If you have been avoiding a medical test, because you are afraid of getting bad results, this blog is for you. If you think the BTD will protect you from medical problems and you don’t need medical tests, this blog is for you, too.

Those who have been reading my blog since the beginning, may remember that I had a horrible experience with a colonoscopy six years ago. You can look through the archives if you want to know all the gory details, but to quickly summarize, the doctor removed what he thought was a polyp, but it turned out to be “something vascular.” I wound up back in the hospital for tortuous tests to make sure he had not perforated my colon. That was followed by two weeks on three antibiotics all of which cause nausea and diarrhea. It was a month before my digestive tract was healed.

Afterwards the doctor told me I would need another colonoscopy in 5 years. I laughed derisively at him. At that moment I thought I would do anything rather than subject myself to another colonoscopy. I still felt that way when the 5 years were up. My primary care doctor was sympathetic, and did a non invasive test to make sure there was nothing critical going on inside me.

There are colon issues in my family. My grandmother died from colon cancer when she was 79. My mother had a large precancerous polyp removed when she was 85. In addition, I knew two people with colon cancer this year. One died. The other is having success with radiation and chemo therapy. I had to face reality and be responsible.

I had a colonoscopy yesterday morning. I recovered quickly, and today I am feeling 90% normal. Getting the colonoscopy was the right thing to do. The doctor found and removed two polyps. Both were small and looked harmless. I won’t know for two weeks whether they are the truly benign type or the type that can become cancerous. But whatever the results of the pathology, I was wrong to think that I could avoid this medical test.

I know people who avoid going to the dentist, having a mammogram, getting a prostate screen, checking their cholesterol, etc. because they are afraid of the results. This does not make any sense at all. Get the test. If there is a problem, get treatment early.

I wanted to avoid this test because the previous test had been such a horrible experience. Statistically, I knew that the problems I had the first time were very rare, and were highly unlikely to happen again. Still I was afraid. I had to say to myself – “get over it!”

There was also the temptation to say, “I follow a health building diet. I eat all the right food. I exercise. I’m immune to bad things like polyps or cancer.” While I credit the BTD, healthy eating, and exercise with my having more energy and fewer health complaints than most people my age, I am not invincible. Genetics certainly plays a role. Plus in this fallen world, body parts inevitably wear out. How foolish to be responsible about eating right but irresponsible about screening tests!

I want to share some things that made this colonoscopy better than the previous one, but today’s blog is long enough. I’ll post Part II this weekend. There will also probably be a Part III about what the doctor recommends for polyp prevention.

I do not know if it’s my age or my body type, but I do NOT like low waisted pants, and I do NOT like capris. That has made shopping for summer shorts very difficult in the past few years.

I am a combination body type. The top half of me is like a Hunter - sinewy, boney, and lean. The bottom half of me is more like a Gatherer - I carry weight in my legs and thighs. Capris make me my legs look terrible. Low cut pants focus attention away from my best physical asset, which is my tiny waist.

Fashion designers do not care about my preferences. Capris and low riding pants have been the style for several years. I know I am not alone. Friends my age complain all the time about low waisted pants and shorts. Rather than buying clothes that make me look bad, I have continued to wear my old clothes. Some of my favorite shorts have been around for five to six years. They are beginning to show their age.

I cannot tell you how many stores I have visited looking for shorts. This year I have been on a campaign. Everywhere I have gone, JC Penney, Academy, Bealls, Old Navy, Izod, Van Heusen, Macys, I have told the department manager, “My friends and I do not like these low riding pants! If you will stock clothes with real waists, we will shop!” Sometimes they say, “We just get what the buyers send us.” Sometimes their eyes glaze over.

Kohls sent me a $10 gift card in the mail. This afternoon I drove to the nearest Kohls and surprise, surprise. I found shorts with waists where they are supposed to be. OK, they are a little lower than my ideal, but they are flattering. If you have a body style like mine, look for Croft & Barrow Classic Fit.

To the other stores - I told you that if I ever found clothes that fit, I was ready to shop. I bought six pairs…and tops to match.

Estudio publicado en la revista Nature Genetics, halló que un gen relacionado con la diabetes y el colesterol es "llave maestra" que controla otros genes que se encuentran en la grasa corporal, lo que ayudaría en la búsqueda de terapias para las enfermedades relacionadas con la obesidad.

Asimismo, debido a que la grasa desempeña un papel importante en la susceptibilidad de las personas a las enfermedades metabólicas, como la obesidad, el gen regulador podría ser un blanco de los fármacos que apunten a tratar estos padecimientos donde pequeños cambios en un gen maestro regulador pueden generar una cascada de efectos metabólicos en otros genes.

Se analizaron más de 20 mil genes en muestras de grasa tomadas debajo de la piel de 800 mellizas británicas voluntarias. De esta forma, identificaron que un gen llamado KLF14 que está ligado a los niveles de colesterol y a la diabetes tipo 2, pero hasta ahora no sabían qué papel desempeñaba.

Así los expertos hallaron una relación entre el gen KLF14 y los niveles de muchos otros genes distantes hallados en el tejido graso, lo que muestra que el KLF14 actúa como una llave maestra de control de esos genes.

Posteriormente, los científicos confirmaron sus hallazgos en 600 muestras de grasa de otro grupo de personas de Islandia. Y en un informe sobre el estudio, explicaron que otros genes que controla el KLF14 están relacionados con una serie de características metabólicas, incluso el índice de masa corporal, la obesidad, el colesterol, la insulina y los niveles de glucosa.

El KLF14 parece actuar como un proceso de control tipo llave maestra, que conecta los cambios en la conducta de la grasa subcutánea con problemas musculares y hepáticos que contribuyen a la diabetes y otras condiciones. Estos procesos y cómo poder aprovechar esta información para mejorar el tratamiento de esas enfermedades, se logra via la prevención aplicando nuestro programa individualizado para iniciar y/o en nutrigenomica; el SWAMI, diseño de punta creado por el Dr Peter D'Adamo.

Para mayores informes acerca de como lograr transformar su vida, obteniendo este reporte y/o leer el libro, La Dieta del Genotipo, dependiendo en que país de Latino América se encuentre, enviarme un mensaje picando el link de contacto en la pestaña superior de dicha columna.

If someone asks you to cut some board to a length of 24 inches what do you do?
You of course cut the board to 24 inches.

It happened last week at my fill in job (until I get a “real job”) that a coworker asked me to cut some wood for a project we were working on. The pieces needed to be 24 inches long. After I cut the pieces and brought them back a sort of disagreement began. You see, he wanted 4 pieces from a 96 inch piece of 1x4 and I only gave him 3. The coworker explained that I was supposed to cut the pieces at 23 and 7/8 inches and get 4 pieces in stead of 3 pieces at 24 inches and a left over piece at 23 and ½ inches. We went back and forth for awhile about what 24 inches means and in the end I told him if you want 23 and 7/8 – ask for it. If you want 24 inches you are going to get 24 inches – I take things literally.

This incident seems to reinforce my wife’s contention that I might have Aspergers Syndrome. I have not been diagnosed with anything but it sure would explain a few things.

I posted this on the forums but it really belongs here too.

This is an extrapolation of information based on my own situation and does not mean it is fact.

I have not been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome or any Autism Spectrum related issues.

I’m just trying to put the pieces together for myself and hopefully help others who might read this.

The connection to being a non secretor seems to fit very well. Many of the “symptoms” of being a nonnie match to the descriptions of Aspergers Syndrome.

I’ve always known that something was different about me and how I process information. When someone is speaking at a seminar or product demonstration I always seem to be able to pick something out that was said that I took as matter of fact but others would say “that’s not what was meant.”

I have asked questions about products or the performance of products that the promoter or salesman would reply “no one has ever asked that question in the 20 years I’ve been in the business.” They do not have an answer to what I thought was an obvious question that needed to be answered.

I cannot exactly relate to someone else’s pain, suffering or emotional state. I can only relate to that situation on how I would feel and react in the same situation. The two do not mean the same thing, especially to the other person who gets the impression that you don’t care and are unsympathetic or just oblivious – which means you are stupid, ignorant, etc.

Rules: Why have rules and not enforce them? Don’t tell me I can’t do the same thing someone else is allowed to do – I don’t care! Get rid of the rule or make everyone follow it.

Learning: If you teach in a linear fashion, test in a linear fashion. Don’t expect me to be able to put together sections a, b, f, r, and z on one question and then ask me to put together sections c, d, j, m and w on the next if you are not going to teach the information that way.

My wife says that when I get on a subject like ERFYT, I just can’t stop. She claims the people I talk to lose interest and get bored. I look at it like “if they stop asking questions, I’ll stop answering.”

These are a few examples of the similarities between Nonnies and Aspergers syndrome.

I found this doing some research on Aspergers. It’s by Kate Goldfield and much - but not all of it, I can relate to.

http://aspiefrommaine.webs.com/

Here’s an online test to take that will give you an idea if you might have Aspergers Syndrome. Take the test the way it is formatted and get your score. If you are like me, I noticed on the very first question that “the way they asked the question doesn’t fit the answers provided. It should be a yes or no type question to get the desired answer.”
Many of the other questions were the same way - to me. I scored right at the median level (18) compared to others who took the test. Over the years some of the situations I have adapted to and can handle them to a certain extent.

Take the test a second time but this time only answer the extremes of definitely agree or definitely disagree even if it doesn’t apply exactly and then check your score. I scored a 38 which put me in the Aspergers range.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

I don’t know where this might lead, but it would explain a lot.

My Honorable Husband was doing some research about a vacation we hope to take in the fall. One day we want to take a scenic train ride. He said, “Uh oh, you’re not going to like this.”

The website states emphatically that you were not allowed to bring food or water on the train. They sell drinks and box lunches. They do not want any outside competition.

I called the toll free number. I was very nice, and my tone of voice was friendly. I said that we were looking forward to our train ride in the fall.

Then I said, “I am on a wheat free and preservative free diet. Will you be able to provide me with a box lunch that meets my needs?”

She quickly said that they would not be able to make me a special lunch, but that I could bring my food in my purse. If anyone questioned me I should just tell them that I am on a special diet.

I like it when people are accommodating. I like it when those in customer service know when to bend the rules. This is not always the case. Sometimes I talk to people who are rigid and irritable.

This morning’s conversation makes me look forward all the more to our fall trip. I’m thinking chicken and asparagus sounds good for a train ride.

Okra is beneficial for both Type Os and Type As – but my Honorable Husband doesn’t usually like it. I think okra is wonderful cooked in a small skillet with just a little ghee or olive oil. But HH will have nothing to do with it. “Too much slime,” he says.

One time when DD and ESS were here for the weekend, we had been off on an afternoon adventure. We arrived home right at dinner time, and we were all hungry. I sent DD and ESS to the freezer with instructions to find a vegetable that everyone would like. They came back with a bag of okra. This did not look promising for HH.

There is a brand of pasta sauce that I really like. It uses olive oil instead of the cheaper oils, has no added sugar, and no preservatives. It is Classico Tomato & Basil. I poured a jar of Classico over the okra and started cooking.

For the Type Os, it was all beneficial or neutral. For the Type As, there were tomatoes to contend with. HH loves tomatoes. He eats them freely when we are away from home. If he turns out to be a non secretor (which could easily happen based on his sinus problems and his tendency to like larger portions of flesh foods) tomatoes would be neutral for him. I don’t buy fresh tomatoes, but I don’t deprive him of pasta sauce either. DD, who does not like tomatoes and who is strict on herself about avoids, was having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, so she wasn’t going to eat the okra anyway.

Okra cooked on pasta sauce was delicious. It reminded me of the okra & tomato dish my mother used to cook when I was young, but the Italian seasoning gave it more zip.

This has become a favorite for both HH and me. In fact, I cooked it earlier this week. Yesterday’s lunch was the last of the Classico okra and the last of a leg of lamb mixed together in a bowl.

La Cúrcuma proviene de la raíz de la planta llamada Cúrcuma longa y tiene una piel dura y una pulpa de color naranja profundo. Su sabor peculiar y suave aroma ligeramente reminiscente al de naranja y al jengibre, y si bien es conocido como uno de los ingredientes utilizados en la elaboración del curry, también da un color amarillo brillante a aquellos alimentos con contenido de dicha raíz. La Cúrcuma también ha sido usada como colorante textil y como pigmento en cosméticos desde la edad antigua. Sin embargo, la cúrcuma es conocida por sus propiedades curativas y larga historia en los sistemas de medicina tanto el Chino tradicional como el de la ayurveda de la India.

Las propiedades medicinales de esta especia han sido bien documentadas. Conocida por sus propiedades antiinflamatorias, investigación reciente ha revelado que la cúrcuma ha resultando beneficiosa en el tratamiento de un gran numero de enfermedades diversas: desde la enfermedad de Alzheimer hasta el cáncer.

A continuación le presentamos 10 razones por las cuales habría de agregar el cúrcuma a su dieta!

• Es un desintoxicante hepático natural.

• Es un potente antiinflamatorio natural y de gran utilidad en el tratamiento tanto de la artritis como de la artritis reumatoide.

• La Cúrcuma puede favorecer al metabolismo de las grasas y a su vez ayuda al control de peso.

• Estudios indican que la cúrcuma puede ayudar a prevenir el cáncer de próstata y de mama y puede resultar útil para reducir el riesgo de leucemia infantil. Otros estudios muestran que la cúrcuma puede ser útil en la prevención de metástasis que ocurren en diferentes tipos de cáncer y puede detener el crecimiento de nuevos vasos sanguíneos en tumores.

• Puede prevenir y retrasar la evolución de la enfermedad de Alzheimer, eliminando la acumulación de placa amiloide en el cerebro.

• Es un agente antiséptico y antibacteriano natural - útil en la desinfección de cortes y quemaduras.

• La Cúrcuma ha mostrado ser prometedor en frenar la progresión de la esclerosis múltiple en ratones.

• Puede ayudar en el tratamiento de psoriasis y otras enfermedades de la piel.

• Acelera la cicatrización de heridas y ayuda en la reparación de la piel dañada.

• La Cúrcuma puede reducir el colesterol.
Cúrcuma es una excelente fuente de hierro y manganeso. También es una rica fuente de vitamina B6, fibra dietética y potasio. Además, de ser tolerada en todos los tipos sanguíneos, también es super-benefica en cuanto a la protección de cáncer!

Incluya la cúrcuma en sus recetas, haciendo una deliciosa 'faux' paella, fácil de agregar a su dieta! Ambas formulaciones del Dr. D'Adamo, Scienca y Hepatiguard, contienen cúrcuma.

Un hermoso ejemplo de la planta de Cúrcuma longa de 1897 por Franz Eugen Köhler del libro "Medizinal de Köhler-Pflanzen".

A lady in our neighborhood was told by her doctor that she needed to start an exercise program. But she has mobility and joint issues that keep her from participating in most normal forms of exercise. What to do? Last summer she bought a set of water aerobic CDs and asked a few friends to join her at the pool 5 mornings a week. The group has grown to 15 – 20 women. One of my friends goes 2-3 days a week and has been after me to give it a try.

I went yesterday, had a lot of fun, and did indeed get my heart rate up. When there are beads of sweat on my brow while the rest of me is cool in the water, I know I am working hard. The exercises aren’t particularly difficult to do, and the CD is easy to follow. The water adds resistance which makes the exercises more strenuous. The water also buoys you up so there is no stress on your joints.

The thing that impressed me the most is the initiative of the woman who started the group. She didn’t make excuses about why she couldn’t exercise. She is not a fitness expert, but she found a program that is effective and safe. She organized this herself, rather than waiting for a gym or the Y to start a class. Though she still has health issues, she is noticeably more mobile than she was last summer when I met her at a party. She has not only helped herself, but she is also helping her friends as well as a growing circle of other residents.

I like a lot of variety in my exercise schedule, so I won’t be at water aerobics 5 days a week; but I hope to be part of the group once a week for the rest of the summer.