5 ways I'm supporting my well-being and managing multiple sclerosis

When I received my multiple sclerosis diagnosis, I began adjusting my eating, movement, and lifestyle routines to better support my mind-body system while I wait to begin medical treatment. A diagnosis can be overwhelming. The amount of information (and opinions) out there can easily drown out your own "gut" and ability to feel into what works best for you.

If you or someone you know are part of the multiple sclerosis, autoimmune, or chronic illness community and are looking for support as you find your new center of balance, please message me here or on my website. I would love to support you.

Here are the top 5 ways I'm supporting myself—tactics that can be beneficial to anyone regardless of your health status!

1) RESPECTING MY LIMITS

My system is still very much in recovery mode from my earlier relapse. Activities that were no big deal pre-diagnosis can now completely deregulate my body and mind. Frankly, it sucks. There are days my body doesn’t feel like my own anymore. While I know it won’t always be this way, I have to learn to respect my new limitations. This means taking it easy mentally, physically, and socially. It means getting comfortable being transparent with others about my capacity and boundaries. The process of discovering those boundaries can be difficult, but I’m slowly getting a hang of it.

2) THE GOOD VIBRATIONS

Before I left for Italy, my amazing Reiki healer Katie Englund shared a message to sing or hum to help alleviate an affliction she felt in my head and throat. As my symptoms began, I turned to this wisdom from Katie and our guides. I sang in my car when the electric shock sensations began to run up and down my leg. I chanted OM in my morning meditations when my arm felt weak—a seed mantra connected to the nervous system.

I was then reminded of Bhramari Pranayamama (humming bee breath). With this exercise, we close off our senses and hum on the exhale, our head and body flooded with soothing reverberations.

Humming, singing, and deep diaphragmatic breathing help stimulate the vagus nerve, a primary brain-gut axis in our parasympathetic nervous system responsible for rest and digest processes. Strengthening our vagal tone increases our resiliency to stress and helps us return to our center in moments of deregulation.

3) REDUCING INFLAMMATION

With multiple sclerosis, your immune system misfires and ends up attacking your own nerve covering at the first sign of stress, inflammation, or infection. This then creates even more inflammation in your system—cue the Prednisone!

Reducing the inflammation in my system means adjusting my eating habits to minimize common sources of inflammation.

Eating less. Added sugar, alcohol, dairy, fried foods, gluten, nightshades, and processed/refined foods and flours.

Eating more. Fish and lean meat, fruit, healthy fat, leafy greens, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and whole grains (gluten-free).

Notice I say "less" vs. "completely avoid." Occasionally, I will indulge in the foods that bring me joy because life is still meant to be enjoyed even with a chronic illness! But by eating this way most of the time, I’m ensuring my system is stable enough to hold moments of indulgence without being thrown completely off center.

4) THE HEAT INSIDE & OUT

Excessive heat can trigger many autoimmune relapses or flares, and so I have to keep cool by every definition of the phrase. In these warm summer months, this means avoiding the midday sun, keeping hats, ice packs, and fans at the ready, and staying away from cardiovascular exercise.

However, our bodies can also generate heat in reaction to certain foods. Ever get sweaty after eat something spicy? Pungent, sour, and salty tastes are all heat generating. My internal nature is already dominated by fire, so I'm minimizing my intake of these foods in favor of cooling bitter, astringent, and (naturally) sweet tastes.

Eating less. Garlic, onion, chili, hot sauce, vinegar, pickles, and soy sauce.

Eating more. Berries, root vegetables, fresh herbs, turmeric, cumin, and fennel seed.

5) FINDING BETTER SLEEP

Over these last few weeks, I’ve noticed that my symptoms feel worse on the days I get poor sleep. Cultivating good sleeping habits is going to be critical for stabilizing my system and minimizing the effects of multiple sclerosis.

To do this, I’m putting away the technology about 45 minutes before bedtime. I then use this time to perform a nightly ritual of self-care that I do lovingly and intentionally. Cleansing and moisturizing my face and body, journaling the thoughts that need to be released, and doing some deep diaphragmatic breathing all help me unwind before bed.