My family is not a big Whole Foods shopping family. We have never been big on organic foods, ingredients in foods, etc. There is nothing wrong with it, but it hasn’t been our frame of mind…until recently. Last week Mom and Dad’s therapist suggested to them that they try juicing to help with relieving some of the pain and symptoms of Mom’s MS. Dad is really interested in this because he is also willing to try anything to help Mom. Mom not so much.
I have taken a step back from the disagreement because I am not sure which end of the spectrum I fall on. I understand the want and the need to try whatever you can, but I also understand it’s Mom’s body and she is the one who has to do it. We can’t command her to do things and take over in a way that says her opinion doesn’t matter. But at the same time, she has yet to be very realistic about her treatment or where she is regarding her MS forcing us to take over in certain situations.
But more important than the debate involved in getting Mom to try it, I am first wondering if the suggestion to try juicing has some weight or not? There are a few things I read online but then I thought I really need to come here and see what you think. I honestly trust all of you who I have met through this blog more than any research out there. Real people with real stories that I can relate to is what I have found here.
So given the topic of juicing, what do you know? Have you tried it? Have you noticed any improvements in your health? Are there any juice recipes that aren’t bad tasting that you recommend to potentially ease Mom into this? What kind of juicer do you have?
MS recess 
My husband, now a cancer survivor, credits juicing in part to his recovery. As for MS, which I have, I personally believe juicing’s potential benefit comes from its emphasis on healthy whole and nonprocessed foods, rather than the juicing itself. But because of its emphasis on healthy foods, it might help, but maybe not to the extent you might want. I currently follow Dr. Terry Wahl ‘s protocol. (modified) as far as diet is concerned. She has MS and has benefitted from her approach. There are other approaches involving diet and MS you can research; eg, Swank and Jelinek. It ‘s a huge subject requiring research and trial and error to find out what approach works best. You have my email. Contact me if you have questions etc.
When my mom was diagnosed with MS several years ago one of the first things she did was change her diet and begin a more regular exercise routine. She hasn’t tried juicing, but certainly credits the improvement in the way she feels to her change in diet and lifestyle. What you put into your body absolutely affects how you feel! It doesn’t necessarily need to be organic, or expensive, just requires a little more time and thought to make sure we fuel our bodies with the right things. Start small and work from there, maybe it is just a smoothie for breakfast! Here is a recipe for one of her favorite smoothies:
1/2 banana
1/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 handful of spinach
1/2 cup coconut water
2-3 ice cubes
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. My mom often has this in the morning with a scrambled egg to get some protein. The smoothie is a little strange to drink at first because it is a brownish green, but it is sweet tasting and energizing.
Thank you for this thoughtful comment. I like what you said- that you can start small and work from there. Thank you also for the recipe- it sounds good and with ingredients she would like! I appreciate it!