"I finally have the energy to go for a walk"
A blog written by our NGX Hero Paul...
Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
In 2002 I was diagnosed with Relapsing/Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. At that time, I was 24 years old and a serving Police Officer. After receiving treatment in the form of Intravenous steroids at Hospital I recovered relatively quickly and returned to work within a week or two. I had several such attacks over the next few years each time treated with steroids which, unfortunately became less effective after each use. In 2007, I had another relapse but this time the steroids didn’t work for me, meaning I lost the use of my legs and hands and was unable to walk or feed myself for a period of my recovery.
Fortunately, I did start to recover although this time not to full strength and was left with a permanent limp and weakness to my left leg. I returned to work but on restricted duties. During the new few years, I worked in various departments in office-based roles before I was medically retired in 2011. I now work in the civil service, but still suffer with fatigue and brain fog daily.
Over recent years I have seen my health, mood and mobility deteriorate as the disease has progressed. The biggest issue I have is chronic fatigue. Just the near-constant feeling of exhaustion, almost every day. For months now, after work my routine has been to go to bed for an hour, just to have enough energy to get through the evening and spend some time with my family; even though I’m not doing anything more than watching TV. I know that having MS means that I should eat healthily and do regular exercise, but I’ve been unable to find the energy to be able to exercise, creating a vicious circle.
I have tried many diets and shakes over the years which resulted in allergic reactions, upset stomachs, no change in energy levels and countless pounds leaving my bank with no return.
NGX on Dragons' Den
I was watching an episode of Dragons' Den one evening and saw the pitch for NGX. When I heard how BodyFuel is tailored to an individual by using their DNA, I decided to give it one final shot. This product sounded different, due to the nature of the analysis of your DNA and the benefits of a tailored product, I decided to jump in and give it a go by purchasing the two week starter pack.
My NGX Experience
It took approximately 3 weeks from the date I posted my DNA swab to the day I received my full analysis report. It was very in depth and spanned over 29 pages. I was amazed to find that I was highly sensitive to gluten, carbohydrates and coffee - this made sense as coffee was the only thing that kept me going!
The next step following the report was for the nutritionists to make my BodyFuel. The BodyFuel is made specifically for me, tailored to the results of my DNA swab and analysis. The BodyFuel included all of the vitamins and minerals I needed to be the best I could be. For me this journey was about improving my wellbeing and being able to cope better with day to day life.
Quickly after sticking to drinking the shakes (twice a day) along with a healthy evening meal, whilst avoiding the things detailed in my report, I started to feel better – I had more energy. By the end of a week, I noticed that I felt so much better within myself, with more energy, so much so that I decided to leave the house in the evening and went for a walk with my wife and daughter. My normal routine after work is to go for a lie down and sleep for an hour to recover from the working day.
During the second week something unexpected happened, I realised I had not had any heartburn since starting the diet. Was this due to removing gluten from my diet? I have been on indigestion tablets half of my life, spending a small fortune. However, with a month into this diet and personalised nutrition, I have not had any heartburn whatsoever.
I still get times where I feel tired, this by any means is not a cure for MS. However, I feel so much better and I haven’t needed to go to bed after work once and in fact every evening I have the energy and motivation to do something; whether that be to go for a walk or even do some light exercise on the exercise bike.
Now this may seem hard to believe for anyone who has not experienced fatigue, but over the last couple of years, I’ve found listening to music overwhelming, even when it’s played quietly. About a week ago I was in the car when without thinking about it I turned on the radio and happily drove home whilst listening to music. This is the first time in years that the radio has been on due to having daily brain fog that adds to my fatigue
This diet has not just changed the way I feel physically, it has improved by mental wellbeing too – I feel happier now than at any point over the last two or three years!
