The suspense is killing me. Of course, I’m talking about the Genotype Diet. I’ve watched the videos that have been posted on You Tube. I’ve read the first chapter, which can be read by anyone who pre-orders the book. I’ve read the discussions on the forum, trying to get glimpses from IfHI folks who know a bit more. It’s like waiting for Christmas. And Santa D’Adamo doesn’t get here until December 26.

I’m approaching the holiday season with the determination not to gain back the three pounds that I had finally lost after putting them on over last year’s holiday season. I’ve gotten through three hurdles unscathed. Our holiday season officially starts on October 25, which is hubby’s birthday. I make him a sinfully rich and wonderful chocolate cake. I do not adapt the recipe for BTD. He likes it in the original form. I never did have a full piece. Just a couple ‘slivers’ of it. Then it was my birthday. We went to a local restaurant and I had salmon with rice and cubed squash preceded by a Caesar salad. No bread, no dessert. Hubby did buy me an 84% chocolate bar, which I savored over a four-day period. For Thanksgiving we were invited to a friends house for dinner. It was a wonderful meal, and I didn’t question anything that I ate. I always follow Dr. D.’s advice on eating at friends and family. Eat it and keep the peace. There were abundant avoids and sodium in the dinner. When I woke up the next morning, my face was more swollen than I’d ever seen it before. It looked like a bag of water under my eye. It took a couple days to shake that one off. But, at this point I’m none the worse for the wear. I’m thinking I’ll try just to maintain sameness through the season rather than try to go through the New Year’s Resolution rigmarole for the umpteenth time.

I’m looking forward to our barbershop singing gigs this month. We’ve been practicing Christmas music since the middle of October. Our first one was supposed to be this evening at a resort about an hour’s drive away. There is snow up there, and they expect more tonight, so it was cancelled. How disappointing. But, it’s better not to chance a bunch of middle aged ladies stranded on the side of the road in the cold. We have plenty chances coming up in the next few weeks.

So, bundle up everyone in the US. Looks like a cold week ahead! Eat well!

Well, I’ve been just a little bit naughty about blogging. It’s been way too long. There just haven’t been a lot of BTD moments worth mentioning. I continue to strive each day for compliance. Some days are better than others. Some weeks are better than others. I am jealous of those on the forum that can elevate themselves above the fray and stay compliant most of the time.

I still allow a little wheat into the diet on occasion. It’s usually when eating away from home. And I do suffer for it. But, at this point, I suppose I’m willing to accept the puffy eyes and stuffy nose. Otherwise I wouldn’t eat it.

Hubby and I had another trip back East in September. A nephew was getting married, and attendance at the wedding was ‘mandatory’. We decided to add a leg to New York City, since neither of us had ever visited there. We had a wonderful time. We walked and walked and walked to every tourist attraction we could think of. We did the Empire State Building, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, the Financial District, Ground Zero, Times Square and that’s all I remember for now. And we ate wonderful food. The pizza, the pumpernickel bagel, the deli sandwich, the famous NYC hot dog. After all, they are tourist attractions, too! Even though we had names of famous restaurants at hand, all we had to do was walk a block or two from our hotel and found wonderful restaurants from different parts of the world. It amazed me that we spent less on fine dining in the big city than we do at our regular haunts here in our tiny town.

It took a week to detox from that. But, I can’t say I regret a bite of it.

My mother is thriving well in my brother’s home. She’s put on a little weight and her color is much better. Her mind is a lot sharper, too. She is still angry about having to move, and I suppose she always will. But my mind is at rest over her wellbeing now.

Daughter is in mid-semester at her new college. I’ve told her she must stay put till she graduates! We are getting too old to move her every year. She seems happier now. She’s making friends and finally having a social life. She’s coming home next weekend so we can get winter tires put on her car. It will be good to have a little visit.

I have been taking the Shitake extract for cholesterol since my last entry. I’ll probably get my lipids tested next month to see how it’s working.

And so it goes…….

I had an experience recently that many in the sandwich generation go through. My mother moved into my brother’s house, much against her will, because she had not been able to monitor her medications by herself, or feed herself adequately. I spent a week back east, helping my sister clean out the house in preparation for remodeling for occupancy by a younger generation. It was a dirty, dusty job. There was a lot of stuff in that house. With the help of a few local high school boys, we filled a construction dumpster to overflowing. At one point a young woman came by and took a lot of the mattresses and furniture, as she was filling a shipping container in preparation for moving to Ghana. She said that if she doesn’t use these items, there are plenty of needy families that will be thrilled to have them. I’m glad my mother’s things will be treasured by others. I especially get a smile when I think about the two high-back stuffed chairs, that I lovingly needlepointed for my parents many years ago, will be travelling to Africa.

Anyway, besides the aches that came along with all that garbage humping, I tried very hard to eat compliantly. I stayed at my sister’s house, and there was a lot of wheat and processed food there. So, I succumbed to deli turkey sandwiches for lunches. My sister has most of the health problems of the three of us siblings, and I can see why. Even though her diabetes is controlled by diet, she just didn’t eat well for a B. Peanut butter on raisin toast, ham sandwiches, a dollop of ice cream in her coffee. She knew I don’t eat chicken, so at least for dinner she served beef.

In contrast, I had dinner one evening at my brother’s house. He follows the B non-secretor diet, and so they made an almost perfect dinner. Lamb chops with baked sweet potatoes and sautéed chard. The oopsie was cookies for dessert that were made with wheat and sugar. (Of course…….I ate some!.) I felt so much better after that dinner, though than after the processed lunches.

I’m glad I went on the trip. I felt like I was contributing something to the trials and decisions my siblings have been dealing with concerning our mother’s wellbeing.

Here’s an update on the Biotherapeutic Drainage experiment my naturopath did with me in trying to lower my cholesterol. It didn’t work. She tried two different series on me, and the cholesterol went back up to around 250. So, at this point I’m taking the Red Yeast Rice again. But I think I want to talk to her about trying Shitake tincture. My massage therapist’s husband works for a myco-medicinal farm, and she is encouraging me to give it a try.

For my last note: Two of the three pounds I gained last year are gone. Hurray!

Ah….the weeks just slip right on by. All the chickies are back from IfHI, and I’m jealous. I just watched Myrna’s video. I think I’m going to have to try to get to the 2009 session. It might be a difficult one to convince hubby about. He doesn’t have problems with singing trips or golf trips and board retreats and all that. But, he has a real issue with BTD. Don’t know if he’ll have an epiphany in the next two years or not. It’s funny, though, during the past few years he has really become conscious of food reactions. He knows if he is going to eat wheat that he’ll be stuffy the next day. He knows if he goes on a sugar binge, he’ll have cravings for up to a week. So, he is aware – just anti-BTD.

I’ve been pretty compliant lately. Two of last years three pounds I gained seem to be permanently off. Still plugging away, but at least there is progress.

The chorus placed first in mid-sized choruses at our regional competition in April. We placed third overall. We were really pumped about that. A lot of hard work paid off. Now we’re busy learning a bunch of new songs for our fall show.

Golf season has started. It actually started in April, but I like to wait till it’s a bit warmer. Cold, wet golf is not my idea of a good time. So, I’ve been out a few times. Had to cancel last week because the old neck was bothering me. It took a lot of strength to make that phone call to cancel. In my earlier days I would have attempted to play through the pain.

Daughter is on her way home from her year in Hawaii. Hubby is there now, helping her clear out her house and do a garage sale, ship the car back and all those horrid duties. I feel guilty for not going along to help, but I wouldn’t be much help. Most of the jobs call for heavy lifting, and I’m not good at that. She will transfer to an in-state college this fall.

So, that’s a little catch up from here. Have a safe Memorial Day.

I guess this cholesterol issue is a work in progress. After stopping the Red Yeast Rice and going through the first remedies in the Biotherapeutic Drainage system, the results were not good. My total cholesterol was back up to 250 (from 183). The systems that the first dosages concentrated on were liver and kidneys. So, my naturopath ordered another set of three remedies, these concentrating on the heart and arteries. This makes more sense to me. She also had me order a supplement called Cholest Solutions. It has the usual cholesterol lowering ingredients such as, fish oil, niacin, phytosterols, garlic and inositol. So, that was a bit disappointing. I hope this next round goes better.

Other than the health issue, nothing out of the ordinary is going on in the daily life arena. The winter was filled with work and exercise and the daily struggle with being compliant. I’m still battling that Christmas pound. Hubby and I went out to the driving range last week. It was the first time I had lifted a club since October. What a cold weather sissy I am! The ‘season’ starts this next Tuesday. The weather report says it will be sunny and in the mid 50’s. So, we’ll see how it goes.

The barbershop chorus is madly getting ready for annual competition at the end of the month. That gives me four weeks of limited temptations in the food department. Maybe I can knock a couple o’ pounds off between now and then. YES!!