Pulse Publications #23 - January 2024

by Ann Miner

A Chat About Parkinson's

WOW! THE CHRISTMAS PARTY for Parkinson’s Support Group was a success! Stephen and JoJo Miller, professional caterers, who are members of the group, served us amazing desserts in a beautiful setting – at no charge to us!!

Tables were decorated and the festive atmosphere was enhanced with singing of Christmas Carols led very nicely by Bill Lopez on his acoustic guitar. Silly door prizes were offered just for fun, and even Santa would have enjoyed the party.

Thanks, as always, to Choice Medical and Liz McGiffin for opening their room and hearts to us.

With leftovers from holiday meals saved in the freezer, it might be helpful to patients with PD to know what sort of foods are the easiest to swallow. Food consistency and texture can make a huge difference in our ability to swallow and add to eating pleasure. Stick with foods of a soft, even consistency. You can get a nice, varied menu with the following tips:

Your blender and your food processor are your friends when it comes to transforming solid food into smooth, creamy, easyto-swallow fare. Combine fruits with cottage cheese, cream cheese or yogurt. Puree a favorite soup to remove chunks. Then thicken the soup with mashed potatoes from the turkey dinner, or strained peas, those Christmas green beans with almonds, and so on. Just blend and serve. Add desired seasoning to augment the flavors to your taste.

Thick spreads like hummus or cream cheese served on crustless bread or as a snack on a spoon. Mashed avocado or

bananas are “snackful”, too.

Fruit nectars make a good dessert. You get the idea.

As for liquids, a product called “Thicket” is clear and tasteless when added to water or other thin liquids.

I hope this is helpful. You can get more details about swallowing and other PD tips from my book, which I shamelessly suggest, because I wrote it just for Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers. Just email me and I will see that you get a copy,only $15 with shipping. Mention this column for a 20% discount.

The February meeting will feature the popular Greg Cox from Arroyo Physical Therapy. Greg is a movement disorder specialist and has a heart for Parkinson’s patients, as some of the group already knows.

February 5th, 1:00 PM. Choice Medical Center, 19111 Town Center Drive, Apple Valley, in front of Jess Ranch.

Meanwhile, Happy New Year and good luck with those resolutions!

Ann Miner eannminer@yahoo.com, 760-954-2859