Skip to main content

The Fortunately Unfortunately Diet




Have you ever told a fortunately, unfortunately story?  I used to assign this to young writers to get their creativity flowing.  Fortunately, I am still around today to write about it.  Unfortunately, my storyline has changed.  Lately it goes something like this.

Unfortunately you have a chronic illness.  Fortunately, you can change your diet and you will feel better.  Unfortunately, you will have to give up some good stuff...sugar, gluten, dairy.  Fortunately, you can eat all the fruits and veggies you want.  Unfortunately, many of those fruits and veggies are covered with pesticides.  Fortunately, organic fruits and veggies are available, although...unfortunately, very pricey.

Unfortunately, you will have to give up meat.  Fortunately, not all the experts say to give up meat. Unfortunately, some experts say you should only eat organ meat (liver, gizzards etc.) Fortunately, the previous experts said you shouldn't eat meat so you don't have to eat liver. Just make sure that any meat you do eat has been raised on grass grown by leprechauns and that any poultry you eat has been sung to sleep at night by angels.

Unfortunately though, you will have to stop cooking with vegetable oils.  Fortunately, the experts say coconut oil is ok to use instead.  Unfortunately, other experts (your  doctors) say that coconut oil is a definite no-no and will raise your cholesterol.  Fortunately you can lower your cholesterol by eating Amla (gooseberries).  Unfortunately, they are grown in  India and you will need to find an Indian grocery story that carries them.

Fortunately, what you can't get from your food, you can get through supplements.  Unfortunately, you never know what you'll really be getting in those supplements.  Fortunately, there are any number of complete strangers online who will tell you which ones to buy (and even sell them to you).  Unfortunately, they are not really the experts.

Fortunately, you will eventually figure out what to eat to help you feel better but be sure you don't wrap it in aluminum or store it in plastic...don't even get me started on that one.

Fortunately, I can now go feast on some water and kale.  Unfortunately, the water must be triple filtered and the kale must be grown in virgin soil in my backyard.




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Missing Tom

I recently lost a good friend. Never would I have imagined that I would become such good buddies with a man old enough to be my dad. I met Tom over seven years ago in a Rock Steady Boxing class. I entered class as a shy, teary-eyed, newly diagnosed mess who didn't like to sweat and had never boxed. Tom quickly took me under his wing, introduced me to the movers and shakers in the local Parkinson's community and eventually recognized a potential in me to further help the community. Within a year, with the encouragement of Tom and others, I became a certified Rock Steady coach. Tom and I would go to the same conferences and seek out the newly diagnosed. Ever the salesman, Tom would ask me if I "closed the deal," meaning, did I convince someone to come to an exercise class or attend a support group. Tom knew the benefits of attending these groups and he wanted everyone else to know also. He just wanted everyone to live the best life possible, even while living

Diagnosing with Compassion and Hope

  My hackles are raised, my feathers are ruffled, my … I’m not sure I can find the words for how I am feeling.   This morning, I read a recently published article called “ Delivering the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease-setting the stage with hope and compassion.”   I am not upset that the article was written.     I am glad that the authors have brought this to the attention of others. I am upset that it needed to be written.     I just think it is common sense that when someone is given a life-changing diagnosis, it should be given with hope and compassion.     The authors note that some say the moment of diagnosis is “almost akin to a traumatic event such as the loss of a loved one.” Of course it is!     The person receiving the diagnosis is losing their future self.     Everything they thought their life would be from that moment on has now drastically changed! I would count that as traumatic.       I was one of these people over seven years ago who walked out of the Movement Disord

Out of My Mind...

If you have been living with Parkinson's for a while, you are likely living at the mercy of Parkinson's medications. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful that medications are available. Without them, life would be miserable much of the time. But don't get me wrong (again), even with medication, you may feel like you are losing your mind. Early on, you take your meds on schedule, you can pretty much count on how long they will last and know what to avoid with them (protein maybe). As the years pass, and your symptoms progress, you would think you could either just, A. increase your meds or B. increase the frequency of your meds depending on what your doctor recommends. This seems logical to me. Sometimes this works, but eventually you end up with an E-ticket to the Dopacoaster. What is special about the Dopacoaster is that the tracks can change hour to hour. You took the ride yesterday and felt good. Life with PD was manageable. Today, you follow the same sche