New Year Resolutions
/1/6/20
By Jessica Lee
New year, new you…right?
At this point you’ve probably made (and broken) your new year resolutions at least once. Don’t worry, we have all been there. Maybe it was to start exercising regularly, go on a spending freeze, or call your parents more often…whatever your resolution of choice, everyone seems to be on a common journey for self-improvement this time of year.
Every day we wake up and have choices to make. Each of those choices sends you down a different path, sometimes doubling back or intersecting with a previous path. When mistakes are made, we (hopefully) learn from them and don’t revisit that path for some time (if ever). The important thing is that we keep moving, keep trying. You will make bad choices sometimes and unfortunately that choice can mean the difference between seizure or no seizure, but we want to provide tools and resources to foster the good choices.
Many of you wrote back to say you feel lost, confused, overwhelmed, frustrated with all of the information out there about the ketogenic diet. It certainly has reached a peak of popularity in the health and fitness world, not without controversy, meanwhile news outlets are constantly featuring stories about how keto ranks last on the list of recommended diets.
Personally, I am surprised at the animosity some influencers/physicians/nutritionists have against the diet! They seem almost angry that anyone would consider keto as an option. It made me pause for a moment and think “Did I just ruin my kid’s health forever by putting them on this diet for their epilepsy?” And then I remember what it was like before. Hundreds of seizures in a day is nothing that these experts (I am tempted to put that in quotes) have witnessed, and they certainly haven’t witnessed the positive effect from the diet. I will never regret the diet that saved my daughter’s life. Instead I hope to learn more about it, find ways to better utilize it, and help further research that we can use to promote the best possible outcomes.
6 months into her ketogenic diet journey
I would not say that this diet is for everyone with epilepsy or will be successful for everyone that tries it but for those of us who have exhausted traditional Western medicine in search of seizure relief, the ketogenic diet can be a welcome space for a weary traveler. Don’t let the people who cut you down because of your decision to pursue this diet overcome your will and determination. Remember that their knowledge of the ketogenic diet is likely colored by what they see on mass media as well, so approach them with grace (and maybe a little re-education).
It is in this mindset that we at Keto Hope Foundation hope to encourage you on your ketogenic journey. This year we will focus on content that is geared toward YOU as a person with epilepsy on the ketogenic diet. We will continue on this journey with you.