For Agota Nawroth, life looked as she had always dreamed it would. She had met and married the love of her life and honeymooned in Greece. Next, they were eager to start their family.

Then, odd symptoms came seemingly out of nowhere. Agota had just returned from a ski trip in Colorado when her forehead went numb, her face tingled, and she couldn’t hear out of her left ear.

In a recent checkup, everything looked normal. She chalked the sudden symptoms up to the high altitude or the flight.

But in time, those concerning symptoms didn’t subside and were accompanied by new anxiety and depression. Concerned about brain cancer – to which her father had succumbed – Agota asked for a brain MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).

When she received a follow-up call, they mentioned a possible diagnosis: multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disorder where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the protective sheath that surrounds nerve cells. Agota had never heard of MS but an online search painted a picture of progressing symptoms and disability.

Back in the doctor’s office, the diagnosis was confirmed: MS. The doctor encouraged Agota to start medication immediately. But she wondered, when could she start a family? Medication had to come first, the doctor advised.

“I just felt like my life was collapsing. That day, I couldn’t stop crying,” she says.

Taking Control Over an MS Diagnosis

Agota needed time to explore her options. She researched medications, but also alternative approaches.

From the start, she adopted a resolute attitude to her diagnosis, just as she had approached everything else in her life. Originally from Romania, she moved to the U.S. at 21, earned a college degree with honors, and built a career.

When diagnosed with MS, she became determined to find a positive path forward.

“I saw this sign on the street about beating cancer so that’s where I’m like, ‘Yes people beat cancer all the time. I can beat this.'” She immediately created the Instagram account @beatingmyms to document her journey and keep herself accountable.

“I can choose to live that life or I can just try anything and everything I can to manage this,” she says. “It’s my life, so I have to take control.”

An Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Multiple Sclerosis

Agota’s online search quickly led her to Dr. Terry Wahls’ book, The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine. The book detailed the lifestyle protocol that Dr. Wahls herself used to eliminate the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and no longer need a wheelchair.

She started implementing parts of the protocol, beginning with diet. Driven and hard-working, Agota had never had time for cooking, typically choosing takeout instead.

“I realized how unhealthy my lifestyle was before, and that’s where I started,” she says. “I started changing my diet almost overnight, which I do not recommend to anybody because it was the hardest thing.”

The Wahls Protocol diet consists of nutrient-dense whole foods, an emphasis on vegetables, high-quality meats and fish, and healthy fats. It avoids dairy, grains, legumes, nightshade vegetables, sugar, and processed foods.

Within a month of starting the diet, Agota became pregnant. Inspired and excited, she remained motivated to keep going and stick with the diet. Soon, she and her husband were cooking nearly every meal.

Agota quickly felt better and noticed links between her symptoms and her diet.

“I was feeling better once I started eating better,” she says. “Every time I was eating pizza or gluten, like anything that contains gluten, I was feeling face numbness. So those were signs that I was listening to. It was so interesting just to discover how my body works when it comes to taking care of it or neglecting it before, and that was just something that empowered me every day to keep going.”

Self-Care and Stress Reduction for Multiple Sclerosis

Agota listened to more books on autoimmunity, which mentioned adopting self-care and stress management tactics such as meditation. Accustomed to being on the move, that was a tough habit to embrace. Before, she had always approached life at full speed, working 20-hour days.

“I just couldn’t sit still for five minutes to shut my brain off and not think about anything,” she says. “But it was practice, and now I meditate every morning.”

She also actively worked on reducing her stress. The key, she said, is recognizing when she’s in a stressed state and trying to be in the present moment.

Agota also began to recognize how much her life had diverged from the way she had grown up, when she had eaten homegrown foods, spent time in nature, and took everything at a slower pace.

She also swapped intense workouts for gentler forms of exercise, such as yoga and walking, which were kinder to her body and helped her stay active while managing her condition.

“I think it’s very important for everybody, not just for stretching,” she says. “Doing some kind of yoga and meditating and those types of things really helped me from the beginning.”

On the urging of her husband, Agota also began seeing a therapist. She worked through emotions about her diagnosis, a previous miscarriage, and the passing of her father.

Better Than Ever

With numerous lifestyle changes, Agota noticed her symptoms steadily decreased.  “I feel better than ever,” she says. “I don’t think I have any pain.”

She’s continued to share her journey with others on social media through her platform, Beating My MS and build a community of others looking for ways to thrive despite their diagnoses. Last year, Agota published a collection of inspiring MS success stories in the book, Beating Multiple Sclerosis. It serves as a valuable resource and source of inspiration for those with MS and other chronic health conditions.

She also maintains the positive mindset that was an essential foundation of her healing.

“You can’t associate this disease with a wheelchair because that’s what you’re going to hear in the doctor’s office,” she says. “You have to associate it with people who are doing well.”

Find and follow Agota at BeatingMultipleSclerosis.com and on Instagram and YouTube at @BeatingMyMS.

The Steps That Helped

  • Diet changes – Agota adopted a healthier diet by eliminating gluten, refined sugars, and processed foods, focusing instead on more vegetables, fruits, and meats to reduce inflammation and manage her MS symptoms.
  • Mindset shift – She maintained a positive mindset focused on overcoming MS, which she believes was crucial in managing her condition and motivating her daily.
  • Stress management – Agota incorporated stress-reducing practices such as mindfulness and meditation into her routine, helping to calm her mind and reduce the overall stress burden on her body.
  • Regular exercise – She shifted from high-intensity workouts to more calming exercises like yoga.
  • Therapy – Agota worked through trauma and emotions related to her diagnosis, a miscarriage, and the passing of her father.