Dear Heidi, My husband (type O secretor) has been diagnosed with a "mild hiatus hernia" 2 years ago after having had discomfort from acid reflux. He has since been taking medicine (Protinex) every other day to keep it under control. A friend just sent us an article in which it is suggested that the condition can be cured by using acidophillus and super enzymes instead of just treating the symptom. We would appreciate your opinion of this and also would like to know whether using Dr D'Adamo's probiotic formula for type O would have the same result. Also, most diary products containing acidophilus like yogurt and kefir are avoids for type O... would acidophillus capsules also be an avoid? Thank you so much for a wonderful column, I really look forward to reading it whenever I can and learn so much from reading all the prevoiusly asked questions. Kind Regards. Ilze Sims



Greetings, Ilze! A girl after my own heart: we surely don't want to just treat the symptoms! :-D OK: here are the drug-free things to do for hiatus hernia, for ALL types. First, call every chiropractor in your area, and find one who knows how to perform the... diaphragm pull-down maneuver. There is a name for this move, which of course I have handily forgot just now when I need it. Once upon a time, long ages ago when I lived on whole wheat and vegetables, I had quite the hiatus hernia myself. My chiro fixed it right up with that "__ Maneuver." Your husband will get relief immediately, and any chiro who can do it will recognize what you're asking about. ~;-D Also, see the column from July 23 on this topic!



Meanwhile, get a couple of fresh whole ginger roots and stick them in the fridge. In a juicer, grind up a one-by-two-inch piece (approximate!) and feed your husband the juice (a half-teaspoon or so) in the morning, half an hour before eating. It will "burn" at bit, but no harm is done -- it's a GOOD thing. Have him take it on an empty stomach, before each meal, and any other time he'd like some. ;-) You can juice up to a cup of it at a time; it will keep for a few weeks in the fridge.



Also: No eating within 3 hours of bedtime. Liquids are fine, or a tiny snack say, two hours before sleep, but dat's it.



Raise the head of the bed 6 inches or so ~ safest method is to put a stack of nailed-together two-by-fours under the headboard's legs, unless you have one of those crank-uppable Craft-Matics! :-D This has helped loads of people with reflux. And it's only temporary ~ you'll be able to get back level with the world when your husband's asymptomatic.



Finally: have him separate flesh protein foods from grains. For instance, one type of meal would be eggs, meat, fish, or fowl eaten with vegetables. The other type is rice, bread, etc. eaten with vegetables and a good helping of oil, butter or ghee. Combining meat & grain at one meal may be the original cause of the trouble, and inadequate amounts of fat with grain may be making it too difficult to digest for him. It's easy for Os because we should only eat grains three times per week, right? :-) Right? This one strategy can prevent him having the problem ever again, once it is resolved. (p.s.: exercise to relieve stress!)



Probiotics are wonderful, but I'd use Peter's (which are the correct specific flora & fauna by blood type along with a nice food supply for them) ~ however, I would not depend upon them to get rid of the hernia.



OK! Get to work! :-D and thanks so much for your compliments! They are greatly appreciated. :-)



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Dear Heidi, Thank you so much for your column and the kind and supportive manner that you have. Reading your column regularly helps me stay on track with this lifestyle. I'm an o-non. I've been following this plan since 1996. It took many years of gradual change in diet habits and a lot of patience to improve my health. Since my state of being healthy has been stable, I have gained self-confidence and happiness. I fully believe in this lifestyle and I'm deeply grateful to Dr. D, and to you and your colleagues for helping me get to a better state of being. My questions: 1) Red wine is beneficial for o-nons, so does that mean it's good to have a lot of it? How much is too much? 2) I generally practice eating beneficials and neutral and for the most part don't eat avoids. I don't watch the frequency of what I eat, for instance I may wind up having some grain each day instead of 3x a week. Since you are an o-non would you be able to post a sample diet so I can see what kind of pattern I should aspire to follow? 3) Did I spot somewhere that you are based in NYC? If so, are you available for nutritional consultations? a big virtual hug and a thousand thanks. -emme



Ah, I can feel that hug!! :-D I'm tremendously pleased you have found your way along with this plan. It truly is a life-changing diet, isn't it? Emme, wine is intended as an occasional beverage, for its cardiovascular effects proceeding out of moderate intake. I'd say no more than one glass per day, and best only a couple of times per week. I would dearly love to offer consultations, although that is one of those things I know are beyond my resources of time and commitment ~ who knows, I might take it on as well at some point. For now I cannot, but I am so flattered by the request! :-) However, I did post a sample meal/shopping guide which might be of help to you ~ in this column from May. I rarely eat grain, since I use the abundant O-vegetables so extensively. Since my guy is type A, I do have bread, rice and a variety of other grains in the freezer, but if you have escaped the multiple-type household fate (LOL!) it will be an easy measure to eliminate temptation by planning other kinds of meals and just not buying the breads! ;-) Thank you for writing, dear!!



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Hi Heidi! This is a very informative site and I thank you for keeping up with it. My husband (O-) and I (AB+) have been doing ok on the diet (we're a bit lazy about it). Our major problem is coffee and sweets (decaf for me and caffeinated for Luke). Is this a real problem? I've been drinking coffee (espressos, lattes, etc.) since I was 3. I was also wondering if ER4YB is still on schedule for release in March. We've been trying to have a baby for 8 years now. The diet is starting to regulate my hormones, if I can just stick with it. I also noticed that there are really big differences in food consumption and choices between the AB Secretor and Non-Secretor statuses. Would knowing this bit of info help to speed up weight lose? And what would you recommend for my sweet tooth (ice-cream & chocolate mainly) and Luke's obsession with sodas? I've been drinking a glass of Papaya juice when the craving for something sweet strikes, but it only curbs it a little. The Winters also make it hard to stay on the diet. I prefer summer foods, but they're too cold to eat in these temperatures. Thanks for your time! :0 ) Kathy & Luke



MMMmm, coffee and chocolate! Yum! Well, coffee can begin to present a noticeable problem if adrenal exhaustion sets in. The more stress you're under, the greater the risk that coffee's effects can put that one last straw on the endocrine system. Os and ABs have a similar stress response in many ways, so this is something for both of you to consider. In the meantime, it is limiting your husband's calcium absorption, subverting his natural tumor-protective abilities and raising his stomach-acid levels. For you, it does very similar things, so I'd try making it an occasional treat rather than a daily beverage -- especially if you plan to have a baby, for which you should be in tip-top shape! As far as I know, ER4YB is still expected early this year!



Knowing your secretor status could indeed help with the weight loss -- but only if you follow the diet, you little devil!! ;-> just kidding!! L-glutamine is helpful for cravings, but I think the key lies in forming new habits. Evaluate the chocolate and soda use ~ see if the urges come at certain times in the day or month (in your case). Commercial soda is one of the worst things anyone can do to themselves. Luke could do far better with a mixed drink like seltzer or mineral water, a few tablespoons of cherry, grape or blueberry concentrate, and a squeeze of lime or lemon. Believe it or not, a half-cup of licorice tea with cherry concentrate, topped up with fizzy mineral water, tastes uncannily like Dr. Pepper! and it's good for him. :-) For the chocolate jones:



















































You were probably looking for a way to stop the longing for chocolate, but if l-glutamine doesn't do the trick for you, I suggest using recipes like this (occasionally!) which contain one or more beneficials!



Seasonal eating, as well as getting plenty of sleep, is something that will truly help you toward your health goals if you can just angle toward it a bit. Try some classic Italian dishes based upon stir-fried bitter greens, turkey meatballs and broth. Fish is wonderful year-round. Goat and lamb work beautifully in strong-flavored stews. Pick up a recipe or two from the Net, adapt it for your two types, and try it out. This approach allows us all to vary the foods in our diets and get excited about it all ~ even if we've been doing it for years! ;-) I hope some of this helps, and thanks for writing, Kathy!



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