Managing Parkinson’s Symptoms: Levadopa and Diet

By Yuchi Yang RD

If you take Levadopa (L-Dopa), you need to know this: how you eat will affect the efficacy of the medication. In other words, you can adjust your meal plan to maximize the L-Dopa effects; therefore, you can find improvement in the symptoms.

The author is a registered dietitian for more than twenty years. In this book, you will learn how to adjust the meal plan to attain L-Dopa effects, thus  to decrease the symptoms of Parknson's and to improve the quality of life. 

Research continues to explore the science behind diet and nutrition for the risks of Parkinson's and how to manage it. Further research and studies will result in even more compelling dietary recommendations. In the meantime, this book can be used as a food guide to managing Parkinson's with diet.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Yuchi Yang, MS, RD
• Release date: Dec 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393751359

Yuchi Yang RD

Yuchi Yang is a registered dietitian with over twenty years of experience. She was born in the spring of 1964 and grew up in Taiwan. She earned her bachelor degree in Nutritional Science from Taipei Medical University. In 1986, she came to Storrs, Connecticut where she obtained her master degree in Nutritional Science from the University of Connecticut. The author is a nutrition expert. In the past, she had worked as a clinical dietitian at Children's Hospital, Los Angeles and Gouverneur Hospital in New York City providing nutrition counseling on a wide range of medical diagnoses to clients of all ages. Currently she resides in Issaquah, Washington where she has her private nutrition consulting practice, American Nutrition Counseling, LLC. Yuchi Yang is the author of A Food Guide to Lowering Blood Triglycerides: 4 Simple Steps and A Food Guide to Lowering Blood Pressure: 6 Simple Steps. She is also one of the main editors for Nutrition Interventions for Children with Special Health Care Needs.

Book preview

Preface

Chapter 1: Parkinson’s Disease

Possible Risk Factors

Behaviors that may Decrease the Risk

Eat Good Fats

Drink Tea and/or Coffee

Eat Fruits, Vegetables, and Legumes

Get Adequate Amount of Vitamin D

Avoid Excitotoxins

Chapter 2: Managing Parkinson’s with Diet

Eat Healthfully, but Not Too Much

Malnutrition

No More Low-Fat Diets

How Much Oil Do You Need?

Fat Contents of Common Foods

How Much Fat Do You Eat in One Meal?

Different Types of Oils and Fats

Omega-3 Fats

Eating a Balance of Fats

Levodopa and Dietary Protein Competition

Get Adequate Protein, but Not Too Much

Eat Less Dairy Products

Soybeans

Have an Adequate Amount of Fiber

Dietary Fiber Contents of Common Foods

How Much Dietary Fiber Do You Eat?

Tally Your Fiber Consumption

Tips on How to Increase Your Dietary Fiber

One Day Menu with 33 Grams of Fiber

Eat Fresh Fruits & Vegetables

Plant-Based Diet

Alleviate Constipation

Carbohydrates and Protein Ratio

Supplements

Dietary Management of Dysphagia

Ketogenic Diet

Everyone Has Unique Dietary Needs

Chapter 3: Healthy Meals and Snacks for Patients with PD

14 Healthy Breakfasts for Patients with PD

14 Healthy Lunches for Patients with PD

14 Healthy Dinners for Patients with PD

14 Healthy Snacks for Patients with PD

Recipes

1. Coconut Milkshake

2. Coconut Rice Pudding

3. Egg Stir-Fry Rice

4. Indian fish and coconut stew

5. Pan-Fry Salmon

6. Pickled Cucumber

7. Stir-Fry Green Beans with Ground Pork

8. Stir-Fry Napa Cabbage

9. Stir-Fry Onion and Kidney Beans

10. Vegetable Stir-Fry Rice

11. Instant Salad Dressing

12. Mung Bean Soup

Chapter 4: Summary

Disclaimer

Nutrition Websites

Appendices

Appendix A: Estimated Daily Calorie Needs for Men, by Age, and Physical Activity Level

Appendix B: Estimated Daily Calorie Needs for Women, by Age, and Physical Activity Level

Appendix C: Fat Contents of Common Foods

Appendix D: Daily Protein Recommendations for Adult Men and Women

Appendix E: Protein Contents of Common Foods

Appendix F: Dietary Fiber Contents of Common Foods

Appendix G: Carbohydrate Contents of Common Foods

Glossary

References

About the Author

Preface

If you take Levadopa ( L-Dopa), you need to know this: how you eat will affect the efficacy of the medication. In other words, you can adjust your meal plan to maximize the L-Dopa effects; therefore, you can find improvement in the symptoms. I have been a registered dietitian for decades. The main reason that doctors refer their patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) to me is that they see a lot of fluctuation in their patients’ response to medication with their diet, especially protein. As a registered dietitian, I help patients to estimate how much protein they need, to counsel them as such and provide advice on how to manage their diet to achieve a day-to-day consistency.

Many of people who suffer with Parkinson’s are elderly who have Medicare health insurance. Although Medicare provides many essential health benefit coverage, Medicare does not cover Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) for patients with Parkinson’s. As a result of that, patients with Parkinson’s who need a nutrition consultation to adjust their diet to improve L-Dopa efficacy will need to pay out of pocket or simply forego it because of the cost concerns.

It is my hope that this book will help patients with Parkinson’s and their friends and family members that care for these patients to learn how to adjust their meal plan to attain L-Dopa effects, thus improve their quality of life.

Research continues to explore the science behind diet and nutrition for the risks of Parkinson’s and how to manage it. Further research and studies will result in even more compelling dietary recommendations. In the meantime, this book can be used as a food guide to managing Parkinson’s with diet.

Yuchi Yang, MS, RD

American