DIET’s the way

Along with nutritionist Vrishali Patil-Nair and physiotherapist Priyanka Mhalgi,both based in India,she began working on the booklet in July this year. The biggest challenge,she says,was finding out viable diet substitutes for the American counterparts in India. They had to be cost effective as well as easily available in India. Also electrotherapy is a different treatment technique not common in India. “Priyanka worked on the research involved with the exercises for patients who could benefit from it,” adds Neha.

Neha,an engineering graduate from the University of Washington,says that the name of the book will be along the lines ‘Diet that will eat up your MS’. Speaking from her own personal experience she says that her mother who tried the technique for around one and a half months recently has begun to find a firm grip in her hands. “MS patients also suffer a lot from the problem of constipation. That,in my mother’s case,is completely gone,” she adds. The booklet will be in three parts,an introduction to the ailment and its symptoms,the diet and the physiotherapy component.

The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Pune will distribute the booklet free of cost to MS patients. Neha also hopes to tie up with sponsors or media houses where the booklets will be available free of cost to them. “MS patients live a very difficult life. If this little booklet helps them in any way to alleviate the problem,then we would be glad to have brought a smile to their faces,” she says.

Also on October 7,Neha’s father,Sekhar,will be delivering a talk at the headquarters of the Pune offices of the MS Society on the topic of the illness and the book.