Growing up with a mom struggling with epilepsy has had a major impact on my life. From childhood to adulthood, I have seen so many stages of her illness. She was always switching medications, trying to control her seizures. To be honest, the drugs were not enough. In fact, most of the time the side effects were as bad, or worse than the epilepsy. Along with having seizures, she had the added benefit of a seemingly endless amount of side effects. Let me tell you there are A LOT of them. I grew up with a mom whose mood totally depended on her dose, while having mood swings from new medications, whilst building tolerances to the old medications. Medications to straighten out the side effects to her medications. Let’s not forget the insomnia, appetite change, and the weight gain… which lead to a lifetime of yo-yo dieting. And on and on it goes.
But wait… there might be healthier options? Perhaps you can help lifelong affliction with a healthy diet.
Diet and lifestyle choices along with medication can assist in having better control over seizures. The right diet for the right person keeps your body from working so hard.Food can be healing. Case in point: My mom was on a Ketogenic diet before one of her surgeries. This was to control her ph balance, which in turn controls seizure activity. The higher the acidity level the higher risk of seizure. The Ketogenic diet works well with seizure control because it consists of alkaline foods.
I saw a difference immediately. Aside from her decreased seizure activity, her weight was under control. She was less lethargic, and was able to actually follow a conversation. It was amazing! I didn’t realize how much I missed my mom, that was until I saw a small piece of her again. For her to be less reliant on medications was such a wonderful thing. It gave me hope that my daughter might get to know her grandmother.
Some Other Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet
- Increased energy levels
- Improved sleep
- Mental clarity and sharpness
- Weight loss
- Lower blood sugar
- Lower cholesterol
- Increased heart health
- Reduced Inflammation
- Improved Liver Health
- Clear skin
- Anti-aging effects
- Reduced risk of chronic disease
I am not saying the keto diet is right for everyone. What I am saying is I saw firsthand how a body can change dramatically from the nutrients we put into it. That is so empowering. Imagine your body working as efficiently as possible. Feeling good when you get up in the morning. Feeling energized after meals. Not relying on a pill to get you through the day. This is the idea that sparked my interest of all things nutrition.
Many of these artificial foods that we consume daily are not good for us. Our body screams at us when we have processed “food”.I can see it clearly in my daughter when she goes from only have fresh fruits and veggies, to something overly processed. She acts like a crazed monster after having too much sugar. It’s no coincidence.
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” —Jim Rohn
This all leads to the same conclusion. We can control how we feel by what we eat. What we decide to fuel our body with for the day. Personally, when I start off with a healthy and balanced meal, I am more present, I feel clear headed, and I am more confident. It’s so simple, almost too obvious and easy.
Sadly my mother got off the Keto diet after her surgery. I noticed the difference immediately, but this time going in the opposite direction. She started eating all the garbage that the doctor told her not to eat. Her attention span lessened, her seizures came back, and she was back to her yo-yo dieting. I wish she maintained the diet… but you simply can’t make people do what they don’t want to do. All we can do is work on ourselves. I hope this encourages people to take charge of their diet. After all, we are what we eat.
Link source Epilepsy.com
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