Book Excerpt: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine

Title: The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine

Author: Terry Wahls, MD

Publisher: Avery; First Edition edition (March 13, 2014)

Ordering information: Amazon | Target

You are made of cells. A cell is a unit that makes up a living organism. Some organisms consist of only one cell, like an amoeba. Some, like human cells, consist of trillions of cells. Cells come in different sizes and shapes, and they all do different things, but they are, essentially, the building blocks that make up our bodies.

Cells, however, don't work under just any conditions. They need certain nutrients in order to do the work of keeping you alive and healthy. Without those nutrients, the cells begin to malfunction, even die. Where do those nutrients come from? They come from the food you eat—nowhere else. If you aren't providing the right nutrients and environment for your cells, then they won't work as well as they could, and a malfunction at the cellular level could eventually impact any aspect of your health. Your genetics may determine what goes wrong, but when the cells aren't getting what they need, the body don't work right, and something (usually many somethings) will go wrong somewhere.

People often wonder whether health is mostly a matter of genetics. Do you cells work well or poorly depending on your DNA? If it were all up to your genes, then what you eat and how you live wouldn't matter very much. However, we know this is not the case.

Living in Iowa, we hear a lot about corn and see a lot of corn, and so I use this as an example reflecting my Midwestern roots—an example of how important fuel is for your mitochondria and, by extension, your cells, your organs, and your entire body, including your brain. A packet of seeds can all contain the same DNA, but if you plant a handful of corn seeds in rich black Iowa soil and you toss another handful onto a toxic trash heap topped with a thin layer of dirt, the seeds will grow into much different plants. The seeds planted in the rich Iowa soil will be tall, study, and lush, with healthy ears of corn. The seeds planted in the trash heap, if they sprout at all, will be spindly, pale, and probably unable to produce much, if any, corn because there were not enough nutrients to nourish the plant. Same DNA, completely different result.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Terry Wahls speak at the Integrative Healthcare Symposium Annual Conference February 23-25, 2017 in New York City. Click here for more information.