Diets for PD - what has worked for me and what hasn't

Diet is really important, especially if you have something that gifts you with, um, constipation.  Unfortunately, there is no agreed upon "Parkinson's Diet."   That hasn't stopped people from telling you their opinion, though.  (Come to think of it, NOTHING keeps people from telling you their opinion...)

So what have I tried?

Terry Wahls has a special protocol for Multiple Sclerosis, which is heavy on meats, especially organ meats, and heavy on veggies, and has no dairy (because she is allergic to dairy, and wanted to use exactly what she used to deal with her own MS).  In her book, The Wahls Protocol, she talks about her diet as if there has already been a clinical trial of it, so let's use it.  Looking into this more closely, I found that she was exaggerating the "clinical trial" part.  But it worked for her.  On the other hand she has MS and I have Parkinson's, quite different diseases.  But what the heck,  I gave it a try.  But every time I try her special favorites - bone broth and organ meats - I got a strong immune response; the joints that hurt when there's a storm coming ache - but there's no storm coming.  And I just don't feel good.  So drop the organ meat and bone broth. 

I've been lactose-intolerant for decades, so haven't had cow's milk in forever, and I use Lactaid tabs so that I can eat cheese.  I use Almond Milk if I need "milk."  Since some people think dairy might be bad for PD (though the evidence isn't consistent), I tried giving up dairy, which is really hard if you purchase prepared food like... whole grain bread - produced on equipment that might have milk on it/in it.  The killer for me was cheese - I love it.  But I did without cheese for weeks, probably a month.  Feel any different?  Nope.  And I tried vegan cheese, which finally has the mouth-feel of cheese, but does NOT have the taste.  Since then, I've tried regular cheese (might have had a weak immune response - a little ache in my joints.  Also tried organic cheese; not convinced it was produced cleanly, because it gives me immediate diarrhea and a weak immune response - a little joint ache.  But I also tried goat cheese - no problems; I can digest it and there's no immune response.  The only people who don't like eggs for PD are vegans, who already have an axe to grind; their "evidence" is neither consistent nor persuasive.  So eggs are okay, goat cheese is okay - for me.

Some people are anti-carb, but I haven't seen persuasive research.  Certainly, whole grains provide fiber and calories that I need (I don't need to lose any more weight - and never thought I'd say that). 

I looked at Laurie Mischley's work on diet, but her sample size is small, mostly white and, more importantly, she hasn't controlled for exercise or other lifestyle choices like smoking, so I find her work on diet and PD interesting but not persuasive.  I do think she's on the right track with a lot of things - lots of fruits and vegetables, in particular.  Her video, here, and at this link, is well-worth watching. https://vimeo.com/191664871

So what do I eat?  A Mediterranean diet - lots of vegetables and fruit, lots of nuts, whole grains, vegetable proteins with a bit of fish and meat, eggs and goat cheese.  With 7+ servings of veggies and fruits and an hour of exercise each day, I am rarely troubled with constipation.

The biggest problem I have is maintaining my weight - I eat very healthily and exercise a lot.  This was great when I was trying to lose weight, but now I don't want to lose more.  It has been hard to stop losing - I have to consciously snack (nuts and dark chocolate). 

Image from Pixabay.