What I found out:
There is a ketogenic diet that children with epilepsy can take to help prevent seizures, if medicines do not work. This is a low carb diet, which explains why Annemarie cannot have bread. This diet has strict measures on calories, protein, and fluids. I thought it was strange that Annemarie's dad gave Miranda lemonade but gave Annemarie water. I assumed it was a way of him to watch the calories that went into Annemarie's body, which in a way, it was. This diet only helps children with seizures, and after two years on this diet, if the seizures have been controlled, then the diet can be stopped. If the child ever goes off the diet, like Annemarie did, then it would lose it’s effect. Some side effects of this diet are kidney stones, high cholesterol, dehydration, constipation, slowed growth, and bone fractures.
Since the diet is so restrictive, I think that Annemarie was happy for an excuse to get off the diet. I wonder if Miranda would have encouraged Annemarie to stay off the diet if she had known about the seizures.
I'm really glad you researched this because I was curious. In one of my other classes we have discussed the idea of diet on behavior, so I was interested in this diet. I found it interesting that Annemarie's dad gave Miranda lemonade and not Annemarie. If I were Miranda, I would have just had water to make it so Annemarie does not feel bad about herself. I was also very interested in this diet because my dog has epilepsy and is on a low carb, wheat free diet, just as a side note.
ReplyDeleteLike Eve, I'm currently in another class that discusses how diet can affect behavior so this was very interesting to me. I think this would be a great opportunity to discuss with students the differences that we all experience in our day-to-day lives. I'm sure some students have parents who are on special weight-loss diets or they themselves may be struggling with juvenile diabetes. Of course, conversations would need to be kept very generic and avoid calling out specific peopple, but I still think it would be a good opportunity to discuss differences beyond what you see on the surface.
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