My IBS has flared up again in a big way, so it's left me analyzing my diet again.
I became a vegan at the end of last year, so on the one hand have been eating more healthily with plenty of fruit and veg. On the other hand, I'm relying on vegan processed food (such a cheese and meat substitutes) for my protein sources. I was so busy with The Natural Cupcake Company I relied on convenience foods a lot, and as a result, I think it's been detrimental to my, and the households, health.
I watched a great documentary the other day (called What Are We Feeding Our Kids? on BBC iplayer), which really hit it home how much we rely on processed foods and how damaging they can be. I came out of it, determined to get back to cooking from scratch and not reaching for the convenience foods if I'm having a bad day.
But as usual, it's the 'having a bad day' that scuppers things. I've started to plan to get round it though, and by doing more batch cooking I can hopefully have healthier alternatives in the fridge and freezer. I need to get out of the mind set of comfort eating when I'm not feeling well. After all I feel crap about 75% of the time, so it's no wonder the weight has crept on!
That teamed with the Covid lock-down where I totally used cooking and baking as a way to alleviate boredom, and therefore ate a great deal more so I have put weight on. That's not going to help.
IBS is common in people with MS, and constipation can be cause by the disease interrupting messages telling you that you need to go. Depression can also affect your bowels, and regularity.
I never have a two days the same regarding my IBS though, so it's hard to work out the best way to tackle it. I think definitely cutting back on processed and fatty food is the way to start though.
It got me thinking about the OMS (Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis) diet again though. It's basically the Swank diet reinvented. (If you've read the blog, you'll know that I've followed the Swank diet on and off for years). I think the reason I've gravitated towards the OMS diet instead, is because it's more up-to-date and relevant in this day and age. After all, the Swank research came out over 50 years a go (my consultant had never even heard of it)!
Whether Swank, or OMS, both diets advise you not to eat processed foods. So there we go. Decision made. And one that's not just good for me, but for the whole household.
I'll write another blog post soon outlining the OMS diet, how to do it, and why it's beneficial. Very basically though, it's a plant based diet incorporating fish (which I'll omit, being a vegan) and cutting back on saturated fat. It's meant to reduce inflammation and provide MS sufferers with a basis to live a well balanced and healthy life. So it's worth getting on the band wagon, without a doubt.
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