AREN'T SEIZURES EASY TO DIAGNOSE?

You might think that a seizure is so obvious to an observer that you don't even need a doctor to diagnose it. Again, this is because most people only think about convulsive seizures. But because of the diversity of symptoms, many seizure types may be missed or attributed to other conditions. This is particularly true with partial seizures (seizures that start in one part of the brain). People having partial seizures may have repetitive movements like picking at their clothes, smacking their lips or wandering around unaware of their environment. They can have strong feelings of deja vu, anxiety or fear. They can also have strong physical feelings such as that feeling you get in your stomach when the elevator moves up or down quickly or a sudden bout of racing heartbeat or sweating. Kids with absence seizures (a type of generalized seizure involving both sides of the brain) may look like they are "spacing out" or daydreaming in class when they are actually having a seizure. These are just a few examples of different seizure types but it illustrates why epilepsy is a complicated disease to diagnose and why it's so misunderstood.

On another note, the recipes are starting to pour in and they are amazing! Thank you for your support and creativity. I'll begin posting these fabulous recipes today, starting with GIL and ALISHA's Cornmeal Crusted Swordfish with Herb Roasted Purple Peruvian Potatoes and Purple Slaw. Look at the professional plating and execution of this dish! Holy cow-I'm in awe and my stomach is growling!!  

Jalapeno Red Cabbage Slaw

1 medium head of red cabbage shredded or thinly sliced

2 carrots shredded

1 jalapeno julienned (with or without seeds)

½ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup chopped red onion

2-4 cloves minced garlic (preferably fresh)

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard

½ cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine shredded cabbage and shredded carrots in a bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients (not including the cabbage, carrots and olive oil) in separate bowl and blend. Add olive oil slowly to the blended mixture and continue blending to emulsify. Combine blended mixture with the cabbage and carrots and refrigerate prior to serving (overnight is best).

Herb Roasted Peruvian Purple Potatoes

~28 ounces of Peruvian purple potatoes

5 sprigs of fresh thyme

4-6 cloves of fresh garlic chopped/crushed

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Clean potatoes well and cut into quarters. Combine cut potatoes, chopped garlic and thyme in a baking dish/roasting pan and stir in enough olive oil to thinly coat the potatoes. Arrange in one layer as pictured, cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes or until soft. Remove dish and drain excess oil. Loosen potatoes from the dish using scraping action in order to avoid damaging the potatoes. Return potatoes to the oven and broil on high (flipping potatoes once or twice) until desired level of crispiness is reached. Note, do not leave unattended as this mixture can burn easily. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cornmeal Crusted Swordfish

4, 6-8 ounce swordfish filets

Cornmeal

Olive oil

Salt, pepper and cayenne to taste

Quartered lemon

Season filets on skinless side with salt, pepper and cayenne. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil (enough to coat the pan) into a non-stick frying pan and heat the oil (high to med high). Just before the oil begins to smoke, remove the excess oil, if any, from the pan. Press seasoned side of the filets into cornmeal to coat. Place filets in the frying pan cornmeal side down and reduce the heat to medium high and cook for 4-5 minutes (careful not to burn). Gently flip the filet and continue cooking until done. Serve with wedge of lemon.