What does the updated content look like?

Research Updates 

Research has come a long way since 2014, when The Wahls Protocol® was first published. We have published 13 papers related to multiple sclerosis in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Our research is frequently cited by other researchers and has been recognized by leaders in the MS community. All our latest research is detailed in the new edition of The Wahls Protocol®. Our most recent study, The Dietary Approaches to Treating Multiple Sclerosis Related Fatigue, funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, was completed in January 2020. We plan to analyze the results in the next few months and submit for presentation at international MS research meetings in either the fall of 2020 or spring of 2021, depending on when analyses are completed. 

Microbiome and Diet Quality 

In 2014 I received a lot of pushback from practicing neurologists about my emphasis on the importance of diet in protecting current and future brain health. Things have changed significantly since then. The link between the microbiome and brain health is widely accepted by neuroscientists and most practicing neurologists. In the revised edition of my book, The Wahls Protocol®, I review the science linking dietary choices and the mix of microbes in the gut to mental health and neurological symptoms. 

Brain preservation and brain reserve 

In 2014, many neurologists were focused solely on disease-modifying drug therapies. Very few were advocating for the critical role of diet and lifestyle, which I stressed as vital back in 2014 when I published The Wahls Protocol®. Thankfully, the tides have turned. More and more neuroscientists are publishing peer-reviewed papers advocating for the critical role of therapeutic diet and lifestyle changes in protecting the brain reserve and cognition. There is increased recognition that diet and lifestyle should be addressed by all patients. Utilizing drug-based disease modifying treatments without also addressing diet and lifestyle leaves patients at considerable risk of cognitive decline and early dementia. 

Ketogenic eating

Elevated blood sugars accelerate brain loss, cognitive decline, and early dementia. Researchers are examining ketogenic dietary plans and supplements as a possible intervention for the treatment of cognitive decline, dementia, and multiple sclerosis. There are many strategies for lowering blood sugar and shifting towards a more ketogenic diet, including a low glycemic index diet, high fat diet (ketogenic diet), time-restricted feeding, intermittent fasting, and periodic fasting. The new edition of my book explores these options in detail and also covers how to transition from your current eating pattern to one of these strategies. 

Food addictions 

Due to the reward centers in our brains, humans are inclined to spend more time doing what is immediately pleasurable, minimizing what is unpleasant, and avoiding what is painful. Sugar and high glycemic index foods, such as bread, pasta, and potatoes, stimulate the pleasure centers of the brain. Many convenience foods and fast foods have additives that further stimulate our pleasure centers. For these reasons, it is very difficult for most people to stop eating these foods.  In my book, I discuss how processed foods are often designed to create addictions and overconsumption as well as strategies for shifting away from these unhealthful choices.

 Behavior change

Changing diet and lifestyle can be a difficult and deep struggle for many. Most of us are addicted to the sugar-laden, starchy foods that are designed to stimulate the pleasure centers in the brain. Social media and video gaming further contribute to the sedentary, isolated life, making change harder to sustain. Helping people address their addictions to harmful foods and lifestyle choices requires deeper understanding of addiction science and behavior change. How do we set ourselves up for failure without realizing that we have done so? How we can we instead set ourselves up for success? 

Health coaching 

We understand that athletes perform better with support and guidance from a coach. We understand that entrepreneurs are more likely to succeed with their business if they enlist a coach. We understand that having a mentor makes it much more likely that the addict will stay away from substances. It makes sense that having a coach to guide and support us as we deal with our cravings for harmful foods would also be helpful, empowering us to work through behavior changes that will make us healthier and happier in the long term. 

Internal motivation 

Motivation is either external or internal. We do some things for external reasons, such as working for a paycheck. We do other things for internal reasons, such as caring for an infant. Few people are going to change their diet or lifestyle because they were told to. Changing something personal, like our food choices and daily routines, requires a lot of internal motivation to do that hard work. In my book, I discuss the process of how to grow your internal motivation to achieve the goals you set for yourself. 

Self determination 

We want to determine for ourselves the direction of our lives. That is called self-determination. Few will accept being told how to live every aspect of their lives. If we are going to help people improve their health, we will be more successful if we help them grow their internal motivation and also recognize their need to independently determine the best next steps to achieve their goals. Be ready to answer questions and give support, but do not remove the self-determination. This is an importance nuance that I discuss in my book.

Resilience, emotional resilience, metabolic resilience 

If an object has little resilience, it is brittle and more likely broken with a small amount of pressure. The same is true for people. A person with little resilience is more likely broken by pressures that occur in everyday life. A person with great resilience is more likely to tolerate and adapt to life’s daily ups and downs. They are also more likely to tolerate more severe life stressors, including stressful work events, illness, or accident. I discuss strategies to improve both your emotional and metabolic resilience in my book. 

Epigenetics 

The genes you have determine only a small portion of the health you have. Much of your health depends on a complex interaction between the genes you got from your mother and father and the environmental exposures you sustained in utero and in your lifetime. The research continues to advance that disease-promoting genes can be activated or silenced, depending on the choices we make each day.  I discuss the advances in epigenetics and the strategies you can employ to turn on health-promoting genes and turn off disease-promoting genes in the revised edition of my book.

Microbiome

The microbiome research continues to explode. The microbes in our gut help digest our food, talk to our immune cells, create neurotransmitters that get into our brain, and process and eliminate harmful toxins. Researchers increasingly recognize the powerful impact the microbiome has on the microglia in our brain – the microbiome can either activate the microglia and cause brain inflammation and symptoms or calm the microglia and reduce brain inflammation and symptoms. Many of these strategies are under your control and are discussed in the revised edition of The Wahls Protocol. 

Loneliness

Loneliness is associated with higher rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, mental health issues, and all causes of mortality, while companionship is associated with higher quality of life and lower rates of all the above diseases. In my book, I discuss the importance of connection and strategies to improve your connections with others as well as the importance of identifying which relationships are positive and which are toxic. I also discuss strategies for managing toxicity and increasing connections with the positive people in your life. 

Protection of brain reserve, cognitive reserve

Cognitive decline and loss of brain volume occurs as we age. It happens more rapidly in those with multiple sclerosis and systemic autoimmune conditions as well as diabetes. For many years, neurologists and autoimmune specialists focused on treating patients with only disease-modifying drug treatments. Now they are recognizing drugs are not enough to protect the brain. Today, leading neuroscientists are calling for the use of therapeutic diet and lifestyles to protect the brain, slow the speed of brain volume loss, and reduce the risk of early dementia. I discuss research on brain preservation and what you can do to reduce the risk of early dementia in the revised and expanded edition of The Wahls Protocol. 

Neurorehabilitation

Does your physical therapist support your goal of getting stronger, having more endurance, and improving your coordination? The neurorehabilitation research has identified additional strategies that can be used to improve function even for those with significant hand or leg disability. I discuss these updates in the revised edition of my book, The Wahls Protocol. 

Electrical stimulation of muscles

Electrical stimulation of muscles has been used by athletes for decades to increase muscle mass and improve performance. The research continues to grow about the use of electrical stimulation to accelerate rehabilitation and reduce the harm of inactivity. I review the research and provide concrete guidance for those who wish to add electrical stimulation of muscles to their program. 

Functional electrical stimulation of muscles

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) of muscles uses electrical current to drive a contraction sequence that allows a person to pedal a bike or hand pedal. This allows a paralyzed or nearly paralyzed person to continue to have some exercise. I review the research behind FES and its benefits, when to consider adding FES to your program, and how to access FES in my revised edition of The Wahls Protocol. 

Red light therapy, low level laser 

Phototherapy is the use of light therapy for a biological effect. Red light and low level laser therapies have a favorable impact on the efficiency of the mitochondria and production of energy within the cell. I discuss the uses of red light and low level laser therapies for the autoimmune patient and how to access them in the revised edition of the Wahls Protocol. 

Low lectin diets, elimination diet and autoimmune protocol diet, histamine, FODMAPS, and oxalates  

The autoimmune protocol (AIP) and elimination diets focus on removing foods and reducing lectin intake. But removing foods was not sufficient to heal me. It was not until I focused also on what to add that I experienced my dramatic recovery. In the revised edition of The Wahls Protocol, I provide more specific guidance on who is likely to need a low lectin diet and how to ensure maximum nutrient intake while doing so. I also discuss the issues of histamine, oxalates, and FODMAPS and who is likely to have those issues. 

Longevity, anti-aging, cellular aging  

I am much more concerned about my healthspan than lifespan. There has been considerable research into strategies to slow cellular aging and lengthen lifespan and healthspan. I discuss the research and strategies you can begin implementing today to slow your cellular aging and improve your healthspan in the revised edition of The Wahls Protocol. 

Reducing dementia risk, APOE4 risk mitigation

No drug has effectively reversed moderate or late Alzheimer’s or dementia. The drugs have a very small effect. However, the research continues to grow that diet and lifestyle changes can have a major impact on reducing the risk of dementia and improving cognition in early dementia. I review the research as well as strategies you can begin implementing right now in the revised and expanded edition of The Wahls Protocol. 

The presence of APOE4 increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. In the revised edition of The Wahls Protocol, I review the research on APOE4 and the interventions that can markedly reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. 

Food addiction

Many people report feeling addicted to gluten and casein. In the revised edition of The Wahls Protocol, I review the science showing that gluten and casein stimulate the opioid receptors. I also discuss how we can use addiction science to help people stop consuming these compounds. 

Stem cells

Some with serious autoimmune problems become medical tourists, traveling internationally to obtain a stem cell transplant to treat their symptoms. I review the current research and standards for use of stem cells to treat severe autoimmune diseases that are refractory to treatment. I also review the current research on the use of fasting and fasting mimicking diet to stimulate your own stem cells in the revised edition of my book, The Wahls Protocol®.

Twitter:

The #WahlsProtocol has been changing lives since it was published in 2014, and now @terrywahls is sharing updated research and information in a revised edition. Learn more here: https://terrywahls.com/the-wahls-protocol/

.@terrywahls is continuing her work towards an epidemic of health with a revised edition of The #WahlsProtocol. I’m looking forward to discovering new powerful tools for using food as medicine. Get your copy: https://terrywahls.com/the-wahls-protocol/

The #WahlsProtocol has helped so many beat their autoimmune conditions with food and functional medicine. Now, @terrywahls is sharing powerful new information in an updated edition. Start your journey to health! https://terrywahls.com/the-wahls-protocol/

In the years since the first study for The #WahlsProtocol, @terrywahls has uncovered incredible new research on using food and functional medicine to improve autoimmune conditions. Learn more in the revised edition of her book, out now! https://terrywahls.com/the-wahls-protocol/

Facebook:

The Wahls Protocol and @TerryWahlsMD story have transformed the lives of people with autoimmune diseases. Now, she is sharing updated research and information in an updated and revised edition. Discover a new Wahls Diet bonus plan, new content on intermittent fasting and the microbiome, new recipes, and new stories from Wahls Warriors. Get your copy: https://terrywahls.com/the-wahls-protocol/

The Wahls Protocol has helped so many beat their autoimmune conditions using functional medicine and nutrient-rich foods since it was first published in 2014. Since then, @TerryWahlsMD has published seven papers about the Protocol and conducted successful clinical trials, and she’s put what she’s learned from this research into a revised and updated edition of the book. Get the new powerful tools to help you achieve total health: https://terrywahls.com/the-wahls-protocol/

@TerryWahlsMD is continuing her work towards creating an epidemic of health with a revised and updated edition of The Wahls Protocol. The book is filled with new information, including a bonus diet plan, updated research on the meaningful reduction of symptoms, intermittent fasting, and more! Learn more and get your copy: https://terrywahls.com/the-wahls-protocol/

Subject Line Options:

• Stopping pain, restoring hope  
• Creating an epidemic of health  
• The most important book you’ll read this decade

Dr. Wahls suffered from 27 years of relentless worsening of electrical face pain due to trigeminal neuralgia, pain that became more severe, more frequent, and more difficult to turn off over time. She spent seven years becoming increasingly disabled due to multiple sclerosis, with four years in a tilt-recline wheelchair. But now, thanks to a diet and lifestyle protocol she created, she is pain free and bikes to work each day. This transformation changed how she practices medicine and conducted research. She now conducts clinical trials testing the efficacy of her diet and lifestyle protocol in others with multiple sclerosis, consistently demonstrating that others can implement her protocol and experience improved quality of life, energy, mood, and motor function. It is now her mission to spread an epidemic of health by teaching physicians and laypeople around the world how to use these principles to restore their health and vitality, helping others realize that they too can eliminate their pain and experience more energy and better moods.  

Dr. Wahls has a new book out, The Revised and Expanded The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles, which includes detailed guidance on the dietary and lifestyle protocol that she used for her own amazing recovery and also uses in her clinics. In the book, Dr. Wahls explains how both the problems and the solutions to pain and poor health lie in our food choices and our daily habits. She has updated her book with the latest information on fasting, ketosis, oxalates, histamines, and lectins. She also explores the science of behavior change, food addiction, and the latest in neurorehabilitation. Dr. Wahls has helped others just like you reduce their pain, improve their mood, and reduce their dependence on prescription medication. 

Here is her promise: “You will be able to connect the dots of why you became unwell. You will be given tools to address the root causes of your illness and get your life back on track again.” 

Dr. Wahls is offering special, exclusive gifts to anyone who orders her book. You’ll get access to The Essential Wahls Kitchen, which reviews the tools Dr. Wahls uses in her kitchen to make cooking easier, as well as the video What to Purge and Talking About What to Keep, which will guide you through a pantry review, helping you sort out what is helpful to keep in the pantry and what you should remove. These terrific resources will help you cook delicious, healthy, and easy meals at home, a key to restoring and maintaining good health.

Are you ready to get your life back? Order The Revised and Expanded The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles today. 

#epidemicofhealth #wahlsprotocol #drterrywahls #wahlsdiet

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Subject Line Options:

• The most important book you’ll read this year
• The most powerful choice you can make 
• Creating health 

I think you know by now that I’m a health advocate. I’ve made it my life’s work to do everything I can to help others live their best and healthiest lives. The recent statistics on chronic disease are why this mission is so important to me. 

Did you know that 60% of Americans have one chronic disease and 40% have two or more chronic diseases? And that, in a mere 10 years, it’s estimated that 83 million Americans will have three or more chronic diseases? (That number was 30 million in 2015). I love Dr. Wahls’ mission of creating an epidemic of health by teaching people around the world why and how addressing diet and health behaviors in their life and their family’s lives can transform them.

Dr. Wahls suffered from 27 years of relentless worsening of electrical face pain due to trigeminal neuralgia. The pain became more severe, more frequent, and more difficult to turn off over time. She also spent seven years becoming increasingly disabled due to multiple sclerosis, with four years in a tilt-recline wheelchair. But now, thanks to a diet and lifestyle protocol she created, she is pain free and bikes to work each day. This transformation changed how she practices medicine and conducted research. She now conducts clinical trials testing the efficacy of her diet and lifestyle protocol in others with multiple sclerosis, consistently demonstrating that others can implement her protocol and experience improved quality of life, energy, mood, and motor function. 

I am so excited that Dr. Wahls has updated and expanded her groundbreaking book, The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles. This revised edition is filled with the latest information on fasting, ketosis, oxalates, histamines, and lectins. In addition, she explores the science of behavior change, food addiction, and the latest in neurorehabilitation. Dr. Wahls has helped others just like you to reduce their pain, improve their mood, and reduce their dependence on prescription medication. Even if you have the first edition, you will want to get this updated version, which is packed with tons of new information! 

Dr. Wahls is offering special, exclusive gifts to anyone who orders her book. These include the video The Essential Wahls Kitchen, which reviews the tools Dr. Wahls uses in her kitchen to make cooking easier, as well as the video What to Purge and Talking About What to Keep, which will guide you through a pantry review, helping you sort out what is helpful to keep in the pantry and what you should remove. These terrific resources will help you cook delicious, healthy, and easy meals at home, a key to restoring and maintaining good health.   

Order The Revised and Expanded The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles today. Even if you have the original book, you will want to the new edition, which is packed with tons of new insight and information on the latest research. 

#wahlsprotocol #epidemicofhealth #drterrywahls #wahlsdiet

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Subject line: The Wahls Protocol – revised and expanded

When Dr. Terry Wahls first published The Wahls Protocol in 2014, readers were inspired by her story of her recovery from progressive MS and given hope that they could reverse their chronic conditions with her plan of nutrient-rich foods and functional medicine principles.

Since then, the protocol grew into The Wahls™ Diet, a nutrition and lifestyle treatment plan that has transformed the lives of people with autoimmune diseases and been investigated in multiple clinical trials, including one funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS).

Now, Dr. Wahls shares the results of her research in a newly revised and updated edition. The Wahls Protocol contains everything you need to know to follow The Wahls™ Diet, as well as 30% new material, including:

• The Wahls Elimination Diet bonus plan to help readers pinpoint individual food sensitivities and create a personalized nutrition program
• Updated research from The Wahls Research Fund showing meaningful reduction of many symptoms including improved motor function and energy levels, reduced fatigue, and improved mood and cognition
• Guidance on how to use intermittent fasting effectively and the impact of fasting on ketosis
• New research on the microbiome, and how the protocol impacts the microbiome to improve overall health
• New recipes
• Testimonials from people with health issues beyond autoimmune disease such as obesity, mental health problems, and neurodegenerative diseases
• Published peer reviewed clinical trials from the Wahls Research Lab

The revised and updated edition of The Wahls Protocol is a powerful testimonial to the healing power of food, and an invaluable guide to the health revolution.

The Wahls Protocol is now available at your favorite bookstore. Start your journey to healing today!

Yours in health,

Title: Recovered from profound disability and incapacitating pain 

If I can come back to a rich and full life after years of severe disability and pain, then there is hope for you. Even if your doctors have told you that there is nothing more that they can do, there’s still the possibility for recovery. I know because I have an incurable disease: progressive multiple sclerosis. Conventional medicine failed me, but ancestral health and functional medicine healed me. It can heal you too. 

After I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, I consulted leading doctors and took the newest drugs, which, I was told, would never restore function, only delay decline. Despite the drugs, my condition worsened quickly for the next seven years, four of which I spent in a tilt-recline wheelchair. I was desperate, afraid I’d end up bedridden and demented. I used my knowledge as a physician and researcher to study the basic science and develop a diet and lifestyle protocol to feed my brain. I hoped only to slow my decline. But after a year on the protocol, I was able to bike 18.5 miles with my family. My life was transformed. Diet and lifestyle healed me. It transformed the way I practice medicine and do clinical research.

Now I conduct research on diet and lifestyle and teach people all over the world the simple choices that can help reduce the symptoms of chronic illness and restore health and vitality. We teach people to drop foods that worsen inflammation (gluten, dairy, and eggs) and to stress green leafy vegetables, sulfur-rich vegetables, and deeply colored vegetables and berries. I have completed multiple clinical trials that demonstrate that others with multiple sclerosis can implement my protocol safely, and when they do, they experience improved energy, quality of life, mood, and motor function. You can see the research papers and before and after videos showing the changes in walking ability as people implemented the protocol here. 

Not only has the protocol transformed my life, it has transformed the lives of the patients who come to my therapeutic lifestyle clinic, many of whom have complex chronic diseases, often with multiple diagnoses. On the protocol they lose weight without feeling hungry. Their blood sugar and pressure stabilize. They feel less tired and more able to think clearly. Many are able to reduce and even discontinue the many medications they have been taking for years. They report feeling more clarity and more joy. They demonstrate what I have known for many years: food is medicine or poison, depending on our choices. 

The dietary and lifestyle changes that form the basis of my protocol are not complicated. For a detailed look at how to transform your life using diet and lifestyle, check out my new book, The Revised and Expanded The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles.  Even you have the first edition, the revised edition now includes detailed recommendations and strategies to personalize the dietary recommendations for vegetarians, meat eaters, ketogenic eaters, and those who need to restrict oxalates, lectins, or histamines. I have revised my recommendations on ketogenic eating, with a robust discussion on fasting. There is updated research on the microbiome, epigenetics, the science of behavior change, food addiction, metabolic resilience, emotional resilience, and neurorehabilitation strategies as well.  

I know from experience that healing and well-being are within reach for many with autoimmune problems. The same is true for those with unexplained symptoms, troubling pain, or fatigue that physicians cannot link to a specific diagnosis. If you are ready to begin your healing journey and restore your energy and your vitality, check out my book. And then spread the word. There is so much more under our control than we realize! 

Begin taking back your life today by pre-ordering  The Revised and Expanded The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles..

In health, 

Terry Wahls, MD

Title: How to reverse pain and poor health

In the US, pain and poor health has become the norm.

Think about how many people you know who have or have had autoimmune disease, dementia, or mental health problems. Are you or someone in your family struggling with one of these illnesses? Did you know that 6 out of 10 Americans have a chronic disease and 4 out of 10 have two or more? And did you know these chronic diseases are responsible for 70% of deaths?

The impacts of the chronic disease epidemic are far-reaching. Over the next 35 years, we’ll end up spending $95 trillion because of them, on direct health care costs like drugs and imaging to indirect costs like reduced productivity.  

What people don’t realize is that so much of this is preventable. We can bring ourselves improved health and quality of life simply by eating a better diet and improving our lifestyle choices.

That’s why I updated my book, The Revised and Expanded The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles. I want everybody to know it doesn’t have to be this way. We can make ourselves healthy again. I know because I did it myself. 

I have progressive multiple sclerosis and spent four years in a tilt-recline wheelchair, too weak to sit up in a regular chair, suffering from increasingly severe electrical face pain due to trigeminal neuralgia. I am a physician, so I began studying the latest science, ancestral health, and functional medicine. Then I integrated all three and created a protocol designed specifically for my brain. I am now pain free and I bike five miles to work each day.  

If I can get my life back, then there is hope for you too.  Even if you have the original version of my book, you will want to pick up the updated version which has the latest on the microbiome, epigenetics, oxalates, histamines, elimination diets, fasting, and ketogenic eating. I also discuss the science of behavior change, food addiction, and the latest on neurorehabilitation. 

We have a lot of power in our hands to restore our health and vitality. I hope you’ll join me in learning how to use ancestral health, basic science, and functional medicine to begin restoring your health. You can pre-order  to get started. Are you ready to get your health back, your life back? If so, order today.

Wishing you health and happiness,
Terry Wahls, MD