We’ve had several entries on the Tourette Blog about what you shouldn’t eat. It’s time for a little positivity!
Today, we take a look at what you should eat if you have Tourette Syndrome. Like all the questions we tackle here on the Tourette Blog, there is no simple answer for those asking about the best things to eat if you have TS.
There is a lot of information out there about what people should or shouldn’t eat in order to be healthy, lose weight, build muscle, etc. etc. It is easy to become confused and to end up with more questions than answers.
The reality is that there no one size fits all diet. You should consult a doctor and possibly a dietician for customized advice to make sure your diet is healthy and that you are taking into consideration any medical issues, allergies or food sensitivities.
On the whole, it is important to eat food that will strengthen your immune system, help keep your blood sugar levels steady and give your body the nutrients it needs. Such foods can include:
- Flaxseed, olive or canola oil (contains essential fatty acids)
- Blueberries, cranberries or other antioxidant-rich foods (repairs damage, strengthens immune system)
- Carbohydrates like legumes, peas, or whole grain cereal (for energy)
- Protein including fish, poultry, or natural soy products (helps keep your blood sugar under control and builds your cells)
- Water (makes us 60% of your body and almost 70% of your brain)
- Non-processed food (higher in nutrients)
It may surprise you to learn that people with TS do not always eat well. On the contrary, one 2015 study found that the individuals with TS that they examined had “unbalanced” nutritional intake. This included not having enough protein intake compared to nutrient intake and inappropriate ratio of fat to carbohydrates.
What is your diet like? Do you eat the foods listed above? Do you eat anything specifically to help with your Tourette?
We want to hear from you!
Sources:
Sheila Rogers, Natural Treatments for Tics & Tourette’s:http://www.amazon.ca/Natural-Treatments-Tics-Tourettes-Patient/dp/1556437471
Liang et al. “Evaluation of dietary behavior and nutrient intake in patients with Tourette Syndrome” The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. http://www.fasebj.org/content/29/1_Supplement/911.16.short
This photo of food ? is allowed to eat for my TS
I missed understood TS can’t have coffee it’s has caffeine and pies are sugars
I need an honest explanation please
Good way of dｅscribing, and nice paragraph to get facts
concerning my presentation focus, which i am going to delivеr
in аcademy.
I am a 49 year old man who has only recently been diagnosed with having tourrette’s . I have had the symptoms all my life and some pretty severe tics as well as symptoms of OCD and ADHD. I have always been afraid to be medicated and refused to go to the doctors about it as a child. My Mother respected my wishes and I am good at keeping it hidden most of the time. I have constantly gotten in trouble at work for my behavior and I am finally deciding to do something about it. It is not fun dealing with these issues and in the past I self medicated with alcohol.
I am now sober for a long time and have found that drinking a lot of coffee seems to help calm me down. It even puts me to sleep. I told my family doctor about this and thought he would think I was lying or confused. He told me that this is normal for people with adhd and the treatment often involves stimulants. He referred me to a neurologist so I am waiting for my appointment to discuss treatment options. I saw the neurologist last year but because of other medication I was on at the time medication could not be prescribed at that time now I’m off the other meds so I will see how it goes.
Hi. We have started eating a plant based diet but I’m concerned if it will worsen my 8 year olds tourettes. Please I need help
Hi Melissa. The person who wrote this article no longer writes for this blog, but perhaps I can answer.
I myself have Tourette and follow a plant-based diet. I have not had an increase in my tic severity in the last 3 years since starting to eat this way. I can’t say it will be the same for everyone, but my tics have even decreased. That may not be due to the diet, but it still indicates I was not worsened.
This was in response to Paul Merritt’s post.
My son did better in school when I fed him French fries and coffee for breakfast. He was duagnosed with adhd and ts. People with these diagnosis respond differently to stimulants than others.