A New Year, a New Diet

Everybody's into making themselves anew in the new year, and fat from feasting over the holiday, we hit the gym and try to sweat away the extra pounds, or do a cleanse to remove the toxins ingested or inhaled during the holidays.

I joined a group diet through the Suppers Program that follows Dr. Joel Fuhrman's "Eat To Live" diet protocol. I am now in the 9th day of what I plan to be 6 weeks of strict adherence to eating only fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts and seeds. A small amount of whole grains are allowed, but no sugar, no oil or other fat, no coffee, meat, eggs, fish, dairy, salt - no to all that. There are three meals a day of all I can eat of greens, cooked and raw - one pound of each is recommended. Mushrooms and onions are especially singled out to be eaten daily.

And NO snacking.

The hardest part is learning to cook without oil, or salt. And no snacking can be hard when 10:00 p.m. rolls around and I long for a bite of something crunchy, salty or sweet. I am spending a lot of time in the kitchen trying out JF's recipes or adapting others to fit the diet.

What is the goal of this diet? Many people have experienced dramatic reversal of symptoms on this diet, especially those with inflammatory diseases and conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, and also diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure have been reversed or symptoms alleviated. As for Parkinson's, I don't know of anyone who has reversed symptoms with this diet, though that's not to say it can't be accomplished. This is my experiment. First, I want to lose weight, second I want to feel better, more energetic, alive, and if I can keep my medications from having to be increased, or can reduce them, that would be great.

Eliminating medication. Now that would be a dream come true. I don't give up hope that someday, I might find the path, the one that I can personally follow, that leads to recovery.

Me with my dear family