When Dr. Terry Wahls was diagnosed with MS, she did what any good doctor would do. She started the standard course of treatments recommended for MS by her peers. After 7 years of the best medicine had to offer for MS, she was for all intents and purposes a cripple. She couldn’t sit in a normal chair, but rather had to recline in a zero gravity chair at home and at work. She could walk only very short distances — and that using two canes! Then one day she decided to put her research acumen to the test.
She knew that in order to reverse her MS, she’d have to fuel her mitochondria and support the function of her brain cells. So, she dug into the research and discovered which nutrients were absolutely vital to accomplishing those two goals. Then she set about increasing her intake of those nutrients with food.
She ultimately opted for a hunter-gatherer (Paleo) diet with an emphasis on eating more of the foods that would fuel her mitochondria and nourish her myelin sheaths. Within months, she was walking without any canes. In less than a year, she was walking miles each day, riding her bike, and going on trail-rides. Today, she is completely free of MS.
That’s right. She’s cured.
Watch her story:
The most important parts of her diet?
- eliminate all processed-food
- eat a Paleo diet free of grain, sugar, and dairy
- emphasize greens, sulfur-rich foods, and colorful fruits and veggies
- eat organ meats from grass-fed animals at least once per week
- eat wild-caught seafood at least three times a week
- eat meat from grass-fed or wild animals, rather than industrial feed lots
Impressive, isn’t it?
She calls herself the canary in the coal mine for the rest of us. Let’s pay attention to her story. Let’s get motivated to remove the last of those convenience foods in favor of radically healthy, nutrient-dense, real food.
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What an amazing story! The power of real food. The video is so good. Fact filled but understandable and a riveting story.
very, very inspirational!!! and (another) damn wake up call!!
I would love for my mom to get on board with this. She has MS.
I loved this story. I showed it to my parents. My mothers best friends daughters husband has MC. My mother told her best friend about this video so hopefully the one who has MC will find out and take some action.
Isn’t it amazing what real food can do for our bodies?
A very interesting read.
Thanks for sharing. Her story is a great tribute to the power of a wise traditional diet to restore health and maintain health! We have the choice 🙂
I heard about her story last fall, and have also heard (though do not have sources to prove it) that she is not fully cured of the MS. There’s no doubt her quality of life has substantially improved though.
When I lived in Iowa City and she would often give talks in the community (I’m sure she still does,we relocated out West). What is impressive is that even with her background in medicine, she looked to holistic ways for healing. Such a remarkable story-makes me want to make a kale salad right away (:
Kale, full of vitamin K, please be careful to anyone on heart medications, mainly warfarin. (this was in my local organic gardening magazine)
I have a comment about real dairy vs common typical dairy.
I fully agree with the view of typical dairy expressed above. However, I grew up in Minnesota where we drank raw unprocessed milk from my grandparents farm as kids. I look back and remember how all the farm kids who did the same were always stronger in sports and better in school than all the town kids. I was a powerful distance swimmer back then.
20 years after not having access to that raw milk I had gained too much weight (for my body type) and suffered a lot from tiredness fatigue and lung congestion.
But 5 months ago I found access to grass feed raw milk again here in New Zealand where I live now. Since starting to drink about 4 liters of raw milk a week I have noticed significant increase in alertness, strength and stamina. I have also experienced a significant and surprising decrease in illness (colds, flu, lung congestion) and skin problems. I also started loosing weight and am now in even better shape than I was 20 years ago!! A few of my friends here have also started drinking raw milk and have seen the same results. One has even been totally cured of lactose intolerance.
I agree to stay away from processed dairy at all costs (pasteurized and homogenized) but I highly recommend trying to find raw milk from grass fed Jersey cows to replace any dairy you may now consume.
I will be willing to bet that the farm boys superior physical skills were more due to the fact they had to work hard on the farm than what they ate, although I am sure they ate well.
This could be true but each person has a different outcome to diets and foods and medicines. I know that since 2011 I have been a vegetarian and slowly trying Vegan. I drink Silk milk as not just for the animals and the unhealthy reasons do I not drink it but I find it odd we are the only mammals still thinking we need milk as we grow and as adults especially from another mammal. Definitely brain programming. I am the healthiest Ive ever been. I also weigh 115 and when I was not a vegetarian I was too thin and very unhealthy not that it could be seen physically other than my weight but internally. I love cheese it makes for Vegan lifestyle hard. But learning it has puss in it and what the animals go through to supply it to us is not for me. Now I found a good Vegan cheese finally …still working on Vegan cause so many produts have animal products in it. Its not easy. I also learned through a friend whos Uncle is a hollistic dr that a cure for cancer is right at ppls fingertips and at local supermarket. B17 now if you have a multi vitamin bottle try and find it on list of ingredients. Or a bottle of it at any store even a vitamin shop. The employess dont even have a clue what it is and assume it doesnt exist. Well Peaches. Peaches are packed with B 17 and have been proven to prevent and cure some cancers. Most fruit n veggies are cure alls to most everything out there. Nature is life. Drs dont want you to know this do they ever tell you? Or just write your a script? Pharamceutical companies sure as hell dont want you educated to it. Reason they poison our foods is for that reason and if your sick they stay in business and well cures? Sure there are cures but they want you buying them from them. When buyin fruits n veggies its important to get organic. Of course its expensive and trust me thats intentional to but if you change your eating habits you will see change in your health and I have seen people cured from diseases they thought would be their demise. Why do u think Hollistic drs end up murdered and their families? They want the people sick and in need of medical careand medicines as do Insurance companies. Wake up World. Dont be sheep. Be the wolf. Wolves arent followers and can not be broken. Have you ever seen a wolf in a circus ? Or its spirit broken and them trained to perform for human entertainment? No. So sheep no more stand your ground. And protect your health!!
What a bunch of crap. I have MS. Primary prossive. I can’t walk, can’t grocery shop, can’t use a pan on a burner (too heavy) can’t use the stove – too dangerous. I live by myself and have caregivers to help me do laundry, bathe, get out and in to bed and clean house. Who is going to cook for me? Changing my diet is going to cure me. Garbage! I hate these people who say exercise or diet or vitamins are going to cure an uncurable disease. I cannot afford a personal cook! Can hardly afford MS medicine. Stop putting online junk about changing your diet to cure MS. Don’t you think people with money would be on your stupid diet to cure MS? Makes my children bug me to make a life style change when they can’t help me.
I am sorry that your MS is so severe but I also share your frustration, that sometimes a nutrient dense diet just doesn’t seem to be enough. It will always help, but some of us seem to need even more help. Have you ever heard of the drug called low dose naltrexone? It works in the body homeopathically to heal the immune system and is changing the lives of many people with ms. You may wish to consider the. Book “honest medicine” by julia schopik or research ldn online.
Hope Kristin doesn’t mind the comment; i just hear this woman’s desparation and wished to offer the information. This is not your typical pharmaceutical drug and
Yes, I have also heard of low-dose natrexon as a cure for ms and many other things. It is not well known – yet very well known. Naltrexon has been used for many years for other purposes. The ‘low dose’ is simply a small bit of the same drug. Therefore, it cannot be patented and so drug companies don’t advertise it. It’s still a prescription drug and a pharmacy must know how to divide it. I believe the LDN Homepage provides a list of such pharmacies. Worth a look for many reasons.
At first I was a pessimist about diet helping MS, but after being sick for several years, I was very desperate to give it a try. I saw results within a matter of weeks and my symptoms are minimal compared to what I use to feel. I believe that there is more to health than eating vegetables and practicing yoga. There are many factors that contribute to our health and I explore these in my blog on http://www.zoeangelia.com.
Stay positive and where there’s a will, there’s a way!
This is absolutely NOT crap, it’s NOT stupid, and MS is NOT incurable. My husband also has primary progressive MS, has been in a wheelchair for over two years, can’t walk (can’t even take one step). He got to a point where he couldn’t read a book because his eyes would “wiggle”, couldn’t sit up for more than a couple of hours at a time (and most of that would be spent sleeping in his wheelchair) because he felt like the room was spinning and he was constantly dizzy. He wouldn’t spend more than a total of about five hours sitting up in a day. He was practically confined to bed for most of every day, had to have help onto and off of the toilet and the bed. His speech would get terribly slurred and his voice would get very weak during parts of the day when he was exhausted and would lose all strength…I could go on and on.
We have now been on this diet for 34 days. 34 DAYS!! His life has drastically improved. He has gained so much strength that he no longer needs help getting into and out of bed, or getting onto or off of the toilet. He can do all of that himself now. His dizziness has completely gone away. He’s now able to read books again, although he still has some trouble (but again, it’s only been 34 days). He is now sitting up an average of 10.5 hours every day, and the vast majority of that time he’s wide awake and energetic. His speech is no longer slurred, and his voice has gotten deep and strong once again.
Again, let me repeat…THIRTY-FOUR DAYS!!
Let me tell you something…attitude is incredibly important. You want to do something for yourself? Stop filling your body full of crap you call food and toxic chemicals you call medication, and start filling it with nutritious, living, life-giving nutrients. My husband is, and the results have been miraculous.
This is SO wonderful and I am glad to hear he is improving so well!!!!!!! Thank you for sharing your family’s experience. Keep spreading the good word so others can benefit, as well.
Thanks for sharing your experience Kristi. It has been over a year since you wrote, I hope your husband is doing much better now 🙂
I have been diagnosed with MS and Im only 28yrs old, just got married few months ago. My “new life” just begun and here I am surrounded by Neurologists telling me only Interferone can keep my health intact, no diet can help me. I have started following a very healthy diet, I have decided not to inject the interfone, I just hope the diet help me. Im so lost and cofused with everything Im reading online and hearing from the doctors i meet 🙁
Hello I know this thread is out dated but thought I would give it a try. How are your MS symptoms now? Did you stay on “the diet”? I’m interested as my symptoms of MS have progressed. I’ve stopped the Copaxone. I’ve stopped all the b’s and d vitamins. Any supplements gone. I have regular blood work and find these vitamins make things in my blood run high. Glad you are doing well. I will be looking for your reply.
You are foolish to make comments for something that is proven to work. It is NOT garbage! This has worked for me. I have MS and Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis. It’s amazing that people are too lazy to make a lifestyle change to virtually change their health and be cured. I could not walk. Now, I walk 4-5 miles a day, 4 times a week. My doctors are in full support of my lifestyle change and I’m no longer on any medication.
I was told that my remitting/replapsing MS was “mild to moderate,” that the pain and problems I had would never go away, and to take super-expensive meds ($60,000 per year) to keep the disease from progressing. Thanks to this diet, my disease is not progressing, my pain has gone away, my abilities and confidence are back, and I have stopped the medication, completely, about a month ago (I do still follow Wahl’s supplements). I don’t eat the meat requirements in the Wahl’s diet, and I don’t do the bone broth (blech). The veggie portion of the diet is key for me, leafy greens, cruciferous and colorful must be consumed daily for optimal pain relief and function. Of course, totally eliminate junk food, soda, alcohol (Way Better has an awesome sprouted grain chip I use in place of junk food–although in moderation b/c of safflower oil). Also, I find that to avoid my ms-induced hypothermia, I need to keep moving, and Dr. Wahls talks about exercise regenerating the mylein sheath of the brain. However, with MS, that movement might be raising your arms and legs in a chair, it does not always have to be 1/2 hour on a treadmill, it’s whatever you can do at the time. The continuance of movement is more important than the type in some ways. Also, with homeopathic, every person is different, a diet is a blue print, but you need to try the blue print and see what works for you and drop what does not. That’s the scariest part, because like the MS meds themselves, it is trial and error until you got the balance right with the anti-inflammatory lifestyle. Readers should check out another helpful book “Radical Remission,” although for cancer, it was also very helpful to me for my health improvement, and has helped me to take recovery to the next level. No, it does not cure MS, but the best meds only try to contain it, all the same. I have been on diet/lifestyle for 1 year, but started feeling better immediately–same or next day after I started, with continued improvement all along. Since I ditched the MS meds, I only feel even better, so I am hopeful to stay off meds as long as I can.
Some people have different reactions to treatments. Im here for a friend trying to help her find a natural healthy cure or at least less flare ups and progressive ms. Its 4 am and Ive been online reading all I can. Learning what vitamins may help and foods and reading peoples journeys good and bad. I have to help her at least try. Her dr sure never mentioned any of rhe vitamins to her. She isnt even on a daily. She got depressed she prescribed zoloft. Her blood work showed very low vitamin d. Lack of vitamin d can cause depression also is a huge factor for helping MS sufferers. Yoga as well. All the vitamins mentioned definitely can be helping her health in general. I am a vegetarian for almost 7 yrs now and Im tje healthiest Ive ever been and healthy weight. I use to be 105 pds too thin when I ate meat and milk and just all preservative type foods and didnt think about what I was putting into my body. I was also uneduactee to what a lot of it was and gmo’s and poisons. Did u know strawberry ice cream has anal gland juices from beavers in it. Labeled natural flavoring. There goes my fav ice cream and can only hope Ben and Jerry non dairy makes strawberry minus beaver anal gland juices. So if they can just put whatever in the foods you purchase and label it natural imaginw what you put innyour body daily. Kristen a woman who was a triathlete mountain biker and skier and surgical scrub tech got MS. She did healthy diet and yoga and she isnt in a wheelchair anymore and in 8 yrs has had no visits from MS. If you havent tried it you should what if it works? If it doesnt then least you know but if it does your world will be diferent and changed and your kids will be happy to see you healthy and happy. I hope this works for my friend. Ty for posting even if it is that u dont believe it. It prepares me and her for the possibility it may not help. Pros n cons are always a help. Sorrt you are going through this and hope and wish it to disappear for you. I will return with a update rather its a good one or a bad one just so ppl are aware.
A friend of mine has not cured but she controls her MS with her diet. She avoids, veggies grown in the ground, pototes, carrots, etc…, sugar, caffine, wheat, and who knows what else. When she gets lazy with her diet she does pay the price.
I’ve been thinking lately about the need to remove those last lingering bits of processed food from my diet to help with some lingering health issues. I find that every time I up the percentage of nutrient dense food and reduce processed food I feel a little better. Looking forward to finding out what happens when I can make it too 100%! Dr. Wahls story is definitely helps get me moving in that direction.
If you open your mind anything can happen my diet changed my life M/S 11years now!! most symptoms gone!! work 60hours a week!! Meditation& Pranic Healing also helped very much!! I;m 61 years old doing GREAT!! Juicing is great too!! Please try!Peace&Love Skip Hallelujah Diet!!!
Amazing and yet unsurprising at the same time!
What do Dr. Wahls’ MRIs and blood chemistry tests show pre- and post-diet?
I have seen 50 years of cardiac disease in a practice of that time and am inclined to rely on the work of Esselstyn and Campell for dietary guidance. It is quite obvious that the Wahls diet is very similar and the truth lies in combining as needed and then individualizing as needed. Thrilled with this report by Dr Wahls!!!
What does it mean to be cured of MS? Does it mean that all the damaged myelin sheath is regenerated? Does it mean that the “permanent neuropathy” is healed and I will be able to fully feel my toes, feet, and legs again? Does it mean that the “classic neurogenic bladder” is fixed and I will no longer experience symptoms of OAB, nor need to take meds to control it…and that I will be able to empty my bladder like normal and not need to self-cath “for the rest of your life”..?? Does it mean that all associated symptoms and secondary diagnosis are just…..gone? What does it really mean to be cured of MS??
I think from what I have gathered on many pages about MS and diet and vitamin intake is how progressed your MS is. I did read of a woman who was a triathlete who had all symptoms you mentioned and was in a wheel chair. She did healthy food lifestyle and yoga and shes been 8 years MS free no flare ups nothing. I do firmly believe nature has cures for everything. Drs domt tell you this because they have customers not patients and pharmaceutical companies dont profit if healthy foods with the correct vitamins can help or cure you. I am educating for my friend with Lupus and MS and its 5 am here in Ct and I have been online reading all I can for 3 and half hours. Seeing her so sick from her first chemo treatment made me wonder if there was a healthy way to deal with or kick MS ass. I am a vegetarian 6 n half years now and healthiest Ive ever been. B17 ever heard of it? You wont see it on ingredients in daily vitamins or even on a shelf in its own bottle. Its been proven to prevent and cure some cancers. Peaches. Peaches are all B17 you dont hear your dr tellnu that or pharmaceutical comapanies wanting u to know. They dont make money off people if a fruit can help. Organic of course because most others have poison pollutants on them. Im going to help my friend if it works it works if not shes prepare to know it was at least she tried. I will return wih an update good or bad. I think its important and a good thing we have these pages and comments to educate and inform ppl. Ty for your post. Sorry this is very new to me. I wish u well on your journey and hope u can return and say MS is no longer in your life !
Id love to know what her “before” diet was, cause I’ve heard of people being diagnosed with MS and wheelchair bound when it was actually poisioning from drinking a ridiculous amount of diet soft drink each day.
If enough scarring has occurred on the myelin sheath, like any other part of the body the scar tissue will stay there and not regenerate normally 🙁
What the article really needs to say is it may work for some people, and may reduce or stop further damage from the disease
I’m replying to that last comment even though it was several months ago, as people do come across these and read them even when they’re old.
Her original diet was actually very healthy by most standards and she had already long cut out processed foods and was eating a well balanced diet. This was not a case of someone going from eating fast food every day to a highly nutritious diet. I believe – and on this point I am less certain – that she was already eating a paleo diet and then went from there to the specifics of her diet. And note, she does not claim to be cured of MS and in fact does still deal with some symptoms. But clearly her quality of life has been incredibly improved, and who knows if ultimately it will be a cure. I saw her in an interview where she said she imagined someone who had been severely ill might take 7-10 years to recover. Only time will tell…
And btw – I find the only way I can reach the 9 cups of veggies is through juicing! I recommend trying that. I just started and am doing the Wahls diet for a different illness so I have no comment on results!
Hi Alyson, thanks for the tip on juicing the veggies. It would definitely save me a lot of time. Could you recommend any veggie juicing recipe?
In her recent book, Wahls Protocol, she makes a distinction between juicing and blending. She does not approve of juicing, but instead recommends blending. The reason is that blenders retain the entire vegetable, whereas juicing throws out the pulp. I too have started the Wahls Protocol, and can only achieve the 9 cups through blending. In her book, she specifically states that she does not recommend juicing, but points to blending as the preferred approach.
Holy Moly!!–just give the diet a serious try!–if anything you are taking charge and probably living longer. Look at the any medical curriculum, they only take 3 mths. of exercise and diet. Don’t be amongst the majority that are being played. Thank-you Dr. Wahls!!
Thank you for sharing this.
This is very positive information. I was diagnosed with MS in 2012 when they thought I had some mini strokes, from there I went through a series of tests with a conclusion of MS. This year I am expertiencing numbness in my left arm and hand and cannot walk longer than a couple minutes with the use of a cane. I became a grandma and have been thinking of all that I stand to misout on. I need to do this!!! I refuse to thjink negetively that it may not work on me. I will use prayer along with this. I believe God led me to this as I’ve cried out to Him wanting to have a normal life again!!! I will make it through this!
Wow, I read your post and my life and symptoms mirror yours. I too was diagnosed in 2012, became a grandma and have numbness in my hand and get tired after walking a few minutes. I will also try to change my diet and pray that I feel better and begin to heal.
This IS crap. I am sick of diets being hawked as cures. I tried this diet for an entire year and it made me worse! Since adding moderate gluten back in, I have improved. What works for one might not work for another!
Hi
I agree that diet can reverse this disease. I disagree it is paleo, although paleo is still better than the standard American diet.
The late Dr Roy Swank ( died age 99) worked on MS clinical trial for over fifty years with the university of oregon.All patients that he received with MS who followed his diet had no further mS symptoms and led a normal life. His work has been continued in further clinical trial by the amazing Dr John Mcdougall in partnership with the university of Oregon. Results are due to be released soon but again, a diet excluding any meat or diary or high fat refund foods. So in short, a low fat ( less than 10%) diet whole foods, whole grains plant based diet has reversed all MS symptoms. Same diet works on heart disease, breast cancer, all auto immune disease, arthritis, colitis many more. Check out Dr Roy Swank and Dr John Mcdougall, Deb Tasic, forks over knives documentary.
I was diagnosed in 2009 and i haven’t been on meds in 2 years. I was diagnosed when was drinking diet soda. I haven’t drank it since and I’ve had no problems…what do you think of that? I’m active, although my mental clarity pissess me off most days. Not what it used to be, for sure.
Barbara
I reversed my fibromyalgia following Joe Cross’ reboot juice fast for 60 days.
Aspartame is linked to MS and Parkinsons.
Carla Marie McKinney, maybe this will be helpful to you…
I know a woman who did this! They do raw milk and farm foods.
It is absolutely essential for people with MS who want to heal naturally to engage in dietary changes and dietary healing.
Nettie Reimer what do u think?
Ppl just wont accept that what they’ve been taught is a lie, or believe and are too weak to beat the adiction.
Thank you Heather Dunlop, hoping you and the Family have a wonderful Christmas! Xox
Yuck. encouraging me sufferers to consume animal products is just wrong, as animal fats are damaging to the nervous system. Trust me, as a ms sufferer I know.
My partner realised last night after months of research that MS is definitely a possible explanation for his symptoms (digestive problems, eczema, blurry vision, fatigue, random body pains, unctrollable eye movements), that seem to be triggered by certain foods. Suffice to say we are both a bit terrified. We be both also have ADHD, and despite improvements in sunrooms with medication which have been hugely positive, I have always had a consostent response to my medication whereas his is very inconsistent due to the flare-up of these other symptoms. I’m 100% commited to helping him figure out a diet to reverse any early stage MS that might be going on (may also benefit possible inflammation issues I have as well, as I’ve had problems with sudden painful varicose veins and I’m still only 28 years old 🙁 ). Thanks for posting this, with some personal adjustments around some of the vegetable aspects, this diet sounds like a great starting point.
Hallo I was diagnosed with MS a year a go, is it possible to have the full diet of Terry Wahls?