Holistic Diet - Speeds Recovery Between Episodes
April 2nd, 2009
Daryl KennedyFabulous 50 Year Old Diet Surfaces for MSers
Being in the mobility scooter industry allows me to come in contact with virtually every type of diminished ambulatory condition out there. I’ve provided mobility scooters and power chairs for persons ranging from the elderly to sufferers of such debilitating monsters as Parkinson’s and MS.
Lately there’s been a “quiet” stir, …….. Whispers of a 50 year old diet regimen designed exclusively for MSers. This diets main focus isn’t to loose weight but to arm our bodies against the all out assault of disseminated sclerosis (MS).
There’s one… well maybe two things I must let you know. This is not a cure… and the diet works best for those in early stages of relapsing remitting MS or (RRMS).
There is no cure for Multiple Sclerosis as yet, “although” with recent legislation passed O.K…ing, Further Stem Cell research there is considerable anticipation for future advancements.
This being said the MS community naturally is open minded and willing to embrace practical resolutions for a not so practical or forgiving condition.
In 1948 Dr Roy L. Swank Began His 50 Year Investigation of Diet and MS
After being granted the opportunity to visit post war Europe where it had been reported that MS was on the rise, Dr. Roy L. Swank packed up his family and moved to Montreal where he set up camp and researched findings of the Montreal Neurological Clinic.
What Roy found has changed the MS communities outlook on red meats, oils, saturated fats, sugars, essential fatty acids and more…
With aid from others who studied the effects of MS in post war Europe Dr. Swank was able to piece together a puzzle that without his insight may have gone unsolved until this day.
When cases in German occupied Norway and Switzerland Where compared to cases in native Germany. It was seen that vast numbers of persons inflicted with MS in Norway and Switzerland where of German decent, this lead Roy to think it had to be a connection between German lifestyle and the onset of MS within their group.
“BINGO” - He found it………………Diet!
Countries occupied by Germany during WWII where forced to give up large quantities of fats and daily essentials as provisions where shipped to Germany for the troops. This cause effect scenario resulted in individuals of German descent located in Switzerland and Norway to feast on coastal foods rich in essential fatty acids and proteins. In conclusion these individuals where shown to less likely acquire MS.
Putting 2 and 2 together involves - finding out exactly what these German coastal dwellers where eating and determining why these foods work so well in preventing and suppressing the effects and symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.
Roys’ famous Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book “burst” on the seen in 1972 and has been revised several times since then. This book details the diet in FULL! It’s complete with step-by-step, A to Z guidelines to follow and has the solid foundation of 50 years dedication to boot!
I’ll go over the basic regimen although for specific foods you’ll need to reference the book by clicking the above link. Here is a quick reference guide, kind of a cheat sheet if you will.
Daily Allowance According to Swank Diet:
- 15 grams or less - Saturated Fats
- 20 to 50 grams - Unsaturated Fats
- No Meat First Year
- 3 oz Red Meat Per Week - After yr(1)
- Dairy - With less than 1% Butterfat
- O% - Saturated fats from processed foods…
(note) None from processed foods! - 1 tsp Cod liver Oil
Again this isn’t a cure and works best for those suffering from milder symptoms and degrees of MS.
Dr. Swank is no longer with us and should be remembered as a pioneer in holistic research for Multiple Sclerosis advocates around the globe. If you’re interested in Dr. Swanks complete story visit the Swank MS Foundation. While there your questions regarding the diet and its application can be answered by individuals who have also dedicated their lives to providing useful information to MSers around the world.
Daryl Clayton Kennedy | Editor disabled mobility scooter .com
Singer Leads Fight Against MS
September 4th, 2008
ErikRecently, country music superstar Clay Walker donated $25,000 to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center on behalf of his nonprofit organization, Band Against Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, which contributes to multiple sclerosis (MS) research. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society reports that about 400,000 people living in the US are stricken with the disease, and an estimated 200 new cases are uncovered with each passing week.
MS is an autoimmune disorder causing the central nervous system to battle itself and wipe out the myelin that covers nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. Myelin shields the fibers from harm and enables messages to be sent back and forth from the brain. As the myelin protecting nerve fibers in the central nervous system is broken down, nerve impulses do not flow to and from the brain as efficiently. This impaired exchange of messages results in the symptoms associated with MS. These symptoms, which differ depending on the person, may include:
Difficulty seeing
Problems with motor skills
Lack of mobility
Balance issues (may require lift chairs for support)
Loss of bladder and/or bowel control
Memory loss
Trouble making decisions
Limited attention span
Exhaustion
Depression
Convulsions
Achiness
Prickly or numb feelings
Wooziness
Sexual performance problems
For Walker, MS really hits home; he received a diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS 12 years ago. Meeting the disease head-on, Walker has continued to pursue a country music career, and the fans have thanked him for it. He has sold over 8 million records, and 11 of his songs have sat atop the Billboard country chart. Of the ten albums he’s released, four of them have reached platinum status. His last album, titled Fall, hit store shelves in April 2007. In 2003, Walker started the Band Against MS Foundation with the goal of bringing more public attention to MS. This group hopes to provide MS victims with the resources they need to improve their lives. The foundation also offers funding to individuals with MS who require physical assistance throughout the day.
In addition to the $25,000 check Walker made out to Vanderbilt University, he declared that the Band Against MS Foundation will bestow two more monetary gifts totaling $50,000 ($25,000 each year). That amounts to $75,000 over a three-year period! Walker left the following message on the Band Against MS Foundation website: “Being diagnosed with MS hasn’t been easy. I choose to view it as a bump in the road rather than a detour, because I have been blessed to still be able to do the things I love. I know not everyone who is diagnosed with MS is that lucky. I want to help them by providing both a resource for information about MS and to take a leadership position in the fight to find a cure for the disease.”
Walker is truly an inspiration to follow your dreams regardless of whom or what is trying to stop you. He also has proven to be very unselfish in his quest to help those fighting MS along with him.
FDA Flaws Put You at Risk
December 1st, 2007
adminI just finished the previous post last night. Got up early, headed for the airport for a flight to Las Vegas, NV. On the way I purchased the New York Times. On Page A12 the headline reads, “Advisers Say F.D.A.’s Flaws Put Lives at Risk.”
I guess I need to hurry up my purchase of the AeroGarden and hope someone is working on a home abattoir kit. Being a vegetarian just isn’t me. In the meantime, with winter setting in, there is little to munch on other than what the supermarket offers. Soon I’ll tell you about the Tomato Tree as seen on TV that I purchased.
Eating Healthy
December 1st, 2007
adminEating healthy isn’t easy. It does become a little bit easier when living with an illness. However, finding really fresh and safe fruits and vegetable isn’t easy unless you live near a farming community. As a city dweller, I don’t know who to trust. While I do not believe eating healthy will cure any disease I now have or one that I may get in the future, I do believe it makes me feel better.
Fight MS Community Blog
November 17th, 2007
adminWe’ve tried everything. Without enough money to pay for a high dollars advanced social software system, we are back to the basic blogger. But, I must admit that WordPress is impressive for open source software. The free social software systems didn’t work or were too technical for use to understand. In one try, we had spammers figure out how to make it work, and loaded the site down with links to eveything but MS-related sites.
Those of you who have been here before, we apologize for the many changes.Those new to the site, our goal is to create site that provides a voice, a gathering place, a meeting place for those those suffering from MS, the families of those suffering from MS, and those with an interest in this devistating disease.