For some time now I've been contemplating why the Blood Type Diet has helped me so much with depression. As you know from reading my blogs, I have bipolar Seasonal Affective Disorder. I remember being depressed and angry at myself as early as 9 years old. I always blamed it on school, even though I loved school, it seemed to wear me down pretty quickly in the fall. If it weren't for a doctor who had SAD himself, I may have never gotten the diagnosis. I was on various antidepressants for 5 years, with Wellbutrin being the one I ended up on, though I didn't like the side effects. Spring of 99 I started jogging and got off it, then hurt my back, but stayed off it except for one winter I took some Zoloft for a month or two.

December of 1999 I started the BTD, mainly for my back pain and weight. Since then it's become more and more clear to me how food affects my moods. Of course, I don't eat wheat anymore after my celiac diagnosis a few months ago, but the last time I ate a tiny cookie I cried for two days. Milk also throws me into anger and anxiety. Corn dulls my mind, and puts me in a fog. I'm sure sugar does something too, though I haven't totally figured that one out yet.

On the forums I learned from Dr. D. that some neurotransmitters are manufactured in the intestines. So all these avoids that hinder my digestion could very well result in biochemical imbalances. Then there's the havoc their lectins can wreak in my other systems...I'll save that for another blog, once I research it.

Of course, as an O I need exercise to totally deal with things and keep all my stress hormones under control (especially during spring, my manic time). It still never ceases to amaze me the benefits I get from just the diet, on those off weeks that I don't fit in the exercise.

This is a good week exercise-wise. The second my son goes down for his nap, I drink a protein shake, use my neti, put on my socks and shoes and hop on the treadmill. I open the blinds and turn on a movie to pass the time. I got the extended versions of Lord of The Rings, those certainly fill the time!

Wheat: One Grain to rule them all, one grain to find them, one grain to lead them all and in their darkness bind them.