I've been following along on the fava bean discussion. Finally located some fresh favas and also obtained the fava juice from International Gourmet. Early results are saying that this is helping. I took the beans out of the pods, steamed them and have been eating approximately 16 a day for the past week. Added to that is a tsp of the juice three times a day. Yesterday was the best day I've had in months. My husband commented several times how lively I was. I was able to go on a short trip and sustain my energy for roughly 8 hours. My normal lately has been 1 good hour when the meds kick in exactly right. I start each day with good intentions and wonderful plans and slowly but surely, eliminate almost all of it due to exhaustion, pain, foot cramps, etc.
Most days I feel so badly that I would probably sign up for a clinical trial that involved dog poop on a stick if I thought it would help for a second.
The favas, as you of course know, but just as a side comment to those who may not have eaten them, are delicious. I would eat them if they had no PD benefit.
I'm trying to diary the effects and amounts of the favas. My other meds are 1.5 carbi/levo 25-100 and 1 200 Comtan every 4 hours. My ongoing symptoms are shaking in the left hand, limping, hip pain, nausea, constipation, irritability, foggy brain, poor vision, extreme back pain, slow movement, stooped posture, exhaustion, etc. The effects so far of the favas seemed to help all of these to one degree or another. I have not altered my regular meds.
By the way, I am noting that favas are seasonal so, is there any place to get fresh favas year round?

Madamlash,

Like you I am new to the fava revelations! My plan is to order sproutable seeds and eat sprouts this winter. I've been making my own juice with fava pods and pouring it into ice cube trays. Also built a planter box so next spring will hopefully grow some! Also, juiced some vegetable juice and added the favajuice to that and froze in pint jars.

do you skin the beans before eating them? seems like they are much better that way!

regards,
md

Good morning.
By the way, I love your Bucky Fuller quote. I had the rare opportunity to meet him and his wife several years ago. Quite lovely people!
I have tried the favas as the juice, the bean itself, the bean with the covering, and the bean with covering and pod. All are pretty tasty just out of my steamer. The only parts I really didn't care for were the two strings that run down each side of the pod. Take those off and everything else is good. I'm also hoping that the pod and skin will add much needed roughage to my diet.
I'm about to begin looking into the sprouting. I did read somewhere that the favas lose quite a bit of dopamine when you cook them and cool them. I'm not sure about that and if so, I wonder if freezing them hurts the dopamine content?
Regards
Madam Lash

I am going to try an attempt at growing favas year round with the help of a greenhouse (if we can get one up) We were in the process of trying to build a chicken -tractor(mobile chicken coop with fenced in run areea , when dad droped a large sheet of plywood on his big toe ( the foot the was half blown off in WW 2 and doesn't have feeling much in the toes) now he is using his cruches and trying to behave and keep
weight off it alittle til it heels. Thank goodness for comfrey leaf poultice that kept the swelling down! Hopefully we'll figure out something to contain the chicken hand-me downs from people who have to move before we get them this weekend.
I really don't know of a source for fresh..they are seasonal vegies..canned ones are about it or cooking the dry beans.

Just got a call from dad and it has rained since I left home this morning.....some of it very hard . He watched another muddy river flowing down in front of our house..Since the first planting of favas made it thru the last time...I'm hoping their roots have gone deeper yet so we won't have to worry about too much rain. The new beans I planted in raised rows & hopefully they will be ok. There is more rain on the way! It's so hard to be away from home for 2 days while working and there is so much to do. I hope I can put a picture of the farm on the sight soon. Dad made the mistake of getting a CD along with our last pictures we had developed. Someone told me that you look at it on computor...so maybe someone can put a picture on this sight for me so you all can see what the farm looks like.

Well, The favas made it thru 2 torrential rains and are coming along just fine. Now we also have 5 hens/ a rooster and 2 young chickens that were given to us on Monday. Dad & I built a chicken tractor (mobile roost/ nest box/ run). I didn't want quite that many chickens and can't keep all of them. We have gotten 3 eggs so far, which isn't bad for putting them thru a change in location/ people/ feed, etc. My soy beans are nearly ready to pick now ( for green soy beans) You boil them in the pod, then shell them out. Other than the fact that there is not enough hours in a day or enough strength in this poor body to get everything done..things are going well. Anyone want a working vacation at a farm...., I could use help! We have 5 beautiful kittens that need homes...two with tails and three with stubs like the mama..anyone out there need a kitten????
Blessings to you all ...... Aunt Bean

Started making a field of raised beds this week. It is quite a job but think it will be worth it, because of the way the land washed during hard rains..lost alot of topsoil ...it ran down in front of the house in a "river". Had to take dad to the emergency room on Saturday...he may have spent too much time working on the tractor, trying to get it to run and then plowed for quite a while apparently (from what was done when I got home from work Friday nite). He stayed overnight and they changed his meds and he came home Sunday, but it was a scare! Life on the farm can be too hard sometimes!

Had an amazing visit from a fellow PD'r from Knoxville area this Tuesday. Scott drove 2 hours, helped in the garden, shared his story with me, helped make fava chips, learned how to make tincture and what part of the plant to make the tincture from. He was such a help and encouragement to me. I was feeling alittle discouraged , looking at all that needed to be done....but then he came and I feel uplifted and ready to go on . Just knowing that there are people out there that care and want to help will help me stay strong. Scott knows the value of working out and he impressed me more than anyone I've ever met......he wants to stay well like I do. He also went to our local support group meeting Tuesday evening and shared his story with the group. Everyone enjoyed meeting him and hope he will come back again sometime. We have to do all we can to keep our bodies functioning at optimum levels. Got to exercise along with supplements and good food choices. Blessings to all and a big thank you to Scott!

Happy that Scott was able to visit and lift your spirits. We all need to support each other and share the knowledge we gain fighting this condition. Keep up the good work and God Bless you and your family is my humble prayer.

Mike