parkinsonSpace

The slow food movement, founded in Italy in the 1980s, is well established; it stands for high quality, diverse, natural foods that are preferably sourced locally. All power to them. But I’m thinking of setting up a slow eating movement, and I am sure it would attract many people with Parkinson’s.

Picture the scene. It’s dinner time, everyone is hungry and it’s getting a bit late. Everyone’s sitting at the table except for me, because it’s time for my medication and I’m either fetching the pills or gearing myself to sit down on the chair. When I am finally sitting down, everyone starts eating very quickly, manipulating their fork between plate and mouth at what for me is an incredible speed. By that point, I’m probably studying the cutlery and the plate or looking at the food and congratulating myself for not having taken too much. The whole scene – myself quiet and motionless while around me there is a buzz of activity – increases the tension for me. I have to concentrate to eat but the activity around me prevents me from moving; at the same time, if I try to hold a conversation I can scarcely combine it with eating, so I get further behind and I’m conscious that I may be delaying everyone else.

What’s my solution? I make a virtue out of eating slowly, enjoying the flavours and trying not to worry about holding up the others at the table. I choose the meal carefully and eat less quantity than I used to. Meals are a time to savour and I’m not letting Parkinson’s spoil the pleasure.