Food and pd

[AmmieM]

Has anyone noticed any positive changes in their condition from changing their food habits? I tried going organic for about four months and didn't notice any changes at all.

[BUZZ1397]

Yes. I have changed my eating in countless ways in search of improvement. Good for you on avoiding foods that have chemicals to see if it helped. Thanks for sharing that it did nothing. The food items we choose may be more important than a strict organic diet based on your experience. What kinds of foods have you found helpful on your quest for dietary changes? My biggest helpful changes has been increasing fruit, except watermelon that for some reason increases my tremor, cutting out caffeine, eating only fresh meats in small portions and eating more beans and rice dishes.

[AmmieM in reply to BUZZ1397]

Although it's early days yet, I think cutting out dairy, increasing my fruits and vegetables seem to be helping. I do drink one cup of coffee a day and haven't noticed any effects either positive or negative. I do try to stick to gluten-free products

[annmariebaird]

Be very cautious about eating animal based protein with your meds. They can block the meds from getting to the brain. Research research research!

[ruff1]

Reducing gluten has definately helped my husband , ( diagnosed fir 10 years) as long as he times food with medication , (doesn't eat protein too close to his tablets). The thing that helps the most is exercise , golf, walking , table tennis etc. Eating fresh foods and as little processed as possible- without taking the enjoyment out of food !!!

[jeanette2372]

My husband follows the basic protocol from the book "Stop Alzheimer's Now!" by Bruce Fife. He eats at least 75g coconut oil per day (spread throughout the day), and restricts his net carbohydrates to 100g per day. If anyone wants to know exactly what he eats, please ask. I just don't want to bore everyone with the details unless someone wants to know. He believes it makes a huge difference to how he feels, and he has no constipation any more, which is a huge help. I realise that everyone reacts differently, but it's interesting to share and try new ideas.

[klmdoc in reply to jeanette2372]

I would LOVE to know1! Thanks!

[AmmieM in reply to jeanette2372]

I would love to know also jeanette2372

[klmdoc]

Absolutely and well-documented: protein of any kind will diminish levodopa metabolism altogether. I eat a high protein meal as near the end of the day and as far away from a C/L dose as possible for this reason. In fact, I try to take my PD "cocktail" on an empty stomach one hour BEFORE I eat. Hope this helps.

[klmdoc]

P.S. Forgot an important note: I feel more gastric "comfort" on a gluten-free diet. It's not as bad as you might think.

[jeanette2372]

This is Don's everyday diet, recipes are shown below as indicated. Sorry this is such a long post. We have developed this diet over the past year based on the book "Stop Alzheimer's Now" by Bruce Fife. We have also done a lot of general reading about gut health.

Breakfast:

1/2 cup muesli (recipe below, contains coconut oil)

1 tablespoon LSA ( it's a product made from ground linseed, sunflower seeds, almonds)

Milk

1/4 banana, sliced

1 tablespoon berry sauce (recipe below)

1 teaspoon normal supermarket thickened cream

2 tablespoons dessicated coconut (we buy this from a health food store so it has no preservatives)

1 slice low carb bread

2 teaspoons home-made coconut butter (recipe below), spread on bread

1 teaspoon marmalade

1 teaspoon cream

1 cup caro (non-caffeine coffee substitute) with cinnamon and milk (we believe cinnamon possibly has some positive effects for PD)

Lunch:

Main:

1 1/2 cups minestrone soup (recipe below, note that turmeric is an ingredient, I try to use turmeric where I can as we believe it also has some positive effects for PD)

1 slice Helga's Low Carb bread fried in

1 tablespoon coconut oil (fried bread is very yummy! :-))

Dessert:

1/2 cup muesli

1 tablespoon LSA

Milk

4 tablespoons plain yogurt (we make it ourselves with "easiyo" yogurt mix)

1 tablespoon berry sauce

1/4 banana, sliced

2 tablespoons dessicated coconut

After Lunch Treat:

1 to 2 squares Cadburys 70% cocoa chocolate

Afternoon tea:

1 choc wheat biscuit (just an ordinary supermarket biscuit, a wheat biscuit coated on one side with chocolate - Don likes chocolate! :-))

Tea:

Main :

Small serve of whatever is cooked, including vegetables. (There is a saying: eat like a king at breakfast, like a prince at lunchtime, and like a pauper at teatime. It is supposed to be better for your gut health.) Vegetables always have butter or coconut oil with them. (Apparently the nutrients in vegetables are significantly more available if eaten with fat.) Meals are always cooked using coconut butter.

Dessert:

1/2 orange

Small serve of any in-season fruit

2 tablespoons dessicated coconut

4 tablespoons plain yogurt

2 tablespoons mixed nuts/seeds (types shown below)

2 tablespoons berry sauce (recipe below)

1 1/2 tablespoons dessicated coconut as a topper

Drinks:

Water

Caro (non-caffeine coffee substitute) with cinnamon and milk

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Muesli

Makes about 4 litres :

4 cups rolled oats

2 cups desiccated coconut

1 cup almonds

1 cup walnuts

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup pepitas

200g melted coconut oil

Mix till combined.

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Coconut Butter

1 litre coconut oil, melted

1 tablespoon liquid lecithin

Mix to combine, then I pour into lidded containers. The coconut butter will set solid again, and can be used in cooking, and instead of butter/margarine. We live in a temperate climate, so we just leave it at room temperature on the kitchen counter.

I use Fearn's liquid lecithin, but I'm sure any brand would be fine. The liquid lecithin is an emulsifier, and it makes the coconut oil more like a spreadable butter once the mixture solidifies. I also believe it adds extra brain nutrition. The mixture is also more non-stick than coconut oil by itself.

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Berry Sauce

In medium saucepan, combine:

500g frozen mixed berries

1/2 cup water

Cover, and heat at low heat till simmering (around 35 minutes on my stove)

Puree, and store in glass bottles in the fridge. Seems to last about a fortnight.

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Minestrone Soup (makes about 4 litres - 12 serves of 1 1/2 cups each))

In large pot :

1. Combine at low heat:

60g coconut butter

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons garlic granules

2 teaspoons turmeric

any other herbs or spices you like

Pepper to taste (I use 20 shakes)

2. Increase heat to medium/high, then stir fry for about 6 minutes:

200g chopped bacon

1 onion, chopped

leeks, shallots, red onions if you have them

120g chopped celery

120g chopped carrot

3. Add, stir and bring to boil, then cover and simmer for about 50 minutes:

8 cups water

1 tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 jar any pasta sauce

1 tin diced tomatoes

8 blocks frozen spinach

1 tablespoon parsley if you have it

2 chopped zucchini

50g any pasta

4. Can be stored in fridge for about 5 days, or can be frozen. I don't use home made stock because I don't have time to make it. I don't use commercial stock because it usually has very high levels of glutamates which we believe have a negative effect on PD. We believe the vegetables in the soup are really good prebiotics for improving gut health.

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Mixed Nuts

Any mixture of these nuts and seeds:

Almonds

Walnuts

Cashews

Macadamias

Brazil

Sunflower seeds

Pepitas

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[AmmieM]

Thank you so much for taking the time to post all of this. I've been using hemp oil instead of coconut oil for the past couple of months and it's hard to say which one is better.

[jeanette2372]

I forgot to mention that we use "Maharajah's Choice" coconut oil which we buy from Indian grocery stores. It is deoderised, so has no taste, and it is relatively cheap. Apparently, the bleached, deoderised coconut oil works just as well as the virgin coconut oil - it's just a matter of personal preference.

[laglag]

Thanks!

[JackieBurnham]

Is coconut oil the same as you get in hardened blocks of coconut and coconut milk (hatd cream on the top)?