I was happy when I first read the Type O food lists and saw that figs were beneficial.

My parents had a huge fig tree in their back yard when I was growing up. During the summer it bore buckets of figs. My parents and sister gobbled them up in place of dessert. I wouldn't touch them. I didn't eat many fruits and vegetables anyway, and I couldn't get past the fact that when you pick a fresh fig a white milky liquid drips out of the stem.

How I sigh to think of all the figs that I missed.

During my freshman year of college I started forcing myself to eat fruit and vegetables. I discovered that I really liked many of them. That summer I tried a fig. It was cold and sweet and absolutely delicious.

I have tried to convince my husband to plant a fig tree, but he does not think they are attractive, and he doesn't like figs, so he has planted oaks instead. One of our neighbors has a fig tree, and when they are on vacation I pick their figs. Other than that, I rarely get fresh figs.

Dried figs are good. I include them in my breakfast nut mix lots of mornings. They are great to take along as a snack if I'm going to be out. I often take them to school when I am working on deadlines - they give my blood sugar just the right boost when I am stressed.

Today I was in the grocery store and saw fresh figs. The price was outrageous. But this week is my birthday, and what better time to give myself a treat. I bought 8 figs. I ate two tonight. Heavenly! That gives me two figs a day for 3 more days. I will savor every bite.