I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to make my favorite (beneficial) comfort foods again. Oh, that’s right! I’m not home long enough to wait for them to cook!! The good thing that has come of being sick this weekend is that I’ve been housebound long enough to cook food! There are beans boiling on the stove as I write this and the house smells like heaven on earth!! I also roasted some dried chile and chopped them up in the blender for my favorite add-to-everything spice. Sadly, I’m still sick (developed a knarly deep-down cough), but am certainly on the mend. I’m also still going to avoid the pool today, but may cruise around the ‘hood for a walk later in the afternoon.

Anyhow, I’m off to continue doing homework (thank goodness for home link-ups to the campus library!). Hope that this finds you all having a weekend that has been divine…or at least better than average.

IN REPLY TO MESSAGES: (REMEMBER—I am in no way a medical doctor. What I write here is only what works for me…and/or my opinions…)

Molli in LA: the only practical advice that I can offer about avoiding sweets and processed foods is to wean yourself off slowly, and allow yourself to indulge once and a while (just not overboard!). As for chicken and corn…well, girl, that’s a toughie! Turkey is a great substitute with some advance planning and a bennie for us AB’s. As for the corn…how much are you eating? If that ‘s one of the only avoids, maybe it’s okay? Remember…as a full-time student…you need to take care of your psyche too…and if corn’s gotta stick around a bit longer…just be extra compliant with everything else!! Good luck!

Wes in ???: Warm water and lemons is recommended as a first drink in the morning to get your digestive system going. I think that it’s recommended for all blood types. If you don’t want to buy any of the books, see if they’re in your local library…it’s nice to have some of the history behind what you’re doing. The BTD really is more of a lifestyle change than a diet. But, to really get you jumpstarted, scroll down on this web page (dadamo.com) to the Support and Solutions section. Click on RECIbase and go to the Index. You’ll get bunches (101 I think!) of recipes…just pick out the AB ones and you're on your way!! Also, if you can buy a book, Cook Right 4 Your Type is the one that I started with and still use the most often. Good luck!

It’s almost 6pm here on the West Coast, and I’m slowing regaining the world of the living. Needless to say, I didn’t go to yoga last night or to the pool today. I’ve spent the day gathering research, napping, reading said research, napping some more and trying to feel better. I’ve been running a low-grade fever since yesterday (low grade’s more typical for me than higher temps) and just starting taking Advil about 2 hours ago. I was hoping to avoid medicine all together…but my head’s too fuzzy to write up my homework and there’s plenty to do!! So anyhow, I am feeling better (had bennie turkey broth soup and chile eggplant/tofu today) and should be in pretty good condition by tomorrow. I will probably continue the Advil just so that I can be productive. I may skip the water tomorrow too…just to give my immune system a chance to reboot.

Healthy eating and thinking to y’all out there in cyberland…be well…

Well, the rotten eating has caught up to me. I’m sick. I woke up today (not unlike every other day these past three weeks) feeling like I had been passed through a meat grinder. However, (different from the past three weeks) I also have a sore throat, a cough, stuffy nose and gunky eyes. And I just feel wiped out. So I think that I’ll crawl back into bed, take a nap (no pool for me today…that’s how I know it’s bad), cancel my lunch date (boo!) and see what’s a bennie that I can cook up later. If I can do better for the afternoon, perhaps I’ll still try to catch up with my yoga class tonight. We shall see.

One quick note, I made a yummy recipe with mustard greens this week (AB bennie)…it’s in the RECIbase program at the dadamo.com site, just do a search for ingredients and mustard greens and it’ll come up. It’s got a different flavor (I just made white rice and put the greens/(brown)mushrooms on top…didn’t make the risotto part), I liked it!! It’s one of those once in a while kind of dishes.

My hair is greasy

My head is heavy

My feet are cold

My eyes are droopy

And so I go…

Howdy y’all…how’s it shakin’? Things here are a bit better than the last blog, though I’ve been on a cookie binge (had to bake for one of my classes…is this a Home Ec degree, cripes!) for the past day or so, and realized that I’m PMSing too…so there you have it. I’m using the hormones scapegoat this week!! But I am cooking up some tuna steaks this morning, so probably my new “superfood” will take the edge off a bit. As of this morning, I’ve also re-begun my warm water with lemon upon rising. It really does set the tummy for a day of appropriate eating. I like that.

It’s only Tuesday and I’m already completely exhausted, having crawled my aching body into bed at 1 am last night. I was up and out at 6 am yesterday morning, so that made for a long, tiring day. I woke up with every part of my body hurting. It really is critical to get enough sleep and I still find it amusing that on the BTD my body creates a mutiny against my mistreatment!! If it could kick me out of myself…it probably would!! Good thing I’m a sovereign ruler!! Har har har…

Well all, if I lollygag much longer, I’ll miss my time in the pool. Oh! And I forgot to tell you over the weekend. I took a yoga class on Friday! I loved it!! I’ve got another one tomorrow. There were so many muscles deep inside of me that got stretched out…pure heaven!! I know that I’m late on the bandwagon, but I’m on the yoga train now baby!!

Think happy thinks and be well…

Ah, the omnipresent existence of cyber-space and blog readers keeps me honest. Oftentimes painfully so. I am ashamed to report that the past several days have not found me remotely compliant with the BTD. More girl scout cookies, take-out burritos, peanut M&M’s and the deadly Oreo Cookie shake a’la Jack/Box. I ran out of time to go grocery shopping, didn’t have any fish in the house and was just plum too tired/stressed to worry constructively about food.

Stuffing myself to the point of seam-busting seems to be one of the last bad (self-destructive) behaviors that I have left. (I’ve been working very hard for the past several years to create serenity, peace and health in my life.) Without going into detail, I’ll admit that the other bad behaviors were much worse than the over-eating one and if that’s all that’s left, I’m doing really great!! But, with me being me…really great isn’t nearly good enough. I want to have all bad behaviors irradicated from my system completely. This includes “numbing out” with food. I don’t have the time for eating poorly and my body just doesn’t enjoy bad foods anymore. The trick is getting my habits to go along with what my body wants and needs.

My body knows and begs to have its’ needs and wants satisfied. Case in point: Yesterday I was completely exhausted (too many late nights this week completing homework/research) and running on fumes food wise. When I got to campus in the evening I got a tuna fish sandwhich and just picked off the fish (of course mixed with mayo and celery) without eating the bread. This was accompanied by a veggie (an Asian one that I don’t know how to spell!!) from the night before. Within 20 minutes of eating, I felt strong and energetic! Tuna is a bennie for us AB’s, and the veggie, if it’s not a bennie, it’s at least a neutral.

I don’t know why it still surprises me that I feel so good when I eat right (for my type!), It makes sense cognitively, but I’m still amazed at the very real physical reaction that occurs. I compare it to that feeling that a body has when aspirin wipes away the headache in a very noticeable way. It’s like jet-fuel hits my blood stream and I’m ready to motor!! I think that tuna may be my new superfood (but I’ll not give up on Dr. Schulz…just add to the actual Superfood regimen).

Okay, so with all confessions out of my system, do know that I continue to swim in the pool every day (now adding weekends b/c I’m on campus anyhow) and am FINALLY going to a yoga class tonight. It’s for beginners and if I like it, I’ll invest some moo-lah and purchase a package. My body is closing in on itself for lack of stretching…I need some serious help! I was thinking too that yoga may be a new incentive for me to stick to the diet. Jack, the other AB blogger often says, “Eat to fuel.” I’m not quite there yet…but do like the concept and certainly want to stop eating-to-numb…

So, have a great weekend BTD dieters and friends. Stay compliant, be well and take care. And write to me!! I haven’t gotten a single message since February 19th!! I feel so unloved!! Let me know how the BTD is working for you…what are your successes, bumps in the road, inspirations, strategies, etc?