow him on You Tube, and read Dr.Wahls'  book "The Wahls Protocol" as well as purchased her cook book, I've watched Mathew's documentary, downloaded his cook book and in short DONE MY HOMEWORK! What I've discovered is that I do see symptom improvement when I eat healthy whole foods. For me that means cutting out anything made with flour or heavily starchy foods,  no sugar (except for the natural sugar that comes from the fresh fruit I eat), eating lots of salads with leaner cuts of meat,  and eating within a 4-6 hour time frame each day and fasting for the rest. I also drink a lot more water, and drink alcohol very seldom. (I don't actually need alcohol to wake up feeling hung over... thanks a lot %$#@ing brain fog.) I still have sweets/baking once in a while, because let's be honest, life happens! If I don't allow myself to have an indulgence once in a while, then I just let it go to pot and fall completely off the health wagon! I will say, I feel like shit after eating anything made with flour and/or sugar.

So far I've lost about 24 lbs, I have less pain (NOT NO PAIN, just less), and although I still experience brain fog it doesn't last quite as long. It used to last a couple of days at a time, now it can last a few hours to maybe a day at most. I've noticed a decrease in the severity of my tremors, and the muscle cramping still happens, but not every single night like it used to.  Admittedly, some of this progress may just be attributed to other things I've implemented into my life, but I prefer to look at it from a holistic approach. Changing what I put into my body to improve my health is just as important (if not the MOST important)as any other treatment modality I've tried.  After all, our bodies are the most complex machinery there is, so putting only the best fuel into it makes sense. Don't you agree?

If I hadn't taken the time to look at what information is available about diet and chronic illness, then I wouldn't have known that changing what I eat could relieve some of my symptoms.  So take the time to look at the information out there, speak to a nutritionist, consider ways in which you may be able to adjust your diet, and evaluate how you feel after making those changes. You may be surprised!

Here's some tips that I use when grocery shopping or just about food in general:

1. Avoid the junk food aisle like it has small pox. It's deadly. I'm gonna say the same goes for the frozen desserts aisle. 

2. Eat fresh fruit and vegetables when you can, frozen is just as good when you can't.

3. Drink water, yes you will pee more often, but eventually your bladder will get over it.  (As a nurse, I have been amazed at how long a person can survive without water, due to the lack of available break coverage for peeing. )

4. Eat the rainbow. (NO NOT SKITTLES) Put some color on your plate in the form of vibrant peppers, radishes, berries, leafy greens, you know, the good stuff!

5. Be prepared! Make a list of what you want to buy, and stick to it. 

6.Try to go around the periphery of the grocery store first, as it's most likely to have the whole/unprocessed foods. Then go into only the aisles that contain the items on your list.

7. Educate yourself on what foods help you to feel better, and what foods make you feel like crap. If you need help in this area, talk to a nutritionist for expert advice!

8. If there's something that you KNOW makes you feel like @#$% but you cannot resist, don't even bring it into the house!! (This is a rule for me, I have absolutely NO DEFENSE against anything sweet/sugary/baked. My poor hubby has to get his sugary snacks in while he's at work! )

9.Take your time. Figuring out what foods make you feel better or worse is a process. It doesn't happen over night, and it's not going to be the same for everyone. Some people can eat pasta like it's their job, I eat pasta and my whole body is racked with pain. 

Again, talk to your most trusted health care advisor when considering changing your diet or introducing exercises. If you find something that works, and you'd like to share it with other FND warriors, send me an email, and give me permission to post.