1 in 104 people in the UK are affected with epilepsy in the UK. The majority of cases of epilepsy can be treated successfully with modern anti-epileptic drugs. However, approximately 30% of cases are classed as having drug-resistant epilepsy.
Matthew’s Friends is a Surrey-based charity, working nationally and internationally, that has had huge success in providing help and support for children and adults with drug resistant epilepsy and metabolic disorders such as Glut1 Deficiency Syndrome, as well as more recently helping patients with brain cancer; providing Ketogenic Dietary Therapy treatment at their Matthew’s Friends Clinics in conjunction with the Astro Brain Tumour Fund charity.
Medical Ketogenic Dietary Therapies are currently used primarily for the treatment of uncontrolled seizures caused by epilepsy. A patient prescribed the treatment will undergo a radical change of diet, calculated and weighed to very precise measurements. Each meal is carefully calculated by a specialist Dietitian to specific ratios for each patient, providing high fat, low carbohydrate and adequate protein meals that must be followed without deviation.
Thanks to a £10,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund, the charity has filmed forty ten-minute demonstration recipes and tutorials in a kitchen studio. The demonstrations are made by professional Ketogenic Chefs and Dietitians, sharing tips and advice and featuring some very special families supported by Matthew’s Friends. Every week there will be a new film released, including seasonal holiday recipes.
Matthew’s Friends Founder/CEO, Emma Williams MBE said “For many families that may not be aware of how to manage ketogenic dietary therapies in the home, these short films will be a vital tool to help them, with easy access on YouTube, social media and on our website. Huge thanks go to the Big Lottery Fund as well as to Nutricia and Vitaflo for enabling this project to happen.”
The video tutorials and recipes can be found online at www.matthewsfriends.org and on YouTube www.youtube.com/MatthewsFriendsOrg . Links can be found via the charity Facebook page www.facebook.com/matthewsfriends.