Reversing MS with Nutrition, Mindset & Lifestyle Habits
Hello Health and Wellness Seeker,
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts communication between the brain and the body. Symptoms include vision loss, pain, fatigue and impaired coordination.
In the Self-Care Goddess podcast episode #49 Kate McDowell shares her success story where she was able to completely reverse her symptoms of MS disease with dietary changes and holistic wellness modalities. For Kate her mid-twenties came in like a hurricane as she struggled to feel good about herself. Her personal battle with MS led her to discover the role hormones played in metabolism and flipping the switch between losing and storing everything she ate. On my podcast she shares her inspirational story and science backed solutions to start living a healthy, happy life and feel incredible in your own skin.
To know the12 Essential Nutrients & Foods For Boosting Your Mental Health listen to the Self-Care Goddess Podcast episode #4 on the Self-Care Goddess Podcast.
How it all began?
According to Kate the 1 pivotal holistic Self-Care habit that was the tipping point in her journey is mindset. She says “nutrition was big but mindset was bigger”.
For a long time, she was living in the victim mentality ‘Why me?’ ‘What did I do for this?’ waiting for someone else to come in and make things better. Over time and with the guidance of a friend she realized that we need to stop waiting for someone else to come and save us but instead take personal responsibility. It is important to put effort and energy into yourself because it’s your own healing journey. Sometimes harsh words or difficult experiences at the beginning of our journey are sources that make us ready for struggle and determined to fight our way forward. This was a learning experience and also the biggest eye opener and lifestyle shift she made.
How to Master Your Mindset & Create Your Dream Life Today? Listen to the Self-Care Goddess Podcast episode #5 with Dr. Sachin Patel on the Self-Care Goddess Podcast.
Nutrition & Diet
After taking medications for many years, Kate did not feel her symptoms subside but instead further struggled with side effects of those medications. With changes in her diet and lifestyle she observed her body responding better and bravely decided to discontinue the medications. She tried the Paleo Diet and removed all processed foods and added sugars. It involved cooking and preparing meals for herself every day and eating a lot more vegetables and fruits. Consuming organic meat and fish and not processed meat while eliminating all grains was also a part of the Paleo diet. This was the starting point for Kate to try and figure out what she is reacting to and then what things can be introduced back that would be okay for her body. She did this all herself through her own research. The changes happened gradually. Getting onto the Paleo Diet made a big difference in her energy and it started making a difference in her mental clarity, which were the two things that were really important to Kate. Over time, she progressed and played around with different things. Kate also started the Keto diet where we remove all carbohydrates. Her symptoms further improved after Keto. Mental clarity got even better. She then went Carnivore for a short time and with that lost the last symptoms of disease that were still persistent. Kate had now come to the point where she had a better understanding of what things her body doesn’t like and what things are inflammatory/ triggering for her. By using nutrition and diet to reverse her symptoms and reverse what she was dealing with for over 10 years; today she is at the point where stuff is not off limits, but she is very careful and cautious to eat the things that make her feel the best.
Do you know Why YOU should Consider a Plant-Based Diet? Read my blog post here for more information.
Mindset Shift
What do you think – ‘If you’re reversing the mechanism of the disease, do you still have the disease?’
The mechanism is whatever is going on in the body that is causing the disease and symptoms. If you’ve reversed that, and you’re no longer having symptoms or dealing with flare ups, do you still have the condition or the disease? According to modern medicine, yes. You cannot reverse MS. There is no cure. Does Kate consider herself someone who has MS at this point? No, she does not.
This is so inspirational! Kate is not associating herself with the disease anymore because that’s the mindset. Mindset can help you move away from that victim mentality and start living your life again. Kate advises that when you find something that works for you and gives you optimal health stick to that lifestyle and do not be tempted to go back to the old ways. She encourages us to avoid soaking toxins from the screens and from the air we breathe. Refrain from a toxic mindset or lifestyle where you’re around people who have the same mentality/identity that you’re trying to get rid of. Surround yourself with the energy that you want more of in life, surround yourself with nature and things that make you feel good. Terminate relationships or friendships if the energy does not vibe because time and energy are too precious. I encourage you to find ways that can make your body feel good. I love deep breathing. It is hugely powerful for you and the people around you.
Join the monthly online New Moon Breathwork Experience and be part of the breathwork revolution. Purchase your “Group Sessions” tickets here.
The Healing Attitude
As human beings, many times we gear towards thinking about negative things. It’s just our nature when we see & experience things, we come up with doubts and negative ways of looking at them. Ultimately, you become what you think about most of the time. So, if you’re letting negative thoughts constantly dominate yourself remember that misery loves company! It goes from one negative thought to another and all of a sudden you wonder “what just happened?” Your energy and mood have shifted. When we focus on the positive things, we shift our energy towards what went well and what we are grateful for thus attracting more positivity into our life.
Take Home Message
What is required is a mindset shift. Listen to your body and honor what it’s asking for. If you’re tired and not sleeping, don’t get up early and go for a morning workout. We are conditioned to think we have to push harder all the time. For a female body and metabolism, it may not be the best.
I recommend my clients that if you didn’t get a good night’s sleep, forget about exercising, because you’re making it worse by probably eating more. It’s a fact that we eat about 500 more calories the next day when we lack sleep. Embrace your sleep, drink lots of water and get out in nature – these are 3 simple health tips. We often overlook these because we’re never taught that the body heals in a parasympathetic state, which is the rest or the replenishing state. I truly believe that through mindset, self-awareness, overcoming limiting beliefs, yoga, breathwork and meditation we can be in the present moment and heal holistically.
Check out Kate’s non-negotioables self-care habits that nourish her soul.
Contact Kate:
Instagram: kate.mcdowell.wellness
Facebook group: Stress-Free Weight Loss For Women After 35
To learn “How To Build YOUR Resilience?” read my blog post here.