I was intrigued by your request for personal accounts of an “Ounce of Prevention.” I would like to express my own experience with Parkinson’s disease (PD). I was diagnosed with PD in 2005 at the age of 53. I read everything available on the disease during the first two years of the disease. It was then that I discovered that there was no research being done on nutrition for PD. Thus, I began a comprehensive study of how the body works to prevent and fight disease. In 2007 I was walking with a cane. I was unable to eat because my hands shook so badly that I could not keep my food on my fork. All that has changed since I learned how to properly fuel my body with wholesome and nutritious foods and exercise.
Some may snicker at the following, but an ancient description of what is food and what is not can be found in the Bible under Leviticus chapter 11. Our ancestors knew something about food that has been forgotten over the millennia. Nevertheless, it works for me. Furthermore, the denatured and adulterated food found in most supermarkets contains possibly harmful chemicals not truly meant for human consumption.
Now I eat only whole foods and grains from markets that supply organic and pesticide-free foods. I also look for a Kosher hecture on food labels, although it does not ensure the quality of foods in some cases. Today I no longer walk with a cane, my hands no longer shake, and the progression of the disease appears to have improved. My neurologist seems puzzled by this, but is unwilling to admit that proper nutrition and exercise alone can be a possible treatment for neurological disease.
I owe my deepest gratitude to my friend Johanne who encouraged me to rethink and alter my nutritional standards. I hope that this short note may be encouraging to others who may be facing severe neurological challenges.
—Michael Hinz
