I don’t have a chronic illness and I’m only slightly overweight (or is it undertall) and I am fairly active, so why should I worry about what I eat? Just because my father had Parkinson’s and my mother had strokes and dementia doesn’t mean I’m headed there. I like my lattes, donuts and ice cream, why should I give them up?

We were part of a great support group meeting yesterday that talked about nutrition and the role it can play in slowing and even reversing my husband’s PD symptoms. The presenter also touched on other things like arthritis and diabetes, illnesses that many of us develop as we age. She spoke about the role food plays in supporting our brains and the inflammatory responses our bodies have to many of my favorite things. Dishes or treats that bring some joy in the moment I eat them but that wreak havoc in my body.

So, that brings me back to my original thought, I don’t have PD- why can’t I eat whatever I like? The answer is that I can but that I will pay the price. At a time when I need to be able to function at my best to take care of my husband and home, I don’t need additional aches and pains that I can avoid simply by making wiser food choices. I am a better support for my husband if we are both choosing the right foods and it will lighten the load as his symptoms improve and he is able to do more again. Eating healthy as a team is a win-win for both of us.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation has a great guide to nutrition called Parkinson’s Disease and Diet: A Practical Guide.