Page 16 - 2020 Summer CMTA Report

Q ASK AN EXPERT
A

Sara Kevern, RD, CNSC responds to questions about nutrition.
What is the best diet for important starting point. This for you. Simple carbohydrates like
someone with CMT? I’ve means cooking from scratch, eat- sugar, candy, syrups/honey and
read about the Wahls pro- ing five to seven servings of fruits refined grains can leave you feeling
tocol, the paleo diet and or vegetables per day and incorpo- more tired. Ever hear the term
keto, just to mention a few. rating foods like avocados, olives, “sugar crash?” That term comes
I’m so confused! nuts and cold-water fish into your from the tired feeling you get after
diet while limiting processed car- eating an excess of simple carbohy-
No diet has been proven to show
improvement in CMT symptoms bohydrates and sugar. Protein is drates. These foods digest too
or disease process. Everyone has necessary but shouldn’t be con- quickly and cause a spike in your
unique dietary needs for energy sumed excessively, as this can lead blood sugar. You may feel energized
levels and weight maintenance. to weight gain. Choosing a variety at first, but once your body burns
Sara Kevern is a The best diet to manage CMT of protein sources such as cold- off that sugar you’re likely to feel
registered dietitian symptoms is one that is nutrition- water fish, poultry, grass-fed red more tired. Focusing on food
and nutrition sup- meats and beans is important sources of complex carbohydrates
port specialist at ally balanced to give muscles all the to get a variety of nutrients. such as beans, legumes, fibrous
Stanford Health necessary macro- and micro-nutri- If you are incorporating these fruits, whole grains, starchy vegeta-
Care and Stanford ents to optimize their function.
Children’s Health. Weight maintenance is also impor- basic diet guidelines but still feel bles and dairy is a better way to get
tant in order to maximize the unhappy with your current energy your carbohydrates without a sugar
ability to move pain-free and with levels or mobility, it may be worth crash. Aiming for foods with less
as little fatigue as possible. meeting with a neuromuscular than 5g sugar per serving and more
Everyone is different and registered dietitian to help develop than 5g fiber per serving is best.
CMT affects people in very differ- a more customized nutrition plan. In addition to complex carbo-
ent ways. For some people, a Are there any foods or hydrates, micronutrients play an
ketogenic diet may be beneficial nutritional supplements important role in providing your
for weight loss but may be too to help treat my chronic body with usable energy from
deficient in carbohydrates, leaving CMT-related fatigue? food. Micronutrients are vitamins,
them fatigued. Wahls protocol is a minerals and antioxidants. B vita-
modified paleo diet, which may Constant fatigue is almost mins are the most important
have benefits for some, but again inevitable with CMT, but opti- players in the energy production
may be too low in carbohydrates mizing nutrition can help game and they are very easy to get
for others. minimize it. Food provides energy from food. The top food sources
While one size does not fit all, for all cells in the body, and the of B vitamins are leafy greens,
a diet low in processed foods, low types and amounts of certain salmon, eggs (with yolk), shellfish,
in sugar and high in fruits, vegeta- foods can influence the way your poultry, beef, fortified whole
bles and healthy fats is a very body uses that energy. grains and sunflower seeds.
With CMT it is important to There are no specific supple-
eat enough carbohydrates for your ments to take for fatigue. Focusing
muscles to have a steady fuel on a varied diet with adequate car-
source, but too many simple carbo- bohydrates and a wide variety of
hydrates can result in feeling more fruits and vegetables will likely
tired. Generally speaking, about 50 meet all of your micronutrient
percent of your calories should needs. If you feel like you’re not
come from complex carbohydrates meeting all of your vitamin and
and the rest from protein and fat. mineral requirements, a daily mul-
However, this varies from person to tivitamin provides the best bang
person and you may need to exper- for the buck and will provide all
iment with your own diet to find the vitamins and minerals you
the best amount of carbohydrates need without excess. h

16 THE CMTA REPORT SUMMER 2020