So many things have happened since I last posted, that this post will be a collection of thoughts from here and there. Following my return from Turkey, I found myself - fairly unexpectedly- in Bend, central Oregon (USA), visiting my son and his family for a couple of weeks. The change in climate was difficult for this aging body. Toronto had had a week of heat wave before I left for Oregon. Oregon, on the other hand, had been experiencing an unusually wet spring and it was COLD when I got there, inadequately prepared for the switch from hot to cold. I had to borrow a sweater for my visit, though it did start to warm up just before I was leaving Oregon to come back to a city that was sweltering in 30+C temperatures! My son and I drove around a large area of central Oregon (it is high desert – 4000 feet above sea level, with little rainfall), taking a wide range of photographs, most of which came out amazingly well. Oregon, after all, is one of the more photogenic areas of the world, I believe. It was fun comparing our final results, my son at the end of the day with his high end digital SLR with interchangeable lenses, and my old technology film camera (also with interchangeable lenses) that had to be processed to be seen. We so often photographed the same thing with totally different results, some of which could be attributed to available equipment, and some the eye of the beholder.

Because of the high temperatures here, I’ve been making and eating a lot of salads in an effort to keep heat out of my non-air-conditioned apartment. Here are a few recipes (you will notice that I don’t give quantities – sorry, I don’t measure when I cook, but these are good guidelines for anyone willing to jump in):

Cucumber salad (Turkish name: Cacik, pronounced Jajik)

Cut a cucumber into very tiny pieces (some people in Turkey grate the cucumber but I don’t) and place these into a suitable size bowl.

Chop finely or crush one medium-sized clove of garlic and add to the chopped cucumber

Add salt to taste (be careful not to overdo here)

Cover with several spoonfuls of fresh plain yogurt. If it’s very thick, I add a tiny amount of water to thin it slightly. Stir. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Watercress salad

Chop one bunch of watercress (stems and all) and place into a bowl

Juice one small lemon and add juice to cress

Add olive oil in reasonably small amount

Add salt to taste – not too much!

Add one medium clove of garlic, crushed

Stir

This salad wilts very quickly, so it’s best made just before serving, or keeping the lemon/oil out of it until the last possible second.

Rice salad

Cook organic rice until it’s done (takes 45 minutes or so on low heat) (2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice)

Place into a large bowl and allow it to cool. A small fan nearby will hasten the cooling process.

Add olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice, tasting to check whether you need more

Add salt

Place fresh spearmint leaves (lots of these) and fresh parsley leaves into a food processor or mini chopper and grind until very fine, then add to the rice mix

Stir and cool in the refrigerator until time to serve

Bean salad

Cook white beans until tender (I avoid canned food as much as possible, fish being the only exception)

Drain and cool (a fan helps them to cool quickly)

Chop an onion finely and add

Cut fresh celery (with leaves) into thin slices and add

Chop a fresh sweet pepper of your choice into small pieces and add

Chop fresh parsley leaves finely and add

Add olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste, together with salt

This salad keeps very well in the refrigerator for several days

Vegetable salad

Steam tender vegetables until cooked but not soft (cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini)

Place into a large bowl and allow to cool

Add finely chopped onion, celery, sweet pepper, parsley

Add olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste, together with salt

Refrigerate before serving

Beet salad

Cook whole beets in a pot, covering with water

When tender, turn off heat and allow to cool

Slide the skins off the beets and slice into a bowl

Add finely chopped onion, thinly sliced celery, fresh parsley

Add olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice and salt to taste

Stir and cool in the refrigerator

This salad tastes better as it ages in the refrigerator, so make lots of it for the days ahead of you

I also want to report that my health continues to improve, to my great satisfaction. I have lost at least 7 pounds (from 143 – 144 pounds down to 136 pounds) from before leaving for Turkey to the present day, and I hope to maintain this lower weight endlessly. So far I am doing it. I started walking in the very early mornings in the nearby ravine while it is cool and pleasant, ending my 45 minute or so walk by climbing the 95 stairs back up to street level. I find it a good way to maintain my muscle tone. This week, I started an Iyengar yoga class, at the bottom level. I’ve done a lot of yoga over the years, even teaching it at one point, but have fallen away from it lately, and wanted to renew my enthusiasm for the discipline. I like the Iyengar emphasis on balance and straightness of body, alignment and focus on various minor parts of the body such as which direction to pull muscles, etc. To my great pleasure, I felt pleasantly relaxed at the end of the class and did not suffer from stiff muscles later on.

Most of all, though, my improved energy level, I truly believe, can be attributed to the cardiovascular protocol that I’ve been following (from the Blood Type Encyclopaedia). My body is feeling better and better, making me realize that what I thought was” normal” before the angina attack was actually not such a good physical condition. My headaches have disappeared almost completely (hallellujah!). My skin is softer and looks much younger. My hair has more body to it and is growing faster. A large wart on my finger dried up and came off easily. It’s hard to know what other side benefits have come because of following this protocol, but once more I am incredibly grateful to Peter, not only for the blood type diet, but for his wisdom in choosing supplements with amazing accuracy so that I can heal myself in spite of the fact that my doctor wants me to take drug products that I’d rather not put into my body.

Until soon, keep cool and enjoy your summer!