TPV Podcast, Episode 79: Dr. Wahls

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The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 79

• 0:00 – Introduction
• 0:47 – News & Views
  • Stacy is fighting some kind of bug – she plans to work the broth and kombucha
  • Welcome Dr. Wahls to the show!
  • Sarah first discovered Dr. Wahls through her TEDxIowaCity, and that talk had so much impact on Sarah’s personal life and served as her launching point into the autoimmune protocol
  • In March Dr. Wahls is releasing a book called The Wahls Protocol
  • Sarah greatly appreciates the way that Dr. Wahls personal story is weaved throughout the book to provide practical situations to the recommendations being made – it makes the book very personable and approachable
  • Dr. Wahls has secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and took it upon herself to understand the medical research available to help inform her treatment decisions – at that time she adopted a nutrient density approach to supplements/eating and learned about functional medicine
  • She eventually redesigned her diet to minimize the supplements that she relied on for nutrients, and instead turned to food sources – this is when she experienced a drastic change in her health and she regained her physical abilities in time
  • She eventually went on to test her Wahls Protocol on other individuals to see how nutrition could impact various chronic diseases, and she now lectures around the world sharing her findings
  • Dr. Wahls shared on her first study and how it came to fruition – she also shared on subsequent studies and how they built off of the first test’s results
  • Dr. Wahls is currently recruiting for a clinical trial – find more information on the eligibility requirements here
  • Questions & Answers
    • All of Dr. Wahls comments are educational nature and are not intended to cure, heal, diagnose, or treat any disease –  only a patient’s personal physician can treat them
    • (21:14) Melissa – beyond going gluten and dairy free and following a Paleo diet, how do I heal and stop the progression of MS?
      • The research doesn’t provide clear answers to this questions, but there are indicators regarding the length of time in which you have dealt with lesions to provide a few clues
      • You may want to refer to Grain Brain for some additional information
    • (25:04) Jennifer – does Dr. Wahls experience flares and if so, how does she treat them?
      • She takes a prednisone and limits sensory stimulation until it passes
      • She has learned to avoid soups and sauces when eating out, and if she is accidentally exposed to something it will likely hit within forty-eight hours
      • Some of her patients experience more immediate reactions
    • (29:24) Jennifer – do you see any similarities between MS and autism? Would the Wahls protocol be helpful for an autistic kid?
      • At the cellular level all these diseases are tied together because of the oxidative stress, excessive inflammation, and high toxic load and cortisol levels
      • Putting people on the Wahls protocol addresses all of these issues, and symptoms steadily improve
      • When you fix all of these issues at the ground level brain and psychological issues improve, your general medical issues are addressed, and it has tremendous impact on all the autoimmune disorders
      • Sarah notes that there are many similarities between The Paleo Approach and The Wahls Protocol – Dr. Wahls approaches it from cellular health and Sarah approaches it from immune function and health
    • (34:11) Jolane – what should a patient tell his or her doctor to pay attention to the autoimmune protocol or The Wahls protocol so that diet is not disregarded during treatment?
      • Primary care doctors are going to be far more supportive of the connection between diet and treatment
      • Don’t focus on what you are removing, but instead let them know what your diet will be comprised of and ask if anything needs to be monitored while you implement this diet
      • Check with them if there is any testing that should be utilized throughout the process
      • When you want to broach the subject of reducing your medications you need to first feel a million bucks better, and approach the conversation by discussing how you are feeling and asking if you can begin the discussion of tapering
    • (37:00) Nutrition for folks with MTHFR was addressed
    • (40:05) Jon – are you concerned about oxalates?
      • People with kidney stones, liver disease, kidney disease and diabetes will need to work closely with their physician and make modifications
      • For the heathy average individual you do not need to be concerned
    • (41:50) Michelle – a special thank you from an individual who has MS and was incredibly inspired by Dr. Wahls TED talk
  • How to maximize the nutrients from you food was discussed
  • Sarah held a party this past weekend to commemorate the release of The Paleo Approach and she shared about a surprise video that her assistant pulled together that was filled with messages from family, friends and colleagues
  • Don’t forget to check our Dr. Wahls site and her book
  • Check for information on Sarah’s book signing dates and locations here
  • Join Sarah, Stacy and Russ for a book signing in VA and PA – information here 
  • Special thank you again to Dr. Wahs for joining this week’s show!
  • Find Sarah’s review of The Wahls protocol here
• 1:02:41 – Outro