So just a few days into the GenoType Diet and I’m making some changes…

I have started making my fruit smoothies without bananas (so sad!) and so far I am using pineapple chunks, mango (using up what’s in my freezer), raspberries, and blueberries (see mango). I add to this 1 tablespoon of lecithin and then cover it all with a combo of prune juice (see mango), peach juice, and water. This actually tastes pretty great, and I am looking forward to using up all the prune juice and getting to some cranberry… But I still do miss bananas and avocados… Any ideas for something to put in there to give a creamier texture? I might try cottage cheese, but I will have to work into dairy slowly…

Yesterday I tried pomelo for the first time and it was alright. It is a really big citrus fruit with a very thick peel that was hard to get off. It tasted mild but still sour. I didn’t love it, but it was not bad, so I will definitely eat some more… In the afternoon I stopped by a tea shop and bought two types of Yerba Mate tea, one of which is called “Mate chino” which has cocoa in it! It smells like chocolate cake and kind of tastes like hot cocoa. Yum… I also bought some Green Tea Kombucha by Yogi Tea. For dinner I ordered Indian takeout of lamb tikka and basmati rice, which was already one of my favourite meals, but has now gone from neutral for an O nonsecretor to Superfood status for this Gatherer! For dessert I made my Walnutty Chocolate recipe.

I’m still working on figuring the vegetable part of this plan. I have tried green beans (which were great) and eaten up all the carrots left in my fridge. For dinner tonight I think I will make a salad with spinach, red pepper, and celery. When I grocery shop for next week I will also buy some okra and likely some salad mix or romaine lettuce.

Here is a link to the ricotta cheesecake recipe I mentioned in my last blog. I haven’t made it yet, but I think I could substitute for the sugar and flour to make it compliant. Enjoy!

A glimpse into my brain as I read and learn about The GenoType Diet...

27 Dec 2007:

Spent much of that day wondering when my book would arrive. Amazon said it would ship on the 27th and arrive between December 31st and January 2nd. I was at my dad’s house for the holidays and was worried that the book wouldn’t arrive before I left on the 31st! I considered just going out to buy one down the street, but was instructed by my father to just be patient (probably the most common thing he has said to me in my life!).

28 Dec 2007:

Book arrived! Yay Amazon! Spent rest of day flipping, reading, and measuring furiously. Couldn’t figure out if my ring fingers were longer or shorter than my index fingers! Measured obsessively with a variety of tools, techniques, and eyeballs. I don’t look like a Gatherer, but then what am I? Although, the emotional “highs and lows” part is spot-on… Experienced minor identity crisis.

29 Dec 2007:

Continued to measure obsessively. My father (Explorer) got very annoyed with me, but then also became obsessed with my fingers. Began to understand that if I was having this much trouble telling the difference, my ring finger is clearly NOT longer…genius! This means I’m a Gatherer. Read food lists for Gatherer and compared to Explorer (my next most likely type) and decided I should be pleased I’m a Gatherer because I far prefer these lists!

30 Dec 2007:

Whoo hoo! CHOCOLATE, walnuts, almonds, ghee, quinoa, basmati rice, onions, peppers, celery, pineapple, raspberries, cranberries, eggs, turkey, bison, lamb, okra, are all superfoods! Did I mention CHOCOLATE? Boo hoo! Red wine doesn’t have a black dot. Discovered recipe for ricotta cheesecake made with tons of superfoods – I can have CHEESECAKE?

31 Dec 2007:

Insisted on reading the Gatherer and Explorer food lists out loud to my father in the car on the way to Toronto. Scintillating reading for me, not so much for him… Grocery shopping. So confused! No kale, broccoli, bananas, blueberries, mangos, carrots… Where are my staples? Bought spinach, green beans, pineapple, raspberries, a pomelo (coolest looking fruit ever), celery, bison burgers, turkey, walnuts, almonds (covered in beneficial CHOCOLATE), flaxseed, eggs. Not so hard.

1 Jan 2007:

Kukicha tea is a superfood! I have a pomelo in my kitchen! Chocolate! Eggs, eggs, eggs… I have a lot of black cherry, prune, mango, and peach juices to drink over the next few months…

Overall, I am really pleased to be a Gatherer and excited about my food lists. I will never forget the good times I shared with some of my favourite O-non foods, like bananas, blueberries, carrots, kale, and broccoli and I will definitely keep in touch. But on the whole I am thrilled to keep many of my faves and gain lots of delicious new foods that were previously restricted!