Mom Enjoys a Bowl of Bison
Last fall, my 87-year-old Mom was hospitalized for a ten-day period during which time she became quite weak and stopped walking. After the hospitalization, I was naturally concerned about her nutrition. Having been myself on the Primal Diet for three and a half years, I felt confident that the diet could help anyone. And whenever possible, I give my mom these foods. At the same time, I was well aware of the supposed dangers of giving an elderly person raw foods, including raw dairy, meat, and honey—especially after an illness—and naturally did not want to put my mother at risk in any way.
At this first stage of her healing, Mom was primarily bedridden and couldn’t get around without a wheelchair or walker. She had no appetite, or ate with little relish and would often stop eating after a few bites. On palpating her stomach, I found a great deal of tension. Her skin was very dry, and seemed to hang loosely on her arms. She expressed little interest in the people or events around her, and was in constant pain.
It occurred to me that Mom was starving, so I decided to feed her as much of the diet as she would eat. I began with small frequent meals, including coconut butter; a green drink with cream; an egg smoothie made with kefir, honey, and green banana; small bites of raw, buttered cheese (sometimes with honey as well); and chocolate candies (carob, honey, and butter). She ate everything, savored it, and commented often on how tasty things were.
(Yet why should I be surprised at Mom’s enthusiasm over this food? She grew up on a farm and always had access to raw milk, cream, butter, and cheese. Her family had no refrigeration--everything was kept in running well water, in the milk house that her dad built. She’s always said that’s why she has such great teeth and bones!)
The next day, I mixed (with a fork) a heaping tablespoon each of raw butter, honey, and a scant one of cream with a half-cup of raw ground bison, as well as a little egg. When Mom asked, “What is it?” my past flashed before my eyes, including vivid memories of Mom’s admonitions to wash my hands after cutting raw meats. Many concerns as well as questions of honesty arose, yet I thought about how good I felt on the diet, and how much I wanted her to regain her former vitality. So I responded: “Yorkshire Pudding. Do you want some?” She did. Since it was a little messy (the egg), I fed her the first bite. Her response was “Oh my God, that is so good!” And to my amazement, began to eat it as fast as I could feed her, delighting over every bite.
For the next few days of my visit she ate everything with great relish, and especially the ground bison, which always drew exclamations of delight (I often had to make seconds). I have kept with this protocol on subsequent visits. During that time, I did many other things as well, including reading to Mom, singing with her, giving her massage, and playing good music. She responded by leaps and bounds. Within two months, I felt confident to bring her to my home for a five-day visit (something I had thought would never happen again). She was walking on her own by then, having regained strength, balance, and muscle tone, though sometimes still needing an arm to lean on.
I am so grateful for the diet, as it may have saved Mom’s life. Yet equally important, I believe it gave her the sustenance she needed to walk again, and to relax, laugh, converse, and once again express interest in those around her. These past few months have been a rich time for me, for Mom, and for the whole family. I want to thank Aajonus for his dedication to the diet, and for his unique understanding of wellness, as it gave me the insight I needed to support my mom in her healing journey.
Beth D.
Califormia
Mom recently drew again, for the first time in ten years. In a conversation with her great-granddaughter, she expressed interests and asked questions in a way that I hadn’t heard for years.
