Latest / Living with Parkinson’s | Bryce Perry / Food and Parkinson’s: The Real Connection No One Talks About

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Food and Parkinson’s: The Real Connection No One Talks About · Living with Parkinson’s | Bryce Perry

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  With with Parkinson's, food isn't just fuel.
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  It can be the difference between your meds working or not working
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  at all. It can mean the difference
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  between steady energy or hitting the wall halfway through the
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  day. And here's the kicker, Up to 80%
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  of people with Parkinson's notice their diet directly
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  impacts their symptoms or their medication.
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  So today we're going to get real about food, the food that helps,
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  the food that's hinders, and some strategies to make meals
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  less stressful and more effective.
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  And stick with me until the very end, because I've got a braces
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  about food and Parkinson's that will make you laugh while you
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  nod in agreement. Welcome to Living with
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  Parkinson's, The Good, the Bad, and the Reality.
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  Real talk, real life, real community with Bryce Perry.
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  Let's begin. Hey, I'm Bryce.
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  I was diagnosed with Parkinson's at the age of 40 and I've been
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  living with living with it for 15 years.
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  And this is living with Parkinson's, the good, the bad,
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  and the reality. If you're new here, hit that
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  subscribe button now because we talk about the real side of
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  Parkinson's, the stuff that nobody else does.
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  So why does diet matter with Parkinson's?
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  Well, Parkinson's doesn't just affect movement.
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  It slows digestion, it changes how your meds are absorbed, and
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  it messes with your energy. If your gut is slow, your meds
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  can be slow. If your meals are off, you can
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  feel stiff, foggy, or completely drained.
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  I learned this the hard way. I once had a big steak dinner,
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  took my levodopa right after, and then spent the evening
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  wondering why nothing was working.
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  Turns out my meal basically cancelled out my meds.
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  And that's when I realized, food isn't just food with
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  Parkinson's, it's part of the treatment plan.
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  And honestly, I couldn't even blame the meds that night.
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  After that much steak, I didn't feel like working either.
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  So let's break this down, starting with the foods that
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  help. Number one, fiber.
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  Rich foods. Fiber is your friend.
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  Oatmeal, beans, lentils, whole grains, fruits, vegetables.
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  One person in the community told me that their secret weapon is
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  oatmeal with flaxseed and blueberries every single
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  morning. They said it keeps me regular,
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  it gives me steady energy instead of a crash.
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  And that, to me, is a win, win #2 Omega threes.
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  These healthy fats are in salmon, walnuts and flax.
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  They're good for your brain, and they may help with inflammation.
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  One viewer. One viewer swears by eating fish
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  twice a week. They told me I noticed less
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  brain fog when I'm stick to it. Now, I can't prove that, but
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  when you're living with Parkinson's, any edge is worth
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  exploring. How about #3 antioxidants?
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  Parkinson's is linked to oxidative stress, so eating
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  colourful foods can help. Berries, spinach, kale, red
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  Peppers. A friend of mine calls it eating
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  the rainbow. If your plate looks colourful,
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  then you're probably feeding your body something that it can
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  use. OK #4 is hydration.
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  Now this one sounds simple, but it's huge.
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  Dehydration makes stiffness, fatigue and Constipation worse.
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  One of you told me that you start every morning with a warm
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  glass of lemon water. You called it your morning
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  flush. And honestly, I love that.
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  Personally, I just call it plumbing maintenance.
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  Now let's switch gears because just as some foods help, others
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  can get in the way. And #1 and you know, this is
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  high protein. Protein itself is not the enemy
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  is essential. The tricky part though, is that
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  protein and levodopa compete for the absorption, absorption in
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  the gut. That means sometimes if you eat
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  a high protein meal and take your meds at the same time, you
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  might feel like your dose just doesn't ever kick in.
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  Here's the thing though. I don't live by a strict protein
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  timing schedule. Life's already complicated
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  enough for me with Parkinson's. So for me, if I know I'm about
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  to have a big protein heavy meal, I'll just adjust my
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  levodopa a little bit. Sometimes I take a bit more
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  before I eat, or sometimes a little bit after, depending on
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  where it lands in my day. And that's what works for me.
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  But here's the bigger picture. It's not about following some
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  perfect rule book. It's about paying attention to
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  your body, noticing patterns, and then adjusting.
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  Because what throws one off, what throws off one person
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  completely might not even bother someone else.
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  And that's that's the thought I want to leave with you in this
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  section. Food and meds aren't the
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  enemies. It's just about learning the
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  rhythm that works for you. Now, I'm not the only one.
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  One of you told me that you had your meds right after a Big
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  Breakfast of eggs and bacon and it felt like they never kicked
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  in until hours later. And that's when you realize it's
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  not the meds that stop working, it's the timing with the food
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  that makes all the difference #2 processed foods and sugar.
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  While we all know they're not great, they're yummy, but not
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  great. But with Parkinson's, the impact
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  can be harsher. Sugar gives you a spike and then
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  crashes you hard. So if you're already fighting
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  fatigue, that crash could feel like someone pulled the plug on
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  your whole body. One person told me that they had
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  cake at a birthday party and then spent the next hour feeling
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  like their batteries had died. One minute you're celebrating,
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  the next you're on a balloon with all like feel like a
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  balloon with all the air let out.
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  Sugar isn't evil. Let's just say it's just not.
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  A loyal friend #3 would be excess dairy.
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  This doesn't apply to everyone, but for many, dairy makes
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  Constipation worse. And when you're already dealing
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  with that, you don't need the extra challenge, do you?
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  So here's the question, how do you make your diet work for you
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  without feeling like you have to give up everything you enjoy?
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  That's where strategy comes in. And here's the tips.
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  Tip #1 is meal timing. I already shared my approach.
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  If you if I know I'm going to eat a big protein meal, I adjust
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  my meds around it. But some people prefer the
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  standard device, which is spacing protein and levodopa
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  apart. The point is, notice that what
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  works for your, but notice what works for your body and build
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  around that. And then that leads to #2 which
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  is meal planning. On good days, prep simple
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  healthy meals so you don't have to think about them on bad days.
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  Some of the community told me that they batch cook a big pot
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  of veggie soup, freeze it in single portions.
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  Now that's smart. It saves energy.
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  It keeps you out of the processed food trap too.
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  Tip #3 would be eating out. If I know my meds are due, I'll
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  order something light like soup or salad instead of something
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  heavy. And then I plan ahead so that
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  I'm not stuck deciding between my meds and my meal if I have
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  to. And one of you told me that you
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  even bring snacks with you just in case.
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  And that's smart planning. It's planning ahead.
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  Tip #4 is grocery shopping. And here's a simple rule.
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  Shop the perimeter. That's where the fresh stuff
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  lives, Produce, meat, dairy. The middle aisles are where all
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  the processed junk hides. And someone in the comments said
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  I treat the middle aisles like a minefield.
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  I don't even go down them. And that one made me laugh, but
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  it was really brilliant. And Speaking of community,
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  you've shared some great tips. Smoothie with spinach, berries,
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  almond milk and flax. Quick, easy and Parkinson
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  friendly recipes. And another favorite one, never
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  favorite. Someone said if the plate looks
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  beige, I know I'm in trouble. And the right beige usually
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  means bread, pasta, fries. Delicious, yes.
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  Helpful for Parkinson's? Not so much.
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  My taste buds cheer, but the rest of me stages A protest.
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  It's up to you. You pick the day.
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  Now let's zoom out. Because diet isn't just about
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  nutrients. It's about dignity, confidence,
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  and connection. I know people who skip dinner
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  parties because they're worried about Med timing.
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  Others avoid restaurants because they they feel embarrassed about
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  slow eating. And that isolation can sometimes
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  hurt more than the disease itself.
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  And that's why we talk about this stuff.
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  Because food is family, food is joy, food is connection.
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  And yes, food is strategy. And that brings me to today's
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  Price ISM. With Parkinson's, food isn't
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  just fuel, it's strategy. The trick is knowing which
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  battles are worth fighting on the plate so you don't lose the
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  war in your body. So now it's your turn.
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  What's 1 food swap rest for your tip that's helped you manage
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  Parkinson's better, Drop in the comments because your idea might
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  be the one that helps somebody else.
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  And if you found this helpful, please give this video a like
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  subscribe if you haven't already and share this video with
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  somebody who's trying to figure out what food and Parkinson's
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  looks like. And if you're looking for
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  something a little deeper, a little more private support,
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  monthly meetups space where you don't have to explain yourself,
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  check out the inner circle. The link is in the description
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  below. It's our private community, and
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  you're invited. And until next time, I want you
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  to keep showing up, keep being real, and keep doing life today.
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  Parkinson's may be part of your life, but it doesn't get to
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  define it. Thanks for listening to Living
• 8:52
  with Parkinson's, the good, the bad, and the reality.
• 8:57
  If this episode moved you, helped you, or reminded you
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  you're not alone. Share it with someone who needs
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  to hear it. Want to go deeper?
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  The Inner Circle is waiting. Monthly Zoom calls, 24/7
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  community, and a Direct Line to Bryce.
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  You'll find the link in the show notes.
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  Until next time, keep showing up and keep doing life today.