Personalising Nutrition for Parkinson’s
Building on our exploration of dietary evidence, we are welcoming back Dr Tanya Denne this December for a session that moves beyond general dos and don'ts. Rather than asking which foods are universally good or bad, this webinar focuses on a far more crucial question: how do you tailor nutrition to your unique body, daily life, and specific experience with Parkinson's? Because no two people experience the condition in the same way, a one-size-fits-all diet simply does not exist.
We will examine how distinct symptoms and physical changes dictate very different nutritional priorities. Dr Denne will discuss how to adapt what you eat to support unintentional weight loss or gain, maintain vital muscle mass and bone density, and manage practical challenges such as constipation, swallowing difficulties, hydration, and daytime fatigue. Crucially, we will also explore how the timing and composition of your meals can profoundly affect sleep quality and the reliability of your medication response.
To bring these principles to life, the session will examine distinct real-world cases and clinical scenarios. We will look closely at three contrasting situations: someone struggling with unintended weight loss and muscle depletion, someone managing persistent constipation alongside low appetite and fatigue, and someone navigating frustrating on and off medication fluctuations despite eating an otherwise impeccable diet. By comparing these scenarios, Dr Denne will illustrate why offering identical dietary advice across all three would completely miss the mark, highlighting why nutritional strategies must directly reflect individual needs.
Finally, we will cut through the confusion surrounding diagnostic testing and day-to-day tracking. You will learn which blood tests genuinely matter, including vitamin D, B12, folate, and iron markers, while examining whether popular microbiome and stool tests offer actionable insight or simply clever marketing. We will look at how tracking meals alongside symptoms and medication timing can reveal personal triggers, and provide actionable guidance on how to partner effectively with your GP, neurologist, or specialist dietitian to translate your personal data into a clear, sustainable routine.
About the speaker:
We are honoured to be joined by Dr Tanya Denne, a distinguished Naturopathic Doctor and researcher. Dr Denne is a leading advocate for "Personalised Medicine," a philosophy that treats the whole person rather than just a set of symptoms. Her evidence-based approach views nutrition as a foundational pillar of care, bridging the gap between traditional neurology and complementary disciplines. With her extensive research background, including her work on Mucuna pruriens, Dr Denne empowers people to move from being passive recipients of care to proactive partners in their own health journey.