The BTD/GTD Blogs

Our son is home from graduate school for a week. He is taking many interesting classes as he works toward being a doctor of physical therapy. One that fascinated me was a class he nicknamed “diseases I will never treat.” It is about symptoms of diseases that physical therapists must recognize before they start treatment. If another disease is present, it is important to refer the patient to the proper specialist. It was a very difficult course, but it was practical and necessary.

At lunch today, I asked him what he and his roommate do about food. He said, “I don’t eat out much, Mom.” He fixes himself a sandwich and fruit before he leaves for class. He eats his sack lunch at the hospital.

For dinner, he fixes meat and frozen vegetables. He eats a lot of frozen chicken breasts and ground beef patties.

He and his roommate don’t cook together, but his roommate also prepares most of his food in the apartment.

He said, “I don’t eat as healthy at school, as I do at home, but I do try to eat right.”

Hi Everyone, it's been another busy week, with little time to plan food carefully and both B/F and I have rushed around like headless chickens. Now it's weekend and I'm trying to plan ahead for next week, which hopefully won't be as rushed as this one.

I'm making my shopping list, cross referencing from Explorer to Gatherer as I go along, adding in foods from the AB inflammation protocols as his back muscles are inflamed due to over doing it at work this week.

It's good that we can share some veggies but I'm not worrying so much about a few of my black dot veggies which were formerly beneficials on the O diet for me, I'll eat them as part of our meal, they're diamond foods for B/F and with the hours he's working he needs all the help I can quietly provide and I so love Kale that it's proving hard to give up. I like Collards (spring greens to us Brits), but they're not as satisfying to me. Kale just has a kick to it that I love.

I've been doing Hip Hop Abs this week, recommended by Mayflowers on the BTD boards, thanks so much for that, as I LOVE IT. Such great fun, who'd have guess that exercise challenged me would not only enjoy it, but actually have the co-ordination to keep up and do the moves right and in time with everyone else?

I used to dance a lot as a child and into my teens, not sure why I stopped really? Maybe to fit in, or because of study etc at the time. Either way, it's so good to get back to actually shaking my booty in time to the music.

It's taken me a while, and a few wasted £s to find the right DVD workout for me, and it's been frustrating to watch some of the usual suspects, the Rosemary Conleys and the like, doing the 'same old same old'. Don't get me wrong, if you don't have wheat or dairy issues, I'm sure the diets are okay, but for me they're akin to a slow, lingering death. I look ill if I eat low cal, low fat, no taste food and most dairy/wheat is toxic to me. I need essential fatty acids, good quality proteins, delicious, organic veggies and fruits, and to restrict my grains. Thinking I'm a nonnie here girls. And now I'm starting to kick the sugar fest I had (long, long story), I find I'm craving better foods.

Following a recommendation on the BTD boards, I tried CandidaCleanse by Now, that seems to be working for me, although I'll try to rotate remedies and give one that Victoria recommended a go for a month, then swap back so that the evil yeast doesn't get used to it!

We'll head off to the supermarket later, to pick up fresh fruits, more veggies, lamb, beef, turkey and anything else I can find on our joint lists and then I can cook up a storm. I'm thinking a curry of some sort, maybe with a split pea daal (see recipes in BTD database for Chana Daal), some spinach, bit of kale and then followed by a homemade cheescake of sorts, using ricotta, raspberries and whatever else I find

Have a great weekend, if I do make the cheesecake, I'll post the recipe. Mmmmmm delicious.

Today I picked up my first bulk shipment from Azure Standard. They deliver by freight truck to most of the western US, and UPS many of their items nationwide. The prices are good, and the delivery fee is quite small, compared to shipping by UPS, which I've done a couple times.

My husband gave me a bigger grocery budget this month, to stock up on a few things. With 3 out of 4 of us requiring special GF diets, we don't want to be left at the mercy of others or the government if there were a shortage or natural disaster. They don't often distribute gluten free MREs We hadn't beefed up our storage for almost 10 years.

The other benefit of ordering in bulk is the prices. My boy's favorite GF bread was about half the price per loaf that the HFS charges. So, if you know what you like and what you'll eat, buying in bulk is a great option. Just make sure you like it first, as you don't want a case of something you don't end up liking.

Amazon.com also has some good bulk deals, and you can often get free shipping.

Now I just need to make sure I use (rotate) it, especially the brown rice that has the shortest shelf life. I also got large bags of whole quinoa, teff and millet. More baking lies in my future! My husband tried steamed quinoa at Cafe Gratitude in San Francisco, and he liked it, so hopefully the boys will like it too.

Friends of mine jokingly call me Tarzana. I tend to hoop and holler as the group runs through trails and jumps over trees. Everyone in the group earns a nickname sooner or later, and I am pleased with what the 'group' has chosen.

But Tarzana is feeling like raw sushi these days. I kind of flip back and forth between secret identities as the day unfolds. Meals have been less of a focus, when they should have been a HUGE focus. After all, it's when we are under the most stress, that we need the healing power of food, friends, and God.

I did happily discover that my lactose intolerant child likes Kefir. I mean, his system seems to like Kefir. I made Blueberry and Bannana smoothies using plain kefir,ice, maple syrup, and the above mentioned fruits. He did not experience nightmares, stomach cramps, or any other typical medical symptom. I am very excited to add one more item to his list of 'safe' foods.

Once, I had come across a recipe for raspberry 'bean' pie. Pinto beans were used, and what a great way to get a kid to eat his beans! It's actually fairly easy to make a rice flour pie crust too. I think I will have to hunt around again, as his protein sources are : eggs, goat cheese, peanuts, soy milk, walnuts, and pecans. I would like to see him expand a bit. Back to the kitchen!

On Mother's Day I noticed that some of the seeds I planted are starting to sprout! That was a nice way to start the day. I try to just relax on Mother's day and make it fun for my kids. My five year old is old enough to understand it and gave me quite a few little surprises throughout the day. My husband helped our 2 year old to make me a card at church nursery. It was a good day. My biggest and best present was a long nap...just what I always want!

Now my spring garden bed is filled in, and I'm finishing the second bed. I had to dig into the ground a bit for it, to get it level, but it's all put in place now, minus the soil. I'm waiting for a windless day to mix and add the Mel's mix. Today I planted most of the Jerusalem Artichokes on the hill, and saved a few for a couple squares in the second garden bed. I also made it to Ikea to buy some cheap terra cotta pots so I can line up my tomatoes along the slope next to the tall back fence. My heirloom tomato starts are still alive and slowly growing, so maybe they'll do well, I also have some more guaranteed hybrid types to put in, just in case.

I tried some turnip greens from the grocery store today for the first time. I figured I ought to try them if I'm going to be growing them. I like them quite well. They're similar to collards, and more exciting than spinach. They'd be great as a wrap for something like cabbage rolls or Dolma. (I think cabbage and grape leaves are both black dots for gatherers).

I even found some Seven Top turnip seeds at a local nursery, that are solely for producing turnip greens, so that was a nice surprise. I couldn't find them online at the places I was ordering other seeds, so I thought I'd have to compromise and get regular turnip seeds. They'd make ok greens, but I'm only interested in the greens so I'm happy to find some just for greens.

I didn't actually need to order as many seeds online as I did. I've found the variety of seeds in the local nurseries to be quite adequate, and it's easier to tell that it will grow well in my area. Even the grocery store down the street had seeds for Bright Lights Swiss Chard, which saved me a trip back to the nursery after I changed my mind and decided I wanted them afterall. Next year, I'll probably have enough seeds saved from this year (both from the packets I bought and some I'll collect from the plants). I'm keeping them all in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator, so they'll keep well. I had been keeping them in my garage, but the older ones still germinated well.

In my continuing procrastination (law text books vs cookbooks - guess which one's winning?) I noticed something called the "Gabriel Method" that seems to be advertised on almost every website I visited. As an aside, found some great recipes like pumpkin amaranth pancakes that will definitely be tried out this weekend.

So, the Gabriel Method seemed really interesting - basically he's advertising a diet that's based on changing how your body reacts to everyday stresses to turn off the "FAT" mentality. In the interests of finding out more, I'm currently reading the book. I have to say, it's slickly written and marketed but also has the element of being a non-diet book. It really is more about the chemical reactions that occur in your body when it's under stress and the triggers that force your body into a survival mode requiring fat to be stored. I'm thinking of implementing some of his ideas just to see what the impact is.

I'd say there's a maximum of a chapter devoted to food (which is good, because we have Dr D for food recommendations) where he actually says "There isn't one diet which fits all people". I've yet to check his website as apparently he has some links on there to products etc that he recommends and I"m interested to see if he mentions the BTD. Another good thing that he states is that people need to drink more water; something that I see everyday in the office where the guys will drink cokes and never have a water while I'm drinking a glass or two every hour.

Other than that, I think my husband is a gradual convert as he's been going to a heap of meetings this week where the food provided has been sandwiches/sausage rolls/cakes etc. He asked if the bread was preservative free at least, but then has been demanding more vegies for dinner and enjoyed being able to take his lunch today.

I am what my sister calls a "peeker". She came up with this recently at a family dinner to describe the way I always looked for the Christmas presents my mother had hidden. It is true, I was the one to sneak into my mom's room climb on a chair and search the top of her closet for the presents. I just couldn't resist. My sister on the other hand would cover her ears as I yelled what the presents were. Other holidays were similar, at Easter I always ate my chocolate bunny within a day or so and on my sixteenth birthday I some how knew I was having a surprise party.

Maturity has not changed this, as an adult I still display this behavior. I will read the last chapter of a book to see what happens next and I have even fast forwarded movies to see the end. I always look in the oven before the food is done.

I have always been a peeker I want to see the end.

On Wednesday I start teaching my first BTD class. I am so excited to see who attends and why they decide to come. The blurb about the class was posted on Sunday and on Monday morning I received a call from a gentleman inquiring about the class.

He stated his name and told me that he is 76 years old and has been overweight for over 10 years, could this blood type diet help him? He wasn't sure what his blood type was, would that be a problem? I reassured him that I could test his blood for about $10.00, as for his age and weight being an issue I confidently stated the facts," No, it will not be a problem".

The whole time I am on the phone with him, I am thinking about the future of this overweight 76 year old man who has failed to be able to lose weight, with all the conventional diets. I am trying to read the last chapter of the book and peek into the top of the closet, I want to eat the Easter bunny all in one day. I want to see what he will become given the right tools for his body, I want to peek.

Odd things that you never thought you'd hear; "There should be a matchmaking service for electrical devices". Sounds bizarre, doesn't it? Well, maybe my recent happenings will help to explain the statement.

Some time ago, my home theatre receiver had died. Not as a result of age, but of poor airflow design. So when I got my tax refund, I figured that it was finally time to find a replacement.

I hadn't planned on buying a receiver on this particular day. One of the stops on my errand list was to a local music store, in search of some comedy cd's. While browsing the store, I happened to find one of the receivers that I had been researching online. Hemming and hawing, I walked out of the store without it. However, after running some more errands, I went back, and bought it. Little did I know at the time what "fun" would soon ensue.

As I happily headed home with my new purchase, I noticed that my car's outdoor temperature sensor was acting up. Even though it was around 70 degrees that day, my display was saying that it was only 41 degrees. I just figured the car was having a mental moment, and would clear itself the next day.

After getting home, I unpacked my new toy, and went about hooking up my various components to the receiver. Cassette deck, check. CD player, check. The VCR, well, that took a little time. Once I finally got a picture, I threw in a VCR tape, to make sure that it worked. There was a picture, but the tracking was off. As I'm trying to adjust the tracking, there is suddenly the sound of a loud "Pop!", and grey smoke comes rolling out of my VCR.

Part of me wants to laugh at the visual before me, but the saner side (and you thought that I didn't have one!) of me is telling me to quickly disconnect everything from the back of the VCR, and get it the heck out of the house! Fast-fingering the disconnects, I head past the kitchen with smoker in hand, only to notice that the clock on my stove is flashing 6:08. Thing was, it was 3 in the afternoon. Once my VCR ceased smoking outside, I headed back inside to reset the clock. Little did I know that the real fun was about to begin.

I found that my dishwasher had decided to act up as well. It would get down to a minute, but would never complete the last cycle. And now, instead of starting at 91 minutes, it would start at 2 hours. It's a conspiracy, I tell ya'! *chuckle* My electronics don't like the newcomer, and are giving me grief!

Off I headed to the computer, the click-clacking sound of keys a steady rhythm, as I roamed the Internet, looking for an answer to my newest problem. I finally found the answer to my problem, but wasn't too thrilled for the process involved in getting my dishwasher back up and running. It appears that some Bosch dishwashers have a bad heater relay joint, and the soldering lets go. However, it was either the process, or shell out $140 for a new circuit board, and a technician to install it, on top of the $140. Ryan's going to be learning how to solder!

With no disassembly instructions, nor soldering skills, I was off to roam the Internet again. After doing some reading about soldering, and watching a couple of short soldering videos, I began the task of figuring out how to disassemble the dishwasher. It took some time, but I finally managed to get to the circuit board, resolder the heater relay joint, and put the dishwasher back together. All well and good, but would it actually work? With crossed fingers, I ran the dishwasher, and watched it as it ticked down its final minutes. Success! It finished, and shut itself off.

So here I am, thinking that everything comes in threes, so I should be all set. Nope. Apparently, three things have to BREAK, before things return to normal. That Sunday morning, the pipe underneath my bathroom sink broke. *sigh*

If by chance you've been having a streak of good luck, that's because I've been getting all the bad luck lately. But I also know that once it's done, it's done for awhile. Better to get everything out of the way at once, than little by little.

I think that from now on, before I bring any electrical devices into the house again, I'm going to unplug everything that I have, and arrange it in a semi-circle on the living room floor. Then I'll bring the new device into the house, and everyone can have a little meet and greet. Maybe that way, I won't subjected to so many breakages all at once. Your day doesn't sound so bad now, does it? *chuckle*