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This is a story about the importance of nutrition for recovery after an illness, and how Factor 75 and a bunch of Chicago foodies are helping a friend recover from Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
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Photo Credit: Suite (Microsoft Office Clip Art)
Guillain-Barré Syndrome
I have a friend who’s recovering from Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Victims of Guillain-Barré suffer a degradation of the nervous system, which leads to paralysis. Recovery is long – taking months and sometimes years – and arduous. Guillain-Barré isn’t fully understood, and (thankfully) it’s quite rare … but it can happen to anyone. My friend is at home now, after a six-month stay in hospital/rehab, but hasn’t yet fully recovered. He’s able to function in a wheelchair, and with assistance.
What’s this story doing on Make It Like a Man’s food blog?
My friend’s a foodie and one of those rare individuals who has a knack for bringing people together: the perfect combination for someone who likes to host dinner parties – which he does with regular frequency. I’ve been privileged to be part of many of them over the past few years. If there is one thing he’s not been short of during his recovery, it’s like-minded foodies wanting to cook for him, or bring him samplings from Chicago’s wealth of fantastic take-out. It occurred to us, though, that there’s more to it than just food. Our friend needs good, well-balanced nutrition as he recovers. He also needs opportunities to feel that he’s regaining his independence. That’s where Factor 75 comes in.
Butternut Squash Lasagna. Photo Credit: Factor 75
Factor 75
Factor 75 is a healthy meal delivery service in Chicago, specializing in ready-to-heat meals that are high-performance, high-nutrition – and great tasting. I met and fell in love with them last summer. Their meals are as good to eat as they are nutritious, their office is downright cool, and the folks I’ve met from F75 are just flat-out awesome. It occurred to us at Make It Like a Man that F75 would be perfect for our friend in that it would offer him the nutrition that he needs, hand delivered. He’d also be in control of choosing what he eats, and he’d be able to prepare the meals himself. (They’re delivered fresh-but-chilled, and need only to be microwaved.) I decided to mention it to F75, and I was barely finished before I got their straightforward response: “How can we help?”
Nutrition for Recovery
Factor 75 allowed us to establish an F75 “bank” for our friend. We solicited donations from among the many, many people who’ve enjoyed being part of his “family dinners” over the years. In addition, F75 kicked in an impressive discount that increased our contribution, turning it into something impressive. The friend I’m talking about is a determined SOB, pressing on with determination where I’d be a crying baby in a constant state of meltdown. He is determined to fend for himself in as much as possible, and he’s been able to do so with a combination of cooking what he can, and supplementing his efforts with F75 meals. He loves the service, and all of us love knowing that he always has great-tasting, nutritious food at the ready.
If you know someone whose diet would benefit from an infusion of fantastic and highly nutritious food, hand-delivered to them at home or at work or wherever, you should check out Factor 75. Check out their nutrition page: high-quality protein, low glycemic carbs, heart-healthy fats … all balanced for optimum nutrition. And know also that you’re doing business with some amazing, big-hearted people.
For more information about Factor 75, follow these links:
Fig-Glazed Meatloaf. Photo Credit: Factor 75
Nutrition for Recovery
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This makes me with I lived in Chicago.