Tuesday, July 11, 2017

What if...."Gluten intolerance" is really "Glyphosate poisoning"? Parkinson's and Glyphosate... Is their a connection?

Parkinson's and "Glyphosate" .... is it making us sick?

I've only recently started using Facebook and already ... I see the many benefits.

My sister-in law posted a link on my page regarding "gluten intolerance and glyphosate poisoning...Is there a connection?
It's made me aware of how staying connected and up to date on recent research may be helpful to many more than just the "Parkinson's Community" and how this information needs to be shared with everyone!
So...Thank you, sister in-law.   (:



What if..."gluten intolerance" is really "glyphosate poisoning"? Parkinson's and Glyphosate... Is there a connection?


In a previous post Is Gluten really the problem? I touched on why GMO foods may be at the root of the "Gluten Intolerance Epidemic"
You may want to take a look at this again.... the connection is getting closer to what the real problem may be!


https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/parkinsons-disease-and-pesticides-whats-the-connection/



Keeping the faith,
Laurel











Monday, July 10, 2017

Facebook- Finally gave in and starting to use Facebook........

Okay... I know I will sound old fashioned... but I just never got Facebook.

Why would anyone want to post all and everything about themselves for the world to judge???

I certainly couldn't understand it....and thus refused to use it!

But... lately....slowly, very slowly I am beginning to see value in it!

So... here I go... excuse the mistakes... as I learn how to navigate my way in this new world that is ever changing!

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

What you may want to know about Parkinson's and the Food you eat - Fluctuation of Symptoms, may be a result of the Food you eat blocking absorption and lessening the effectiveness of Dopamine Medications and/or Herbs

Have you struggled with fluctuation or on/off symptoms with your Parkinson's Disease?

Ever wondered why one day your symptoms are well controlled and other days you struggle to keep them at bay?

I have been dealing with on/off or fluctuation in symptoms for years now... and the one thing that always seems to play a key role in these fluctuations is "Food".

I know this because... when I don't eat anything early in the day and go without food until late afternoon or evening... my symptoms are almost non existent on those days.

The next day... I will eat earlier in the day... it could be a smoothie or it could be pancakes, or eggs or vegetables or a combination of a variety of foods. Or just fruit.

I take the same amount of my Dopamine that I always take ...no change to the dosage...but my symptoms are not controlled. The only change is that I ate food.

For me, it seems that as soon as I introduce "food" into my system, my body has a hard time using the Dopamine Supplement effectively enough to keep my Parkinson's symptoms at bay.

Symptoms that were non existent the day before ... because of not eating anything...and well controlled by the Dopamine that I take... can now be out of control... tremors, muscle tightness and fatigue...causing Anxiety, Extreme frustration and tiredness.




I know that it is common knowledge that "Protein" is known to interfere with the absorption of Dopamine, in some patients...it is well documented. They suggest waiting a period of time between eating Protein type foods and taking your Dopamine Medication or Herb.

Again for me... it seems that it's not only Protein that affects or interferes with the absorption of the Dopamine to effectively control my symptoms... also Carbohydrates, Fats and Sugar seem to play a key role in symptom control or relief... Not only do I notice fluctuations with these foods. I also notice that the type of "Protein" ie: Fish, Shrimp, Beef, Chicken, Pork as well as Plant sources of Protein have a different affect on the effectiveness of the Dopamine that I take.

I have been writing about how food has a huge effect on me for years... I have done searches on the Internet and have relayed information to the Doctors that I have seen for my Parkinson's and never gotten a satisfactory answer as to what I should eat or why it plays such an important role in keeping symptoms at bay or making them worse.

Being the persistent person that I am ... trying to help myself live my best life possible...living with Parkinson's... I have continued to search for an answer to the Food - Parkinson's -Dopamine connection.

This past year has brought me closer to finding an answer to the Food -Parkinson's -Dopamine connection.

I came across a post that was written by a Registered Dietitian, Kathryn Holden...
In this post a woman with Parkinson's asks her about "the correlation of different foods with Protein and how they can interfere with Dopamine effectiveness in Parkinson's patients. 

Reading this blog post gives a clearer picture of how and why different foods affect or interfere with the Dopamine Supplementation.... whether it is via an Herb or Medication such as Levodopa.

I believe that this Information is extremely important for anyone living with Parkinson's Disease.

Not only do I believe this information is vitally important for Patient's that have been living with the Disease for a long time...(the longer you have the Disease... the more Health Challenges seem to arise) but should be shared with those NEWLY DIAGNOSED with Parkinson's Disease.

The more information that is available to those of us with Parkinson's Disease, the better chance we have in living a more Productive and Happier Life!

Remember we each experience Parkinson's differently. We are all Unique! Food may or may not be a factor or challenge for you in managing your symptoms.

But if it is... their are tools and information available to help you be the best you can be...living with Parkinson's.

Their is no one size fits all  Diet for Patient's with Parkinson's... but with determination and persistence you can strive to be the best you can be... living with Parkinson's Disease.

The following links may be helpful in your quest to find the right Diet for you.

Parkinson's Diet 7:1 Carbs to Protein
For complete information about the Diet ... click the link above and it will take you to

The 7:1 Diet For Parkinson’s Disease: A Nutritionist’s View by Lori F. Lieberman



Rationale of Diet by Lori F. Lieberman
It has been well established by the medical community that diet, particularly protein, has a direct impact on the effectiveness of Parkinson’s disease medications. Levodopa, the active ingredient in most P.D. drugs (such as Sinemet) must be transported across the blood/brain barrier into the brain for conversion to dopamine. Only then can it alleviate the symptoms of P.D. However, the digestion of dietary protein results in certain amino acids, (large neutral amino acids-LNAAs) which compete with levodopa for transport into the brain.
The result is that the amount of protein you eat has a direct impact on the amount of levodopa reaching your brain, and subsequently, on your symptoms of P.D. Dietary carbohydrate also plays a part, lowering blood levels of LNAAs by triggering the release of insulin.
Balancing carbohydrate and protein, specifically in a ratio of 7:1 (7 parts carbohydrate to 1 part protein) results in the most stable blood levels of LNAAs- the goal of dietary management. This allows for a consistent and more predictable response to Sinemet. Studies show an optimal response to levodopa with a 7:1 diet, as compared to either a higher carbohydrate intake (30:1) or lower carbohydrate intake (1.5:1).
The 7:1 balance, therefore, is the goal of dietary modification to enhance the effect of your Sinemet.

Understanding Protein and how it can Interfere with Dopamine absorption
Kathrynne Holden MS, RD 
Registered Dietitian's view on Protein and Parkinson's


Diet and Fiber ...How it could positively affect you and your Parkinson's Disease!
Short video is worth watching... Whole Food Plant Based Diet and Parkinson's Disease may effectively help to control symptom relief!  by Michael Greger  M.D. FACLM

Applying all that we have learned about Diet and it's affect on Parkinson's Disease symptom relief.

Changing to a Whole Food Plant Based Diet 

Here is a link to variety of Nutritious Recipes for following a Whole Foods Plant Diet.

Now that we have learned that how "Diet" may or can affect Parkinson's Disease... how about applying a Whole Foods Plant  Diet to the principles outlined in the 7:1 Diet ... by Lori Lieberman (above) and see if it makes a difference in your symptom management of Parkinson's Disease.

 

 


Keeping the faith,
Laurel





Sunday, January 29, 2017

Parkinson's Disease - "Gut Instincts" and the "Brain Gut Connection"-Is the Gut our Second Brain? The Dopamine Connection!

Hi... My Name is Laurel and I have been living with and writing about Parkinson's Disease for about 12 years now.

From the time I was a little girl ... I have always had strong "Gut Instincts".
When I listened to "My Gut Instinct" it usually led me in the right direction and/ or gently guided me to make the right decision. When I didn't listen to it, I could get into trouble..

After doing some research on the Parkinson's Disease "Gut" "Brain" Connection, it seems clear that their is a direct connection via a complex neural Network.
Meet your second brain, the gut!

So when I say, I have been following my "Gut Instincts" with regards to my health my entire life. I really have been following my "Gut Instincts" or "My second brain".

If you have been following my website Blog regarding my journey with Parkinson's ...you know that I have chosen to use an Alternative form of treatment known as the Dr. Marty Hinz Amino Acid Protocol

This was a personal choice made by me to follow "My Gut Instincts".

Following this Protocol has had it challenges... using any form of Dopamine supplement comes with it's own set of challenges. And the longer I have had PD ... the more challenges I have encountered... most via Stomach issues. As well as challenges with certain food interfering with the effectiveness of Dopamine working to keep Parkinson's symptoms at bay. ie: tremors.

I have always thought that what I ate affected the effectiveness of the Dopamine I take... I noted that when I ate Protein it definitely affected the Dopamine. I also noted that it wasn't just Protein that interfered with Dopamine effectiveness... it was also Fats, Carbohydrates and Sugar.

Over the years I have done research on food interference of Dopamine Supplementation and constantly brought up the subject with my Physician. My Physician stated that their was not much information written on this subject, with the exception of the generalized Protein interference that I read about.

I never found much information written about this complicated subject.

 Until Now.....

The following links give some insight into how Food, Digestion, and finding the right diet for yourself can have an amazing effect on someone living with Parkinson's Disease and how to get the most out of Dopamine supplementation.



Particularly Important for Patients with Parkinson's Disease who have "Gut Issues"  "Gut Problems" or "Gastroparesis"

          

Food in general can have an effect on Dopamine absorption

Parkinson's 7:1 Diet

Parkinson's Disease Nutrition Matters

Vegetarian Diet and Parkinson's 

Nutrition you can live with.... finding the best diet for you

Nutritional Considerations in Parkinson's

Brain Function affected by Gut Bacteria

Treating Parkinson's through the Gut instead of the Brain

protein-levodopa-interactions/




Natural treatment for gastroparesis

Dr. Weil Natural treatment for Gastroparesis

Fixing a leaky gut-lactobacillus-plantarum Dr. Perlmutter



My Favorite Morning Smoothie right now!

Enjoy!!!


Blueberry and Spirulina may have health benefits 

Blueberry Spirulina Smoothie

1/2 C Fresh Organic Blueberries
1/2 C Frozen Organic Blueberrie
1/2 tsp Organic Spirulina Powder
1 C Fresh Homemade Organic Almond Milk
1/2 C Purified Ionized Water



Keeping the faith,
Laurel













Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Parkinson's, Gut health and me.... Gut health Priority number One! Getting started ..... Grass fed bones, water and some vegetables = Beef Bone Broth

Gut Health .... Healing Inflammation ...My Number One Priortiy!

Inflammation and Homocysteine levels ... let's get better! 
High Homocysteine levels may be indicator of ill health!

Herbs and Spices that may help fight Inflammation

Health starts in the Gut... "Is the Gut our 2nd Brain"? Heal the Gut - Heal Parkinson's

Finally it has sunk in... I cannot get well until I heal my Gut!

One step at a time...

Discovering the local Farmer's Markets ...

After moving to Missouri 3 years ago to restore an Old Victorian House ... which turned out Beautiful... but  not the right area for us to live...last year, we decided to move back to Arizona ...specifically to the Tucson area.

This area is new to me so I am just now discovering the local Farmer's Markets.

Three weeks ago ... I discovered a wonderful local Farmer's Market at St. Phillip Plaza located at 4280 N. Campbell Ave in Tucson.

The Market has an array of local vendors with a large variety of local Organic Produce, Eggs, Grass Fed Beef... and other health promoting natural products. The Vendors are helpful and well informed on the Products they sell!

I thought the Market was Awesome!

When I went to the Farmer's Market last weekend ...I went with a specific goal in mind.
I wanted to find grass fed Beef Bones and the ingredients to make my own  Beef Bone Broth.

With my mission accomplished ... Bones and Vegetables in hand...I searched for a recipe to get my Bone Broth started and decided to use a Basic Bone Broth Recipe that I found on Dr. Mercola's website.

On Monday morning I put all the ingredients as directed into a last Pot on my stove and started the cooking process... Cooking time 24 to 72 hours!

Monday night... didn't want to leave my stove on all night without supervision .... I turned the pot off and restarted it on Tuesday Morning!

Tuesday - I let it simmer on low all day... that night I decided to transfer it all to my largest crock pot and let it simmer all night.

Wednesday morning ... the house smells like soup! The smell is making me hungry and I want some of it!

I decide to try some of it.... so I ladled out about 6 ounces into a bowl through a strainer and taste it!

Truthfully, it seemed kinda bland...and a little greasy, it was also hot! Made me wonder if I am supposed to skim off the fat...answer; yes skim off the fat!  So I put it on the counter to cool for awhile...eventually, put a lid on it and set it in the fridge to chill and eat later.

When I went to the fridge to check on my Broth about an hour later... the fat had chilled and risen to the top of the bowl... so I skimmed it off and got rid of it!

Finally...after reheating the broth on the stove in a pan... don't use the microwave...tried the Broth with a little sea salt added for taste!

Still thought it was kinda bland but good!

So my first ever bone broth is a success!  Hooray for me!

Taking it one day at a time... healing will come... I know it will!

Each day I become more focused on what I put into my body... and the more I listen to my "Gut" instincts the more I realize that Good Health comes from eating Healthy real Food. 

"Today, is the first day of the rest of My Life"

I choose to live it the best way I can and make every moment count!



Healing Power of Bone Broth




Keeping the faith!

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Parkinson's and Gut Health.... Is our Gut Health related to our Brain Health?

Realizing more and more that my Gut health is directly related to my Brain health...


Seems that I have always had an upset tummy... when I was younger I belched a lot, as a matter of fact my best friend's parents would always comment on my burps... they thought that it was funny!

Over the years... my tummy upsets and belching turned into gas and a distended belly whenever I ate certain foods.

Always on the search to figure out what is ailing me...

My searches have included gut health and brain health...in the past not much information was available.

My most recent search on the topic found an abundance of information available on the topic. Seems to be an up and coming hot topic that deserves some real investigation.

Here are some links that may shed some light on the connection of Gut health and Brain health...

Parkinson's and gut-bacteria: a proven link

Parkinson's disease and the gut: a well known clinical association in need of an effective cure and explanation.

Importance of Gut Health for Prevention and Treatment of “Incurable” Neurological Disorders

Parkinson's-Where does the disease begin?

I encourage everyone to read as much information as possible in order to help yourself... I hope that the above links encourage you to continue investigating the topic more thoroughly for yourselves.

Keeping the faith...


Thursday, April 14, 2016

Review -Parkinson's -What's important in managing my symptoms via Dr. Marty Hinz amino acid protocol. Diet-healing your gut and exercise.

Just thought I would give a review of what I am currently doing to manage my Parkinson's.
This is evolving daily...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 13, 2017

UPDATE... This Diet is working for me.... helps to keep my symptoms controlled.   7:1 Diet
Exercise has always made me feel better!
Here is a New Program that I just became aware of via a good friend...


 New form of Boxing helps Parkinson's Patients. It's called Rock Steady Boxing! 
 I am going to check it out ....  This sounds really promising!!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My latest update on the "Gut Connection" and Parkinson's

I use Dr. Marty Hinz Amino Acid Parkinson's Protocol
Doctor Supervised treatment that I have used since April 2009.
I do not take any prescriptions drugs I only take what is prescribed via the Hinz Amino Acid Protocol under the direction of my Physician.
This is not a cure and does have it's challenges... if you've been following my blog or have read my website... you have read about my challenges.  It is also $$$Costly$$$
Products can only be purchased through a licensed Practitioner.
To find a Doctor near you call NeuroResearch Clinics at 877-626-2220

I am using Parkinson's Diet 7:1 Carbohydrate/Protein to help manage a more stable Dopamine level.... this eases tremor fluctuations, muscle rigidity and other PD associated symptoms.
I have always known that Food affects how I feel and is particularly important in management of PD symptoms. It is only recently that I found this 7:1 Parkinson's Diet ... been about 1 month since I have implemented it.... so far it does seem to help level out my Dopamine fluctuations.
I try to eat clean... incorporating more of a vegan, vegetarian lifestyle.  I do eat grass fed beef and wild caught fish.
I am not perfect... but if I get off track ... I try to get back on it at the next meal!

Exercise - Walking, swimming, light weights
I have found that exercise is as good as gold ... helps with all symptoms and improves flexability and mood.

I take Probiotics and eat fermented vegetables to help heal my Gut ......Healing your Gut
more information becoming available with regards to relationship of Gut health and Parkinson's. 
This topic shows great promise in treating many of today's health challenges. 

I read and research about all available treatments for Parkinson's Disease. Including all Allopathic, Alternative and Naturopathic treatments.

Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain-For Life
Interesting Book that is a worthwhile read!

Please remember that I am a Parkinson Patient sharing my personal experiences. We all experience Parkinson's in our own way... no one treatment can treat every person with similar results. I encourage everyone to do your own research. Read as much as is available on the topic!
With Persistence and Perserverance you can live your best life possible... with Parkinson's.

Keeping the faith,
Laurel