Tag: life

Ketogenic Diet and other recipes

Eating healthy for some comes easy for others its hard. As there are many diets people have talked about are ketogenic diet. The Ketogenic Diet is a high fat, low carbohydrate, controlled protein diet that has been used since the 1920s for the treatment of epilepsy. The diet is a medical treatment and is usually only considered when at least two suitable medications have been tried and not worked. With the ketogenic diet, the body mostly uses ketones instead of glucose for its energy source.  The diet is not for everyone but is suitable for many different seizure types and epilepsy syndromes, including myoclonic astatic epilepsy, Dravet syndrome, infantile spasms (West syndrome), and those with tuberous sclerosis. If you or your child has feeding problems, or has a condition where a high fat diet would cause problems, the diet then probably isn’t suitable please consult your doctor or nutritionist.

Here I want to discuss some great recipes to try. Even if you do not want to do the Keto diet. These are great to try as I will have other post that have great recipes to try out and are healthy and easy to make. Here is a link for try for Ketogenic Diet or as others just say Keto diet recipes.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/22959/healthy-recipes/keto-diet/

One the food I wasn’t sure about in the Keto diet was the Shirataki Noodles I am not sure if its because of the name, maybe cuss its something that I haven’t tried in a long time or not something that I have been interested in. Here I am now re-looking at something that I have tried long ago and didn’t have an issue then just wasn’t what I was use too. Now I am going to try it again as I am doing my best to eat healthier. The noodles are Soy Free, Gluten Free, and Vegan for all those that care about that stuff. For me I care that they contain less than 1 gram of carbs and 5 calories per serving, also Viscous fiber forms a gel that slows down food’s movement through your digestive tract. This can help decrease hunger and blood sugar spikes, making it beneficial for weight loss and diabetes management. This noodles comes in amazing uses and forms Rice,  fettuccine and linguine. I mean who cant use this and make some amazing recipes at more than half the cost to not just your body in what normal noodles do to you but the cost in budget for food. I found a few links on amazon to get them. DID YOU KNOW, you can get a subscription to have things send to you monthly I mean I knew it but i didn’t know you could get it set up for food items such as this. Here is the link I found I would so encourage you to try it out and remember amazon if you do not like it you can send it back no questions asked!

A tofu shirataki noodle salad with a rainbow of veggies and shrimp in a tasty Korean-style dressing that is served cold; perfect for a hot summer day!

Here is the recipe for above image ….

Cooking Directions

Ingredients

For the dressing:

  • 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar or lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce (gluten-free or tamari for gluten-free)
  • 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tsp. gochugaro (Korean chili pepper flakes) or aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
  • 2 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tsp. honey or sugar
  • 1 green onion, finely sliced

For the salad:

  • 1 pkg. House Foods Tofu Shirataki Noodles, drained and rinsed
  • 8 ounces cooked shrimp, peeled and chilled
  • 4 cups lettuce, shredded
  • 1 cup cucumber, julienned
  • 1 cup carrot, julienned
  • 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
  • 1 yellow pepper, julienned
  • ¼ cup green onion, sliced
  • ½ cup kimchi (optional)

For the dressing:

  • Mix everything together.

For the salad:

Tofu Shirataki Spaghetti

Made from a blend of tofu and konnyaku (or konjac), an Asian yam, Tofu Shirataki Spaghetti contains 10 calories, 3g of carbs, and 2g of fiber per serving. 

Tofu Shirataki Spaghetti is:

  • Gluten free
  • Non-GMO
  • Vegan
  • Keto friendly
  • Great for soups, salads, pasta, stir fry’s

you can buy it here or at local grocery store that carrys it https://www.house-foods.com/products/shirataki/tofu-shirataki/tofu-shirataki-spaghetti

Traditional Shirataki

Made from konjac, an Asian yam, this traditional Japanese noodle contains zero calories. Gluten free, non gmo, vegan and keto friendly

you can buy it here or at a local grocery store https://www.house-foods.com/products/shirataki/traditional/traditional-shirataki

3..2…1.. Photosensitive

So many of us can..but so many of us can not. For about 3% of people with epilepsy, exposure to flashing lights at certain intensities or to certain visual patterns can trigger seizures. You think now “then why the warning in the movie theaters?”. Have you ever heard of photosensitivity? No, well I am not honestly surprised and if you have then great please share the meaning with others. Now the word and its meaning: Photosensitivity is the amount to which an object reacts upon receiving photons, especially visible light. In medicine, the term is principally used for abnormal reactions of the skin, and two types are distinguished, photoallergy and phototoxicity. Photosensitive epilepsy (PSE) is a form of epilepsy in which seizures are triggered by visual stimuli that form patterns in time or space, such as flashing lights; bold, regular patterns; or regular moving patterns. PSE affects approximately one in 4,000 people (5% of those with epilepsy).

Seizures in photosensitive people may be triggered by exposure to some of the following situations:

  • Television screens or computer monitors due to the flicker or rolling images.
  • Certain video games or TV broadcasts containing rapid flashes or alternating patterns of different colors.
  • Intense strobe lights like visual fire alarms.
  • Natural light, such as sunlight, especially when shimmering off water, flickering through trees or through the slats of Venetian blinds.
  • Certain visual patterns, especially stripes of contrasting colors.
  • Some people wonder whether flashing lights on the top of buses or emergency vehicles may trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy too.
  • Driving with the lights from car street lights have been able to set off because its like a flickering light as the person drives or goes by

Not all televisions, video games, computer monitors, and strobe lights trigger seizures, however. Even in predisposed individuals, many factors must combine to trigger the photosensitive reaction. Examples include:

  • Frequency of the flash (that is, how quickly the light is flashing)
  • Brightness
  • Contrast with background lighting
  • Distance between the viewer and the light source
  • Wavelength of the light
  • Whether a person’s eyes are open or closed (depends on the person)

The frequency or speed of flashing light that is most likely to cause seizures varies from person to person. Generally, flashing lights most likely to trigger seizures are between the frequency of 5 to 30 flashes per second (Hertz). The likelihood of such conditions combining to trigger a seizure is small, however can happen. PLEASE DO NOT TRY AND MAKE ONE HAPPEN ON PURPOSE THESE ARE NOT A JOKE!!!

MORE MOVIES ARE TO BE HAVING PLEASE LEARN WHAT TO DO SO YOU CAN HELP SOMEONE IN NEED
WATCH THIS VIDEO AND LEARN WHAT TO DO IF SOMEONES IS HAVING A SEIZURE

PLEASE IF YOU HAVE A STORY TO SHARE PUSH THE CONTACT BUTTON AND MESSAGE ME LET ME KNOW. IF YOU LIKE this LIKE this AND comment IF YOU WANT to know MORE OR HAVE ANY questions COMMENT BELOW AND ask. I hope that you have a GREAT day!

Roller Coaster to Freedom

On a sunny relaxing Sunday afternoon, I noticed my kindergarten making strange noises – I couldn’t tell if she was grunting or laughing. We had no idea what was happening to her. For just a moment, I thought she was playing a trick on me! Before I knew it, we were in an ambulance headed to our local children’s hospital. So many nurses, so many codes called, my husband me and her twin sister rushed out of the room into the waiting room as they had to bring my daughter back to life. I fought to stay and was forced to sit in the waiting room and let the doctors work as I was helpless to do anything but hold my other daughter and my husband. What felt like days was only few minutes the doctor comes out and tells us she is doing good and, luckily in stable condition. Our fight has just begun.

Let me hold my baby girl. Let me set her free. Endless nights and silent prayers so many questions and so many questionable looks. My husband and I book cling to each other in fear but smile and grin to hold each other strong as we tell our daughter to be strong cuss she can make it. She is bright she is amazing she is the shining star. Her sister identical twin kept asking us “why her and not me?” such a hard answer to give. These emotions are such a roller coaster for all four of us. we cant imagine the pain she feels and she cant imagine what we feel. I cant stop my baby girl from silently staring into space, I cant stop any of the seizures she has. My husband and I take turns as its hospital and doctor trips is our life. Be free of this thing that clings to my daughters life like a leach. Yes, a month has gone by we celebrate so exited a glimpse of hope after years gone by and then all sudden another day and, another round when will this just stop? When will a CURE be found? When will we get answers of whats wrong with our child. So many doctors we have seen now, tired of others advice. Walking into Texas Children’s Hospital I felt like there was hope that day more than most. In February 2011, my daughter was diagnosed with epilepsy. An answer finally was given and a breath we all were able to take. Unbeknownst to us, our sweet girl was suffering from constant partial complex seizures. We soon noticed her case was proving to be a bit more complex than anticipated, so we started researching the top epilepsy hospitals in the nation after a year of local care. We were willing to travel anywhere and we found out we were just were we needed to be.


Partial Complex Seizures & Regions of the Brain

We tried numerous cocktails of anti-seizure medications. I can easily recall relishing in the brief moments of joy when the medications seemed to be finally working, only to be disappointed by the return of those nasty, inevitable seizures. By this time, my daughter had moved into our bedroom so we could monitor her activity through the night, every night, recording the time and length of each seizure. As a mother, watching your child seize makes you feel completely helpless. I would witness up to 20 seizures on the most unfortunate nights. She would cry herself to sleep or cry in her sleep. Shed be talking and fall into another seizure and not much I can do but make sure she doesn’t hurt herself. I cant take away the seizures but I can hold her close and make sure she knows shes loved.

After realizing medication wasn’t the answer, I distinctly remember the first time epileptologist discussed surgery. I must admit, I cried throughout the entire conversation, because the mere thought of brain surgery as an alternative scared me to death. How could I possibly make this decision for my child? How could removing a part of my precious child’s brain not leave her with a lifetime of disabilities? What if something goes terribly wrong? How am I going to explain everything to her sister? How am I going to keep my husband calm let alone myself?

SURGERY

Nearly 130 electrodes were placed directly on her frontal lobe to identify the exact point of seizure origination. Once this procedure was completed, my daughter fortunately seized quickly. They were able to confirm her seizure activity was indeed coming from her right frontal lobe. We handed her off to the doctor again two days later so his team could meticulously remove her right frontal lobe, including her secondary motor strip. Then, we waited. My husband and I found a nice, quiet place to settle down for this long day of surgery. We prayed. We reminisced on stories of our girl’s silliness. We remained optimistically hopeful that she would return to her love of cartwheels, tumbling, singing and playing with friends. The epileptologist and his team did a great job of updating us on her surgery progress. We couldn’t have been happier to put our eyes on our girl in recovery. She opened those big, blue eyes and said, “Mommy and daddy.” Tears from all of our faces as my daughters, my husband and I embraced.

Fast forward to today – my princess is now 16 years old, a teenager! On June 19, 2019, our even spunkier daughter joyously celebrated five years of freedom from seizures. She has also been off seizure medication for over three years! Not only is she back to cartwheels and tumbling she’s on her high school’s competitive cheerleading team, hanging out with her friends like a normal teenager and tackling ninth grade. While the road to full recovery wasn’t exactly seamless, gone are the anxious nights of careful monitoring. We are extremely grateful to have our family together and a great care team. She may be seizure free for almost 5 years but we still check in with the doctor to make sure that everything still is medically going well, as we can not control our body and nobody can predict the body and future.

MORE INFORMATION ON TYPES OF SEIZURES

Most epilepsy is treated with medication. Drugs do not cure epilepsy, but they can often control seizures very well. About 80% of people with epilepsy today have their seizures controlled by medication at least some of the time. … There are more drugs available today to control seizures than ever before! That doesn’t mean they Cure epilepsy. Please help us find a cure. Even if that means to hear our story’s that is supporting. There is also a way to donate to help those who need treatments, medications, and life saving surgery’s like the one in the story above that was so kindly shared. https://donate.epilepsy.com/donate

Please if you have a story contact me. If you like this comment and like this post and take a look at the rest of my post thank you. Real life story’s, shared with me to be shared with everyone we support each other.

Competitive Runner

Katie is a 20-year-old competitive runner from Dublin. Due to an aggressive form of epilepsy, she experiences up to 14 seizures a day. Despite her condition, Katie hasn’t let anything stand in the way of her love for running. With the help of her neurologist, who doubles as her running partner, Katie is never steered off course. With each seizure, she is able to bounce back and keep on going. She has been diagnosed since she was 9 years old, with 2 types. She has gone from a wheelchair to running shoes. Every day can be interesting but every day she picks up her running shoes and lives the day to the fullest. Most the rime she trains alone but for her big races she runs with her neurologist who is also her running partner. She doesn’t let anything get in her way of living life. A great plan put together a support group made of doctors loved ones and a team. A great diet and a exercise plan. Goals set and achieved.

With over 40 different kinds of epilepsy out there its not uncommon for people to be diagnosed with more than one type. For those who have no idea what it is however it is very common for people to assume to call 911 or jump to the worst conclusion of what epilepsy is. The simple word “epilepsy” when googled or just read looks scary. When seen having an Convulsive attack looks SCARY which IT IS but most do not know what to do or how long to wait or anything about it except what it looks like.

Click the Link below Please and watch to know what to do if you witness a seizure and have have the Knowledge of what to do Thank You.

https://youtu.be/XyDHG02phs0

Please continue Sending me your story’s to share with others. Even if you do not think your story is worth sharing you’d be surprised you can inspire. Love to hear from anyone including the friends, doctors, loved ones, anyone from any point of view. Please leave a comment send me a email by pushing the contact button to send me an email. Lets share with the world how Strong we are all together. WE do not know how strong we are until is the only choice we have Epilepsy Awareness.

Dublin Ireland-thank you Google

Invisible Strength

Looking at the Beauty in Every Day

Today I just wanted to start with a “Hello”. I walk through life every day like everyone else and 99% of people wouldn’t take a second look at me, or even guess that I have a medical condition, because it doesn’t put me in a wheelchair or I don’t have to use crutches. It is an invisible illness that if you pay attention you can see it in my everyday life. There are many people with this same medical condition, different types not every person handles it the same. There is over 40 different types of seizures. More than 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally. Nearly 80% of people with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries. It has been estimated that about 1.2 percent of U.S. people have active epilepsy. This comes out to about 3.4 million people nationwide, and more than 65 million globally. Additionally, about 1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy at some point during their lifetime. Thinking about that it doesn’t mean that it will stay for long knowing that it doesn’t mean it will go with a blink of an eye. The scariest thing to add on to all this to think about is epilepsy can begin at any age from anything. It is estimate that 1 out of every 1.000 people with epilepsy die from SUDEP each year. People can also die from prolonged seizures (status epilepticus). About 22,000 to 42,000 deaths in the U.S. each year occur from these seizure emergencies. What is SUDEP you ask? Great question! SUDEP stands for
Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. Scariest thing to happen to a parent to watch their child die and not to be able to do anything besides know they did everything they could. To be the husband or wife and watch or wake up to your loved one gone. or watch that one last seizure and a medical team try and save them and not be able to do anything. The sibling unsure how to help but all sudden your brother or sister isn’t there anymore. There is so much research being done but so many types of seizures and alot still un-found and still trails and errors. Seizures are still something people are scared of and when comes to the job market people run from the word seizure and don’t listen to anything. they picture the worse they don’t want to get the rest of the education. So many types if seizures out there and none are the same. For me I can do anything anyone else can do I just need my 8 hours of sleep to refocus and breath. I need to be able to de-stress and at times i need a few more breaks but I will speak up when I need to recenter and breath, sometimes takes me little bit longer to learn what I need to but that is why I take notes. For others it may not be as easy everyone has their own strengths and weakness and we all have our own voice.

https://youtu.be/Zl_G0B8EqV0

https://www.epilepsy.com/connect/forums/products-resources-helpful-links/over-40-different-types-seizures-revised