{"id":1607,"date":"2020-05-19T18:04:14","date_gmt":"2020-05-19T22:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nutriciametabolics.expressodesign.com\/?p=1607"},"modified":"2025-09-23T06:06:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T10:06:09","slug":"blog-returning-to-the-pku-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nutriciametabolics.com\/en-us\/blog\/returning-to-the-pku-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"Find out how Rene returned to the PKU diet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Being off the PKU diet leads to high phenylalanine (PHE) levels and is associated with a variety of symptoms, such as feeling tired, irritable and forgetful.\u00a0 This is how Rene felt before he went back on the PKU<\/a> diet as an adult.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We met up with Rene in his home in San Diego, CA to learn more about why and how he returned to the PKU diet at age 36.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy name is Rene and my entire life, I\u2019ve had PKU.  I was good on my diet as a kid, because my mom and aunts all helped making my food, teaching me how to cook and reminding me to take my formula.  As I got older it got harder to stay on diet and one day I just gave up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rene shared that the most difficult time was in his teen years, since he was completely off diet.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI was feeling tired most of the time. It was hard to be active and I did not do well in school. It was hard to memorize stuff. I just wasn\u2019t myself.  I was always angry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we wanted to know why Rene decided to come back to diet as an adult.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the big motivations that I had was my daughter. I wanted to be a better role model and be there for her more.  I am a single dad, and when I was off-diet I didn\u2019t really have energy to play with her, help her with homework.  When I look back, I yelled a lot, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just decided I needed to be a better parent so I can go to work and still have energy to focus on her (my daughter).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We know it is not easy to get back on the PKU diet after being off diet for several years, so we wanted to know how Rene did it.  What were your first steps?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cOne day, I said okay, I\u2019m just going to call my clinic and make an appointment.  Then I had my first doctor appointment to get on the diet and get my PHE levels down.  Due to my insurance I had to drive all the way to Los Angeles, but I had my daughter with me for motivation and it was a good appointment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe clinic said that there were several new options in PKU formula and they taste way better then they did when I was a kid.\u00a0 They gave me the PhenylAde\u00ae GMP READY<\/a><\/strong> so I\u2019m like okay, I\u2019m going to give it a try.\u201d \u201cThe PhenylAde GMP READY was great. I actually love it. I don\u2019t have to scoop it or anything. \u00a0I can take it to work. I can take it anywhere. It\u2019s really smooth, it\u2019s really tasty. It doesn\u2019t have an aftertaste.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rene also told us that he likes to cook and remembers several vegetarian recipes his aunts taught him as a child.  He shared some recipes with us as he made lunch for himself and his daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow that my PHE levels are back in range, I feel way better. I\u2019m more active. I\u2019m going to the gym, working out, playing soccer, and I also play with my daughter now, which I was not doing before\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were curious if Rene had any advice for other adults with PKU who may be thinking about returning to the PKU diet.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cFind a motivation and really focus on that.  Returning to diet is not something that happens overnight, you do need to work at it and plan your meals a bit more than when you are not on diet. The impact is you have a little bit more control of your highs and lows when sticking to the diet.  I\u2019m really glad I did it. I feel way better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou should also give PhenylAde GMP READY a try, it\u2019s awesome, not what PKU formula used to taste like. For me it was a life-changer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch this video to learn more about Rene and why he returned to the PKU diet.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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