Switching her diet and adding in more fresh fruit and vegetables helped Sarah Stannard manage fix her leaky gut and manage her MS symptoms. Photo / Getty Images
Sarah Stannard, 53, realised her bad diet was making her MS symptoms worse – here she reveals her food journey.
Twenty years ago, fruit and vegetables simply weren’t on my radar, and nor was healthy eating.
Aged 32, single and in love with my job – a sales role I fuelled with Starbucks coffee, junk food and takeaways – I never once stopped to think about the way it could impact my body. I’d climbed the corporate ladder over the past 12 years, from telesales girl to being head of sales and marketing. I was competitive and thrived off the buzz of the chase. But now I was at the top of my game, I was under huge pressure to hit ambitious targets and keep demanding clients happy.
My clients were based all over the country, which meant long drives in my car. I was either out on the road, sometimes for seven to eight hours a day, or socialising, so of course my diet always took a back seat. When I dragged myself out of bed at 7am, normally after a late night in the office, breakfast wasn’t even a consideration, but coffee kept me going until lunchtime.
I relied heavily on service stations for my lunch, which of course only meant one thing: junk food. I can’t count how many McDonald’s meal deals or carb-heavy sandwiches I ate. If I wasn’t eating a takeaway, such as pizza or a curry, at home in the evening I’d be at a client’s dinner, but late nights with lots of booze meant I was in a constant cycle of exhaustion. When I did make it into the office I’d often look around at my tired colleagues and wonder what the strain of stressful jobs were putting on their health too.
If I wasn’t working on weekends I would be keeping up appearances, socialising with a smile and acting as though I wasn’t near to burnout. My mum could see the cracks appearing, though. She’d comment on how moody or tetchy I was when I was around her.
I’d go on holiday a lot to de-stress and make up for the intense weeks and months of work. But I never had a good balance – after one holiday I flew into the airport at 4am on a Monday morning and went straight to the office. I also half-heartedly joined a gym, but every month when the gym membership went out of my account, I’d feel guilty that I’d barely made it inside.
Slowly though, my lifestyle really took its toll on my physical and mental health. I could feel my clothes start to become tighter and my dress size started to go up. At 5ft 9, my healthy weight is just over nine stone (57kg), but back then I was always carrying at least a stone (6kg) of extra weight. I was always exhausted too and started to get brain fog. At one point I was looking after 250 accounts, and I was in a constant state of anxiety that I would miss a meeting or get something wrong.
It was at this time, coupled with extreme fatigue, that I noticed the first symptoms of multiple sclerosis – though I didn’t know then that’s what they were. MS is a chronic autoimmune disease where your immune system mistakenly attacks the protective covering of nerve fibres, impacting brain and spinal function. One day my little finger felt numb, with a pins-and-needles sensation. It went away quickly but it kept coming back, and sometimes my whole hand would go numb. I was worried enough to mention it to a chiropractor friend, who said it could be a symptom of MS. But I was too busy even to entertain the idea and I quickly dismissed it.
Then, a couple of months later I had my first wobble. I didn’t fall over but felt really unstable on my feet, something which happened a few times over six months. About half a year later a black dot appeared in my vision line through my left eye and wouldn’t go away. I went to the hospital and a specialist diagnosed me with optic neuritis – inflammation of the cranial nerve. Thankfully, they said the symptoms, with some rest, would go away fairly quickly, but I wasn’t expecting them to tell me what the condition meant for my long-term health.
They told me that optic neuritis is the precursor to a diagnosis of MS. As they started to explain all the other symptoms I could expect – numbness in my hands and feet, fatigue and unsteadiness on my feet – a hot flush came over me, and I realised all the symptoms were linked: it was my body’s way of telling me something was wrong. After a scan, they also found lesions on the brain, which is another sign of MS, and coupled with my other symptoms, they diagnosed me with the disease.
The reality of my diagnosis hit me hard. I completely lost my appetite for a few days as I was so scared about my symptoms getting worse. But the shock of my diagnosis manifested into denial, and for a couple of months, I pushed it to the back of my mind, pretending it wasn’t my reality. However, a Google search, when I was at my lowest, saved me.
I was interested to know how my diet and stress affected my diagnosis, and sure enough, nutritionists were just starting to look at the connection between gut health, inflammation and chronic illness. I found early studies and nutritionists showing that a high-stress lifestyle and poor diet could lead to a leaky gut and, for some, trigger an autoimmune response. A leaky gut happens when a poor diet, stress or lack of sleep enables cracks or holes to form in the gut lining. This means toxins and bacteria can penetrate the tissues below, causing inflammation and, in some cases, contributing to chronic illnesses including MS.
A “leaky gut”, or increased intestinal permeability, is still not recognised by mainstream medicine – but my diagnosis coupled with other symptoms such as fatigue and acne suggested that I had the condition.
The websites I looked at said I should concentrate on cutting out anything that could cause inflammation, such as foods high in sugar, saturated fats and processed meats. I started looking at food labels and slowly educating myself on what foods were good for my body. I didn’t make any drastic diet changes to start with, I just tried to add as much fruit and vegetables as possible – such as leafy greens, berries and bananas.
Then gradually, over a few months, I made other changes – instead of just coffee for breakfast I started to have eggs or oats, then for lunch and dinner I realised protein made me feel fuller, while fresh vegetables and salad, as well as healthy fats such as avocado and nuts, were easier on my gut. If I wanted a snack, instead of crisps and chocolate, I would have crudités and hummus or some yoghurt. At 37, I even went plant-based for six years. A couple of years later, when I started feeling healthier and my diet was on track, I met my husband. Luckily, he’s into eating healthily too, and even went on a plant-based diet with me. We married in 2017, and still encourage each other to eat healthily – eating colourful salads or dishes full of vegetables. I found that running really helped with my stress levels, and I even went on to run the London marathon the year I turned 50.
The changes in my diet and stress levels showed up in my body – I lost weight and my skin improved. I also noticed my MS symptoms, including the eye inflammation, were calming down. When it comes to my diet, I live by the 90/10 rule – if I have 10% of unhealthy foods, I know I need to have 90% of gut-friendly healthy foods. I still have the odd alcoholic drink, but I pick ones which are low in sugar, such as champagne. When it comes to eating out at restaurants, I choose the healthiest thing on the menu, such as a salad with protein. I also avoid over-processed foods and anything with too much sugar in it. Luckily, I didn’t need any medication. Instead, I found that cutting out inflammatory foods, healing my gut and lowering my stress levels were the most important things my body needed.
I’m now 53 and have never felt more healthy. In my 40s, my eye flicker returned but when I went to the GP, they suggested I rest and keep up my healthy lifestyle. Since then, I haven’t had another symptom in 10 years. I still have MS but since my symptoms have eased and there are no recent signs, doctors class it as inactive. I’m also working as a registered health coach, helping others take control of their health in the same way as I did. I can’t believe I used to think junk food would fuel me, and never connected my health problems to my diet. I now live by the saying “food is either fighting disease or feeding it” – for years, I was feeding it. I’m just so glad that I took action with my diet when I did, and fixed my leaky gut with food which nourishes my body.
What is a leaky gut?
“It’s a term used to describe intestinal permeability. The intestine acts as a barrier and is sometimes called the gateway to the immune system,” explains Lafina Diamandis, a GP and the founder of Deia Health. “This barrier allows certain nutrients of certain sizes through, and blocks toxins so they don’t get into the bloodstream.”
However, when you have a leaky gut, it can “cause an increase in the permeability of the intestine, which means toxins that are normally kept out of the bloodstream move through the intestinal barrier.”
Dr Ramakrishnan, a consultant physician and gastroenterologist at Nuffield Health Chester Hospital adds that “any insult to the normally intact gut lining can cause leaky gut – this could be autoimmune-related, diet- or stress-induced, medication-related or due to infections.”
What are the symptoms?
Non-specific symptoms are very common, including, “bloating, gas, abdominal discomfort and food intolerances,” explains Dr Mohammed Enayat, a GP and the founder of HUM2N, adding that many also experience “fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, skin problems like eczema or acne, and mood disturbances such as anxiety or low mood. While these symptoms can also be linked to other health conditions, when they persist alongside known risk factors, they may suggest an issue with gut-barrier function.”
How can you heal a leaky gut?
Supporting the healing of a leaky gut involves addressing the root causes, while actively working to restore gut integrity, says Enayat: “Dietary change is fundamental, with an emphasis on whole foods. I recommend an anti-inflammatory diet rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, healthy fats and high-quality protein.
“Including fermented foods – such as kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi – can help restore beneficial bacteria, while bone broth may provide amino acids needed for tissue repair. Many people also benefit from temporarily eliminating common irritants such as gluten, dairy, refined sugar, alcohol and ultra-processed foods.”
Lifestyle changes are also important, explains the GP, saying: “Managing stress through meditation, yoga or therapy can significantly impact gut health, as can getting adequate sleep, spending time outdoors and engaging in regular, but not excessive, physical activity.”
Tests for a leaky gut
“Tests may include a combination of blood or stool tests, and use of endoscopes or capsule endoscopy (PillCam), all of which can help identify the underlying cause,” explains Dr Ramakrishnan.
Before
After
1. I fill my plate with anti-inflammatory foods every meal time
Chronic inflammation plays a big role in MS, so an anti-inflammatory diet is key. These foods include
2. I add gut-friendly foods to my weekly shop
The gut-brain axis is powerful – gut issues are common in MS. Aim to include some of these foods in your daily diet:
3. I remember to include a daily intake of Vitamin D
Children over the age of one and adults need 10 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D a day. Low vitamin D is associated with MS severity so prioritise eating foods that have high amounts of Vitamin D – such as fatty fish, eggs (especially the yolks) and mushrooms exposed to sunlight – and consider taking a supplement during the winter months.