As a courtesy to those who have subscribed to my blogs, you may have noticed that I don’t just publish a post for the sake of publishing a post. I know that your time is precious and I do my best to write down my thoughts with as much care as possible. I hope you will recognize my integrity and take the time to read my infrequent but often long posts.

I have a post coming that is on the long side. Believe me, I am working at condensing my thoughts into manageable blurbs, but I admit that I just have so many streams of thought that relate to each other that I am having little success. If you are like me, you will scroll down to the end of a post determining whether or not you have the time or the desire to read it in its entirety. So, I have resolved to start with the following introduction. You will see the connection once you read the next instalment.

What I have been juggling:

• January 2011 – March 2013

Following Eat Right For Your Type eating plan for each member of my family. Each of us is a different blood type. This meant that I often had to make four different meals. Lucky for me, my husband wasn’t really following the plan and he was happy to eat whatever I made for any blood type.

Amazing how quickly I was able to adapt to this theory. Within three months I felt like I had a good handle on it. Quite the good mental exercise; I was able to almost memorize each of our lists. We are more capable than we sometimes give ourselves credit. The trick is to persevere. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

• March 2013

I started orthodontic treatment. I have been walking around with metal braces on my teeth which has been significant! Eating, talking, teeth shifting, soreness, cleaning, did I mention eating? I have adapted to the adjustment and quite like my braces. I think that I will miss them when they are taken off. I have learned a lot about my habits and self-discipline in the process.

• April /June 2013

My two kids and I did The ALCAT blood test to identify specifically which foods we have intolerance and sensitivity to. After eleven years of observing my kids I had a vague idea which foods caused them problems. I was tired of guessing and I found the ER4YT program to be too generalized; it was a good starting point though, like a good warm up. But in following the ER4YT program, we ended up over-consuming the beneficial foods, all healthy, but perhaps those beneficial foods weren’t necessarily beneficial for us. In doing the ALCAT personalized blood test, we were given individualized food list and discovered some similarities and discrepancies with ER4YT. The results from this test taught us to add more variety to our diet as well as to space out these healthy foods. In doing so, I have noticed that we don’t over-consume any one product any more. I don’t have an overstock of food ‘staples’ in my pantry. And my kids are learning to have a real healthy and thoughtful relationship with food.

• April 2013 – present (October 2013)

I have been really challenged with feeding my kids and me; each of us has very different intolerances. I am making most meals from scratch. I am making my own chicken and beef stocks. Making stews and soups and freezing portions. Going to a restaurant was really difficult initially, but since we have been gradually reintroducing the less intolerant foods, going out to a restaurant from time to time has become a real treat, not the frequent indulgence that going out to restaurants has become for many households. But I must admit, the more I cook and bake at home the more I prefer my own cooking.

My son’s most severe intolerances include ALL sugars (cane, maple syrup, agave, honey, hfcs) as well as wheat and other gluten grains, not to mention almonds, asparagus, celery, clam, crab, ginger, pecans, parsley and basil! My daughter has to avoid dairy and wheat, raspberries, bay leaf, artichoke, grapefruit and kidney beans. And my most severe intolerances include apple, fig, flaxseed and white potato. But the upside is that this is not forever. The idea is that if we eliminate these severe intolerances for twelve months and gradually reintroduce them, and by only eating those foods on occasion we should have no negative reactions.

After the initial shock wore off, I pulled myself together and got to work at designing dishes that we could all eat. That became very challenging, so I started making multiple dishes. I’m still standing, six months later! I am here to announce that anything is in fact possible. And I am becoming more accomplished each day with the challenges. Of course I have those days where I completely crash and nothing seems to go and so those are the days my husband rescues me and we go to a restaurant! Imagine just changing your personal lifestyle 180 degrees then go ahead and imagine working on shifting three lifestyles simultaneously. It all comes down to The Want; if you want something badly enough you will and can make it happen.

I have also been working on:

• Specifically not eating the same foods again until four days have passed! Give that one a try. For example: if you have carrots today, wait until four days have passed before you have carrots again. Can you do that with your morning coffee? Most of us eat the same ten to twenty foods on a regular basis!
• Learning to use less single–use plastic by reading Beth Terry’s book one chapter at a time.

• Making my own flour, crackers, soy milk, almond milk, hemp milk, oat milk, rice milk etc.
• Designing recipes based on acceptable foods from the ALCAT test following the 4 -Day Food Rotation
• Cleaning my own house, in even a more environmentally conscious way
• Raising kids and caring for a geriatric dog
• Taking care of my own body maintenance
• Volunteering at my kid’s school
• Finding time to write down my thoughts before I become overwhelmed with content and freeze.
• Stay on top of my hobbies
• Etc.

This post ended up longer than it was supposed to be…I’ll keep trying until I get it right. Until then, thanks for reading.

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Tagged: ALCAT, beneficial foods, Eat Right For Your Type, Four Day Rotation Diet, Homemade Cooking, Kathryn Palumbo, Orthodontics, The ALCAT Test, You As A Cook, You As A Machine