The Classic Swank MS Diet

 The key points about the Swank MS diet are listed below:

• The amount of saturated fat in a patient’s diet should not exceed 15 grams per day.
• The amount of unsaturated fats and oils should be maintained at 20 to 50 grams per day.

• The patient should avoid consuming red meat in the first year. After the first year, about 3 oz. of red meat can be consumed once a week.
• The dairy products being consumed by the patient must contain 1% or less butter fat.
• The patient should not consume processed foods containing saturated fats.
• About 1 tsp of cod liver oil, multivitamins, and mineral supplements must be consumed daily.

Some more details about the kind of products that can be consumed by people suffering from multiple sclerosis are detailed below.

Dairy Products

While consuming dairy products, care must be taken to ensure that they contain zero-fat or not more than 1 gram of saturated fat per serving (cup). The dairy products that can be consumed in any amount include non-fat milk, skimmed milk, non-fat butter milk, non-fat or dry curd cottage cheese, fat-free cheese, non-fat sour cream, and non-fat ice cream. The products that must be totally avoided are margarine, butter, shortening, coconut oil, palm oil, hydrogenated oil, and lard.

Eggs

The egg white contains no fat whereas the egg yolk contains 5 grams of saturated fat. A person suffering from multiple sclerosis is allowed to have three eggs per week but only one egg per serving.

Grains and cereals

The Swank MS Diet encourages the use of whole-grain products. All bread products are allowed but care must be taken to avoid products containing undesirable oils, margarine, shortening, lard, and coconut oil.

Pasta and Rice

Pasta and rice can be consumed in any amount as per the Swank MS Diet but preference must be given to whole grain pastas.

Beverages

Caffeinated beverages must be limited to a maximum of 3 cups per day as they tend to induce nervousness and urgency to urinate. Alcoholic drinks must be avoided by multiple sclerosis patients especially if they tend to be sensitive to alcohol. They can however have a glass of wine or a cocktail with their evening meal.

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are extremely good sources of natural oils and essential fatty acids. Multiple sclerosis patients are recommended to have daily snacks of nuts and seeds for maintaining good energy levels.

Fruits

Multiple sclerosis patients are recommended to have two fruits daily. All types of fruits can be consumed in any amount. Fresh fruits should however be preferred over frozen or canned fruits.

Vegetables

The Swank MS diet recommends consumption of 2 cups of vegetables on a daily basis. Vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals and are also rich in essential fatty acids.

Poultry

The Swank diet permits consumption of skinned, trimmed white chicken and turkey meat. However, processed meat products that contain dark meat, skin, and fat must be avoided.

Fish

All kinds of white fish can be consumed as part of the Swank diet. The permitted varieties of fish include cod, snapper, abalone, flounder, sole, tuna, mahi mahi, and perch. Shellfish too is permitted as per the diet though patients with high cholesterol levels should not eat it very frequently.