Written by: Lyn-Genet Recitas, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Imagine a world with no faith, and little hope in your health. This is the world of chronic illness. You naturally expect help from your medical team, but they expect you to keep getting worse. That is not how it has to work.
I’m a realist, and an optimist. Probably because I see healing every day. Normal people doing normal things, like eating the right foods for their unique chemistry.
Here’s what I tell all of my nutrition clients and now I’m telling you. Until you’re dead, your body wants to heal. Every day. And I mean every day. Your body is talking to you (ouch, twinge, bloat), and you have just forgotten to listen. You have been deprogrammed from yourself.
I’m a nutritionist that specializes in inflammation and thyroid disorders and have written several health books. My books like The Metabolism Plan, give the reader a blueprint on how to map their own health. And it’s easier than you think. It just takes a scale and a thermometer. But I am jumping ahead. Because this story is one of many, I have received that gives this hardened New Yorker hope and faith.
This is Caleb’s story about his battle with multiple sclerosis.
LG ‒ Caleb, what were your first symptoms?
Caleb ‒ It was Sunday in February of 2008. I was driving my TV van and I was headed to my next job. I noticed that I couldn’t feel my left hand gripping the steering wheel. Then, I noticed the left side of my face had that, "Novocain" numb feeling. The numb sensation went from the top of my head to the toes on my left foot. I pulled the van over and collected myself. I thought I was having a stroke.
It’s snowy here in Maine, but it’s a small town and I get into the ER and met the doctor quickly. I explain to the doctor what I am going through. He says, "Ok, let's have you stand up and walk across the room”. The doctor says, "How long have you been limping?" I had no idea that I was walking with a limp. Interesting… then he says, " Touch your nose with your right hand." I did it and passed with flying colors. "Now with your left hand." I moved my left hand to touch my nose and poked myself in the eye, on the cheek, poked my forehead and then my top lip. I could not find my nose. That was so funny. I couldn't help but laugh at myself. The doctor immediately orders an MRI.
LG: How did you find out you had MS?
Caleb: The next day, Monday, was a huge snowstorm. The hospital called and said they have a cancellation and could perform the MRI that morning. Unheard of! So, we drive to the hospital and get the MRI. The neurologist - who happens to be an MS specialist ‒ reviews the photos. He proceeds to tell me that I have MS. I said, "Ok. What are we going to do now?" My neurologist told me that I was his fastest diagnosis of MS he has had. It was less than 24 hours from my initial trip to the ER to when I got my MS diagnosis. Well, I like to think I want to be the top of the class, but not this way.
I was just relieved to have an answer and MS is manageable, right? Medications, more medications, and other medications for those medications. I always have a very positive and optimistic outlook on everything. If I am not dying, then I will be fine. I will figure it out. MS was not going to be any different.
LG: What was your diet like before the MS?
Cal : I mainly ate fast food, processed, microwavable food and drank soda, Gatorade and some juices. I consumed a lot of sugary treats. I was driving a lot, and I would eat from the convenience store and McDonalds because I was on the road for 9 to 12 hours. Breakfast sandwiches and breakfast pizzas to double quarter pounders and double whoppers. I have met them all, many times. I did not really have much of a preference for where I ate, as long as I was eating.
LG: How did you find out and feel about medications?
Caleb : My neurologist told me all about them. We have steroids for your flares, Avonex for your MS, Zanaflex for your muscle stiffness, Vicodin for pain, The steroids did help me get over my flare within 7-10 days. The Avonex was just horrible. It is a self-injectable medication that you inject straight into the thigh muscle. I hated it, it made me so sick. Half the week I was recovering from the shot ‒ to only have another shot in a few days. Then there was Rebif, exact same results. Rebif lasted for a couple of months until I decided that I could not do that medication any longer. My neurologist then prescribed Copaxone. I was lucky, there were so many sites I could pick from for injection. But the injection sites would not heal and felt like fatty bumps under my skin. Copaxone out, on to the next one. It is now, 2011. 3 years into my journey with My neurologist talked about other meds but nothing really promising on the horizon.
The combination of the steroids and meds together caused my appendix to become very inflamed, and I just made it to the hospital in time for them to take it out. You don't really miss your appendix until you learn what the appendix really does. Man, I am going to really miss my appendix.
LG: Does diet help symptoms?
Caleb: Short answer: Hell YES! Let me take you a little deeper into that answer. When I first moved in with my girlfriend Kimberli, my diet was crap. We jumped onto the low-fat dairy train along with the multigrain breads. We thought we were eating healthy. We would eat at Subway which was being deemed," A healthier choice". We both started to gain weight even though we were eating "HEALTHY". My symptoms were getting worse, and my MS would continue to get worse every year. I was on many different meds and on meds to counteract side effects from other meds.
I was a mess even though we thought we were eating “right”. Then, in the early months of 2013, Kimberli got to see the episode of Dr. Oz that featured Lyn-Genet and her book, The Plan. At the time, Kimberli was having a hard time with her feet and in a bunch of pain. We were both overweight. I was battling major fatigue, muscle spasms, migraine headaches, staggering, major pain in my neck, back and legs. The fun did not stop there, I also had brain fog and depression.
So, Kimberli ordered The Plan and we set a date for when we would start. The Plan made so much sense to me and I thought it was easy to follow. Some foods that you think are healthy may not be healthy for you. In fact, “healthy” foods can make you really sick, so when you are trying to eat “right” your body rebels.
During the first three days, known as “The Cleanse” the pounds started to melt away and I had a major boost in the amount of energy I had. I started prepping and cooking my own food. I found that some of the healthy foods I was eating was actually making me gain weight and be sick. I replaced the processed foods with fresh food and good clean spices. After a year of following The Plan, I noticed that I did not need my muscle relaxers and pain killers anymore. I did not need my antidepressants. I was moving better and feeling so much better. I lost 30 pounds in, 6 months, without dieting. I ate a LOT. I would refer to Lyn-Genet as my nutritionist.
Fast forward to May of 2016, I had eaten some hemp seeds. I did the smell test and “I was like, well... maybe they might be on their way out. I will add them to my breakfast anyway”. Oh man, what a mistake that was. My stomach was in knots, and I could not eat or drink water. Time for a trip to the ER.
I was admitted and they took some blood, and hooked up some fluids. The doctor comes in and says, " Looking at your symptoms, I would like to treat you for Crohn’s disease." I say, " Ok, what does that look like?" " We would give you a high dose of steroids to stop the flare." Me: "Uh, I don't think so." The doctor leaves and comes back a little while later and says, " Well, it might Ulcerative Colitis and I would like to start some steroids." Again, I was like, "Ya, No. I am not doing steroids."
That was the last time I saw the doctor. I went back to Planning and eating MY anti-inflammatory foods I had in my arsenal. I told my doctor that I am never doing the med route as a “go-to” again.
My quality of life improved and I was feeling great. My walking is greatly improved, my memory is improving, and I am not taking any meds at all.
The first 3-month checkup and the neuro wanted me to go back on meds. He did not have any faith that diet had that much of a significance when treating MS. At my next appointment, my neuro wants to do a cognitive test to determine if I’m getting better like I say, or I am worse like he suspects. I pass the cognitive test and score better than he did. He then states, " Well, your tests came back great, and I can't argue with success. Why don't you continue what you are doing."
So, I am. Food and water are a huge part of my success treating MS. If they can come up with fool proof ways to avoid STRESS, that would be great. It seems that stress is the only factor that aggravates my MS.
I was not able to do much without feeling winded, fatigued or just plain worn out. I’m now to able to work and play 9 holes of golf AND make dinner. This is just amazing. I owe most of it to The Metabolism Plan and Lyn-Genet. I may be doing the work, but Lyn-Genet wrote the words in a way that turned the lightbulb on in my head. I learned about proper hydration and how to find the foods that were causing inflammation. Without that knowledge, I would not be able to do the things I do now.
Multiple Sclerosis is definitely a learning process. In many ways, I think MS has changed my life for the better. I would not change anything up to this point. MS was kind of an end and a beginning for me. I owe much of that to Planning.
The Metabolism Plan and The Metabolism Plan Workbook is the updated version of The Plan. Caleb still uses The Metabolism Plan 9 years later. Facebook may be a bit dodgy at times, but it’s how I met Caleb who I now call friend.
Please note the Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, and diverticulitis may need a custom menu. You can email info@lyngenet.com to set up an appointment.
Lyn-Genet Recitas, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Lyn-Genet Recitas, Sports Nutritionist, HHP NMT, is the NY Times and International Bestselling author of The Plan and The Metabolism Plan a groundbreaking anti-inflammatory nutritional protocol which has been published in over 15 countries. She’s been featured on Dr. Oz, Huffington Post, CBS, NBC, Fox News, Women’s Running, Fitness, Vogue, Marie Claire, Elle, and Prevention. Lyn-Genet and her staff of doctors and nutritionists have helped hundreds of thousands of men and women reach their best health by finding their chemical responses to food, not counting calories. The Plan is an effective way to lose weight, improve health and reverse the aging process.
