231. A New Hope for Healing Multiple Sclerosis by Dr. Terry Wahls #WellnessWednesdays

My guest today is Dr. Terry Wahls, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa where she conducts clinical trials testing the effect of therapeutic diet and lifestyle to treat MS and related symptoms. Through her custom protocol, Dr. Wahls overcame her own diagnosis of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, which had confined her to a tilt recline wheelchair for four years.

Now, she bikes to work, plays with the dog, and generally thrives as a health and wellness messenger of critical importance to our world. In this deeply moving and informational conversation, Dr. Wahls shares stark first-person memories from the painful early stages of her healing journey, details the nutrient-dense diet that changed everything, and looks into the future of MS treatment – spotlighting the important role that nutrition has to play in it all.

If you have MS, or know someone who does, I definitely recommend her book, The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles & Functional Medicine, where she details her story at length.

We also cover…

00:03:12 — Early Symptoms & MS Diagnosis

• Into the experience – Dr. Wahls details her diagnosis
• Prioritizing mitochondria health with supplements  
• Developing a custom Paleo-inspired diet
• Going from a tilt recline wheelchair to completing an 18.5m bike ride 
• Realizing that recovery was possible

00:11:34 — Exploring Different Treatments for MS 

• Background on MS discovery in the 1800s
• MS in the brain – rapid decline usually seen between 45 and 50
• Supporting your body through MS with nutrient-dense foods
• Inspired by Loren Cordain’s work
• Breaking 20 years as a vegetarian 

00:16:52 — Healing Through Nutrition 

• Which nutrients Dr. Wahls chased in her custom diet
• Benefits of a meditation practice 
• Switching to organic ingredients 
• Why she relied so heavily on leafy greens and liver
• How her diet  evolved throughout her healing journey 
• Leveraging healthy fasting strategies 
• Eating every other day – what, why, and how?

00:31:18 — Forging a New Path & Sharing Her Message

• Running the research to make her protocol official in 2010
• Being threatened with loss of her medical license 
• Working up to 26 scientific peer reviewed MS-related publications
• Efficacy of Diet on Fatigue and Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis
• Lifestyle changes vs. medication 
• Treatment recommendations based on # of brain lesions 
• Remyelination online courses
• Join Dr. Wahl’s research study on quality of life 

Resources:

• Website: terrywahls.com
• Courses: Remyelination Workshops
• Research: Dr. Wahl’s MS research study
• Instagram: @drterrywahls
• Read: The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles & Functional Medicine
• YouTube: Terry Wahls M.D.

Connect with Kelly:

• kellyleveque.com
• Instagram: @bewellbykelly
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Be Well By Kelly is produced by Crate Media.

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