One sunny day in June 2019, Nicki Lepold walked in to the Juice Café looking for plant-based nutrition that would help to alleviate her symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. Little did we realize, after that day, we would become quick friends bound by a love of holistic nutrition.  She had been diagnosed for a little less than a year and was looking for long term solutions to maintain the great success she has seen while working with a Functional Medicine Specialist and a team of healing professionals.

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Nicki knew that we used vegan protein powder in our smoothies, and she wanted more information about the ingredients. We talked about the health benefits of this anti-inflammatory complete protein. Nicki liked the fact that our protein was sourced from pea protein and does not include any whey or soy products. It is important for those with Multiple Sclerosis to eat whole foods and her functional medicine doctor had advised her that pea protein would include all the essential amino acids and would be a good high quality and easily digestible form of protein.

Nicki was also looking for a probiotic, a detox tea, greens balance, and a steady source of energy. We talked about starting the 30 Days to Healthy Living program that includes all of those parts of a healthy lifestyle. We discussed the importance of paying attention to the meals you make by including each of the following elements; green veggies, lean proteins, good carbohydrates, and healthy fats. In the process, we learned more about Multiple Sclerosis.

Here are a few important takeaways that we learned from that day.  It may seem that diet would not have an impact on a chronic condition that affects the central nervous system like Multiple Sclerosis. But, after listening to Nicki’s testimony, it is clear that eating whole foods and avoiding certain inflammatory foods can make a huge difference in the symptoms of MS.

Eating fresh vegetables and fruits as well as lean protein and healthy fats can make time between Multiple Sclerosis relapses longer. A 2019 recent review of MS diets, at https://www.mdpi.com/20726643/11/2/352/htm , 

showed that MS sufferers who followed such a healthy lifestyle could boost both their mental and physical health. Many people who suffer from MS also avoid certain food triggers like trans fats and sugar.

Along with watching her diet, Nicki also follows the “Mix of Seven”. A phrase that she coined herself to describe a whole body, mind, and spirit approach to healing. She recommends that each day, you get a bit of rest, reducing stress, whole food/good quality nutrition, removing toxins, exercising for cell development, deep breathing, & good supportive relationships. This is the way that she is healing her body from the inside out. Please follow her story in her own words on her blog 

https://www.facebook.com/mixofseven/.

Tell her The Juice Café sent you.

There is still not a diet specific to treating Multiple Sclerosis, so it is important to work alongside a doctor or holistic specialist when deciding whether or not to add or eliminate certain foods as a way of living in less pain with MS.  But, looking to Nicki and her healing journey, it is evident that a plant based whole food diet can help ease chronic discomfort with Multiple Sclerosis. We are learning that the food you put on your plate can either cause disease or help to heal it.

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