Ahhh..spring has sprung! And with it, the list of household chores has as well! With spring cleaning in full swing, it seems like there isn’t enough hours in the day to even put a dent in the to-do list.

I would probably have a few more items crossed off the list by now, but I chose to undertake an experiment with several ‘avoid’ items last month. Little did I realize at the time just how much of an impact my choices would have on me in the next month.

During a discussion last month with another group of people, I had told them about my experiences with ER4YT. Being an O, wheat and dairy are not our friends. But as one woman, a doubter of ER4YT mentioned, it’s not uncommon for folks to be either wheat or lactose intolerant. And she was right. But her comment made me wonder. Is there any kind of database for those with wheat or lactose intolerance, and is blood typing part of that database? And if so, what percentage of that database would be shown to be type O’s?

With her being a doubter, and for my own knowledge, I decided to reintroduce several avoids back into my diet. By doing so, this reintroduction would address two points. One, being a less common intolerant, it might add weight to the validity of ER4YT. At the same time, by my own experience, I would be better able to discuss ER4YT, and its actual effects on the human body.

Between March 18th, and March 26th, I reintroduced potatoes back into my diet. Since it’s very rare for me to vary my diet, any effects would be readily apparent. And it was. During that nine day period, I consumed five servings of potatoes. And it didn’t take long for the effects to take place.

The most immediately apparent was the sudden bloating about the waist and abdomen. Jeans that used to rest loosely and comfortably on my hips were now very tight, and difficult to button. My weight had jumped from 153 to 157 over a very short time, so I can only attribute the gain and bloating to water retention.

Looking back over my journal, I also found that my quality, and length of sleep had been impacted negatively. I slept longer than I usually do, yet the quality of sleep was lacking. Mental and physical energies were both impacted as well. It became difficult for me to get started in the morning, and I had trouble focusing on tasks at hand during the day-.

On April 8th, I finally felt a perceptible energy shift back to my previous state before the experiment. By April 11th, my sleep had returned to a regular routine, and I was once again in my regular “jump out of bed bright-eyed and bushy-tailed before the alarm clock goes off” state. Thank God!! It was not a fun ride, and certainly one that I don’t care to partake in again.

My workouts were also impacted by my experiment as well. Both the amount of weight, and the number of reps were negatively impacted. Before, I would always feel energized after working out. However, during this experiment, I felt completely exhausted by the end, even with the reduction in weight and reps. It wasn’t until the week of April 10th that I felt a surge in energy, and both my reps and amount of weight lifted went up considerably.

After my potato consumption had been curtailed, I waited a week, and on several successive weekends, reintroduced pork products back into my diet. Saturday and Sunday, once a day, late in the morning. Said consumption resulted in almost immediate mild to moderate heartburn for a good part of the day

What was interesting was that after one Sunday morning consumption, I had a salad for lunch on Monday, and this somehow created a mild heartburn effect for a few hours. My only guess is that something in the salad reacted with the inflamed microvilli in the intestinal tract, causing the uncomfortable sensations. In the past, consumption of the same salad has never created said condition. And since no other foods had been introduced into my diet during that time, the pork product seems to be the only likely culprit.

While my own experiences have made it easier for me to support ER4YT, I’m still catching up on the exact science. This same woman commented that while my story was nice, it wasn’t science. So in an effort to be open minded, I have started my own research, independent of Dr. D’Adamo’s work. Using only Google as my guide, and certain key phrases, I went searching. Any links that referenced Dr. D’Adamo’s work was immediately discarded, and I went on to the next link on the search page. The only exception to that being those that were critical of Dr. D’Adamo’s work. Those I printed out, because I wanted to understand their reasoning as to why ER4YT, as one critic put it, is all ‘hype’. Right now, I have one very ticked off pile of a tree on my coffee table, who has been sliced, diced, stapled, and printed on. *chuckle* Now that I have my energy back, I’m hoping to be able to delve into the skyscraper of paper, and digest it all. One of the curses of being a Sagittarian, is having the need to wrap ones mind completely around something, and to understand every piece of the puzzle. And next time, I’ll report as to what I’ve been able to learn so far.

Here is your interesting thought for the day. While watching Modern Marvels on The History Channel for a few minutes the other day, I found that they were doing a show on sugar. In that show, they stated that the average person consumes 65 pounds of high fructose corn syrup a year. That’s right, 65 pounds. Is it any real wonder then, why we have an epidemic of obesity in America?



Until next time, may all that is yours by Divine Right find its way into your life, under Grace, in miraculous ways.

Those two words can only mean one thing. Spring cleaning!! Yes, it’s that time of year again. Time to do a whirlwind cleaning of the house, and to discard the many things that one no longer uses.

The past few weeks have certainly been one of chaos. It was only yesterday that I finally reclaimed my dining room from the mountain of various computer paraphernalia used by my own computer, to repair a computer, or to build a new computer for my niece’s birthday gift. It was no small feat indeed, but I can once again, see, and use, my dining room table. I can’t say how long it will remain that way, but I’ll enjoy the moment for as long as I can. *chuckle*

Do you have something that you no longer want, but think that someone else might be able to use? Don’t just toss it away. By just tossing it away, you contribute to the pollution of our Earth either through incineration, or landfill. Click your way on over to www.freecycle.org There are groups in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other spots around the globe.

During last years spring cleaning, I created a lot of space by using FreeCycle. Last year alone, others were able to enjoy a basketball hoop, a large picture window, formal dinnerware that had only been used once, cookware, a PlayStation for a woman’s grandson, and other things. Through collaboration with another FreeCycler, we were able to put together a computer system for a woman whose daughter needed one to be able to run educational software for her son. Recycling doesn’t just involve glass, plastic, and paper, but many of the products that we use in everyday life.

So as you go about your spring cleaning this year, don’t just toss it to the curb. Take a moment to wonder if it can be used by someone else. Not only does it help you create more room in your own life, but it helps to put a smile on the face of someone else who will be happy to use what you longer do. And sometimes, a simple smile of appreciation is far more satisfying than a few extra dollars in your pocket.