Because my daughter is eager to get the braces off her teeth, she has accepted without complaining the discomfort of their being tightened monthly. At some point a wire began poking her when she chewed on one side, so she began chewing on the other side. Some time later her jaw began popping, but she never grumbled. When her jaw began sticking, she mentioned it, and her orthodontist told her to stop using the rubber bands. Last weekend her jaw got stuck. She could neither open nor close her mouth. She was in a lot of pain. As the whole story came out, the orthodontist was amazed that she had suffered for so long without demanding relief. The fact that she was chewing only on one side created an imbalance in her muscles, which caused the jaw joint to slide and ultimately freeze up. The offending wire is gone. He used several natural techniques to loosen the tight muscle, and she is much better.

What, you ask, does this have to do with the BTD? Two things come to my mind.

One, I am sometimes concerned when people blame all new symptoms on detox. Certainly when you start a new eating program, your body may go through a period of adjustment. It makes sense that as stored toxins are released, they may manifest themselves in odd ways. But if unusual symptoms persist for long, don't accept them without question. Make sure that troublesome developments are not indications of serious disease.

Years ago I ate at a Pritikin restaurant. My server was way too thin. Her hair was brittle and her skin was blotchy. She looked so bad that it turned me off to Pritikin's program. Looking back I'm she was Type O, trying her best to follow a low fat, vegetarian diet. In my mind I can hear her mentors telling her that it was just detox, and that if she would stick with the plan, she would feel better.

Just as my daughter would have saved herself a lot of grief if she had spoken up earlier; get yourself checked out if you experience extended troublesome symptoms.

Second, since she had to eat soft food for a couple of days, I tried a new recipe. It is a variation on Hot Peanut Cereal from "Recipes for a Small Planet". This makes 2 or 3 servings.

2 ½ cups water

2 Tbsp soy powder

3/4 cup oats

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 - 3 Tbsp honey

Mix the soy powder into the water with a whisk. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cook covered 5 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving. Adjust the thickness to your preference by adding soy milk or more oats.

My husband daughter both loved it.