peaker A [00:00:00]:
Hello, everyone. Welcome. Welcome to the Paralysis Nutrition Podcast. I’m Fatima, and this is my very first podcast episode. So I am super grateful for you who are out there listening to me, and I’m super excited about this podcast because many of you know me from social media. I post every day about healthy eating for paralysis. And I’m really excited about this podcast because it’s kind of a conversation, right, with you guys about different topics related to healthy eating. So today I’m going to be talking about what is a healthy diet for paralysis.
Speaker A [00:00:41]:
This is information that we all need. We all need to know how to eat right so that we can be in the best shape possible. So what is a healthy diet for paralysis? A healthy diet for paralysis needs to address the problems, concerns of people living with paralysis. So a general, healthy diet, we all know what that is, right? Fruits, vegetables, whole grains. Don’t eat too much balance, right? That’s a general, healthy diet. But that’s really, really vague. And it’s not going to address the problems and concerns that most people with paralysis have. So in the paralysis nutrition coaching program, the two main things that people sign up for is that they want to lose weight and they want to improve their bowels.
Speaker A [00:01:30]:
Those are the really two big things that they are confused about, they need help with, they feel frustrated about. And that’s really the focus of the paralysis nutrition program. But there’s other things, too. There’s other goals, of course, right? Some people are just like, I need to feel more energetic. I feel so blah. Some people are concerned with maintaining muscle mass. And everyone has multiple goals, right? But all of these things, they’re really specific. And the good news is we can use nutrition and food to achieve these goals.
Speaker A [00:02:06]:
You can lose weight without exercise. I’m going to do a whole episode on losing weight without exercise. I think that if you have specific goals, you need to get specific in terms of defining what is healthy, right? So if you want to lose weight, if you want to improve your bowels, spend less time pooping, you want to feel more energetic, you want to maintain your muscle mass, you need to know what is the right diet for me. Because those things are real specific, right? They’re not general healthy eating. So today I’m going to talk about the five things that define a healthy diet for paralysis. Let’s get to it. 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.
Speaker A [00:02:57]:
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. So actually, before I even get into that, I need to just clarify. I do not believe in diets, right? I do not believe that restriction is a good thing. I really don’t. I think that diets are, you know, intended to be like, a quick fix.
Speaker A [00:03:35]:
I think dieting makes people miserable. It feels like I’m falling off the wagon. I’m on the wagon. It’s chaotic to be on a diet. So before I get into the five things that define a healthy diet for paralysis, I just want to clarify that paralysis nutrition is not a diet. I don’t believe in diets. You need to learn how to eat right so that you can get to your goals, right? And those. Those big goals of weight loss and bowels and all of that, those are big goals.
Speaker A [00:04:04]:
So sometimes a healthy diet can be confusing because there’s so many diets out there. But I want you to feel. I want you to feel like you’re in a safe place. I’m not here to take away your favorite foods. I’m not here to tell you, don’t eat this, don’t eat that. A healthy diet for paralysis is about adequacy, getting enough of the good stuff, right? So let’s get to it. I just wanted to put that disclaimer out there that I don’t believe in diets. Paralysis nutrition is not a diet.
Speaker A [00:04:33]:
It is a way of eating right for paralysis. Number one on my list of five things is that you need to eat the right amount of calories. And this is going to vary by person. The number one thing that you have to keep in mind is that if you want to lose weight, you’re going to need to eat in a calorie deficit. That means that you need to eat less calories than your body burns every day. And I hate to be a negative Nelly, but the amount of calories that people with paralysis burn daily is less than the general population. And it’s due to a number of reasons. One is obviously activity, activity level, but also changes in body composition.
Speaker A [00:05:18]:
So when you have paralysis, you have a lower muscle mass, and when you have lower muscle mass, you burn less calories. So I cannot get into what is the exact amount of calories for you right, to eat, because I don’t know you. But I will say this. A lot of you out there are eating way too little because you’re trying to starve yourself thin. And then a lot of you, probably most of you, are eating too many calories, and that is why you’re gaining weight. So to eat the right amount of calories, you need to do some math, right? Or see a dietitian who can do some math, preferably right? We have calculations and we can help you figure out the right amount of calories that you need to eat. So in general, because I know everyone wants to know in general, nobody should be eating less than a thousand. Nobody really.
Speaker A [00:06:08]:
No adult should be eating less than a thousand calories. Nobody in my program gram eats less than 1200. Nobody. And I will also say nobody eats more than 1800. So somewhere between like 12 and 1800 is the range, right? But if you want to lose weight, you’re going to need to get your specific number. Whether it’s 1500 or 1800 or 1200, you’re going to need to eat in a calorie deficit over time. So one day of starving yourself is not going to do it right. Week after week, you’re going to need to hit a calorie goal that’s less than the amount of calories that you burn.
Speaker A [00:06:46]:
And so I always say this to my clients, is that we are not robots, right? We may know the right amount of calories, but we’re not going to hit that number every single day. What I suggest is that you have a range, right, of calories that you eat. So some days you’ll be under, some days you’ll be over. But at the end of the week, your average number of calories, when you figure out the seven day average is in a deficit. That’s the way to do it, right? Because if we are too strict with ourselves, it can get really difficult. So just remember that you’re human and that every day is going to be different. Some days you’re going to be over, some days you’re going to be under. And what we want is for you to hit your right amount of calories week by week.
Speaker A [00:07:33]:
So that’s, number one, eating the right amount of calories. Number two is to balance your macros. So macros are macronutrients, proteins, carbs and fats. It is what it is. Most people in this world eat way too many carbs. And when, I mean way too many carbs, I mean way too many carbs, and they don’t eat enough protein. So what we need to do is learn what foods have carbs, what foods have protein. What foods have fats? And I’m going to do a future episode all about macros.
Speaker A [00:08:08]:
But for the purposes of today, I just want to say that part of a healthy diet for paralysis is that you are getting adequate protein, not too many carbs, and you’re getting healthy fats. So, like your monounsaturated fats, your omega 3 fats, as opposed to, like, your saturated fats. And like I said, I’m going to do a whole episode on macros, but we need to focus on getting enough of the protein and not overdoing it on the carbs. Number three, adequate fiber. So where does fiber come from? Fiber comes from plants. So fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. People with paralysis need to eat enough fiber not just to, you know, help them feel full, and, you know, it’s good for your heart and it’s good for your blood sugar control all that. That stuff is wonderful.
Speaker A [00:09:01]:
But one of the biggest problems that I have to solve in my program is poop. Pooping. So many people are just constipated, taking so many different things like Miralax and Senna and laxatives and all this stuff, when really what they need to do is eat more fiber. There is a myth going around there that fiber gives you diarrhea. That is false. That is completely false. Laxatives give you diarrhea, probably. So we need to eat enough fiber.
Speaker A [00:09:33]:
Now, the general healthy recommendation for women is about 25 grams, and for men it’s around 38 grams. So if you have no idea how much fiber you’re eating, you need to start figuring it out. So if you track your meals in an app, it will tell you not just the calories and the protein and carbs and fats, it will also tell you the fiber. So if you are eating, I don’t know, 10 grams a day, and you’re a woman, and you need to be eating 25, well, that’s something that you can work on, right? And it’s going to help you not just feel full and be in better health, but it’s going to help with constipation. So plants are where we get fiber. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables. This is where we get it. And so eating enough fiber is going to help you poop, and it’s going to also make sure that you’re eating enough plants.
Speaker A [00:10:24]:
Right? Because most of us are not. Are not eating enough plants. Number four is adequate hydration. Oh, boy. So I feel like the pendulum swings between people who drink so much water and people who barely drink any water. No one is Right in the middle, it seems. And so why is hydration so important for paralysis? I will tell you number one, for constipation. So so many people are, again, like I said, taking all these different, what I call poopy pills, but they’re not even doing the bare minimum, which is drinking enough water and eating enough fiber.
Speaker A [00:11:04]:
Right. So adequate hydration, how much does that mean for you? It depends. So you want to aim for drinking half of your weight in pounds, in ounces. So if you’re 150 pounds, you should be drinking about 75 ounces of water a day. In the paralysis nutrition program, I give everybody a starting goal of 2 liters, which is 64 ounces of water. And when it comes to hydration, I’m talking about water, and I’m not talking about coffee. I’m not talking about juices. I’m talking about water.
Speaker A [00:11:37]:
The only other thing that I do count as hydration is herbal teas. So if you drink something like chamomile tea or anything like that, that does not have caffeine, that can count towards your hydration. So other than constipation, another big reason that people with paralysis need to drink enough is because wheelchair users tend to have really low blood pressure. And so how can we naturally, you know, regulate our blood pressure? We can drink enough water. Right? And the last point I’ll make about the hydration is that I would say every week people ask me on Instagram or Facebook, what can I eat to prevent UTIs? Nothing. No food is going to help you prevent a uti. But adequate hydration will help flush the bacteria from your bladder. So when you drink enough water, it’s going to help you poop easier.
Speaker A [00:12:31]:
It’s going to help regulate your blood pressure, and it could also help prevent UTIs. It’s really the bare minimum. I think drinking enough water is really the bare minimum that we can do for our health. And it can be a struggle if you’re not used to drinking enough. So I say the same way that we meal plan or grocery plan or anything like that, we can plan our day in terms of drinking. So I’ll tell you what I do. I aim for about 60 ounces of water per day. And if I’m not on top of it, I’m not going to reach this goal.
Speaker A [00:12:59]:
So I have a little method. I have a 20 ounce water bottle with a straw, and so I do 20 ounces in the morning between cups of coffee. So every day I drink two cups of coffee and I drink my first one Then I drink my 20 ounces of water and then I drink my second cup of coffee. So you will find me in my kitchen sucking down the last 10 ounces as the coffee machine is brewing my next cup. Because it is a rule for me that I need to get that 20 ounces in, then the second 20 ounces. So now I’m at 40. That’s going to happen in the afternoon, and then the last 20 ounces are going to happen in the evening. Okay, so that’s my plan.
Speaker A [00:13:41]:
I have a 20 ounce bottle and I drink three of them every day. Check and done. If I didn’t do it that way, I would never reach my goal. So figure out how much water you need to drink and start drinking it. It’s really just the bare minimum that we can do for our health. And then the last part of what is a healthy diet for paralysis number five, it has to be fun and it has to be delicious. The foods that you eat have to be foods that you enjoy or it’s not going to be sustainable. Your plan for weight loss is not going to last if you have to eat yucky things.
Speaker A [00:14:17]:
So in my program, I try really hard to work with people when it comes to their preferences. So occasionally I get people who are like, oh, you know, I don’t really like vegetables. And a lot of this I think comes from childhood. You know, I do have grown men who have not eaten broccoli since they were like 7 years old. And you know, when their grandma made it or their mom made it, and it was steamed and it wasn’t seasoned. Yeah, it didn’t taste good. I encourage you to retry some of these healthy foods that you maybe think that you don’t like. When was the last time you tried that food? You know, was it two weeks ago or was it like two decades ago? So many people write off foods after, you know, not liking them once years and years ago.
Speaker A [00:15:09]:
So your diet, meaning the foods that you eat, it has to be foods that you enjoy or you’re not going to be able to keep it up. So if there are foods out there that you love, learn to eat them in the right portion. If you love pasta, you can eat pasta, but you need to learn the right portion, right. And learn how to balance those macros. So instead of just a huge bowl of pasta, you need to have some pasta, perhaps like half a cup. That’s usually what I suggest, a half a cup. And then you need a protein. So maybe like a piece of chicken or a piece of fish or any other lean protein that you like.
Speaker A [00:15:46]:
And you need to be able to balance your favorite foods with other foods that you enjoy that are maybe not your favorite in the world, right? Like, I eat vegetables every day. Are vegetables my favorite food in the world? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. Although there are some vegetables that I absolutely love. I mean, I don’t love them as much as I love pizza. I don’t love them as much as I love a hamburger. But I know that these foods are good for me, right? And that if I don’t want to gain a bunch of weight or in, like, my husband’s case, right. He’s quadriplegic.
Speaker A [00:16:19]:
If I want him to stay in good health, if I want his bowels to be regular and I want him to be happy, he’s going to have to eat a bunch of food that he likes. Some of it is going to be what I call fun foods, you know, like ice cream and pizza and cheeseburgers. And the vast majority, majority of it, 90% or more, is going to have to be really healthy foods. So, like your lean proteins and your healthy fats and your complex carbs. So I said before that I don’t believe in diets, and I stand by that. But we also need to be educated, right? That’s why I love meal tracking. So if you have an app on your phone that you can download, you can start tracking your meals and start educating yourself about what it is that you’re eating, right? You might be surprised that these foods that you eat all the time are not as healthy as you thought. Or you might put something in and say, oh, you know, that wasn’t too bad.
Speaker A [00:17:22]:
So we need to learn what our foods look like when it comes to nutrition, when it comes to macros. And the only way we can really do that is if we track our meals in an app. So if you’ve never done it, I suggest that you do it. I have all my program members in the paralysis nutrition program track their meals. You don’t have to track for your whole life, but you need to track enough so that you can learn what you are doing in terms of your nutrition every day. So when you learn about nutrition, you can have more fun with food. So you can fit in a glass of wine, you can have a slice of pizza, you can have a scoop of ice cream, but you are going to need to learn how to fit those foods in. So tracking is great.
Speaker A [00:18:08]:
And so this is my first podcast episode, and I really could go on and on all day about nutrition for paralysis, and I will on future episodes, I’m going to talk more about macros and all those diets that are out there. If you follow me on social media, you know that I hate those diets. They are not right for paral paralysis. Things like keto and fasting and Octavia and Weight Watchers and. Oh, boy. Ugh, I’m going to get a headache. So the purpose of this podcast and the whole purpose of paralysis nutrition, you know, at all, is to help people with paralysis learn how they can eat healthy so that you can use food to stay healthy for as long as possible. I gotta tell you, food can really make or break your health.
Speaker A [00:18:54]:
If we are eating a whole bunch of high calorie, high fat, high sugar stuff, it’s not good for our body. And with paralysis, you know, a lot of my clients and my husband, especially my husband, he really wants to stay as independent as possible for as long as possible. And he’s not going to be able to do that if he gains a bunch of weight. He’s not going to be able to do that if he’s so, so constipated every day, right? And so the paralysis community is near and dear to my heart and nutrition is so, so powerful. And so this podcast is, you know, the marriage of those two things about, you know, the paralysis community and my experience as a registered dietitian coming together to help you learn how to eat right for paralysis so that you can live a healthier, happier, more energetic, longer, I hope life. And so eating right can help you lose weight. It can help you spend less time in the bathroom. Those are the two biggest complaints that I hear, and that’s really why people sign up for my program.
Speaker A [00:19:58]:
Those are the two biggest things. You know, nobody signs up and says, I want to eat healthy because it’s good for me. Absolutely not. People sign up for the program because they need to lose weight. It’s a problem. You know, they don’t feel good, they’re bloated, it takes them two hours to poop. These are the problems that nutrition can solve. And so I’m going to sign off for this episode.
Speaker A [00:20:21]:
I hope that you guys found it useful and helpful. So the five things that define a healthy diet for paralysis, let’s just recap them real quick. One, the right amount of calories. Two, balancing your macros, the proteins, fats and carbs. Three, adequate fiber from plants. Four, adequate hydration. And five, it has to be fun and delicious or it’s not going to be sustainable. So that’s it for this week’s podcast and I hope that you tune in next week.
Speaker A [00:20:53]:
Until next time. That’s our episode for today. Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoyed it and that you learned something new. 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.
Speaker A [00:21:24]:
You can find it online at paralysisnutrition.com cookbook I’ll talk to you again soon.
