Selen Dar

Muscle-Building Workout and Diet

Translator: Armando Vázquez
Reviewer: Rhonda Jacobs So, I love doing Taekwondo
for which there is no cure. In 2000, when I was diagnosed
with multiple sclerosis, I turned to the best MS center
I could find, the Cleveland Clinic. I saw the very best doctors,
received the best care possible, taking the latest, newest drugs. Still by 2003, my disease had transitioned
to secondary progressive MS. I took the recommended chemotherapy. I got the tilt-recline wheelchair. I had one with a motor,
I could drive around. I took Tysabri, and then CellCept, but continued to become
more severely disabled. My disease had transitioned. I was afraid that I was
going to become bedridden. I turned to reading the latest research
using I knew that brains afflicted with MS,
over time, shrank. I therefore went to, every night,
reading the latest medical research about the diseases in which brains shrink. These diseases were Huntington’s,
Parkison’s and Alzheimer’s. I saw that in all three conditions,
the mitochondria do not work well, leading to shrinking brains. With more searching, I found studies in which mouse brains
and their mitochondria had been protected using fish oil, creatine and co-enzyme Q. I translated those mouse-sized doses
into human-sized ones and began my first round
of self-experimentation. The rapidity of my decline slowed
and I was very grateful. But I was still declining. Next, I discovered
the Institute for Functional Medicine, and through their continuing
medical education course, Neuroprotection: A Functional Medicine Approach to Common
and Uncommon Neurological Syndromes, I learned more brain cell biology
and what I could do to protect mine. This is some of what I learned: We have a billion cells in our brains,
with ten trillion connections. All of that connective wiring must be
insulated with something called myelin. And multiple sclerosis damages myelin. In order to make healthy robust myelin,
your brain needs a lot of B vitamins. In particular, vitamin B1,
which is thiamine, B9, which is folate, B12, which is cobalamin. It also needs omega-3
fatty acids and iodine. This is a synapse. Those beautiful golden drops
which is pyridoxine. These are mitochondria. They are so beautiful. And they are so critical to your lives because it is the tiny mitochondria
in each of our cells that will manage
the energy supply for that cell. Without your mitochondria, you would be no larger than bacteria. In medical school, I had to memorize countless reactions
involving my mitochondria, but I never learned which compounds
my cells could manufacture and which I needed to consume in order
for those reactions to happen properly. I now know that I need
a lot of B vitamins, sulfur and antioxidants
for my mitochondria to thrive. And so, I added B vitamins, sulfur
and antioxidants to my daily regimen. And then it occurred to me that I should get my long list
of nutrients from food, that if I did that, I would probably get hundreds,
maybe thousands of other compounds that science had yet to name and identify but would be helpful to my brain
and my mitochondria. But, I didn’t know where
they were in the food supply and neither did the medical texts, nor the food science texts
with whom I consulted. But, the internet did. And so – (Laughter) That’s really very helpful. So using it, I was able to design a food plan specifically for my brain
and my mitochondria. And now, before I tell you
what that food plan is, we’re going to check in
to see what Americans are eating. I’m going to start with you guys. So, I want you to think back
to the last 24 hours, add up all the fruits and vegetables
that you’ve eaten. Don’t include potatoes or corn,
because those are starches. Now, if you could cover a dinner plate
heaped high, raise your hand. Come on, don’t be shy, raise your hands. Okay, now if you could cover
two dinner plates, keep your hands up. Anyone have eaten three dinner plates? Look around, see how few hands are up. Okay? Now, we’re going to
check with another family. This is from Hungry Planet,
by Peter Wenzel, it shows what this American family
will eat in the coming week. Look closely and you are going to see
a lot of processed foods in boxes, jars, and other containers. This is how most Americans eat, and this is how most societies eat
as they become more affluent. And it’s likely why as societies
become more affluent, their health declines. This slide is from work done
by professor Loren Cordain. He is showing the percent of Americans whose daily intake is below
the Recommended Daily Allowance for a variety of important nutrients. On the bottom half of the slide are the – you’ll see that less than half of us take in enough B vitamins,
vitamin C and vitamin A. Now if you look
at the top half of the slide, you’ll see that two thirds of us
do not take in enough calcium, magnesium, zinc or iodine, and that 80 percent do not take in
enough omega-3 fats. We, you, are all starving your cells. We are alive because
of complicated chemical reactions. If you’re not providing
the building blocks, that is the vitamins,
minerals, essential fats, those reactions cannot happen properly, leading to the wrong
structures being made, or structures simply
not being made at all. You set the stage for chronic disease. This is why our children are born
with jaws that are too small leading to crooked teeth
and smaller brains. This is why your blood pressure’s – your blood vessels
become stiff as you age. This is why one in three
American children, or one in two, if you’re
African American or Hispanic, will become diabetic and obese
as children or young adults. This is why if you go to our schools, every year we have more and more
children with severe learning problems and severe behavior problems. But, it does not have to be this way. For two and a half million years, humans
ate what we could gather and hunt. They’re called foragers,
also known as hunter-gatherers. That hunter-gatherer diet,
that Paleo diet, consists of leaves, roots,
berries, meat and fish. It’s locally obtained, fresh,
in season, and of course, organic. The Inuits in the far north
ate very differently than the Africans on the savanna. And yet, when scientists have analyzed
these hunter-gatherer diets, they exceed the recommended
daily allowance two to ten fold, depending on the nutrient. These ancient peoples know more about eating
for optimal health and vitality than we physicians and we scientists. The hunter-gatherer diet
has more nutrition than the American Heart Association diet, more nutrition than
the American Diabetes Association diet, and more nutrition
than the USDA food pyramid diet. I therefore started
with a hunter-gatherer diet, I used those concepts, but I structured it to be sure
I was getting the nutrition, the vitamins, minerals, nutrients that I identified as critical
to my brain cells and my mitochondria. That diet is this:
three cups of green leaves, three cups of sulfur-rich vegetables, three cups of bright color, grass-fed meat, organ meat and seaweed. Three cups is a dinner plate heaped high. I start with greens
because they are rich in B vitamins, vitamins A, C, K and minerals. And those are two types of kale. Kale has the most nutrition
per calorie of any plant. The B vitamins will protect
your brain cells and your mitochondria. Vitamins A and C support
your immune cells. Vitamin K keeps your blood vessels
and bones healthy. And minerals are co-factors for hundreds
of different enzymes in your bodies. Plus, having a plateful of daily greens will dramatically lower your risk
of cataracts and macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in the U.S. So, have more kale, more parsley,
more cooked greens. Have more smoothies and greens. Have dehydrater kale chips, which are so delicious – my teenage
daughter and her friends love them. I want you to have three cups, a plateful of sulfur-rich
vegetables every day. Your brain and your
mitochondria need sulfur. Your liver and kidney need sulfur so they can remove toxins
from your bloodstream. The cabbage family is rich in sulfur. That includes cabbage, broccoli,
cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnips, rutabagas,
radishes, collards and kale. The onion family’s also rich in sulfur. Onions, garlic, leeks, chives, shallots,
and so are mushrooms and asparagus. I also want you to have
a plate, three cups, preferably three different colors,
every single day. Colors are flavonoids and polyphenols. These are potent antioxidants
that will support your retina, your mitochondria, your brain cells, and the removal of toxins. You can get your colors from vegetables like beets, carrots,
peppers, red cabbage… or you can get them from berries and brightly colored fruits
like peaches and oranges. I want you to have high-quality protein
that’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are very important
to insulate that wiring in your brain. It’s also critical
for the development of your jaws so you can have straight teeth
and a larger brain. Therefore, have wild fish,
in particular salmon and herring. Also have grass-fed meat every day. Our ancient societies
all valued organ meats. And organ meats are concentrated sources
of vitamins, minerals and co-enzyme Q. They are particularly potent
at supporting your mitochondria. Therefore, have organ meats
like liver and onion, heart, tongue, gizzards, sweetbreads once a week. The ancients would travel great distances
or trade to ensure access to seaweed. Seaweed is a rich source
of iodine and selenium. Your brain needs iodine
to make myelin, the insulation for the wiring. It also needs iodine to remove toxins, in particular, mercury,
lead and heavy metals. And adequate iodine lowers your risk
of breast cancer and prostate cancer. Studies have shown that 80 percent
of Americans have a relatively low iodine. Therefore, have seaweed
at least once a week to ensure and maintain
adequate iodine levels. Most Americans can’t imagine
eating nine cups, three platefuls of vegetables
and berries every day, but, if you’ll commit to having nine cups
of these incredibly healthy, wonderful-for-you
vegetables and berries every day, before you have grain, potatoes, dairy, you will have dramatically increased the vitamin and mineral
content of your diet. Plus, you will have dramatically
lowered the risk of food allergies. Food allergies and food sensitivities
are far more common than we realize. They’re difficult to diagnose,
and in particular, sensitivity to gluten,
the protein in wheat, rye and barley, and to dairy,
the casein protein in dairy, is associated with a wide variety
of health problems, including, but not limited to: eczema, asthma, allergies,
infertility, irritable bowel, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue,
arthritis, chronic headache, neurological problems
and behavior problems. Yes, it will cost more to eat
these beautiful vegetables and berries, but I assure you,
you are going to pay the price. You will pay the price now for food
that restores your health and vitality, or you pay the price for doctor’s visits, prescription drugs, surgeries,
missed time from work, early retirement and nursing home care. The choice is yours. Okay. Seven years – I get the best care, the latest, newest drugs. I continue to get more disabled. By November of 2007, I could not sit in a chair
like you are now. I had be reclined
in a zero-gravity chair like this, at home or at work, or in bed. I could walk short distances
using two canes. I was losing my keys, my phones. I was having nightmares
that my chief of staff had pulled my clinical privileges. That is when I designed a diet specifically for my brain cells
and my mitochondria. That’s when I began – I became a modern-day hunter-gatherer. Three months later I could walk
between exam rooms using one cane. The month after that I could walk
throughout the hospital without a cane. At five months I got on my bike
for the first time in a decade, and I pedaled around the block. Nine months into my new way of eating,
I pedaled 18 miles. The following year I did a trail ride
in the Canadian Rockies. I am the canary in the coal mine, here as a warning to all of you. We have a choice: We can continue to eat
that delicious, convenient, tasty, processed food, and watch ourselves and our children grow steadily more overweight,
depressed and diabetic; [and] … we can continue to watch
health care costs balloon out of control, bankrupting us individually
and collectively as a country; or … we can eat for our mitochondria, eating vegetables and berries, grass-fed meat, organ meat and seaweed, and have more vitality. We all have a choice. I choose to teach the public about the healing power of food
and to conduct clinical trials. We are testing my interventions
and others with secondary progressive MS. We’ll present our research on Sunday
at the 2011 Neuroscience Conference. The results are breathtaking. We all have a choice. I challenge you to become
modern-day hunter-gatherers, and eat for your mitochondria, become ambassadors for your mitochondria. For if I can rise up from
a tilt-recline wheelchair doing this, imagine what eating
for your mitochondria can do for you, your family, your country,
your community, your world. We have a choice. What will yours be? Thank you. (Applause)

100 thoughts on “Minding your mitochondria | Dr. Terry Wahls | TEDxIowaCity

  1. Wow. That’s amazing if it all true. I say that because I thought MS usually comes on very, very slowly and get she seemed to have an extremely fast and aggressive type and then she snaps right back out of it. I do believe her. It’s just that it’s unbelievable. If I had MS I would definitely be trying this. My family and I need to start eating better as it is. I think we might be worse than that family pictured with the processed foods and pizza.

  2. pharmaceuticals, and corporate America, obviously control and support TEDtalk. I am glad this video is still available, but putting warnings about eating healthy, vs being a consumer of scientific experimenting(GMO, pesticides, additives and preservatives). Eat local, eat healthy, eat smart. peace and love. shed thy ego lose your consumerism.

  3. Feeling quite angry about all this health stuff and the way people’s lives are being sacrificed in the name of medicine. WAKE UP PEOPLE. This woman knows more than your oncologist!!! Or your specialist in MS.

  4. How important are meat and fish in this diet? What if we replace them with vegan sources , e.g., beans and legumes for protein and chia seeds for omega 3?

  5. Right at the end you asked me to imagine what it can do for me. I don't have the necessary data to draw that conclusion because you didn't present it. You should know that given your position.

  6. There's plenty of protein in legumes and other plant foods and no need to harm other sentient creatures to live. But supplementation with EPA/DHA is wise in place of the fish. As for both fish and animal meats, Dr. Greger ( says the studies show they contribute to atherosclerosis. I would say that "hunter/gatherers" probably ate a primarily plant based diet with little animal/insect foods because these kinds of foods were much more difficult to procure. I don't believe the archaeological evidence supports wide spread meat eating in our very distant ancestors.

  7. She lost me when she said kids were born with smaller jaws because of nutrients. Jaws are normal at birth. They do not get big enough for all of out teeth because our diets are too soft. Kids need to chew on tough foods, like our ancestors did, (look it up, there was an anthropological study). This food does not fit that bill.

  8. I can't believe that a video about a well respected doctor, curing herself of MS by eating a bunch of natural, wholesome food, would need such a disclaimer and that viewer discretion is advised!

  9. The disclaimer by Ted talk is highly distasteful and only confirm his embarrassing commitment to pharma.

  10. It's time for TedX to get rid of the "disclaimer" it's annoying and OUT OF DATE!!! Disappointed in TedX

  11. Congratulations to Terry for receiving the Institute for Functional Medicine's 2018 Linus Pauling Award! And over $1 million in research funding from the National MS Society, as well as numerous other grants and accolades. Isn't it time for TED to remove the "warning label" from this talk. Other TED talks, notably many by males, that address the nutrition/health link do carry the coveted nanny overlay.

  12. I'm surprised TED only attached a disclaimer and didn't censor the video altogether. If you've never Googled "banned TED talks," have a look and your views of TED may change. Banned TED talks are the new TED talks.

  13. 😉 Am from Poland . I started used it 3 yare ego. SICE THEN AM WOKE UP EVERY DAY AT 7 -8 AM. I dont have a brain fog. ms since 1999 MRI is full of dot s .

  14. She is proof that a Human is first and foremost a Creator. *And he heads out the door for his daily-run in the sunshine…

  15. for y'all that wanna stick it to TED: the talk by Rupert Sheldrake (just search, "Sheldrake banned talk"), is excellent too 🙂

  16. This is such a great talk. I love Dr. Terry Wahls! Her research, along with that of Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, has changed my life. I have yet to reach full remission, but I went from being in a rapidly declining state of excruciating chronic pain that was taking away my ability to walk to being able to power walk, hike, bike ride, go to the gym, and preform many other actives that used to be out of the question. Most of us think of our 20's as being the peak of our health, but the peak of my illness hit during my early 20's, and I had emotional breakdowns everyday thinking that I was going to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. Now it feels like I'm aging in reverse. I feel younger, healthier, and more alive with every passing day.

    Whether you are looking to cure/prevent chronic illness or just optimize your body's functioning so that you have the energy to live your life to the fullest, I highly recommend looking into their research. It also takes an open mind and a willingness to let go of previously held beliefs surrounding food. Before the autoimmune protocol, I was eating what most of us would consider to be an extremely healthy diet, but that was clearly not the case. It turned out that most of what I thought I knew about healthy eating was wrong. Dietary ideologies can be dangerous. I decided to experiment, and let my body be the one to tell me what I should and should not eat.

  17. Why don't we get rid of junk and fast food, and lower healthy food prices and the money that went to junk and fast food should go to the farmers and help produce more vegetables, fruits, meats, & fish. We should become more primitive, because living in cities or luxury is boring and not worth it.

  18. Mitochondrion is very important, great talk. It also produces redox signaling molecules which is very important for cellular health.

  19. The thing is I don't eat 3 plates of food a day, let alone of fruits and vegetables. I eat 1-2 plates of food a day, and seem to be healthy. This could be the fact that I skip breakfast and almost always have a very small lunch, but I don't have time to eat a full 3 meals. So the way you make it seem, I'm just gonna wither away in a few years. Oh well

  20. I was diagnosed with MS in 2010. I'm now 31 married with 3 kids. A 3yr old, 4yr old and 11yr old. I put a video up last year asking for help to see if there was something more than the medical treatment I'm being given. I want to ask you Dr. Wahls for the specifics on your diet. Like day-to-day foods and or meals. I've come to the point I will eat the same thing over and over again if it will help me. PLEASE and God bless. 🙏

  21. I always hear people saying that a healthy plant based diet costs more, but mine was much less without meat and junk food in the cart. It was really cheap in spring as I would wild forage miners lettuce, chickweed, dandelion, etc. and the store cost was under $40 per month where normally it would have been $20 per day.
    I definitely felt better.

  22. Poor people cannot afford good healthy foods nor do they have time to cook healthy meals because they work from sun up to way after dark. Need to add that into your studies. Smh

  23. Why is everyone so TRIGGERED by the warning? It is valid. Her diet is a great idea but viewers must understand it isn't a magical cure, as some neuronal diseases/disorders do have approved medications that help. The diet alone isn't enough but it is is very, very helpful. Dr. Wahls is inspired.

  24. I am a 31 year survivor with a myeloproliferative neoplasm (both PV and MF), polymyalgia, and newly developed adrenal insufficiency. I have been very conscientious about my diet, and for many years have been taking most of what Dr Wahl is recommending. My problem is, that I am stuck on prednisone because as soon as I get the CRP down and reduce the prednisone dose, the polymyalgia recurrs. Several specialists have just completed a thorough series of tests to rule out a carcenoid tumour, all the organs look great, so now it is a matter of how to get off the prednisone. I have been reading the research papers, and came across a supplement called PQQ, which has been shown in small scale studies to reduce inflammation and positively affect the mitochondria. I am hoping this will be the key to getting off the prednisone. It has saved my life, but now it is in the process of killing me.
    I am grateful that this talk was recommended to me, and I want to say that I wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for the internet and my ability to do my own research. It was at my insistence that I started on interferon in 2000, which negated the need for a bone marrow transplant. We really do have to be our own advocates when it comes to diseases that don't fit inside the cookie cutter.
    Science is great, but double blind studies still don't cover all the parameters that determine a drug's effectiveness.
    From a grateful 75 year old survivor.

  25. Hi Dr. Wahls, thanks you SO much for sharing this info!! I'm thankful to my seminar speaker for recommending we watch it. BEST information EVER!

  26. I love this video! Absolutely incredible how hard the good people try to help the suffering and mostly in denial society and yet she is the one who gets the a disclaimer. Incredible.

  27. I love veggies. Prefer them raw – but 9 cups a day?? Ya, as I have recently been diagnosed with MS I am going to try this, but DAYUM. How did these hunter/gatherers ever find the time to frigging HUNT? Between farming and eating all day, there'd be no time for anything else. LOL

  28. Eat less Eat the Best……thank you for sharing your story….and I can see how wonderfully you overcame all obsticles and can imagine your children ….. an example for many others.

  29. i wonder just how much meat and organ meats a hunter/gatherer would actually eat. probably not every day. and i also wonder what she does about all the TMAO that is being produced by her liver and the damage to her endothelium. she has cured her MS but might die from cardiovascular disease.

  30. Bravo! Time has come to teach the power of real food in kindergarten and up. Follow De David Brownstein on why you need Iodine and Dr Stephanie Seneff on the dangers of glyphosate in your food, and the benefits of Organic sulphur.MSM.

  31. People here might be aware that Mitochondrial disorder is potentially associated with vaccine injury and autism/ neurological damage. Look up the case of Hannah Poling and Dr Zimmerman’s assessment.

  32. Plants – yes.
    Animal flesh, organ meat – no :Why ? ☆ Health :👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 toxins, hormons, antibiotics, stressed animals with high stress hormons ☆ Health/ Life : of 🐮🐂🐄🐖🐑🐐🐇🐓🦆 ☆ Planet & future generations
    Meatless powerful BEANS LENTILS

  33. I was recently diagnosed with MS, i asked my drs about what i can do to be healthier, and i am Shocked that they never mentioned changing my diet. I see it all over online, but the dr never suggested that a food change could help. Im going to try this right away!

  34. This is so amazing. If anyone would like information about supplements that target what she is desrcribing and are bioavailable (ready for your body to actually absorb they way your supposed to) contact me!. 💛💛 and they target gut health specifically.

  35. Omigod you can get this without a prescription and the side effects are not listed. It has be suspect! 🙂  🙂  🙂

  36. This is comical. A professional physician has to come on stage and show the world that she's got the best of her MS by just eating sensibly. I'm surprised she didn't directly slam the medical system as so many other doctors have – I guess it was implied.

    The statement "You are what you eat" is as literal as it can possibly get, and hordes of people still don't seem to either get it, or care. What you eat, turns into you, and so you better make sure what you're turning yourself into is the kind of stuff you wanna be!

    Hats off to this lady, good for her!

  37. This is the perfect advice if we were not contaminating our oceans with our waste and pollution while also spraying chemicals/pesticides on our crops and real medicines which is our food. We have made our Planet increasingly toxic. God Bless us all that we start applying our reason & intellect on placing 1st thing 1st.

  38. I may have missed it, but I didn't hear Dr. Wahls claim to cure MS. What I heard is through diet, Dr Wahls reversed MS symptoms, she also credited others including Institute Functional Biology. Oh, yes she earns her living practicing what she preaches & royalites from book(s?). I think Dr. Wahls advice is the most logical (cause & effect) medical advice I've ever heard – 87.5+ years old.

  39. I'm curious about her mention of omega 3 fatty acids and a wider jaw and straighter teeth; does she mean that the jaw can expand even after your body is growing or is she referring to when a child is growing inside the mother?

  40. Как посмотреть и послушать на русском или украинском языке? Есть возможность?

  41. I have a close friend who developed MS 6 years ago. They told her was very aggressive and she would be in a wheelchair within 6 months. 6 years later she is still out of the wheelchair due to Dr Wahls Protocol!

Leave a Reply
