With a variety of factors to think of and incorporate into your diet, our community shared their insight and advice for those looking for guidance on following or sticking to the Overcoming MS diet.
It’s never easy committing yourself to any new diet, but as part of the Overcoming MS program it is one of the important steps to take to help yourself live well with MS.
Following a healthy diet plays an important role in managing and preventing the progression of multiple sclerosis to help improve quality of life.
With a variety of factors to think of and incorporate into your diet, our community shared their insight and advice for those looking for guidance on following or sticking to the Overcoming MS diet.
Some of the best pieces of advice were reminders to ‘be kind or easy on yourself’ when first getting started. It takes time to settle yourself in and get it right, perhaps start with ‘a few go-to recipes’ with the mindset to build your understanding of what to and not to eat as well as your confidence in cooking.
“Be kind to yourself when you first start!” – @celizabethbx
Some people may find it easier to start the diet by following all the steps straight away, while others may prefer to break it down and ease themselves into the changes. Why not ‘start making a few changes every week, then have a date in mind’ to go full Overcoming MS.
The instant or even slower change to your diet and lifestyle might seem daunting, as you start or even if you’re midway through, try to ‘really embrace and focus on all the amazing food you do get to eat, not the few food groups you omit’. This outlook can help your mindset focus on what you’re going to gain by following the Overcoming MS diet part of the program.
If you’re keen to find more guidance or steps to start the Overcoming MS diet, take a look at our blog here.
Another key piece of advice was around meal prep and looking further ahead whilst at home or elsewhere. Planning ahead for when you go shopping to meal prep can be a great help to keep you on track with the diet part of the program, this may also help take away the stress of having to come up with ideas on the spot.
“Meal prep! The thing that has helped me the most to stay on track.” – @badgal_rainey
This also leads us onto eating out, don’t be afraid, because planning where you’re going to eat ahead of time can help take the pressure off of having to think about what you can and want to eat.
Top tips: Have a sneaky look at the menu before visiting, and make a note of where you can eat for future reference too!
A good thing to remember is that no one is perfect. The instinct might be to overthink the diet part of the program and let this deter you, but know ‘it’s ok to fail. As long as you come back to it’. By following this step alongside the rest of the Overcoming MS program, these simple changes can have a huge difference on your lifestyle and how you live with MS.
For more tips on following the Overcoming MS diet, check out this blog.