Sitting in the orthodontist's office this morning waiting for my daughter to have her braces tightened, I picked up a copy of "Good Housekeeping" that had a weight loss article featured on the cover. I thought I would see if there was anything remotely related to the Blood Type Diet. Unfortunately it was the usual confused mixture of low-fat, low-carb, count calories advice that is doomed to failure.

However I did learn something. They quoted a study that said "women lose muscle mass at a rate of roughly one-third to one-half a pound each year after age 35. I certainly watched that happen to me, and it is one of the things I have had success changing with the Type O diet.

My husband and I are both very active, and have always exercised year round. We ran together until he had back surgery (the same year our 19-year-old son was born). After that we walked briskly or swam 4-6 days a week. Nevertheless, I watched my leg muscles gradually go soft. I wasn't over weight - I was well within the guidelines for my height. But, last spring when I tensed my legs, I could see no visible change. Disgusting!

Before the Blood Type Diet, I always felt a little guilty that I wanted more protein, especially more meat. This year I have enjoyed eating beneficial meats. I have also begun to vary my exercise. I continue to swim and walk, but I also run, bike, and work with weights. When I tense my legs now, there is muscle definition. Delightful!

The article went on to say that, "Women need not fear bulking up. Working out with ‘moderately challenging' weight (a weight that makes you feel fatigued after eight to 10 repetitions) will increase lean muscle mass, which burns calories even when the body is at rest."

I can see that the weights I am using are no longer heavy enough. When I started I could barely do 5 repetitions. Now I do 15 - 20 without fatigue. I've got to look into new weights. Having come this far, I certainly don't want to start losing muscle again.

I have spent the day restoring order to my house after last week's hectic deadlines. I think it is a good day to share ideas from my comment box.

First, my daughter is back from her mission trip to the homeless shelter. She experienced a world far different from her own. The thing that touched her most was working with the children of homeless families. She and her classmates played with them and helped them with homework in an after school program at the shelter. The Type A food she took worked out well. They had apple juice for breakfast, and she mixed her protein shake in that.

Sarah wrote with an idea that I wish we had though of. "The solution I have found works best when traveling is to bring plenty of those little one-drink cartons of soy or rice milk." Sarah had other ideas for travelers, "Cans of sardines are useful emergency rations for As & Os; also rice pasta, the very thin kind that you can just soak in hot water. One still has to think of fruit & veg but at least one won't starve or have to eat avoids." Great ideas for summer vacations!

Judith sent a recipe for roasted vegetables that I plan to try when my son gets home from college for the summer. It sounds delicious. I like it when you all send me recipes. Don't stop, but also post them on the RECIbase. That way other visitors to the website can access them. I am trying to use RECIbase more often when I need a new idea.

Another recipe came from another Suzanne. She grated jicima to make potato pancakes and said her family loved them. (Is it on RECIbase yet?) It made me think of grating jicima to make hash browns. I wasn't happy with the results. I cooked them in a skillet with the lid on and they were too mushy. Next time I'll try with the lid off.

Also on the subject of potatoes, Terry makes sweet potato fries. Another thing to try when my Type O son is home for the summer!

I'm amazed at how many combination Type A/Type O families there are. For those who said I have encouraged them, I can only say you encourage me right back. Terry really made me laugh when she wrote, "Typically, my husband and oldest daughter only follow the diet because it's the only food we have in the house!"

I am also amazed at how many of you have written to say that God led you to the Blood Type Diet during a health crisis. I say "Amen!" The Blood Type Diet was certainly the answer to my prayers.

Our church is joining many other churches in a 6 week Bible study called 40 Days of Purpose. I had never thought about how many times the Bible uses the word purpose or a synonym for purpose until this study. For example, Proverbs 16:4 says, The Lord has made everything for his purpose.

Rick Warren, a California pastor, has identified five things that give meaning and purpose to life. We are to study one of those purposes each week. This week it was "You were planned for God's pleasure." Psalm 149:4 says The Lord takes pleasure in his people.

Of all the illustrations used to explain this, my favorite was that of a father and his children. When my husband and I thought about having children, we wanted to hold them and watch them grow and be with them. Thinking of our children makes me smile. It is fun sometimes just to watch them sleep, and a hug from them is the greatest gift in the world.

In the same way, God created us to love him and be with him. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment," said Jesus quoting Moses.

One of the ways God shows his love for us is the abundance in the world he made for us. He could have arranged for us to get all the nourishment we need from one power packed, blah tasting substance. Instead he gave us an amazing variety of foods that give pleasure to the tongue and strength to the body. When I sit down to a meal and give thanks for the food he has provided, I am worshiping him.

In honor of the Kentucky Derby, my new vegetable of the week is - horseradish. My Mom loves horseradish. But when I was little and she would eat it, she always commented about how hot it was. This did not inspire me to try it!

Last summer (when I had been on the Blood Type Diet for about 6 weeks) we went on vacation and stopped to visit friends in Ohio. Pam had a variety of meats, cheeses, and breads, and she told everyone to make their own sandwich to take on a picnic. When I picked roast beef, Pam said "Oh, I have horseradish to go with that." I knew horseradish was a Type O beneficial, so I tried it. I liked the flavor, and it wasn't nearly as hot as I had feared.

However, when I got back home and tried to buy horseradish, every brand I could find was mixed in a dressing made from soy oil (Type O avoid). I gave up on horseradish, until this week when I found plain horseradish root in a bin in the produce department.

I asked the produce manager, "How do people eat this?" He said that they usually chopped it and mixed it with mayonnaise. We started brain storming, and came up with the idea of chopping it fine and mixing it in olive oil. The produce manager thought that would work.

I've written before that collard greens, turnip greens and kale don't excite me unless they are well seasoned. I had some left over ground beef. I tossed it in with turnip greens and seasoned it all with the horseradish/olive oil mix that had been marinating over night. It was very good: spicy but not too hot.