Watch Chef Alex of Swank and Swine make the Thai yellow veggie curry dish that he prepared for Plates for Parkinson’s. Get the full recipe in the recipes section of this website.
Watch Chef Alex of Swank and Swine make the Thai yellow veggie curry dish that he prepared for Plates for Parkinson’s. Get the full recipe in the recipes section of this website.
Soups are a great way to make healthy lunches. Make extra batches to store in the refrigerator or freezer and you’ll have multiple healthy meals ready to go! The lentils in this recipe add a healthy dose of fiber to the soup. The combination of spices and vegetables packs a lot of nutrients into one dish. If you’re having trouble chopping vegetables, look for prepared vegetables at your grocery store.
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 medium sized purple potatoes cubed ½ inch (can substitute other potatoes)
2 large carrots cubed ½ inch
2 medium sized turnips cubed ½ inch
½ yellow onion cubed ½ inch
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 cup dried lentils
1 bunch of kale cleaned and ripped
enough water or low sodium vegetable broth to cover
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp paprika
1/8 tsp ground turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste
Rajiv Harry is a Health and Wellness expert in Portland. Learn more about Rajiv at Embrace Change.
Smoothies are a great way to get a lot of nutritious ingredients in one easy meal. If you’re having problems chewing and swallowing, smoothies may be a good option for you. If you want to make your smoothie, follow our recipe guide!
| Liquid Base | Coconut water Nut/seed milk Water | |
| Leafy Greens | Kale Lettuce Mint Mixed greens Parsley Romaine lettuce Spinach Watercress Wheatgrass Beet greens Bok choy Cilantro Dandelion greens Endive | |
| Healthy Fats | Avocado Olive oil Omega-3s (flaxseeds, chia seeds) | |
| Brightly Colored Produce | Acai berries Beets Blackberries Blueberries Carrots Cherries Cranberries Cucumber Currants Elderberries Figs Grapefruit Grapes Kiwi Honeydew Lemon Lime Mango Nectarines Oranges Papaya Peaches Pineapple Plums Pomegranate seeds Raspberries Rhubarb Strawberries Tangerines Watermelon | |
Superfoods | Cacao nibs Chia seeds Chlorella Cinnamon Cocoa powder Coconut flakes Ground flaxseeds Ginger Hemp seeds Maca powder Microgreens Nut/seed butters Powdered greens/herbs Spices Spirulina Turmeric |
Choose foods from each category below and add to a blender. You may choose multiple ingredients from the same category, as long as the measurement stays the same. Add 4-6 ice cubes. Blend and enjoy!
We all have hectic days where it is difficult to plan ahead and eat healthy. Here are a few tips and recommendations for when you are in a hurry and need a quick snack!
While snacking, make sure to keep an eye on portion size. Here is a guide to suggested serving sizes:
Raw Fruits and Vegetables = 1 cup (about the size of your fist)
Dried Fruits = 1/4 cup (small handful)
Pretzels = 1 ounce (about the size of a coffee mug)
Nuts = 1 tablespoon (about 5-10 nuts)
The ideal choice for a quick snack would be fruits and veggies. Some fruits that can help satisfy a sweet tooth include:
• Grapes
• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Apples
• Oranges
• Bananas
• Plums, nectarines and peaches and berries
Try these combinations:
1. Grab some dried apricots, dates, blueberries, cranberries, or mangos for a sweet treat. (Dried fruits are delicious and full of nutrients, but also tend to have excess sugar, so limit your portions to about a handful at each sitting.)
2. Mix a few favorites together with some coconut flakes and dark chocolate for a sweet, low protein trail mix.
3. Add some oats or granola for a bit of variation.
Vegetable slices are fast and easy: carrots, peppers, snap peas and cucumbers are great picks. You can buy bags of already bite-sized broccoli and cauliflower that are great for dipping.
Try these combinations:
1. Dip broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber or carrots in hummus that’s made from chickpeas and filled with fiber (you can purchase it pre-made at most stores).
2. You can also use almond or peanut butter as a dip – great on celery sticks!
3. Grab some multigrain crackers and pre-made guacamole for another quick healthy snack.
If you’re looking for a healthy breakfast option, check out our granola recipe that’s packed with the health benefits of nuts. Add berries for more nutritional benefits and sweetness – and make it a dessert too!
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup walnuts
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup raw pistachios
6 Brazil nuts
1 cup macadamia nuts
1/4 cup raw shelled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup raw honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup raisins (or your favorite dried fruit)
Getting foods and liquids from the mouth to the stomach is a complex process, involving coordination between the many muscles in the mouth and throat and the autonomic nervous system.
Depending on a variety of individual factors, Parkinson’s disease (PD) can affect muscular control of all or part of this process, says Leslie Harper, MS, CCC-SLP, a speech/language pathologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
“Common signs of swallowing issues in Parkinson’s include the feeling that food is stuck in your throat, coughing or choking while eating or drinking, and noticing your voice sounding ‘wet’ or ‘gurgly’ or your eyes watering while eating or drinking,” she says. “Swallowing problems can also lead to unintentional weight loss and poor nutrition.”
People with PD can also lose control of the food or liquid in their mouths, resulting in it spilling into the throat too soon. “This can cause food or liquid to enter the windpipe before a person has triggered a swallow,” Harper says. “There can also be residual food or liquid in the throat post-swallow that is at risk of entering the airway.”
These issues raise the risk for inhaling fluid or stomach contents into the lungs (called pulmonary aspiration), which can cause pneumonia.
“If you notice changes in your swallowing, consider asking your physician for a referral to a speech pathologist, who can pinpoint your unique swallowing issues and address them with the techniques specifically for you,” suggests Harper.
Here are some general strategies for eating and drinking more safely:
1. Maintain good posture.
Stay seated upright in a straight-backed chair with knees and hips at 90° and with the head slightly tilted forward—while eating and drinking.
2. Stay focused on eating and drinking.
Avoid distractions like television or devices.
3. Eat slowly, and don’t talk while eating or drinking.
4. Take small bites of food and small sips of liquid.
5. Clear your throat.
If you feel food or liquid caught in your throat, cough gently or clear your throat, and swallow again before you take a breath. Repeat if needed.
6. Stay in an upright position (seated or standing) for about 30 minutes after meals.
7. Stay hydrated.
Some PD medications can cause dry mouth, which makes it harder to swallow. If you don’t make enough saliva, try sucking on a popsicle or hard sour candy or moistening food (add a sauce or broth or dunk crusty bread into milk, for example) to make it easier to swallow.
People with PD can have problems digesting food once it enters the stomach. Gastroparesis, for example, is a condition in which the stomach muscles or the nerves controlling them aren’t functioning correctly.
It’s common in PD, says Leslie Harper, MS, CCC-SLP, a speech/language pathologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. . “It affects the regular and rhythmic contractions of the digestive tract and results in delayed emptying of food from the stomach into the intestines,” she says. Gastroenterologists, or stomach specialists, can diagnose and treat gastroparesis and other digestive disorders.
To improve digestion, try:
1. Staying upright after meals.
As with swallowing, sitting or standing upright for about 30 minutes after meals can help food move more efficiently through the digestive process.
2. Deep breathing.
Deep breathing exercises strengthen the muscles of your diaphragm, which will aid digestion and help prevent acid reflux. As a bonus, deep breathing also relieves stress. Here’s a simple exercise to try: Sit or recline in a comfortable position. Inhale through the nose slowly, letting the chest and lower belly rise as lungs fill. Let the abdomen expand fully, then exhale slowly through the mouth or nose.
3. Getting regular physical activity.
Walking, cycling and other exercises that get you moving help stimulate the action of your intestines and can improve problems with constipation. Yoga, for instance, offers the combined benefits of physical activity and deep breathing, and many poses specifically target muscles involved in digestion.
One of the best ways to eat better is by preparing your own meals with a wide variety of fiber- and antioxidant-rich vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. Meal preparation, however, can be challenging with PD. Strategic planning and reorganization will make meal preparation easier, safer and less tiring. Here are nine ways to streamline your time in the kitchen:
Remove trip hazards like rugs, and clear a path to the stove, refrigerator, sink and countertops. Reorganize cabinets so most-used items can be reached without stretching or bending. Store your favorite spices in labeled, easy-to-open containers in a drawer and your go-to pots and pans on shoulder-height shelves, for example.
Research has found getting to the grocery store often is a major barrier to cooking for people with PD, but there are now many options for doing your food shopping from home on a computer or other device. Consider ordering pre-cut fresh fruits and veggies if dexterity issues or fatigue makes chopping uncomfortable or unsafe. Pre-cut frozen fruits and veggies also simplify meal prep and offer similar nutrition to their fresh counterparts—as long as they don’t include added sugar, salt or fat.
Not sure what to cook? The meal delivery kit trend means there are many options for getting ingredients delivered for these curated meals.
Look for kitchen tools with handles that are easier to grasp and safer to use. These include whisks, ladles and spoons with thick, cushioned handles; cushioned can openers that do the job with no sharp edges; can and jar openers that give muscles an assist; and angled measuring cups that eliminate the need to bend your neck by showing amounts from above.
Replace cast-iron skillets and other heavyweight containers with pots and pans you can lift with ease.
If handling multiple pots and pans at once is challenging, try dishes that can be made in a single pan, like stir fries, roasts, pastas and salads. Slow and instant cookers also allow easy preparation of a variety of one-pot meals.
Before starting to cook a meal, gather everything you’ll need, including prep tools, pots and pans, and all ingredients, in one place. If standing is tiring, sit in a bar chair so you can work at counter height. A cushioned, non-slip rug can also ease the strain of standing.
Make and freeze extra servings for fast, healthy meals on days when you don’t feel up to cooking.
Knives, sharp tools and heat sources are potential hazards in the kitchen. Don’t rush through food prep, be wary of spills that create trip hazards, and cover stove burners when they’re not in use.
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Muffins are a great, on-the-go option for breakfast. This flourless version uses rolled oats and dried blueberries to add fiber and nutrients to your morning routine. Make an extra batch and freeze them to have a nutritious breakfast ready to go! Recipe yields approximately six muffins.
1 1/2 cup rolled oats (we like the gluten free version from Bob’s Red Mill)
1/2 cup banana
1/4 cup organic maple syrup or agave nectar
1/4 cup organic apple sauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp clove
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup dried blueberries (no sugar added)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor except walnuts and blueberries and mix until well combined. Oats should still have some texture.
3. Add walnuts and pulse a couple of times, then add blueberries to the mixture.
4. Place batter in a lined cupcake baking sheet.
5. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
6. Allow to cool before removing muffins from the baking sheet and serving.
Rajiv Harry is a Health and Wellness expert in Portland. Learn more about Rajiv at Embrace Change
Overnight Oats are an excellent “on-the-go” nutritious breakfast that can be prepped the night before. This recipe packs an antioxidant punch with the addition of blueberries. Oats are whole grains that provide fiber to aid digestion. Try the recipe below – and feel free to mix it up with your favorite ingredients! Overnight Oats taste best when eight hours after preparation.
1/2 cup rolled oats or quick oats (avoid steel oats unless you prefer a tougher texture)
1 cup non-dairy milk (almond, cashew, etc)
Cinnamon (to taste)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
2 Tbsp hemp seeds
1 tsp agave nectar
1 small handful slivered almonds
Rajiv Harry is a Health and Wellness expert in Portland. Learn more about Rajiv at Embrace Change