Now, at that time, you know, I could not sit up for more than 10 minutes. I could take just a few steps by walking with two walking sticks. Otherwise, I was in the zero gravity chair or in bed. And that is when the magic really happened. And so that diet at first was a long list of foods that were rich in the nutrients that I knew I needed but once I started teaching or that I wanted to teach my patients this and I would have just five minutes in the resident’s clinic to teach these concepts. I realized they needed a simpler, rule-based way to teach and convey the message so my bed-ridden patients could remember at home, and that would eventually evolve into what I now call The Wahls Protocol. And we have a series of diets that let people transition from their current standard eating to a steadily more nutrient-dense, more supportive eating plan for them. So that is now the crux of The Wahls diet plans. I will tell you about level one but I encourage you to go pick up my book and be sure that you download the first chapter from The Wahls Protocol and the introduction in the recipes from Cooking for Life. That will get you started on the cooking. So first, do the ads add more non-starchy vegetables particularly green leafy vegetables, more suffrage vegetables in the cabbage family, onion family, and mushroom family. And in more deeply pigmented vegetables and berries, beets, carrots, berries. The greens have carotenoids, vitamin K, magnesium, calcium, and other nutrients vital for your brain, for your retina, for your eyes.
The sulfur-rich cabbage and onion are really great for detoxing, making neurotransmitters, and helping your cells protect themselves from oxidative stress and they also improved blood vessel health. Mushrooms really great for preventing or reducing the risk of cognitive decline, anxiety, and depression. And deeply colored really great again for reducing oxidative stress and they are also associated to lower risk of cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and really all-cause mortality. The goal is nine cups of vegetables and berries, particularly the non-starchy ones measured raw every day. And that is pretty easy to achieve if you are tall like me, six foot tall, or a man. If you are a very petite woman just eat what you can according to your appetite. And at the first level, we can do this as a vegetarian or a vegan or as an omnivore meat eater. Now, as you progress at level two, it is more paleo. We talk about the benefits of organ meat, of sauerkraut, kimchi, of nut milk keir, and yogurts. And then we have a ketogenic version which is higher in fat, and we have the elimination version, which also takes out nitrates. Now the things to remove are added sugars, certainly, reduce the processed foods, but we also want to remove gluten containing grains, casein, and egg albumin because those are unrecognized food sensitivity issues for many. And I’m not encouraging a lot of processed gluten-free products. They can be high glycemic index and they are still very, very processed.
I encourage you instead of getting the gluten-free products buy foods that are naturally gluten-free. Those are known as vegetables and berries and are your sources of protein. If you are a vegetarian or a vegan, you need a legume and whole grains such as black beans and rice. Now, The Whals Protocol is much more than diet, it also includes understanding your meaning, your purpose. So are you willing to do the work? And we have another short video about the importance of what, finding your mission. We talked about reducing toxin exposures, eliminating tobacco use in improving the quality of your air, your water with filtration systems. We talk about exercise and strategies to improve movement, physical activity, and exercise. And we talk about how to have targeted supplements to support your healing journey. Again, this is a comprehensive program of self-care that you can work with your primary care physician to monitor your blood pressure, blood sugar, ensure that things are going well, and I can then adjust your medications if you are on any.
Because if your cells began doing the chemistry of life more properly, you may find that your medication needs have decreased in that you can lower the doses of your meds, and often you are able to eliminate medications entirely. Again, there was a period of transition for me when I went from having a long list of foods that I was eating to realizing I needed to create some simple easily remember, easy to remember guides for my patients and for the public. So at the very least, the goal is nine cups of vegetables. If you are tall or a man, 6 to 9, If you are more petite divided between greens, sulfur-rich, and the cabbage onion mushroom family in the deeply colored and pulling out gluten contain grains or casein that is the protein, dairy, and eggs. And I have more details, more guidance for how you can do this much more successfully in The Wahls Protocol. At the very least, download that chapter it will get you started. And again, welcome to The Multiple Sclerosis & Neuroimmune Summit. You are going to have more terrific interviews. Again, welcome and much love to you and your family.
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