Nutritional treatment

Anyone who knows me knows that I am serious about nutrition being part of management of this (and any other) disease.  For many years, Amy and I have been avoiding the additives and processed foods--things like high fructose corn syrup, nitrates, and foods with ingredients we can't pronounce or identify.  The second step in this has been switching to organic milk and meat.  I am allergic to three classes of antibiotics.  Somehow, I am not allergic to the penicillins, which is the most common allergy.  Large scale farming uses antibiotics both to protect against infections in over-crowded and dirty environments and as a growth promoter.  I also know people who have developed allergies in reaction to exposure from meat and milk and who have antibiotic allergies and have allergic reactions to commercial meat and milk. Based on these things we have decided to use only organic milk, eggs, and meat (we only eat chicken).  Most of our vegetables are coming from the CSA or are organic. "Round-up ready" anything scares me.

Now for the next phase of this.  When I was first diagnosed with MS, a friend told me about someone she knew who had managed his disease by adopting a gluten free diet.  I tried it.  But, I am not sure I did it right.  It was a lot harder 15 years ago.  But, nothing explains or treats the peripheral neuropathy that I have in my hands and feet.  There is something called "non-celiac gluten sensitivity." It causes peripheral neuropathy.  So, it is time to go back to nutrition.  We have adopted a gluten free diet.  At the same the, we are not switching one for another.  We didn't eat a lot of pasta, snack foods, and bread before.  Just when we have them, we are going without gluten. 
 A lot of the recipes we are finding and trying are listed as "paleo." That makes things easier because it isn't adding back in some sort of alternative grain. 

Ultimately, the diet we are doing is one that makes us feel healthier.   We have eliminated the processed stuff.  We are eating more vegetables.  Leaving off the heavier stuff for dinner--especially since dinner is usually about 9:30pm when I get home from work. Amy is learning to make challah.  Two attempts and the second was definitely better.

This is part of how I have always lived with my MS.  Years ago I asked my doctor about diet.  He said there was no supporting evidence, but if it made me feel better, go ahead.  This is one I disagree with him about.  There haven't been any formal studies done, but there is too much information about how people have improved and a lot of information about some of the stuff we are putting into our bodies and calling "food."  If I get back even half of the feeling in my hands and feet, I will never look back.