Struggling with Parkinson's movement symptoms? Tune in for a glimmer of hope!
This episode of Live Parkinson's - Live an Exceptional Life dives into the exciting potential of the Mediterranean diet to improve movement function in Parkinson's disease. We explore the science behind this dietary approach and its impact on managing tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia.
Is the Mediterranean diet a game changer for Parkinson's? Join us as we unpack the research and practical tips for incorporating this delicious and nutritious lifestyle into your routine.
Empower yourself with knowledge! This episode will provide you with:
A clear explanation of the Mediterranean diet and its core principles
Insights into the potential benefits for Parkinson's movement symptoms
Practical guidance for getting started with the Mediterranean approach
Living with Parkinson's doesn't have to limit your life. We believe in taking an active role in managing symptoms and living a fulfilling life. This episode is your chance to explore a powerful dietary tool that might make a significant difference.
Share the knowledge! Help spread the word by recommending this episode to anyone you know living with Parkinson's.
Let's connect! Leave a comment or question, or success stories by clicking on the text me a message link in the podcast description. You can also message my social media pages Live Parkinson's and join the conversation.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only is not intended to treat or diagnose Parkinson's Disease. Please ensure that you are following the treatment plan developed by your doctor. Please ensure before starting anything new you get approval from your doctor. The information being provided is based on my own personal experiences and does not guarantee that it will benefit everyone.
Struggling with Parkinson's movement symptoms? Tune in for a glimmer of hope!
This episode of Live Parkinson's - Live an Exceptional Life dives into the exciting potential of the Mediterranean diet to improve movement function in Parkinson's disease. We explore the science behind this dietary approach and its impact on managing tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia.
Is the Mediterranean diet a game changer for Parkinson's? Join us as we unpack the research and practical tips for incorporating this delicious and nutritious lifestyle into your routine.
Empower yourself with knowledge! This episode will provide you with:
A clear explanation of the Mediterranean diet and its core principles
Insights into the potential benefits for Parkinson's movement symptoms
Practical guidance for getting started with the Mediterranean approach
Living with Parkinson's doesn't have to limit your life. We believe in taking an active role in managing symptoms and living a fulfilling life. This episode is your chance to explore a powerful dietary tool that might make a significant difference.
Share the knowledge! Help spread the word by recommending this episode to anyone you know living with Parkinson's.
Let's connect! Leave a comment or question, or success stories by clicking on the text me a message link in the podcast description. You can also message my social media pages Live Parkinson's and join the conversation.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only is not intended to treat or diagnose Parkinson's Disease. Please ensure that you are following the treatment plan developed by your doctor. Please ensure before starting anything new you get approval from your doctor. The information being provided is based on my own personal experiences and does not guarantee that it will benefit everyone.
Hello and welcome to Live Parkinson's Live an Exceptional Life. I'm your host, chris Kustenbotter, and I've been living an exceptional life with Parkinson's for the past 14 years. The mission of this podcast is to help as many people as possible living with Parkinson's lead a great quality of life. Today's topic is Parkinson's Movement Relief. Can the Mediterranean diet be a game changer? Ready to take charge of your Parkinson's? We explore the power of the Mediterranean diet as a potential tool to improve movement and management symptoms. Listen in and discover if this dietary approach could be your game changer.
Speaker 1:
In this episode, we'll discuss the Mediterranean diet and its core components. Then we'll discuss Parkinson's motor symptoms and the impact on a person's quality of life. Then we'll explore the potential link or connection between the Mediterranean diet and improved motor function in Parkinson's. We'll examine the why the Mediterranean diet's emphasis on certain nutrients might contribute to motor symptom improvement and we'll round out with a sample menu plan and some other tips and consideration. So there's no sense in standing here starving.
Speaker 1:
Let's dig into this episode. So what is the Mediterranean diet and is it really a diet? Diet often has negative connotations, you know, because people envision starving themselves or having to give up the foods that they enjoy. Actually, the Mediterranean diet isn't a diet or a fad diet with restrictions. It's a way of eating inspired by the traditional dietary patterns of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, like Greece, italy and Spain. The region boasts some of the highest life expectancies in the world, and researchers believe that the Mediterranean diet plays a significant role in longevity. So what are the origins and philosophy of the Mediterranean diet? Well, the Mediterranean diet isn't a recent invention. It reflects the historical dietary patterns of these cultures, of the Greeks, the Italians and the Spaniards, emphasizing readily available seasonal and local ingredients, as well as fish and seafood Think vegetables bathed in sunshine, olive oil pressed from local groves and seafood caught in nearby waters. It's a way of life that celebrates food, community and connection to the land. Now I was fortunate enough to travel to Italy and I can say that the and I got to see that just immense number of olive trees and olive groves and see firsthand how olive oil was made and it's fascinating and also the fresh markets that people shop at every day. It's a great experience to go to one of those markets. And then also just the dining experience, where you actually sit down and take your time and really get to spend time with each other as you're eating.
Speaker 1:
So let's look at some of the food groups and the dietary focus of the Mediterranean diet. So we'll talk about the base, or the foundation, first. So we'll talk about the base of the foundation first. The foundation of the diet is made up of fruits, vegetables, whole grains like brown rice and whole grain bread, and legumes, your beans and lentils, and they form the base of the food pyramid. So in the US they have a food pyramid. This is the base of the food pyramid for the Mediterranean diet.
Speaker 1:
Then we have healthy fats. Olive oil is the primary source of fat, replacing saturated fats like butter. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats linked to heart health benefits. Avocados are another healthy fat that is often included in this type of diet. Moderate protein, fish and seafood take center stage, appearing several times per week. Poultry and eggs are consumed in moderation, while red meat is enjoyed only occasionally. Dairy Cheese and yogurt are included in the Mediterranean diet, providing calcium and other nutrients. And then you do have some limited extras, which include added sugars, processed foods and red meat, but they're consumed very sparingly on this diet.
Speaker 1:
Okay, so now that we know what makes up the Mediterranean diet, what are some of the benefits it provides. So why would I want to do the Mediterranean diet Well? Number one, it's a heart-healthy diet. Studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. And then, in terms of cognitive function, research suggests it may improve cognitive function and memory, potentially and that's the key word potentially lowering the risk of dementia. Weight management and this is one that I need on a constant basis and the emphasis on the whole foods, healthy fats and fiber, which promote satiety or the feeling of fullness and weight management. So when you're eating a lot of fiber and a dense food that have a lot of antioxidants, it's going to keep you full and you're not going to want to be eating all the time, and typically you don't typically overeat. It's real hard to overeat a gigantic bowl of broccoli or cauliflower or things like that. Diabetes prevention this diet may help manage your blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Speaker 1:
And then, just in terms of overall well-being, the focus is on fresh, seasonal vegetables and ingredients and it provides a balanced approach to food and that can lead to a healthier and more enjoyable relationship with food Eating fresh berries and fresh vegetables that are in season. You really come to enjoy those and it helps to lead to a healthier lifestyle. Now it's important to remember that the Mediterranean diet isn't about rigid rules. It's about a lifestyle that celebrates healthy eating, cultural traditions and the joy of food. So you don't necessarily have to sit and count calories, although calories are important. You don't want to eat all day, but if you eat these healthy foods, they're going to help keep you full and they're going to provide a lot of the nutrients and antioxidants that are going to benefit you.
Speaker 1:
In an article, we surveyed the people on the Mediterranean diet and here is what they say, published in the US News and World Report magazine on August 6, 2020. They asked people on the diet what they thought over the past five years and the Mediterranean diet consistently ranked number one best overall diet, according to US News and World Report. The article reports on the results of surveying more than 230 people who follow this way of healthy eating. Now, the group included those who've been on the Mediterranean diet for over five years and others who have only been doing it for about six months. And here are some of the findings from the survey that they conducted Most about 68% initially decided to try the diet based on their own research, though about 16% started because their doctor recommended it.
Speaker 1:
The majority surveyed 83% say the goal was better overall health, weight loss, preventing chronic diseases like diabetes and lowering cholesterol, and they were also factored in as important goals. 25% of the people say they are exercising more since starting the diet and, for those who do exercise, about 70% believe physical activity impacted the success of the diet, so that's an added benefit. So a lot of times when you're eating healthy, you want to do healthy habits too, and that includes exercise, which is very important in Parkinson's disease. Now, favorite foods of the survey respondents included olives and olive oil. Vegetables, grains, fish, chickpeas, seeds and nuts. Beans and lentils also were included in some of their favorite foods. 79% of people reported a positive or very positive change in their health, and these changes included weight loss and improvements in blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. Plus, they all mentioned that they had higher energy levels. So let's shift gears for a few moments and talk about Parkinson's and motor symptoms, now that we have a little bit of a background on the Mediterranean diet and the type of foods that are included in the diet or the lifestyle. So let's talk now about Parkinson's and then we'll get into how the diet might affect Parkinson's motor symptoms. So we want to try to understand what the Parkinson's motor symptoms are first, and then we can use that to talk about a potential link between Parkinson's motor functions and the Mediterranean diet.
Speaker 1:
As most of you know, parkinson's is a chronic progressive brain disease that worsens over time. Parkinson's disease primarily affects movement and balance, and motor symptoms can vary from individual to individual. A lot of times you might have heard that it's called a boutique disease because not everybody experiences the same symptoms. There are commonalities across Parkinson's, but people experience their symptoms differently. The motor symptoms can have a significant impact on a person's quality of life. Now let's look at some PD motor symptoms can significantly affect someone with Parkinson's quality of life.
Speaker 1:
The first one is tremors, and this is one that I started out with. That really got the ball rolling to try to find out what was wrong with me, and it's the most well-known Parkinson's symptom. But it doesn't necessarily affect everyone with Parkinson's. Some people experience tremor, some people don't, and some people might be more gait affected where it's, affecting their walking more than causing tremor. Some people don't, and some people might be more gait affected, where it's affecting their walking more than causing tremors.
Speaker 1:
And a tremor is just a rhythmic shaking and it's usually in the hands, but it can also occur in the legs, arms, chin or in your voice as well, and we all know those of us that had tremors that it makes the simple things that we try to do more difficult. Now, when I experience tremors, I have difficulty doing simple things like buttoning my shirt or tying my shoes. That's why I often wear the slip-on sneakers and shoes, because it makes it easier for me so I don't have to worry about trying to tie shoes if my tremor is causing problems. And it's also challenging when you have tremors to eat without spilling something. And then my writing also is atrocious when, even though I'm right-handed and most of my tremor is in the left hand, I do have a little bit of shaking in the right hand, but my handwriting also becomes small and difficult to read. So tremors is one of the motor functions and again, that's the most thought of, because when people think of Parkinson's they think of someone shaking.
Speaker 1:
The next one is rigidity and it's a feeling of stiffness in the muscles, making your movement slow and jerky, and it can affect your arms, your legs, your trunk, which can lead to a stoop posture and difficulty in turning around. Now, rigidity really affects me in the morning when I get up. So I usually try to spend 10 minutes or so doing stretching and flexibility exercises to really help loosen up and where I'm able to move a lot better. And one of the problems that I have is if I go somewhere and I have to ride in the car for up to two hours when I get out, I have a real difficulty walking until I can really get the stiffness and my muscles stretched out. So rigidity. I have a big problem with it, especially if I'm sitting for extended periods of time or I'm riding in the car for extended periods of time. I've become very stiff and rigid and it makes it more difficult for me to get up and move around.
Speaker 1:
And then our next motor symptom, which is the hallmark of Parkinson's, is bradykinesia, or the slowness of movement. Now, those of us living with Parkinson's often take longer to initiate movement and we have smaller movements. We don't necessarily take the big long strides that we used to and we struggle with tasks that require quick reflexes. I'm always teasing my friends and family that I have cat-like reflexes, when in actuality it's more like I have hippopotamus-like reflexes. And bradykinesia can affect your walking. I would oftentimes drag my left leg when I was walking and it can also affect your talking, swallowing and your facial expressions as well. But one of the tests they typically do when I go to the movement disorder specialist is tapping your feet, tapping your fingers, and they typically notice that my left side is very much slower than my right side is.
Speaker 1:
And last but not least in terms of motor symptoms, is postural instability, and that relates to problems with our balance and coordination. And, as you know, when you don't have good balance or coordination, you risk falling, and that can lead to some other problems that we don't want to experience. So that's why it's important to work on your balance as much as possible. I try to work on my balance for at least 10 minutes every day, because my philosophy is that if I can help to maintain my balance for at least 10 minutes every day, because my philosophy is that if I can help to maintain my balance or improve my balance, then it's going to help prevent falls Not that I'm not going to fall, but the risk is going to be diminished and my fear of falling is going to be diminished as well. So I spend a lot of time on doing balance exercises and then freezing of gait, where your feet seem stuck to the floor momentarily and you have difficulty starting to walk. That can be another issue that many people experience. One of the problems when you have freezing it can increase your fear of falling and it also limits your mobility.
Speaker 1:
So how do tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia and postural instability affect a person's living with Parkinson's quality of life? Well, first, it causes difficulty with the daily activities like getting dressed, like I mentioned earlier, tying my shoes or buttoning my shirt. Those take me a lot longer than they used to. Some people have trouble with bathing or eating, and some of the things that you can do to get around, especially with eating, is using weighted utensils and I actually did a podcast on that. So if you're interested, check that out.
Speaker 1:
And the motor symptoms not only make it difficult to do a task, but it takes you twice as long, in which, as most of you know, it becomes very frustrating. Tremors, slowness and difficulty speaking can make social get-togethers challenging. So a lot of times people with Parkinson's because they're slow or they're having a tremor or maybe difficulty speaking, they limit their social interaction because they feel like people are staring and they feel embarrassed in social settings, and that can lead to social isolation, which is something that can have a real detrimental or devastating consequences on their quality of life. So it's important that people stay engaged socially and try to make sure that, even if you're experiencing motor symptoms, that you get out there and do the best you can. People are very understanding Parkinson's. Motor symptoms can also have a big emotional impact as well, and I talked about people staring. People often get low self-esteem, which can lead to anxiety and depression when they feel like people are staring or they can't do things that they used to be able to do because their tremors or their rigidity, and so anxiety and depression are often some of the big issues that people with Parkinson's have. So it's important that if you're experiencing anxiety or depression, that you talk to your doctor about it so that they can help you manage the issue.
Speaker 1:
And then, finally, motor symptoms can have a significant impact on your mobility. Walking imbalances you can really restrict your ability to leave the house or participate in activities you enjoy. I know the days where my balance is off you tend to maybe limit some of the things you can do because you're afraid you're going to fall, and so that's one of the big things that can really affect your quality of life. So that's why exercise is so important, and you probably heard me talk about it before. So I always say remember to exercise, exercise, exercise, because while the motor symptoms can pose challenges, there are some ways you can manage and overcome the challenges by working with your healthcare professional and including some lifestyle changes like exercise. So don't let Parkinson's motor symptoms take over your life and limit you. People are there to help you and you can push through the challenges and continue to do the things that you like to do, so that you're not limiting your life and you're living a great quality of life.
Speaker 1:
Now that we understand the components of the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle and we understand Parkinson's and motor symptoms, is there a potential link for using the Mediterranean diet in helping us manage our Parkinson's motor symptoms? Well, let's see if there's any research showing a benefit. In one study called the Effects of Dietary Supplements, food and Dietary Patterns in Parkinson's Disease, they did a meta-analysis, which they took a bunch of different studies and examined them and they did a systematic review of randomized crossover studies and it was published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and the researchers conducted an analysis of 24 different studies that were conducted between 1989 and June of 2022. And the systematic review results indicated that the Mediterranean diet, the low-fat and ketogenic diets significantly reduce the total UPDRS score. And you're thinking what is the UPDRS score? Well, it's based on a rating scale from zero, indicating the absence of signs and symptoms of Parkinson's, to a maximum score of 199, indicating the most severe level of disability. So the study showed that those three diets, the Mediterranean diet was one of those that it helped to reduce the total UPDRS score, and the researchers concluded that dietary pattern interventions may positively attenuate the overall symptoms of PD, including both motor and non-motor symptoms.
Speaker 1:
So how can the Mediterranean diet affect our Parkinson's motor function? Well, it's a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and healthy fats, like olive oil, as we mentioned. The diet provides a wealth of antioxidants and it's the antioxidants that may help to combat oxidative stress. And essentially, what oxidative stress is? It's a cellular process that's thought to contribute to Parkinson's progression, and the Mediterranean diet has anti-inflammatory effects, chronic inflammation, which is suspected to play a role in Parkinson's. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes whole foods and limited processed foods, which may help reduce inflammation throughout the body, potentially impacting Parkinson's symptoms.
Speaker 1:
One of the things you may have read is people that eat a lot of foods with sugar and fried foods and high processed foods. That can lead to a lot of free radicals and inflammation, and inflammation throughout the body can have some detrimental effects. So by eating healthy fruits and vegetables, fiber, whole grains and healthy fats, and because they're loaded with antioxidants and other nutrients that they can help, they may help and that's the key word may help reduce inflammation in the body. Now, in another study comparison of association between the MIND diet and the Mediterranean diets scores with patient-reported outcomes on Parkinson's disease, and that was published in the Journal of Nutrients, the researchers reported that the greater consumption of vegetables, nuts, berries, beans and non-fried fish were associated with lesser severity of PD symptoms. And then in an article, can we Put the Brakes on Parkinson's Progression? Which was published on the parkinsonsfoundationorg website, which was published on the parkinsonsfoundationorg website, and the article says that eating a whole food, plant-based Mediterranean-style diet, no-transcript fish and olive oil and coconut oils may be linked to slower PD progression. So it's important to talk to your doctor to make sure the diet is appropriate for your specific health needs and doesn't interfere with your medication or the absorption of the medications.
Speaker 1:
Another article on the parkinsonsfoundationorg website entitled the Latest in Nutrition and Parkinson's Disease. They asked a question can eating well alter the course of PD? The article states that some laboratory and animal research suggests that a diet could have an effect, especially plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. Because they say plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds? Because they say plant-based foods contain hundreds of chemicals called phytochemicals, and these are not nutrients but they're substances that may, alone or in combination, affect many of the processes thought to be involved in PD, including oxidation, chronic inflammation and protein aggregation. A lot of times you've probably heard of alpha-synuclein and how it clumps together and is clumping in the brain, which can lead to Parkinson's. So plant-based diet, like the Mediterranean Mediterranean diet, has proven benefits for preventing heart and vascular disease and can reduce PD symptoms, according to the article.
Speaker 1:
All right, now that we've looked at some of the science behind a potential link between the Mediterranean diet and some of Parkinson's motor symptoms, let's give you a sample meal plan for a day following the Mediterranean diet. Let's give you a sample meal plan for a day following the Mediterranean diet. Now for more information on meal plans on the Mediterranean diet, there's hundreds of different cookbooks and recipe books and just books written on the Mediterranean diet online. Or, to make it really easy and time effective, I suggest using some of the AI tools, like Google's Gemini, microsoft Copilot or ChatBGT, and you can simply type in please provide a 7, 14, or 28-day meal plan for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks on the Mediterranean diet, and within 10 to 15 seconds it's ready for you. And then one of the things you can also do is say please create a shopping list for items on the Mediterranean diet and, again, within five to 10 seconds, you'll have a shopping list, and so you know you can adjust accordingly.
Speaker 1:
This is just an example or a sample menu, but you want to be sure to incorporate a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. All right, so let's get started. Let's start with breakfast, and we'll start with one that's rich in fiber and healthy fats, and breakfast would include one cup of Greek yogurt, plain low fat, a quarter cup of berries and they can be fresh or frozen a quarter cup of chopped walnuts or almonds, one tablespoon of honey, which is optional, and a slice of whole wheat toast with just a drizzle of olive oil. So the olive oil is going to give you the healthy fat and the whole wheat toast is going to give you the grains. And then, of course, you have the fruits and the nuts and seeds, as well as the protein from the Greek yogurt.
Speaker 1:
And then for lunch, a light and balanced lunch, and option one would be a large salad with mixed greens, grilled chicken breast and you can slice that, of course crumbled feta cheese, kalamata olives, chopped red onion and the red onion, and you're also getting your healthy fats in the olive oil vinaigrette. Now, option two would be a whole wheat pita bread filled with hummus, chopped vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, spinach and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds, and again, the whole wheat pita is going to be your whole grains, hummus, which is made with chickpeas, and tahini oil, and the chopped vegetables again are going to give you the antioxidants with lots of color. And then for a snack, for a mid-afternoon boost, you can eat an apple with a handful of grapes, or a couple baby carrots with two tablespoons of low-fat ricotta cheese. And then for a hearty and flavorful dinner, baked salmon with lemon and herbs, roasted vegetables like broccoli, asparagus and zucchini, seasoned with olive oil and salt and pepper, and a half a cup of quinoa cooked, and that is going to give you your whole grains, your proteins, and the vegetables are going to give you the antioxidants as well. And then dessert, which again is optional and light just a small handful of berries with a dollop of whipped cream. So that would be a sample menu for a day on the Mediterranean diet.
Speaker 1:
Now, some notes this is just a sample menu. Again, portion sizes can be adjusted to meet your individual needs, because some of you may be saying I only get a quarter cup of berries. I weigh 200 pounds. So you're going to make sure that you adjust the portion sizes to meet your needs and then use this as a guide and you can feel free to swap ingredients based on your personal preferences and what's in season where you live. And then, one of the things I really wanted to stress is please make sure you drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, because that's important, especially in people with Parkinson's. The sample menu that I talked about includes colorful fruits and vegetables, berries, red onion, the pepper for their antioxidant benefits, and then the whole grain and the toast and quinoa provide sustained energy. Some additional tips Cook with extra virgin olive oil as your primary source of fats instead of using butter. Use fresh herbs and spices to add flavor without extra sodium or a lot of extra calories. And then you want to try to limit your processed foods, red meat and sugary drinks.
Speaker 1:
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Speaker 1:
Now new members can try Audible for free for 30 days, and two of the books I recommend on Audible are the Mediterranean Diet Healthy, quick and Easy Weight Loss in Four Weeks only, with an ultimate 30-day diet meal plan by Linda Liu and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future by Michael J Fox. Now, to take advantage of the 30-day free trial of Audible and the first month's audio book, visit audibletrialcom slash exceptional life. That's audibletrialcom slash exceptional life, and I'll put a link in the description for this podcast as a reference For complete honesty and transparency. If you decide to sign up for the free 30-day trial with audiblecom using the link, I receive a small commission which I use to support this podcast. And if you do decide to sign up for the free trial, I thank you for supporting this podcast. Thank you. All right, let's head down the home stretch and look at some tips and considerations if you decide to begin doing the Mediterranean diet Now. I did want to mention again that it's important to review any significant dietary changes with your healthcare professional to make sure that it's going to be appropriate for your individual health needs, and when I talk about healthcare professional, that would include your doctor, and you can also include such people as a registered dietitian. Let's look at some tips for incorporating the Mediterranean diet into your busy lifestyle.
Speaker 1:
Now. One of the things I do is meal prepping. Usually, on a Sunday afternoon, I'll go to the store or the local market and get the fruits and vegetables that are in season and that I'll be using for the week. I'll go home and clean and wash the vegetables and fruit and then I'll cut them into pieces or into and then put them into containers and also into sizes that I might be using in specific recipes that I'll be making and or if I'm using, if I'm going to be using as a snack. I'll put them into small baggies or I'll put them into small Tupperware type containers and store them in the refrigerator so that all I have to do is reach in. And the benefit is is that they're already portioned out and it makes it a lot easier when it comes time to cook the meals, that everything's already cut up and prepped. So by prepping on Sunday for the week, I have everything that I need for snacks, lunches and any recipes that I'm going to be using. So it really is going to cut down on the time I spend trying to decide what I'm going to eat and then coming home and cutting things up, and also it helps to ensure that I'm eating healthy. And then the other thing I can do is I can save time by what they call batch cooking. And batch cooking is where I might cook a large quantity of a complete meal in advance. So let's say, on a Sunday afternoon I say I'm going to make a vegetarian chili. So I'll make a very big pot of vegetarian chili, portion it out into meals that I'm going to be able to just pull out of the refrigerator, and then the rest I can freeze to eat later on. So one of the benefits of batch cooking is you can make meals to eat during the week and then also freeze some for, if you have the storage space, for later on down the line. So I use both meal prep and batch cooking to really help me save time and also control my portion sizes. So those are two important things for me.
Speaker 1:
Things aren't always as easy on any type of lifestyle diet, and the Mediterranean diet isn't any exception. Now, one of the challenges you may find with the Mediterranean diet is finding the fresh ingredients. So if you live in a major metropolitan area, fruits and vegetables might have to be transported in on trucks from the farms and sometimes, depending on how far the farms are away from the store in the city that you live in, they might not be as fresh as if you went to a local market and were able to get them right from the field. Or I live in an area, too, where I can do pick your own, so they'll do pick your own vegetables and pick your own fruit. Now I happen to grow a garden as well, because I enjoy gardening, so I always have over the summer and into the fall, I always have fresh vegetables out there, because I plant a large variety of stuff that I share with my neighbors and friends as well. So I plant a lot of extras so that I can give to other people as well as have a steady and readily available source of fresh vegetables. And then I also like to do canning, like making spaghetti sauce and salsa and things like that, so I'm able to use that and to be able to do that. And so that's just one of the potential drawbacks.
Speaker 1:
And then the other drawback may be some people have dietary restrictions or taste preferences, and that can affect how well you adhere to the Mediterranean diet. So you know, some people say I don't like onion, like I'm not a big onion fan. So some people might say, well, I don't like putting red onion in my salad. Well, that's fine. You know there's all kinds of alternatives that you can use. So think about your taste preferences and are there things that you can incorporate to switch out on something that you don't like? Now I'm 60 years old and I've really never been an onion fan. As long as they're chopped up, real fine, I'll eat them, but one of the things I'm going to work on is a lot of it is with me, it's mental. So I'm going to start gradually exposing myself to onions and then, hopefully, within two to three weeks, it becomes a habit and I really start to enjoy eating onions. All right, so the Mediterranean diet can be a game changer for Parkinson's and movement relief.
Speaker 1:
The research is promising, but it's also important to remember that everyone's journey with Parkinson's is unique. But the key takeaway is this the Mediterranean diet offers a delicious and a nutritious path towards potentially improving your motor function and overall well-being and again, that's potentially. There's a lot of research that's still ongoing, so I wanted to make that perfectly clear that. But one of the things that you will get out of this diet is you're eating healthy foods that have a lot of antioxidants and vegetables that can help reduce chronic inflammation and improve your overall outlook. So typically, if you eat a healthy diet. You also participate in healthy habits like exercise, so that's important as well. Now remember that the Mediterranean diet is a dietary approach that you can control, which is unlike the progression of Parkinson's.
Speaker 1:
Now here's your call to action Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian and discuss if the Mediterranean diet might be a good fit for your specific needs and medical history. And then the key is always start small. Don't try to overhaul your diet overnight. Introduce elements of the Mediterranean diet gradually to see how you feel, especially with the increase of fiber. So if you're not used to eating fiber and then all of a sudden, you're eating 50 grams of fiber a day, you're going to have some stomach issues because of all the gas that you may be experiencing. And then explore and experiment. You know, find recipes and ingredients that excite you. There's a whole world of flavorful and healthy options waiting to be discovered within the Mediterranean diet umbrella.
Speaker 1:
Now remember you're not alone in this journey. There are resources available to support you. Taking charge of your diet is a powerful step towards managing your Parkinson's disease and reclaiming your quality of life. So why not give the Mediterranean diet a try? It might just be this game changer you've been looking for.
Speaker 1:
So thanks for joining me on this exploration of food and movement in Parkinson's, and please share your thoughts and success stories, questions or comments with me on the send text message link in the podcast description.
Speaker 1:
I'd love to hear from you. I'd love to hear your comments, your success stories and any topics that you'd like to hear, so it would be great to hear from all of you. So if you would be kind enough to do that, I would really appreciate it. And then please visit liveparkinsonscom for some of the free resources on there. Sign up for the free monthly newsletter. I just published the June 2024 newsletter newsletter. I just published the June 2024 newsletter and it's full of information on nutrition and some of the new research that's going on, as well as some of the new drugs for 2024. And there's some new webinars that are coming up on the Michael J Fox and the Davis Finney Foundation website, so you can go on to liveparkinsonscom, read articles, but also take advantage of the free resources that are available. So I thank you for listening and I hope to see you on future podcasts and you have a spectacular day, thank you.