My Parkinson’s and how my diet is helping
Mon, November 23, 2020 In the summer of 2015, I began a diet to lose and maintain my weight. I did what I set out to do and wrote about it here. When I started, I did not know I would be diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease a year and a half later at the end of 2016. There is no known cure for Parkinson’s, however, I have seen improvements in my condition, especially this year. I attribute this to my maintaining this diet and continued exercise.
I pass this information on in the hope it will help and encourage others. My main symptom is a tremor in my right hand and arm, I can control this to a certain extent due to exercise and practice. Typing was difficult for a while causing me to double type letters and insert extra spaces. This has improved greatly.
I should mention I resisted taking medication for the first two years, because there are side effects, one being that after time it no longer works. When I did agree, I settled for Carbidopa-Levodopa which is a basic, inexpensive medication that has been around for eighty years or more. The prescription calls for three tablets a day, I take only two per day, along with two capsules of Macuna Perens, a natural non-prescription L-dopa supplement.
I still have most of my motor skills, I can write, sign my name, draw, and even thread a needle. My tremors are resting tremors that come on when I am relaxing and not paying attention. My Parkinson’s may slow me down a little, but it does not stop me doing what I need to do. I am fortunate that my condition has not caused me any gait or walking problems, but I do include walking and balance exercises in my workout regimen.
One of the things I have found essential is to weigh myself every day, I have a scale in my bedroom and weigh myself every morning the moment I get out of bed. I then log my daily weight along with the date. If I gain or lose weight on any given day, I can adjust my food intake and within a day or so, and I am right back on track.
For example, if I eat out at a restaurant it is easy to take in 1,300 calories (My whole day’s intake.) in one meal and I can find the next morning I have gained 3lb. or 4lbs. If I get right on it and exercise a little more or cut back my intake, I am back to my target weight. If I did not keep track by writing it down every day, within a week or ten days, I could quite easily gain back an extra ten or fifteen pounds.
It really has not been that difficult, it just required I change a few daily habits. When I started out, I had to research how many calories each food had, but now I know what to eat from experience. In July 2017 I stopped eating meat. I detest labeling myself as a Vegan or Vegetarian, and do not want to become one of those boring people who treat food intake like some kind of religion.
When I stopped eating meat, I stopped eating dairy also, but the non-dairy part only lasted about two weeks. I now drink A2 milk, which comes from a certain breed of cow, and does not have the same protein as the regular A1 milk, it is easier on the digestion. I love it and it is a big part of my daily food intake.
I continued to eat cheese, but just this year I switched to goat’s cheese. It is an acquired taste, and I can’t say I prefer it over the regular dairy cheese, but I do feel less bloated with the goat’s cheese. And this is what it is all about, finding what works for me.
It was brought to my attention that plants in the “Nightshade family,” may contain toxins and should be avoided. This group includes, tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, and even potatoes. There is no way I will stop eating potatoes; however, I have cut back on my intake and only eat potatoes or tomatoes no more than once a week.
For every article one reads online saying this Nightshade food group is bad, there is another that says this information is false, and these foods are safe. For me, an interesting affect from my cutting back on these foods, has been that my arthritis has improved. I had pain in both shoulders and could not raise my arms above my head. I also had severe pain in my left hip. Today I am pain free and have full motion.
I have stopped drinking soda and consume no High Fructose Corn Syrup. I will have the occasional beer, but not every day. On a typical day I start with coffee, black with no sugar. For breakfast a cup of cooked Balsamic white rice, with frozen blueberries or cherries added. Also, a tablespoon of local honey, which I have found helps with local pollen allergies. Alternatively, I may have two fried eggs with a slice of sourdough bread.
Quite often if I am not too active during the day, the rice may get me through until the evening meal, or I may manage with a glass of A2 milk and a handful of nuts. Or a slice of sourdough toast with almond butter and preserve. Almond butter I find is more nutritious than peanut butter, as the peanut is a bean rather than a nut. I eat bread sparingly, maybe two or three times a week, and because I eat so little I keep it in the freezer, then pop a slice in the toaster which thaws it out an toasts it at the same time.
About three times a week I will have a protein shake mid-day, consisting of 20 oz. of A2 milk, three raw eggs, a banana, or an avocado, and two scoops of Dr, Grey’s Super Food Shake for Men.
Evening meal will be fish, usually wild caught Cod or Salmon, with rice and a vegetable. Sometimes a shrimp and vegetable stir-fry, with rice. As mentioned occasionally a baked potato, or small red potatoes oven roasted with carrots, onion, broccoli. Sweet potato is not on the “Nightshade” list and I will often have one of those, baked instead of a regular baked potato. A green salad will often be included with the meal.
Most evenings, I will eat light with goat cheese and gluten-free crackers, and a large serving of fruit. Hommos (Or Humas.) will sometimes be a substitute for cheese. Eating this way is not at all costly, meat is expensive and by not buying it I can afford the best organic fruits and vegetables. I do not miss meat now I have become used to eating the way I do.
I stopped eating meat, not because I believe meat is bad in itself, but rather in the way it is produced. Animals and birds fed on Genetically Modified food and given hormones to make them grow faster. However, this is my reason, and my advice to anyone is, do your own research and find what works for you. I am not a qualified dietician, but I have laid out what is working for me, in the hope it may encourage others on their journey to better health.
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Reader Comments (3)
I am glad to hear that it is still going well for you Dave. My Father also used one of the very old meds and had good results.
Keeping up activity and muscle tone is important.
My Dad eventually ran into issues when he began having trouble swallowing. But then he was in his mid-90s.
Keep it up.
Happy Thanksgiving, Dave!
Dave — interesting to read about your diet. It's quite similar to my own (Yes I am tofu commando.) Like you, I don't like to label myself a Vegan or go on about it to other people.
I too have arthritis (In my hands) and I eat a lot of tomatoes and bell peppers so maybe I'll try cuting back on them and see if it helps like it did for you.
Glad to hear that your Parkinson's is under control.
P.S. I sold my bicycle last year (It was a Brompton folder) but I have an electric version coming in the post. Looking forward to it…