The Sound of One Hand Clapping

'What is the sound of one hand clapping?' This is a question Zen Buddhism asks us, as a tool to totally open and cleanse the mind. It is supposed to have no answer. To those of us, however, who can 'clap' with one hand, there's no great mystery there, but I add it to demonstrate a concept. How about this one 'If a tree falls down in a Forest and there's no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?' What ever works for you. On Tuesday at my clinic appointment, I had such a zen moment, maybe it could be explained thus - 'If a vegetable grows in a garden and there's no body who wants to eat it, is it still a vegetable or is it a weed?' Now that works for me! Apparently there are people with pku ( I will assume these are adults) who claim not to like and therefore do not eat vegetables! My brain was blown straight to a zen dimension, completely voided of all other thought but 'How can this be? It's not possible. What's left to eat?' Five days later I still can't grasp this concept. Enlightenment surely can't be too far away! I wonder if I understood properly? Maybe I misheard what was said? Apparently these people have forsaken vegetables in preference for low protein products ie muffins, cakes, pikelets and anything in a packet or box that has come from one of the manufacturers of over priced lo-pro and protein free food alternatives. On the pkutree.com.au site I sometimes wage a little battle on what I call 'fake' foods. I thought it would created a tirade, it didn't. By 'fake' foods I mean things like lo-pro chocolate, cheeses etc. How about some chocolate milk for your pku child? This product contains neither chocolate or milk. Some believe that if they educate their child to the difference it will be ok - maybe it will. I do understand that parents don't want their children to miss out on things and are always on the lookout for suitable food stuffs that can be included to what can otherwise be a pretty boring diet. But what about the future? No one really knows what the effect will be as a child gets older and has to make his or her own food choices. I digress somewhat. These people who don't eat vegetables are doing all their own baking: bread, muffins etc and are always open to try a new lo-pro product. On these forums it is hard not to compare your efforts to those of others living with the same disease. I always feel that I come up short. I have been beating myself up a bit over this, as I do practically none of it. I can barely remember to buy bread let alone go home and bake some! I'm not going to feel like this anymore. Maybe this will be part of my New Years Resolution. Maybe it should be a new years revolution! Forget about fake food eaters, what about the no food eaters! Vegetables are supposed to be the main feature of our diet as people with pku, that's why it has been such a zen moment. I truly can't believe this. How much things have changed and so quickly! I remember as a child having a friend who had some weird disorder in which she couldn't eat vegetables and ate predominantly meat. When we discovered each others 'weirdnesses' we just stood and stared at each other in a total lack of comprehension - another zen moment! I feel something should be done about this situation. But what do you do? Where to start? I'm not even really sure what the issues are, maybe it's a lack of cooking skill, or a lack of nutritional information, fear of doing or eating the wrong thing? Who knows, I sure as hell can't figure it out. What we need is a so called 'celebrity chef' to produce a child with pku, a child who can hardly eat anything and then people in general might take an interest.