I know I am a week late on my Mother's Day blog. A major thunderstorm was rolling through our city just as we got out of church on Mother's Day. The rain was unexpected and severe enough to concern us about flash flooding. I suggested that we go home to eat lunch. It would be safer. Plus, our son was coming home from college, and by postponing my Mother's Day lunch one week he could be with us.

The restaurant where I wanted to eat is called Gini's. It used to be purely a health food restaurant, but the owner began advertising on the radio, and soon it had a city wide following. One day when we went there to eat the doors were locked and the lights out. I thought they were out of business. I recently found out they had rebuilt at a new location. I had not eaten there since I started the BTD.

My son, remembering old favorite meals at Gini's, asked if I was going to order chicken livers, and I said I was. Accompanying the livers were split pea soup, spinach, and sweet potatoes. It was not until my food arrived that I realized how my eating had changed on the BTD.

The livers were coated in whole wheat flour. That used to be a big plus, but now it is an avoid. The spinach was creamed spinach - delicious, but again laced with avoids. The sweet potatoes were mashed in a casserole. I would guess that milk and sugar were added in addition to the spices. The split pea soup was thickened with Irish potatoes. My meal was served with a corn muffin, which I did not eat.

Everything tasted delicious. From the standpoint of a health food restaurant, all of the ingredients were pure. However from the BTD standpoint, what should have been a very beneficial meal was mingled with avoids. It met Dr. D'Adamo's criteria of compliance (70 - 80 % beneficial or neutral), but it was way more avoids than I normally eat. Next time I will ask them to leave the wheat coating off the liver, and order a salad instead of soup.

My husband and children were so sweet and paid me many compliments. I am glad I made being a full time mom a high priority when my children were little.

One of the places I go to climb stairs is at a medical center parking garage. I like it because there are 5½ uninterrupted flights of stairs. Today there were an unusual number of cigarette butts littering the stairs.

My first thoughts were judgmental. I imagined some lifetime smoker going in for lung x-rays, stopping on the stairs for a cigarette before his appointment. As my heart rate went up, my attitude softened. Perhaps it was a spouse or adult child, sneaking out of the non-smoking doctor office for stress relief as they anxiously awaited news of a loved one.

I count the stairs in 3 groups of 5½ flights. By the end of the first group I was sweating, and becoming more philosophical. I thought back to my childhood. Smoking was accepted as normal. It was in all the movies. The only people who spoke out against smoking were the Baptists. I remember a little jingle that kids used to taunt the Baptists:

Don't smoke

Don't chew

Don't go with boys that do.

Then came the surgeon general's report that proved the Baptists were right. Today you would be hard pressed to find anyone, even at a tobacco company who believes that smoking is good for you.

Now well into the second group of 5½ flights, I was breathing hard, and thinking about aerobic exercise. Again I thought of my childhood. The President's Council on Physical Fitness had us doing sit-ups and long jumps, but nobody talked about cardio vascular exercise. I didn't know anyone who ran for exercise until I was in college. Then the research of Dr. Ken Cooper and others became widely accepted. Today PE teachers have 1st graders running around the playground, trying to instill in them a lifetime habit of cardio.

By the third group of flights my muscles were burning. I began to think about food. There are a lot of false ideas that are generally accepted today. Kids need milk. Red meat is bad for you. Eat whole wheat bread. Diet soda aids weight loss.

At what point will the wrong ideas be abandoned and the principals of the Blood Type Diet become as accepted as the dangers of smoking or the need for cardio vascular exercise. What amount of publicity, or what series of health crises will it take for there to be a general awareness that we are not all alike. That Type As are suited to be vegetarians, Type Bs are the only ones who really need milk, and Type Os thrive on red meat.

I could not read the answer in the cigarette butts in the stairwell. But when that day comes, it will radically change the type of problems bringing people to that medical center.

We have some dear friends who have been missionaries in Europe for more than 20 years. She is the 2nd person I ever knew who had celiac disease. At the time she was diagnosed I was really into whole grains and was quite mystified by her diet. They are back in the states for a visit, and e-mailed suggesting we go out to dinner with some mutual friends.

Two places were suggested. A popular new Asian restaurant called "Payway" was selected. I'll admit I was skeptical - with a name like that I felt like I would be eating in a convenience store. It was my task to get directions for everyone, since none of us had eaten at this restaurant. After a long Internet search I finally realized that while I had the pronunciation correct, the name was spelled Pei Wei.

During the course of the Internet search I came across a website about celiac dining in Austin. Pei Wei was given a good review for having a gluten free menu. This was great because it meant that our missionary friend could order with confidence.

I was interested in the site because, while I don't have celiac disease, as a Type O I do try to avoid wheat. I'm going to include the link to the site because while you probably don't live in Austin, some of the restaurants listed are national chains. I also found it helpful to read what menu items at the local restaurants were found to be wheat and gluten free.

http://www.popartsplace.com/Celiac/

I ordered ginger broccoli with beef. It came with brown rice prepared just right. Everything was delicious. My husband ordered a rice bowl. He loved it and had some left over for today's lunch. In fact everyone at the table raved about their meal. Of course the spirited conversation among old friends was the best part. We would have had a good time even if we really had eaten in a convenience store.

When my children were very small, I made a deal with them about shots. If they would be brave and not cry, then after the shot I would take them to the toy store and they could pick out something they wanted. My favorite memory is of my daughter the summer before she started kindergarten sitting in the waiting room tightly holding my hand, her lip slightly quivering. All around us were loud, screaming children; but she remained calm. She still has the fluffy, white cat we bought on the way home.

As they got older, we switched the reward to food. If they would go for their shots without complaining, on the way home we would stop anywhere they wanted for a treat. For children raised by a health nut mother, this was a very big deal.

Yesterday my daughter was due for her tetanus shot. On Saturday I was listening to a Q&A radio program hosted by a doctor. A woman called in concerned about whether she should have her children inoculated. He gave her all the risks and all the statistics. Then closed by saying; "Parents in America have never seen someone with tetanus or diphtheria or whooping cough. Most have not seen the results of polio. They do not realize how horrible these diseases are. If they ever saw a child with diphtheria, they would realize how fortunate we are that for the most part these diseases have been wiped out in America."

Anyway, back to the subject. Yesterday my daughter was due for her tetanus shot. She said, "Do we still have a deal? Can I get a snack afterwards?" I said yes - she could have anything she wanted if she didn't complain about the shot. After much thought, she chose a pie shop.

On the way there she said, "You're going to have a piece of pie with me, aren't you, Mom?" Ah, she had read my mind. I was debating that very question in my mind. If I was going to get my favorite kind of pie it would be coconut cream. But I realize that there are no beneficials, and probably no neutrals in a piece of coconut cream pie.

She interrupted my debate, "You're not going to make me eat alone, are you?" Hmm, I thought. Eating a piece of pie would be a sacrificial act for my child. Now there is an interesting thought. They do have fresh fruit pies - perhaps if I got a beneficial fruit.

She ordered raspberry pie; I ordered blueberry. It was delicious. We sat in our booth and had a good conversation. We celebrated her courage in the face of the needle and that she won't have another shot until 2015.

I aim for 10 fruits or vegetables every day. Yesterday I had prunes, bananas, plums and grapes. I also had lettuce, tomato, onion, butternut squash and broccoli.

I have never had a garden, but someday I hope to plant one. A gardening friend sent this cute e-mail.

Plant two rows of peas:

1. Peace of mind

2. Peace of heart

Plant three rows of lettuce:

1. Lettuce be faithful

2. Lettuce be kind

3. Lettuce be patient

Plant four rows of squash:

1. Squash gossip

2. Squash indifference

3. Squash grumbling

4. Squash selfishness

Among your herbs plant some thyme:

1. Thyme for family

2. Thyme for friends

3. Thyme for God

Cultivate with love so there will be much fruit in your garden. Remember, you reap what you sow.

The family's eating schedule was off today. Our daughter went on a shopping expedition with friends. They didn't stop for lunch until 4pm. My husband usually takes our daughter out to lunch on Saturday. It is their time alone together. Since she was off with friends, he had a 12 inch turkey sandwich from Subway all by himself. I was up very late last night, so I slept until 10:00 - a rare occurrence. Breakfast was late, so lunch was late as well. None of us were very hungry at dinner time.

Rather than fix the meal I had planned, I pretended I was a short order chef and let everyone choose their own meal. My husband wanted soup and salad. He had mushroom barley soup from the health food store and a salad made with romaine lettuce, fresh spinach, cauliflower, and radishes.

Our daughter wanted a tuna melt. It is tuna with canola mayonnaise and Spike seasoning on an English muffin (Ezekiel makes a surprisingly good English muffin), broiled under the broiler. The original recipe called for a slice of melted cheese on the top - hence the name tuna melt - but she leaves off the melted cheese. She also had a salad like her dad's.

For myself I fixed a large bowl of salad greens and grated carrots. I added ¾ can of tuna and some olive oil. It needed flavor. I sprinkled ½ teaspoon of curry powder on the top and tossed it thoroughly to disperse the curry. It was a good combination of flavors, and turned an ordinary tuna salad into something quite exotic.

If you really love shopping at Whole Foods, skip today's blog. But if you feel guilty that you can't afford to shop at Whole Foods, or if you grieve that you don't have a Whole Foods near you, perhaps this blog will ease your mind.

In my county I am blessed to have a variety of choices when it comes to buying food. There are several small health food stores. My favorite is near my house, and I've known the owner for 25 years. It was in her store that I read for the first time about the Blood Type Diet. She is a Type O who had been a vegetarian for years, and she attributes the BTD with saving her life.

There are also two major grocery store chains, plus a few independent grocers. There is a large independently managed health food market. And there is Whole Foods. Part of the reason I don't shop at Whole Foods is that it is a considerable drive from my house. Today, however an errand brought me right by the store, and I stopped to pick up a few items I can't get at the stores closer to home.

Ever since the recipe for escarole and adzuki beans was posted on the Forum, I've been looking for escarole. Whole Foods usually carries a lot of fresh greens, unfortunately they were out of escarole, so that recipe will have to wait a while longer. They had red Swiss chard, so I bought some of that instead. For the most part everything in the produce department was one and a half times as much as in the other health food market.

I walked by the meat counter, thinking of dinner tonight. Even though I know Whole Foods is expensive, it was still shocking. Everything was 3 to 4 times as much as the hormone free meat I buy elsewhere.

In the bulk area I found amaranth for a very reasonable price. I can't get amaranth anywhere else, and my husband and daughter enjoyed it tonight. My husband said it's not quite as good as grits, but since I don't make grits anymore, he was glad to get it. I also found brown rice flour in bulk for a better price than I usually pay for a package.

One of the other bloggers had written about dried blueberries at Whole Foods. I searched for them - $16.99 a pound! I'm sorry; I just can't pay that price. They went back on the shelf. The stores where I usually shop have stopped carrying the chocolate covered coffee beans that my daughter likes. Whole Foods had them for $12 a pound. Sorry, she will have to do without.

The most shocking price was seeing the exact same brand of soy milk that I buy at the regular grocery store for 95 cents. The Whole Foods price was $2.69.

If you like Whole Foods and can afford it, I have no quarrel with you. It's just too expensive for me. If there is not a Whole Foods in your community, don't waste any time bemoaning that fact. You can stay within your budget and eat right for your type quite successfully at a regular grocery store or at a more reasonably priced health food store or market.

Heard on the radio:

"God made your body;

Jesus paid for your body;

take care of that body!

Increasing obesity statistics are making their mark in the comics. This from "The Other Coast" last Sunday.

The scene is a county fair circus midway. Plump adults and children are walking around with double dip ice cream cones, popcorn, pizza, and corny dogs. Standing by a sign that says "Freak Show" is a barker in a stripped hat with a megaphone. He is saying, "Step right this way ladies and gentlemen! See the amazing slim lady."

My son called from college yesterday afternoon. He and his roommate had bought ground beef in bulk to save money. This is the last week of school, and they need to clean out the freezer, but they are tired of spaghetti and tacos. He wanted to know some fast, easy recipes that he could fix while they are studying for finals. I gave him three quick ideas, one of which would be good for them both. The other two had Type O avoids, but would be good for his Type B roommate.

On my agenda this morning is to get the grass mowed, then enjoy a slice of the eye of round roast that I cooked late yesterday. I have some leftover Swiss chard to eat with it. I usually buy red Swiss chard because it tastes like beet greens to me. Beet greens are my second favorite greens, spinach being the first. Green Swiss chard was all that was available last week, so I tried it. I was surprised; it tastes just like the red. Swiss chard may move into second place on my favorite list simply because I don't have to figure out what to do with the beets that unfortunately come attached to the beet greens.

One last word of wisdom from my morning Bible Study. Proverbs 15:15 - 17

He who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble.

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred.

My husband's mom is suffering debilitating pain from arthritis, and we have wanted to go see her. This weekend some close family friends were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, so it was a good time to make the trip.

Her pain has been so severe that she has stopped cooking. She had planned on sending out for food while we were there, but I volunteered to cook. She is Type A, like my husband and daughter, so I tried to fix foods that were easy, tasty, and good for her. For one meal I fixed steelhead trout, black-eyed peas, and broccoli. For another we had grilled chicken breasts, green beans, and cranberries.

The 50th Anniversary party was wonderful, and we saw many friends. There was a long and luscious buffet. As I walked past, I realized that everything except the fruit tray was made with wheat, cheese, or both! I was so glad I had eaten a salad before the party. If I had arrived hungry, I would have been in big trouble. As it was, I limited myself to plate of pineapple and strawberries.

Desserts have been important in his family, so before we left I made up my mind to enjoy one, but only one avoid laden dessert. I wanted to be sure it was a good choice. Because his mom is in so much pain and is not cooking, the dessert choices were not as abundant as they used to be. There were several kinds of ice cream, but ice cream is available at home. The cake at the anniversary party was absolutely beautiful, but cake icing isn't as tempting as it used to be. It tastes way too rich to me now.

What was tempting was something called a fresh fruit torte that a cousin had brought by the house. It was some kind of firm custard in a light crust topped with mounds of fresh fruit. At first all I could see were blueberries, strawberries, and grapes piled high. This, I finally decided would be my avoid of the weekend. It was absolutely delicious. The combination of custard and fresh fruit was wonderful. I enjoyed every bite. But I stayed true to my word, and that one piece was my only weekend avoid.

On the way home I began to wonder if I could make a custard with eggs and soy milk. If so I could make a fresh fruit torte that was all beneficial and neutral. This is definitely something worth looking into.

When my son graduated from high school, he went snorkeling on his senior trip. He bought some fins, and that summer told me that one of the best workouts he did for his calves was swimming with fins. I bought some fins for myself, but in a 25-meter pool, I found them cumbersome. I only kicked a few times before I reached the wall and had to turn. Turning in fins is awkward. I rarely used them.

However, yesterday I used them as they were meant to be used. The indoor pool where I swim in the winter is a 50-meter pool. From September through April there is a barrier at the halfway point, which divides the big pool into two 25-meter pools. At the end of the high school swim season, they remove the barrier. Yesterday was the first time since the barrier was removed that I remembered to take the fins.

I swam two warm up laps in my regular way, then put on the fins. There was a delightful sensation of the water rushing past me so much faster. I soon noticed that I was breathing harder than I ordinarily do when I swim. This was not only a good leg workout, but a good aerobics workout as well. Though my arms kept moving, it was clear that most of the work was being done by my legs.

I felt great when I got out of the water. My heart rate was up. My shoulders, knotted up from too many hours working on computer graphics, were loose. My legs, especially my calves, were tired, but not exhausted. Swimming with fins will be fun until our neighborhood pool opens in June.

A quote from Jack Taylor: "Until your misery factor exceeds your fear factor, you won't change." Taylor is an evangelist, and I wish I knew the original context of this quote. However, doesn't it have application for many areas of life? - - Especially food and exercise. Don't wait until you are miserable! Start today to eat more beneficials and fewer avoids. You may not be able to swim, but you can go for a brisk walk.

After a wet winter, we are having a dry spring. I had an unusually demanding morning, and I looked forward to a run at the park with the hill. The ground is starting to crack, and I kicked up lots of dust as I ran.

That reminded me of an interesting study I heard about on the radio this week. I wish I could remember the name of the author of the book who was being interviewed so I could give him credit for his work. Someone has gone back and looked at transportation in the decades prior to the mass production of the Model-T Ford. They particularly looked at big cities like New York City. They calculated the number of horses that were in the cities, and the number of tons of manure that those horses produced.

When the weather was wet all that manure ran down into the rivers and streams, polluting the water supply. When the weather was dry, the manure was pounded into dust by the horse's hoofs and the wagon wheels. Manure dust was constantly in the air, blowing into houses through open windows. People breathed it and ate it as it settled on their food. Eating, drinking, and breathing manure brought epidemic disease.

The author contends that the invention of the car brought to a halt a dangerous pollution problem in the cities. Interesting thought.

I was glad that the dust I was breathing was just plain dirt. I sure felt better after the run. You can't hear it too often; Type Os need intense physical exercise.

I took my journalism class on a field trip to a local newspaper today. They got to tour the news room, the advertising department, the press room and more. After the tour we were to eat lunch. The students talked about a lot of restaurants, but in the end they decided they wanted to go to a food court at a nearby mall.

I walked up and down the rows of food stands looking for something Type O. One place had signs bragging about their salads. But as I got closer I saw that all the salads were pre-made and all were topped with croutons and cheese. Chinese is usually a good O option, but in this environment all the food was already covered in sauce, which would be wheat or corn based.

Then I saw a place that specialized in Philly steak sandwiches. OK, I know that getting a real Philly steak sandwich in Texas is as likely as my getting real Mexican food in Pennsylvania. However, I stopped to look at the menu. Two things attracted my attention. First they had a Philly salad - Romaine lettuce, tomato, steak, onion, and cheese. Second, the grill was not hidden in the back, but was right behind the counter so you could watch the cook chopping and grilling your meal.

I ordered a Philly salad with no cheese and no dressing. As I made my way to the other end of the line, I watched the cook prepare food for the people in front of me. When he got to my order he said, "Are you sure you don't want cheese." I asked if he had real mozzarella and he said he did. So I said yes to the cheese.

The salad was very good. I'm going to see if I can copy it at home.

I planned my food and snacks pretty well for my two long deadline days, but with 12 and 16-hour days it's hard to plan for exercise. Friday I did quite a bit of walking around campus, but Saturday I sat at the computer most of the day. Sunday I went for a short walk with my husband. Today I knew I had to get some real exercise, but I seemed to be moving from one meeting to another without any time of my own.

When we got home from school, I did yard work. It was such a clear, cool spring day that weed eating was almost fun. Yet I hadn't worked hard enough to be tired. A student had given me two rolls of film from a weekend tennis tournament to process for the sports section. I jumped on my bike and went to drop off the film.

I probably rode a little more than three miles altogether. Now my heart was really pumping and my muscles were really working. I felt so much better. The sun had gone down by the time I got home. The streets were quiet except for a few nighttime walkers. It was very peaceful. The combination of being physically tired, yet in such pleasant surroundings was just what I needed.

If I could just get the last load of laundry hung up and the dishes done in time to get 7 hours of sleep, I truly would be rejuvenated.

This is my middle yearbook deadline, which is the most stressful one. I worked more than 12 hours both Friday and Saturday. A bag full of beneficial snacks kept me going, and kept the creativity flowing. I stopped often for something to eat or drink. When I reached an impasse, just walking across the room and taking a drink of green tea or dipping broccoli in some olive oil, or munching nuts and dried fruit restored me. I returned to the computer refreshed and ready to think more imaginatively. The long hours plus keeping things functioning at home have left me little time to blog. I've written several blogs in my head, but haven't had time to put them on paper.

Several weeks ago there was a thread on the Forum about the BTD and the Bible. One of the things someone brought up was whether the fact that God accepted Abel's animal sacrifice but rejected Cain's sacrifice of fruit and grain had anything to do with vegetarianism. I thought the answer was no, but I didn't have any explanation, so I kept quiet.

On the way in to school yesterday I was listening to a Q&A program with a pastor, and he was asked a question about what was wrong with Cain's sacrifice. I found his answer fascinating, and since there was a certain amount of interest on the Forum, I'll summarize what he said - plus add a few of my own thoughts.

Hebrews 11:4 makes it clear that the Cain and Able account was about faith vs works. Cain brought to God what he had produced himself seeking God's approval. It is the idea of gaining God's favor by doing good works. Sometimes you hear people say, "I know I'm going to heaven because I try to be good," or "because I'm not as bad as other people." Some religions say you will go to heaven if you do certain things - follow laws, go on pilgrimages, give money, and give up things you like. God rejected Cain's sacrifice. The pastor on the radio said he found it significant that right at the beginning of the Bible, in the 4th chapter, God made it clear that we can't gain His favor by our own works.

Able, on the other hand, brought as a sacrifice what God had provided, and it was a blood sacrifice. He came with the faith that though he didn't deserve it, God would forgive him. God accepted Able's sacrifice because it was offered with faith. It points ahead to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, which took away the sins of all who would by faith believe in Him.

There are several verses that talk against vegetarianism (Deuteronomy 12:15 & 20, Romans 14:6, and 1 Timothy 4:3), but the account of Cain and Able is not among them.

As I was driving to school this afternoon I heard a news report that the Centers for Disease Control has dropped obesity from the #2 cause of death to #7. I was curious to know more, so I Googled the story when I got home. If you're curious, you can read the details at

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=687278&page=1

Both the radio and the print stories made reference to Body Mass Index. I didn't know much about BMI, so I Googled that next and found a fascinating website. It is a BMI calculator that not only calculates your body mass index, but lets you know how you are doing compared to other people your height and age.

My BMI is 21.1 - solidly in the middle of the healthy range.

If you would like to have fun with the BMI calculator, the link is

http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm

Part of the news story said, "Experts agree that a good diet and exercise are important for health, but some question whether the multibillion-dollar diet industry has misled Americans about the health hazards of being a few pounds overweight…There are strong economic, social and political drivers, including pharmaceutical companies which are pushing ways to make people thinner."

It made me proud that the Blood Type Diet is focused on building health and that attaining and maintaining a healthy weight are natural side effects to eating right. I'm also glad that while Dr. D'Adamo makes quality supplements available, none of them are required to succeed on this diet.

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.

I have not done the secretor test. If I had chronic health problems, I would send for the kit today. I probably should get tested anyway, but as long as I stay healthy and am doing well on the Type O diet I will probably spend the money on food rather than tests.

I basically eat a secretor diet, since statistically that's probably what I am. I've not been bothered by non-secretor avoids like strawberries or apples. However, I don't eat as much grain as a secretor is allowed.

Most of the differences between the secretor and non-secretor food lists deal with foods that are beneficial/neutral or neutral/avoid. It gets more complicated with pinto beans and avocadoes. Both are secretor avoids and non secretor beneficial. Both are traditional ingredients in the Mexican food that is so popular in my part of Texas. So when I go to a Mexican Restaurant, I become a "non-secretor for a day." (If you're old enough to remember the old TV show "Queen for a Day" you will understand my title. If not, you missed an amusing show)

Sunday was one of those days. After church we went to our favorite Mexican Restaurant. I ordered taco salad. I didn't touch the chips or the tortillas. Neither secretors nor non-secretors can have those. I remembered to tell the server "no cheese" on my salad. But I happily ate the refried beans and guacamole. They were delicious!

And if I am a non-secretor, they were very good for me.

A friend came over for dinner Saturday night. She is a diabetic Type A, who is curious about my being on the BTD, but not particularly interested in following it herself. Nonetheless, I fixed a Type A meal, since it would be me and three As. We had wild caught steelhead trout, black-eyed peas, ginger carrots, steamed broccoli, kohl slaw, and spelt/rye bread.

My friend's mom has had surgery and is in a rehab center while she has physical therapy. We are all hopeful that she will regain her strength and be able to resume her active life. One of the things she doesn't like about the rehab center is the food. Nothing tastes good to her. We had a lively discussion about why, with a staff of trained dietitians, institutional food doesn't taste better.

My friend said that one factor was that her Mom's doctor had ordered a low salt diet for her. I vividly remember years ago when my husband was put on a low salt diet for his blood pressure. I was going to a lot of work to buy low salt products, and cook without salt. One night he was picking at his food and said, "You know, your mashed potatoes just don't taste as good as the cafeteria's." I exploded. He was eating out and comparing the high salt restaurant food to the low salt meals I was preparing at home. I couldn't possibly compete. (Mashed potatoes were one of his pre-BTD favorite foods.)

Another factor for my friend's Mom is that her sense of taste isn't what it used to be. She reluctantly admitted that before her surgery, even food at home hadn't tasted as good as it used to.

My husband chimed in with his favorite theory - that things that are healthy taste terrible and things that taste good are bad for your health. I would dispute that! I thought we were eating a healthy tasty meal. However, I know what he means. If you did a taste test between spelt/rye bread and a Krispy Kreme donut, you would be hard pressed to find anyone who would vote against the Krispy Kreme's on taste alone.

Eating healthy food is an acquired taste. I didn't eat 8 - 10 fruits & vegetables a day when I was loading my plate with starches. Being aware that there is a high price to pay for the flaky texture of a pastry, or the smooth sweetness of cake icing makes it easier to say no. The more I eat whole grains, the more I appreciate their rich flavor, even though I have to chew them more.

The longer I eat right, the more I appreciate the natural flavor of real food. But I wouldn't trade my job for a dietitian's!

Rachel the Blogger wanted me to try T-Tapp. She wanted it so much that she arranged for me to borrow some of the tapes. I'm glad she did!

The name T-Tapp gave me a completely erroneous mental image of what the exercises were like. I was picturing dance moves - like tap dancing, I guess. Wrong! It's nothing like that. Teresa Tapp's background includes a mother who died young, a severe back injury as a teenager, and a stint in the fashion industry. The combination made her very interested in anatomy, rehabilitation, and fitness. She adds an isometric dimension to basic exercises that strengthens core muscles around your joints and gives you a lot harder workout than you think you're getting in 15 - 45 minutes. It means that people who normally have trouble with exercise (like people with knee or back problems and people who are significantly overweight) can do these exercises and succeed.

(As an aside - in one of her tapes she endorses the Blood Type Diet, and encourages her seminar participants to investigate and follow the diet. She also deals with the specific needs of different body types. Rachel says T-Tapp is to exercise what BTD is to dieting.)

The things I identified the most with in her program were the posture and foot issues. She continuously chides people to keep their toes forward and not "walk like a duck." Her demonstration of what walking with your toes pointed out does to your hip and knee joints really made me take notice.

It's made me pay attention to my feet, and as I paid attention to my own feet, I found myself watching the way other people walk. She's right; most people walk with their toes out just like a duck. Young people walk quickly and effortlessly like ducks. But the older people get, the more they limp and hobble like ducks. I had never noticed how many people walk as if every step is painful.

When my son was two years old, I had some foot problems related to carrying him on one hip. I began wearing expensive arches in my shoes. Tapp claims that if I stick with these exercises, I can realign my back joints and feet. I can see enough improvement in the few weeks I've been trying them that I'm going to keep at it.

I doubt I ever do T-Tapp 100%. I love to run, swim and bicycle. Those types of exercise get my heart going faster, and make my muscles more tired than T-Tapp does. Plus being outside or in the water meets some other need that exercising in my den in front of the TV does not meet. However, I am going to buy my own tapes, and will continue T-Tapping 3-4 days a week.

An interesting verse from Proverbs 14:6 "A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it. But knowledge is easy to him who understands." Doesn't that make you think of people who write scathing reviews about the BTD without ever reading the books or trying it for themselves?

I don't usually like processed foods. I don't like or trust vitamin/supplement infomercials. But there are exceptions to the rules, and I've found a product I like.

I heard an infomercial for HerbaGreen Tea. They said "all natural." They said, "delicious taste." They said, "no calories." I said, "Yea, sure, right." There was no way I was calling that toll free number.

But shortly thereafter I was at my little, friendly, local health food store. There was HerbaGreen Tea on their shelf. I asked the owner about it. Greta is very picky about the products she sells and the vendors she uses. She was really enthusiastic about this tea. So I bought a bottle.

You put one eyedropper full in a glass of water. It is concentrated green tea sweetened with stevia. It contains a couple of herbs that are either neutral or not rated, and it contains licorice which is recommended for Type O stomach health.

It truly does taste delicious. I use it most often if I am rushing out the door to school without time to fix a snack. I can squeeze a dropper full into my water bottle. It is delightfully refreshing at 3:30 in the afternoon. Sometimes around 10 pm I get hungry, and I know better than to eat anything that late at night. I can quickly fix a glass of green tea, and it satisfies me.

I still make real green tea with peppermint. I suspect that freshly brewed is probably better for me than the concentrate in the bottle. But on those occasions when I need a short cut, I'm glad to have HerbaGreen.