In June, many teens and young adults graduate and leave home — a time young people on the keto diet have to take on added responsibility for keeping themselves healthy. We asked Chanda Gunn, New Hampshire Field Manager of the Epilepsy Foundation of New England, if she knew any young adults with epilepsy who could talk about what it’s like to transition to managing their diet on their own. She found Rosie. This is Rosie’s story.

Rosie

Hi. My name is Rosie.  I have refractory epilepsy, and I have been on the low glycemic index diet for 11 years. The diet has improved my seizures by probably 90 percent. Although I am not seizure free, it has helped!

In the beginning, it was a little tricky to learn what I could and couldn’t eat. My mom cooked all the food for me and help me learned about good carbs and bad carbs.  We have made some mistakes with the recipes along the way, but we were always trying new things to eat.

Now that I am 21 years old and on my own a little more, eating out at restaurants is harder because people don’t understand what I can and can’t have. They want me to eat the way they do.  Sometimes I tell people I have a gluten allergy because it is just too confusing for them.

Cambrooke foods has been great for me and my diet.  I think the food is beneficial because it is food that I can trust 100% and not worry about having a seizure after eating it.

I also love how in the past year or so Cambrooke has come out with several new products that are great, like the stuffing, individual pizzas, and now the butter almond cookies.  The website also has new recipes with the ingredients and all the calculations for my diet.