Parkinsons – Rebel Fit Club

Non-Alcoholic Cranberry Sparkler Cocktail

Posted on December 27, 2024December 27, 2024 by Landtiser

Many of my fighters and dancers are choosing to drink non-alcoholic beverages. People with Parkinson’s often find that alcohol reduces their Levodopa’s effectiveness, and can make their Parkinson’s symptoms worse.

If you find that you’re in the mood for a cocktail this holiday season, you should give this non-alcoholic Cranberry Sparkler at try. It is easy to make, very festive looking, and tastes great! It also contains berries (a super food), which are full of antioxidants and are great “brain-food”. So drink up and enjoy!

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Why Aren’t My Parkinson’s Medications Working? Could It Be What I’m Eating?

Posted on June 22, 2024June 22, 2024 by Landtiser

One of my students said he heard at a conference that eating protein interferes with Sinemet, and that this made him confused. “I’ve been on this drug for months and no one ever told me about this. I was told to take Sinemet with food so it doesn’t upset my stomach, so I’ve been eating it with a beef sandwich.” Then another student said, “I have heard three different time frames regarding when to eat protein.”

So I decided to call around and see what pharmacists had to say. While I received several different versions of the rules, there was an underlying reasoning which was consistent.

How Did April And Tulips Become The Symbol For Parkinson’s Disease?

Posted on April 1, 2024April 1, 2024 by Landtiser

It is April, which marks Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month, and I proudly wear my tulip pin every day. However, I still have so many people (with and without Parkinson’s) ask me what my pin symbolizes. I wanted to write this blog to ensure that my readers are among the people who can explain the story behind the Parkinson’s Tulip.
World Parkinson’s Day was instituted on April 11th, 1997 to commemorate the birthday of Dr. James Parkinson, the man who first formally identified the disease in 1817 (over 200 years ago!) in his work “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy.”

How to Use Your Noodle to Improve Parkinson’s Upper Back Rotation

Posted on March 15, 2024March 15, 2024 by Landtiser

With Parkinson’s disease, the upper back gets really rigid and stiff. This rigidity, compounded by forward rounding, prevents it from rotating correctly. As a result, the lower back (designed to stabilize, not rotate) must take over, leading to lower back pain. Using pool noodles, this seated exercise can help treat upper back rotation.

Improve Parkinson’s Stiff Back and Eye-Tracking Issues With This Seated Noodle Exercise

Posted on March 11, 2024March 11, 2024 by Landtiser

With Parkinson’s disease, the rib cage gets stiff and flexes forward, causing a lack of rotation in the spine. This stiffness, compounded by the “lats” (the muscles in your back that attach to your arms) getting tethered down, causes difficulty when reaching and straightening your arms. When you can’t rotate in your upper back (thoracic spine), your body will start to compensate by rotating and extending parts of your body that are not meant to rotate. This almost always results in shoulder or back pain.

Furthermore, the eyes may have difficulty tracking a moving or stationary object or finding the next line in a book when reading.