I am having a difficult time getting my blood type. I tried my health practitioner they said it was a very expensive test and my HMO does not cover it. I tried giving blood to the American Red Cross and I was deferred because I have travelled to a country that has a high malaria rate. What is the quickest most accurate way for me to find out my blood type. patricia

Very simple, and truly quick & accurate! Order it right here! Thanks, patricia! :-)

I have a question about the pervasiveness of corn in so many products. I understand to look for anything that has corn "whatever" in the ingredients list, but what I don't understand is what frequently used ingredients come from corn that aren't labeled as such, that I should also avoid. Could you provide a list of ingredients that come from corn that should be avoided? One specific issue that I recently became aware of from the BTD information was the issue of Vitamin C made from ascorbic acid. Should ascorbic acid be avoided? Don

Hello, Don! The problem is that there are too many places to find corn-sourced ingredients, and most of them conflict with each other. The safest way to stay corn-free is to call or email the manufacturer and get an answer on whatever shifty-looking ingredient before buying the product. Ascorbic acid itself does not contain a lectin, but I'd stick with food-based C ~ rosehip, acerola cherry ~ or have a daily dose of water from overnight-soaked organic rosehips ~ as our bodies absorb it far better. :-)

hello Heidi I have a question about beneficial enzymes such as Bromelain found in pineapple.. are these enzymes affected or killed by the pasteurization process that occurs in the canning process. i love pineapple juice and want to get the most out of it possible... thanks for you help, Rachel

Hey there, Rachel! Well, I suspect bromelain is a hard enzyme to kill ~ folks, please correct me if I'm wrong. You see, the supplement forms of bromelain are produced through extraction from the pineapple stalks left after the fruit is harvested, and if bromelain can survive that process, I'd suspect it can survive pasteurization. That said, you'll get more of *all* the goodness in pineapple by investing in a juicer and using fresh fruit -- but as always, the best you can do is just great, and far better than the Standard American Diet!! :-D

Heidi, I was just about to call American Red Cross to schedule a blood donation when the question crossed my mind is giving blood stressful to the body? Is there anything special one should do to prepare for a donation? Is there anything special one should do afterwards to reduce any negative impact and reduce recovery time? Don

Well, it does take a tiny toll on the body, but in a couple of hours you'll be back to base. Be well fed & hydrated an hour or two before arriving. I've found a snack & a drink immediately afterward, and ten minutes' sitting while having it, does the trick for me. I pack a small bottle of prune juice and one of water, along with some jerky or nutbutter-filled celery sticks, and prepare to courteously decline the OJ and the Keebler cookies! LOL! If it's your first time giving blood, sip some water, then sit & have your snack, then get up quickly and see how you feel. Woozy? Siddown! Stay a few minutes more and try again. It shouldn't take more than five minutes more. I'm so pleased you'll be a fellow blood donor, Don!! It's a WONDERFUL thing to do, and I wish everyone who can would join the club!! ~:-D

What does too much Vitamin A do to you? Amanda

;-D Ah. Well: have enough of it, and your skin will fall off. SCARY! :-D Seriously, that's just what happened to some Northern explorers who wanted, naturally, to use all the meat from the polar bear they had hunted and killed for food. Unfortunately, polar bear liver contains such a massive dose of vitamin A that even a small portion is way over our RDA. ;-) imagine their surprise, eh? :-( So be very careful if you need to supplement it, and I strongly recommend using carrots, carrot juice, and other food-based sources of carotenoids rather than those powerful doses of synthetic A found in many supps. OK? :-D thanks, Amanda!

Heidi, I am a Type O faithful reader of your daily column. Lately I noticed some comments by a contributor, and have read in other articles, about the importance of getting the right balance between Omega 3, Omega 6, and Omega 9 fatty acids. If one is following the BTD and is reasonably compliant, is there any need to pay additonal attention to this? I personally use about 2 tablespoons ground flax seed, and some olive oil daily, and try to eat some nuts, red meat and fish several times a week. Can we assume that if we're following the diet for our particular blood type, we are getting the right balance? Thank you. Nancy

Nancy, you've got it to a T. The diets are designed to provide optimum nutrients, and EFA supplementation is generally suggested only in deficiency disease states. That said, the Standard American Diet is woefully imbalanced in the EFA department as in so many others, but a switch to the BTD will gradually rectify that situation by supplying the various deficiencies in food-level amounts and natural forms. Thanks for your Q, it's a great one! :-D