Someone recently asked me how O can be both a recessive allele and the world's most common blood type. She had never heard of the Punnet Square, which, in my day, we all had to learn in 7th grade Science. I explained to her that two parents carrying recessive O alleles can produce an O child, even though neither is O; O's can show up as the children of 2 A's, 2 B's, etc.

Not everyone knows how to make or use the Punnet Square, but many wonder about the possible blood types for offspring of parents of the various types. Another question often posed is that of a parent's blood type when the type of the child and the other parent are known. Here's the handy-dandy Results Sheet for your reference:

Parents

O+O = 100% O

O+A

O+Ao = 50% A, 50% O
O+Aa = 100% A

O+B

O+Bo = 50% B, 50% O
O+Bb = 100% B

O+AB = 50% A, 50% B

A+A

Ao+Ao = 75% A, 25% O
Ao+Aa = 100% A
Aa+Aa = 100% A

A+B

Ao+Bo = 25% A, 25% B, 25% AB, 25% O
Ao+Bb = 50% B, 50% AB
Aa+Bo = 50% A, 50% AB
Aa+Bb = 100% AB

A+AB

Ao+AB = 50% A, 25% B, 25% AB
Aa+AB = 50% A, 50% AB

B+B

Bo+Bo = 75%B, 25% O
Bo+Bb = 100% B
Bb+Bb = 100% B

B+AB

Bo+AB = 25% A, 50% B, 25% AB
Bb+AB = 50% B, 50% AB

AB+AB = 25% A, 25% B, 50% AB

Note that these are odds, i.e., likelihoods, not actual results. For example, the four children of a Bo/Bo couple could be all B's, even though the likelihood of each child's being B was only 75%.

I like these delightful days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Fall decorations are still up. I won’t get out the Christmas tree until the first of December, and I haven’t started listening to Christmas music, but I did do quite a bit of internet shopping over the weekend.

We missed our Darling Daughter at Thanksgiving – she had to work on Friday, so she couldn’t come home. Our Strong Son, however, had a long holiday weekend to spend with us. Three of his friends came home with him for Thanksgiving dinner. They were like DD – living too far to be with family and still get back for work on Friday. What a delightful group they were! The conversation around the table was interesting and thought provoking.

I worried a little about how our guests would respond to my slightly nontraditional Thanksgiving dinner. SS assured me that they all embraced an active and healthy lifestyle and that they would be more receptive than average young adults.

I spent a little more to buy a hormone free turkey. I put onions and celery in the cavity before I roasted it, and it was delicious. I cooked cranberries with honey and pineapple juice, and they were just the right mix of tartness and sweetness. The green beans were seasoned with garlic and basil. I made the same pumpkin pie that I made last Thanksgiving, using ground walnuts as a crust. The twice baked sweet potatoes were exceptionally good.

As in years past my biggest BTD compromise on Thanksgiving food was going to be dressing. When DD is home, we have tried several avoid free dressings, that were tasty. But my favorite will always be the cornbread dressing that I ate first at my grandmother’s house and later at my mother’s.

Because my Honorable Husband has dealt with pre-diabetic issues in the past, the BTD Diabetic book says corn (neutral for Type As) is an infrequent neutral for him. I double checked the food lists and was surprised and delighted to notice for the first time that corn, which was always Type O avoid on the BTD, is only a limited toxin on the Hunter diet (though it is still toxic on the Gatherer diet.) That means that the Hunter half of me can feel good about eating something that I was going to eat anyway.

What a Thanksgiving bonus this is! While we will still not eat corn often in our family, we can truly enjoy dressing at holidays. And we will probably have an occasional ear of corn on the cob or a bowl of air-popped pop corn while we watch a movie.

My family always made rather dry buttermilk cornbread. I love sweet, moist cake-like cornbread. I went on the internet to see if I could find a wheat free, cake-like cornbread recipe. I could not. However, I found several recipes that were close, and I combined them – making the best cornbread I have ever eaten.

Here is my Hunter cornbread recipe.
2 cups cornmeal
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup almond milk
1/3 cup light olive oli
1/3 cup honey.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl. Combine them and stir fast – just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until the sides of the bread begin to pull away from the pan.

This is delicious by itself. When you use it with homemade rye spelt bread to make dressing, you have the finale to a healthy holiday feast.

Since my articles in Spiegelbeeld my practice has experienced an enormous boost, for which I am thankful. Many clients, all women, visited me and were introduced and guided in the Genotype way of living! Always a feast of recognition for all my clients. A few weeks ago I was interviewed in a radioprogramme. The hosting lady was soo intrigued by this way of life, that she wondered why this was not acknowledged in Holland? She wants to start a Genotype project with me with regular updates in her programme. But first she will come to my practice Uniek Gezond for genotyping and advice! Next wednesday she will visit me.
So I hope the Genotype will become more known here in Holland.

Next year will be different for me. I have decided to retire from my secretarial work as per the first of January 2012. More time to work in my practice. More time to spend with my friend Jolanda in her new platform www.heart4earth.nl promoting complementary, preventive medicine in Holland. Because of the fact that healthcare costs are rising and rising, prevention is a must. The Genotype way of life is just THE way to prevent disease.
More time ahead to explore our french dream with my Hans!
More time to write and talk about those things that matter to me.

Some years ago I wrote a poem a time.
Maybe now is time to let time go.

time to be angry
time to be mild
time to be patient
time drives me wild

time teaches much
time to think
about love as such

time as a friend
time as a trap
time to dissolve
time fills a gap

time to enjoy
time to grieve
time to yearn
time is too brief

Cocky

I am thankful for a lot of things in this Thanksgiving week. One of the biggest items on my list is the restoration of DD’s hormone balance.

If you are a long time reader of this blog, you remember that in her senior year DD began to deal with body image issues. You can search the archives if you want to know all the details, but I’ll summarize. DD was never anorexic. She never stopped eating. But she cut her calories back and became obsessive about exercise. She lost too much weight and threw her hormones all out of balance.

I was firmly convinced that this was a spiritual issue with her, not a psychological issue. She was rejecting the way that God had made her. She needed to deal with Him about that, not have someone play games with her psyche.

She is a smart girl, and when she went off to college, she said all of the right things, but in her mind, she was still determined to remake her body in her own image. Not surprising, she got worse before she got better. She eventually agreed to a daily accountability e-mail with me. While this stopped her weight loss, it did not result in her gaining weight.

Though she was exercising too much and not eating enough, she was extremely committed to the BTD. So the food she was eating was almost all beneficial. I think that is one of the things that protected her from worse effects on her health.

God allowed her to have a couple of health scares. He also brought some incredibly wonderful and supportive people into her life. She met some other girls who were dealing with the same issue, and as she got to know them, she began to see her own behavior for what it was. He also brought a wonderful young man into her life (I’ve called him ESS in my blogs) who loves her exactly the way God made her.

But most of all, God confronted her every morning in her Bible study. When I read back through her accountability e-mail, I am amazed. Some days He reminded her how much He loved her. Some days He forced her to face her rebellion and sin. Some days He showed her that he created her with a purpose and had a plan for her life. She listened, and her mind was renewed.

Not overnight, but gradually she changed her habits and began to gain weight. It took a long time, and a few setbacks along the way, but she got her weight back to a normal BMI. However, her hormones were still not working.

Our family doctor was more concerned about some hormone levels than others, and the one that he was most concerned about was her low thyroid. DD and I did enough reading to know that thyroid function drops in people with eating and exercise disorders for the same reason it drops in people faced with famine – it is one of the ways our bodies preserve life. When there aren’t enough calories, all body functions slow down.

She resisted taking thyroid hormone for a long time. She tried increasing iodine and several other natural remedies. Our doctor eventually convinced her that her other hormones were probably not going to return to normal until she got her thyroid working properly again.

For three months now, she has been restored to good health. She wants to wait a few more months, and then talk to the doctor about a safe way to wean herself off of the thyroid medication. Thankful hardly begins to describe how she and her dad and I feel.

My Wal-Mart has a big frozen fish section. I like it because they have wild caught* salmon for a very reasonable price. I began looking at the other types of fish they carry. I found tilapia – which I order in restaurants, but do not cook at home**. Sometimes Wal-Mart has whiting. This is a good choice for my family, so when it is available I stock up.

I also found swai. The package had a glowing description of a delicious and nutritious fish. It was not on the BTD food list I carry in my purse. That usually means a food is neutral, but I decided to do a little checking.

It turns out that swai is a river catfish that is native to Southeast Asia. Since catfish is avoid for both Type As and Type Os, I have was glad I hadn't bought any.

Interesting that the GTD says catfish is beneficial for Gatherers***. I don’t quite understand that, but since I default to the BTD, I’ll not be swai-ed.

* I wrote a blog a year or so ago after talking to the manager of a local fish market. He says that the legal definition of wild caught is tricky. It can mean that the fish are raised in a netted area in a river or ocean. They are sort of wild, but not free to escape. More important, they can be fed whatever the farmer wants to feed them in order to plump them up for market. So while I buy wild caught when I can afford it, I don’t really know it’s wild unless I catch it myself.

** Tilapia seems to always farm raised, which means lower than expected Omega 3s. That’s why I eat it in restaurants, but cook something else at home.

*** Grilled catfish is often on the menu in restaurants. Perhaps this would be a reasonable choice for the Gatherer half of me. However, I won’t be cooking catfish at home, either.

Yesterday I got an e-mail from a missionary friend that says one third of Thailand is flooded. One third! I try to bring this into some personal frame of reference, but I can’t. One third of the US under water. One third of Texas under water. Even one third of Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio under water. It is inconceivable to me.

My missionary friend writes that even in the face of losing their own homes and jobs, Thai Christians are out in boats trying to help their neighbors.

The first thing that struck me when I read this was that a disaster of this magnitude has barely been reported in the US media. The news here is focused on stirring up class warfare and destroying people’s characters.

The second thing that crossed my mind was a question. What are those newly homeless people eating? My husband and I regularly send money to agencies like the Salvation Army and the International Mission Board World Hunger Fund to assist in disasters like this.

Obviously in a disaster Blood Type Diet considerations must be set aside. After a flood, or earthquake, getting safe food is the primary consideration. In famine stricken countries just getting enough calories to maintain life is of primary importance. A Type O in Somalia is not going to ask if there is wheat in the slice of bread they are given at a shelter.

But beyond disasters, I am sometimes concerned that the BTD could easily become a diet for the rich and elite. When beef is not good enough for a Type O, it must be grass fed beef. Or when rice is not acceptable, it must be non-GMO brown rice. Or when fresh fruits and vegetables are snubbed in favor of certified organic fruits and vegetables. I think this is wrong.

Unemployment has been high in the US for an extended period of time. I am seriously sympathetic because I am underemployed myself. If families cannot make the BTD work at an ordinary grocery store, then frankly it isn’t going to help very many people.

I will continue, in my blog, to apply BTD principles to people on a budget. And I will continue to give to organizations who deliver both food and the good news of Christ to those in need.

After about 6 months of trying to find a decent paying job, I finally landed with Terminix. Pest control is something I've always been on top of with my own home(s) so it seemed like an easy fit when the opportunity came my way. I get to meet new people every day and some of them are more than willing to share their health concerns with me as I treat their home. I of course have taken this opportunity to mention ERFYT as a way to help with their particular problem.

Everything happens for a reason, you just need to grasp opportunity when you get the chance.

Grupos sanguíneos y la influenza:

Que mejor momento para retomar este artículo escrito por D'Adamo, aunque sea un pequeño resumen del mismo.

La gripe porcina A es un virus H1N1.

Los médicos consideran al virus de la influenza (causante de la "gripe") ser de suma peligrosidad. Varias veces en el pasado, la "gripe española" (tipo A (H1N1)) de 1918-19 que cobró la vida de millones de personas. En 1957-58, la "gripe asiática" (tipo A (H2N2)) dio lugar a miles de muertes, y en 1968-69, la "gripe de Hong-Kong" (tipo (A (H3N2)) igualmente.

¿Qué es la gripe?

Cuando investigadores o médicos hablan de la "gripe", se refieren a una infección por el virus de la gripe. La Influenza Epidémica se divide en tipo A y tipo B. La presentación más común de la gripe incluye fiebres altas, síntomas respiratorios (como tos, dolor de garganta, moqueo o congestión nasal), dolor de cabeza, dolores musculares y, a menudo, fatiga extrema. Por lo tanto, el segundo punto clave es que los funcionarios de la salud pública y los médicos se refieren al virus de la influenza cuando utilizan el término "gripe".

Actualmente, existen tres variantes principales de la "gripe" en circulación (dos tipos "A" y una tipo "B"). Las variantes tipo A son las del virus de "Hong Kong" , tipo A (H3N2) y sus parientes (responsable de miles de muertes desde 1968 (90% son personas de edad avanzada), y parientes lejanos de la "gripe española ", tipo A (H1N1). El" H "y" N "se refieren a la proteína viral llamada hemaglutinina (H) y la neuraminidasa (N).

El Tipo de sangre y la "gripe"?

En general, la gripe presenta mayor problema año con año para aquellos de sangre tipo AB, siendo más susceptibles a infectarse tanto de gripe A como de gripe B que los otros tipos de sangre. Ellos se ven afectados por estos virus desde el comienzo y con mayor severidad que aquellos de otros grupos sanguíneos (y deben ser más cautelosos con respecto a un cambio abrupto en el virus de la influenza A también). El Tipo de sangre B va a ser mayormente afectado cuando se trate de la gripe A (H3N2) (aquella variedad del virus de "Hong Kong" y sus parientes), tiene sin embargo relativamente poca dificultad con la gripe B, y debe tener especial atención a un cambio brusco o mutación en la cepa del virus tipo A. El Tipo O es menos susceptible a la gripe A (H1N1) y más a aquella tipo A (H3N2). El Tipo de sangre A indirectamente ofrece protección relativa contra ambas cepas de la gripe A.

¿Por qué razón funciona Proberry y Andrographis paniculata?
Las personas que fortalecen su sistema inmune con ayuda de Proberry producen mayores niveles de títulos de anti hemaglutinación a la influenza B (es decir, su sistema inmune adquiere un mayor nivel de reconocimiento a dicha "gripe" en caso de aparecer). El saúco inhibe la neuraminidasa (la misma neuraminidasa por la que los científicos gastan millones de dólares en el diseño de fármacos para inhibirla). Nota: El medicamento 'zanamivir' en cierta medida duplica esta capacidad de bloqueo de la neuraminidasa, mas no parece impactar en forma benéfica al sistema inmunitario como lo hace el saúco).

Recomendamos suplementar con saúco en cualquiera de sus dos presentaciones, tanto las capsulas o el jarabe como medida preventiva, fortalecedor inmune contra las cepas A de la gripe.

Andrographis ha demostrado ser un excelente soporte a la salud del tracto respiratorio por su contenido en propiedades anti virales. No se diga de su efectividad en el tratamiento y prevención de la influenza y virus o catarro común.

Otras recomendaciones en medidas de prevención:

* Descanso.

* Mantener hidratada su piel y su cuerpo .

* Evite lo dulce, este suprime su sistema inmune.

* Siga sus lineamientos de alimentos y estilo de vida.

* Adopte medidas de higiene – lavarse las manos e utilizar cubre bocas.

* Evite tocarse los ojos, nariz o boca.