Marie-Annick Courtier - Cooking Well: Multiple Sclerosis: Over 75 Easy and Delicious Recipes for Nutritional Healing

Create a journal that you will complete every day to track your eating habits. No worries, you wont have to do this all your life. It might take you a while to figure things out, but eventually you will no longer need to write things down. You may include the following columns:

An eating journal allows you to learn a lot about your own eating habits. It may help you to discover what you are doing wrong and to make appropriate adjustments on your own. You will be in a better position to design your own personal healthy eating habits and meals. You also will be able to provide great information to your medical provider who, in turn, will be in a better position to help you.

Here are a few examples of what you may observe by keeping a journal:

• You ate the wrong foods when you are stressed, at work, or at parties.

• You ate 500 calories over your daily allowances

• You ate a food which is on your allergy list

• Instead of eating a healthy breakfast, you just grab a cup of coffee and go

• You ate out and got sick afterwards

• You are skipping meals

What you find out may surprise you. This awareness of your habits will lead to positive changes. One simple change can make a huge difference in your well-being. Dont be overwhelmed, just look at your journal with objectivity and start to see where you can make a change. Start with one thing. Once you do, and feel great about the result, move on to the next one, and so on.

The following menus have been designed to show you how you can plan and vary your meals while still staying within your recommended daily calories. Please feel free to adjust them to your preferences. Most of the recipes are based on the right amount of healthy fat, so you dont really have to worry about the amount. Feel free to use smaller portions of soups, salads, or vegetables recipes for snacks. If you need to lose weight, remember to consult your physician or registered dietitian. Discuss what is appropriate for your personal situation. Do not guess on your own, or you can jeopardize your health.

APPENDIX B

Substitutions

Sometimes it may be hard to find certain ingredients. What if you just ran out of one ingredient while preparing a dish, you are allergic to one ingredient and need a substitution, or you want to reduce the calories of a recipe? The following substitution list will be very useful during those times. Use simple judgment to choose the right substitution, depending on the application. Keep in mind every ingredient has a specific function in a recipe and making substitutions may alter the recipe. Baking is particularly a concern since it is all about chemistry. You may have to try a recipe many times before finding the right balance. Bes sure to take notes so you can remember what you did, especially when it turns out great!

Substitution List

When baking, these substitutions do not necessary work well by themselves. Usually other ingredients from the recipe need adjustment. Unless you have a lot of time on your hands for trial and error, do not attempt to create baking recipes but rather use those already available in cookbooks in specialty stores or over the Internet.

APPENDIX C

References and
Resources

References

Dunne, Lavon J., Nutrition Almanac, Fifth Edition. McGraw Hill Companies, 2001.

Fenster, Carol. Special Diet Solutions, Third Edition. Savory Palate, Inc, 2001.

Lorig, Kate and David Sobel, Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions. Bull Publishing Company, 2006.

Pappa, Apostolos and Marie-Annick Courtier, The Saint-Tropez Diet. Hatherleigh Press, 2007.

Sawyer, Ann D. and Judith E. Bachrach, The MS Recovery Diet. Penguin Books Ltd., 2007.

Swank, Laver Roy and Barbara Brewer Dugan, The Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book. Doubleday Publishing, 1987.

Resources

American Diabetes Association
ATTN: National Call Center
1701 North Beauregard StreetAlexandria, VA 22311
800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383)
www.diabetes.org

American Dietetic Association
120 South Riverside Plaza
Suite 2000Chicago, IL 60606
800-877-1600
www.eatright.org

American Heart Association
7272 Greenville AvenueDallas, TX 75231
800-AHA-USA-1 (800-242-8721)
www.americanheart.org

Multiple Sclerosis Association of America
706 Haddonfield RoadCherry Hill, NJ 08002
800-532-7667
www.msassociation.org

National Multiple Sclerosis Society
800-344-4867
www.nationalmssociety.org

Chapter 1

Living with
Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the human central nervous system (CNS). It is a progressive disease from which 2.5 million people in the world suffer, about 400,000 of whom live in the United States. This number is increasing by 200 people monthly. The disease is much more common among women and its impact on family life can be very devastating. Symptoms vary from weakness, spasticity (tightness), balance problems, bladder problems, slurred speech, pain, fatigue, cognitive problems, numbness, and blurred vision. Practicing a healthy lifestyle has shown to help many patients with MS. Exercising regularly, reducing stress, not smoking, learning about yourself and your limits, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating a healthy diet are crucial for better well-being.