Car 54 had some very interesting questions about type. In the following I am borrowing liberally from Roger Pearman's Book, I'm Not Crazy, I'm Just Not You!!

We all have personality types and our personality develop gradually over time. Type development can be thought as as what we have learned to do and what we have avoided learning to do. But type development is also the process of activiating those previously unacknowledged functions, learning their capabilities, and using them in appropriate ways. If you have spent the first half of life enhancing your natural patterns of perception and judgment, you will develop more completely when you work on the less used patterns.

Life's journey is one of growing awareness of, appreciation for, and skill in using expressions outside your natural view. What that means, is when you do something "out of personality type" it doesn't mean you are not an INFJ, it means that you are developing other functions within your personality. As a border line ENTJ/P, when I use the Feeling function more, it may seem out of character, but it is a sign that I am maturing and able to use the Feeling function.

Some of the most interesting work on adult development is emerging around research on the lessons people learn from their various life experiences. The assumptions guiding this work are that we are attracted to those things we do well and avoid those things that we believe we do not do well. Through our life we select experiences and challenges that we feel reasonably able to accomplish. As we get older, it becomes increasingly clear that the expereinces we avoided at an earlier time would have taught valuable lessions that could be very useful now. We strive to excel at our strengths, but avoid confronting our weaknesses until it is absolutely necessary to do so in order to continue to achieve greater levels of satisfaction. (Gallup uses the theory we should only use talents and ignore and not develop weaknesses).

Type theory usually states that type preference is part of the reason we are attracted to specific interests and activities, and we are reinforced by a sense of accomplishment. Often we are effective as adults because we have sought experiences that will give us the abilities to to the job.

What we really need is efficacy. Efficacy means making more conscious choices and actions based on the use of all our capacities rather than merely acting out of routine. Efficacy is the awareness and use of our skills, our knowledge, and the limits of our capabilities. It is the belief that no matter what comes our way, we can adapt, adjust, and develop a strategy to respond.

INFJ - when developed are quiet problem solvers, global perspective, avoid conflict, like many points of view, enjoy generating options, work with complex people problems, establish enduring friendships, decisive, attentive to other people.

Under Stress May Become: Retiring, dreamy, hardheaded, reserved, impulsive, hasty, sentimental, fussy, self-dramatizing. Can make incorrect deductions from a single fact, at times a simple hint can lead to the catastrophic conclusions. There is often no step-by-step logic leading to the conclusion; it is as if the conclusion already existed and merely required the observation of a random fact to allow it to be arrived at.

For Efficacy: Identify physical and social activities which challenge your world view and require you to live explicitly in the moment, attend training programs on giving and receiving feedback and promptly implement the training. To use other senses, get involved in crafts and cooking!!! (Don't worry, on my type, it suggested I get involved in volunteer projects outside of finance!!!)

How to Apply the Golden Rule:

INFJ's expereince valuing when ideas for helping others are given validity in discussion, and plans are made to implement ideas.

Hey Car 54, hope this helps!!!

Well, I am really tired. This past week has been extra busy due to the salmon that needed to be canned, smoked and/or frozen in addition to all the stuff I usually do each week. Forty-two red salmon are a lot of fish to deal with in a short time. I canned 80 pints of salmon. I made three batches of smoked salmon and put ten vacuum-sealed, quart-sized, salmon-filled bags in the freezer after I had canned up 16 pints. Of course, there was a lot of snacking on the salmon before it got too far.

Also put away are 64 pints of fresh salmon which I canned. We had a couple meals of the fresh fish, too. Now, my husband will probably go fishing tomorrow! In a few weeks the silver salmon run begins. That’s the fish I like to tackle. Talk about a fight! They flip, jump, tailwalk, and run the line.

We continue to have lovely summer weather. Even with this afternoon’s downpour the temperature stayed warm. The area has been in deep need of a really good rain. If it rained that hard in the fire area, it should have really helped to slow it down.

I’ll bet this surprises you. I made a salmon and egg salad combo spread to put on crackers for snacks tonight. Actually, I had two jars not seal, so we need to use their contents within the next few days. I’ll probably make salmon casserole with the other jar.

Did you read that two studies showed that omega 3 fish oil was considerably better at controlling high cholesterol than the statins? There was an article in yesterday’s newspaper about it. I think we’ve enough salmon to keep our cholesterol just fine. When you combine all that salmon with the BTD how could anyone go wrong?

Till later…

I have been extremely busy the past couple days canning and smoking salmon. My husband has spent many hours at the personal use dipnet fishery that is only open for three weeks when the sockeye or red salmon are coming into the river by the thousands. Our family is allocated 55 fish by this method and more by rod and reel. Once he brings the fish home he spends hours cleaning and filleting to get them ready for me.

So far, I’ve canned 32 pints of salmon, made a triple batch of the first recipe below. I’ve finished smoking nearly half and half an hour ago put in most all the rest. I still have a rack or maybe two to smoke tomorrow. I’ve also got at least one more canner full of fish to process before I drive to Anchorage tomorrow.

Here is my smoked salmon recipe from the Cooking Alaskan cookbook:

Smoked brown-sugar cured salmon

Prepare a salt mixture by combining 2 cups salt, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 T white pepper (I use about 1/2 T. of cayenne instead), 1 tablespoon each - crushed bay leaves, allspice, crushed whole cloves or 1 1/2 t ground cloves, and mace.

Dredge filleted salmon in mixture to collect as much as will cling to the flesh. Leave for 6 to 8 hours. Rinse and scrub under running water to remove all traces of salt. Soak salmon in running or frequently changed water 4 - 6 hours. Remove from water. Place on racks to dry for six hours. You should cover the drying fish with cheesecloth to keep the flies and hornets from bothering the fish. If weather is damp dry for 10 hours.

Start fire and let it burn down to coals. Smoke fire should not be over 90 degrees. Smoke fish for 8 hours, then build up a dense smoke and spritz coals with a water-filled spray bottle when necessary, keeping temperature below 100 degrees. It is best to keep the fire going continuously for the 24 hours*, but if you must let the fire die at night, start again in the morning. When finished, the fish is almost tender enough to spread with a knife.

If you are going to can the smoked fish, limit the dense smoke to 4-7 hours or until the flesh surface is light brown. The canning process will intensify the flavor.

My additions: About 2 hours before finishing baste fish with warm honey. Add one more pan of chips as you put the fish back in the smoker.

When I can the smoked salmon, I put the fish in the half-pint jars and then cover with V-8 juice or tomato juice before pressure cooking. It's really good! Enjoy!



My brother Dan's Smoked Salmon Recipe

Make brine: 3 1/2 c. pickling & canning salt dissolved in 1 gallon of water. Soak cut up salmon in brine for one hour. Remove from brine. Give a light rinse of cool water. Lay salmon pieces on paper towels to dry for one hour.

Mix 1 pound pickling and canning salt and 2 pounds brown sugar very well. Layer into large container some mix, salmon, mix, salmon, etc. Finish with a layer of mix. Put in cooler on ice or in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours.

Rinse well each piece so salt & brown sugar is removed. Dry somewhat with paper towels, place salmon on smoker racks and put in refrigerator for 6 hours or if cool weather you can air dry for 1 1/2-2 hours (sticky to the touch).

Put in the smoker for 6 hours using about 2 1/2 pans of wood chips. Take out and baste with warm honey. Return to smoker for 3 hours using another pan of chips. Remove from smoker and enjoy.

To smoke for canning - just smoke for three hours and use 2 pans smoke. Can adding a little water and 1/4 t salt - OR use V-8 or tomatoe juice for the liquid.

SIZE and THICKNESS of salmon may require more or less smokiing time.

Sure hope you enjoy these recipes.

*RECIPE UPDATES: With the newer electric smokers, the smoking process may be shortened by 1/3 to 1/2 the time. Take a thick piece out of the smoker at the halfway point, break it open and see how close to being cooked it is. Then judge how much more time you will need.

I am very tired today, so this blog hasn't been cleaned up. Please ignore any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes. That said, here she is:

The past few days it has been incredibly hot. As you already know from my last blog, we don’t have air conditioning so I’m short on sleep (it’s gotten too hot to sleep before at least midnight) and haven’t been getting any exercise (it’s even really warm in the early AM when I get up). The heat and humidity just get to me. It’s as simple as that.

Because of the heat I don’t want to cook (if you can believe that). Nothing sounds good to eat. The only thing I want to do is sit in the shade and read a good book or vegetate. The heat is supposed to be lower on Thursday. I hope the prediction is correct.

I was talking to my husband this afternoon about how much I felt like I was getting my energy back just from the short time I was sitting in the air conditioning in our car...then we got to where we were going and I had to get out...into the heat...again...yuck...but it is summer.

Today, I found a website that sells the Cherokee Purple variety of tomato that I like so much. I wish I would have known about them back when it was Spring. At least I know where to get them for next year.

My mother’s yard has been invaded by at least one mole. If it wasn’t for the fact that moles are generally solitary, I’d guess it’s more than one. She doesn’t want to use any types of toxic chemicals on it/them so she’s going to try some straight peppermint oil on cotton balls stuck in the tunnels. If that doesn’t do the job, sprinkling a mixture of dried powdered fox and bobcat urine in some of what look like the main tunnels is plan B.

What’s that last paragraph got to do with the BTD? Nothing directly, it's just that the more we refrain from using noxious chemicals unless we absolutely have to the better off we’ll all be. Humans, critters, and the area that we live in.

I found some nice chai scented votives at the grocery this weekend. They were on sale so I got one to try. Chai is spiced black tea that is mixed with milk. It’s traditional in India. Garam chai is hot spiced black tea with milk. These particular candles are heavy on cardamom and cloves. I find it relaxing. They were expensive, even on sale, but their scent is exceptional and they are made with essential oils rather than synthetic blends so I didn’t get a migraine or start sneezing my head off. If you would like to check them out for yourself, their web address is: www.aromanaturals.com<br />
While I’m on the subject of the senses, I was taste tested (not sure if that’s really what it’s called) recently and it turns out that I am a super-taster. I am begining to wonder if I am also a super sniffer. Regardless of whether or not I am, the longer I behave myself and eat correctly, the better I get at detecting aromas.

I’m not too sure how much longer I will continue to be a blogger. Apparently, Dr. D has quite a few people who would like to blog. I haven’t been very consistent at it and so if there are people who would like to give it a try perhaps I should step aside and let one of them have my spot? If that does happen, I would not be leaving the BTD way of life and I would continue to be on the bulletin boards side of this site. We shall see.

Our vacation time is now less than a month away! :-)

I guess that’s about it for this blog, it’s just been too hot for much else.

Wow! It’s been a long time coming, but red salmon are in the river. Today my husband and some friends caught 80 reds in the personal use fishery. He brought home and then cleaned 25 of them. Our family is allotted somewhere near 80, but we usually stop well before then.

Of course, as soon as the salmon was cleaned I fried up a batch. I used a kamut flour and arrowroot mixture to coat the fillets and then fried them in olive oil and grapeseed oil to be tonight’s entrée. As fast as it disappeared, I should have doubled the amount. Oh well, there is always tomorrow.

We’ve decided to can up most of the salmon this year and maybe just freeze a dozen or so. Smoking and then canning is another option, but I don’t know how we’ll get that to fit in our schedule, too.

The forest fire has slowed. Last I heard it was at 20,000 acres. Today has been cloudy with some sprinkles, but not enough to get the ground wet. At least the higher humidity is helping to slow the fire. In addition, Tustumena Lake is huge and the wind pushed the fire that direction. That’s a nice, natural barrier to preventing further expansion.

Till later…

Today marks the middle of July. Where I live this has generally meant (at least since I’ve been transplanted here) the beginning of four weeks of about 90*F (32.22*C) or higher temperatures. That is not something that I look forward to, especially since we do not have air conditioning.

Since my husband is an O and my son an A they shouldn’t have any ice cream. I don’t particularly care for ice milk, so what do I use to help cool off? Fruit pops are an obvious choice (homemade - the commercial ones are way too expensive and that assumes that you can even find them without all the extra nasty additives).

I don’t care for the sticky mess that the melted pops can make or trying to keep track of all the handle pieces that the mold needs so that you can hold on to them. The mold itself also wastes of a lot of my limited freezer space because of those same handle pieces.

If my son was younger (or I was older and had grandchildren) I would still make the pops, but this household is between those two stages of life. What I do instead is freeze the fruit juice or fruit pulp into disks that fit my ice shaver so that I can make almost instant granitas anytime somebody wants one. I make them in a variety of flavors in freezer bags. They waste less space, aren’t as messy when they start to melt, and are easier to get out of the molds.

What kinda flavors do I make? Depends on what I have available and what I’m in the mood for. Grapefruit is one I especially like. So is cherry-lemon and watermelon-lime. Pineapple-grapefruit is good, too. Sometimes though, it’s tomato juice and a touch of celery juice. That one may sound strange, but I like it. The only draw back is that I’d like to add some vodka to that one. I think that it would be intersting to try using green tea at some point.

If you’ve been over on the other side of this site, perhaps you’ve seen the T-Tapp* bootcamp thread. I have noticed a difference for the better in my posture and have several especially achy muscles that I didn’t even know I could feel since I’ve started doing the first instructional disk. I am beginning to think that I am part duck in addition to the cat that my husband says is also lurking in me (I love to sleep in the sun on cool days, think fish is a great meal even without any side dishes, and love the expressiveness of a tail).

The body brushing continues to be absolutely wonderful! I have been telling people about it and am trying to get my husband to try it.

My eggplant machego (as opposed to eggplant Parmesan-Reggiano) should be just about done now, so I’m off to munch now. Have a great weekend everyone!

*No, T-Tapp is not part of BTD, but exercise is and T-Tapp is a type of exercise. If you would like more info. about it: www.t-tapp.com, and/or read some of Rachel Theora Sapyta’s blogs. She is an O type and how I learned about it.

Those of us living on the central Kenai Peninsula have been able to witness a rapidly growing forest fire several miles to the south. The fire has more than doubled in size since yesterday and by this afternoon had consumed more than 10,000 acres. It’s close enough to us that we get a very good view of the smoke and width of the fire. It’s grown quite a bit since this morning. The Forest Service has just decided to man the fire and begin suppression efforts before it gets too close to buildings, some of which are about 4 miles away.

Above the smoke are very turbulent cumulus clouds. Apparently the heat from the flames meet with the cooler air and create these clouds. Cumulus clouds are usually like a collection of big, fluffy cotton balls. These clouds look compacted. Quite unusual in appearance and tonight are the only clouds in our sky. I hope they don’t produce more lightning to begin other fires. The other forest fire just to the east of us is still going but is mostly contained. Sometimes it smells like we’re around a campfire.

Once this fire is out, new vegetation will replace the beetle-killed black spruce. The new vegetation will help the animal population. I believe the area is also the wintering ground for our local caribou herd. As destructive as fires seem to be, they also bring new life into the area. Soon there will be fresh willow for the moose and new lichen for the caribou. There will be necessary ground cover for the grouse, ptarmigan, and rabbits. The eagles and owls will have an abundance of food. And, so goes the chain.

Our summer has been beautiful and the gardens are beginning to produce. Saturday Markets are bringing vendors with fresh grown vegetables ready to share their produce with happy buyers. Of course, the cucumbers, green peppers, and tomatoes are all grown inside greenhouses, but they are still FRESH. It won’t be long and the green peas will be ready, too. Some lettuces, radishes, and broccoli are becoming available now. We can also find locally grown herbs, mostly grown in greenhouses, but they also smell and taste great.

A friend sent over fresh cucumbers with some fresh parsley and dill. Even though cucumber is an avoid for us Os, I made a salad of sliced cucumbers with the parsley and dill chopped. To that I added a fresh tomato, and a Greek feta dressing. I let it blend together for a few hours and we all enjoyed this special and very fresh salad.

I am very thankful that we have the blood-type diet and Type-base4 available. Even though I’m often unable to be as compliant as I would like to be, I treasure it and always use it as a guide. Sharing the concept with others it an almost daily occurrence. Many people are willing to listen and are fascinated with the new knowledge.

The history of the three blood types has always been a sort of puzzle to me even though Dr. D'Adamo is very thorough in his explanations. Not to criticise his work, but to me, what he uses to explain blood type history and what I believe religiously are two very different things. However, I do believe that his BTD science is correct just as I belive that my religious convictions are correct.

This type of thing has come up several times over on the bulletin boards/forums side of this site. Usually, it's someone wanting advice about how to convince a friend or loved one to try the BTD who is rejecting it for religious reasons. How can two things that are apparently so contradictory both be correct and compatible? Maybe you are also in that type of situation. I was at one time. I have my own theory and I thought I’d share it today for my blog. Perhaps, it will help you.

We know for a scientific fact that the oldest graves found so far are all of type O people and that as you get closer to the current date that the A and B types appear. Even more recently, we AB's have come on the scene. When and why did these changes happen? Regardless of whether or not you are Christian (as I am) and believe in a world wide great flood or not, most all cultures histories include a great flood. Therefore, I’m starting with a great flood of some sort occurring as being a fact regardless of the who or why.

Could it be that before that flood everyone was type O and that after the flood the planet had changed so much that people had to change to and thus the various types came into being? We know that there have been climate changes. If you are Christian, this is not necessarily an unacceptable evolutionary view. The word evolution only means to change. It was when Noah and his family came out of the ark that God gave them permission to start eating meat, but it was not a command. Something had apparently changed or would change, otherwise why would God have allowed them to start eating meat if they wanted to?

In addition, why are just the A's and B’s the only types that are assumed to be a change? Yes, they are an obvious change in that they don’t seem to have been around as long as the O types, but perhaps they are just the most noticeable change. However, isn't it possible that the O’s may not have required dense amounts of protein originally? Alternatively, that they may have, but had a high protein plant source that was destroyed during the flood or an ice age (The floodwaters receded according to the biblical account when God sent a wind over the earth. Wind over water is generally cool, I’d call ice cool.). Quinoa is a balanced high protein plant; maybe there was an even better one. Essene/Manna style breads are beneficial for O’s regardless of secretor type so just because it’s grain or grain based doesn’t mean it doesn’t fit with O needs.

The Bible also has in the Old Testament the dietary laws for the Jews. They fit awfully close with the B blood type needs. Most people I personally know who are Jewish by bloodline (as opposed to converts) I honestly believe are either B or O based on their food preferences and body types. I find this kinda interesting, too. From what I have observed, an O following a kosher diet shouldn’t fair badly.

Another point that I have always wondered about is the hunter/gatherer notion for an O and the farmer profile for an A. To me, it makes little sense. Regardless of your religious beliefs (or lack of), why do people like to assume that humans are getting smarter and better? AKA: moving from the primitive hunter/gatherer to agriculture and then progressing to cities and so on.

As I look around me, all I see are things falling apart right and left and doing so at an increasingly accelerated rate as time goes on. The more we “progress” the more I see us as getting out of touch both with each other and the cycles of nature. The older languages are much more complex than our current modern ones. There is ancient architecture that we still can’t figure out how people manged to build and that we can’t duplicate to this day. In addition, in case you’ve never been on an actual farm that isn’t modern, it is very hard work. I feel that O’s are better suited than A's to handle the heavy manual labor that is required of a farmer.

Going a little further, if you’re an O on a farm then you’re going to be closer to the source and therefore more able to get that essential red meat. You even have two possible sources for it: you could get it out of a pasture or hunt for it on the surrounding acreage. As I see it, farming and nomadic lifestyles fit well with O needs.

And what about those A’s? To me, they seem more suited to city life. They don’t need as much physical exercise plus they have a natural bent towards eating foods that are going to be in towns. Let me explain a little more.

Towns were built on waterways for transporting goods to other locations. That’s where fish come from, too. Not too many red meat critters that I know of are easily accessible from the water or easy to keep in a small area in a town...but eggs and poultry (game hens, guinea hens, turkey, etc.) could work. A small garden would work, if it was supplemented with goods from the surrounding rural area. Not nearly as much physical work or food in that type of garden, but feasible.

Now what about the B’s? Who said that all cultures have to be rural vs. city? I see the B’s nomad profile as being believable. Cultures do not always become city and rural as their timelines continue. There is more diversity in humans than that. Nomadic cultures can exist at the same time as the city/rural ones and without either one being better or worse than the other or even interfering with each other. Getting back to my original biblical theme, the Jews do have a rather nomadic history.

At last, we come to the “royal family” of AB! :-) No, I didn’t just make up that nickname because I am an AB. I have found AB’s referred to as a “royal family” by cultures that, unlike most of the USA so far, already ascribe value, at least in part, to the differences of the blood types.

We are the most rare and the most recent type. We came from a blending of two very different cultures for most likely several different reasons. They would have had to straddle both heritages. We still do because we’re so chameleon. That can be good, and it can be bad. Personally, I like being an AB.

Check out this awesome link and take heed. Then... Take action!

If you haven't done so yet... I REALLY hope you'll read my last two blogs about CODEX ALIMENTARIUS. EVIL legislation indeed. If it passes, you can kiss your health and freedom goodbye.

Follow you Hearts good friends~ Namaste.

http://www.storewars.org/flash/

Well.....I am in love with summer.....

No....not the humid heat wave so much on the East Coast are experiencing......but the TIME it gives me. I haven't felt this good in a long time. And I know that it won't last forever but I am certainly enjoying my unemployment time right now. Yes, there's not a lot of money & yes finding a new job is a pain but boy....being able to do what you want, WHEN you want is heaven.......

Back when we were younger & we had this time, we never appreciated it. I get to do the chores I've been meaning to do for forever & TAKE MY TIME WITH THEM. It's so nice. I feel so lucky to be laidoff.....well at least for now. I'm sure in a few months, if my job hunting doesn't go better or the economy doesn't pick up I'll be singing a different tune....but for now.....I'm very blissful being a happy house wife. So's the husband.

*And so the journey begins*

My O- nonnie is still having digestive problems & he's at his wit's end. He asks me the other day, "I think I'm going to start trying your lemon water." Unto which I answered "No, Sweetie!!!! For the hundredth time lemons only work on the A antigen & you're an O!!!"

"Well, what DO I need?" asks my bloated O. So I pull out my 3 books. I don't remember ever seeing a specific almost "cure-all" like the lemon water is for us A's & AB's in any of the books for O's He loves using coffee for his constipation but we all know that that's a big no no for everyone but A types.

So I break out the Blood Type Encyclopedia & look up digestion. It starts on page 258. I think it's absolutely fascinating about how much our blood relates to our digestive process but Carlos think's it's a bore so I skip to the end after a while on page 267 & 268 where it talks about your colon & fiber. Basically it lists where we can find fiber in nature like pectins found in fruit (the lemon water for us A's) certain natural gums, fruits, veggies, seeds, brown rice, barley, oats, whole grains, the outsides of seeds, & legumes. So the conculsion that I drew is that if my husband is having digestive problems, he needs to eat more the items listed above that fall into the BENEFICIAL category for his blood type. A miricle has occured. He's finally starting to listen to me & has agreed to carry the little card I got him ages ago from NAP of his O non-secretor Bene's & Avoids in his wallet. He even said he'll look at it from time to time. Shocking.

You should have seen the look on his face when he turned the card over to the Avoid dairy section & saw the HUGE list......"what no kefir?" he quipped. Yes Carlos, as I've told you before, you're not supposed to have ANY dairy. Well, except for a little butter now & again (neutral) The "flan-man" is sadden by this but, he really already knows it. He's just finally starting to realize what he needs to do if he wants to stay healthy.

To celebrate, I made him a mango, banana, blueberry smoothie today after his long day at the office. He was SOOOOOOO happy after he drank it! I used soy milk but am planning to get rice milk ASAP. Soy's no good for non secretors but the stubborn one says he doesn't like the taste of rice milk. Well, when you put in a whole mango, half a pint of blueberries & 2 baby babanas, that 1 cup of liquid isn't going to have much influence so might as well give him rice (neutral) vs soy (avoid)!

PS - In the Blood Type Encyclopedia Pg 268 also talks about the benefits of AG larch fiber for ALL BLOOD TYPES (readily available from North American Pharmcal, of course) & the constipation section on pg 232 reccomends butyrate as a bluking agent for O's instead of bran. Where I'm going to find "butyrate" is another story......

Wow......

Am I bad.....no blogging for 2 months!!!

Bad Natalie

Life is good & the rollercoaster is starting to settle down....I think.

My play, "The Long Weekend" went superbly. Met lots of nice people, made a lot of connections & was about to start a real acting kick again when the LIRR finally sent me that long awaited letter saying that they've accepted me. Well, basically....there's still a lot of hoops they're going to make me go through before I become an Assistant Conductor, lots of tests & memorizing saftey codes. Had to give up my next play for it but in the long run a steady, high paying government job is well worth it. :-)

Food wise, I've been surviving off turkey, tuna, celery, yogurt, peanuts & pasta when I'm feeling naughty :-D

I've already had my fill of avoid beef burgers for the summer. So tastey but so not good for the AB or A for that matter. Despite all the little avoids that sneak their way into our lives, I'm finally starting to get compliments on my body. After a year and a half on this diet, people notice now. Strange b/c I lost almont all that intial weight in the first 2 weeks & then balanced off. Why didn't everyone say how good I looked then? All I've been doing is maintaining. Trying to eat Beneficials but a lot of neutrals keep me going through the busy week & every so often I have that hamburger or something of equal ilk. Pretty odd but I just keep telling everyone to read Live Right For Your Type. No one listens of course, they just continue to talk about how big their but is or wish they had a smaller waist.

So, if you're one of those "talkers" out there.....stop complaining & DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!! If you don't like the way you look or how you feel inside, start eating healthy & you'll feel much better. Since I've gotten all the corn & other agglutens out of my system, my mind is sooooo much clearer & I hardly ever have random mood swings (unless you're pushing my buttons) Come on people, get out there, pick up one of Dr. D's books & read it at the beach. Then get a little exercise in, even if it's just a walk, it helps. I still love DDR & would reccomend it to anyone (even though I haven't done it in MONTHS, I'm determinded to get back in the groove this summer.)

Happy 'queing this weekend! I'll be having turkey dogs from Trader Joe's while everyone else eats those delicious burgers. Do I get lots of strange looks? Yes....... Do my friends keep whining about their waist lines? Yes......... Do I? Not a chance!!!

Hi, All.

When I came back to blogging, I felt that I would be able to, perhaps, get back on track with not only blogging itself, but with the BTD.

My life is so busy right now (I'm catching up with stuff that got put aside for 2 months) that I'm not able to do either goal very well.

There are a bunch of people who would like to blog, and I feel that it is only fair that I step aside and let someone new come in. I will still be on the forums and around, and if you have any questions, just PM me at the forums.

My journey is going well, and I feel good. I still believe in the BTD and am going to work on following it myself, even though this is a time in my life where my concentration on such things is low.

I wish the new bloggers the best of luck. I wish each and every one of you good health.

Rachel

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!

Well, I finished the series of prolotherapy knee injections two weeks ago. I would say that it has made significant improvement with my knees. Oh, I’m not back to the pre-injury days of 40+ years ago, but I am certainly doing much better than I have for longer than I can remember.

I’m still not comfortable with going down the steps one foot after the other. It may well be more of a slight stiffness from lack of use than anything else. I have gone down a short set of 4-5 steps without difficulty, but really hesitate to try that on longer stairwells.

Yesterday my husband and I went to watch grandkids play soccer. Their field was quite a distance from where we parked, so I wound up walking over a mile there and back. My knees weren’t sore and neither was my ankle!

Then today, my husband, dog, and I drove down to the end of the road again to deliver more jewelry. On the way back we stopped along the inlet to gather flat rocks for a border. Muppet and I walked quite a distance until his hind leg gave out. I carried him back to the car, but again, even walking on the very unstable rocks and sand didn’t bother my knees or ankle! There’s a definite improvement!

I NO LONGER CREAK WHEN I’M GOING UP THE STAIRS!

Actually, when I think about it, age and weight probably play a big part in whatever limitations I’m experiencing. However, I am thrilled that I’m becoming more able to walk in places that were off limits previously.

Yes, I think I would recommend this procedure for others with knee injuries. It seems to also have an impact of my back. I didn’t need to see the chiropractor for the past two weeks! That should please Aetna even if they won’t pay for the prolotherapy.

My 8 year old went away to the lake with another family for the long weekend. The other family knows I don't allow my kids to junk out, so on Saturday night, they called with the "everything is good" phone call. "R is junking out, eating pizza, drinking pop, eating sugar by the bucketload."

My husband and I just laughed the phone call off, little did we know all h... would break loose for them in a couple of hours. R did indeed junk out during the day albeit not as badly as the other kids. Around 1 o'clock in the morning, R was on the top bunk and started throwing up the days misdeeds. He did let me know his friend on the lower bunk was lucky because he missed the stream from the upper bunk!!! He said he felt great after he got rid of all the food. No kidding!!!

The next day after lunch of sandwiches, ice cream, chips and pop, R's nose started bleeding profusely. As an O non, when he starts bleeding, it looks like it will never end. He normally gets nose bleeds when he eats something not on the O diet or when there is a lot of pollen in the air. Luckily they were at the beach and clean up was easy.

When R got home last night, he was the crankiest I have ever seen him. His is normally a sweet natured child who is not cranky very often. Usually, if he is cranky, he puts himself to bed. Last night, he was like a caged lion and was trying to pick fights with anyone who crossed his path.

He refused to eat with us, but about 20 minutes after supper, he took the leftover organic ground beef out of the fridge, added home-made salsa and chowed down on that. When he finished eating, he was transformed into his normal demeanor.

I bet the family that took him on holidays, can't wait to invite him again!!!!

Music: Shock Me (make me feel better)...Kiss

About 4 years ago on the advice of a friend I went to a clinic where they offered Computerized Electro-Dermal testing. Computerized Electro-Dermal screening procedures measure the electrical resistance of the skin through an instrument called an Interro, which is a non-invasive (no needles are used) way of (supposedly) identifying any health problem you may have, from a food sensitivity to a nutritional deficiency. Theoretically, EDSD measures the bioenergy that flows along your body’s meridians (paths of energy).

These are the same meridians that are the focus of attention by acupuncturists.

Measuring meridians involves observing and recording the initial galvanic response value (GV) and any immediate decline in the galvanic response value (DGV).

An initial GV of approximately 50, followed by little or no DGV is interpreted as a normal finding. Initial GVs over 60 may be indicative of a bioenergy imbalance that leads to an inflammatory reaction by the body. GVs below 45 may be indicative of a bioenergy imbalance leading to the development of a degenerative process. The decline in the galvanic response value is considered to be an important indicator of a systemic condition.

What I vividly remember from the whole procedure is that I had a very sore finger at the end from all the pricking they did as they were testing over 100 foods as to whether they caused a bio-energetic imbalance or not. Each food was scored on a scale of 50 to 100 (anything with a score of 60 or above was a no-no to eat according to the test for it is indicative of a bioenergy imbalance leading to an inflammatory reaction by the body). Now…I have not looked at this report for over four years but I was amazed at what I was reading when I dug this out the other day while organizing my filing cabinet. The foods that scored 100 were…lobster, oranges and cow’s milk…all big avoids for O’s. Other foods like ham, alcohol (would not need a ‘prick’ to tell me this), cow’s cheese, peanuts, shellfish, yeast, food dyes and wheat were also high on the list. There were oddly some O beneficials on the ‘severe’ list…. Lamb, beef and liver. Oddly potatoes, lentils and corn had no effect and scored a 50. I had no foods that had a GV of under 45 so no degenerative processes to speak off internally according to the test.

The test can also screen for nutritional deficiencies. I was, according to the test, deficient in magnesium, potassium, manganese, selenium (mercury binds selenium) and zinc…all mineral deficiencies. I had no vitamin deficiencies according to the test. Also was found to be deficient in digestive enzymes.

I also tested positive for parasites and Candida.The dermal testing supposedly can determine which supplements, if any, can be effective in re-balancing the bodies bioenergy.

Oil of Oregano (Oreganol), pumpkinseeds, black walnut and milk thistle apparently would rid the parasites if I used this as a protocol. As for the Candida, probiotics along with Oreganol was the best protocol according to the screening.

On the metal toxicity front, I scored high on mercury, arsenic, aluminum, nickel and cadmium…all substances that disrupt the mitochondrial function. Ugh…I was (still am) a walking toxic dumpsite (maybe causing my hair to fall out?) in dire need of detoxification (zinc and selenium are some key ingredients along with Glutathione, Vit. C, B vitamins and NAC). If you want the latest news and findings as to what’s poisoning us…check out www.ewg.org<br />
This test 4 years ago was a bit of a wake up call for me to some of the possibilities as to why I felt less than ‘fully functioning’ most of the time. I did go out and purchase some of the supplements recommended by the test to rid myself of the ‘critters’ and I did feel generally better thereafter. As for the foods that were not avoids according to the test…just say that if I ate as it recommended, I would be a type O in an A skin (the only meat that would not cause an energy imbalance in the testing was chicken).

As for the mercury in my body, last week one of my mercury filled fillings popped out while eating a chocolate cherry Unibar (thank you Dr. D!!). I had it replaced with a ‘body friendly’ one. It may be the first of many to come. Meanwhile, I’m staying away from mercury-laden fish and am sticking to my low carb, low fat, high protein diet which will help bio-transform myself into a bio-energetic dynamo.

We have had a record setting month for rain in Southern Alberta (400 mm in our area close to the Foothills a once in 200 year occurance in a drought area) and as a consequence with the power surges, unstable power and wet lines, my computer blew it's backlight so I have been unable to blog for 3 weeks!!! The mosquitoes look like B52's. Both of my boys look like they have horrible diseases from all the bug bites. They really swell when they get bitten (We haven't had many bugs for about 10 years so as a result, not too many bites before this year.)

In addition, the internet cable is under about 4 feet of water so we have sporadic internet at home when I can blog. I tried posting longer posts a couple of times, but lost my connection and my post. Nothing but frustrating.

June has been an incredibly busy month. My oldest son's lacrosse team made it into the City Finals but lost in the final game. The boys were pretty beaten up physically throughout the game. Their bench was only 13 deep while the other team's bench was 18 deep. 3 of our kids were injured so the bench was even shorter. (My son got 2 handed with a stick across the calf, nice little hematoma growing)

I was amazed to see how my son finally got his sport (my husband and I have always loved sports, my husband was drafted to play hockey when he was 15 and is a scratch golfer, my major in University was Phys Ed) My husband and I decided we would not pressure our kids in sport but we would give them opportunity to play sports.

We both think it is important to learn a team sport and learn lifetime sports (There is a study that shows women who have played team sports most often rise to positions of authority in working life, all female CEO's who were part of the survey played team sports).

We had a lacrosse end of year party for both kids teams last weekend. The temperature was only about 14C but we had about 60 people show up. We bought a bunch of tiny little water guns and the kids had a riot playing water games. (You can tell we are Canadians, it was freezing cold and the boys were running around shirtless, no shoes with soaking wet pants). One of the mothers with older girls and a younger boy actually tried to tell her little boy not to get wet!!!!!

Of course we had tons of meat (beef and chicken and more beef) and other typical bar-b-que fare.

My younger son is getting his typical end of June allergies. There is something in the air at the end of June which gives him terrible allergies, bad cough, weeping eyes and bloody noses. I don't know if it is pollen or food!!!

My husband and I had an offer on our business so we have been busy with lawyers and mountains of paperwork. It is a buy-out with management contracts for both of us. I only plan on working another 3 years but my husband will work for another 5 years. Closing date is August 2, so I am trying to keep my excitement down until then.