Montel Williams, the Emmy Award-winning television personality, is not only known for his successful talk show but also for his advocacy and openness regarding his battle with multiple sclerosis (MS). Diagnosed in 1999, Williams has become an inspiration for many, demonstrating the importance of willpower, self-advocacy, and exploring various methods to manage the condition. This article delves into Williams' experience with MS, his dietary approach, and insights into navigating life with this chronic illness.
Montel Williams' Diagnosis and Initial Challenges
In 1999, Montel Williams received a blunt warning from his doctor about his MS diagnosis. The doctor stated that the type of MS Williams had was often very debilitating in people of his race, suggesting he would likely be in a wheelchair within five years. This was a particularly terrifying time, as experts then believed MS primarily affected White individuals of European descent.
Williams experienced intense pain in his feet and legs following a flight, which he described as feeling like a "fire poker" shoved through his heel and into his shins. Looking back, he realized he had overlooked earlier symptoms around the time he graduated from the Naval Academy a decade prior.
Initially, doctors advised Williams to slow down his heavy career schedule. However, instead of following their orders, he pushed forward, attempting to live with the escalating pain. This led him to prescription opioids, including Vicodin and Percocets, which spiraled into a near two-year addiction. During a six-month period, Williams admitted he was taking four pills every couple of hours, becoming dependent on them to function.
Turning Point: From Addiction to Holistic Management
After battling opioid addiction, Williams sought healthier ways to manage his MS. He adopted a vegan diet to reduce inflammation and incorporated CBD to alleviate pain. However, he emphasizes that the most significant change was internal.
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Williams went on a vegan, vegetarian diet for about five years, consuming mostly liquid food. He recognized that inflammation is a major issue in MS, so he aimed to reduce it through diet. Once he learned how to reduce inflammation, it started mitigating some of the pain. He also learned to psychologically compartmentalize the pain, which allowed him to cope with the disease even when the pain returned.
Montel Williams' Eating Regimen
Montel Williams refers to his dietary plan as an "eating regimen" rather than a "diet." He advises eliminating junk foods and processed foods to reduce the amount of "man-made garbage" consumed. The foundation of his regimen involves eating as many colorful fruits and green vegetables as possible. He starts every morning with a green drink, rotating ingredients such as apples, oranges, peaches, spinach, lettuce, beets, and mango.
While a specific diet hasn't been scientifically proven to help all individuals with MS, Williams' approach aligns with a "back-to-basics" philosophy that emphasizes the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables.
The McDougall Diet
The McDougall Diet is very low in saturated fats. As an internist concerned about all aspects of a patient’s health I prescribe a stricter and, I believe, a much more effective (and tastier) diet. Even low-fat dairy and meat products are a health hazard causing infectious diseases, allergic reactions, as well as delivering high loads of animal protein (causing osteoporosis, kidney stones, liver, and kidney damage) and environmental chemicals. These animal foods are completely deficient in dietary fiber and low in carbohydrate. The dairy proteins are of particular concern to me because they are the leading cause of autoimmune diseases. I do not add ‘free’ vegetable or fish oils because they are, at best, medicines, and at worst, toxins. At the very least they can produce weight gain-the fat you eat is the fat you wear. These polyunsaturated oils ‘thin the blood,’ contributing to the risk of bleeding, say, following an auto accident.
The Swank Diet
The Swank Diet focuses on drastically reducing saturated fats, which are abundant in red meats and high-fat dairy products. Included in his diet are low-fat dairy foods (skim milk, fat-free cheese, fat-free ice cream, etc.), egg whites, skinned white-meat chicken, white fish and shellfish. Dr. Swank also included additional vegetable and fish oils in his diet. He explained to me that he did this mostly because he believed that this addition would make the diet easier to follow. He found that when people ate more polyunsaturated oil they then ate less saturated fat. He also felt the patients’ skin was better with a little oil added, and that they felt more energetic. As far as the fundamental course of the disease was concerned, he did not believe adding the vegetable or fish oil made any real difference-as he explains, ‘It just makes it easier to follow the diet.’
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My MS Second Act
In partnership with Novartis and the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA), Montel Williams created My MS Second Act, a project that aims to educate the MS community about disease progression, including secondary progressive MS (SPMS). SPMS is characterized by progressive and irreversible neurological disability. Approximately 400,000 people are living with MS in the US, and 80% of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) have the potential to progress to SPMS.
The goal of My MS Second Act is to inspire individuals to be vocal and vigilant about the next phase of MS and discover that by sharing your story you can face this “second act” with confidence, hope, and a resounding voice.
Lifestyle Adaptations and Holistic Practices
Montel Williams emphasizes the importance of adapting one's lifestyle to best serve their MS. Top holistic practices that have helped him heal include:
- Diet: Focusing on reducing inflammation through a plant-based diet.
- Mindful movement: Incorporating physical activities that are gentle and promote well-being.
- Mindfulness: Practicing daily mindfulness to stay positive and thrive with chronic illness.
Williams' personal mindfulness and self-care routine involves journaling in the evening, reflecting on what he did that day that was worth talking about tomorrow, and reading it out loud in the morning to start the day with a positive win.
The Importance of Advocacy
Montel Williams stresses the importance of being your own advocate. He urges others diagnosed with MS not to let the disease define them and to talk to their doctor about disease progression. Williams reflects back on his diagnosis as a mixed blessing, because it taught him the importance of willpower and advocating for yourself.
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"You alone own the definition of who you are," Williams says.
Williams speaks about the importance of conventional and holistic methods of care when treating MS. "You don’t go to battle with one weapon in your arsenal."
Multiple Sclerosis: An Autoimmune Disease
MS is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks itself, specifically the tissues of the brain and spinal cord. The immune system attacks the myelin sheaths surrounding the nerve fibers, causing inflammation and sores. The diagnosis is most often made between the ages of 15 and 50, with women three times more likely than men to develop MS.
Symptoms can include visual disturbances, weakness, clumsiness, spasticity, fatigue, numbness, tingling, problems with thinking, slurred speech, pain, depression, difficulty swallowing, bladder and bowel incontinence, and/or sexual difficulties.