As the sun is setting and the day is ending, a mother starts a fire and puts water in a pot to boil for dinner. For the next few hours, she stirs the pot and answers her children’s continuous question: “When we will eat, Mommy?” The mother responds back, “Look, I am making it now. You just have to wait a little longer.” The children grow tired, until they finally fall asleep without getting any food. Afterwards, the mother takes the pot off the fire and puts the fire out. The problem is not that the children fell asleep too early to get the food, but rather that there is no food to be found. People are starving in Mali.

This was on the International Mission Board prayer request list for today. But yesterday I came in from doing yard work an hour past lunch time and said, “I’m starving.”

The BTD is about eating the right foods so that I will be healthy and energetic. But I never want to be so self focused that I forget that there are millions of people who have no food at all.

I am NOT writing this because I want some government to step in and solve the problem. Perhaps my favorite quote about poverty is this: Socialism says, what’s yours is mine and I’ll take it. Christianity says, what’s mine is yours and I’ll give it.

I hope to be less self indulgent this year and more generous to IMB World Hunger, Compassion International, Neverthirst, and other volunteer organizations who are working to solve the root causes of starvation.

I made a double batch of chili a few weeks ago, and froze half of it. The weather was cold and rainy last weekend, so I got the leftover chili out of the freezer. I was going to make millet bread - which tastes so much like cornbread that it goes perfect with chili, but I was out of eggs. Instead I made garlic toast with the ends of spelt bread for HH. I had rice bread with ghee. It was adequate, but not as good as chili with cornbread. There was enough chili left for one meal. I grocery shopped and bought eggs.

Wednesday I started warming the last of the chili, and began again to make millet bread…I was out of millet. I was so frustrated as I stared at the shelf. I had quinoa, amaranth, rye, and buckwheat, but no millet. Rather than have toast with our chili again, I ground 2 cups of buckwheat groats into flour.

I made the bread exactly like I would have made it with millet. The first hint of success was the way the bread smelled while it was baking. I knew it was going to be good.

The buckwheat bread was a little drier than the millet bread, but it was not too dry. In a way, the texture suited the different flavor of the buckwheat. However, I might add a little more milk or oil next time I make it.

The chili is all gone, but I’m looking forward to another slice of buckwheat bread this afternoon.

If you missed the millet cornbread recipe, here is the link: millet cornbread

Wishing a cloud away
So it don’t rain on me
Can’t stand in the rain
In a puddle by the tree

Wishing a cloud to stay
To keep the sun off me
Can’t walk in the heat
Far from the shade tree

Why don’t the clouds
Pay attention to me
Can’t live my life right
If clouds must be free

Physicians have useful information and skills from schooling and practice that can make a tremendous difference in one’s life. There are many things the medical profession does very well and other things it does adequately. Some various things have not yet reached the stage of adequacy. I have also had many experiences with physicians making medical judgments that reflected poor judgment at best.

As one example, a primary care physician from my past prescribed an ACE inhibitor type of blood pressure medication which I had a bad reaction to. A second variety of the same type was prescribed under the thesis that the different varieties do not always elicit the same reactions, but in my case the reaction was the same. At that time yet a third variety of the same drug class was prescribed but I resisted and we wound up with a different and more suitable medication.

Unfortunately, I could relate many other instances. Some where I maintained control, some where I didn’t. The first couple of instances might best be thought of as learning experiences.

Last month I failed to maintain control for a variety of reasons. The result was about a week of severe short term memory impairment, slow thought and reaction time, and significant added fatigue as side effects of a new prescription. Whether there was poor judgment in the prescription process is debatable, but the person who had the final control and the ability to make an informed decision was me. Had I followed my preferred procedure and researched the medication prior to taking it, there would have been several things that should have led to my refusing the medication. There were also other errors made by the office staff, the physician and by myself regarding prior history communication that could have resulted in the medication not being prescribed, although I view this as only a minor possibility.

Whether or not a particular treatment works for an individual might color their view on how adequately the medical profession handles that particular issue. It would also be nice if the medical process was less prone to errors of judgment and process. In spite of what flaws are in the medical system, I have a degree of awareness of them. I have an ability to protect myself from some types of poor judgment or procedural errors. It is also easy enough to look up the clinical trials data, investigate other treatment possibilities and consider the value of treatment when treatment is optional. Some years ago I did not know these things. It can make a difference. This time I let control slip past me.

It’s time for my daily walk. I best put on my hat and head out the door.

We got home from a perfectly relaxing vacation, but when I went to the health food store to buy spelt bread for HH, the delightful feeling of calm vanished. The checker handed me a flyer that said in big red letters “The FDA will take away thousands of supplements unless you act now.”

According to the flyer and articles on google news, when Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 it restricted the Food and Drug Administration from exerting authority over supplements as long as manufacturers made no claims about their products treating, preventing, or curing diseases.

In 2011 the FDA surprised supplement manufacturers with a proposed Guidance that would require “all dietary ingredients introduced into the marketplace since 1994 to undergo drug-like safety testing prior to marketing.” News reports go on to say that the new guidelines would require tests that could cost millions of dollars for each new ingredient.

Opponents of the guidelines say that many of these dietary supplements have been on the market for over a decade without significant side effects. They say that the FDA's proposed new dietary ingredient guideline appears to be nothing more than an expensive paperwork exercise intended to eradicate many safe products from the marketplace.

HR 3380 has been introduced by Rep. Dan Burton of Indiana to stop the power grab by the FDA.

As I often remind you, I am a volunteer blogger. I have never met Dr. D. I have not talked or corresponded with him about this issue. These are my own thoughts.

I buy supplements from several sources: some online and some at local stores. I have tried a number of D’Adamo Personalized Nutrition supplements, and I take two of them regularly.

Dr. D wrote “Eat Right 4 Your Type” in 1997, and developed his supplement line after that. It looks to me like Personalized Nutrition products would be among those requiring the new and expensive FDA testing.

News reports say that for now, industry associations want to lobby the FDA to withdraw the proposed NDI Guidance. I’m sorry for my cynicism, but with the Obama administration seizing control over ever widening aspects of health care, I find the idea of the FDA paying attention to anyone who asks them to go in a more conservative direction highly unlikely.

Rep. Burton is a Republican. As I see the current climate in Washington, almost every bill that passes the Republican controlled House, is tabled and never comes up for a vote in the Democrat controlled Senate. However I did contact my Congressman’s office and express my support of HR 3380.

There are lots of issues involved in the 2012 Presidential election. Health Care is only one of them. But I believe that people like us on the BTD will have to seriously evaluate how much freedom to manage our own health in a preventive and manner we want to keep, and how much control over the manner in which unexpected health problems will be treated, we are willing to give up.

I think I need another vacation…but I can't afford the gas.

When we turned onto our street last night, we saw that the live oak trees were brown, and one of the brownest was in our front yard. Our hearts sank. First impression was that after hauling gallons of gray water last summer during the drought, we had still lost a beautiful native tree. Then we laughed. Spring arrived in central Texas while we were in Oklahoma. The live oaks are supposed to lose their leaves and put out new growth as soon as the danger of a hard freeze is past. This morning I see that a few wildflowers are beginning to bloom. When I walked the dog I passed a lovely patch of verbena.

We left DG and EG in Oklahoma City and went to visit DB and NB in Tulsa. Tulsa appears to be one of those outdoor-oriented cities. There were bike and walking trails everywhere. We saw lots of signs pointing to green belts along the river. HH and DB first became friends when they were in college together and found that they not only shared a love for engineering but a love for hiking as well.

We went to Swan Lake and took several laps around the lake. There really are swans at Tulsa’s Swan Lake, and the sunset was beautiful. We had dinner at Los Cabos. The menu was lower carb and more BTD friendly than the Tex-Mex food that is prevalent at home.

We didn’t have WiFi for the last part of the trip, but I had to find a way to send work files to clients, and we both had to check e-mail. We started off going to McDonalds for lunch because they have free WiFi. I would pack a meat and veggie bowl in the morning and would eat my lunch in the car. That way I could log onto the laptop while HH ate a grilled chicken sandwich. He could check his e-mail after he finished his lunch. The grilled chicken sandwich was adequate for him, but McDonalds fries proved to be too much of a temptation.

The third day on the road we stopped at a Subway, and were told that most Subways not only have WiFi, but offer a free secure connection. You get the code when you buy your meal. This is a much healthier choice for HH. I can even get a salad, though I prefer to make my own meat and veggie bowl.

We stopped to see DD and HH’s Mom on the last night of our trip. Drum Roll…..I want you all to know that DD and ESS are engaged. She has bought her wedding dress, and she modeled it for her grandmother and me. I still have the smile on my face when I think about the moment. I’m sure I will be blogging about wedding food choices as the summer wedding date gets closer.

I was planning to write a blog about the Jewish holiday of Purim; one of the happiest times in the Jewish calendar. But I just can’t get myself into that spirit right now. All I can really think about is that my father passed away two days after Purim last year.

The Jewish laws regarding mourning for a parent last for a full calendar year. I really haven’t been myself this whole time. I wonder if I’ll feel more whole once the year of mourning is complete, or if his yartzeit (anniversary of his death on the Jewish calendar) will just dredge up even more pain. I suppose the point is to have the mourning process go through the whole cycle of seasons, and all the holidays, and this is the last holiday in that cycle.

It’s not like my father and I were even close. He worked 70+ hours a week when I was growing up. Most of my telephone conversations with him consisted of “Hi Dad, it’s Ruth. Is Mom there?” Even the last few years, when I lived in an apartment in my parents’ home, I still didn’t see much of him, or talk to him much. We just never had much to say.

Thinking of him is more about regret. What could have been. Opportunities I didn’t take to get to know him. Jealousy that my son had a better relationship with him than I or my brother ever had. This isn’t about thinking of a great man I knew and loved and miss, and I feel kind of guilty about that. This is all about what could have and maybe should have been.

Could he have been saved if he’d eaten right for his type? We only found out his blood type a month or so before he died. I did notice that he seemed more peaceful and easier to connect to when he wasn’t eating chicken, which is an avoid for B’s. Could we have at least gotten more out of the time he had with us if he’d eaten better, even if we couldn’t get any more time with him?

But then I have to remember that not everything is about blood type or diet. Knowing his blood type 15 years earlier might have changed nothing. I can’t fix the world; I can’t make anybody else take care of themselves, and I certainly don’t have the energy to take care of everybody. Some days I barely have the mental energy to take care of myself. Today is one of those days.

¿Acaso el tipo de sangre tiene que ver con el grado de susceptibilidad a la depresión o a la ansiedad? ¿Cuáles son sus causas?

El tipo de sangre en efecto predispone al individuo en su respuesta al estrés y al equilibrio emocional. Esto tiene que ver con el gen que codifica ABO que también afecta a otros genes próximos encargados de controlar tanto al metabolismo de dopamina, como a los niveles de cortisol y a otros procesos que afectan la coordinación total del sistema nervioso central. Por ejemplo, el tipo B requiere de alimentos ricos en nitrógeno y suplementar con contenido del mismo ya que carece de capacidad para producir un compuesto llamado óxido nítrico a diferencia de los otros tipos de sangre. El óxido nítrico ayuda al optimo funcionamiento y coordinación del sistema nervioso, así como al sistema inmunológico y al sistema cardiovascular. Sabemos que al estar estresado estos tres sistemas se ven altamente comprometidos.

Otro factor importante es la hormona de estrés; cortisol. El Tipo O produce menor cantidad a diferencia del tipo A el cual produce una cantidad de cortisol considerable. Cuando el cortisol está siendo continuamente sobre producido llega a causar agotamiento suprarrenal y sus correspondientes síntomas, la depresión y la fatiga. La reacción al estrés del Tipo O en cambio causa una sobreproducción de adrenalina volviéndolos más susceptibles a la ansiedad.
¿Qué papel juega el estrés diario en la depresión?
Sin duda el tipo A, con sus niveles naturalmente mayores de cortisol, son especialmente propensos a problemas de estrés "cotidiano". Al estar bombeando cada vez mas cortisol las glándulas suprarrenales se van desgastando y esto causa que la persona tenga una respuesta más rápida a factores de estrés menores. El Tipo O es más propenso a problemas que surgen por su incapacidad de nivelar la hormona de estrés de manera eficiente; un tipo O tarda más en estresarse y a su vez también tarda más en des estresarse una vez estresado. Es por eso que requieren de ejercicio más vigoroso, cuando en cambio el tipo A puede lograr equilibrar eficientemente el cortisol por medio de la yoga y el Tai Chi.

¿Qué le sugerimos a cada tipo sanguíneo para aliviar el estrés y la depresión?

Como se menciono anteriormente el tipo A lo logra con la ayuda de actividades que desactivan el cortisol de sus sistema, como la yoga y el Tai Chi. El tipo O en cambio lo logra con ejercicio más vigoroso que coadyuva a eliminar una clase de hormona de estrés llamada catecolamina en su sistema. El Tipo B también pueden beneficiarse de mayor ejercicio calmante, especialmente si son propensos a cierto grado de depresión en la familia. El Tipo AB se beneficia siguiendo una rutina y cualquier cosa que mantenga su sistema inmunitario funcionado correctamente como comer e irse a la cama al mismo tiempo, rutina de limpias y desintoxicación evitando así caer en extremos en términos de estilo de vida.

¿Existen alimentos benéficos que apoyen al sistema anímico? ¿Algún suplemento especifico?

Alimentos ricos en ácidos grasos esenciales han demostrado ser benéficos para las personas que luchan en combatir la depresión- el pescado graso es una buena fuente de DHA y EPA. También, muchos frutos y semillas que sean benéficas en su dieta son ricos en ácidos grasos esenciales. Las almendras, las nueces y las pepitas de calabaza. Los alimentos ricos en vitamina B12 y ácido fólico, además de suplementos, también son benéficos. Se recomienda la levadura de cerveza, el arroz entero, la avena y la proteína animal adecuada a su genotipo. Algunos estudios han demostrado un beneficio en el consumo regular de chocolate oscuro sobre el estado de ánimo. Esto es probablemente debido a su contenido de flavonoides. El té verde también es excelente fuente de flavonoides que brindan beneficios como al del estado de ánimo. Además, el té verde es rico en un aminoácido natural L-teanina, que tiene un efecto calmante sobre el sistema nervioso. Así que el té verde es bueno para la depresión y la ansiedad, que suelen ir de la mano.

Cuando llegamos a la edad adulta, es muy probable que experimentemos ataques de pánico o de ansiedad. Muchas cosas pueden desencadenar ansiedad leve; hablar en público, preocupaciones sobre un proyecto, un examen o trabajo o preocupación por la salud o el bienestar de un miembro de la familia o amigo. Así como nuestra tolerancia a ciertos alimentos, nuestra tolerancia al estrés varía según nuestro tipo de sangre u otras variables especificas y sin embargo, incluso entre los tipos de sangre, cada individuo responde muy diferente en base a nuestra experiencia personal.

Alguien de sangre tipo A, llega a experimentar ataque de ansiedad agudo y hasta encontrarse en la sala de emergencias en más de una ocasión, convencido de que está teniendo un ataque al corazón, mientras que otro con sangre tipo O generalmente se obsesiona con su ansiedad – frecuentemente a las 3 de la mañana. Es sin duda difícil detener completamente la ansiedad ocasional leve, después de todo, somos humanos, sin embargo existen maneras de reducir la gravedad de un ataque y lograr calmarnos antes de que la ansiedad nos afecte y haga daño.
Varios Tips para lograr manejar a nuestro favor dichas situaciones:
La Respiración: con simplemente respirar profundamente puede ayudar a centrarse y calmar los ánimos. Con ojos cerrados, respirar profundo a través de la nariz y la boca. Llene pulmones y vientre al respirar y vacíe al soltar el aire lentamente. Repita esta acción por lo menos 10 veces. Otra técnica útil consiste en contar su respiración. Para este ejercicio, cuente cada vez que inhala hasta llegar a diez y vuelva a repetir el proceso. Concentrándose en la respiración y la cuenta centrará su mente y controlara el pensamiento que causa ansiedad.

La Meditación – muchos no saben cómo meditar ya que no hay ningún camino "correcto" o "incorrecto" para lograr meditar - las formas de meditación son tan particulares e únicas como lo son las personas. Por lo tanto no agreguen a su ansiedad esta preocupación de que no estén meditando correctamente. El enfoque en la meditación es estar en el momento actual y concentrarse en su respiración. Estén en un lugar cómodo ya sea acostados o sentados, por el tiempo que puedan, y concéntrense únicamente en su respiración – aspiren a través de su nariz, expiren a través de su boca. Comiencen por los pies, concéntrense en cada parte de su cuerpo, hasta la parte superior de su cabeza, relajando cada zona del cuerpo. Les aseguro que quedaran dormidos antes de llegar arriba de las rodillas!!

La Imaginación: esta es prevención eficaz de la ansiedad y se encarga del pensamiento, calmando su cuerpo. La Imaginaria guiada le permite usar su imaginación para ir a un lugar seguro dejando la ansiedad atrás. Siéntese en un lugar tranquilo, cierre los ojos y concéntrese en un lugar que le haga sentir feliz, visualicelo con todos sus sentidos. Quizás le encanta estar en la playa: imagine el océano y las olas sucesivas y en sincronía con el ritmo de sus respiración larga y profunda. Sienta el calor del sol en su piel, vea la luz del Sol bailar y brillar en el agua, huela el aire salado, imagine la arena dorada bajo sus pies, escuche a las gaviotas, como se van llevando todos sus problemas. Céntrese en el momento y disfrute estar ahí, es casi tan refrescante como unas vacación!
Mientras que estos métodos no pueden eliminar completamente su ansiedad, pueden reducir la frecuencia y la intensidad de los ataques. Para esas ocasiones cuando necesita una ayudadita extra, El Cortiguard dirigido a la sangre tipo A y AB y el Catechol para los tipos de sangre O y B, contienen hierbas que tienen un efecto calmante. El Tranquility Base es también un buen tónico (tomar antes de acostarse para relajarse). Bajos niveles de vitamina D también se han detectado en personas que padecen depresión estacional, así que asegúrese que sus niveles sean los adecuados tomando un suplemento diario y saliendo al sol de vez en cuando sin exagerar.

No deje de enviar un correo al email de contacto en dadamo.com para que lo orienten en como obtener su reporte individualizado y saber el valor personal de cada uno de sus alimentos, para prevenir y resetear sus genes.

We are staying with our friends DG and EG in Oklahoma. My Honorable Husband and DG served together in Vietnam. Our conversations are always lively because we all share the same views about politics in both the 1960s and in 2012. We also share the same love for Jesus. We laugh a lot and we solve all of the world’s problems…if only the authorities would listen to us.

The first night we were there DG grilled hamburgers. They were wonderful. HH had not had a hamburger in many months, so this was a treat for him. Not something he will indulge in often, but one hamburger will not hurt him.

For lunch yesterday EG fixed one of her Mom’s old favorite recipes. I’ll give you the original version. It’s not bad for any Blood Type as it is, but it can be tweaked to make it a little better if you are seeking a higher level of compliance. As with many recipes that are handed down, there are no measurements – just ingredients. Use your creativity. EG used a very small amount of dressing – so small that at first I didn’t think there was any dressing at all.

Mrs. C’s Salmon Salad.
Canned salmon, celery, English peas, green onion. Make a dressing with mayonnaise, soy sauce and lemon juice.

After lunch we went to the Oklahoma City Zoo to see the baby tigers. There were four of them, born 7 months ago. They are getting big, but they still play like kittens. We stayed for a long time watching them and laughing at their antics. This is a city zoo and there is an exhibit of wild animals native to Oklahoma. HH and I saw white tail deer and said, “But we have those in our back yard.” People around us looked up with surprise. A little further we saw wild turkeys. Again we said, “We have those in our back yard.” It is a peculiar feeling to see animals in caged habitats that you are used to seeing running wild and eating your landscape plants.

EG’s father was a pastor in India, and she grew up there. On previous visits she had introduced us to Indian food. Last night we went to Gopuram, an Indian buffet. I tried many delicious foods, but two stood out because they were new to me. One was fish curry. It was chunks of boneless white fish in a spicy curry sauce. The other was carrot pudding. This was on the dessert bar and I’m going to try to find a recipe. It was made of shredded carrots. EG thought it tasted like rose water was one of the ingredients.