Why I'm on a Plant-Based Diet, and Why You Should Be Too.

"All well and good for you, Rick. If it helps you, more power to you. But why do I need to be on a plant-based diet?"

I know I could "talk" or in this case, type till I'm blue in the face, and there will be some people who are simply not willing to give up their meat, dairy and eggs. Even though it will in all probability, lead to heart disease, cancer, or some other chronic disease. I know that some may feel that I'm being radical. However, the science is all there. The clinical trials and all the best evidence points toward that reality.

What? You want links? How about the following:

From Parkinson.org, a general guide to how diet affects PD and what the current evidence shows.

From Dr. McDougall, has some interesting things to say on this subject.

From the Brian Grant Foundation's blog interview with a movement disorder specialist.

That is just a small sampling when I did a search on Parkinson's and plant-based diet on Google.

Plus, there is much more clinical trials and information dating back to the 1950s about how a plant-based diet protects from heart disease and cancer, the top two killers in Western Society. Western Society as everyone who eats like us. Those areas of the world that only rarely eat meat or dairy products have near zero incidents of heart disease and cancer. Pretty much every study done on this topic shows that a plant-based diet will be protective for anyone getting heart disease or cancer. Even better, in both cases, it shows that it can *reverse* those diseases.

Nuerodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's aren't so fortunate on the reversing area. Brain neurons are not as likely to grow back and start producing dopamine again. However, it is hoped that providing the antioxidant and other infection reductions that a plant-based diet has to offer, will slow or even stop the progression of the disease. That has yet to be proven, however, even though there is some laboratory and animal testing that has promising results.

However, the biggest chance it can help people that are either yet to get PD or some other chronic condition like MS, ALS, etc., is to go on a plant-based diet. The downside is that most people think something like that is a radical approach, that the food will not be as good as their steak and potatoes, that they could never give up their cheese, or eggs, or add in whatever you love that you would have to give up. Until . . . you get a chronic disease, or come down with heart disease or cancer. Then suddenly, you realize the value of listening to someone like me.

Consequently, many will not do this diet that has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to prevent and heal most diseases we face. The cool thing is that you don't have to do, buy, or take one thing from for one problem, another for a different problem. I'm not selling you any supplements that claim to do that. One for each possible disease you might get. Rather, I'm promoting eating healthy for the reason that I know it is the best thing for anyone to do. This one change, in our diet, could profoundly affect the future of our lives.

Eating healthy is the solution for everyone. And for those that might be able to avoid getting a chronic condition like PD, it means more years of living without tremors, muscle tightness, pain, etc. It is too late for me, to a point. I've had PD symptoms for six years now. The damage is done in my brain, and short of a miracle, there isn't any way I can get that function back. All I can hope for is slowing of the progression down to a hopefully slow crawl. But you still have a chance to live a full and healthy life. Why wait until the damage is done?

Nutrition and exercise are the two biggest factors in Parkinson's Disease. Both in their lack in getting it and in using them to manage it. Can you afford to wait until you get a disease before giving up meat, dairy, and eggs? I wish I had known this back when I was still young. My life might have been much different if I had.

If the above doesn't convince you, but your interested in the topic, I would suggest watching this video that Dr. Gregor gives on how a plant-based diet can cure and/or alleviate the leading 15 causes of death. If he can't convince you, I don't know who could.

We're in Colorado!

Hello, everyone.

Yes, as I've said in the title, we've successfully arrived in Colorado with our lives and stuff intact. I had one big harrowing experience in coming here, though.

We were driving down I25 toward Denver, about a little over 40 minutes from our final destination. Just north of Colorado Springs, I suddenly noticed the trailer swaying back and forth. I was controlling it, but not knowing why it was doing this, I thought maybe it would correct itself or get out of control worse. Then it dawned on me that one of the two tires on each side of the trailer must have blown. I was correct.

My wife, driving the van behind me, was in a panic as she related to me after we safely made it to the side of the road. She started smelling smoke, and started looking for where it was coming from. Then she noticed smoke coming from the trailer. She yelled for our son to call me and tell me to get off the road. About that time, however, is when she saw the tire shred apart and I started fishtailing in the heavy traffic on each side of me. She relates that she was in frantic prayer as well as telling me to get off the road.

About the time I realized what had happened, I looked over in my window to see if I had a way to pull over to the side of the road. Amazingly, I did. Most likely because the tire blew on the right side and and so people were slowing down in fear of me fishtailing into them. So I moved over with success. Upon looking at the damage, since we had one good wheel on that side it could ride on, we decided to slowly make our way down the side of the road until the next exit, about a mile away. We did and parked in front of a 7-11 under construction there. A Starbucks was there to provide a place to recoup as well. Which turned out to be a good thing as we had to wait over 2 hours before roadside assistance came and replaced the tire.

So we arrived a few hours later than expected. Better than spending the night(s) in a hospital. We were truly thankful for all the prayers for our safe travel.

So now we have been here over a week. A lot has happened this past week. I'll just relate the more important things. One, key thing is the YMCA job appears to be a lock at this point. I met with Colleen, the Health and Wellness director at the YMCA, twice last week. The last time was to get some paperwork done. She's submitted the background check to Texas, so we are just waiting for that paperwork to get back before we can proceed, which she said could take as long as six weeks or more. So I wait. Wait for Texas to respond. Once that happens, however, I'll go into HR and fill out their paperwork and then I'm officially hired. According to Colorado state law, I'll be considered a resident once I'm gainfully employed. So that will also become the moment I'll be an official Colorado resident.

Aside from that is doing all the other switch-overers of our address. As well as obtaining new stuff, like I've still got to get my driver's license, register the car, etc. I do have a new bank account, I've changed addresses with Social Security and changed my direct deposit info, since that takes 2 months to switch over.

And money is tight, more than I expected it to be. We have enough to buy some groceries and gas for the truck, but not much more. But we're budgeting closely, working to get enough money through work. Like as of today, I've had one request to get a bid on doing window cleaning. Still waiting to hear where they are located. Hopefully that pans out to be my first CO client. Lenita is still looking for kids to baby sit, and Kalee is still looking for a job so she can eventually pay for our new apartment or other location. It will all come together in God's good time, I'm sure.

At this point, I would like to thank all those who have donated money we would need to move. It was just enough to pay for our trip gas, motel in Amarillo, the trailer, and food along the way. I was hoping we'd be able to save up for our emergency fund from that money, but it was not to be. It will happen as we roll along, however. At any rate, know your money was used well and appreciated very much.

Anyway, if you want to know our new current address and phone number, send me an email at rick@copple.us, or private message me on Facebook if you know me via that route, and I'll give it to you.

As far as my PD is going, great! Still, after all this excitement, no medications are being taken. I even have some functions slowly, ever so slowly, returning. I'm hoping they mostly return back to "normal" whatever that my be. But I'm getting more surefooted and all.

In  a few days, it will have been one year since my DBS surgery. (Sept. 29th). It is like the time before DBS is fading. But that's why I started this blog, to document my disease progression, to determine what has helped and what hasn't, for me. So I can look back and see how far I've come. Hard to believe I am doing so well, even before DBS, than I was toward the end of 2014. Exercise has helped a lot to reverse a lot of symptoms. It also, I believe, prepared me for DBS as well. My balance had improved as well as other issues. Even though since DBS I'm not as sure footed as I used to be, I still have great balance. My last visit with my neurologist she asked me how my balance was doing. I told her overall good, though sometimes I more easily trip over stuff (especially when I'm tired). I then proceeded to show her by lifting one foot off the ground and holding it out in front of me. She told me not many of her clients could do that.

Yes, eventually this disease will overtake me. But at least I feel I have some time left to get things done I want to get done, and to spend some quality time with Lenita and the grandkids. I suppose if Lenita was Bilbo talking to Gandolf, she would say, "Grandkids, Gandolf, grandkids!" (That's a reference to Bilbo responding to Gandolf's query as "Mountains, Gandolf, mountains." in the Lord of the Rings Movie, for those few who didn't watch them.) I feel the same way too. We've come here for the grandchildren, though the mountains are a nice side benefit.

All in all, things are going well. I watched Lenita as she stood on the balcony with the grandchildren earlier today, thinking we've made it possible for her to do what she really wanted to do. She's happy, therefore, I'm happy. God is good.