Finally made it out jogging again today. It had been almost a week since jogging last; I've done a few exercise videos, and some resting from a little cold, but I find jogging to work best for me. I can't slack or coast as easily while jogging, as I can with other forms of exercise. So I had to push a stroller, but I got the jogging stroller fixed, so it was easier. Then the walk back up the big hill was a good workout too. I really want a treadmill, then nothing can stop me.

I've had a few questions I've taken too long to answer. So, here it goes: the wheat-free dairy-free fig Newman's (Newman's Own brand) that my son eats can be found at most health food stores. Unfortunately, they do have corn syrup in them, so only type A secretors are allowed them. Also, teff can be found in the grain section of most health food stores. It is a very small dark brown grain.

Today has been difficult, food-wise. My son woke up with a fever, so I haven't spent much time cooking. and I've mainly been eating foods I prepare for him: lentil pilaf, watermelon...but I did cook a leg of lamb and some of that got me through the afternoon. I'm looking forward to a banana. A little late, but it works for me.

So Thursday wasn’t a good day. I don’t remember what I scrounged up for breakfast and lunch, but I had an event I had to bring food to in the evening and never got myself dinner. I had brought plenty of compliant foods (ala Costco), but one non-compliant one, and it was the only one that really seemed like something satisfying in my hungry state. It was spinach artichoke parmesan dip, loaded with dairy, but smelling of garlic. I had too much, and started to feel sick instantly; maybe I was already coming down with something, but this made it worse. The nose started running (I should have been the one running – away), and within 12 hours I noticed my dairy-consumption phenomenon, my throat gets a nasty, but temporary, itch, way down inside. The type of itch that a cough would seem to help, but doesn’t really. It wasn’t worth it. If I only were a B. I can get over the carb cravings after a time, but I’ve never gotten over dairy cravings. Maybe it just takes more time.

Since then, I have had a cold coming on, so I’ve been loading up on herbal teas and trying my culinary hand at making soup. It was my son’s idea, he grabbed a can of lentil soup from the cupboard and insisted on it. I had nothing to go with my free-range ground beef, so I added that to mine. We both enjoyed the lentil soup; so I am impressed by the good ideas in this baby’s head. Today, I had some kale and some more beef to prepare, so I made a soup from the kale, and onions, and broth and beef. I kept the beef out until serving, in case my As wanted some of the soup. I think I’ll keep trying that trick with soup, make a vegetarian base, then add meat to mine. For dinner, I added some organic turkey sausage. It enabled me to finish off the whole bunch of kale (alas my As didn’t try much, but at least they took a taste). It’s quite good with some red pepper added before serving as well (for the Os). I like kale, it’s cleaner and easier to wash than spinach, and it holds it’s crunch, which is good in soup. I find if you’re new to kale, it’s best to chop it up small, that way the texture isn’t as surprising.

I did some gardening today, I’ve been a wimp with the running, due to this cold I have and my joints were all asking for a break. So, yesterday I walked up some hills with the stroller, and today I gardened. The oregano I bought from the garden center has a good deal of mint in it, I’m glad I noticed before I cooked with the mint (I don’t really like mint for cooking). Mint has a square stem, and the leaves were a bit less hairy and more pointy on the tips, than Italian oregano. Of course, smell is the best way to tell, although I can get confused on scent alone. I have been cooking with my herbs, which I’m proud of, in the past I’d forget to use them. Of course, when you’re an O nonnie, you welcome any added variety to your meals, especially the yummy green kind.

The newest Living Without magazine had an interesting article on ADHD and food allergies. The doctor in the article, Dr. Mary Ann Block talks about food allergies and intolerances and their role in ADHD behaviors. The most common offenders in the food category in order of magnitude are listed as: 1. milk 2. wheat, then corn, yeast, orange, soy, peanut, beef and chicken. I thought that list was interesting, as most of the foods listed are major avoids for one or more blood type. My biggest are wheat and corn, they make me irritable and foggy-headed. I’m still learning what milk does to me, but have concluded that it does some pretty mean things as well. My nephew (an O or a was a very terrible toddler until they figured out that peanuts were what made him act out, without peanuts he was a star child. The other thing I thought was interesting about the article is the broad definition of allergy and intolerance, and the fact that the doctor took them all equally seriously. Also the doctor stated that children never really outgrow a food allergy, it just manifests itself in different ways at different stages. So, even though my son may not always get spots on his skin from milk, it may make him irritable, or asthmatic…the possibilities go on. Guess the BTD is here to stay for us! If Dr. Block would review some of the science behind Dr. D’Adamo’s work, it would be interesting to see how blood types factor into the allergy testing she does (she monitors fine motor skills, mood, and more, after exposure to the allergen).

Tuesday was interesting. I did too much running around and not enough eating. Then made the mistake of having 2 oz of wheatgrass juice instead of my usual one. On an empty O stomach, that was a bad idea. From all I can find, wheatgrass juice is good for all types, though pretty potent, so I should have been more careful. I may switch over to a different green drink. Anyway, after how upset my stomach was I thought I could never eat another green thing! I could hardly eat any dinner, but tried to eat some free range, deli roast beef with a salad. Ended up having a banana a little later to keep me going. I finished the beef and salad Wednesday for breakfast after adding some avocado, lime juice and eden shake (from the HFS, toasted nori with sesame seeds, quite good). Fortunately, I’ve overcome my temporary aversion to green things. Yet the last couple days my favorite things are bananas and avocados.

Today I had more deli roast beef rolled up with avocado for breakfast, and a free range sirloin steak for lunch (salt-seared, with onions and fresh parsley). It was a great lunch! I still need to fit in some more fruit or veggies, once my baby takes a nap.

What is wholesome? At it’s root is the word ‘whole’ yet advertisers apply the word wholesome to foods that are anything but whole. Then they use emotions to make you feel like you have to buy their products for your kids to show them you care.

As much as I try to change it, when I see certain processed foods, the first word that comes to mind is “wholesome”. Take the graham cracker, one of those foods everyone (almost everyone) feels good about giving their children. Or that snack that smiles back, or Sugar Snacks-wait, I mean Fruit Snacks… Part of me still thinks of these foods as something every child deserves to eat. Yet they aren’t the best choices, even for a type A baby. Changing my son’s diet is as much about changing my own brainwashing as it is about changing his tastes. Would any loving mother really make her child eat black-eyed peas rather than processed chicken nuggets? Why does part of me feel guilty when I don’t feed him what other moms feed their children? So he likes beans, he likes broccoli, he likes peas…why would he need graham crackers? Part of me feels that he should be entitled to eat all the treats I ate as a kid, or that other kids eat. Yet, I know that one of the greatest gifts I’ve been given is the guidance of the Blood Type Diet for my health, and wouldn’t it be nice to have grown up with some of those healthy habits?

Then there’s the milk. Of course, my son is very allergic to it. (Regrettably, I had lots of milk and yogurt while pregnant and nursing, avoiding it, like I’m supposed to, may have helped; it may have helped if the lactation consultant in the hospital had given him a few drops of soy instead of milk formula while teaching him what to look for) Anyway, I’m never tempted to give him milk, and I never feel guilty about keeping it away from him. Yet, everyone tries milk for their babies first, then if that causes obvious problems for the baby, they switch to soy. I wonder if for As and Os that isn’t backwards. Of course breastmilk is always the first choice, but is milk formula a better second choice than soy formula? Soy bashers may attack me on this one, but I feel that we should feel empowered to make this type of choice, as mothers, without guilt coming into play. Others often feel sorry for my son, that he can’t have milk, like he’s not only missing out on yummy treats that other kids like, but that he’s also missing out on some sort of whole-some-ness that is inherent in milk. Granted for B’s, milk does have wholesomeness and a lot to offer health-wise (especially if it’s from healthy cows free of antibiotics and hormones), but for As and Os it has nothing to offer that we can’t get from other sources, and much to be avoided.

I suppose I’m just having a I-wish-the-whole-world-were-blood-type-enlightened moment.

A reader brought up an observation that I've noticed before, and would like to explore, that is that there seem to be a lot of A and O couples. I know many couples that are A and O, only two that are O and O, and only one couple that's A & A (Paul & his wife - Wait! no, she's an AB, I just discovered - I don't know any A & A couples then!). I also know a few B&O's and 1 B&B couple, since I come from a family of Bs. There are a few explanations, 1) there are mostly Os and As in the world, so pairs would be common, 2) the perceived difference among BTDieters may be from more interest in different diets when an A and an O are together and know already that they don't thrive with the same diet, 3) maybe they do attract each other...

I think the different stress profiles between As and Os can be complimentary and exciting. One benefit I've seen is that my husband and I rarely get upset at the same time. He's more instantly reactive, and I have a longer fuse, but take a lot longer to calm down once I do get upset. By that time, he's already made peace with the situation and can help me calm down.

You're all welcome to let me know what you think about that, or cast your vote for what type you and your significant other are, and if you don't mind me posting your observations to my blog, note that in your comments...

Jog Blog...

I made it jogging tonight, it was dark, but that just made it more exciting. (I do plan to buy a treadmill for days like this, but I haven't been able to research them yet.) I couldn't remember how many laps make a mile, but I think I did 3/4 of a mile (I hope!). I'll find out tomorrow. It felt good, however far it was. I'm embarassed by how sedentary I was up until a week ago, now that I know I have more potential. I've never been 'athletic'. I played soccer one year in high school, and that was great, I wish I could have played more than one year, but the first high school I went to didn't have a team, and I wasn't good enough at other sports to get on a team. I never thougth myself a runner, I wasn't quite tall enough for track and didn't think I had the endurance for cross country. I'd like to get the endurance though. For the first time tonight, running started to feel kind of natural, like walking, not like a constant effort just to keep one foot in front of the other. The night air was crisp and cool, the track was nice and cushioned, and I felt free. Kind of like that horse movie when they save a horse that was destined for slaughter, and take it out, train it, and turn it into a winning race horse... that's how I'm beginning to feel.

My abs are also nice and sore from a video I checked out at the library. It's kind of a dorky video, with nothing too exciting on the exercises, but it works. Maybe I'll go weigh myself tomorrow as well...I've lost at least 20 pounds since January, but now I suspect I've lost more. The jeans that were too tight when I started out in January are now too loose...I can pull them down over my hips without unbuttoning them, and my hips have never been what you'd call small. My back is doing well too.