My Interview With Dr. Terry Wahls on Healthy Eating and Adopting Healthy Behaviors

As a co-moderator of an active private MS Facebook group, I lend my voice by posting articles on the latest research, and sharing articles that I write, about living with MS. I am rewarded daily with the breadth of knowledge about nutrition and holistic interventions that our group members share with me. We have become a family, banding together to fight the daily battles with MS. I'd like to thank them for helping me prepare for this article.

On many occasions I’ve heard the name Terry Wahls mentioned in our group. When Dr. Wahls approached me about conducting an interview about her book and nutritional plan to treat chronic autoimmune disease, I said yes.

An interview about food and healthy eating

Dr. Terry Wahls, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa, also lives with secondary progressive MS. She was confined to a tilt-recline wheelchair for four years, and decided to change her prognosis by studying research and acquainting herself with functional medicine. Using her medical knowledge, she developed a way to use food as medicine instead of using pills and supplements.

The following is our interview.

What do you mean by saying you "beat" MS?

Cathy: The word “beat” in your title, “The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine” makes me uneasy. Symptoms may go into remission, but the underlying disease remains.  I wouldn’t want to give anyone the impression that if they follow your advice, they will “beat” their disease. Can you explain what you mean by “beating” MS, why you titled the book this way, and how do you explain to readers that by following your plan they can “beat” their MS?

Wahls: After four years in a tilt/recline wheelchair and 7 years of steady decline, my health and function are dramatically restored. I can walk, bike, and even jog a mile and a half. No chronic disease is cured – and I do not claim to be cured, but my health is excellent and I continue to get stronger each year as long as I follow the diet and lifestyle recommendations I outline in the book.

How long did it take you to regain your strength?

Cathy: After being diagnosed with MS and deteriorating to the point of being dependent on a wheelchair, how long did it take you to regain your strength and ability to function on your own again?

Wahls: I switched to Paleo eating in 2002 after 20 years as a vegetarian. I continued to slowly decline. I needed chemotherapy (Novantrone) and a tilt/recline wheelchair in 2003. In 2004, I began reading about the animal model research in MS models and other diseases with shrinking brains. I found studies using vitamins and supplements that had helped protect mice brains. I translated those to human-size dosing. The speed of the declined slowed. But I was still declining.

In 2007, I could not sit up in a regular chair for more than 10 minutes. I could walk short distances using two walking sticks. Otherwise, I needed a wheelchair. Severe fatigue exhausted me by 10 a.m. That is when I discovered electrical stimulation of the muscles and added that to my exercise regimen.

I also discovered The Institute for Functional Medicine and began taking their courses. Then I had a deeper understanding of what I could do to help my brain. After that I decided to research where the long list of vitamins and supplements I had come up with could be found in our food supply. I changed my diet to stress those nutrients. That diet is the Wahls Diet plans. I worked with physical therapists to train my muscles. I added daily meditation. But when I re-did my diet, that is when I began to recover. Within 3 months I stopped taking Provigil because the fatigue was gone. At 6 months I could walk through the hospital without a cane. At 12 months I did an 18-mile bike tour with my family.

Organic food

Cathy: You suggest purchasing organic food, something that is a bit more expensive than purchasing non-organic food. Many people with MS are struggling financially due to health costs. Do all foods need to be organic, or are there some that can be non-organic in order to save money?

Wahls: No. I discuss that you can do this without purchasing organic foods. The speed of recovery will be somewhat slower.

Can the Wahls Protocol be vegan?

Cathy: Can someone who is a vegan follow your diet?

Wahls: Yes. We have options and guidance for those who choose to remain vegan and vegetarian.

Advice for those who can't stick to the diet

Cathy: Many people feel defeated after unsuccessfully following your diet, unable to fully follow it. What advice do you have for them?

Wahls: This is typical for those who are dealing with addictions. Most of us have developed additions to sugar, gluten and casein and experience withdrawal that is physically and emotionally unpleasant. I treat this like addiction. Control the environment, get support, and keep trying as best as one can.

MTHFR gene mutations

Cathy: What do you know about MTHFR gene mutations? Because some people with the MTHFR can't eat some of the foods you recommend, are they still able to follow your diet?

Wahls: We are all unique. I explain in the book – that the diet needs to be personalized to the person’s health issues, size and gender and how to discuss this with their personal physician/medical team.

Dr. Terry Wahls is a clinical professor of medicine at The University of Iowa where she teaches internal medicine residents, sees patients in a traumatic brain injury clinic, and conducts clinical trials. She is the author of “The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine” and teaches the public and medical community about the healing power of intensive nutrition. You can find more information about her work at her website www.terrywahls.com.

Disclaimer: Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this article are those of Dr. Wahls and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Cathy​ Chester or of MultipleSclerois.net. We recognize that the treatment and lifestyle needs for those with MS are unique to each individual, and while some people may find success with Dr. Wahls’ suggestions, her recommendations may not be appropriate for ​everyone.