h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The other day I was reading a list of foods that are good to eat just before bed, because they would make you sleepy. That part seems okay.

But why are so many of the foods on the list so prominent on most people's breakfast menus? Bananas. Milk. Cereal grains. Even coffee, which has an ingredient [caffeine] that some pharmaceuticals companeis put in sleeping pills.

Breakfast is supposed to be the meal that gets you started for the day, making you more alert and energetic But instead it makes you sleepier. This is definitely at cross-purposes with the way the world is supposed to work.

Next post: braille instructions at drive-through bank locations.

Hi Psul,

The French have a breakfast of coffee and croissants. !!

I must admit that I love that but I also have porridge !1.

I really do not eat at night - just have one small meal in the middle of the day. !

I found a book called Diet Right Eat Right by someone called d'Adamo, and this was a book which gave you a diet according to one's blood group. It seemed a novel way to approach things, and as I had known for some years(after I had to have emergency blood transfusions, that I belonged to "A negative" ) I was intrigued to read that I should have been a vegetarian all my life. !!

It is true, that I really cannot cope with huge steaks and that I am much better on veggies and some fish.
I have been on this diet for over five years and I really attrubute my recovery over the last years thanks to having adhered to it.

Diet I am sure, plays a big role in one's attitude and health and probably success in this funny old world of ours.

You are up bright and early. !!

Stay well,
Christiane
AlsoRan80
Wednesday 29th June 2010 15.35 BST

I think there's a lot to be said for that kind of diet, Christiane.

The Japanese are among the longest-lived people on the planet, and their diet has generous amounts of vegetables and fish in it. Fish has a lot of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are very beneficial for the heart. I don't know which vegetables you eat the most of, but the colorful ones have a lot of antioxidants, which protect you from damage on the cellular level. So, your diet is very likely a major factor in your survival.

There's one more factor, and it's huge: stress. Women who have to face longterm stress age faster. You must be doing something right to keep stress at bay.

More power to you!

It's a crazy old world when it comes to food and it's difficult to
keep up with all the "good" advice that comes our way. I once bought
a small (and cheap) book about G.I. diet before the media latched on
to it. I changed from wheat cereal breakfast to porridge and stayed
with that ever since. I notice the difference if I give it a miss
and have something like wheat cereal and toast for a change, my
energy drops mid-morning and I'm hungry again.

My diet is also pretty much vegeterian with fish now and again.
Had a steak meal recently and felt decidedly queasy and bloated afterwards.

Second clue:

Someone told me about this. When you drive up to the window of a bank, you open your window on the driver's side and see braille instructions. That's interesting! How many blind people are going to be driving their cars to the the drive-up window of a bank?

I've noticed that...

They also don't make it easy if you happen to have a senior or handicapped person in the car and THEY want to use the machine.

I have driven the wrong way into the drive-thru so they can use the machine and had irate people screaming at me. Tough! If I don't want to have to park and take 10 minutes getting the senior/handicapped person out of the car and into the bank and then back into the car when I can drive up and do it in less than a minute I am going to do it.

And if bank told me I "HAD" to go through the "right"way, I'd tell them I was going to sue for failing to have it handicapped accessible.

They actually have Tim Horton's drive-thrus with passenger-side intercoms and pick-ups. Of course, I have been alone in the car and accidentally gone through the wrong drive thru...

It seems the optimal diet changes every five minutes.

I've read some of the blood type books by Dr. D'Adamo. The type O diet works best for me, except that I don't eat beef any more. Not eating wheat for a while got rid of a lot of inflammation related problems.

My pc has Braille as a font choice.

Excellent posts!

What an excellent idea.

i wonder what sort of pc it is? I am losing my sight so fast that |I am really nervous that I shall have to start learning a new keyboard again.

Thank you for that very useful information.

Christiane
Alsoran80
Wednesday 30th June 2010 6.25

Dear Evamgeline,

Perhaps the "O" diet works best for you because your blood group is O.

I only happened to know that I belonged to bloodgroup A minus, becuaue I was very ill and had lost a lot of blood and had to have some transfusions. they had to "type" my blood BEFORE they gave me the transfusion in order to decide what type of blood to give me.

It is very important that you are given the correct blood type. All of us have different types of blood group. I cannot remember how many there are, But I know there is A, (plus and minus); B(I suppose plus and minus and the various types of O which is the most common blood group).There are also some combination of these types.

But you are NEVER given a blood trasfusion until the person who wants you to have it has checked as to your blood group.
Rather unpleasant and I believe fatl things happen to you if you are given the incorrect or "wrong" blood group.

I honestly think that every one of us should have our blood group- on our wrist. !!!Perhaps even tattooted on.

There now, I could at last have a tattoo and at my age..... !!1

My neighbour, the other day, suggested that I should have my name on a wristband, and my address, just in case I flaked out in the street and no-one knew who I was. I actually think that people who have heart condition, or other conditions which could possibly mean a very quick departure from earthly life should have some means of identification on them. I must start looking into it.!!

Go well, and find out what blood grou- you belong to and then you can choose what sort of diet to have.

Christiane M. Elias
alsoran80

Wednesday 30th June 2010 6.45 BST

Dear Mistadong,

It sounds as if I should welcome you to the A blood group. !! We are very special people let me advise you. Get the book and read all "about us"

Christiane
AlsoRan80

Wed. 30th June 2010 6.55 BST

The plus and minus might refer to the Rh factor. My parents were affected by that factor. My younger brother needed a complete transfusion as soon as he was born.

I'm O negative which can be given to anybody in an emergency.
The blood transfusion people were always keen for me to attend
but I'm taking blood pressure tablets now so I can't give.


I can still take though. Mwah-hah-hah-haaah!

I knew that type O blood could be given to anyone.

I also knew that if anyone knew this, it would be you, Mistadrong.

Hi Paulh,

I have just been re-reading your posting to me. I note that y9ou mention stress.

I notice that in a photograph that were taken a year ago, that in one year I have turned from having just a few strands of white hair, to be totally snow white. I suppose that could be stress. It coincides with the removal by my close family of a certain gentle guy who used to care for me. !! i.e Keith. !!

That is really strange. I know that he is very happy where he is,. and it was the best thing, But it undoutedly had a most salutory effect on the colour of my hair!ps However, as I appear to be well - apart from a mostrous BP. it is for the best.

I rmembered that I took beetroot juice in order to lower my BP and it was very successful. so yesterday I went out and got three bunches, cleaned them and boiled the lot kleaves as well. and I am just sipping some of the ruby red juice this morning whilst writing to you. !! I have an appointment with the doctor this afternoon and will ask her to take my BP.

I love the Tour de France and was looking forward to a month of the glorious French countryside. Instead.




A dreadful pile up due to the fact that the unfortunate riders were supposed to ride on cobble stone. Imagine that.

Oh why can't the wretched moguls leave time honoured traditions alone and let the Tour de France continue as it always was. A wonderful feat of human endurance through the most marvellous country side. Yesterday apart from the pile ups.one of the riders had a heart attack. I am not sure whether he died.

On this miserable note, I end and wish you well.

Christiane.
AR80
Tuesday 7th July, 2010 6.30 BST

Dear Mistadongl,

What a lovely posting and what a lovely person you are. Sorry for your inconvenience that you are O positive. But I am sure that whilst you were able to, you managed to help a lot of people. I used to be a blood donor as well. Though I obviously was not as popular as you were. !!

Now I suppose that even if I could be I would not be allowed to be as I suppose that I am going to be put onto BP tablets. Although I would hope that the beetroot juice would lower my BP quite a bit. it did last time round. !!

I have been reading your home pages; What a great Schloss. !! I really must get busy and fix up my special dream escape nook. I suppose in many ways I havd found it here, next to the channel Last night the air was so clear I could see the coast of France from my balcony and also the ships steaming up and down, all lit up. It was a very moving sight.

go well and I hope we can be friends.

very sincerely

Christiane

AR80
Tuesday, 7th July, 2010 7.05 BST

Ah, stress. It seems to be a necessary evil, within safe limits. Not enough stress is bad, and too much stress is bad. The middle ground is safe and even salutary.

Don't worry about having too much stress, Christiane. That worry is a cause of stress by itself.

I can relate to the blood pressure problems. I started having them occasionally when I was 22, and have been on medication since my early 30s. I would probably be dead by now if I had refused medication.

Hi Christiane hope the BP drops sufficiently. Funnily enough I've been
eating a beetroot a day with salad so maybe I should check mine.

I hope you are not fretting over those French like Mathew Arnold
was On Dover Beach.
The sea is calm to-night.
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; on the French coast the light
Gleams and is gone;

Didn't France characterize itself as a beacon for the rest of the world?

What country doesn't? The US? Iran? North Korea?