WHY FOOD AND EPILEPSY?

The unfortunate truth is that even though epilepsy is the 4^th most common neurological disorder in the US (and is more prevalent than autism, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s Disease combined), it is still very misunderstood. There are still cultures today that believe that seizures are the result of curses or possession. HOW CRAZY IS THAT? Even in more informed societies, people with epilepsy may be treated differently and feel that they need to hide their diagnosis from others. The only way to change this is to raise the overall understanding of what epilepsy is and how we can all help. SO, LET’S TALK ABOUT EPILEPSY.

I can’t think of any better way to get a conversation started than with food! Food is social, food helps create opportunities for great discussion and form memories. And, just like a great dish, knowledge about epilepsy is meant to be shared! My hope is that you will visit the blog every day in November to see what recipe we (my friends and I) come up with and you’ll learn one new thing about this condition. All recipes will have at least one purple ingredient for epilepsy. SHARING IS ENCOURAGED so pass these tidbits and recipes along and send me your purple recipes too! You can send the recipe and a photo of the dish or better yet, your family enjoying it to epilepsycafe@gmail.com.

THE FACT OF THE DAY (WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SEIZURE AND EPILEPSY?):

A seizure is what happens when the brain has excessive, uncontrolled electrical activity. When I describe this to my kids, I say it’s like having a firework show in your brain for a period of time. The signs and symptoms of the seizure will depend on what part or parts of the brain the “firework” is occurring in.  In future posts, I’ll talk about the many different types of seizures and how different they may look to an observer or feel to the person experiencing them.

Anyone can have a seizure. Things like a high fever, drugs, alcohol or a concussion can cause or "provoke" a seizure. But in people with epilepsy, the brain spontaneously generates repeated seizures over time. That's why epilepsy is a chronic condition.

“Firework” Peanut Noodle Salad

Serves 8

1 lb spaghetti noodles

2 rotisserie chicken breasts chopped (or 2 chicken breasts grilled in 2 Tb of oil, chopped)

1 cup shredded purple cabbage (approximately ¼ small head of cabbage)

1 orange or red bell pepper sliced

2 scallions thinly sliced

¼ cup snow peas (approx. 20 snow peas), cut in thin slices

Optional* 2 Tb chopped cilantro, 2 Tb sesame seeds to garnish

PEANUT SAUCE:

1 cup vegetable oil

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce

3 Tb sesame oil

2 inch piece of ginger, finely grated

½ cup honey peanut butter

1 Tb sriracha pepper sauce or ½ tsp crushed red pepper

Cook noodles in salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, chop all vegetables and chicken and place in large bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk well until fully mixed. Once noodles are done, mix in with vegetables and slowly add in sauce until coated. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Any remaining sauce can be kept in fridge for a week and makes a great dip for chicken skewers!