I love this time of year. The drifting of summer into autumn…. the shadows lengthen… the sunlight softens… the end of the growing season is approaching… but not fully here yet. I was noticing on my hike today that the lush greenery is at its peak now. We were lucky and had plentiful, if a little sporadic, rainfall throughout the growing season. And it is evident everywhere.

I was gone for the first two weeks of August and asked my youngest son to look after my basil plants while I was gone. This year, for the first time, I tried growing basil in containers on the deck. I had heard that basil does not grow well in pots but I thought I’d give it a try anyhow. I bought 12 plants and placed six plants each in 2 large containers. Early in the season we had several hail storms and I almost lost the whole crop in the first storm in early June. Fortunately, all plants survived except one… and I became ready to spring outside at the first plinking sounds to cover up the basil. Had I planted the basil in the back vegetable garden this year instead of easily reachable containers, they would have been toast. But to my surprise they grew just fine in their soon-to-be-crowded containers. So nice to have fresh basil in the summer! I had enough to make a batch of pesto about once a week. And it is so easy to make compliant pesto: just fresh basil leaves, a little fresh parsley, minced garlic, chopped walnuts, fresh parmesan, and enough olive oil to hold it all together. I like my pesto more like a tapenade than a sauce so I just finely chop the basil and parsley leaves and then crush them a little with a mortar and pestle. Mix all together and…. ahhhhh… so good. I found that I mostly used the pesto as a spread on rice crackers as I do not eat much pasta these days, but it was delish on pasta as well.

My son did very well with looking after the basil and he even made pesto himself one night! Not bad for a 13 year old. But… I forgot to tell him to check on the zucchini. To be honest… the zucchini was in the back garden and there had been a hot and dry spell before I left. I just did not get around to watering it much. I thought it was practically dead by that point . But there was a plethora of rain while I was away and when I came back the zucchini plants had resurrected. I nervously went back to check it this weekend and I found 2 absolutely huge zukes growing. Those of you with experience growing zucchini know what I mean! With zucchini that large there is only one choice… Zucchini Parmesan, of course. Just like the eggplant variety only substitute the zukes for the eggplant. Now I don’t know about you, but I can no longer be bothered with making compliant bread crumbs for the breading. In my younger years, I used to do that but now I just find that too much fuss. So I substitute spelt flour seasoned with oregano for the breading part. So it goes like this… dip the zuke rounds in flour, then egg wash, then flour again and into the frying pan to sauté a bit in olive oil to set the ‘breading’ Then layer in a baking dish with mozzarella cheese and ‘No tomato Tomato Sauce’ (recipe located in recibase)… and bake. So easy!! And very good too!!

Now… If I can only think of something useful to do with all those weeds that came in with the rain….

Sometimes in life it is important to take pause, to look back… to acknowledge the passing of time.



And a lot of time has passed since I last wrote a blog. More than 3 months now. In looking back, it seems like I am standing on a shore watching endless waves of events pass one over the other… some big waves, others smaller… The IfHI conference came and went so fast it was like a blur. But what a lovely happening it was. And so nice to meet one and all… again and for the first time. So many changes are happening in my personal and professional life that I have had to learn how to find my ground in this groundless place of deep change.

But something that caught me a little by surprise is that I realized that it was in the Fall of 1998 when I first heard about the Blood Type Diet and began making changes to my diet and lifestyle. Nine years. Wow. Almost a whole decade of eating and living this way. What was especially surprising is that I had thought it was ten years of BTDing… not nine… LOL!! But when I traced back to what I remember occurring in that time, it has indeed been nine years. But it feels like I have lived this way all my life; not because it is arduous and grueling and seems like longer in that regard {chuckle} but because it has so thoroughly integrated into how I choose to live my life. Looking back, I think it was giving up corn and lentils and adding in lamb that had the most direct impact on my overall well being. And I remember being so relieved!!!! when I read the exercise recommendations for B’s. That just felt so right. I had previously thought that only strenuous physical exercise was where the real health benefits lie.

I still see the Blood Type Diet as a process… or a journey… not something I do or don’t do. In the nine years of BTDing, I have never fallen off the wagon completely and abandoned the diet. I have had moments, yes, but they were only moments. I think that is because I did more of a gradual transition to this way of life. In the beginning, I ate more of the not-so-great neutrals like wheat and did not pay much attention to the ratios. Also, I didn’t expect to do it perfectly… and I still don’t. But over the years I have found what works best for me. I really have no desire for avoids now, except for the occasional olive. But even olives aren’t that appealing anymore. Corn no longer calls to me. In fact, most corn chips and popcorn smell rancid. Perhaps the BTD has heightened my olfactory sense!

And then there are the indirect, intangible results of The Blood Type Diet that are impossible to measure. But one thing is for sure… The Blood Type Diet sure has increased my enjoyment of life. And for me, that is really what it is all about.

I have noticed… time and again…. how we human beings have a tendency to identify in our ailments; those things that are “wrong” with us or that we would like to change. How many times have I heard someone say… "I am hypoglycemic"…. "I am gluten intolerant "…… even… "I am stubborn"! When one's self identity of "I am" is connected to something that they would like to change, I think it puts our psyches in a quandary. We can become so identified with what we would like to change that it makes change very threatening to our identity of self. So who will I be if I am not hypoglycemic, am not gluten intolerant??? Better to stick with something safe and known than to risk a change of that magnitude.

I thing deep and lasting change must begin with looking at how our imbalances have become interwoven with our self concept, realizing that they are things that challenge us, but do not own us. Separating our health challenges from who we are is a major step toward healing them. Some we have to learn how to live with, yes… very true… but they can become something that we cope with, not something that we are.

So I challenge you to look at your health challenges in a new way… and begin to separate them from the fabric of your self concept. Moving from “I am hypoglycemic” to “hypoglycemia is one of my current health challenges” may seem just like semantics to you. But it begins to create a distance, an objective viewpoint, from which to begin the true work of healing, of regaining balance, and not just alleviating symptoms.

The words we use to speak about ourselves are very powerful…. in both positive and negative ways. Which way will you choose?

The choice really is yours…..

I am Type B, 42 years old, and clocking in at over 6'1" tall, I am living
proof that Type B's are indeed the tallest of the blood types. I have been
married for 15 years to a wonderful man (Type A) and we have two sons; our
oldest is 15 years old (Type O), and our youngest is 10 (Type A). I moved to
Colorado 20 years ago to attend graduate school and for the first time in my
life I felt like I had come home. I haven't left since. I enjoy hiking in
this picturesque state, playing tennis with my husband, reading anything I
can get my hands on, and attending as many arts events that I can drag my
family to. I also sing, dance, and play music with my family. I would love
to form a music group for the purpose of singing and playing Finnish folk
music. Any takers?

My professional life has been varied and assorted in typical B
non-conformist fashion. My education and training is in dance/movement
therapy and I worked as a dance therapist for several years. Then I
transitioned to midwifery and attended homebirths with local lay midwives.
How I wish ER4Y Baby was around back then! Currently, I have entered the
lucrative field of arts non-profits and am the program director for a small
arts education organization that is operated out of my home. My husband is
self-employed and also works at home, well, in the garage, doing specialty
printing on antique letterpresses.

I first heard about ER4YT through a naturopath. I had, at the time, made
some dietary changes due to the results of allergy testing to resolve some
long standing sinus problems. She suggested I combine the results of the
allergy testing with the ER4YT prescription for Blood Type B. I thought,
"yeah, right" and went on my merry way. Six months later, not only had my
sinus problems still not resolved but a whole host of other health problems
ensued: extreme fatigue, blood sugar swings that I could not control,
eczema, insomnia, and the sinking feeling that something was terribly wrong.
And then one day, while shopping at our local health food store, I saw ER4YT
and somewhere deep inside myself I knew I needed the information in that
book. The first realization was the allergy testing results had me
emphasizing the major avoids for B's and avoiding most of the highly
beneficials. No wonder I felt so crappy! Then I saw how many ailments that
had plagued me since childhood are associated with Type B - and all those
years of eating stewed tomatoes and corn on the cob just made matters worse.
Needless to say, I started following the lifestyle recommendations for B's
and haven't looked back since. That was almost seven years ago and I can't
imagine living any other way. My family follows the blood type diet as well
which is challenging with three blood types under one roof! It is definitely
worth it; we enjoy greater health and vibrance each year.

But, alas, we are not perfect and over the years I have realized following
the blood type recommendations is really a process that has many
fluctuations of compliance and non-compliance. I used to stew about
"slipping up" on the LR4YT lifestyle but I don't so much anymore. Perhaps
that is just how life is.

I have been trying for several years to acquire a taste for goats milk products. But no matter how or what I tried, all goat products just tasted… well… goat-y. I didn’t like the taste, no matter how I used the product. Just couldn’t stomach it. But I kept trying…

And now I am happy to report that something finally shifted for me. I bought some really fresh goat cheese at a farmer’s market awhile back and I was surprised at how mild and creamy it tasted. I began testing out different varieties of goat cheeses and realized it was the aged cheeses that had the too strong taste for me. My favorite is goat feta… the fresher the better… but even older goat feta I now enjoy, as well as some of the more aged goat cheeses, although I use those only on occasion.

But the biggest shift came when I decided to try using goats milk in place of cows milk. I was prepared to be disappointed… but surprise!! I like that now too. And goats milk has the same amount of protein as cows milk with a little less fat and carbs. But it tastes so much creamier… and seems thicker as well. I love the opaque, almost bluish bright white color. And goats milk makes the absolute best hot cocoa I have ever tasted.

I even tried making goats milk ice cream last Fall when my parents were visiting, although I did use cows cream in the recipe too. Everyone loved it… even my parents with their typical midwestern palates. I did a pure goats milk version for my son’s birthday party last month and the kiddos ate every last bit. So easy to make too…. Just 2 eggs, (I always clean the eggs shells very thoroughly when using raw eggs in a recipe), about a half cup of sugar, 3 cups of goats milk, and a nice dollop of vanilla. That’s it. Just put it in your ice cream maker and follow the instructions. Easy. And you can do a myriad of variations from that basic recipe… different sweeteners, flavors… adding fruits like fresh chopped peaches of raspberries and a little bit of lemon. And the best part is the control you have over the ingredients… no avoids like added gums or other emulsifiers…. or the dreaded corn syrup… horror!!

I am happy that I have finally made my peace with goats… and kicked the cow out of my fridge. Now… if I can only find a compliant goats milk yogurt I will really be in heaven….