Speaker A [00:00:00]:
Hi, everyone. Today on the Paralysis Nutrition Podcast, we have past client Asa. Welcome to the Paralysis Nutrition Podcast, where changing your eating habits is the key to losing weight, improving bowel health, and feeling your best. I’m your host, Fatima Fakouri. I’m a registered dietitian who’s married to a quadriplegic and specializes in nutrition for paralysis. Get ready to be inspired, educated, and motivated so you can take control of your health using the power of food. Let’s get started. This is the Paralysis Nutrition Podcast.
Speaker A [00:00:33]:
Welcome, Asa, to the Paralysis Nutrition Podcast.
Speaker B [00:00:36]:
Thank you so much. I’m so happy to be here.
Speaker A [00:00:39]:
So, Asa, you joined Paralysis Nutrition program in June, and it is now almost October. And I remember your discovery call where you were so frustrated with constipation and you had mentioned that you were working with a trainer. So a personal trainer, right? A pt? Yeah. And so share. Can you share with us a little bit about what was the advice, the nutrition advice that you had gotten from your personal trainer?
Speaker B [00:01:11]:
The advice that I got was that I need to eat a lot of protein and be careful with my carbs and with the fat, and I shouldn’t eat more than 900 calories a day, but the protein I should be eating should be at least 100 grams. But he wanted even more. So more or less only protein?
Speaker A [00:01:40]:
More or less only protein. It’s interesting because I actually thought this trainer had told you to do keto, but that’s actually not keto. Keto is super high fat and adequate protein and almost no carb. So this was just a super, super high protein diet. And would you mind sharing why, other than the fact that people with paralysis shouldn’t be consuming so much protein, why is that specifically a concern for you?
Speaker B [00:02:10]:
For me, I also have only one kidney, and I didn’t know, and I think that he didn’t know either, that this is very dangerous for the kidneys. And also it made me extremely constipated.
Speaker A [00:02:28]:
Yeah. And did you ever share with him that you have one kidney?
Speaker B [00:02:35]:
Yes, I did.
Speaker A [00:02:36]:
But the person who gave you the advice is not a medical professional, right?
Speaker B [00:02:40]:
No, no, he’s not dietician.
Speaker A [00:02:42]:
Yeah. So I just think it’s irresponsible, you know, and I think it’s dangerous. So thankfully you didn’t have any trouble. Right. Because your labs are all good. Right. And we will get to that in a minute. We’re going to talk about health.
Speaker A [00:02:59]:
Health in terms of what does health look like. But your experience starting the program was that you were under eating calories, you were under eating carbs and healthy fats. Right. And you were.
Speaker B [00:03:14]:
And fibers.
Speaker A [00:03:15]:
And, of course, fiber. Yeah. Because fiber comes from plants. Fiber comes from carbs. If you don’t eat any carbs, you cannot go to the bathroom. And so, Asa, I know how this story ends, but when you started the program, you were only able to have a bowel movement, like, once, sometimes twice a week. And anyone who listens to this podcast or follows me knows that I’m very big on fiber and adequate carbs, adequate protein. So, obviously, you know, when we started the program, you started eating kind of the paralysis nutrition way.
Speaker A [00:03:52]:
It’s not a diet. Right. It’s just a way of eating. And so can you share what changes you have seen?
Speaker B [00:03:59]:
It took about a week. I will be honest with that, because it was such a shock for my body to change because I haven’t been eating a lot of fibers for years. For years. And the first days, it became worse before it got better. But then it was like. Like my body rebooted and. Yeah. And I was on day three, four.
Speaker B [00:04:29]:
I mean, I started to go regularly, but then I also started to increase the water. And I don’t know if you remember that I overdid it. And then I had the problem that it became too much. And it’s also like, this is that I’m a person in small stature. I’m very sure. So. And we kind of forgot about that in the beginning. So I drank too much for my height, so we just adjusted that with a glass or two less.
Speaker B [00:05:01]:
And since then, I’ve been able to go once a day, every day. Wow. For months.
Speaker A [00:05:07]:
Wow. And that is just such a huge success, Asa, because I shared this with you. There were a couple of people in the summer group who were like you, who were going once a week, sometimes twice a week. And I always say this. They don’t teach dietitians about neurogenic bowel. So it can be a little bit scary. Even now. Even now that I, you know, I have a method, I have a framework.
Speaker A [00:05:32]:
Sometimes I still get a little nervous of, is this going to work? And I think in the beginning, like you said, your body was shocked. And also emotionally, mentally, that’s a big shift, you know, from going from being super high protein to then hearing from me, hey, also, that’s not what you should be doing. That’s emotional. And I think that people sometimes don’t realize that changing your diet is not about just what you eat. It’s changing your whole way of thinking, you know, especially if you were following a Different kind of plan before you are just changing, doing a 180, right, 180 degrees change in terms of like, okay, I’m going to eat half the protein that the other person told me, and I’m going to eat so many more carbs than I was before. And so you went from being very constipated to now going every single day. And that is just incredible. And I think you pretty much did state how you did that, but what were the big things that you did in terms of diet? And, you know, we also talk about lifestyle.
Speaker A [00:06:48]:
What did you do, Asa, to go from being super constipated to going every single day?
Speaker B [00:06:55]:
I’ve been very careful to eat fiber with every meal. I eat five meals a day. At least four of them contains fiber in some way, even breakfast. I am very fond of yogurt, chia puddings for breakfast with berries. And also I exercise quite a lot, at least once a day, sometimes twice. And to really take into account that also how much water I need that to drink, enough with fluid. And also if I eat much the same for three days, then I can already see that it’s harder to go. So a variation of different kinds of vegetables is very important because it’s very easy that it becomes like a habit, but in a bad way that you do nothing.
Speaker A [00:08:01]:
A routine. Yes. Like eating this. I remember that actually from the beginning of the program where we talked about variety, because it was just kind of once you were tracking and you saw the combination of meals that got you the right numbers, it was like, okay, I’m just going to keep doing this because I know if I change one thing, the numbers might change. And I so understand how once you find something that worked, it’s like, why would I. Why would I change this? But for the gut, for your gut health, eating a variety of different fruits, vegetables, whole grains, you know, different fibers is so, so important. And I think you’re one of the first people to actually say on the podcast that the variety of fiber, the variety of plant foods that you’re eating does affect your gut. And you were also quite bloated in the beginning.
Speaker A [00:08:56]:
How was that?
Speaker B [00:08:58]:
That also became worse the first two days until it became better. But I think it was the shock thought about it because it was such a big change. But for me, it’s also, I’m not American, as you might hear in my accent. I’m from Sweden, and we don’t have the same variety of greens and veggies and food like you do in the States. We have much, of course, but it’s another country, another food culture. So I think it’s important to eat with the seasons.
Speaker A [00:09:33]:
Yes, I love that.
Speaker B [00:09:34]:
And then you need to find what is working for you and what is not. And also, like we said in the beginning, this is not a diet that you should be following for a month and follow strictly. This is a way of living. And if I will be eating the same things always and ever, then if I go visit somebody, what should I do? If I go out, what should I do? No, I need to have a full list of things that I can different way put together so that I am in control. What I want, I need. And it’s in that way. I also have the space for the luxury extras.
Speaker A [00:10:20]:
Yes. The fun foods. I love that. I remember you were on holiday this summer. We have a private Facebook discussion group. And I remember you had said something like, I hit all my goals. And I had an ice cream cone with my son today. And that is beautiful.
Speaker A [00:10:41]:
Because what is life without a nice ice cream cone on a Sunday, you know, on a. On a weekend in the summer? Sometimes, you know, sometimes if you see.
Speaker B [00:10:53]:
Quality and it feels worth it, then yes, then I’m ready to go without feeling guilty about it. Because it’s not what you do once, it is what you do every day. Eat your five meals a day and try to heat your macros as good as you could weekly and drink your fluids and also actually move as much as you can. And what you do in your everyday life counts a lot. I mean, to go out and exercise for hours once a week, that will only exhaust you.
Speaker A [00:11:33]:
Exactly. But on a daily basis.
Speaker B [00:11:36]:
Yeah, not the sort of movement.
Speaker A [00:11:38]:
It helps with bowels, too. You know, I tell people, if you have, you know, some sort of standing frame or if you have some sort of, you know, resistance bands, if you have small weights, you know, anything that you can do to build muscle to help your range of motion. You know, I have a lot of clients who, I think in the beginning they think that pushing, you know, for miles and miles, pushing the wheelchair is going to help them lose weight. And I actually discourage that because I have met so many people. I mean, you know, met, met on the Internet, met in the program. No one. We don’t meet anyone in real life anymore. Right.
Speaker A [00:12:22]:
That they have problems with their shoulders. Yeah, you know, that happens a lot. And just pushing and pushing. I do understand where that compulsion comes from. That, well, okay, I can’t walk or run, but I’m going to push my wheelchair. I think it’s great sometimes and for not too long. But we do want to preserve the muscles, the shoulders, you know, all of that. And so I appreciate you mentioning, you know, different types of movement.
Speaker B [00:12:52]:
Yeah.
Speaker A [00:12:52]:
Because whether you’re a wheelchair user or not, you cannot compensate for a poor diet. Right. And when you have paralysis and you require less energy, the best thing to do is learn how to eat right so that you don’t have to exert your body so much trying to burn more calories, you know. And so. Yeah, I agree with you. You know, eating right. Tracking your macros. And tell us also.
Speaker A [00:13:21]:
So you said five meals, do you. I usually say three meals and a snack. Are you doing three meals and two snacks or what’s your day? Because everyone has a different, you know, schedule. And it’s interesting, these days I find myself having similar to you, three meals and two snacks because I’m awake for about 15, 16 hours.
Speaker B [00:13:44]:
It’s the same with me.
Speaker A [00:13:46]:
Exactly. And I actually just last night made some protein muffins, small kind of protein muffins, because at 6:30am I don’t feel like having eggs and spinach and all of that. So I have that, you know, kind of as a snack. And then I have my real breakfast, lunch, another snack around four, and then we eat dinner at six. So it’s interesting you said five, because today I’m going to probably get five. So is that your typical kind of pattern?
Speaker B [00:14:11]:
I would say during weekdays, yes, because I get up early most days before 6 o’clock and normally go to bed quite late because I’m a busy person. You are a busy person? Yeah. And I have my coffee when I get up and then I have my breakfast at 8:30 and then I have my lunch at noon and then I have a cup of tea at 2 and then at 3:30 I have my first snack and that is normally yogurt or cottage cheese with some fruit or berries and sometimes some seeds. It depends on where I am, how hungry I am.
Speaker A [00:15:07]:
Right.
Speaker B [00:15:08]:
And then I have my dinner at six and now that is four meals. Right. And then sometimes in the evening I need to have something so I do not start to look for things that are too high in energy for me right now.
Speaker A [00:15:27]:
Yes, smart snack in the evening because. And you know what’s interesting? So many people I don’t know about in other countries, but here in the States there’s like this odd idea that you shouldn’t eat past like 7pm if you want to lose weight. But if you’re up till 10:11pm and you’ve eaten dinner at 6. It’s been a long time since you last ate. So I’m actually a big fan of. If you eat early and you’re going to bed five, six hours later, you should eat something. It’s good for your blood sugar to have something and so that you don’t end up ravenous and then grabbing whatever is easy. Right.
Speaker A [00:16:08]:
Which is what we do when we get too hungry.
Speaker B [00:16:11]:
But also I have noticed that my bowel works better if I eat in the evening.
Speaker A [00:16:18]:
Oh, wow.
Speaker B [00:16:19]:
Yeah.
Speaker A [00:16:20]:
So that’s a great observation.
Speaker B [00:16:21]:
Yeah. Because it’s also so that none of my portions are big. I mean, I eat several times a day, but small portions. Like I said earlier, I’m a very short person, so my portions are not big at all. And then it’s like it’s more regular, everything. And also, I don’t like waking up being, you know, feeling starving almost.
Speaker A [00:16:48]:
Yes, Agree. Agree. Me neither. And so, Asa, do you feel more energetic because you used to not eat any carbs?
Speaker B [00:16:57]:
Yeah, it is a huge difference. And my mood is much better in different ways because I have more energy to do things, especially in the evenings. And also I have noticed, I don’t think this has to do with cars. This seems specific, but I think it has to do with my stomach working the way it should, that my skin is so much better. My hair is better too. And also because I have more energy, it’s easier to get outdoors to take that walk instead of, you know, putting on a training DVD indoors. I mean, that is more for winter use now, when it’s still. It’s okay weather outdoors, it’s better to go out.
Speaker B [00:17:49]:
But that’s step sometimes felt too big because I was too tired.
Speaker A [00:17:55]:
Too tired. Because you didn’t eat any carbs. Right. So. And I. I’m going to just assume. But you tell me, is it more enjoyable to eat this way?
Speaker B [00:18:06]:
Oh, much. Because also I feel that there’s nothing that is not allowed. I can eat everything, but I need to plan ahead. And Sundays are my planning days. I make a list of what I’m going to eat, but I also make a list for backups. What if something happens and I’m not able to do this because I’m in a lot of meetings and they can run over or, you know, you can be stuck in the car somewhere because of a traffic jam or whatever.
Speaker A [00:18:39]:
Unfamiliar. Yes, yes, it happens.
Speaker B [00:18:42]:
And what do you do then?
Speaker A [00:18:44]:
Right? So what do you do? What do you do? Asa? I know what I do. I go to the freezer what do you do?
Speaker B [00:18:50]:
I go to the freezer, too, but I always carry with me a protein bar.
Speaker A [00:18:55]:
Oh, good.
Speaker B [00:18:56]:
And a bottle of water.
Speaker A [00:18:57]:
Fantastic.
Speaker B [00:18:57]:
So I don’t get this ravenous hungry because I noticed that now when my body is adapted, then if I skip a meal, I don’t feel good at all.
Speaker A [00:19:11]:
Right.
Speaker B [00:19:11]:
So I need to have.
Speaker A [00:19:12]:
Because your metabolism is awake again.
Speaker B [00:19:15]:
Yeah.
Speaker A [00:19:16]:
Versus before you were under eating. And I think what happens. So many. And I don’t like to say, oh, it’s only the women, but a lot of times it’s the women who start my program terrified because they are eating less than 1,000 calories and I’m telling them to go up. And so it’s completely counterintuitive that you would need to eat more in order to lose weight. But when you are under eating, your body’s not going to let go of it. I also love that since your gut health is better. I was just reading something about this for personal reasons.
Speaker A [00:19:53]:
I was reading about gut health and how it really does affect your skin.
Speaker B [00:19:59]:
Yes, it does.
Speaker A [00:20:00]:
So if you have something like eczema or persistent acne, rather than putting just topical creams on it or going to a facial, now they’re talking about gut health and probiotics and going to the bathroom productively and often and how sort of healing your gut can help heal your skin. So I love that you mentioned that.
Speaker B [00:20:24]:
Yeah. And also when you sit all the time like we do, then it’s very important that the skin is in good health.
Speaker A [00:20:32]:
Yes.
Speaker B [00:20:32]:
And it’s like it’s less dry. And dry skin can be. I should not say dangerous, but it can be the first step. More sensitive. Yeah. For precious souls. But if I back a little bit, what I always have at home, it’s Greek yogurt. It is that I have chopped up.
Speaker B [00:20:57]:
Fruits and berries that I have in the freezer, avocados in cubes and spinach. And with the help of that, to put that together in a blender, it takes one minute. And then I have an SOS meal. It’s something you should eat every day.
Speaker A [00:21:15]:
No, but it’s. You know. And I think that when you’re making your plan for your week, you are thinking ahead in a really smart way, which is things might not go the way I plan. Look at me. I’m planning, but there’s no way to plan. I’ll tell you, just this week, on Sunday, I did a nice grocery shop. I was going to make soup. I was going to make a lasagna.
Speaker A [00:21:40]:
I was going To. Right. And then my daughter ended up getting sick. She’s okay, but she’s been home all week. And so to be home all week with a three year old trying to work. Yeah. The cauliflower potato soup did not happen this week. You know, but like you, I have a fallback plan, right? So it’s like, okay, there’s chicken in the freezer.
Speaker A [00:22:02]:
There’s, you know, ground turkey in the freezer. There’s chicken, sausages. There’s always frozen vegetables. And so if I need to do a quick something, you know, it can happen. Will it be perfect? Will it be gourmet? Probably not, but it does tick all the boxes of protein, of fiber, of, you know, making sure that you’re getting enough meals right through the day. And like you, I cannot skip a meal anymore because blood sugar issues are a big concern for me. So I love that you keep something with you at all times. You have your water, you have a protein bar.
Speaker A [00:22:40]:
I actually just stuck three protein bars into my car because the other day I got stuck, you know, at lunchtime, I got stuck at the doctor’s and it was like, this is going to be another hour here. I need to eat something. And I was so proud that I had something to go for. So I want to shift gears a little bit. And I appreciate you so much, sharing your experience with the program and changing your nutrition and how everything is just going so well for you in that department. On the very last group call that we had for the summer program, we touched on something that I think is just. It is just it needs to change. Right.
Speaker A [00:23:21]:
And how it’s going to change and when, I don’t know. But it is happening, I think, in small ways every time that we bring it up. So, Asa, you went to the doctor and tell us your experience kind of recently and I guess through the years. What’s your experience going to your doctor?
Speaker B [00:23:39]:
Every time I go to the doctor for the past 10 years, the first thing they always mention is my weight. And yes, I am overweight. I still am, but everything else is healthy. I mean, I don’t have any pre diabetes. I don’t have any problems with my blood fats. I don’t have. I mean, all tests are fine.
Speaker A [00:24:02]:
So all of your blood work, all of your blood work is clear. You don’t have heart disease, you don’t have diabetes, you don’t have blood pressure issues. But they always want to just talk about your weight.
Speaker B [00:24:16]:
Yeah, even if I have a cold, the first thing is you have a cold. Yeah. And they Say that I need to go to lose weight because I am so fat. So you feel the pressure, that you really need to do that. And that is why I started this journey.
Speaker A [00:24:34]:
Right. And so the doctors, you feel that they’re more concerned, or at least I shouldn’t say concerned. They’re more vocal about your weight than anything else.
Speaker B [00:24:47]:
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker A [00:24:48]:
Yeah, more than anything. Do they ever say, like, but your labs are good?
Speaker B [00:24:53]:
No, no, no, no. I mean, I can prove to them what I’ve been trying through the years, and they just don’t believe me because they say that there’s no way that you can look like this and do what you say that you do. And that is even more frustrating when you really, really try very hard, and then you are. They do not believe you.
Speaker A [00:25:15]:
Wow. And it’s hurtful. This is painful.
Speaker B [00:25:18]:
Extremely.
Speaker A [00:25:19]:
This is painful. And so. And I’m sorry, we just kind of jumped into it now also. How long have you been a wheelchair user?
Speaker B [00:25:27]:
I am a hyperplegic since birth.
Speaker A [00:25:31]:
Since birth. Right. And we.
Speaker B [00:25:33]:
I have 51.
Speaker A [00:25:35]:
Right. So your whole life you have been a wheelchair user. And do you feel like this has been going on for a long time with the doctors?
Speaker B [00:25:45]:
No, I feel that it’s becoming. I mean, for the past 10 years before that, it was not an issue in the same way, but I was, you know, about the same way then as now.
Speaker A [00:26:00]:
Right. And so do you feel like, did they give you any advice? Did they refer you to anyone? What is it?
Speaker B [00:26:06]:
I guess. But it didn’t work. I mean, they. Because they all the time put me in programs that were for walking people. And then when I said this, I’m going to gain weight, and they know it’s not possible, and I did. Then, you know, it becomes even more frustrating because I do what they told me and it doesn’t work. But the blame is put on me, not on the program. And this is what is so dangerous with people with paralysis going on, the different hypes, all the different kinds of programs that are.
Speaker B [00:26:48]:
Because it’s a big industry. I mean, you need to find what is working for you, find the macros that are working for you. And of course, you can use different recipes and so on from different kinds of programs. And I think that might be easy and good sometimes, but you really need to understand that personally, in wheelchair and with paralysis, that your body has less muscles that is working than a walking person. And then you cannot compare. It doesn’t work the same way. And our gut is not working the same way either.
Speaker A [00:27:28]:
Absolutely. And I think the reason that doctors will refer you to a regular, not regular, but a walking person’s, a non disabled program is because that’s all they know. If they have a dietitian that they know, if they have a nutrition person that they know, yeah, they will send you there. And I think what’s, it’s frustrating, but it’s also understandable to me that if someone say like another nutrition person or a dietitian were to work with someone with paralysis, they want to help you, but they don’t know. Right. They do not teach this. So even if you do go to a dietitian and say, listen, I want to lose weight, I can pretty much tell you they don’t understand that you have less muscle mass. They don’t understand that they don’t have an understanding of paralysis.
Speaker A [00:28:25]:
Okay? And they definitely don’t know anything about neurogenic bowel. So what they’re going to tell you is the best that they know. And I have had and you know, from the group, past clients tell me that they did go to a dietitian, you know, either in rehab or at some point in their lives, and it wasn’t really helpful because that dietitian didn’t have knowledge of paralysis. And your doctor, is your doctor a spinal cord doctor or is it okay? Yeah. And that makes sense too, that they’re just not trained, right. In dealing with people who are wheelchair users. And I have to tell you, in my profession as well, they don’t train you about this. The only reason that I am interested and involved is because my husband’s quadriplegic, you know, and I saw that the diet changes really helped, first of all with his bowels, but also eventually with weight, you know, it took a long time and to change your habits, you know, to speak to someone who understands a bit about the lifestyle.
Speaker A [00:29:34]:
I think all of this is really important. And I know that you found support in the group and maybe made some new friends, at least one friend. Right? Which is true.
Speaker B [00:29:45]:
And also another thing that I feel is not spoken about enough, if you follow a program, it is that it will, in most cases, especially for women, take longer time to lose the weight. You cannot count on that you should lose one kilo a week or half a kilo a week. And then people think that this is not working because it takes longer time. But then my question and reminder for myself and to other people is how long time did it take you to gain weight and why do you then think it will disappear overnight? Of course that will be wonderful. But that is not the way it works. It takes just as long to lose the weight as it takes to gain it.
Speaker A [00:30:37]:
Absolutely. And I really appreciate that perspective because, I mean, just this morning I was scrolling social media and, you know, I follow a lot of dietitians and things like that, and they love to post before and after photos. And I in, in my social media, I’ve only posted one before and after photo. And I try to make it very clear that this was, I don’t know how many, 6 months or 11 months or something like that that it took for this to happen because your body did not gain £20, £40, £100 in three months. You know, it takes usually years for this to happen. Although I will tell you this, during the pandemic, I do believe that a lot of people gained a lot of weight in a short period of time, short meaning a year or less. And I think that’s because a lot of people were home. And when you’re a wheelchair user, if you’re eating more calories than your body burns, which is very easy, day after day, you will gain weight.
Speaker A [00:31:47]:
So, pandemic aside, I do think that it takes years, usually to put on considerable amounts of weight. And it can take months, several months, and, you know, a year or two, whatever, to get to your goal. And I appreciate you sharing that, because a lot of people are looking for, I don’t want to say overnight success, but I don’t blame them, you know, because they see so many of these, like, before and afters, or they see advertisements for weight loss pills, which are really terrifying to me. They are not regulated by any federal agency in the United States at least, and they can really put whatever they want in them. And they’re super dangerous. And so if you are desperate, right, if you are getting to the point now that your weight is interfering in your activities of daily living, which is what I always talk about. You know, it’s good to look good, it’s good to feel good in your body. But I still think that the extra reason, the bigger reason for people with paralysis to get their weight kind of at a healthy level is so that they can maintain as much independence as possible.
Speaker A [00:33:01]:
Right. I always say if my husband gains 20 pounds, you know, he’s six foot two, I don’t know if he’ll be able to transfer himself in and out of bed, in and out of the car, you know, do the things that we need him to do on a daily basis. And so it is very important, you know, to keep. To keep the weight Down. But we have been married for eight years. This has been a journey, you know, it is a journey and it is not easy because he is obviously the only wheelchair user in the house. Right. And when you have children, children eat very differently than adults.
Speaker A [00:33:37]:
Right. And I eat a little differently than my husband. And so for him to stay extra accountable, you know, I think keeping in mind like the big picture is really important.
Speaker B [00:33:49]:
Yeah.
Speaker A [00:33:49]:
And so Asa, do you want to share a little bit? We don’t want to name names, but Asa has a lot of experience in advocacy and things like that. If you just want to briefly speak about that, because I think it’s just, it’s so impressive.
Speaker B [00:34:03]:
Oh really? Well, I am the president of an organization in Sweden called dhr and it is one of the biggest organ organization for people with mobility impairment of different kinds. And I’ve been a person then there for almost a year now. But what I was actually thinking, they’re going to turn into another subject that I think is very important when it comes to weight loss too. And that is to remember that many of us need to have different kinds of medication. But we do not speak enough of that with that does to our efficiency when it comes to burning calories and so on. Because it really also have an impact, maybe not straight on the metabolism, but it might have for your energy levels.
Speaker A [00:35:03]:
Oh, absolutely. I know this from my husband, that some medicines make him tired, you know.
Speaker B [00:35:10]:
And that also, I mean like we’re talking earlier, that it’s not the most important is to stay active during the day. And then if you eat medications that make you tired, then it will be harder, you know, to take that little five minutes walk or maybe transfer from the chair to the sofa and all that burns calories and it counts up in the end. And also some medications might make you more hungry, it might make you that you lose appetite and then you skip a meal and then you become ravenous in the evening and you see that chip bag and then beat it.
Speaker A [00:35:54]:
Right, right.
Speaker B [00:35:55]:
So. And for a general walking person, they don’t have these medications and they don’t. Do not have this specific point of view.
Speaker A [00:36:06]:
Yes, these specific types of medications, the bladder medications, the spasm, you know, the spasm medication.
Speaker B [00:36:13]:
Pain.
Speaker A [00:36:14]:
Pain meds. Yes, that’s a huge thing. And then also, Asa, this is super interesting and I never really thought about the medications. I mean I think about if you’re on something like a blood thinner, you know, you have to be careful with your diet and you know, I think about these types of things. But I haven’t really thought about how when your body is trying to metabolize these medications, like does that slow down perhaps other things? I don’t know. I have to look into that. It is interesting how prescription medications can change your appetite, can make you hungrier, can make you, can make you not have an appetite, which is a problem. And also people with paralysis take other medications that the general population takes that we know results sometimes in changes in weight, such as like antidepressants.
Speaker A [00:37:02]:
Right. Just for an example. So yeah, that is a very astute point, Asa. I never thought about that because.
Speaker B [00:37:09]:
And also many take painkillers that make you constipated.
Speaker A [00:37:14]:
Right.
Speaker B [00:37:14]:
And that is constipated. Yeah. And that is also because the metabolism is slowing down.
Speaker A [00:37:21]:
Right.
Speaker B [00:37:22]:
So I don’t say that anybody should take away the medications. You need to, you know, speak with your doctor. But be very careful why you take.
Speaker A [00:37:33]:
Something that is such a good point. Yes. And ask questions, you know, advocate for yourself. And if you are feeling just this came up the other week, someone was talking about they started a new bladder medication, but it made them so bloated and so even though it was good for her bladder, it was just so painful that she couldn’t continue with it. So speak to your doctor, tell them, report, report these side effects so that the companies know, you know, that the doctors know. Because if we don’t speak up, no one will know the real life experience of taking these things. So, Asa, I thank you so much for being with us today. It was so nice to catch up with you.
Speaker A [00:38:11]:
And until next time.
Speaker B [00:38:13]:
Yes, thank you for inviting me.
Speaker A [00:38:16]:
That’s our episode for today. Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoyed it and that you learned something new. Remember, remember, if you want to lose weight with paralysis, improve your bowel health and feel your best you can. It’s possible you just have to change your eating habits. If you need inspiration on how to get started, check out The Paralysis Nutrition Cookbook 101 Recipes to Help you lose weight and improve bowel health. The cookbook comes with a bonus 30 day meal plan and is the perfect way to start eating healthier. You can find it online@paralysis nutrition.com cookbook.
Speaker A [00:38:49]:
I’ll talk to you again soon.
