who will get the fishie on the little dishie,

who will get the fishy when the boat comes in?



Kevin, do you live in Kumano? I note that it's a very popular fish in that region, whether steamed, grilled, or in raw and fermented ‘zushi’ preparations with vinagared rice.













Not sure why (perhaps my Irish coastal heritage?), but a fishy query means hours of enjoyment for your host! So if you’d like to slow the flow of Potpourri, or you just want more pretty piscal pictures, haul in those sea-creature mysteries & dump ‘em on my deck! ;-D they are most welcome!!

That's because seltzer inhibits gastrin in type As -- who already produce less of it, and at a slower rate, than other types. Try flat mineral water instead, and minimize water intake around mealtimes to allow your digestive secretions to work undiluted. ;-)

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I would like to know if all tomatoes are alike, regardless of color. I always eat yellow tomatoes because of the acid content. Does color have anything to do with the lectins? Thank you Katy



Yep, they all contain the tomato lectin, no matter the color!

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I am puzzled as to why aloe vera is forbidden for blood group O and not recommended for the other groups, except possibly A, when, to my knowledge, most of the people who take aloe vera benefit considerably from its medicinal properties. Are the harmful lectins found only in the leaf? Is an aloe vera drink consisting only of the inner gel considered suitable? Kathryn



Here's the original Ask Dr. D'Adamo page on aloe. Since that time, further findings upgraded aloe to beneficial for type A secretors, and neutral for A nonsecretors. For everyone else, it remains an avoid due to the lectin activity in the gel, or pulp, of the plant.

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I work for a vitamin company that sells a product with phenylalanine in it to thousands of people - according to my own survey with these people most have blood type A. I read that for blood type A, phenylalanine may cause higher cholesterol levels; would taking phenylalanine also cause weight gain in these people? I have had numerous complaints that people have been putting on weight since starting to take our product. Could it also cause anxiety? Your help is much appreciated. Sandra



Yes, it could certainly cause weight gain, and higher cholesterol. Not sure about anxiety, although it may be a secondary effect. See the Ask Dr. D regarding As & quorn -- phenylalanine inactivates intestinal alkaline phosphatase, thus they will tend to store more fat rather than metabolize it. Of the four ABO types, As tend to have the lowest levels of IAP ~ and they need to avoid substances which reduce it further.

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I was wondering after reading the Eat Right For Your Type, if there is anything about desserts in there? Syrup? I am new to this diet and trying to follow it to a "T"! I am Type A. If there is another book that I need to buy, that is fine, just let me know. So far I am feling great, but my sweet tooth is killing me! Any information would be helpful. Thnks Shelly



NOTE ADDED: I originally suggested L-glutamine for cravings -- however, L-glutamine should be avoided by types A and B because it raises cortisol levels. Vegetable glycerine is a fabulous replacement for sugar and actually helps stabilize sugar metabolism! Try it in your modified-for-A dessert recipes! And see our RECIbase® pages for some custom-made dessert ideas. :-)

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I am new to the BTD diet, 2 weeks. I would like to know what you think about Clif Bars. I am type A and I noticed that the ingredients fall within the type A guidlines. I am on a busy schedule and usually do not have the luxury of eating the right foods. I have been snacking between meals on peanut butter Clif Bars. Dion



Over a year ago, I brought home a variety of supp shoppe snack bars for an informal look-see and taste test. The Clif bars rated better than average on the ingredient list, and several of their varieties are avoid-free for type A secretors. However, my type A nonsecretor man and I (O nonsecretor) agreed that they contain way too much sugar for our taste. We both also felt sugar-shocked from just a few bites. In my opinion, the protein-fat-carb balance and ingredient quality of Peter's bars are far superior to anything else I've seen on the shelves. Try some and see if the reduced sweetness and higher protein factor might work for you! Note: at this time, the bars are being reformulated, so we'll see the new & improved ones early next year. For now, you might keep a bag of trail mix with you: throw in some peanuts, pumpkin seeds, or walnuts, organic chocolate chips (Sunspire® makes them), dried apricot, blueberries, cranberries or cherries, maybe some crisped rice, etc. to your taste.

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Many thanks for the Qs, tips, and shared wisdom from all our readers!

_

Dear Pam ~ Thank you for writing to me, and I hope I can be of some little help to you. Infantile Blount's disease (infantile tibia vara) is a condition that NOTHING in your diet during pregnancy or nursing could POSSIBLY have had ANYTHING to do with! I want to emphasize that you could not have done anything differently that would have precluded your daughter's condition. You are NOT AT FAULT in any way. You have done the absolute best things for her, and for yourself. This is most likely a genetic disease, for which no test is possible until the baby is born and shows symptoms.

An interesting note in regard to your concern: http://www3.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Omim/dispmim?259200.cs

-- indicates that this is an inherited disease (autosomal recessive), not multifactoral -- in other words, NOT a condition which your choice of food or exercise could have played any part in. These heart-wrenching things can happen with children -- it's part of what we risk in having them! -- and the parent's foremost responsibility and concern now is to realise that NOW is the only time that matters. NOW is when you can do the best thing for your child. :-)

I've been reading about Blount's for months now, hoping to find an alternative/complementary medical strategy to alleviate it. The good news is, now that your daughter is 24 months old, this is an excellent time for the first interventions.

Following are the references I found useful in understanding this condition and the best approaches to resolve it.

-- a simple explanation from an Illinois Pediatric Institute

http://www.orthoseek.com/articles/blount.html

-- specifics from a pediatrics site in hawaii:

http://www2.hawaii.edu/medicine/pediatrics/pemxray/v4c16.html

"Blount's Disease is a major cause of angular

deformation in children. It is also called infantile tibia

vara and results from some problem with the growth of

the posteriomedial aspect of the tibial physis.

Physiologic bowing usually has resolved by age 3, but

Blount's disease advances to more severe angulation.

Bracing is needed for those children between 14 and 30

months if the metaphyseal-diaphyseal angle is 9 to 16

degrees and the knee is unstable when walking."

-- 5 minute consultations (http://www.bayviewortho.com/Referrals/Consultant/5minconsult.html#Blounts Disease) says:

"Blounts Disease -- by Jennifer Lindsey

Description: Abnormality of the proximal tibial growth plate causing excessive varus alignment of the knees (bowed legs) in children.

Appropriate Care: Children presenting under 3 yrs of age with minimal deformity can undergo a trial of bracing. This should be a long brace from hip to ankle locked at knee. Most orthoapedists recommend this be worn day and night. If bracing fails to correct the deformity, or if the patient presents with moderate - severe deformity and age over 3 yrs, a realignment procedure is needed."

-- According to http://www.healthchecksystems.com/tchild.htm, primarily concerned with body composition (fat/muscle) in children,

"In a study of Blount's disease (severe bowing of the legs) approximately 80% of patients were obese."

I wish they'd provided the study.

-- a technical orthopedic site: http://gait.aidi.udel.edu/res695/homepage/pd_ortho/educate/clincase/blount.htm

-- Surgery after a certain age is not completely effective:

http://www.medmedia.com/l8/172.htm

-- Here are some very recent surgical recommendations/results based upon Langenskiöld's procedures (this is highly technical -- take it to your orthopedic pediatrician):

http://www.smaservicesinc.com/soa/jsoafl97/9text.htm

-- More recommendations and specific advice from http://www.pediatric-orthopedics.com/Topics/Bow_Legs/bow_legs.html boils down to:

-- bracing ASAP is indicated, along with carefully targeted xrays of the entire hip/leg/ankle/foot. 24 months is an ideal time to do so, in order to avoid surgery.

-- From the highly technical "limblengthening news" site (more stuff to cut & paste for your orthopedic pediatrician):

http://www.limblengthening.com/news/blount.html

"While there is a general consensus that correction of the varus deformity in Blount's disease is desirable, there have been many methods advocated. These include open or percutaneous osteotomy in the metaphysis of the proximal tibia, opening or closing wedge correction, acute or gradual correction, stabilization with internal or external fixation, and opening wedge correction through the proximal tibia physeal area. The use of a percutaneous osteotomy in the metaphysis and gradual correction of a large deformity with an external fixator has many advantages. The osteotomy is minimally invasive and does not require extensive soft-tissue stripping, improving the bony healing potential. Complications of osteomyelitis, wound dehiscence, and large keloid scar formation should be less likely. Benefits of the use of external fixation as the method of stabilization are that it allows increased weight bearing and lateral translation of the distal fragment along with the angular correction. Another benefit is the feature of postoperative adjustability after a standing hip to ankle radiograph is obtained and the mechanical axis analysis is performed. The use of a gradual correction may decrease the likelihood of neurovascular insult and compartment syndrome particularly in a patient with a massive deformity as in the current report. Gradual correction should be relatively safe in a Blount's disease patient with a massive varus deformity along with procurvatum and internal tibial torsion. Another advantage of gradual correction with a frame is the possibility for limb lengthening if needed to correct length discrepancy. Opening wedge correction prevents further shortening and loss of bone stock."

Now, what I think is this:

In terms of diet, give her plenty of homemade chicken or turkey soup/bone broth and steam & chop or blend into it some dark greens like kale or collards. Include Phytocal-A in some soft food (open the capsule and mix it in). Use powdered seaweed in her food instead of salt. Give her mineral water (you know my penchant for Gerolsteiner -- buy the fizzy variety if necessary, just shake it/open it/shake it/open it... let it go flat). Let her have little slurps of walnut butter, almond butter. Make fruit smoothies with them if you like. Cook beneficial beans for her, and include steamed, mashed okra for those great polysaccharides and minerals.

In terms of medical treatment, get braces for her legs right away. I know this idea makes you weep, but she is exactly at the right age to benefit from this method. This means alone can save her from the more invasive methods of internal/external frame support correction or surgery.

Pam, my prayers are with you and your little girl. Please keep me posted on what you're doing and how she is responding. If you ever catch yourself blaming yourself for her path, just imagine me standing there shaking my finger at you and saying, WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT THAT?? Obstacles create warriors, my dear -- adult and child. Blessings, and keep me up to date!

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Hi, Stojan! Your English is lovely, and 10000% better than my Greek. :-)

It is impossible to tell you what your personal risk is of developing MS -- if only 50-70% of people with optic neuritis later show MS symptoms, then you can very easily be one of the 20-50% who will not. Let's focus on how to maximize your health and your odds! I'll bet very, very few of those 20-50% are following the D'Adamo plans, so your odds are already better than most!!

There is no ABO blood group immune to developing MS. Although Type B is the commonest blood group among MS patients, all others are represented, too. According to a 1975 study by S. Papiha and D. Roberts published in Clinical Genetics, group O individuals were the most likely to show serum type Pp2 (low alkaline phosphatase) among a statistical sampling of people with MS. That gives us a clue that eating red meat in accordance with your diet is one simple approach to reduce your chances of developing MS. Eating meat stimulates the production of intestinal alkaline phosphatase, and a wheat/grain-based diet discourages IAP. Eat accordingly, OK?

There is some evidence that getting the Hepatitis B vaccine is a risk factor for developing active MS. If you have received this vaccine, it is not a death sentence; it is good information to have, and which should encourage you to stick to your type O plan, including diet, exercise!! (including a thorough stretching routine), and stress relief.

I would like to recommend the following to you for further information and support: the books Live Right 4 Your Type, the Complete BTD Blood Type Encyclopedia (which lists specific protocols for MS which you can follow now as preventatives), and Meditation as Medicine by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, available in English through online bookstores (like www.amazon.com); and finally, the Rocky Mountain MS Center website, which maintains knowledge bases of complementary medical approaches to treating conditions such as optic neuritis.

I wish you the very best of health, Stojan, and I look forward to hearing from you again!

I am a nurse, diabetic and over weight. A friend recently told me about this diet plan and I went over the type B material yesterday. My question is in regard to the comment there is a wide variety of breads and muffins to chose from. If I am to avoid wheat, where do I find the wide variety? It would seem it would all be made with wheat. Thank you. Mary



Ask your health food store manager, or use a good search engine like alltheweb.com to find breads available by mail. Because of concerned consumer involvement, breads are not all made with wheat anymore. As you are overweight and diabetic, it would aid your healing if you avoided all refined sugar and grain, to the best of your ability. A little brown rice, and sprouted grain bread (like Ezekiel or essene bread -- look at the Food for Life site, or www.naturespath.com, for example) would be the safest choices, but try to limit yourself to no more than one serving 5 times per week. Artisan Breads is a great source for BTD-compliant grain products, if you live in the UK. Good luck, Mary!

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Subject: Tomatillas - I am type A and looking for an alternative to tomatoe sauce. You don't have it listed, but do tomatillo's have the same lectin issues with a type A or B person as tomatoes do? I know that this sounds like an obvious question, but sometimes these slightly different vegetables behave differently as with the example of onions and shallots. Your answer to this question would be of enormous help to my meal planning. Thank you so much. Eileen



Hello, Eileen ~ we have no rating for tomatillos. It is a member of the nightshade family, like tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplant... so I suspect tomatillos would be fine for types O and AB, but avoid for type A and B secretors (and neutral for A and B nonsecretors). That's my best recommendation based on the patterns of food types in the lists. :-} hope it's helpful!

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I have most if not all the books--but two of them conflict. About Pinto beans, the smaller more recent publication says they should be avoided, the larger hardback, says they are benefical I am type 0 negative, 50 year old woman, high estrogen, low thyroid, low energy, needing to slim down and can't. Are pinto beans-an avoid or not? Also the book mentions bladderwrack to assist in losing weight. How much? If I eat watermelon it is an immediate weightgain that doesn't go away. Same with pinto beans-any idea why? Thanks for the assistance. Jan



The more recent publications have the updated food lists. Also, we maintain a change log for more recent developments. For weight loss, 200 mg of bladderwrack taken twice or thrice daily with meals is the recommended dosage. Jan, it appears you'd be better off without watermelon for the time being, as you react to it as you do to pinto beans (which are one of the few foods which upon re-testing have been moved from Beneficial to Avoid). Your system may not be processing wholefood sugars and electrolytes properly -- drink a glass of good mineral water daily (my favorite is Gerolsteiner) and use gray sea salt instead of white iodized salt on your food (low-salt diets are not the way to go). Exercise DEFINITELY belongs at the top of your health-building list, to increase your energy and balance your endocrine function as well as boost your metabolism. Next summer, I promise you'll eat that watermelon with a smile on your face! :-)

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I emailed Doc Bron about a week ago and still have not heard back. This is an urgent matter. My fiance is a Blood Type O+ and he is under a lot of stress. Currently he has been losing his hair rapidly, losing weight and not sleeping well. I asked Doc Bron what he recommended for him for this, but still have not heard back. My fiance lives in Guatemala. I'm trying to get this information as soon as possible for him to buy the necessary vitamins, herbs, etc... in order for me to send it to him. Also, for how long would he need to be on this regimen/therapy and after he's done, should he still be following this but only to maintain? Would you be able to help me with this, Please? Beatrice



Hi, Beatrice ~ it's one of the legal facts of life that any doctor who prescribes to an individual without examining that individual can have his license pulled. I'm sure Doc Bron would love to help, but he couldn't do as you asked without breaking the law. :-( Since I know so little about your fiancé and his diet & daily routine, the best thing I could advise you to do is send him two books: Live Right 4 Your Type, and the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia, both available in the store on this site and at bookstores on- and off-line. If I can help further, please write back with more specifics -- thanks, dear, and good health to you both!

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Once again, thanks to everyone! ~:-D

I have been following the blood type way of life for just a few short months and feel amazing results. My blood type is B+. I have recently been experiencing a shortness of breath or more acuratly, I feel as though I cannot get a deep breath. After using stress relieving visualization and deep breathing I am able to regain my breath.

I do have a bit of a sinus infection that has been lingering and I was wondering if they are associated. Do you have any recommendations? Are there possibly any herbal remedies I should consider? ~ Jennifer

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Hi Heidi, love the column. I have a thorny problem: I'm a type B (don't know secretor status) who's been suffering from horrible, chronic allergy problems and asthma that have progressively worsened since I turned 21 (21 years ago!). I've run the gamut of tests and treatments in those years, even had sinus surgery, and have also tried just about every diet "cure" I could find, including macrobiotic (imagine how well that went for me!), vegan, etc., etc.

This spring, I finally found my way to a homeopathic MD who recommends the BTD series of books, and I've been following the B diet pretty closely for about three months. Also, on her recommendation, using a homeopathic remedy (argentum nitricum) and several supplements -- reacted magnesium, "histaplex" (quercetin, bromelain, and something else), "lipistatin", and essential fatty acids (started out on EPO and a blend of DHA, GLA, and EPA, have JUST switched to fish body oils only).

Trouble is, after all this time, I'm seeing little to no improvement in the allergy/asthma condition. In the last couple of weeks, I've gotten discouraged by my constantly itchy, inflamed eyelids, heavy sinus congestion, and occasional asthma flare-ups, and I went to see her again yesterday for a checkup. She's surprised, too, that the allergy trouble hasn't gone away. So she switched the fatty acid supps, recommended regular (twice daily) use of the neti pot, and I went out and got some thyme/licorice tea. On the website, I see lots of stuff about allergies and sinusitis for Types A and O, but little for B. Have you seen this kind of thing before? Any advice? ~ Amy

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These two questions arrived on the same day, and have interesting parallels. Jennifer found that her breathing difficulties responded to visualization, and now seeks herbal remedies to treat a lingering sinus infection. Amy has run a long course of dietary, herbal, surgical and homeopathic treatments, but is still working very hard to find effective means of combatting her persistent allergies, congestion and asthma.

I'll respond to these rather complex issues as briefly as possible (for me, that is... I'm brevity-challenged by nature, so grab a comfy chair and a cool drink! :-}).

First, a big pat on the back for you: type Bs are the most susceptible to sinus problems triggered by allergies, and can have the worst time eradicating them once they've settled in. I want you both to go look in the mirror and say, "I'm doing a GREAT job handling these difficulties, and I'm going to SUCCEED in getting rid of them!" :-D

Jennifer: check out that neti pot, it can make a big difference. Use warm water with just a bit of sea salt added. More below.

Amy: Jennifer's visualization and breathing techniques worked, meaning that stress played a major role in her health problems (sadly, that's true for the majority of people). Bs get such great results from visualization and meditation that I'd put these strategies at the very top of your list. I can't speak to the homeopathics you're taking, but I'm not a homeopath and it sounds like you have a knowledgeable and responsive practictioner.

You're both following the B diet, thereby greatly reducing your exposure to , that can be avoided or minimized while you're healing.

The concept here is not that any one element has "caused" your difficulties. Nor am I suggesting you'll end up living in a bubble so as to escape each and every possible one of these "causes." Your body will do the healing as soon as it feels there is no "state of emergency" it must respond to first.

Allergies and their results arise when your total stress load is greater than you personally, biologically, are capable of handling. They start resolving when you get the stress volume back down below the flood line.

If the 'load' is primarily dietary, the correct diet can work "miracles." If it is primarily environmental (constant exposure to powerful EMF fields, radioactivity, molds, poor water, poisons of all kinds -- a professional ship painter who lives near a power plant, for instance) then changing jobs and/or moving, generally clearing the personal environment can do the trick on their own. If long-term psychological stresses are involved -- and this can be the case even if we don't "feel stressed" -- then meditation, visualization, yoga, chanting, or any one of many other focused stress-relief practices may be all that is needed.

For most of us, it's some combination of these factors that leads to declining health. The best approach in every case is to cover all the bases. Did I mention exercise? Whoops! Bs can benefit substantially through an exercise program that is varied, offers some intellectual challenge, and can be done in a group and/or alone. Does martial arts come to mind? good! An occasional pick-up volleyball game, ocean swimming, figure skating, dancing. Pick and choose. You want to engage the muscles without leaving the mind behind -- it's that balance thing again. ;-)

Hans Selye's The Stress of Life is the classic work on the relationship between stored stresses in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and health problems of a startling variety. Well worth its cheap price at one of the online used-book sellers, especially if you're wondering how the heck I'm linking meditation with relief from sinusitis! And I can't leave out my ubiquitous plug for Meditation as Medicine by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa and Cameron Stauth. Folks, this book is worth its weight in gold-pressed Latinum for most people, and probably more for Bs. I'll spare you the testimonials, and just say that it is science, narrative, revelation, discussion, technique instruction and love, all in one.

Couple of supplement notes:

Probiotics act to normalize your immune response, meaning they can crank it up or soothe it down as needed. Naturally, I'm going to suggest using the blood-type specific probiotics available on this site. Your gut is the center of your body's digestive and immune functions, so there's nothing HB'er than beneficial intestinal critters!! If you only could take one supp, it should be this one.

To avert bacterial sinusitis, and especially if it has already progressed to that stage, use elderberry concentrate or Proberry 3 (also available on this site).

Turmeric and quercetin are both excellent anti-inflammatories, and have no known overdose. Amy, perhaps you'd benefit by taking Q at a higher dosage than what's in your combo compound.

Finally, there are specific protocols and advice for Bs with sinusitis and allergies in the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia.

Well, that's me being brief -- not by the length of what I've written, but by how long it MIGHT have been, you see. :->

Jennifer and Amy, thank you for writing, and please let me know your progress!

Hello Heidi. Let me start by thanking you for the great job you are doing here. The first thing I read on the net every day, is your column ;-) Now for the question: In a week or so, my wife and I are going to have a baby. At first the baby will be getting milk from my wife. I am wondering what to do when it gets the age, at which it will need some normal food. Here in Denmark the official recommendation is to make porridge out of milk and some grains. Of course it is also recommended to include veggies and fruit, but the diet seems to be very grain-orientated. Since my wife an A and I´m an O, the kid will be A or O, but my question seems relevant to all parents. What does a Btd-expert recommend, when it comes to cooking right for your baby/small child? John

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I'm from Denmark and in my family we (five adults) are eating A and O food since the 10th of September 2001. We have used two of D’Adamo’s books: BTD (the Danish version) and ER4YT, Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia. The blood type diet has been a success for all of us, no doubt of that. Thank you for the new organization of the homepage with the two new columns, On the Diet and Ask Dr. Bron. They are really worth reading. From the homepage I know that D’Adamo took a break from answering questions for the month of April, as he was approaching deadline on his next book 'Eat Right 4 Your Baby'. We look forward to read this book and my question is: When will it be possible to buy 'Eat Right 4 Your Baby'? Best Regards from Kirsten

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Hello, John and Kirsten ~~



It bodes well for the health of the next generation that I've received so many queries about the forthcoming baby book. Just this morning, I learned that it is slated for release in the U.S. next Spring (2003). I haven't had a look at it yet, but the title will be Eat Right 4 Your Baby! I'm hoping to see the near-final draft in the next couple of months.



Starting young children on their blood type plans is a simple matter, in theory (especially for me, since I have no kids! :-}): with a blender or food processor, and a juicer, a varied diet of organic baby foods can be prepared at home. Granted, the time and commitment to doing so can seem prohibitive when you've been chasing the little angel around all day long. If your toddler is in day care, the complications mount, but food can be prepared the night before -- or the other parents might like the idea and be willing to cooperate to change the menu served at your center. Think of it as insurance. It is the golden opportunity to shape your kid's lifelong eating habits, not to mention minimizing childhood illnesses and maximizing the sleep you'll get at night. As in every situation, just do your best and realize it's far better than the mainstream alternative!



Mothers of my acquaintance tell me that babies do well with mashed fruit in the morning. Banana blended with plum is a big favorite -- not for all types, naturally, but the list for each type offers lots of possibilities. Juice made from a sweet or tart fruit and a dark-colored berry (such as pineapple and black cherry, grapefruit and strawberry, apple and blueberry) provide a tasty way to load up on vitamins and antioxidants. Just remember to dilute all fruit juices half-and-half with water. The exception is melons, including watermelon: use one kind at a time, alone, and without dilution.



Later in the day, it's better to switch to a vegetable juice. Carrot juice should be halved with celery juice, to minimize the sugar content. A very small amount (no more than 1/8 of the mix) of dark greens and small amounts of other (juiceable) beneficial vegetables can be added. Os (and other types) might also enjoy some homemade broth. As and ABs can benefit from soy milk, ABs and Bs could have fresh or cultured dairy, etc.



Fresh pieces of meat, fowl or fish can be simmered in a little broth or water and mashed or blended for a main course. The bottom of the "baby food pyramid" for every type should be fresh vegetables ~ raw or steamed and blended, or juiced. And the bottom of the "baby food juice pyramid" is pure water, in plenty.



These are just the basics, of course. Vary the diet, try a new food from the list now and again, and once you've gotten a month or two of practice you'll be an expert in feeding your little one (and enjoying the results). Live Right 4 Your Type, by the way, has excellent advice on lifestyle strategies for the young and toddling! in much more detail than I could summarize here.



My heartfelt thanks to the BTD parents and parents-to-be for their interest. Stay tuned! :-)

Hi there! I just wanted to let Sarah know that I too was starving 24 hours a day after giving birth. I too breastfed my baby - every 1-3 hours. I starved for several months! Whatever it takes, I recommend she get the help she needs to be able to eat enough. I recommend she not follow portions or frequencies until she has gotten over the starvation. Some women do not gain lots of extra weight during pregnancy - for instance, I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight by 8 days after the birth! I know I lost muscle tissue because I just could not eat enough. Besides avoiding wheat/dairy if she suspects a Type O baby, eat a wide variety of foods - frequently throughout the day and night. I do not think the recommendations in Eat Right For Your Baby hold true for mother's who fit this starvation profile until they find the extra high calorie level that is right for them. I ate a lot of fat but it really did not help as much as I'd hoped. One good meal was turkey burgers (Cook Right For Your Type recipe) and avocado. As a non-secretor, I started eating at least one sweet potato every day also. Sarah, Good luck! I wish I could have gotten the help I needed to eat enough after the delivery--it would have been so much healthier! Lynn

Well, Sarah ~~ a highly respected authority has spoken!! Thanks SO much for stopping by to help, Lynn! I'm sure that baby boy is joyfully filling lots of your time, but I'd love to hear from you more often! :-D thanks again!!

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Dear Heidi, Finally.....here's at least part 1 of my long question! I have suffered from "fatique" for years, and had come to believe it was simply my constitution. Well, I had an appointment a month ago with a supposedly very good French doctor, as I have a bizarre thyroid problem. I have been taking Armour thyroid for several years, and my Bev Hills doctor doubled my dose from 2 to 4 grains about a year and a half ago after my blood work showed very low thyroid levels. Did practically nothing as to how I felt or to the blood levels, so I finally sought help here after a long search to find a good doctor. The French doc has added Cytomel (T3) to the 4 grain Armour, and I have done blood work and a 24 hour urine test for thyroid, cortisol, DHEA, etc. (I also have been taking 20mg hydrocortisone for several years for adrenal exhaustion, and take DHEA as well.) This doc also had me do a urine test with a special lab in Paris to check for heavy metal toxicity. He speculated that this might be my problem, and that if it was the case, that it could be cured, and that very possibly my thyroid might repair itself, and I would not have to take thyroid medication all the rest of my life. (He actually said that many Americans have heavy metal toxicity....)

Well, I got the test results last week and it shows a very high level of mercury toxicity, and a somewhat high level of arsenic. No results yet on the other tests, and I do not see the doc again til May 22. I had my amalgam fillings removed over 2 years ago, and took several courses of Thorne's Captomer DMSA, though maybe not enough. I have now been reading on the internet on mercury toxicity, and have a multitude of the listed symptons: low blood pressure, high pulse, low thyroid, adrenal problems, fatigue, muscle soreness, difficulty concentrating, etc. (I also learned that, duh.... other things I did exacerbated mercury problems - such as gum chewing alot in my teen years, bruxism, picking up mercury from a broken thermometer, using an ultrasonic toothbrush, and working one summer as a dental assistant in high school and mixing amalgam fillings.)

These symptoms/problems could not possibly be due to my diet, as I have been on the type O diet basically for 20 years. I saw a "psychic" nutritionist around 1982, who put me on what was basically the O secretor diet, though even more restrained. I modified her diet somewhat around 6 years ago when I bought "Eat Right for Your Type," and further modified it last December when I found out I was a non-secretor. I have "cheated" normally one meal per week in these last 20 years, and hardly at all since I changed to the non-secretor diet.

I can only guess that if I did NOT eat like this, I would REALLY be sick! Instead, I am just basically tired, so obviously I do not follow the other important part of the LR4YT - exercise. (That subject will be part 2, as it is also long...). Obviously, I do not know what my new doctor will have me doing to detox the mercury, but I imagine it will be massive DMSA. (By the way, my Bev Hills doctor tried pregnenolone, glandulars, and Isocort on me before going to Armour thyroid and hydrocortisone - to no avail.) Soooooooo, do you have any words of wisdom on this??? I don't think I have ever seen heavy metal toxicity addressed by you or Peter. Do you think it is possible that this could be my underlying problem? And does Peter have any recommendations for detoxification?? (I do not have the enclyclopedia, so please let me know what the protocals are, if there are any). As always, I greatly appreciate your advise, and send you love from France, Abby

Well, Abby, what a journey you've had, eh?

Hey, I'm kind of disappointed that my advice to you closely paralleled your Bev Hills doctor's errors! Sheesh! You'd think I could do better than that! ;-)

The Encyclopedia has detoxification protocols, but they are aimed at "avoid"-food-related detox of the bowels, bloodstream and skin. For heavy-metal detox, I'd start using the harmless "chelating pesto" daily. The ideal recipe for an O non would be: 3 handfuls of cilantro (coriander leaf); one handful of parsley; six cloves of garlic; one handful of dried or toasted pumpkin (or winter squash) seeds in the shells; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1/2 cup of olive oil. Whiz the garlic, seeds and salt in the food processor or blender until they're the texture of coarse sand. Add the olive oil, then the greens, and process till it's a puffy light-green thick paste. It keeps well for a week or so in the fridge. The size of your handfuls, cloves, etc. can vary, so adjust this recipe at will. I'd take a tablespoon in the morning and one in the evening. You can use it as a condiment instead of taking it "straight," and feel free to add enough oil to make a sauce or a dressing -- it's great on plain broiled fish, or thinned as a salad topping or a sauce for warm root vegetables. Just see to it that you consume two tablespoons every day. It's a great start, and it's gentle yet effective.

Now: Does anyone there in France do EDTA chelation therapy? It's a weeks-long series of intravenous sessions, done in the office. That is one option for you. Further, here is a website I recommend for reading, and possible purchase of their products: kitchen doctor's heavy-metal oral chelation page. The products are strictly up to you, and may be cheaper elsewhere (Sun chlorella, for instance), but the advice is spot on, and the anecdotes may ring bells with you. It's a very good site for information on the process and what to expect. For more general reading, do a search for the phrase "heavy metal chelation" and include either "EDTA" or "oral" as modifiers. Perhaps you've done all this already! ;-) but if not, that's where I'd start. I have a couple of other ideas which I'll review, and send to you privately if they pan out.

There's a young woman I know who's been researching solutions to heavy-metal poisoning for years now. I will get in touch with her, and see if anything she has might be useful to your situation.

Take GOOD care of our Abby, and I look forward to your exercise post, dear!

:-D

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Thank you for all the good advices about O kids breakfast - I am sorry to bother you again Heidi- this time abour me: I´m B-,secr- and I need to loose about 15 kg -I´ve got most of Peters books but I still find it difficult to get the right balance for B-types- I Know I´m lucky-but it is still hard to get the right balance.

I´ve followed the diet more than a year (I´m afraid not 100% but getting closer and closer)I´m healthy a little bit dry skin and allegic, my bowel movements tell me every time I have eaten the wrong stuff, diareea, itchy and sore skin in the bottom! I´m so lucky that I will be staying home the next 3 months looking after my daughter,my garden and myself :I really need to be at home to change my lifestyle.

At the moment I´ve got 2 types of days:

1) Breakfast: eggs, cranberryjuice,banana, black tea.

midmorning:coffee with skimmed milk, and a kefirshake with fruit.

Lunch: kidneybean-salad, with red peppers, oniens etc and 1 slice spelt bread.

afternoon: Green tea, dried abricots, a few walnuts.

Dinner: Veal or turkey with broccoli and carrots.

Late night : apple and a glas of skimmed milk.

2)B: fruit, fetacheese, slice of bread, black tea.

m: Dried fruit: pineapple, raisin etc coffee with milk

L: Cold meat from dinner with veggies

A: Green tea and banana

D: Cod, veggies, some lowfat homemade dairy sauce

LN: skimmed milk and fruit

I ride my bike about 30- 60 min. a day when I take my daughter to school. I do a lot of gardening as well- seems both physically good and also very relaxing.

I do not take any supp. because of the very high price in Stacktheme-compaired to USprices. Could/should I change my diet ? I think I get about 600-1000 grams of veggies and 200- 400 grams of fruit a day, about 6 eggs a weeks, 2 x fish a w, 6 x meat a w, 3 x beans a w. What about exercise could I do more?- and should I do it ar specific times a day: like hard exercise in the morning and more relaxing stuff in the afternoon? Hope that you can give me and my fellow b´s a bit of advice to balance our diets. It is the most wonderful May day here in Denmark with cherrytrees blooming everywhere -so a very happy summer to everyone outthere - Thanks Henriette

Henriette, I believe your diet looks beautiful! ;-) Your idea of engaging in some strenuous activity in the morning, and calming exercise in the afternoon, is also very good. Perhaps a Tae Bo tape for the morning, or a session of weight training, two or three times per week.

Also, try to find time to take in about four liters of water per day -- an hour away from food, if possible -- to each liter, add a pinch of sea salt.

Sometimes weight loss takes a bit longer than we expect, especially when there are not so many kilos to be lost. And do remember to measure yourself at waist, hips and around each thigh & keep a record on a weekly basis. Often, muscle gain can obscure fat loss, and the scale may move little while the body proportions are changing significantly.

And perhaps other Bs can share their own techniques for boosting their slenderizing plan? :-> thanks for your note, Henriette ~~ we're finally enjoying Spring here in the Eastern U.S. as well! :-D

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