A TEDx video went viral a couple years ago and now has over 1.5 million views on YouTube.
Last night I finally watched it.
Presenting was an amazing woman named Dr. Terry Wahls who spoke about how she used nutrient dense foods to REVERSE her secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.
That's right. Dr. Terry Wahls healed a debilitating health condition with FOOD! Ahhh, good ol' food. If you haven’t already watched the video, check it out below (or click here to view on YouTube):
Before she changed her diet, Dr. Wahls was confined to a tilt-reclined wheelchair. She could only walk short distances and had to use 2 canes.
Her health was declining despite taking medication, so she took matters into her own hands and created a way of eating that was designed to heal her body.
The results after she changed her diet were astonishing:
- After 3 months: she went from walking with 2 canes to walking with 1 cane
- After 4 months: she could walk a longer distance without using a cane at all
- After 5 months: she rode her bike for the first time in a decade and pedaled around the block.
- After 9 months: she rode her bike for 18 MILES
Her healing diet consisted of:
- 3 cups of green leafy vegetables per day
- 3 cups of sulfer-rich vegetables per day (e.g. cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnips, collard greens, kale, onions, garlic, chives)
- 3 cups of colorful fruits and vegetables per day (preferably at least 3 colors per day)
- High quality protein high in Omega-3 Fatty Acids (e.g. Wild fish, grass-fed meat)
- Organ meat once a week (e.g. liver, heart, tongue, gizzard)
- Seaweed once a week
In other words, she ate nutrient dense Real Food. Check out her before and after pictures. They speak for themselves:
Essentially, she became what she calls a Modern Day Hunter and Gatherer, eating only what our ancestors could hunt and gather, such as leaves, roots, berries, meat and fish.
(By the way, this way of eating aligns with how we roll here at Pete’s Paleo. The ingredients we use in our pre-made, ready-to-eat meals are as close to what our ancestors ate as we could get: local, seasonal, and untouched by toxic chemicals)
Dr. Wahls’ story is a compelling one, illustrating the miraculous healing power of food and how its effectiveness isn't even close to that of modern day medicine.
You can imagine my shock then when I learned that TED recently put a new disclaimer on her TEDx talk, stating:
This talk, which features health advice based on a personal narrative, has been flagged as potentially outside TED's curatorial guidelines. Viewer discretion advised.
WHOA. What's that all about? Apparently there are rumors going around that TED is in bed with Monsanto, but I found this letter on the TED website stating that the rumor was false and they don’t have any relationship with Monsanto. Maybe some of TED's sponsors are against this whole "food as medicine" idea?
What are your thoughts on this disclaimer? Why do you think they added it to Dr. Wahls’ video? Do you think her video warrants this label?
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