Eating paleo with a touch of wahls

The whole eating healthy thing started when I discovered the Best Bet Diet* at the beginning of my MS journey. I decided to give it a go, figuring it probably wouldn't work anyway and I would be back on the Ben & Jerrys in no time. To my surprise though it had an amazing effect ~ loads of symptoms disappeared and I lost a good few pounds. I really came to believe 'you are what you eat'. I still miss Ben & Jerrys fish food though I do make pretty good coconut milk icecream.

A few years later and I put those few pounds back on as it's far too easy to bake cakes without gluten and I still have a sugar addiction. I have also had a slightly controversial treatment in Scotland to help my MS which turned the clock back physically and made me more determined than ever to slow any progression, lose a bit of weight and generally feel better. 

So, I thought I would take my diet to the next logical level and give paleo a try, If you're not familiar this pyramid should give you a clue:

It seems a little against general healthy eating advice but with the reading I have done around diet and MS, and dementia and diabetes for my dad as well as what I know makes me feel better it made total sense. If you think about what is recommended and the whole 'low fat' industry you soon realise that mostly the whole food and diet industry is about making money.I have always cooked stuff from scratch, eschewing the processed stuff that is generally full of mystifying ingredients, and am definitely a carnivore. I have reintroduced a teeny bit of hard cheese back into my diet - my system seems to deal with it and I have always listened to my body first and foremost.

Giving up sugar has been revolutionary - I have always had a sweet tooth and my BFF used to say that sugar was my crack do I didn't honestly think I'd do it but I did and it has been great. I feel great.No sugars and very low carbs keep the munchies away and keep your blood sugar stable it seems. I sweeten my baking with coconut nectar (and use coconut flour and coconut oil which I think is miraculous stuff) and choose dark high % chocolate.

The first week paleo was difficult but after that is was easier, my hunger and cravings didn't rule me and I started to lose weight and my body fat seemed to redistribute. Now I cant imagine why I ever felt I needed bread or potatoes at meals. I eat less but a lot more  nutritious and I feel good about what I eat.

The Wahls I am admittedly only dabbling in. It has very strict rules that I would need to be sicker to have to motivation to follow. I have picked a few of the points and am trying to eat more;

• green leafy things
• mushooms
• onions
• berries 
• lots of colour

I already erred on the side of eating seasonally and local. I have lessened the supplements I am taking - they are so expensive and tedious! I still take friendly bacteria, fish oil. vitamin D and a calcium based one as well as extra magnesium when I have any crampy type pains coz I find it helps.

On the negative side I drink too much and eat way too much (albeit dark) chocolate but I never said I was a paragon of virtue.I indulge in the occasional bit of rice too coz I do love sushi.

*based on the paleo diet, it's a diet and supplement plan designed to help those with MS