Fighting Parkinson’s, and the validation of the Recipe, part 3

The Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery® is a soul, mind, and body recovery protocol. Today is part 3 of a 4-part series supporting you who are doing the Recipe. Part 3 will address the soul part of the Recipe.

Background

I started doing the Recipe on September 28, 2009. I had my full recovery on June 12, 2010. On January 5, 2011, I posted the Recipe on my blog. On November 17, 2017, my book became available on Amazon.

As noted in my previous blog post, I put in this query on Google:
“has the parkinson’s recipe for recovery been studied as a whole or only studied in its individual elements”

Here is the response received from AI Overview:

“In scientific and clinical research, the “Parkinson’s recipe for recovery” has not been formally studied as a whole collective protocol. Instead, clinical studies and trials consistently evaluate its individual elements — such as specific dietary approaches, targeted physical therapies like exercise, and psychological treatments. While the individual elements of the recovery protocol are validated in peer-reviewed literature, the recovery protocol as an aggregate remains untested.”

Today we will look at the validation on the soul healing component of the Recipe, specifically looking at gratitude, non-resistance, and self-acceptance (self-love).

I will post the queries and responses and provide the studies at the end of this blog post.

The Recipe soul healing, in general

Initial query:

are gratitude, non-resistance, and self-acceptance part of the soul healing in the parkinson’s recipe for recovery

AI Overview response:

“Yes, gratitude, non-resistance, and self-acceptance are deeply integrated into the soul component of the “Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery.” The protocol emphasizes that a holistic recovery involves balancing your soul, mind, and body, with the soul’s foundation resting on these exact principles:

• Gratitude: Designed to open the heart and soul, gratitude is practiced daily by listing things you are thankful for or actively saying “thank you” for your actions in the moment without judgment. 
• Self-Acceptance: The program emphasizes accepting where you are—including your symptoms and pain—without giving up. Self-acceptance removes judgment and allows you to focus energy directly on your path to recovery. 
• Non-resistance: By stopping the resistance to having Parkinson’s, you prevent yourself from getting stuck in detrimental, backward-looking thought patterns. Non-resistance allows you to joyfully accept your current state and focus on taking the necessary daily actions for recovery. 

To explore how these practices are incorporated into the protocol, review Howard Shifke’s Blog for detailed guidance on navigating your spiritual and soul healing journey.”

Gratitude, non-resistance, and self-acceptance

Next query:

are gratitude, non-resistance, and self-acceptance helpful spiritual practices for parkinson’s patients

AI Overview response:

“Yes, gratitude, non-resistance, and self-acceptance are highly helpful spiritual practices for Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. They are clinically and spiritually recognized to help manage emotional health, reduce stress, and improve overall quality of life.

Here is a breakdown of how these practices specifically benefit those living with PD:

1. Gratitude

Practicing gratitude does not mean ignoring the challenges of the disease; instead, it is intentionally noticing what still remains and what brings you ease.

• Benefits: Studies show that a deliberate gratitude practice helps trigger the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering stress hormones like cortisol while increasing mood-boosting chemicals like serotonin and dopamine.

2. Non-Resistance

Non-resistance (or the “letting go” of fighting the reality of having the disease) can profoundly impact mental well-being by conserving your energy.

• Benefits: Constantly fighting against physical symptoms creates chronic physical and mental stress. By leaning into non-resistance, patients stop wasting precious energy on frustration over things they cannot control, allowing them to focus on what matters most. 

3. Self-Acceptance

Self-acceptance is acknowledging your current bodily and emotional state without guilt or self-judgment.

• Benefits: Parkinson’s can alter a patient’s physical capabilities and even threaten their sense of identity. Accepting these changes helps release toxic defensive patterns and empowers individuals to reframe their thinking—focusing on what they can still do rather than what they can’t.”

Clinical studies and articles validating the Recipe soul healing methods

Click here for a study of spirituality in Parkinson’s patients (“Higher spirituality was associated with less impairment in QOL, lower anxiety, lower depression, fewer non-motor symptoms, reduced palliative symptoms, and less prolonged grief.”)

Click here for a study published on the National Institutes of Health website entitled, “Life Satisfaction and Adaptation in Person’s with Parkinson’s Disease — A Qualitative Study.” (“Adaptation to Parkinson’s disease involves a transitional process characterized by either acceptance or resistance, which influences a person’s LS [Life Satisfaction]. Acceptance makes LS possible, whereas resistance constitutes a behavioral barrier to adaptation and LS. Rehabilitation professionals need to understand this individual process to be able to support a person with PD to reach and maintain a high level of LS.”)

Click here for an article from Stanford University Medicine entitled, “Finding Strength Within: How Spirituality Can Improve Life With Parkinson’s — Webinar Notes.” (“The webinar featured Kim Beuerman, a board-certified spiritual care provider and staff chaplain, who shared how nurturing spiritual well-being can improve quality of life, reduce depression and anxiety, and build resilience.”)

As you can see, the soul healing part of the Recipe is validated as helpful, including improving the quality of life, for people who have Parkinson’s disease.

Please post a comment letting us know how you are doing in your recovery journey with gratitude, non-resistance, and self-acceptance.

You are worth it!!!

All my best,

Howard