I'll bet you all thought you'd seen and heard the last of me...

Wrong...

I'm lurking around the new BTD forum having a whale of a time. I am one of the four moderators on the board along with loads of other technical/medical people. It's really a great environment to keep in touch with fellow BTD'ers and BTD friends I've made around the World.

If you haven't registered yet please come along and join us, the more the merrier.

Great news on the book front with two of Dr D's books now figuring prominently in the Amazon.com best sellers lists. Looks like people are finally starting to get the message about how good this way of life can be.

Since I took early retirement from blogging I've been busy at work [nothing new there then] and keeping really well.

Tried Canellini beans for the first time recently and absolutely love the taste. I have posted a type A alternative to baked beans on the forum that I made using them.

That's all for now, I may pop back again, so please keep checking.

Paul.

Music: Josephine, & Lust By: Tori Amos, off of, To Venus and Back, Disk: 1

Mood: Grapefruit and lime

Spent a few days in Minneapolis this past weekend gang. Good times. Having a BTD knowledgable friend like fellow blogger Erika to hook up with and get shown around is invaluable friends... I tell ya'. For details on what we did, check out Ms. Klus's latest blog. Good food, excellent company, the Vikings beat the Titans on Sun, good times indeed...

Erika took me to her favorite Yoga studio downtown... Bikram Yoga... Amazing... It takes place in a small, mirrored studio, heated to 105 degrees F to simulate the heat of India. 90 minutes of intesnse stretching, bending, twisting, and breathing. I POURED sweat. I firmly believe it to be the most beneficial exercise on the planet... No holds barred. Just make sure you drink more than a fair amount of water the night before... Look into it kids...

My hamstrings are so sore, that I have decided to saw them off... That's right... Hamstrings. Off. I may have pushed myself slightly hard in order to acheive some of the wacky Bikram poses. I'm a bit out of shape I suppose... Heh he. So... If you know any cannibals looking to purchase some fresh, free range, mostly organic human meat... You'l lemme know... Right? I hear they are beneficial for O's... Just make sure to cook them thourly to negate that pesky type A antigen... What with the femoral artery in the way and all...

Here's that Yogic wisdom friends. Ponder it. Print it. Stick it on the fridge...

"When we practice listening, we become intuitive."

"Let your manners speak, your deeds prove, and your delivery impress."

"Love is the ultimate state, where compassion prevails, and kindness rules."

"A relaxed mind, is a creative mind."

"Socialize with compassion and kindness."

"Physical expansion is found in serving each other."

"Mental expansion is found in the insparation we give to each other."

More later gang, much more! Thanks for all your comments. Any Q's lemme know. And... Watch out for black squirrels! They exist!!!

All my love, ~Jimbo

This is a two part blog. Well, ok, it's probably more like a three-part blog, but that would just be way too many titles!

In regards to the first part of the title: Next door to my pharmacy, the Starbucks closed down. Apparently they did not have enough business. As this was my soy latte fix establishment I was a tad bit melancholy about this. Plus, the employees were so awesome. I looked forward to seeing their friendly faces steaming up my soy milk or pouring me part of their ready-made gallon of Tazo Passion Iced Tea. Danielle (manager) et al were my girls. I guess this is what Kowalski's management/Starbucks management gets for building a Starbucks coffee stand only two blocks from another Starbucks. They should have put up a Dunn Bros. stand instead. Better coffee, too. Or perhaps even Peace coffee. Oh well.

Luckily the employees are actually part of Kowaski's and not Starbucks so they won't lose their jobs, but instead have been redistributed throughout the building. So yes, part of me is snickering at the demise of a highly successful chain coffee product not selling well enough...but most of me will miss the convenient ambience of coffee. I had my final Passion Tea on Saturday morning before work and my final cup of soy latte on Saturday evening after work, toasting a good year with the gang all the way....(and subsequently not being able to sleep well on Saturday night due to all that freakin' caffeine!)

Well, Sunday came around and Mr. Jim Garland (aka Jim the juice man/blogger) was once again in town, this time with dad and brother. I convinced him to get up at the butt crack of dawn on Sunday morning so that I could pick him up at 8:30 am in suburbia (where he was staying) and drive him to Bikram Yoga with me. I wasn't sure how he'd like the class. Why was I not sure? He loved it! Too bad there aren't any classes where he lives. Bummer. Another reason he needs to just move here so that Jennifer and I can hang out with him, haha!

After the class, we went to the Wedge for a build-your-own sandwich extravaganza. Doesn't that sound exciting? Oh yes, barrels of Sunday morning fun! Haha! It was a nice time to go to the Wedge because it was so quiet. Unlike French Meadow where I tried to take him for breakfast. It looked like about a 45 minute wait....the line was almost out the door!

We took our sandwiches to Loring Park and for the first time, Jim saw a black squirrel. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, there exist black squirrels. And Jim Garland witnessed one. The other squirrels were very friendly. You can tell they are fed a lot by park patrons. They wanted to help us eat our sandwiches. After lunch I dropped Jim off at the Vik's game to meet up with his dad and brother. Not sure if we'd meet up again later that night, Jim had his wet yoga clothes in a plastic baggie with an apple that came with the sandwich at the Wedge. I insisted he could get them back after the game since he couldn't bring them into the stadium, but he insisted that he'll just leave the bag in a hiding place somewhere near the Metrodome and pick it up after the game. I about laughed because, c'mon Jim, leaving an unattended bag near a stadium full of people? That might look a little terroristy, dontcha think? Needless to say, his bag of stuff was not where he left it once he got out of the game! The FBI is probably inspecting it as we speak! (Is there a bomb in the apple? How about some biological mold weapon within the sweat of those boxers?) Oh, the jokes, the jokes, I can't stop myself! Jim's theory is that a homeless person saw the apple and stole the bag. I gues we'll never know the final outcome.

Well, later that night we met up again at Good Earth. His little brother is a riot. He has this middle-child aura which I found just hilarious. He kept wondering why I was laughing at him. As a firstborn, I have always found this enigma attached to middle children. And I'm dating one, too. Anyway, back to da food! I ate some sort of strange Halibut dish with rice and a coconut curry sauce. I mean, hey, why not? It was just for the halibut! It was way too spicy for me, but that's all right.

Monday was an interesting day. I was awakened with a phone call by the store manager at 8:30 am with, "do you know who is supposed to be working today?" There was no one to open the pharmacy! Major scheduling mishap. Computer/communication error. You see, the girl who took my full-time place was still in the computer as a float. She had requested a vacation day early on. Then the scheduler didn't think there was anything to be done because without a permanent store, the float just takes the vacation has no shift to be covered. The morning schedule still had me working that morning.....and every day this week because it still showed me as the salaried pharmacist!

Anyway, I rushed to work to open the place since there was no one else. The rx manager was already there because he, too, thought my replacement was supposed to be there that morning and he was going to teach her how to adjust the order. So he opened it up, then left as I took his place, and then he came back later. The day turned out to be OK even though thirty minutes were lost. This could have been a major disaster but we all worked together to keep the place running!

Tuesday and today were also very interesting. I ate lunch at Zelo downtown. Chicken and funghi risotto with green tea. Yum! Then I reached into my wallet for the credit card. Uh oh. Left it in my lab coat the day before (bought the rx staff cheesecake factory pumpkin cheesecake!). Luckily I was next door to my longtime pharmacy friends in the Medical Arts bldg! I left my coat at my seat, ran next door, grabbed the tech's credit card (thanks Diane!), and paid for lunch! How silly of me!

Today I went to my long-time favorite breakfast joint, Hell's Kitchen. Salmon and mozarella omelet with multi-grain toast and assorted fruit on the side (blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, grape, etc.) The server brought out the most prized possession in the restaurant for me to spread on the bread: homemade peanut butter and homemade berry jam! Oh, I love that yummy runny stuff! Heaven! Topped off the meal with green tea and my absolute favorite free mag: The Rake.

Went back to the medical arts bldg and paid the tech back. (I hate it when I owe people money...I have to pay it back or I go crazy!) Then I got restless and walked and walked and walked thru downtown. I was looking for the office for the new condominium complex called 6 Quebec. I coudn't find it. But I did find all sorts of shops I've never seen before within the skyway system. One of my favorite downtown pastimes is getting lost in the skyway system. I found a heavily Americanized Japanese "bento box" restaurant on the skyway level of some building. Most menu items were basically fast food Japanese, but they also offered Miso soup for a buck fifty-three! Wow! That was some good soup!

For those of you who don't know why the hell people live in Minneapolis when it's so cold in the winter, the answer lies in the extensive skyway plan. There is nothing quite like it. If not for the shops and commerce, you have to come for the people-watching. Bums, corporate wankers, tourists, and sometimes even street musicians frequent this futuristic "city within a city". If ever in MPLS, come downtown to explore the skywalks on a weekday. You won't regret it! You'll think you're in some Star Trek movie....these skywalks seem to never end! I still have yet to walk them all!

For a good article on the history of the skwalk concept visit The Rake online. We even have our own downtown free press newspaper called, "Skyway News". Is that nuts or what?

Another reason to love the Minneapple.

Have a delightful day, folks! Enjoy the lunar eclipse tonight if weather permits!

Lately I’ve been moving slowly. Very slowly some days. Some discoveries have come along which have been useful for me. Recently I mentioned the work of Dr. John Sarno, who discovered, through working with people in his pain clinic, that most physical pain, though very, very real, was a creation of the mind. It seems that we would rather avoid emotional pain, so we transfer that pain to the body in various ways. Someone then mentioned the work of Gary Craig, who has developed a system of tapping various pressure points in the body (not a lot) with a few gestures that somehow alleviates a great many conditions that our minds have created. Although I have followed this system haphazardly over the past few weeks, I have benefited much by sleeping more soundly.

My right hip has ached, off and on, for at least 17 – 18 years. The only connection I could make to the aching was that it seemed to increase if I lose self-control and eat sugary things. Dry fruits can be just as debilitating as actual sugar for my non-secretor system. My hip generally doesn’t ache throughout the day, probably because I am relatively active, but it wakes me at night after lying on my side for some time. Moving onto my back helps to take the ache away, and over the last several years I’ve followed the routine of sleeping, waking because of the aching, lying on my back, and then falling back asleep when the hip releases. Since working with the tapping routine of Gary Craig, my sleep has changed profoundly. The ache is not gone, but it is much less, and I am waking much less often. I will attempt to follow the routine for a period of time to see if I can remove it altogether. I am extremely grateful for the amount of sleep I have gained in the interim. A side effect appears to be that my neck, strained on the right side for several months, has become magically stronger without addressing the specific problem. Hmmmm!



There is one other topic I’d like to touch on before I close this blog. A friend recently forwarded an email version of an article published in March of this year regarding nutritive deficiencies in third-world countries, which was most interesting. The United Nations has expressed grave concern over the shortage of vitamins in food that is easily available to people, even in countries where there is enough to eat. The lack of important vitamins generally lowers the intelligence level of children who have to grow up in their absence. For example, not enough dietary iron lowers children’s I.Q. levels by an average of 5 – 7 points. Iodine deficiency lowers it another 13 points. Shortage of folic acid in diets increases birth defects, and shortage of Vitamin A makes children 25 – 30% more likely to die of disease.

“So ubiquitous is vitamin and mineral deficiency that it debilitates in some significant degree the energies, intellects, and economic prospects of nations,” the study said. It goes on to state that iodine deficiency has lowered the intellectual capacity of almost all nations by as much as 10 to 15 percentage points and causes 18 million children to be born mentally impaired – EVERY YEAR! Adult iron deficiency lowers the productivity of work forces, cutting the Gross Domestic Product in the worst-affected countries by 2%. Folic acid deficiency causes approximately 200,000 severe birth defects every year in 80 countries. The report goes on to say that approximately 40% of the developing world’s people suffer from iron deficiency, 15% lack adequate iodine, and close to 40% do not get enough Vitamin A.

The problem is complicated by the fact that people generally will not take vitamin pills, so some governments are attempting to remedy the situation by adding these vital ingredients to food commonly ingested, such as iodized salt, for example, though it definitely is an uphill battle. Cooking oil and soy sauce are other avenues being used for vitamin enrichment in poorer countries. The scope of the problem can be somewhat understood when we understand that iodine deficiency in childhood can be remedied in later years, but children deprived of adequate Vitamin A will never develop higher intellectual capabilites. The overall effect of vitamin deficiency is to lower the number of gifted people and increase the number of people with mental incapacities, which affects entire nations.

Needless to say, this report confirms the good sense of following the Blood Type Diet, taking our recommended supplements on a regular basis, and the need for greater awareness by the general population for eating nutritious food from the time of conception onwards!

Oh wow. This has been a very non-compliant food week for me in a lot of ways, but at the same time, I've focused on the compliant foods I HAVE been eating....highlighting my experiences at these key restaurants....

SOLERA! On Tuesday evening I ventured out to this wonderful Tapas joint for a special: three tapas dishes and one glass of Spanish wine for 20 bucks!! (See, already the pay cut is affecting my dining choices, haha....I'm going for the "sales")....my three dishes were

1)golden beets w/almonds and sheep's milk blue cheese sprinkled on top of a small bed of greens

2)RABBIT, yes RABBIT, with asparagus and carrots. Very tender that wittle wabbit was.....though a tad gamey but still edible.

3)Snails with mojo verde (topped with silver dollar-sized croutons). This is probably the weirdest snail recipe I've ever tried. Not better, not worse..just different. This mojo verde green stuff paired with the snails in a way I've never experienced before! Hmmmm.....

Wine: rioja.

The worst part of the meal was the service. As a fellow "customer service warrior", I understand being pulled in every direction. But here I am sitting at the bar, trying to make eye contact with the bartenders....and when you waiting, somehow it seems like you wait forever when you really want to get the heck out of the smoke. Oh well....maybe it's karma baby, I'm sure I've pissed off plenty of pharmacy patients in my so far short but intense career. If only there were more of me somedays! Can't please everyone.

Later that night I strolled down to Block E and visited my favorite escapist paradise: Border's Bookstore. If not the books, the CDs....man, how addicting! If I were to die tomorrow and my family did not respect my "donate body to science" wish, they would probably bury me with books, haha!

But I did not, I repeat, did NOT buy anything! Wow, that was willpower at work!

However, I did go to Mrs. Fields and buy a peanut butter bar/brownie thing. Oh Erika....

Anyhoo....yesterday I did some Bikram yoga. Looking at my body in the mirror I sometimes can't believe I've slipped this far since college when I used to be Ms. Buff Arms and toned tummy and gorgeously sculpted calves. Looking face-to-face with my body in the mirror sobers me to the fact that those somewhat carefree school days are over and I'm in the real corporate slave/middle class taxpayers' world now. But it also reminds me how great I feel when I'm done with a session!

If you've never tried it before, now's the time, folks.....find the closest studio here:

www.bikramyoga.com<br />
Tonight was the highlight of my week thus far.

BARBETTE: Vegan curry lentil soup! Wow! Thick and delicately spiced, laced with tofu, zucchini, squash....I told the waiter that this should NOT be the soup du jour but instead the soup du saison (crap, French is fading....is saison masculine or feminine?). He agreed!

Red Snapper on bed of green beans, heirloom carrots, some other carrots, and a bed of greens.....

"Heaven.....I'm in heaven......." Anything heavier and I don't think I could have eaten it after that rich soup. This, also with a light beaujolais was nearly the PERFECT meal! I was tempted to stay for dessert, but I had two Mexicanos hitting on me at the bar.

"Tengo un novio!"

It was kind of flattering and fun though....I have forgotten so much espanol since working as an intern in South Omaha, not to mention those many days gone by when I used to date steadily a Texican. No other word for him, seriously. But he sparked my initial interest in learning espaniol after four years of high school French.

Barbette is quite an unusual place. I love it for that. You see, it has this Amelie vibe to it....you never know who is going to walk in...it attracts all walks of life....if I owned a restaurant, this is the type of crowd I'd want to attract: completely eclectic!

Well, that's all for now. If you have not read my previous blog (below) please do so...so far I've had one comment in my comment log about it from a reader re: my "aren't they feeding the troops" opinion. My response: point taken. These requested food items do seem to be mainly snacky and comfort foodstuffs. BUT, please, please, please, explain to me the toilet paper. Well, perhaps this is G Dub's idea of diplomacy (not supplying adequate TP)...in other words, hey, when in Rome, do like the Romans (i.e. Iraqis), wipe with your left hand, right?????

Yeah. Hope you didn't read this blog before eating.

How do Gang? Some need to know info on pesticides for ya’ll. Read it… Even if it’ll make you late for work. This is important stuff… Don’t ya’ know…

By the way... If you missed my last blog on microwaves, scroll down and READ IT! When you have time of course...

Adjusting your eating habits can lower your intake of pesticides -- sometimes dramatically so.

Substitute organic for conventional produce that is consistently contaminated with pesticides. When organic is not available, eat fruits and vegetables with consistently low pesticide loads.

An EWG simulation of thousands of consumers eating high and low pesticide diets shows that people can lower their pesticide exposure by 90 percent by avoiding the top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead. Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose a person to nearly 20 pesticides per day, on average. Eating the 12 least contaminated will expose a person to a fraction over 2 pesticides per day. Less dramatic comparisons will produce less dramatic reductions, but without doubt using the Guide provides people with a way to make choices that lower pesticide exposure in the diet.

Most Contaminated: The Dirty Dozen

Consistent with two previous EWG investigations, fruits topped the list of the consistently most contaminated fruits and vegetables, with eight of the 12 most contaminated foods. Among the top six were four fruits, with peaches leading the list, then strawberries, apples and nectarines. Pears, cherries, red raspberries, and imported grapes were the other four fruits in the top 12. Among these eight fruits:

• Nectarines had the highest percentage of samples test positive for pesticides (97.3 percent), followed by pears (94.4 percent) and peaches (93.7 percent).

• Nectarines also had the highest likelihood of multiple pesticides on a single sample — 85.3 percent had two or more pesticide residues — followed by peaches (79.9 percent) and cherries (75.8 percent).

• Peaches and raspberries had the most pesticides detected on a single sample with nine pesticides on a single sample, followed by strawberries and apples, where eight pesticides were found on a single sample.

• Peaches had the most pesticides overall with some combination of up to 45 pesticides found on the samples tested, followed by raspberries with 39 pesticides and apples and strawberries, both with 36.

Spinach, celery, potatoes, and sweet bell peppers are the vegetables most likely to expose consumers to pesticides. Among these four vegetables:

• Celery had the highest of percentage of samples test positive for pesticides (94.5 percent), followed by spinach (83.4 percent) and potatoes (79.3 percent).

• Celery also had the highest likelihood of multiple pesticides on a single vegetable (78 percent of samples), followed by spinach (51.8 percent) and sweet bell peppers (48.5 percent).

• Spinach was the vegetable with the most pesticides detected on a single sample (10 found on one sample), followed by celery and sweet bell peppers (both with nine).

• Sweet bell peppers were the vegetable with the most pesticides overall with 39, followed by spinach at 36 and celery and potatoes, both with 29.

Least Contaminated: Consistently Clean

The vegetables least likely to have pesticides on them are sweet corn, avocado, cauliflower, asparagus, onions, peas and broccoli.

• Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of the pea and broccoli samples had no detectable pesticides. Among the other vegetables on the least-contaminated list, there were no detectable residues on 90 percent or more of the samples.

• Multiple pesticide residues are extremely rare on any of these least contaminated vegetables. Broccoli had the highest likelihood, with a 2.6 percent chance of more than one pesticide when ready to eat. Avocado and corn both had the lowest chance with zero samples containing more than one pesticide when eaten.

• The greatest number of pesticides detected on a single sample of any of these low-pesticide vegetables was three as compared to 10 found on spinach, the most contaminated crop with the most residues.

• Broccoli and onions both had the most pesticides found on a single vegetable crop at up to 17 pesticides but far fewer than the most contaminated vegetable, sweet bell peppers, on which 39 were found.

The five fruits least likely to have pesticide residues on them are pineapples, mangoes, bananas, kiwi and papaya.

• Fewer than 10 percent of pineapple and mango samples had detectable pesticides on them and fewer than one percent of samples had more than one pesticide residue.

• Though 53 percent of bananas had detectable pesticides, multiple residues are rare with only 4.7 percent of samples containing more than one residue. Kiwi and papaya had residues on 23.6 percent and 21.7 percent of samples, respectively, and just 10.4 percent and 5.6 percent of samples, respectively, had multiple pesticide residues.

12 Most Contaminated... Buy these organic!

• Apples

• Bell Peppers

• Celery

• Cherries

• Imported Grapes

• Nectarines

• Peaches

• Pears

• Potatoes

• Red Raspberries

• Spinach

• Strawberries

12 Least Contaminated... Should be ok, but wash 'em!

• Asparagus

• Avocados

• Bananas

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower

• Corn (sweet)

• Kiwi

• Mangos

• Onions

• Papaya

• Pineapples

• Peas (sweet)

Should you stop eating certain foods? Probably not...

I recommend that you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables because they're essential to a healthy diet. But you can and should cut back on pesticides--just as you might cut back on fat, calories or cholesterol.

Right now, buying organic food is the best option to reduce your intake of pesticides if (like us) you're skeptical about government and chemical company claims that pesticides are "safe." If you want to eat conventionally produced fruits and vegetables that usually have fewer pesticides, you can change your eating habits to do so.

What about washing?

Washing will not change the rank of the fruits and vegetables in the Guide. That's because nearly all of the data used to create these lists comes from the USDA Pesticide Data Program (PDP) where the foods are washed and prepared for normal consumption prior to testing for pesticides (apples are washed and cored, bananas are peeled, etc.).

While washing fresh produce may help reduce pesticide residues, it clearly does not eliminate them. Nonetheless, produce should be washed before it is eaten because washing does reduce levels of some pesticides. However, other pesticides are taken up internally into the plant, are in the fruit, and cannot be washed off. Others are formulated to bind to the surface of the crop and do not easily wash off. Peeling reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel.

The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

I’m certainly not saying that you should ditch the beneficials, or eat avoids. Just try and buy the best possible produce, and wash/peel/cook it in the best possible way! DO NOT forget to thank and bless the beautiful fruits and vegetables before you cook/eat/cut/juice them! Here’s how… “Thank you for being here for me, bless you for the nutrition you provide for me.” Say whatever you want, say it out loud… Say it in your head… Give ‘em a ‘lil kiss. As long as you’re expressing thanks and love. They’ll feel it my friends. And you will too. I hope you found this informative.

Remember. It’s ALL about love girls and boys… Peace.

Music: Sigur Ros

Mood: Clove Bud and Cinnamon Bark

Get rid of 'em gang. I can't stress it enough... Well... You decide...

The following article gets a bit technical in parts but unfortunately

there

is no other way to convey the evidence surrounding the apparent dangers

of

microwaves:

"Microwave cooking ovens were originally researched and developed by

German

scientists to support mobile operations during the invasion of the

Soviet

Union. Had they perfected electronic equipment to prepare meals on a

massive

scale, the Nazis could have eliminated the logistical problems

connected

with cooking fuels while producing edible products in far less time

than

they could using traditional campfires.

After the war, the Allies discovered the medical research and

documentation

concerning these apparatuses. The papers and experimental microwave

equipment were transferred to the US War Department and classified for

reference and scientific investigation. The Soviet Union also retrieved

some

of the devices and began to experiment on them separately.

The Russians - who have done the most diligent research into the

biological

effects of microwave ovens - have outlawed their use and issued an

international warning about the biological and environmental damage

that can

result from the use of this and similar-frequency electronic apparatus.

The most significant German research concerned with the biological

effects

of microwaves was done at the Humbolt-Universitat zu Berlin in 1942-43,

during the Barbarossa military campaign. Beginning in 1957 and

continuing up

to the present, Russian studies in the field have been conducted at the

Institute of Radio Technology.

In most research, the foods were exposed to microwave propagation at an

energy potential of 100 kilowatts per cubic centimetre per second, to

the

point considered acceptable for sanitary, normal ingestion.



1. Microwaved Foods Cause Tumors

The following effects have been observed when foods are subject to

microwave

emissions. * Effects on the foods themselves

Meats:

Heating prepared meats sufficiently to ensure sanitary ingestion

creates

d-nitrosodiethanolamine, a well know cancer-causing agent.

Proteins:

Active-protein, biomolecular compounds are destabilised. Increase in

radioactivity: A "binding effect" between the microwaved food and any

atmospheric radioactivity is created, causing a marked increase in the

amount of alpha and beta particle saturation in the food.

Milk and cereals:

Cancer-causing agents are created in the protein-hydrolysate compounds

in

milk and cereal grains.

Frozen foods:

Microwaves used to thaw frozen foods alter the catabolism (breakdown)

of the

glucoside and galactoside elements.

* Resulting effects on the human body Digestive system:

The unstable catabolism of microwaved food alters their elemental food

substances, causing disorders in the digestive system. These are:

Lymphatic system:

Due to chemical alterations within food substances, malfunctions occur

in

the lymphatic system, causing a degeneration of the body's ability to

protect itself against certain forms of neoplastics (cancerous

growths).

Free radicals:

Certain trace-mineral molecular formations in plant substances (in

particular, raw root vegetables) form cancer-causing free radicals.

Increased incidence of stomach and intestinal cancers: A statistically

higher percentage of cancerous growths result in these organs, plus a

generalised breakdown of the peripheral cellular tissues and a gradual

degeneration of digestive and excretory functions.



2. Microwaves Reduce Food Value

Microwave exposure caused significant decreases in the nutritional

value of

all foods studied. The following are the most important findings to

date.

* Vitamins and minerals made useless:

In every food tested, the bioavailability of the following vital

nutrients

decreased: vitamin B complex, vitamins C and E, essential minerals and

lipotropics.

* Vital energy fields devastated:

The vital energy field content of all tested foods dropped 60-90%.

Digestibility of fruits and vegetables reduced: Microwaving lowers the

metabolic behaviour and integration-process capability of alkaloids,

glucosides, alactosides and nitrilosides.

* Meat proteins worthless:

It destroys the nutritional value of nucleoproteins in meats. All foods

damaged: It greatly accelerates the structural disintegration of all

foods

tested.

So... I think I've presented a valid argument here... Paul? I don't go anywhere near a microwave if I don't have to. And I'll NEVER again eat out of one. Proud to say it's been over a year and a half...

Even waterbottles and heat pads/pillows are radioactive once you nuke 'em... Think about that before you cozy up to one next time...

A bit of Yogic wisdom before we part... "When we practice listening, we become intuitive."

You won't need any added HCL or amylase to digest that one... Think about it... Peace, Love, and Kindness from my heart to yours. All of you.

Music: Rock Lobster/ B52’s

I recall growing up how I despised eating fish. My mom would either make Perch (deep fried coated in flour), Cod (with potatoes) and at Easter she would do stuff Squid (big avoid for O’s). Looking back, I think the odor of the fish cooking always depressed my appetite for it.

Food manufactures I feel were well aware of this smell thing and from the beginning have tried to make fish more palatable, easy to prepare, and tasty (if less smelly), You’ll find them breaded, lightly breaded, battered, crispy, crunchy, or seasoned all teaming with some sort of avoid or another. So for BTD’s, it’s hard to find a packaged fish product that right for your type. Secondly, if you’re buying the packaged stuff you’re adding extra calories, fat and sodium. Lastly, you’re getting a product that has trans fats from the hydrogenated oils they usually put in them. (I know I am probably preaching to the already converted). Your safest bet if you can’t get fresh fish in your area is frozen plain uncooked fish fillets even though you might have some added Polyamines.

The health benefits of fish relate to special fats called omega-3 fatty acids. The oilier the fish, the more omega-3 fats it contains. Fish such as salmon (A’s), rainbow trout (O’s), herring and sardines (sardines beneficial for all blood types) have the most omega-3 fatty acids. It is no wonder that people who eat fish a few times a week have a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke. Cod (beneficial for all blood types), sole, flounder and haddock are good choices as well because they contain the least amount of mercury as opposed to high-mercury fish (swordfish, tuna steaks, king mackerel, whitefish). Expected mothers and small kids should limit intake of the latter fish.

Now regarding the smell…the best solution to this is twofold. First you have to buy the fish fresh and eat it on the same day you buy it. Secondly, you can cook it several ways where you won’t smell up the whole house (unless of course you have an industrial kitchen fan sucking the odor out the door). Here’s a quick and easy recipe for delicious fish.

Ingredients:

I large thick filet of a neutral/beneficial fish or 4 to 6 large filets of any

Neutral/beneficial white fish

Juice of two limes or lemons

Fresh ginger cut into thin slices

6 to 8 cloves of garlic, crushed

Sea Salt

Directions:

This fish can be baked or made on the barbecue. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (or preheat barbecue) Place the fish in large piece of tin foil. Pour juice of lemon or lime over fish. Place ginger and limes slices over fish and sprinkle with crushed garlic and sea salt. Completely wrap the fish in the tin foil so none of the juice(s) can escape. Place it on the barbecue or if you are using an oven place the fish wrapped in the aluminum on a flat cookie tray and place in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Check for doneness by slowly opening the foil (chance you could get a steam burn if you don’t) and use a fork to flake fish. It’s that easy and the smell once you open the foil is divine. There is also nothing to clean because you just throw the foil away.

Other suggestions to flavor fish

• Fresh dill with maple syrup (OK for all blood types...AB,O non secretor beware)

• Tamari Sauce with pineapple (OK for all blood types…O non secretor beware)

• Curry powder and sliced onions (OK for all blood types)



Fish with it’s many health benefits and good taste will keep you “ rockin’ and fruggin’ and Twistin' 'round and Havin' fun” …and that’s what life is all about.

I received this email from my friend Paul. As you may have read in previous blogs, he is currently stationed in Tikrit. Are you new to the diet? Would you like to get rid of any non-perishable foodstuffs that no longer meet your dieting needs but at the same time, support our troops? Perhaps you have a little "fall cleaning" before the holidays. Regardless of which presidential candidate you support, the fact is that our young men and women are in harm's way and until this thing is nearly over, they're going to be there for a while. If you can help, I urge you to do whatever you can. Since you are sending these items to a military address, it costs the same as any domestic mail would cost. Thanks for your help.

Hello everyone!

First, want to thank all you for all of your generous support for

myself and all the troops out here downrange. While I'd hate to say that

your contributions have made this place feel a little more like home (as

this place can never truly compare to home), thanks to your

contributions, you've helped us to make this place all the more bearable.

We've used and distributed to soldiers all the first aid supplies,

toiletries items, and breakfast snacks. The DVDs you all have sent have

kept us entertained during the long nights when we've been confined to our

office due to rocket or mortar attacks, and even the occasional lazy

Sunday spent in our living containers.

Now many of us out here are on the down-slope of this deployment. Many

of us may be out of here as early as Christmas, while others of us

won't be leaving until late February.

Nevertheless, we still could use your help! Our small pantry is running

dangerously low, and as our replacements from the 42nd Infantry

Division start rolling in, our Dining Facility will become stretched to

capacity (they'll have to feed over 11,000 rather than the typical 6000+). If

any of you might be able to send any small packages, it would be

greatly appreciated (also note, we will re-use many of the boxes you send

items in to mail our personal items home).

Breakfast bars/Pop-Tarts (send them in the box)

Mixed nuts

Jerky of any sort

Instant Oatmeal

Dixie cups/bowls

Toilet paper

Fabreeze

Baked items which do not contain chocolate

Crystal-Light (esp. any of the Ice-Teas)

Easy-Mac (Microwavable Kraft Mac-Cheese)

Any funny new release DVDs (or newly released TV seasons)

HERE IS THE MAILING ADDRESS:

CPT Paul Butler

HHC, DISCOM (DREAR SJA)

OIF2 (FOB SPEICHER)

APO AE 09392

If anyone could send one or two of these items it would really make a

huge difference out here. Thanks again for all of your support!

Sincerely,

Paul

PAUL S. BUTLER

CPT, JA

First Infantry Division (Forward)

Forward Operating Base Speicher

Tikrit, Iraq

PS-(Erika's editorial note)......as you all know how I feel about this war and this presidential race from previous blogs, I find it so disturbing that all this money was poured into this war and our troops aren't even properly fed during wartime!!! It's one thing to ask for DVDs as a way to pass time and stay happy, it's another to have to ask for food!! What is going on here?

Before I begin this blog, I'd just like to shout out a belated THANKS FOR A ROCKIN' WEEKEND to Jennifer and Jim (bloggers). I think you get the basic description thru Jim and Jennifer's blogs of everything that happened and everywhere we ate, but I still wanted to say something about that whole weekend and reiterate that it was such a great time! I hope the three of us can get together again soon! Jennifer and I are trying to convince Jim to move to Minneapolis, haha!

And yes, BTW, Jim, quit apologizing!

And thanks, I'm flattered to be referred to as the lovely and intelligent Erika (blush).

Can I just say though, wow, sitting thru a dinner with three Type As who are devout to the diet... like Jennifer said, oh, our poor, poor waiter!! Half the time utilized in the restaurant was spent trying to order!!

Wow, going over a week without a blog was really getting to me. Needless to say, much of this has to do with work and all the time and energy it was sucking out of me. BUT, good news to you, readers! I'm cutting down on hours!!!!!!

YEAAA!!!!!!

A compromise was made that will definitely be to everyone's advantage. I will work half-time at my home store and half time as a float. Yes, this means, it's time to commute again, but two days a week is not so bad. I still get one weekend per month at my store. I think, in a way, this will be good to float again. Sometimes when the brain gets used to things, it needs a challenge. New patients, new drugs....each store, each neighborhood is so different from the next! I will really miss working full time at my own store, but 32 hours at this store (vs. the 40++++ I usually work salaried) is currently not an option. The store I'm at is the Twin Cities best kept secret in terms of patients. With the exception of a few bad apples, I couldn't ask for better patients. The absolute best in the entire metro area!!! Thanks for being such great patients!

Now, as for my dining experiences......allow me to highlight some wonderful moments during the past week........

Wednesday evening:

Mission bar and restaurant downtown. I had their salmon along with their garlic broccoli and a nice glass of merlot. Oh, what a nice meal! I was so spaced out by the end of the work day that one of the waiters thought I was staring at him when I was really just staring off into space.

All these conference/convention men were sitting down the bar from me and the next thing I know, the bartender pours me more wine and I didn't even ask for any! Well, I find out that these out-of-towners bought me another glass! Thank you?!

I chatted with one of them about politics and the city, too. He was from Chicago. He said something very funny about Minnesotans: "At first I thought Minnesotans were daft, but then as I began to converse with them over two hours I realized they were intelligent people."

OK.

Must be our silly accents. Oh ya, you betcha!

Yeah, I really like this state, and particularly, this city. Well, except the winters, but even those aren't so bad because the summers are so beautiful and make up for those cold winter nights!

Next day, I went to Bobino across the river on East Hennepin. Oh, that was also a VERY nice meal. Nice flambuoyant waitstaff, too! Yes, this will definitely be a repeat dining experience for me. A patient who was also a server there recommended that I come for lunch sometime since I have to work evenings. I had chicken and wild rice soup and also butternut squash risotto! Oh, dear Lord! I just LOVE risotto! Oh, it just melts in your mouth! AHHHHHH!!!!! Now, unfortunately, I was only an hour from working and could not partake in libations but boy do I think that meal would have gone so well with a nice chardonnay! Next time, Dr. Klus, next time (after work that is).

Now, probably the most amazing dining experience was Saturday night. A great friend of mine in the Psy.D. program at the Minnesota School of Clinical Psychology celebrated her birthday at Ichiban downtown, across from the Hyatt! Can I just tell you how wonderful it is to watch those guys throw their knifes around?

So, when I first got there we ordered drinks. They have these cute Buddha, Panda, and Geisha girl pottery glasses for their exotic drinks. I ordered Buddha and got to take him home with me (oh no, Grubby bear!). Buddha has a straw hole for his belly button. After brining him home I soon learned that he makes an excellent incense holder! Though it does look like an alien is coming out of his belly such as that in Space Balls. But he's standing up. Well, you get the picture, right?

The drink was some sort of rum concoction. This was followed by a sake bomb. Can I just say, I'm not a fan of the bomb? Not a fan of carbonation in general but certainly not the bomb. I like my sake unadulterated and hot out of the bottle, thank you. And believe me, I had some of that, too!

Now, as stated in a very, very old blog (I'm talking back in February!) I've been to a restaurant where the chef throws around the knife and makes noise, but going here put my Mason City strip mall Habatchi experience to shame! This was so fun! And then put that together with all that sake and rum and that knife and spatula seem to go even faster!!!!

The chefs at Ichiban are the real deal. You know going into it that being across from an international hotel, keeping in mind all the folks coming from all over the country and sometimes world for the convention center, these restaurants aren't gonna mess around with quality or authenticity. Nevertheless, the whole night was centered around FUN! This is a great place take a group of people you barely know because the chefs and hosts make it so fun!

Every time the chef added sake to the food and set it on fire, we all yelled, SAKE!!!! It's like the "What's up!" of the Habatchi world, haha.

The meals started with a wonderful soup appetizer with veggies. I also ordered Miso soup. We then had a cucumber salad with a nice Asian dressing. All this foreplay toward the main course was in itself to die for! I also had a spicy tuna roll. I did not want it spicy but my order was miscommunicated from across the table by a fellow healthcare worker and sushi lover like myself! (Hi Holly!) Still, it was very yummy! My main course was salmon on the grill along with some chicken. That was probably one of the best pieces of salmon I've had in months! I mean, don't get me wrong, I've had some GOOD salmon these past few months, but this was so amazing! It was grilled in parchment paper and then finally sauteed with all sorts of soy saucey Asian flavors for the most unforgettable experience for my taste buds!

My friend had the beef and I tried a little of hers. It was juicy and tender, but somehow I still preferred my salmon to her beef! My type A body must be subconsciously trained not to enjoy red meat now! I never thought I'd come to that point!

Dessert: green tea ice cream! C'mon, what else would it be?

This was not a cheap meal by any means, but special occasions like this are totally worth the splurge!

SAKE!!

Well, that's all for now. Now that I'm cutting back on work hours, this might mean it's time to quit dining out so much and start cooking my own meals. Well, we'll see what happens. Stay tuned for the next episode of Erika's shrinking pay check, haha!

(Believe me, the money isn't worth the extra insanity of HMO paradise)

PS-I can't wait till we "fall back" with daylight savings. I'm finding it so difficult to get up in the morning when the sun isn't out at 7 am! Wouldn't you all agree?

Music: Vincent (covered by NOFX, originally performed by Don McLean), followed by a bit 'o' The Sneaker Pimps.

Mood: Clary Sage & Peppermint.

Been doing a lot of research on indoor lighting as of late. Traditional light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, color rendition, spectrum analysis, Seasonal affective Disorder, color temperature, EMF's, disposal, and known toxins used in manufacturing the bulbs/tubes... Where do I find the time? Heh he. Anything to improve health and happiness... What we're here for, no?

Here's is what I have found in layman’s terms... Summarized...

As far as regular bulbs go, the best I have found are Full Spectrum Bulbs, with color temperatures in-between 5000 and 6500K. This will give a nice, cool, artificial sunlight with color rendition anywhere between 90 and 100%. Especially good for those who get depressed in the winter (Seasonal Affective Disorder) as they are getting the full spectrum of light... All seven colors that is... Taste the rainbow, huh? And less stressful to everyone! Proven with Spectral Aural Photography (developed by NASA) and, applied Kinesiology. Regular bulbs filter out certain colors and amplify others. This serves to make the light more aesthetically pleasing, but, stresses out your mind and body as the light is completely unnatural, and lacking essential wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum... Bummer... Literally.

So... Try and replace all the bulbs in your house with full spectrum. Shouldn't be too spendy... The best place to get the bulbs in my experience are the internet, and, Menard's (if you have one in your area.) I was disappointed with Lowe's and The Home Depot, as they only carried Phillips, and Sylvania brand bulbs... Not very good, and high in environmental toxins. Try and make sure that the regular bulbs you purchase use neodymium, a rare Earth metal, and, try and get the fluorescent tubes that use low, or, better yet, NO mercury... Better for you, better for Mother Earth, and, easier to dispose of! I have found good bulbs anywhere from 5-9 dollars... Chromalux is a good brand that comes to mind... Veralux, Ultralux, Paralite, Sunrizr, etc... There are a TON of companys manufacturing the bulbs. Do your homework. As far as fluorescents go... Westinghouse is my favorite right now. They have the highest color rendition rating I have found in a reasonable price range ($9 for a 48" tube). The color rendition rating was 94. Not bad! Anything over 89 is pretty good though...

The bulbs last nearly forever (rated at 20,000 hours)... They will make you feel better... They really aren't that expensive... Write down the lengths, sizes, wattages, you want... And... Get 'er done! No excuses class... Any Q's, you know who to ask. Late.

P.S. Don't overeat. Ayurvedic wisdom recommends eating the amount you can hold in two cupped hands (your hands, that is.) If you are still hungry after eating this amount. One of a few things is goin' on.

1) You're eating to fast...

2) You aren't chewing you food thoughrly enough...

3) You are eating while stressed or nervous/in a hurry. Sit down. Relax. Don't read or listen to music that's too loud. Avoid TV (In fact... Kill it...). Try and avoid major sources of EMF (electro magnetic frequency) too... Fridges, microwaves, air conditioners, water heaters, circuit breakers, tower speakers, etc. Ask the food to be blessed, bless it yourself. Thank it for being there and nourishing you... Now then... Enjoy your meal.

4) You are malnourished. Cleanse your colon and liver!



Overeating should be treated as an addiction... Find the cause ( likely one of the above...) and fix it. Best of health...

It's been a while as I have been unable to access the blogger sight due to being in Minneapolis, Minnesota for 4 days. I went down to take my sis to the airport, and brought my mom along with me. I don't hang out with my mother too often... All in all, I'd say it was a pretty good trip. Dropped sis off at the airport at 3 on Friday... Went to the mega Mall... Mall of America, whatever you wanna call it... It's friggin' huge. I shall refer to it as the MOA from here on... Rock star parking. Good. Right when we walked in, a juice bar! Healthy Express it was called. I had a fresh juiced pineapple with some broccoli thrown in. Mom had a pineapple with some apple. Good stuff.

We met fellow type A blogger Erika at a really cool 'lil restaurant called Rice Paper in Minn. They serve up Asian Fusion cookin' the likes of which I have never had... VERY good. I had tofu spring rolls as an app. and Chicken with rice and all kinds of cools stuuf for dinner... Erika hooked me up with some crazy foodstuffs I've never tried. As a really cool gift, I was given Fresh picked Jerusalem Artichokes and Comfrey Leaves from an old yoga woman’s garden... SWEET! Thanks Erika! I went back to some friends house, had a few glasses of wine... Went to bed... Skipped my meditation I should add... Maybe the 5th time in almost a year... Bad Jim...

Sat. was sweet. Had breakfast... Can't remember what. Met Erika again at a cool little place called The Ecopolitan on Lynndale Ave. in Minn. They serve totally raw, organic, vegan cuisine. Delicious I might add. We were treated to Flax Jack pancakes w/fruit, a delicious pesto pizza, and pumpkin seed/walnut/portabella pâté’s with flax crackers. I had a drink called "Rejuvalac" consisting of fermented... Stuff... Tasted really cool. Highly beneficial. I bough a bottle of Organic/sulfite free Cabernet and a raw foods energy bar. I have to mention I was a full HOUR late meeting Erika at the restaurant. I felt terrible... . She even sprung for the tab! Speechless...

Get this... I was supposed to meet fellow type A blogger Jennifer at the restaurant too... I was SO late she had to leave to get to her Yoga class before I even got there... If I were Erika and Jennifer... I would have killed me! I'm SO sorry you guys!

Afterward she took us to a swingin' co-op called The Wedge. It's a grocery/juice bar/deli/organic meats/books/herbs/health and beauty/bakery/you name it kinda place. I loved it... Had everything a "Granola Head" guy like me could ever want... And then some. Erika and I had a shot of wheat grass, and we each "built our own" juice. Grapefruit, St. Johns wort, garlic, ginger, and sumthin' else for me.. Erika had something similar, Mom had an "apple spicer" Hot apple cider with fresh juiced apples and ginger. She added lemon and honey... It was the goods... I spent a load of money on random deli items/baked goods/and "things". I really do love The Wedge...

Off to some crazy 'lil left wing radical book store nearby. My mom bought a bumper sticker concerning removing children/shielding children from violent homes... She never had a bumper sticker before... I don't think so anyway...

I just had assorted fruit for dinner. White peaches, grapes, apples, pineapple, and blueberries. Good stuff. Went to bed late.

Sunday was cool too. Breakfast was fruit and Rye Manna bread. Lunch was... I don’t know...Cant remember... I met Erika and fellow type A blogger Jennifer at a restaurant called The Good Earth

in Edina. The place is fabulous. I had a Peanut butter and carob milk shake made with Oats Cream. It's awesome. Try and find some if you can. It did have some Vegetable gums though... Carageenan and Xantham I think... Worth it if only once... The case for non-compliance... Right? Ha ha...

Had Edamame for an appetizer. Dinner was steamed vegetables and brown rice served on banana leaves in a bamboo steamer... They had wasabi yogurt as a dipping sauce... WASABI YOGURT! Mmmm...

We enjoyed a bottle of Organic red table wine as well... Jennifer passed on it... It was pretty good! I will definitely go back... Erika even lectured on the BTD to our server. He seemed pretty interested, and seemed to pick up what she as puttin' down. She's a very impressive speaker I might add....

Hit some friends house... Snacked (more like binged, hehe).... Went to bed...

Monday was good too. Breakfast was the Jerusalem artichokes, and comfrey leaves I got from Erika.

I sautéed the heck out of 'em with some toasted sesame oil, garlic powder, sesame seeds, onion flakes, and sea salt. Beautiful... Threw it in a bowl and added thin sliced raw white onion, and concord grapes... I wish I would have taken a picture... Damn I can cook... Phenomenal food... Thanks again Erika...

Mom and I had to go to the wedge agin before going home... I built a portabella, soy cheese, avocado, lettuce, onion, and cucmber sandwich on gluten free flax/spelt bread. Had a green apple, choclate covered ginger, and some soy/hemp granola too... More wheatfrass, and a juice dring called a ginger rabbit. Mom had stuff too... Once again I bought a bunch of deli items... Rice dishes, muffin, angel food cake... all type A complinat!

Picked up sis from airport at 3:30, hit the Mall of America again... Err... MOA. Had another pineapple juice thingy, a coffee too.... Snacked on raisins and assorted nuts. Shopped for hours.

Dinner was eaten across the street at a place called Chevy's. Super fresh Mexican food. Held strong a turned down the chips and salsa... How's that for will power!? I ordered the Blue Mackerel, black beans, sautéed onions, shredded lettuce, and diced avocado... Mad a gumbo out of the mess.... Delicious. My server was VERY cool about leaving out the avoids in all the stuff. I ate some of sis's fajita chicken too... Probably marinated in avoids... Oh well....

Awesome trip. I had a lot of fun. If it weren't for the efforts of the Lovely and intelligent Erika, and Jennifer... I have to say... It would have been pretty boring, but, thanks to them, I had a blast. I owe them (especially Erika) a million. A million what you ask? I dunno... I ll figure that out when I have a million of something I can part with!

Later gang... Please excuse all the grammar/spelling errors as this was typed at light speed... I'm very tired too... Until next time. Peace, love, and compassion. Keep those torches burning bright...

I rented ‘Super Size Me’ last night which if you don’t already know, is a documentary about the film maker’s 30 day McDonald’s only diet. I could not, as I was watching it, imagine how he felt after the 3rd day let alone 30 days of breakfast, lunch and dinner of McDonald’s (a total of 5000 calories a day).

He makes mention in the film of two overweight girls in their teens that had sued McDonalds for being the cause of their weight problem (only in America). They of coarse lost their plea and the Supreme Court later passed legislation forbidding people to sue restaurant chains for their obesity (I’m sure McDonalds had some very powerful lobbyists in their pocket on Capital Hill who got this pushed through very easily). We all would agree that obesity in America and Canada, is costing the health care system dearly and you would think the respective Governments would put some legislation in place to curtail the fat, salt and sugar content of fast food on this continent because of the ill health effects is has on the general public especially the children (I’m going to show my little girl this film this weekend). This would never happen because again the argument is we have the free choice not to eat there (which I agree)

What if McDonalds sold a new food called McSushi?. I myself like Sushi even though it is raw fish. Serve it up with some Tamari sauce and Wasabi (Chinese horseradish) and ginger and you have a good protein source depending on blood type (all good for O’s). I use this hypothetical example because the local state government in my area is looking to ban sushi that is not frozen before it’s served…so you won’t be able to eat fresh raw Sushi in Japanese restaurants again due to the following statistics…. In Japan, 1,000 cases of anisakiasis, an illness caused by ingesting larvae of nematodes (roundworms), related to the consumption of raw fish are reported each year. The ailment causes nausea and severe stomach pains, and in some cases a tube has to be inserted into the stomach to remove the worms. Around the world, an estimated 50 million people have contracted illnesses related to eating raw fish. Therefore they are asking all restaurants that serve it to freeze it first (increasing the Polyamine levels of the fish), than thaw it before serving.

McDonalds feeds 46 million (country the size of Spain) people a day around the world. Which of the two food(s) do you think is a greater health risk to the general public? If I have the free choice to go or not to go into a McDonalds for a filet of fish sandwich every day, I should also have the free choice when it comes to eating raw (unfrozen) fish. Oh....the hypocricy of it all

There may come a day when we will open the obituaries and read:

Mcdonalds…1954 – 2012

Until than…..I’ll risk eating Sushi..."pass the wasabi, please"

To any BTD skeptics:

Behold my improved cholesterol results after steadily increasing adherance to the Type A non-secretor diet in two years time. Let me also give you a background of where I was in life when my first results were taken. It was October of 2002. I had just graduated in May. During my 3rd and 4th years of pharmacy school I exercised like crazy (jogged or other cardio and also lifted weights). I ate a lot of Amy's Kitchen vegetarian dinners. Upon graduation I exercised a lot less but still ate about the same as I was already eating. I found out my secretor status in the fall. I still ate quite a lot of dairy and wheat though I did add on more soy.

Fasting Lipid Panel via Fairview Riverside Clinic, Oct 2002 (normal range within parentheses):

Total Cholesterol: 214 (115-199)

Triglycerides: 74 (40-199)

LDL-aka bad cholesterol: 99 (0-129)

VLDL-aka very bad cholesterol: 15 (7-32)

HDL-aka good cholesterol: 74 (over 35)

After reading Live Right, I began cutting out milk and wheat as best as I could. I still cheat every once in a while, but consciously cheat. I try to live in moderation and not get too tied up in being perfect, but strive to choose BTD-friendly alternatives when available. Here's what's happening.....

Fasting Lipid Panel via Health Partners Uptown Clinic, Sept. 29, 2004:

Total Cholesterol: 164 (down 50 points!)

Triglycerides: 28 (down 46 points!)

LDL: 77 (down 22 points!)

VLDL: not tested at this lab due to different clinic, but assuming this may have gone down, too, since total is down!

HDL: 81 (up 7 points!)

I had my fasting lipid panel done because I wanted to confirm the results of the State Fair cholesterol. As you may have read in a previous blog, my total was 173 and my HDL was 68 as done in that non-fasting state. I am so excited to see how well my fasting results improved!

Strangely enough, these results are mainly due to food. I exercise less than I used to (though I do have a job that requires long hours of standing), but I just try to follow the formula for healthy A living and it's working well for me!

More to come in my blog as I have spent a wonderful weekend off and on with fellow A bloggers Jim and Jennifer! Stay tuned and be well!

I’ve been pondering addictions in general since the weekend, visiting with my eldest grandson who was in Toronto for a few weeks at a drug rehab centre. We spent the day together doing some “regular” things, like going to Kensington Market to buy fruit and vegetables for the week ahead, and walking in the nearby ravine after lunch.

Since my brother was also an addict (he died from the very real complications presented by his various addictions last year), I have a little – but not a great deal - personal knowledge of this epidemic that is affecting a great many families in one way or another. My brother told me at one point, several years back, that there was a scientific connection to addictions, that if one was addicted to one item, it was very easy to become addicted to others. He was an alcoholic who struggled with drug addictions, drank a lot of coffee and smoked cigarettes. Or was it the other way around? His addiction was so strong that when he could not smoke for several weeks because he had a serious bout of pneumonia, as soon as his lungs cleared, he started smoking again!

I just looked at the web site for the Canadian Association for Mental Health. Their list of addictions covered a plethora of drugs, caffeine, tobacco, marijuana, alcohol, even gambling. No one seems to take food-related addictions seriously. It’s as though we are living in a time when if one is ‘only’ addicted to sugar or caffeine, there’s no real problem. Personally, I have been struggling with a sugar addiction since I became aware of it almost twenty years ago. Before that, I simply thought I had a “sweet tooth”, having been a baker’s daughter, growing up working behind the scenes and eating as many pastries/sweets as my heart desired and building up health issues.

Connections have been made linking caffeine and tobacco, many people having noticed the connection between taking a morning cigarette with a cup of coffee, but the mainstream investigators seem to have missed the important link of addictions that connect to food in general.

My grandson was addicted to sugar at an early age. I moved to Toronto when he was around four years old. Already at that time, my son would warn me, when we were planning to visit, not to provide him with candy or chocolate, because he became quite impossible to control (and enjoy) when under the influence of sugar. Unfortunately, my daughter did not provide specific food guidance, nor did she think eating candy was of any great consequence (after all, she did grow up watching me eat as much candy and pastries as I wanted), so my grandson was provided with a lot of junk food, including the sugar-coated cereals he craved for breakfast. To make matters worse, my grandson refused to eat most vegetables most of the time, so that his diet was sadly lacking in many ways.

I know from my own experience that most of the times that I have craved (and eaten) sugary foods in the past, there has been some sort of mineral/vitamin imbalance in my body. Those cravings have subsided dramatically if I ate some protein, or if I took vitamins after missing them for a while.

A few years ago, we had a family vacation visiting my son, who lives in the U.S. My grandson was a well-mannered young man until the time his past wages became available to him via a bank machine. He then started buying junk food items, spent all of his money very quickly, and his personality changed so that he was someone who was at times difficult to be with. My son, by the way, was providing all of us with a balanced diet, with fruit and vegetables obtained from a store selling organic produce. My grandson was eating most of the things put on the table, which I believe helped him to be stable in the first week or so of the visit. However, the sugar pulled him off balance so much that the good food that he continued to eat did not help him – or us.

Today this young man is smoking cigarettes and has become addicted to drugs as one way to resolve his problems, although he is making a serious attempt to climb out of the black pit created by his addiction to drugs. I am sure he would reject my ideas as ridiculous, as though anyone could link sweets with either smoking or drugs. I don’t know if he has an alcohol problem as well, but I’m sure if he started to use it, the situation would be very similar to that of my brother.

I hope a few mainstream scientists will see the merit in tracking the relationships between a deficient diet, sugar replacement for what is really needed in the diet, and subsequent addiction problems. Perhaps there is a non-secretor connection in there somewhere as well. All I know is that it’s difficult to address the items I have mentioned in this blog to the world at large, and yet I have all these very real concerns swimming around in my heart after spending that short day with my grandson.

For everyone reading this blog, please, please, please talk to your friends, your children, your grandchildren. Point out the importance of following a good diet, using the fact that when we crave sweets without discrimination, there is something wrong with our diet that needs to be adjusted. And never underestimate the power of a sugar addiction, particularly if a personality becomes dramatically different under that influence.