Al Gore, former vice president of the US, in an interview Monday said, “we need to initiate an organic vegetarian diet for the general population.” This frightens me on two levels. First – Someone who once was a heartbeat away from the presidency, thinks that the government has a right to dictate my diet. Second - The implications for the BTD are enormous. This would destroy the health of the 44% of the US population that is Type O. When I look at Gore’s pudgy, pasty face, I wonder if he is a Type O trying to eat a vegetarian diet.

Sometimes, I think people like to complain. I have a friend with morning sickness. She talks every day about how bad she feels and how many times she throws up. I say, you need Vitamin B6. She agrees she needs to try it, but she hasn’t. I can't remember how many people over the years I have told about this simple solution to morning sickness. Some people literally laugh at me. Others express interest but never follow through. Yet everyone I know who has tried Vitamin B6 has had success with it. One friend who couldn’t keep anything down, including B6 tablets, got sublingual B complex and stopped having morning sickness immediately.

We have given up watering our grass. We siphon the water out of our washing machine to try to keep the trees alive. The temperature Sunday was lll.6. HH asked if the thermometer was in the sun. I told him it was suspended in the shade several feet off the ground. Yet the East Coast is being pounded by flooding rain, and the New England covered bridges that I love to photograph are washing away.

I was eating lunch with a Type O friend. She and I have talked many times about the BTD and why I eat the way I do. She was eating her hamburger with the bun, I was eating mine without. She was talking about being on medication for acid indigestion. She said, “You are really lucky that you found something that works for you.” I laughed at her. Luck has nothing to do with it. It was certainly providential that I found out about the Blood Type Diet. After that it was attitude and self discipline about what I ate.

Now if I would take my own advice about attitude and self discipline regarding 8 hours of sleep.

I love birthdays, and I stretch my celebration out for as long as I can get away with it.

This year’s celebration started at the end of July when my sister and niece arrived in the United States. They both have summer birthdays, so we three celebrated our birthdays together. We had lunch at a local grill that has great salads. I had a three salad plate that was delicious and healthy.

The week before my birthday, DD and ESS came for the weekend. We went swimming at the lake and had lots of beneficial food. ESS also has an August birthday. My niece said, “Aunt Suzanne, you two need a cake.” It’s hard to explain why you don’t want birthday cake.

On the day of my birthday, HH, my niece and I met SS for barbeque. Again my niece said, “Aunt Suzanne, it’s not really a birthday without cake.” There was a pie shop across the street from the barbeque restaurant. I said, “How about birthday pie?” She agreed, so the four of us shared a pie. The choices were a pie with beneficial fruit, and a thick double crust or coconut cream pie with very little crust. I went with coconut cream. If I’m going to eat an avoid, it should be memorable, and this was one of the best coconut cream pies I have ever tasted.

A few days later my niece and I had lunch with one of my friends. The server tried to talk us into cheesecake. I told my niece that I never ordered cheesecake in a restaurant, because nobody’s cheesecake could compare to my mother’s recipe. She just barely remembered eating her grandmother’s cheesecake when she was a little girl. I said, “You’ve been telling me I should have a birthday cake, how about if we make Granny’s cheesecake?” She loved that idea.

I’ve posted the recipe in other blogs, so I won’t post it again today. However we made one change that made it extra good. My mother used a baby toast called Zwieback for the crust. I’ve substituted wheat free cookies and I’ve substituted walnuts. This time I didn’t have any cookies, and I was out of walnuts…what to do? I ground up pecans and patted them into the pan.

Oh my, it was delicious. Better than walnuts, better than the wheat free cookies, better than Zwieback.

A pecan crust would be fabulous with a fruit torte. It would complement a quiche. I think you could use pecans in almost any recipe that calls for a pat in crust.

Good health is a lot about nutrition. It also has its exercise and spiritual components. But in addition, sometimes you just need some fun. These have been fun days at the Graham household.

Both of our kids were home for a weekend in July and they were back last weekend. This makes me happy!

My sister got to spend five days with me. We talked, we shopped, we cooked, we floated on the river. Sister time makes me happy.

My niece is staying with me for 3 weeks. She is doing an internship here, and she is practicing her driving skills. I love having this enthusiastic teenager cooking and exercising and watching movies with me. Watching her success with parallel parking makes me happy.

A good friend who has had a long struggle with Multiple Sclerosis and celiac disease saw pictures I took of tubing, and sent me a message wishing she could still do things like that. I knew two places where we could float without the dangers of white water. I encouraged her to come for a weekend, and she did. We floated and talked and floated and ate gluten free food and floated some more. We called it “water therapy” and it made us both happy.

My Honorable Husband and I are making friends at our new church that will be lifetime friends. It makes us happy to walk into Bible Study and be greeted with smiles.

I don’t ever want to get so caught up in work, or the news, or the responsibilities of life that I neglect being with people and doing things that give joy! I don’t want to have so many rules about food and exercise that I miss out on happy days!

I went to Google News tonight looking for financial news. It must have been a big day for research result releases. Here are tidbits from stories that had BTD and women’s health connections.

Soy tablets do not help build bone

This study contradicts the popular notion that soy isoflavones will prevent bone loss in menopausal women. I wish I knew the blood type breakdown of the women in the study. Soy is a neutral food for Type Os, but it is beneficial for Type As. I once read that isoflavones were supposed to help menopausal women, so I tried mixing some of my Type A daughter’s soy protein powder in with my breakfast. It didn’t settle with my stomach, so I abandoned the idea. I tried the tablets for a while, but didn’t notice that they had any effect on me at all.

I should have listened to Dr. D. In the Menopause book he writes, “Essentially carnivores when it comes to protein requirements, Blood Type Os should minimize consumption of beans and legumes…An exception for menopausal women may be soy beans. They contain isoflavones that help minimize symptoms, build up bone, and protect the heart.” Then he lists them as neutral, the same as he does in all the other books.

Loading up on calcium won't eliminate osteoporosis risk

The recommended dose of calcium for women over 51, is 1200 mg per day. I actually take a little more than that since I don’t eat dairy. This study indicates that the lowest fracture risk was with women taking 750 mg per day. The study also indicated that women who wait until they are older to start taking calcium do not decrease their fracture risk.

Interestingly, the Menopause book lists calcium last on the list of bone supplement protocols. Dr. D. suggested 1,000 mg. He puts Horsetail, Manganese, Vitamin A and Boron as more important than calcium. Looks like I may be wasting money taking as much calcium as I do.

Flaxseed is no help for hot flashes

Dr. D lists Flax as a beneficial food for Type Os of all ages. I eat it for the fiber and the essential oils. I didn’t know that it contained plant estrogens that were supposed to help hot flashes. The study contradicts the hot flash theory, and said that it had no more impact on hot flashes that a placebo.

osteoporosis drugs linked to femur fracture

This was the most peculiar of the studies. The very drugs that many women take to prevent osteoporosis are linked to fractures of the thigh bone. I have had my bone density checked twice, and I am not showing any signs of osteoporosis, so I haven’t taken any of these drugs. I’m glad I haven’t.

A lot of popular theories about menopause and osteoporosis were shot down today - if you believe the studies are completely accurate. I will continue taking calcium, but not as much. I will eat flax for its other benefits. I’ve already stopped taking soy, and I don’t plan to take the osteoporosis drugs.

Weight bearing exercise is looking like a really good choice for women my age. I’m halfway expecting to read a study about that tomorrow.

We had a wonderful, long weekend with family. My sister and niece were here from Europe. DD and ESS drove down from North Texas. SS came from Central Texas where his physical therapy practice is located. Saturday night I fixed a big dinner – roast beef, black eyed peas, artichokes, sweet potatoes, bread, and watermelon for dessert.

I tried a new sweet potato recipe, and all of the Type Os liked it. But the real key was how it would measure up to other sweet potato recipes. So we took a vote. The new recipe did pretty well. The winner was sweet potato fries. I think everyone agreed that was their favorite way to eat sweet potatoes. Second place votes went to baked sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes with cinnamon, and the new recipe.

“What I really need to know,” I said, “is whether to keep the recipe. Be honest, do you want me to fix sweet potatoes this way again?” The vote was unanimous – keep the recipe. On that recommendation, I will share it with you.

Sweet Potatoes with Agave Nectar and Fresh Rosemary

3 sweet potatoes, washed and cubed
3 Tbsp light Olive Oil
2 Tbsp fresh Rosemary
½ - 1 Tbsp Agave Nectar
Salt and pepper if desired (I didn’t use either)

Whisk together the olive oil, agave nectar and rosemary. Toss with the sweet potato cubes until the potatoes are well coated. There are two cooking options. I used the stove top option.

Cooking Option 1 – Put the coated potatoes in a large pot on the stovetop. Cook on medium high heat until they begin to turn soft – about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep them coated and to prevent sticking.

Cooking Option 2 – Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread the coated potatoes on the cooking sheet. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes at 400 degrees. Stir the potatoes every 15 minutes.