Prison Freedom

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“Being told I have to change my diet feels like a prison sentence”, the man complained

“I understand how you could look at it that way,” the master replied. “But the nice thing about this sentence is that you get to write it.”

“Yeah, but I don’t get to choose a lot of the words I’d like to write it with,” the man said.

“Perhaps you’ve been a bit too wordy,” the master said.

Back in 2004, we were held for several minutes in this
brutal Montreal prison/parking garage after hitting a sign with our car
on the way in. Then we were forced to watch the Expos play in Olympic Stadium.

I like that story a lot because it cuts to an important point I’ve felt about health for a long time: ultimate freedom is making us sick. What do I mean by ultimate freedom? Eating as much of whatever we want whenever we want. Eating for the satisfaction of our mouth over the health effect it has on our body and mind. In the American culture, freedom is prized and cherished. In comparison to living in an oppressive state, like North Korea (unless you’re Dennis Rodman or part of the Kim clan), I suppose that argument holds water. But the fallacy lies as it does with all straw man logic, the lack of one thing does not necessitate the other. In other words, having less options for food does not mean you have to be miserable. You can certainly choose to be miserable by focusing on what you lose or you can look at the very tangible things you gain. And I encourage you to look the gains and losses side by side:

LOSE	GAIN
Fried food Sugar Weight Salt	Energy Clear thought Mobility and Participation Confidence

And the list goes on.

My dad is down to 178 today – just three pounds off his goal weight of 175. That’s well over 20 pounds in the five weeks he’s been doing his gluten/sugar free diet. People have asked if he’s miserable. He’d tell you no. And he’s a man who’s been known for a fierce sweet tooth for sometime. He admitted early in the process that he believes he began to eat a lot of sugar when he gave up drinking about ten years ago. He’s certainly felt the pain of that progression and his insulin levels and pancreatic health were on the top of the list of Dr. DeMartino’s concerns when he saw my dad’s blood work. The weight is the visible symptom, but it doesn’t give the information on what’s going on beneath the surface. My dad was inching toward diabetes. That would be a fun one to add to Parkinson’s.

Food is not the whole story or key to wellness, but it’s a significant part of health for everyone, including those with Parkinson’s as we have learned this summer.

The Boys of Summer roll along, but we need your help to complete this year's journey. Please see our site for the latest on how to contribute. Thank you!