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Summary: The Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book
Review: I went on this diet as soon as I was officially diagnosed about 9 months ago. It is not an easy diet but it is do-able and better than the alternative. It WORKS. This is the first spring in 4 years that I haven't had an exacerbation. Is the book perfect? NO - it is outdated (it was written before there was fat-free ANYTHING and before Soy cheese existed!) Most of the research was done years ago but I think that they are on to something - and it doesn't ask you to spend a fortune on snake oil...AND....IT WORKS! I feel great!
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Summary: Multiple Screosis Diet
Review: I've been diagnosed with MS for the past ten years with few problems. This diet is really a Medditeranian which I have been eating all of my life. I didn't know that eating this way may be what is keeping my MS in remission. Thank You for writing it.
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Summary: Credit this diet with a 9 year management of MS
Review: If you are fortunate to be diagnosed early and have found this book and have a strong will, I believe you can control MS, especially if you incorporate the suggestions made in Judy Graham's book into your life. I was diagnosed nine years ago and the first 6 months I didn't know of this diet and I experienced 4 attacks. Since this diet, not only have I virtually eliminated my suffering from migraines and increased my energy, my MS is within my control. Excess stress and heat still knock me out but the diet has made me resilient. Whether is just boost my immune system, whether I just believe it does or whether it actually helps those with MS, I believe the results of Swank's 33 year study, albeit not controlled to perfect scientific standards (how would that be possible given the nature of the studies) must not be ignored if you actually want to be healthy. Some with MS like being identified as such and like having an excuse to stop pushing themselves, and some poor souls can't control it no matter what they do, but if you have been recently diagnosed and are seriously dedicated to the diet (as in NEVER deterring) and seriously want a full life - there is a 95% you can have it by following the principles in this book along with other remedies Judy discusses. Although during my training half my body went numb and although I would NEVER do it again I ran the 2000 Dublin marathon and credit the diet for that ability. And although when I moved from San Diego to London I temporarily lost the sight in my left eye, it has come back and now I can make my way to the bar as well as the other Londoners :-)
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Summary: Swank Diet Works For Me!
Review: In 1995 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I had a MRI done of my brain and there were lesions present, and many neurological symptoms. I saw double, had light sensitivity, had problems with walking and my balance. I began studying this book and immediately went on the Swank Diet. My saturated fat intake went under 15 grams a day (he allows 20 max) and no more than 5 grams of fat at a serving. I used his tables to compute the fat - this meant that an egg counted for 5 grams, and no red meat or milkfat for the first year of the diet. Immediately I felt much better. Now, my neurologist is amazed at my condition. My neurological symptoms are pretty much normal. I take no other medicine for the MS, and I feel great. I recomend the book and the cookbook which is included. Ask your MD and follow his advice- but I don't think this diet could hurt anyone unless they were way underweight. The diet allows up to 60 grams of liquid oil each day which makes it easier to handle (ie- olive oil, hazelnut, etc,) and it seems really healthful. The oil makes it much easier to stay on the diet.) I feel great! The few times I have gone off the diet (even inadvertantly) I have felt worse quickly- even if I go off the diet even a little- so I stay on it religiously.
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Summary: Interesting reading, but the theroies are out of date
Review: Interesting reading. The diet would probably help anyone with cholesterol problems. However, the theories behind the diet all old and have been disproven. The book is based on Swank's theory that MS is caused by toxins entering the brain due to blood-brain barrier erosion caused by saturated fats. Swank also disputes the theory that MS is an auto-immune disease. Now, in the year 2002, it has pretty much been proven that MS is an auto-immune disease. Especially, since the only 3 drugs, the ABC drugs, that work on MS are based on "calming down" or "providing decoys" to the immune system to reduce the attacks against the CNS. Almost all research today is targeted at MS from the auto immune standpoint. I would not count on the diet to slow down MS, if you have it.
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Summary: The Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book
Review: Newly diagnosed with MS, I figured it would be a good idea to read up on as much about the disease as possible, and certainly that a proven proper diet plan would be beneficial to long term health. What I found here, and quite quickly, I might add, were two things that struck me immediately as being inappropriate. They also make me question the complete validity of the rest of the book. First of all, there was a reference that "attractive" people are stricken with this disease, and what actually blew the cover off for me here, was that another reference was made to people of color- that is, since "they didn't have a lot of money" , they were not prone to eat unhealthily, and therefore, were not as likely to acquire this disease. It is really too bad that I found these two remarks so quickly. I know there is some good information in this book, but I don't know how much of it is accurate, or how to pick what's correct. I think I'll do some further checking before I buy another book. This one is really just about good for the garbage.
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Summary: Changed my life
Review: Nine years ago, newly diagnosed with MS, I read everything my local book store sold on MS, and immediately began to follow Swank's diet and have not detered for nine years. Based on his research and the astounding results, anyone who has MS and doesn't follow his diet is being unfair to themselves and is asking for trouble. This diet is not easy but neither are the alternatives. Everyone with MS owes Dr. Swank a world of gratitude. I was so lucky to find his book when I did.
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Summary: Seems to work but...
Review: Over two and a half years ago my wife (age 30) was diagnosed with MS, three months after giving birth to our child. She was having the traditional MS symptoms: Optic Neuritis, Transverse Mylitis, and the list goes on and on. Upon finally being diagnosed we got a second opinion from a Neurosurgeon, who suggested we be proactive and find out if there were any good diet books for this disease. Naturally we found the Swank diet and got on it ASAP, along with Avonex. The food in this book was a massive shift, and removed from our diet almost all of our traditional fare, and we were already healthy eaters. Moreover, I don't think that the recipes in this book are geared toward the American pallet. This book certainly needs to be revised for American tastes. We stayed on this diet for about a year and a half and then decided to give it a break. My wife has been relatively symptom free for the last two years. It is very hard for us to say that the diet played a role in decreasing or eliminating her symptoms. My wife's current Neurologist, a nationally respected MS specialist in Houston, seems to believe that the diet is based on sound healthy habits. However, he is reluctant to endorse the diet because, in his opinion, the diet was not put through rigorous peer review. In the end, after going through this disease on and off medication and on and off the diet, I think that you should follow your doctor's advice and give this diet a chance only of you will give it a year or more before discounting it or endorsing it. To our end, we decided to get off the diet about a year ago, and my wife has been alright since.
Rating:
Summary: Informative but dated
Review: This book contains much informative information regarding research findings of Dr. Swank over the years. Some information is still applicable, but this book is rather old and updated information is lacking. This is a good reference book and an interesting theory on diets for MS. However, if you would like the most current information on MS, it's best to look elsewhere.
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Summary: it is a very helpful book
Review: This book is great. It helps you understand many aspects of Multiple Sclerosis and gives you a comprehensive natural therapy. The recipes are very useful....however, I must say that Swank agrees with the use of dairy products as well as other animal products,as long as they are low fat (no animal product is 100 percent fat-free), and other researches have shown that animal products in general can be detrimental to MS. So this is a good book, but people with MS should know not to stop there when finding alternative therapies for this illness. Also, Swank includes a section warning women against pregnancy, and as a person with MS I have gone through two pregnancies and my condition has only gotten better... this book fails to explore in detail pregnancy, childbirth and lactation in a woman with MS. Two books that I highly recommend for those with MS are "Natural Health, Natural Medicine" by Dr. Andrew Weil; and "Multiple Sclerosis" by Judy Graham
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