Archives for: July 2000
Type A Roundup! #2 !
July 27th, 2000 , by admin
hi its me again
I am (A+). my dad is (A+) my mom is (O+). I have tried many times the vegetarian diet & failed. does My (O) ancestry have any influence? brian
Most type As do better with small quantities of fish and fowl in the diet ~ relatively few folks truly thrive on a vegetarian diet. Don't feel you failed! What you did is learn something about your own body's needs, which is what we're all about here! :-D
Hi heidi , Iam type A , and I have read on the Peter.J.D'Adamo's book that it's not good for me to eat meet of beef,pig,mutton .But I am not sure to understand the summary table where we find the number of meet-portions that I can eat by day or week ..Do this mean that I really can eat meet during the week ? Or is it totally inadvisable for me to eat that sort of meet ? I am sorry for my bad english . Thank you for your attention , cordially , philippe .
Bonjour, Philippe! Never worry over your English here, as it's just barely better than my French and moreoever certainly got your question across (which is all that matters! :-)) Yes, you can eat that number of "meat portions" -- because that table includes chicken, turkey, etc. You can have that many portions of the neutral items on that list. Hope that clears it up for you! :-)
I have 2 questions about the type A diet. First, I have a sweet tooth, and I was wondering if it is alright to use Splenda as a sweetener instead of Nutrasweet or Stevia. I have read that Nutrasweet is not good for you, and I have tried Stevia and find that it is bitter. Second, a glass of red wine is reccomended every day. As hard as I try, I just can't drink wine. I can't stand the taste! I do like "Harvey's Bristol Cream" sherry though. Is this a wine product and will I get the same benefits from drinking this instead? Thank you! Karen
Hi there, Karen ~ Rather than splenda, please look into vegetable glycerine. It will fill all your sweetening needs, and it's actually good for you! If you scroll to the bottom of this page, and enter the search term "glycerine," you'll find all the columns I've written on it, along with my rather dim view of splenda. :-) Sherry is a fortified product made from wine and brandy (a distilled liquor), so it's not recommended for As as a daily drink. The herb Hawthorne, however, along with the dark-colored fruits in your diet, will provide plenty of heart-protective substances ~ so don't sweat the wine! thanks, dear! :-)
I'm type A2 and wanted to know what about whey makes it an avoid although other dairy foods like farmer's cheese, feta cheese, goat's milk, mozarella cheese, yogurt and ricotta cheese are neutral. Whey as a protein source seems like it's everywhere, being touted as a great food, so how different is whey protein from the other neutral dairy foods type As can eat? Also, would whey from goat's millk be acceptable for As? Personally, I eat no dairy whatsoever but just wanted to know the rationale behind this as other type A family members have asked me why they can't have whey and I'm clueless.... Thanks Maddy
Hi, Maddy ~ it's nice to hear from you! Whey must be understood in two ways; first, that cheesemaking removes it partially or entirely from the cheese, and second, that as a supplement it is delivered in great quantity. Whey is a very watery substance in nature, and the "whey protein powders" sold as protein supps are highly concentrated forms of it. Some people tolerate the amount of whey in goat's or sheep's milk quite readily, but many do not digest even that amount without trouble ~ and whether something is highly touted makes no difference at all to what truly works in an individual's diet (that might be the first thing I'd mention to family members! ;-D). For A nonsecretors, for example, even cow's milk whey is a "neutral."
There is a subsidiary issue here which is usually forgotten when we discuss supplements and "food products:" the fact is, each person is able to eat only so much in a given day. Our hope is that one's "only so much" be spent upon the best whole foods by blood type. We all are tempted by convenience foods, sometimes to the point where they almost entirely take over the space that whole foods were meant to fill. Know how many times I've overheard someone at the gym say, "Oh, I'm fine cuz I got 300% of my total nutritional needs in my XYZ-brand diet-powder smoothie this morning" ?! In my opinion, there are relatively very few people for whom protein powders truly have a place in the diet. For performance athletes and others daily pushing their physical ability-envelopes, and for whom the time simply isn't there to prepare and eat enough food to keep them going, I first recommend smoothies with plenty of nutbutter, and/or hard-boiled egg, and/or strong meat broth, with the addition of organic nutritional yeast -- second, I OK egg (all types) or soy (A/AB/O secretors, A nons) or whey protein (A nons (marginal)/B/A
powders, depending upon blood type and secretor status.
Whew! I went on about that one for a bit! ;-> I hope it clarifies our approach for you & your family! :-D
Hi Heidi: I'm an "A" and understand that eating snails (escargo) can help possibly avoid breast cancer. Does this include any type of snails sold commercially or served in restaurants? When buying canned snails in the grocery store, should I look for any particular brand or labelling? Thank you. Lorraine
The Helix pomatia ("Roman," "escargot," or "large Burgundy") snail is a common item in specialty stores and French cuisine, and the basis of the Helix Plus supplement sold in our Store. If you can find them in your regular grocery store, that's great! Any brand will do, just keep a close eye on anything added by various brands, and stick with the brands whose ingredients are good for you. thanks for writing, Lorraine! :-D
Dear Heidi, Your correspondant was asking about secretor test in Canada; I have also wondered about their availability in Australia, but decided to take the empirical way out, and carefully listed all the differences between A Secretor and A non-secretor. Having been assiduously on the A Secretor diet (from the Encyclopedia)for two months, with excellent results to my digestion, after two days on the Non-secretor alternatives I certainly know what I am, and hotfooteded it back to home territory! Best wishes, Jenny
There's a girl after my own heart! LOL! :-> Good job, Jenny, and thanks for illustrating just how powerful one's home science experiments can be! In the end, the first best authority on the best diet is one's own body. a note well appreciated, dear! :-D
A recent study in England suggests that daily consumption of any form of alcohol including red wine can lead to breast cancer. Because I am a type A, I drink 1/2 cup of red wine every evening because the blood type diet said it would be good for my heart, but type A's are suceptible to breast cancer as well. Should I stop the red wine? Carol
Hi, Carol ~ If you are a nonsecretor, I'd say definitely stick with the wine -- if you're a secretor (likely, since around 85% of people are secretors) I would say that you can take it or leave it as you like. A daily dose of hawthorne, along with the rest of the A-secretor diet which is heart-protective in a variety of ways, can certainly cover all of what red wine does. That said, the study you referenced is refuted by others, and I think you'll fare better to ignore most of what appears on the mainstream news! These news items show up in cycles -- first vegetarianism is the doctor's advice, then a high-protein diet, then wine is good, then wine is bad, and so on -- apparently designed to keep people worried and uncertain, and primed for that next "supercure" product! In brief: wine, for you, is a nonissue in my opinion, and whatever you decide will be fine for you! :-D
I am a type A and I am wondering if I can eat Textured Vegetable Protien (TVP). I havnt seen anything about it in any of the reading. thank you Aimee
Hello, Aimee ~ Generally speaking, I have two things to say: first, try not to depend upon a highly-processed product like TVP for your protein. Instead, make whole foods your diet's "backbone." Second, take a careful survey of the product's ingredients for comparison with your food list. If there are no avoids in the mix, it is technically OK to eat, but I'd like to emphasize that "whole foods" thing once again! :-) Choose whole beans, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds first ~ and products like TVP second, OK? :-D
Hi! I would know if home made soy yogourt made with calcium added "soy milk" is O.K. for type A nonsecretor and it's O.K. to eat it each day for breakfast? Thank you for your answer. Christine
Hello, Christine! For nonsecretors, the frequency for bean products is 3-5 servings per week. That yogurt (soy is neutral for nons, but the culturing boosts it a bit) is taking up seven servings of beans in the week! and which might be divided among some other beneficial beans as well. So maybe switch up the yogurt with a lentil or pinto bean paste on toast, or a dollop of miso in warm broth, instead? Nice work on the homemade yogurt, by the way! Want to post a recipe? :-) thanks, Christine!
Hi Heidi I am a A+ and on the diet since 7 August 2002. I lost about 10 kg. I still have a sinus problem and get severe headaches which I presume is because of the sinus. I do not eat any wheat products. What can you suggest? Thanks eurika
Hello, Eurika! First thing in the morning, a nice cup of hot water with the juice of half a lemon added. Eliminate dairy entirely from your diet, as it is the premiere culprit in sinus trouble. The supplements collinsonia canadensis (stoneroot) and quercetin can alleviate the swelling and inflammation. Finally, use Polyflora-A, ARA6 and green tea to speed/detoxify the digestion -- and yoga daily for toning the digestive system and relieving immune system stress. You'll be feeling better in no time! thanks for writing, dear!
Hi Heidi, I am 33 and blood type A who wants to be in good physical shape. Since Yoga and Tai Chi are recommended for type A's, does that mean I do not have to weightlift to have muscle tone, especially into my 60's and 70's? I do not like to weight lift and I was wondering if Yoga or Tai Chi is enough to prevent sarcopenia in the latter years? Also, can I do Power Yoga instead of Hatha Yoga and achieve the same benefits? Bryan
:-) Yes, absolutely! And power yoga, or ashtanga yoga, is quite a workout. After a few months of regular yoga or martial arts practice, you'll have a good idea as to whether you want to add other kinds of exercise in order to be in the shape you want to achieve. Also... see below!
Hi Heidi, What is your take on this new "Hot Yoga" by Bikram. I think that is how you say it. I'm an "A" secretor and my wife is an "O" secretor. Thank you for such an imformative page and we love your multi Q&A pages. Carl
The Yoga for Health and Fitness website contains vast resources on yoga, and I highly recommend it ~ no matter what blood type! I don't have any experience with "hot yoga," but the website noted above does contain some warnings for pregnant women working out at those high temperatures. Give it a read, and you'll soon know more than I do!! thanks for bringing it to my attention, and enjoy that site! :-D
Type AB Roundup! #1 !
July 26th, 2000 , by admin
HOW important is it for an AB+ blood type to know her secretor/non-secretor status???? Thanks! Bethany
Hello, Bethany! Well, there are a number of foods that change value depending on secretor status. Supplementation guidelines in the Encyclopedia also have notes specific to nonsecretors. It is no more important for one blood type than for another, but getting your secretor result can be of great help if you have health concerns you are trying to resolve. If you're trim, healthy and energetic, and are not a performance sportswoman, then following the "plain vanilla" BTD plan is probably all you will need to do! But if there are intractable health issues of any kind, I always counsel to get that test in order to shorten the healing process! hope this helps you make your decision! :-)
I have looked through your type AB store. I am AB non secretor. I have many minor health problems at age 46. High cholesterol (354 unmedicated) they say it's a heredity type. I have benign essential tremors. Overweight by about 45#s. Joint aches, peri menopausal problems, constant tiredness. I take 40mg zocor daily for cholesterol (the Dr is now trying an herbal approach(Cholestin)for 3 months), inderol 80mg for my tremors, and meridia 15mg (I started taking this to loose weight, but found it helped lower my cholesterol even though I'm not loosing weight) I also take motrin 800mg 2x daily if needed. I've been taking co Q10 and folic acid lately, I heard they were good at counteracting the negetive effects of my cholesterol meds. My mother was also type AB. She developed high cholesterol, high blood pressure, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, breast cancer, then secondary bone cancer. I give you all of this information, because I'm trying to decide what I can safely take, that is listed in the AB type store. Will any of this have an adverse effect with the medication I'm taking? How about an adverse effect with the cholestin? I'm also confused on what wheat products I can eat. Any help would be greatly appriciated. Patti
Dear Patti! Right now, because of what you're going through, I would eliminate wheat altogether and use only the beneficials in your grain list, instead. There are a lot of them! In fact, please stick to beneficials from all groups if possible! Please try, anyway, OK? You will feel so much better on a mostly-beneficial diet!!
If your cholesterol meds have negative side-effects (most do!) please speak to your doctor about using Chinese red yeast rice from the most reputable supplier -- here is their webpage. This is a government-assayed, safe and potent product. Every single person I have spoken to who has used it has experienced a dramatic drop in cholesterol within weeks, and that includes many people who were told they had inherited a genetic predisposition to hypercholesterolemia. To order it, go to the page on that site marked "contact," and call them. The cost is about $90 for a bulk package of about two pounds! An effective dosage is about one teaspoon per day, so the package lasts for about a year.
Finally, do get hold of the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia and follow those protocols. I hope you are following a powerful stress-relief practice ~ the suggestions in Meditation as Medicine by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa and Cameron Stauth can be implemented even if you are bedridden, and they are nothing short of miraculous. Let me know how you are doing, and take good care, dear! :-D
I am 56 year old blood type AB & have been diagnosed with osteoporosis in the hips (-2.69 BMD)& osteopenia of the spine (-1.36 BMD). The doctor has percribed 70 mg. Fosamax 1/per week. While the medicine is known to rebuild bone density, it is cruel on the digestive tract. Is there another natural product that is just as effective? I have been following the Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type for approximately 1 1/2 years and prefer to stay away from man made medicines as much as possible. Thanks in advance for your input! Sandy
Hello, Sandy! YES! I suggest you get away from the fosamax ASAP. The reports of its side-effects and lack of effectiveness are mounting up. What has worked for my friends and acquaintances is daily use of: Cortiguard (available in the Store on this site), Phytocal-AB, weight-bearing exercise, and foods high in calcium. Because the link varies, just go to the Ask Dr. D'Adamo page, scroll to the bottom and enter the search term "calcium." You'll see in the list a post entitled Calcium from Almonds ~ that's the one that has a list of calcium-rich foods. And see my message just above, regarding a stress-relief practice. It is truly amazing how effective it can be for ailments that appear at first glance entirely unrelated to "stress." For your level of osteoporosis, I'd use the Encyclopedia protocols for it as well.
In this case, the natural approach is far more effective than fosamax, and it "first does no harm," which is more than we can say for most drugs on the market.
thank you for writing, Sandy ~ I'm sure you'll see some progress soon. It does take time to reverse these conditions, but slow and steady WILL win the day! Please keep me posted on how you do! :-D
Type B Roundup! #1 !!
July 25th, 2000 , by admin
Hello Heidi! I am B-secretor type.My question is: what is good-quality lecithin, which I use in Membrane Fluidizer Coctail? Is it soy granules (avoid type for or Phosphatidyl choline? Where to buy the last one? I used soy granules,inspite of avoid,but later I found PC in "Complete Blood Encyclopedia" with specific beneficial effect for my blood type. Thanks and regard, Yelena.
I am type B and see that I should avoid soy products. However lecithin, which I love, is mostly found made from Soy. Is there any source for lecitin granuals (I don't want caps) other than soy and where could I purchase. My health food store only caries the soy product. Love your research and am following the diet as best I can (I still choke on adding lamb and venison because I have been vegetarian for 8 years, but love cheese and fish). Rebecca
Greetings, Yelena and Rebecca! Soy lecithin is perfectly fine for all types. Consult the link, TYPEbase3. Search for "lecithin." Egg lecithin is also available, but I know of no organic brand, so I'm happier if you use the soy lecithin -- which, just to reiterate, does not contain the harmful "soy lectin." :-) Phosphatidyl choline is one of the elements supplied in lecithin, and can also be purchased separately at specialty supplement shops. Don't worry, Rebecca, you're doing fine! and you may find you develop a taste for those meats later on. ~:-D
Hi Heidi. I am B neg and on the yeast protocol. You mentioned it can help to avoid all grains for a month or two. Is Manna bread considered a grain? I'm hoping because it is sprouted I can still eat it on my grain-free yeast protocol. Also I found 100% fresh sprouted bread that is not called Manna or Ezekiel. Is it okay to eat if the only ingredients are 100% sprouted grains and water? I made a chart for myself to remind me how much and how often I can eat the different food groups. But on my chart I put Fruit: 1/2cup, 4-6x/week instead of Fruit: 1cup, 2-3x/week. Does it make a difference if I eat the food more often if I break it up into smaller portions?? I find I'm happier and more satisfied if I can eat fruit, cheese, beans and grains more often in smaller portions than doing without for many days. Thanks for your help! Laura
Hello, Laura ~ I want to point out that the fruit frequencies should read "per day" rather than "per week!" (This is listed in the Updates Page linked on our main page, www.dadamo.com.) Manna bread is still considered a grain ~ the lectin is destroyed, but the other elements of grain remain. Any 100% sprouted grain product is OK if it contains no avoids for you. Eating your meals as smaller, more frequent snacks is a great idea! Keep with it! :-)
I am B+ and I just starting the diet in UK with some difficulty in finding products. As I have types A and AB in the house I am trying to combine it all and am doing a spreasheet with a list of all foods and who should eat what. Hence a few questions : is brocoli ok for type B? How about Ostrich meat? Is Lemon Sole only ok for type O? How about Pecan nuts for A, B or AB? Is A allowed to eat bagels? Is cassava or Manioc the same as Yam? Do you know cassava flour? How about orange peppers, they are not mentioned on the lists. Marcia
Hi, Marcia! Whoo, you have your work cut out for you! ;-) Cassava and manioc have not been specifically tested, but I would consider them as having the same value as yam. For peppers of any color, use the rating given for Pepper - green/red/yellow. Bagels? Depends on the ingredients! :-D All the rest of your answers are right there in TYPEbase3. Do one separate search for each item -- broccoli, ostrich, sole, pecan. Thanks for writing, and good luck with your three-type household!! :-D
I'm a type B. I found a mayo that's made with grapeseed oil instead of canola oil but haven't been able to find any information that would tell me if the grapeseed oil is an acceptable oil. It's extremely difficult to find oil containing products that do not use oils to be avoided for my type. I am very hopeful that this would be an acceptable (maybe even beneficial) alternative for me. I would very much appreciate your help. Thanks! Casey
Casey, we don't yet have a rating for grapeseed oil. In my opinion, it will turn out to be a neutral for all types ~ technically, since it has not yet been tested, it can be used as a neutral if you have no severe health difficulties at this time. Both grapeseed and rice bran oils are also wonderful for safe higher-heat cooking! Thanks for your note! :-D
I am new and a type B. I note that I am not allowed olives but the only beneficial oil for me is olive oil which seems illogical - can you explain. I have not completed everything in the book yet but have seen no mention of honey or other sweeteners can you give me guidance. Maggie
Welcome to the BTD, Maggie! About olives/oil: Short answer? Oil is only one part of the olive. :-) There are many kinds of olives, and many kinds of olive oil, but for Bs, it's best to stay away from olives because of fermentation and mold concerns. There are many sweeteners listed in Live Right 4 Your Type, and we also maintain a searchable food database in case you'd like to check individual items. thanks, Maggie!!
I am 39 years old female type B-. I have started to eat what's wright for my type. I just wanted to know about were to place green bananas since I eat them often and they were in no category. Green bananas are different from plantains they're eaten boiled and are not sweet. Also I would like to know if Palm oil is good for me. Waiting for your reply I thank you very much. Liberata
Hey, welcome in, Liberata ~ Well, if they are indeed bananas and not plaintains, then use the TYPEbase 3 link right above, in Maggie's answer, and search for "banana." Palm oil is unlisted, but is a rather vexed topic. Here is the column I wrote on it a while back ~ read up & let me know your views! take care, dear, and keep in touch!
I am Type B and noticed that "Grape-Nuts" is listed on my list as being able to be consumed. These are manufactured with both barley and wheat - barley is a no-no for me and wheat is to be monitored. What's the scoop? Cara
Hi there, Cara! The scoop is: read the ingredient list of all products before purchasing them, which I see you do! Good work!! Second, I think we will be modifying that listing to remove it, as the newer research on blood type-reactivity has resulted in a shift of values for the Grape Nuts ingredients. I'm going to look into this, and thank you!!
My blood type is B negative. I'm a 43 year old male. I have hypothyroidism, reflux, and I've just discovered, high cholesterol (230). I'm treating the first two successfully via meds. I would really like to control the third problem if I could without meds. Instead of red meat, I'm eating a lot more fish, and egg whites. I would like to eat Tofu/Tempeh. Both seem to do well in my system, yet I see that they are on the "Avoid" list for vegetables (page 161). On page 152 of the book, however, it states: Soy foods often are recommended as dairy substitutes. You may eat soy foods, but they're mostly benign for Type Bs. I understand that the fear in recommending soy foods is that B's will substitute them as main courses instead of eating meat. Question: are Tofu and Tempeh on the Avoid list for "B's" because of the concern that "B's" will substitute them for main courses and miss out on the benefits of eating meat, fish, and dairy, or do those two foods actually contain the harmful lectins B's should avoid? Thanks for your time. Max
Hi, Max! The avoid status for soy is the result of research that has been done since BTD was published in 1996. It has been found to have a pesky antigen-cleaving property which we do want you to avoid! Your cholesterol is not awfully high, and I think you'll see it normalize just through following the diet for a few months. As to thyroid and reflux, scroll to the bottom of this page and enter first one, then the other. I've entered a bunch of suggestions for you ~ you might be off meds altogether, much sooner than you think!! :-)
I have just recently been put on the "b" blood type diet by my naturopath, she's given me a list of highly beneficial and avoid foods. It says however, that pumpernickel bread is neutral for my bloodtype, why is it then that it is made mainly out of rye and considerd ok but I have to avoid rye products? Could you please offer me some clarity on this one and weather or not I can eat pumpernickel or not. Rhea
Ah! Well, she may be working from an outdated list. Tell her that these values have changed with new research since 1996, and ask her to re-check the foods on the list she gives you with the TYPEbase3 food database, also linked on our front page, www.dadamo.com. Hang in there, Rhea ~ this plan will do wonders for you. And I'm always happy to hear newbies are scrutinizing those product ingredients -- that's a habit which will carry you in good stead. Keep me informed on your progress, dear!
My sister is a type B secretor (lucky girl, I'm a B non-secretor!) and she was recently diagnosed with fibroids. Her doctor suggests that she take an iron supplement and wait and see how what happens. The fibroids cause her some pain and the iron supplements cause constipation. Has anyone had success with the blood type diet and getting rid of or reducing fibroids? Are there any particularly bad foods for this condition, or maybe supplements that could help? I have suggested getting as close to 100% compliance as possible for at least a month and see if that helps? What do you think? Cindy
Nice to hear from you, Cindy!! That is an EXCELLENT suggestion of yours, to stick to the beneficials. Additionally, the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia has specific protocols for uterine fibroids. Take a good close look at these guidelines, and get your sister going with them. I am sure they will do a world of good. Let me know how this goes for her, OK? thanks, friend!!
Type A ~ Roundup #1 !
July 24th, 2000 , by admin
Thanks for listening and providing insight into what is, for many of us, the unknown. My question(s): I am Type A, secretor status unknown. I have been to see a "nutrapath" who has put me on a diet, which is basically, a Type A diet; however, she says I have an "acidic stomach" and must avoid foods that agrevate this ie. oats. I was always under the impression Type O's had the acidic stomach and Type A's were more alkaline. Now I'm thinking based on my reading, that I might be a non-secrector? My new diet consists of lots of fish, eggs, lots of liver (if palatable), beans, chicken, soy, lots of vegies and minimal fruit (no sugar). No wheat, oats, rice, tomatoes, dairy, seafood, mushrooms, coffee, nuts, beets, green/red peppers, processed foods, tropical fruits, sugar, grapes,etc. I am also supplementing with manganese, B12 & B6, iron(alternate to liver!),Omega's, blue-green algae, acidophilus and some homeopathic stuff. I also have started juicing, mainly lemons, apples, celery, cucumber, spinach, carrots, romaine lettuce. My next question relates to the blue-green algae; is this supplement okay for Type A and in general, is blue=green algae "safe"? Pam
Hi, Pam ~ see below for the "acid/alkaline" question. If I were you, I would use chlorella or barley green or wheatgrass ... ANYTHING, in fact ... rather than algae. See below for more on that one, too. And I'd stick to chicken livers for the liver part of the plan. If your naturopath (?) wants you to eat avoids, I'd draw the line there ~ otherwise, just check the diet sheet against TYPEbase3 to make sure everything is A-OK! :-D
In the Food, Beverage and Supplement Lists book for blood type A, it is stated that blue green algae is a food to avoid. Why, exactly? I've been using it for eight years and have always believed that it is good for me. If I should avoid it, I will...but with an explanation. Thanks! Anne
Here's the page to look at! thanks for your note, Anne! :-)
Hi, I am a type A negative and I have suffered from a fungal infection on my toe nails for about 10 years now. Since I have started my blood type diet, I am really happy to see some results with my energy level and I am really looking forward now in following the yeast/fungus resistance protocol, hoping that this will help me to get rid of my infection for good. Here's my question : concerning the protocols, is it possible to order all of these products with the North American Pharmacal store ? The reason I ask is that some of the products are just not possible to find in Health stores. Thank you for responding back to me as I am really desperate to try this protocol ! Karen
Hi, Karen ~ For your toenails, try applying two drops of plain white vinegar to the base of the nail, every night, until you see results. This is a method that has worked for many people. NAP does not carry all of the products mentioned in the protocols, but a websearch will find them, and from there you can either order them online or request that your HFS order them for you. Glad the diet is doing good things for you!! :-D
My daughter is blood type A, and has acid reflux. She wanted to try the blood type diet. Would there be more restrictions on certain foods because of her acid reflux? I have been on the diet and I love the results I get from it, so I have told her about it. Lori
Hello, Lori ~ to be safe, she can follow the diet while avoiding anything on a list she has been given of foods off the diet of reflux sufferers. Also, see a column I wrote with info on GERD, here!
Hi, I've just been to see my Iridologist and he tells me I'm acidic. So is my mum and sister. I'm starting to develope the ring around my eyes which is indicative of hardening of the arteries. I've also been battling a tendency to higher blood pressure for years. I'm only 39 and watch my diet. I'm too young for this! Help! We're all type A's. I notice that most of the type A foods fit well with the Alkalising diet that the Iridologist suggested but, not all. How does the idea of alkalinity v's acidity fit within the BTD view of food/health? I've been following the blood type diet for about 2 months now and taking milk out of my diet (in particular) was the smartest thing I ever did! It was easy to remove because of the immediate changes! Meat wasn't hard to reduce/remove. Wheat is very difficult but I have reduced it by substituting non-wheat products. Corn doesn't seem to be much of a problem in Australia as we seem not to eat much of it anyway. I love seafood/fish so that's easy! Vege's are what I've been slowly moving towards anyway. I notice that I seem to need to eat less. I get less cravings. I don't get as hungry. I seem to maintain concentration longer. I've lost a bit of weight (side effect). My GI tract is no longer in turmoil. No more fuzzy tongue. Sweat is no longer smelly. Scalp itching virtually disappeared. Able to exercise harder now. No halitosis. My nose is clear for the first time in 20 years! Speech remains more distinct even when tired. Sleeping 1-2 hrs less per day(6-7hrs/night). More energy! White spots on nails have all but disappeared! Able to do more! Zest for life is improved (I'm normally very active anyway). I'm still fine tuning this! I wish I'd learned some of this years ago! :-) Michael ~ Dip App Sc Nursing B Bus Acc Grad Dip Bus Comp Dip Ed
:-) Hi, Michael ~ Try a serving of oatmeal every morning ("Phil's BP Buster"), and re-check your blood pressure in two weeks. The acid/alkaline business is largely addressed by the choice of foods on the diets and their qualities once digested ~ for instance, grapefruit is considered an acid food, yet exhibits alkaline properties in the digestive tract. I'm thrilled you are enjoying the benefits of the diet! Enjoy, and keep in touch!!
I was wondering about the status of Sheeps milk cheeses for type A. Manchego, a Spanish cheese, is one of my favourites! Debbie
Here is a column I wrote that may be of help! thanks, everyone!!
It's a Q Roundup ~ 4 Os
July 23rd, 2000 , by admin
OTD 8-Month Report ;-D
I've been taking a New Year's stock of how far we've come! ... and how far behind I am. :-} From 2002, there are roughly 200 questions-in-the-queue for Os, 60 for As, 40 for Bs and 5 for ABs ~ with a few O-queries dating from {cough} JUNE, I just discovered. So, in order to address the backlog in an organized fashion, this week started with a four-part roundup of the general questions. Today's column is the first of a rotating schedule of roundups of the blood-type-specific questions for each type. In three weeks, I'll begin doing multi-type "potpourris" again for the Jan/Feb questions, so that we'll be all caught up & breezy by March 1, 2003!
READY - STEADY - GO!
Hi Heidi My question is about weight loss. I have been on an O (secretor) diet for 2 weeks - and I have lost 7lbs. My weight has previously been steady at 11 stone for years. Whilst this may be desirable for some people - I am already at the threshold of my BMI (body mass index) - and don't want to lose any more (I am a 6 foot, male). A typical day for me is: Breakfast: walnuts, blueberries, pumpkin seeds, rice milk Mid-morning: Can of sardines Lunch: 6oz fillet steak, sweet potatoes Mid afternoon: Mango Dinner: 6oz Cod, spinach, rice I feel so much better on the diet: energised - and my skin is very clear now. I don't have the surges and drops in blood sugar that I used to have - so I feel much more stable. Are there protein drinks which I should take (the kind that body builders use) - and could you recommend one? I already have a supply of Peter's bars - and I'm starting to eat one a day. Any advice gratefully received. (Maybe my natural metabolic rate is very high)! Regards, David.
Ah, my dear, what some wouldn't give to have your problem, eh? :-) Seriously, at six feet and 154 pounds, you didn't have the 7 pounds to spare. I'm sure you're an ectomorph with a light bone structure, but I think a weight-gain routine is called for. The key for you is weight training, and the gain will be slow but steady if you engage in two heavy workouts every week -- one on the upper body and one on the lower. -- Or investigate www.superslow.com and get hold of a video or instructor if you can. You should see a pound gained every week or two. Eat when you are hungry, and add the following smoothie sometime after your supper, but at least two hours before sleeping: two hard-boiled eggs, one tablespoon olive or walnut oil, two tablespoons flaxseed ground and soaked in a bit of water for 15 minutes, a cup of fresh or frozen fruit/berries of your choice, two tablespoons nutritional yeast, and two tablespoons of nutbutter. Blend it up, and add ice cubes and/or spring or mineral water to adjust the consistency as desired. Tweak the ingredients to taste! And keep me posted!
I'm an AB & my husband (who has recently started the diet) is an O with several questions. 1. Lemons vs. oranges ... are oranges acceptable if one is on aciphex(he's on aciphex for aspirin damage to intestines ... aspirin a day because of recent diagnosis of a heart arrhthymia (A-Fib or A-Flutter)? 2. Sprouted breads (like sprouted sourdough that contains wheat gluten)? 3. Oats, oat bran for an O not concerned w/ weight loss (but is currently taking aciphex for the aspirin damage)? 4. Turkey bacon & turkey pepperoni? 5. Apple juice is an avoid for O's ... how about apples freshly juiced in our juicer? Thanks very much!!! Tricia
Hi, Tricia! 1. Oranges are no good for him. Grapefruit or lemons are both much better. 2. Sprouted breads are fine as long as the grains are 100% sprouted -- no whole wheat or corn! 3. Whole, cooked oats are fine, but I wouldn't challenge him with any oat bran products. 4. He'd do better on fresh, uncured meats for the time being. 5. Apples will be OK for him, and the fresh juice is great, but do dilute 1/2 and 1/2 with pure water, to buffer the effects of the sugar. :-)
i have just bought one of dr. adamo's books and i am fascinated by this approach to health and weight loss! prior to discovering this very interesting information, i was on a low carb, high protein diet which appeared to be working for me. i am type 0 and some of the foods in dr. adamo's book are high in carbs (especially the fruit)and frankly, i am very hesitant to eat them for fear of gaining the weight back that i have recently lost. could you please advise how carbs figure into dr. adamo's plans? thank you! Kim
A great way to really understand the basis of these diets is to read Live Right 4 Your Type, then read it again! Those vegetables and fruits are absolutely essential to good health. Start out by staying with your current high-protein/low-carb plan but eliminating the avoids for Os. Then introduce the beneficials from the fruit & vegetable lists that you don't normally eat. Go at your own speed and keep an eye on your strength, skin and the scales... I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised! good luck, Kim!
In the enclyclopedia, page 475, the cardiovascular protocols for type O says take L-Carnitine, 50 mg: 1-2 capsules, twice daily. I asked at my HFS and they didn't think 50 mg. was correct. Is the 50 mg correct? Or should it be something different? Help! My blood pressure is up and I need to get it down before my next visit to the doctor or he will insist I take blood pressure medication. In addition to the advised protocols for hypertension I am trying to lose some weight and to walk more. Thanks for your help ^heidi^. Anita
Hey there, Anita! Yes, that's the protocol. Get as close as you can to that dosage. Don't let your doctor insist on drugs -- instead, use Phil's oatmeal plan: one serving every morning, and see your doctor after two weeks. Do get out there and walk, dear!! It is SO wonderful for everything that ails ya! And it is a great mood-enhancer! Keep with it, and drop me a note on your results!! :-D
Hello. I have just started on the food plan. I am O+ (not sure about secretor status, not even sure yet what that is or if it is all that important to know), have been living a mainly vegetarian life for years, but now am trying to switch to the O plan completely. I love rice 'milk', and am happy that is okay for Os to drink. However, the only rice 'milk' we have here in Finland, where I live, has safflower oil ... and I noted that the book said to get rice 'milk' without safflower oil. How strict is this? If I cannot get rice 'milk' without safflower oil, will it really do a lot of bad for me to drink the stuff with the oil? Thank you for your reply. Carol-lee
Carol-lee, that is quite OK right now while you're getting adjusted to the new diet. It will not do a lot of harm, but try to (1) find another brand in a different store or online, or (2) get a recipe for making your own -- there are numerous ones online, just go to www.alltheweb.com/advanced and search for a rice milk recipe. You can use a little olive or flax oil as an emulsifier for small batches of the milk! In the meantime ~ take a look at our "Getting Started" page, and congratulate yourself for taking the leap into a new, healthy lifestyle!! :-D
I am a Type O blood type. I cringe a bit when I think about eating red meat. I cringe because I thought red meat is not good for the colon. What is your take on this? Thank you so much. Patti
:-) Hey there, Patti! Well, red meat is not good for everyone's colons, but it is good for ours. :-) We are speedy flesh-food digestion machines (;-)), so take a good read through Live Right 4 Your Type and study the references given ~ see what you think! :-D
dear heidi, please could you help?i am o type.i've been a vegan since last year & felt well & felt it helped with my ongoing weight loss(take supplements)but since january my weight loss has been minimal.my tummy is bloated,only very occasionally it hurts.my toilet habits have become erratic(between 0-2xday).i have avoided wheat,dairy, yeast,since may 2000.6 weeks ago i started the blood type tentatively, all i eliminated was oats in 4 weeks i lost 6lb.since i have reintroduced fish/meat my tum is rock hard & i put on 2lb.i went to my dr's who said i had IBS.he has given me fibregel to take.is it ok? he said it had baluga husk in it which they always give to IBS sufferers.he poo-poohed the BTD diet when i tried to explain it to him.he said i was in danger of becoming obsessive & that he had seen many people who were sufferers of fad diets.i told him i believe this not to be a fad diet & recommended he read LR4YT.Also,that i feel eating correctly has helped me,ie;when i originally eliminated dairy produce may 2000 i didn't need my inhaler after 3 days!giving up wheat alongside the weightwatchers points programme has helped me to lose 7 1/2stone.giving up yeast has helped me to mostly control my candida problem.unlike grapefruit diets or cabbage soup diet which my dr did himself!)i told him i wanted to not only lose weight but i wanted to be well inside.i personally want to find the root cause rather than treat the symptoms after all a diet's for life not just for christmas!but he was still very negative & dismissive.i can see i might have IBS considering my change of diet but want to know if it will settle down,can i do anything else to help it(already doing linseed).the nutritionist in health food shop advised me not to take kelp tablets but i've forgotten why.should i start taking them?please help me i'm at my wits end,thankyou debs:< ps when i went to your scottish website & read about the secretor test it sounded very complicated & was worried if i were to pay all that money for it & didn't do it properly it would be time,money wasted & health compromised please could you advise me how you do it.also is it really necessary to find out about rh-/+ or is blood type/secretor enough?also i've still not been able to get my head around the intracellular/extracellular water retention ie that comes with melon,please help me. your advice is greatly appreciated. regards debs.x
re my prev message.the contents of the fibregel(trademark fybogel) is ispaghula husk.is this ok for o types.also the contents include aspartame (avoid) & potassium chloride(?). there were a choice of orange or lemon flavour & i deliberately chose lemon as orange is an avoid.however is this stuff ok.my doc said give it one month and then he may do tests,please help,sorry to be a pain, regards debs.
Hallo, debs! Your doctor deserves a kick in the bum. Please don't tell him I said that, it won't do a bit of good. ;-D Ack, please don't take that yucky aspartame and husk business. First, go to the bottom of this page and enter "joachim." You'll find on that page a protocol for colitis, which should help you within a couple of weeks. When you re-introduce meats, start taking pancreatic enzymes (from your local supp shop) before each meal. Third, the instructions given with the secretor test are very specific. Just follow them, and you'll get the correct results -- it is a nearly 100%-reliable test. While it's rather minor in the scale of things, the Rh type is useful in determining portions of meat and grain. If you'd like to get yours, the regular ABO test (the card) gives Rh as well as ABO type. And the beneficial melons tend to increase water WITHIN your cells (intra) and decrease water BETWEEN your cells (extra), also known as edema and bloat! Thanks for your message, dear, and keep in touch!!
Dear Heidi, I started the O blood diet about 4 months ago (after 4 years of being vegan) to see if it would cure my terrible digestive troubles and I have had a miraculous improvement - no more bloating or acid reflux etc. I have also been gradually loosing weight, which in my case is actually quite unwanted as I was very lean to begin with. I haven't been eating much red meat but I'm getting through about 500g of chicken and fish a day with lashigs of flax/olive oil (+ veges, nuts, fruit etc). Do you have any thoughts on how I might be able to gain about 12kg. Thankyou for all the time and energy you devote to OTD. louke
Dear louke! Another type O with what many would consider an enviable problem! :-D See the first message on this page, from David ~ I'd say you can get that 12kg on in about two months, so keep working it and don't give up!! I'm so pleased to hear your fabulous results! It took me only six weeks to gain the 8kg I needed when I first started this plan, but once your regimen is in place you'll forget you ever had a weight problem. Heigh! Ho! Let's Go!
:-D
Hi ^heidi^! You're writing a great column! Hope you're doing well over there! I'm an O (likely secretor) with 2 questions because I'm wanting to go camping. Do you have any great O camping food ideas? Meat & veggies are hard to bring unless dried. And I'm allergic to nuts. The other question: I'm looking into pemmican -- the recipes I'm finding are a mixture of dried beef, dried fruit, & fat (either beef fat, butter or soynut/peanut butter). They all say to store in a cool place and it will keep for months...But it might get hot where this O goes camping. (Northwoods!) Do you know if pemmican would really keep on the trail? Would appreciate anything you know that would support this ever so much healthier O in getting back to the woods! Thanks Muchly ^heidi^! (o:
Well, for NEXT summer's camping trips (lol!), yes, pemmican is a wonderful food and it keeps quite nicely on a weekend or week-long trip. Get hold of A.D. Livingston's Jerky (The Lyons Press), and a dehydrator for whole fruit, whole veg AND meats. Dried plums and a bag of dulse are O-camper essentials. Oh, how i miss camping!! Plan now, and you'll be stylin' when the warm weather comes round again! ;-D
Heidi, The type O lists paperback book for vegetables shows a separate daily frequency for cooked versus raw. However, in LR4YT the vegetable frequency chart is separated by beneficials versus neutrals, not cooked versus raw. Are both books correct in how they show the frequency for the vegetables category? Which way of looking at vegetable frequency is more important or do I need to figure out a way to combine the two different methods? Thanks, Don
Naw, don't sweat it. Eat as much raw veg as possible, and cook the rest. We do encourage a high quantity of raw food, but the important things is to use the diet to your benefit ~ just do your best! :-)
Hi, Do you recommend the "lecithin and flaxseed oil drink" for blood type "o"? Thank you. Best Regards, Chuck
It is perfectly fine for everyone, although it does spectacular things for Bs. Adjust it to beneficial for you through your choice of fruit & oils. enjoy!
:-)
I am a Type O positive. I suffer from proteinura glumerolous nephritis and in October it started affecting my blood pressure. I have been on the type diet about 4months and my BP meds has been reduced from 10 mg (altace) to 1.25mg. I started taking ARA6 about a month ago and finally my lab work showed a SLIGHT improvement I also took 1 bottle of Deflect. I started taking Quercetin for my horrible sinus allergies but I think it was giving nightmare but I continued with it. Also my Blood pressure started escalating again up to 140/98. I took Nitricycle (3 caps 2x daily)for a few days but I am wondering if it is safe to take with my BP meds. I desperately want off my BP meds Any other suggestions to help my condition is much appreciated. Thanks Bertha
Bertha, try a serving of oatmeal once per day, and have your BP tested in a couple of weeks. Nitricyle should not interfere with your medications, but general worry over the supps may slow your progress a bit. Stick with the oatmeal, and the ARA6, and write back to let me know how you're doing!
I am a type O and have justed started to use the Blood Type diet. I use Revival Soy Powder in a drink that I make with pineapple juice, pineapples, and flax seed oil. I am menopausal and have found that the soy protein has made this transition so easy as I never have hot flashes or night sweats. I drink this combination almost every day and was wondering if this was the best way for me to start my day? Many thanks, Cheryl
If it works for you, stick to it! In that case, I'd minimize beans in the rest of your diet, as type Os don't really need them as a nutritional element. Let me know how things go as time goes on, OK? ;-)
I am wondering if the polyamine levels in canned fish such as sardines, mackerl, and herring are high enough to avoid. I know fresh fish is recommended. Also, are black peppercorns ok for type O's even though ground black pepper is not? Chris
Canned fishies are fine! Don't forget the canned pink salmon with skin & bones ~ it is wild fish, therefore healthier than the farmed varieties, and makes a wonderful "fish loaf" with Ezekiel crumbs, lemon, egg and parsley. Whole peppercorns ground over your food is O-K. :-)
I am on your diet,but befor I heard about it,Iwas takeing some,NEO FLEX ADVANCED JOINT SUPPORT FORMULA,AND SOME CORAL CALCIUM for arthritus,it semed to be helping so I am still takeing it. I am type o,since I have been on the diet I have lost 30 pounds and feel much better,I got 4 your type basic packs my knee is much better but still has a problem,I was wondering if takeing the recomended dodage if there is any danger of over doing it I was intending to keep takeing the calcium supliment.I am 81 the Doctor I went to for a lot of those years retired,and the next one got sick and quit his practice, the one I am going to now is not very receptive to what Iam doing ,I have not needed a doctor much all my life ,maney of my friends that have are dead so I am my own ginney pig , I got all your books but I have not had time to obsorbe them yet , I`ll take full responsibity if you could give me any warnings if need be I would appreciate it.I CHECK MY BLOOD PRESURE AND HEART RATE EVERY FEW DAYS SEEMS FINE,GOT ENERGY SO i AM KEEPING BUSY. warren
Aw, heck, Warren. I'm supposed to give YOU advice?? Seems to me we should set up a column so people can ask YOU questions!! ~:-D
There's no danger of overdoing it with your supps as you've described them. Add some olive and/or walnut or flax oil, and put a little into some carrot juice ~ shake it up and enjoy. It might help loosen up that knee while you're waiting for the Deflect to work its wonders. It's such a pleasure to hear from you! Have a great time with the new diet, and don't be a stranger, OK? :-D
General Q Roundup: Part IV
July 22nd, 2000 , by admin
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
Last Roundup of some General Qs - Part I
July 21st, 2000 , by admin
Dear Peter, I would like to start my email by acknowledging your tremendous work that you have done on research of blood group types and putting together the diet for them. Thank you very much. Not long time ago I purchased one of the latest editions of your book “Complete encyclopedia for blood group types”.I have noticed that there are a lot of changes in food databas in this latest edition. Quite a few food products in Os and As were shifted from “beneficial” to “neutral” and from “avoid” to “neutral” and what is more surprising some were moved from “avoid” to “beneficial” and vice versa. Could you please explain why there is such a big difference between your early "er4bg"and the latest book "complete enciclopedia". Thank you kindly for taking your time to read my email. And I am looking forward to your reply. Best regards Angela
Why have some foods "moved" from avoid to neutral or from neutral to beneficial. In the book, (Eat Right for Your Blood Type), Oatmeal for Type O is on the avoid list; and in the small food only book for Type O it is neutral. kathy
Hello, I have purchased all three books: 1) Eat Right For Your Type (hard back) 2) Food, Beverage and Supplement lists 3) Eat Right For Your Type Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia Within these three books I have found several condrictions about foods being Beneficial, Neutral or Avoid. Are these typographical errors and how am I to know which is correct? Example: For type O's, Mayonnaise is listed as Avoid in (2), however, Mayonnaise is listed as Neutral in (3) except for non-Secreters. Example: For Type A's, Walnuts are listed as Benificial in (2) and (3), however, Walnuts are listed as Neutral in (1). A friend of mine and I are endeavoring to employ the "Eat Right For Your Type" diet, however, it is disconcerting when your books do not agree with one another. Does a central reference exist for resolving these contridictions and/or is one of the books meant to prevail over the others? Thanks and confused, Gordon
My husband and I recently started the diet and do feel better. We've been on it only for about 3 weeks. My question is we have found discrepecies between the hard cover book, and the small paperback for each blood type. I am A he is O. According to the big book beer is a nuetral but the small book has it on the avoid list. Also Turtle is listed in meat as avoid but in seafood a nutreal. Small book says Green Tea is highly beneficial but big book says nuetral. The AB diet in large book says coffee is highly beneficial but small book says to avoid. A friend of ours is AB. Which book should be beleive or since small book is newer has there been updates? Confused in Bolingbrook. Tom and Charla
Thank you for the wonderful work you do. After reading "Eat right 4 your type" one of my first comments was: This is Nobel Prize material! I do expect this award eventually to be presented to Dr. D'Adamo. I own the "Eat right 4 your type" hardcover book and have recently purchased the samll Blood Type O booklet. In it I found that certain foods show up in different categories than they did in the original book. Example: banana. In the book it was listed under "neutral", in the booklet it is "highly beneficial". Is this regrouping based on new findings or the result of misprints? Which of your publications should I go by - book? booklet? Appreciate your comment. Thanks, Herlinde
Greetings, friends!
FOUND CONTRADICTIONS between the various books' food lists?
Here’s the scoop:
* IF YOU DO NOT KNOW YOUR SECRETOR STATUS: The Food, Beverage & Supplement Lists should be used. *
* IF YOU KNOW YOUR SECRETOR STATUS: The food lists in Live Right 4 Your Type and the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia should be used. ALSO check the official change log at http://www.dadamo.com/lr4yter.html for the most recent updates and reasons for changes (here is a link to that page) -- at a later date, an update area for other books will be created. *
The TYPEbase 3 database at http://www.dadamo.com/typebase/typebase.cgi contains ALL latest updated food values by secretor status. Here is a link to that page. :-)
In Live Right for Your Blood Type Dr D'Adamo lists "red flags" for each blood type. I am a blood type A sector. Blood type A list of red flags is navy beans, lima beans, bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage and eggplant. If a food is listed as a red flag does mean that you should never ever eat it? These seven foods are all avoids for blood type A. Tomatoes, eggplant and cabbage are Tier Two avoids. Thank You. Joyce
Hi there, Joyce! Here is a column where I discussed the red flag list. I specifically addressed a type O question, but the principle applies to all the types. Take a look and see if this clarifies the issue adequately for you ~ and if not, write back! :-D
I'd like to know if orange roughy(fish)is acceptable for types A & O diets. Thank you. Cesar
Hello, Cesar! TYPEbase 3 has the information you're seeking! :-)
I enjoy your column. i have 2 questions about the BTD products. 1) Why were the probiotics and Multivitamins reformulated? Should the older version still be used? 2) Why was the Herbal product discontinued. Thanks - Barry
~ Hello Heidi ~ I just bet you've answered this question before, but I am having a heck a time locating it in the columns. ;^D Are the various Blood Type supplements (polyflors, polyvite, probiotics, etc.) NON-Secretor friendly. I can't figure out why Pharmacal is not more forthcoming with that curcial little bit of info. I see it mentioned on the foodbars in development, but what about the basics. Would greatly appreciate a confirmation, yea or nay. Thank you for your continuing work, and your delightful sense of humor. Warmest Regards, Valerie
:-} thanks, Valerie! Yes, they're great for nonsecretors! That was just one of several improvements made. And Barry, the older version can be used up without fear! :-) The New Chapter varieties are no longer produced, since we went to the nonsecretor-OK formulas. And the herbals were phased out as their role was taken over by the more specifically-targeted herbal/supp products. thanks, dear friends! ~;-D
Yoo-hoo... Maria! BTD Moms (and Maia!) Here to Help!!
July 20th, 2000 , by admin
Maria wrote from the depths of agony, trying to keep her family on the BTD ~
Hi Heidi, for the mom of 3 girls with bread issues -- She might do better with your tip of introducing new foods rather than a power struggle over cutting out old ones. My happiest bread substitute is Mochi, a pounded rice dough product in the refrigerator section of Whole Foods. There's cinnamon raisin flavor & pizza flavor among others. It's fun too -- you bake it for ten minutes and it puffs up and kind of bloops out the sides, kids would like that. Maia
This is for Maria: I have 4 children, 3 B's and 1 O type, I and my husband are B. My 2 boys, both B's are grown and out of the house, so I am left with my 2 girls, 1-O and 1-B. We homeschool so we are together 24-7 . I find that educating them in all areas of life is essential. I teach them continually about their food choices. I find that having a pantry full of acceptable foods and having them accessible is necessary. It takes a little work and planning, but that's part of the Mom job description.
Each morning I make breakfast : oatmeal, eggs and Ezekiel toast, or spelt pancakes or waffles. Sometimes we have organic turkey sausage or bacon ( the Applegate brand ). Then I cut up some fresh fruit later in the morning for snacks. For lunch we have leftovers from the night before or some homemade soup. In the afternoon I provide more cut up fruit, cheese , yogurt , or almond butter on Ezekiel or spelt bread. Then I make a beneficial or neutral meat with salad and some cooked vegetable, and maybe some brown ricefor dinner.
The trick is to plan ahead and have acceptable food available all the time. I find that a "picky" child is not really hungry enough, and when they do get hungry enough they will go for the food that is there on the counter. If they know there is junk food available they will go for that. I also make their favorite cookies using spelt flour, which curbs the desire for "junk" food. ( use any recipe, just substitute spelt flour and acceptable ingredients).
My B daughter doesn't like fish, but I tell her that it is good for her and she needs the protein to grow. I also tell her that she grows and changes a little each day so she needs to "try it again" , in case her taste buds have grown and changed a little since the last time ( even if it has only been 3 days since that last fish dinner). If she doesn't eat enough of the fish, she may have yogurt.
I have also taught my daughter to eat plain yogurt, not the highly sugared kind. We add cut up fresh fruit to it and it tastes great. This was accomplished one day when she was having symptoms of urinary tract irritation. She had frequency, and burning . I pointed out to her that she had been eating alot of extra sugar ( around the holidays, there were alot of parties and "junk" around) and I thought that was what was causing it, so as a remedy I had her drink extra water and eat extra yogurt--plain. I explained that the sweet yogurt had too much sugar in it and it would only make her feel worse. This remedy worked quickly, so now she enjoys the plain yogurt because it made her feel better and she associates that with feeling good. This is now part of our regular diet.
In the past my girls have asked for foods that other people eat, but I show them the ingredients and explain what those foods do to them and why we have made the choices we have made. I let them occasionally indulge at parties or when we visit other people's houses, but when they complain of a stomach ache or headache I am quick to point out what they have eaten. In many cases they find the indulgance wasn't worth it.
The important thing for me is to have good food choices at home all the time, so that they know what it is to feel good after you eat. That way they know the difference when they eat incorrectly. Suzanna
Hello Heidi! Reading your column is the first thing I do in my day!
With reference to the question from Maria today about children - I have a similar problem. I'm struggling with milk but am adding a teaspoonful a day of almond milk to cow's milk, hoping to reach a point when it is 100% almond and therefore neutral! (For all types I think?)
[H: Yep! spelt, too ~ for all but O nonsecretors... ;-}]
My daughter's an A like myself and loves her milk but hates the taste of soya milk which she can detect at a hundred paces, even in a home-made milkshake. As for bread - white spelt bread (neutral for all?) is the closest taste to "normal" white bread and seems very acceptable to children. I can buy it easily here in Switzerland but make my own too into which I smuggle some beneficials and wholemeal spelt.
Pure rye bread, when I make it myself, is sticky enough to go down well with children too. I add a fair amount of maple syrup to the dough for now until my daughter's tastes have been modified!
Incidentally, since starting this diet, my daughter, who's nearly 5, has "gone off" French fries - an avoid for A's! Since they were my favourite childhood food I find this astonishing! She prefers rice noodles! ("White worms") I believe success with children means incorporating all the neutrals and substituting avoids very slowly and very sneakily with less damaging foods. Good luck! Dawn
Nice work, ladies! You're showing the world that it can be done, and I salute you for doing what it takes to raise a healthy new generation of kids!
Thanks again!! ~:-D
mostly O Potpourri (an AB snuck in there!)
July 19th, 2000 , by admin
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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Fish, Herbs, Sweet Treats, Secretors... and Success!
July 18th, 2000 , by admin
Type A and Type O Easy Chocolate Decadence for the Holidays :-) Non-secretors acceptable! stir together: 1/2 cup sesame tahini 2 heaping teaspoons cocoa powder molasses or vegetable glycerine to taste* spread on one -or- between two Unsalted Brown Rice Snaps (http://www.edwardandsons.com) for a modified "oreo" cookie type treat! Eating with fingers or spoon also works. Tip: make small batches so you don't go overboard! * Feel free to use acceptable sweetener for your blood/secretor status ~ L/(v)
Or any time of year! {grin} Thanks, dear!! :-D
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Hi Heidi, I love reading your column each day and just wanted to ask you some questions. I have been seeing a naturopath who put me on the blood type diet about four months ago (I'm an O+) just recently after reading BTD I asked her about being a secretor/non-secretor and she said she's not sure but she thinks that being an O+ might mean that I'm a secretor. Is there any truth to this theory. I have also been getting a lot of headaches for months and was wondering if that would be part of the whole detox thing (I am also on chinese herbs for my liver), if so, is it possible that the headaches would last for months!!!! Chantelle
Hi, Chantelle! Your secretor status is completely independent of your ABO and Rhesus types, and requires either a Lewis (blood) test or a saliva secretor test to determine it. Here's your chance to educate your naturopath: give her a copy of Live Right 4 Your Type, or print out a copy of our Secretors & Nonsecretors explanation page, HERE!
:-)
If you've been having headaches for months, that's too long to be a detox reaction. They could be related to other aspects in your life, or they may be a sign that your digestion is generally sluggish or that one or more items in your diet are giving you trouble. Try to track the pattern of the headaches: do they come on after eating certain foods? at certain times of day? when you haven't had any water for a few hours? Did they start after you introduced certain foods? Also take a good look at your supplements and any medications you take. Ask your naturopath for help in isolating whatever is causing your headaches. She may be able to set up a form for you to use as a food diary, in which you'd enter everything you ate, drank or took as a supp, indicate the time, and note how you felt an hour, a few hours, a day later. Did your naturopath suggest PolyFlora-O as a probiotic? It's specifically designed for Os. If sluggish digestion is the problem, regular exercise and the probiotic may be the key to getting rid of those headaches. I hope she has already done tests to rule out any serious condition that might cause them?
Yuck! headaches!! I really feel for you, dear. Please let me know if I can do anything further to help!!
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I have just started the diet and am group A. In England we have a popular vegetarian product named Quorn which is constructed from a substance called "mycoprotein". Do you know if this is suitable for my type? karen
Hello, Karen ~ Check out this note on quorn in a recent column: just click here! ~ thanks for writing! :-)
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Hi, I'm a blood type A on the diet for about 3 weeks. I noticed that grouper is listed as an Avoid, but in the Cook Right 4 Your Type, it lists the recipe Sauteed Grouper as a Highly Beneficial for type A. There must be an error somewhere, but where...in the listing of grouper as an avoid or in the listing of this recipe as a beneficial? Thanks, A Grouper lover - Wendy
Hey there, Wendy ~ Not an error in this case, but an update. Live Right, the Encyclopedia, the Food, Supp & Beverage guides, and the online TYPEbase 3 database contain new & improved food lists. These are unlikely to experience much, if any, change in future with the exception of additions to the lists. Some general and specific notes on the new food lists can be found in the Updates Page, also linked on our main page. Sorry for your loss of the grouper... but you gained a bunch more in the fishies section! :-) Hope that's some consolation!! :-)
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Heidi, I thought that black cohash and dong quai were avoids for type O women for menopausal support. However, I see that the ingredients on Dr. D'Adamo's new FemBalance formula contains both and is recommended for all blood types. Can you explain the discrepancy? I enjoy your column so much. Thanks for the time you give to it. Sue
Well, Black cohosh & dong quai are more effective for As & ABs, but they're not actually avoids for Os. Thanks for bringing up that point, because I think many folks reading the Encyclopedia may interpret the absence of their type next to a single herb or supp as an indicator of avoid status. Instead, since the Encyclopedia protocols are blood-type specific, they can narrow down the elements according to each type/condition. The FemBalance formula is a compound of many ingredients which in concert will do the job for a woman of any type. Hope that explains it for you, Sue ~ and thank you for your kind note! :-)
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Hi, my name is January. I have been on the blood type diet since August of this year. Never in my life...I am 21...have I felt so good. I am extremely overweight, but because of the diet I have lost 55 lbs. I had been to several doctors who could not figure out why I could not loose weight. My new theory is that I was eating all foods that were literally decreasing my metabolism. I wanted to say thanks for the knowledge of the diet. And good luck to everyone else.... January
{smile} I'll bet your doctors now cannot figure out why you are losing the weight. {smile} January, thank you for sharing your wonderful report with us! I'm so happy you discovered this plan so young, and congratulations for taking charge of your bright & healthy future!! :-D
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"Let a person rejoice when he is confronted with obstacles, for it means that he has reached the end of some particular line of indifference or folly, and is now called upon to summon up all his energy and intelligence in order to extricate himself, and to find a better way; that the powers within him are crying out for greater freedom, for enlarged exercise and scope."
~:-D
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Out with the old year...
July 17th, 2000 , by admin
Happy New Year's Eve, everyone!
Thought I'd take this time on the eve of the New Year to review some of the most frequent topics raised in the eight months since this column's inception.
First:
Let's start with that ever-popular subject, BOWEL MOVEMENTS. ~:-D When I said out with the old, I meant it. Here's the relevant portion of a recent note:
Hi Heidi, I was reading in the Jan. 2003 issue of Alive (Canadian magazine of natural Health, alivepublishing.com)an article about digestion. It quotes Brenda watson, certified colon therapist and author of Renew Your Life: Improved Digestion and Detoxification (Renew Life Press, 2002). "At minimum,should have one good bowel movement per day, but two to three are ideal. A "good" bowel movement is one that is walnut brown in colour, with a consistency similar to toothpaste, about the length of a banana. the stool should be free of odour, leave the body easily, settle in the toilet water and gently submerge. The transit time for food, meaning the elpsed time it takes for a meal to enter the mouth and then exit the rectum, should be less than 24 hours." there! gross everybody out! Hope this helps, Jayne
LOL! Takes a lot to gross this crowd out by now! :-D Nice to have an expert's view on this topic, and thanks so much for... passing it on! :-D
Continuing...
Wheat for As?
Simple Explanation: The only wheat elements to be avoided by group A secretors are the bran and the germ. Thus: whole wheat flour, wheat bran, and wheat germ are to be avoided -- along with any products whose ingredients include one or more of these items. For nonsecretors it gets a little more complicated, so when in doubt, check that TYPEbase3!! :-)
Protein for B's on a vegetarian diet?
That one's here!
B's wondering about string cheese...
Right Here!
Type O vegetarians ~
Here!
and Here!
Meal Planning Made Simpler
Phew!
Which Book Should I Use?
Some Here!
More Here!
Basic Exercise Routine for All!
HOO-RAH!
Those Tumultuous Tiers:
Whoo!
Hoo!
Encyclopedia Questions? Book Discrepancies?
Here!
There!
And Everywhere!
Avoids in soap, shampoo, etc.?
Stylin'!
Genetics: If my wife & I are type x & q, what's Junior?
Voila!
Oh, I've just got to sneak a couple of AB questions in here, and one on kids' secretor status:
Hi, Through Blood Tests I am B+ But after reading the Questions and Answers section of "Eat Right for your Type", I am not sure if I should follow the B diet or the AB diet. In the book it says that if one parent is A and the other B, it will mean the offspring is AB. My Mother is A and my Father B. Please tell me which diet to follow, as I am eager to start. Thanks, Tamara
Hey, Tamara ~ Actually, the book indicates that one parent must have a B gene and the other must have an A gene in order to product type AB offspring. Remember, though, that each of us carries two blood type genes. In type O we know both genes are O because O is recessive to A and B. Similarly, type ABs obviously have one A and one B gene. But for type Bs and As, it's a different story! Now, I'll tell you a secret: your mom has a recessive O gene. How do I know? Your Dad gave you his B gene, and you typed out as a B. Therefore, you got a recessive O from Mom and a B from Dad. However, if both of your parents were homozygous -- meaning, Aa and Bb rather than heterozygous, namely Ao and Bo -- then you would have popped out as an AB. :-)
Hi Heidi, Its nice to email you again! My question has to do with the recessive genes of my mom and dad. My dad currently deceased was Ab- and my mom is B+. I am AB+ and my sister is B-. My sister married an O+ and her son is O-. What is throwing me off is shouldnt my sister be a Bb- and have no O blood in her? She must be a Bo- to produce her son. Am i figuring this out right? I cannot recheck my dad since he is deceased, but your anwer will help me see if he really was Ab- or if he was mistaken and was Ao-. I hope this doesnt sound too confusing, but this question has me really wondering. Also the new board is very nice! Thanks, Arlene AB+
Well ARLENE! How the heck are you? Happy New Year, girl!!! The answer to your question is, like Tamara's, that your mom has a recessive O gene. Your sister grabbed the B gene from Dad and the O gene from Mom. (We also know your mom carries the recessive Rhesus negative gene, hidden behind the +. So her "Rhesus genotype" is +-. That's how your sister is Rhesus negative: she has the recessive neg from Mom and one of your Dad's two negs. :-)) Then sis married an O, so all her children will be either Bo or Oo (type B or type O) -- and either Rhesus negative or positive, since her son is a neg -- which shows us her husband has a recessive neg, just like your Mom, available to his kids. Hope this helps, and keep in touch, eh?? :-)
Regarding kids secretor status: Hello, Heidi! Thank you for doing so many of the potpourri columns. It makes for a lot of interesting reading. Also, thanks for answering my last question about the tier systems a while back. You really cleared things up! This time I have a question about secretor status. I am an A non-secretor, my husband is O non-secretor. We have four kids: 2 A's and 2 O's. What are the chances that they are also non-secretors? Is secretor status hereditary? I feel they are too young to give them the saliva secretor test. Until we know for sure what their status is, is it best to follow the secretor or non-secretor program for them? Best wishes from Texas! Phyllis
AND Phyllis, too? It's old-timers week! Hooray!! :-D Hey, did you have a fried turkey for Thanksgiving? LOL, just kidding! :-D Secretor status is based on two genes, just like ABO type and Rhesus type. It also works the same way as Rhesus, with the "positive" being dominant and the "negative" being recessive. In this case, the secretor (or "Se") gene is the "positive" and the nonsecretor (or "se") gene is the "negative." You're a nonsecretor: that means you have two nonsecretor genes. If you had just one secretor gene, you'd be a secretor... but ch'ain't. Same for yer hubbie. Kids had only one option there ~ they're all nonnies. A most joyous New Year to you & your family, Phyllis! Keep smiling!! :-D
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I want to express my sincerest gratitude to ALL the readers & writers who participate with us in enlarging our knowledge and experience with this "polymorphic paradigm!" It has made my 2002 a challenging and productive time, and I hope you all have benefited as well from sharing these trials & triumphs with other kindred souls. What a fabulous group of people you are! Prosper in your New Year, and keep that great energy flowing!!
*
[and... something quite entirely different, by a budding author, and offered with a smile by our friend David:]
Written by a six year old girl in Atlanta named Anna, this story is sure to be famous someday! "Once upon a time there was a witch. But that witch was very nice. And there was a wolf. But the wolf was a friend of the witch. And there was a girl. And the witch lived with the girl. And that girl was a friend of the witch, too.And there was a frog. and the witch always made pumpkin pie for the frog. And the frog really liked it! And the witch's friends one time went to the park. They went there all by theirself. And they got lost. But the girl didn't go with them. And the girl was gonna go find them. And they all helped each other cook eggs. And they took a bath and went to bed." The End
Sleep well, Anna ~ you're a very lucky duck, indeed. ;-)
LOL!
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~ Q&A ~ 4 A ~
July 16th, 2000 , by admin
I have loved changing to a Type A programme and the foods taste as if they were made for me they suit me so well. I use soy milk daily and eat freshly made tofu very regularly(I live in Hong Kong). Now my sister has directed me to www.soyonlineservice.co.nz, it's a terrible site that says soy is a killer food! I'm really upset about this. Can you advise me please. Thank you -- Diana
Hi Heidi I am type A and have been following the Blood Type diet as carefully as possible. I think it has helped, for example, I don't produce mucos anymore whereas I used to have a mini cold almost every morning before. I have concentrated particularly on eating soy based food such as soy beans, tofu and miso, and soy based non-meat sausages. I still eat some of the avoid stuff but as little as possible. However an article that I read on the internet recently has confused me because it raises all kinds of red flags about soy based foods, for example that thyroid problems have been discovered in adults using soy based foods. I wonder if you have any comment on this article. thanks in anticipation Oscar Durban South Africa -- Oscar
Hi, I am blood type A and also have Hypothyroid. Soy is not recommended for people with thyroid disease. What would be a good replacement for Soy? Regina
Diana, Oscar & Regina ~ Over the years, Peter has fielded hundreds of questions from As in regard to various internet scares about soy. Rather than paraphrase all of it, let me offer the following links.
First, a column I wrote in which I linked several basic "what's the science" columns of Peter's -- here;
and a few addressing each of your particular concerns:
Type A, Thyroid and Soy
Soy, Phytate and Types A and AB
Soy - Enzyme Inhibitor?
Soy Causing Colon Polyps?
Soy Causes Cancer?
Will Soy Rot Your Brain? LOL! Love the title on that one!
Diana & Oscar ~ It appears clear from your report that the A diet is doing great things for you ~ and to all three, I hope reading these in-depth explanations will ease your minds on the soy question! and thank you so much for writing!! :-)
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Hi, We have been on the diet for a little over a week. We are type A's and went from a high meat diet to vegeatarian. My husband has been experiencing alot of burning in his stomach especially after he eats lentils. What is causing the severe burning, he never had that before on the atkins diet? Also we don't really need to lose weight, we've been eating whenever we feel hungry off of the beneficial list. Is it important to watch what you eat or can you eat feely the foods off the benefical list without gaining weight? Linda
Hello! My husband (type 0)and me (type A) have been on 'the diet' for a week now and with amazing results!! (Specifically for his acid reflux and asthma) But I have a problem... On day six I've noticed what seems to be a stomach irritation. Right at my stomach area and the middle of my chest it feels like liquid is constantly moving around. I've had some diarrhea and lots of burping (gross I know...) Could this be a result of cutting wheat products and meat consumption? I also have taken three doses (approx. 15 drops) of Milk Thistle, perhaps this is causing the symptoms? I'm 33 in great health, non-smoker...any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks so much for such a well researched diet plan - we love it!! Heather
Hello, Ladies ~ Linda, if you're at your ideal weight and generally healthy, then the neutrals can certainly be used freely -- just keep an eye on the portion/frequency guidelines to maintain your balance. :-)
Now, about the burning thing: Linda's husband may benefit from some gentian tincture taken 20 minutes before meals -- or some "beano," which will help digest the beans. If he is unused to bean dishes, he may not immediately produce the enzymes to digest them properly, but in time this will pass. Eating them alone and in small quantities will help the process along. Heather, your symptoms sound similar, but to be safe I would examine all the new foods against the foods in your previous diet and introduce them slowly. Try to identify which items are eaten before the onset of the gurgling & diarrhea. The milk thistle compound is easy enough to drop for a while. Be a little careful to separate chicken or other flesh foods from grains, and don't eat later than two hours before sleeping. Hope this helps! Let me know how you get along! :-D
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Red yeast rice - what does it look like? In an Asian food market I bought a packet (220g)of deep red dried yeast that lookslike rice grains. I'm blood type A. How do I use it and in what quantities? BTW the diet works very well for Agnes and myself. -- Tommy
The Chinese Red Yeast Rice used as a supplement to dramatically lower cholesterol levels is a dark pink-red powder. Here's a link to read all about it! The usual dosage is 1200 mg (about half a teaspoon) twice per day. Great stuff!
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I am a type A non-secretor. My diet has included blue-green spirulena and cracked-cell chlorella. I had not found any reference to either of these foods in any of the books by Dr. D'Adamo until I looked at the Blood Type A Food, Beverage and Supplement Lists pamphlet, and found "Algae (blue-green)" as an "avoid" in the "Spices" section. What data can you give me about this? Is this equally true for secretors and non-secretors? Ty
I would like to know if you have a product like chlorophyll which does not contain alfalfa as my blood type says I should not take alfalfa. An answer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Regards, Denise
Hello, Ty & Denise! Ty, yes, that would be true for both secretors and nons. This column from a few days back contains an answer to both your questions... enjoy the read!
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You say in the book that blood type A can have mustard, and canola mayo. But they both have vinagar in them and you say not to eat vinegar. Could you please explain? Colleen
Hi, Colleen! Dry mustard is the item in the old food list; and mayonnaise contains small enough amounts of vinegar that it wasn't considered reason enough to avoid it. The best mustard and mayonnaise are made at home from fresh, organic ingredients... mustard powder, lemon juice, salt & water to taste for prepared mustard, or egg, oil & lemon juice with a touch of mustard and sea salt for mayonnaise. For mayo, the egg, lemon juice, salt & mustard should be mixed briefly in a blender, and the oil added very, very slowly with the blender on. Try a batch, it's easy once you have the hang of it! :-)
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thanks again, everyone!! ~:-D
~ An "O Thang" Potpourri ~
July 15th, 2000 , by admin
I am about to begin the Type O diet. i am a very obese diabetic (Type2) male in my early 40's. Apart from sticking to the diet can you give any advice to supplements I should take with the diet. I currently use multivitamins with Iron once a day. Mark
A warm welcome to the BTD, Mark! I'd recommend only the PolyFlora and ARA6 at this time -- for better digestion and strengthened immunity. It's best to keep things simple when you're starting out, especially since the diet will work swiftly to start resolving the diabetes and get the weight loss going, all on its own. I hope you enjoy this plan! Don't go around hungry! Eat as much as you want at the beginning ~ it will make it easier for you to adapt to the new foods. As time goes on, you'll find you need less food. Do drink plenty of pure water between meals. And ride herd on your sugar levels, because your need for insulin may start falling away pretty quickly. Let me know how you're doing!! :-)
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I'm a O Blood Type and I would like to know if Salami is alright to eat?
Angelien
Hi, I am from group O and I want to know if I can eat turkey ham. thanks in advance, Stephanie
Prepared foods like salami, turkey ham, etc. are OK if all the ingredients are neutral or beneficial -- and look for "organically fed, free-range," etc. Keep in mind, though, that most commercial brands of sausage, salami, faux bacon, and so on are made from lower-quality meats and other iffy stuff. Most salamis and sausages contain at least some pork. If the turkey ham label has a five-by-five inch list of unpronounceable chemicals, I'd steer clear of it. On the other hand.... Holidays sure put on the pressure, don't they? :-D If it's a once-a-year indulgence, aw, heck: go ahead! :-)
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I have been on the diet for about 5 weeks now. I was diagnosed with diverticulitis, and had to change my eating habits drastically. I have never felt better in my 47 years of life!! I am an O Type individual, and cannot have dairy products. My question is, where do I get the calcium from instead? One more comment. After I finish a meal (taken from BTD book), I am never content. I always feel that I want something else, and I go looking for more food. I don't have that satisfied feeling that I used to get. Please help.... Therese
:-) Great news! SO pleased you're feeling good! I love hearing these success stories ~ folks, diverticulitis is just one item in the long list of illnesses that respond best to Food as Our Medicine!!
About the hunger after meals: it takes some weeks or months for your metabolism to be weaned away finally from the need for wheat/corn/dairy. The further away your previous diet was from the protein/carb/fat proportions in the O diet, the more cravings and odd hungry spells you'll have. How to shorten the process? Snack on meat, eggs, fish (all best with some fat & vegetables), nuts, seeds, and make sure each meal has adequate fat and salt. Still hungry? Wait half an hour, then eat a little more.
It is also possible that your BTD diet is too high in grains for your particular system and may be triggering that 'need something else' feeling. Take a look at Live Right 4 Your Type and note the new portions/frequencies for each food category. For the veg & fruit lists, these should read "per day." Live Right is a great update to the entire BTD paradigm, and has a wealth of new information.
Calcium? Here's a tidbit from an October 6 column, in response to an O woman with similar concerns:
"O's don't benefit much, if at all, from the calcium in dairy, anyway. Our systems resist it immunologically, and the assimilation levels are typically extremely low compared to our type B and AB sisters. The Phytocal-O available on our site is an excellent supplement, with proven high absorption. Also, there is a list of foods high in calcium in Peter's Calcium From Almonds page. Greens, tahini, almonds, blackstrap molasses, etc.... lots of great food sources for you!"
I would add that broth made from the roasted bones of meat, fowl and/or fish is a perfect mineral pick-me-up for Os. I always keep at least six quarts in my freezer, and replenish it with new batches a couple of times per month. It's the ideal soup base ~ and delightful as a winter beverage with some cayenne, garlic, and nutritional yeast added after heating it up. Keep your protein intake optimal ~ it stimulates intestinal alkaline phosphatase, which helps assimilate every bit of calcium you get. Hope this helps! :-D
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Hello Heidi. Your column is fascinating, entertaining, and helpful. My husband and I are both Type O. He has recently been diagnosed with elevated blood sugar. Diabetes runs in his family. I am trying to encourage him to avoid sweets and starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn, but what about fruits? He loves fruit and we eat lots of bananas, mangoes, prunes, cherries...all beneficial for Type O. But they are also high in sugar, and I'm being told he should eat only those fruits lower on the glycemic index, such as melon, berries, apples, plums, etc. What do you recommend? Thank you. Nancy
Hey there, Nancy ~ I'm deeply pleased you enjoy the column, and you're a sweetie with those compliments! :-) The sugars in whole fruits are a very different metabolic story from refined sugars and flours. They are digested far more slowly, not to mention that fruits/berries have an abundance of proanthocyanadins and other beneficial elements which promote a healthy body. If he sticks to the O diet, including the allowed fruits, he is not going to progress into diabetes! It seems clear that his family genetics are telling us loud & clear that they are far better suited to a low/no grain or refined sugar diet. I assume your husband closely monitors his blood sugar; I suggest he test these foods himself. If he finds that the lower-glycemic fruits serve him better at this time, there is no harm in skipping the others until his metabolism has normalized (which it WILL! :-)). Another idea: get his secretor status with the saliva test sold here in the Store, and fine-tune his program with Live Right 4 Your Type's modifications and the protocols in the Encyclopedia. I have a suspicion he's a nonsecretor... write back & let me know how he's doing! :-)
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I'm also responding to your comments about bowel elimination. The most I have ever been able to accomplish eating for my O blood type (as if this is some kind of contest!) is one comfortable and consistent movement of my bowels each morning. (And it doesn't float!) I include two tablespoons of ground flax seed in my morning smoothie of raw fruits and soy or rice protein, Ezekiel bread, lots of fresh and dried fruits and vegetables, salads, nuts, seeds, brown rice, beans, and LOTS of water, along with daily meat, fish or chicken. I also take the prescribed supplements and Type O probiotic, and get regular exercise. My health and weight are both excellent. I don't know what else I could/should do short of taking some kind of intestinal cleanser. You may not want to publish this letter, but I hope others will respond and there will be more information provided on this subject. Thank you! Nancy
LOL! what a contest, eh? :-D Nancy, I hereby bestow my seal of approval on your stools! ;-) Your health and weight being excellent, and your energy obviously high, I'd say you're doing everything right, so don't let my "bowel thesis" worry you. It's a good guideline, but taking into account people's natural metabolism, size, amount of food eaten, etc., one's mileage will certainly vary. The BTD is a great intestinal cleanser, and is evidently doing its job just as it should for you. :-D Thanks for your note, and for the smiles! :-D
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I'm trying to follow the BTD diet here in South Africa, and I have to say that I'm having a fair amount of trouble obtaining a lot of foodstuffs and ingredients. I'm a type O, and I really have 2 questions - firstly, I have read that tapioca starch can be used to bind certain gluten-free flours for baking, and yet I can't find any reference to it in the "cook right" book, or on the website. Is it acceptable for type O's? Secondly, what's the verdict on passion fruit (passiflora edulis)? I have a vine in my garden, so I eat them all the time, but I'd like to know if I'm doing myself any good or not. (seems a pity to waste them though!!) Thank you for your time -- Lisa
Hallo, Lisa ~ Tapioca is on TYPEbase 3®! Just go to our homepage at www.dadamo.com and look down the center column... click on it, and enter your search term. However, there's a little trick to getting it to work: remember to hit the 'search' button -- the "enter" key does not work on that page. You'll find it!
Wow, you've brought back memories with your question about passion fruit... I use to grow them as well, both edulis and alba ~ never got more than a one-inch fruit from my edulis vine ~ too far north, I think! :-) ~ but I ate them anyway! And such gorgeous, unique flowers.... I loved all the oddball florals, like green hollyhocks and blue roses. Wormwood in the herb patch, because of a poet who once said he took a tea of it each morning so that the rest of the day would taste sweet ... Even grew a 'moon vine' ~ pure white flowers that opened in the moonlight ... *sigh!* Anyway, we have no listing for passion fruit, so it can be considered a neutral for everyone! Hoorah! ~~:-D Enjoy them, dear, and think of me! ;-}
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thank you, all...
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An Abundant POTPOURRI !
July 14th, 2000 , by admin
Hi, Myriam! I'm doing OK ~ beautiful winter snowstorm for Christmas Day, and it's just gorgeous out there in the sunlight today. How's the summer going for you? :-) Pimiento pepper is a mild, dark red, heart-shaped pepper -- but it's difficult if not impossible to be sure you're getting pimiento unless you grow them yourself from seeds you ascertain as "pimiento." I know how much you As can miss your peppers! :-}
I am so sorry to hear about your type O friend's cancer. Let me clear up what I think has confused you: that passage in the Encyclopedia says: "Risk factors for colon cancer include a high meat diet and corresponding low intake of fresh fruits and vegetables." None of the ABO diets are high-meat diets and all of them are very high in fruits and vegetables -- look at type O: MEAT/POULTRY: maximum 6 ounces, 9 times per week for male secretors; VEGETABLES: unlimited beneficial veg per day, 2-5 servings per day of neutrals; FRUITS: 3-5 servings of fruit per day! He should certainly follow his type O diet, and use the protocols in the Encyclopedia. Feeling confident in the approach taken is an important element of healthy immune functioning, so let him read this and make up a regimen he feels comfortable with. If it would ease his mind, he can safely substitute beneficial fish for most or all of his flesh protein foods.
About evening primrose oil: the description lists it as a blood thinner and blood vessel dilator. That is the basis for the original "avoid for Os" status. If your girls have no heavy bleeding or broken capillary problems, then I'd say EPO is fine for them as part of their "female balancing" protocol -- but let them be aware of those potential effects of EPO on Os.
If vitamin C gives your husband headaches, get a good acerola cherry or rosehip based ("food-derived") supplement. Those tend to be the best for Os in particular. Green tea and dark red & purple fruits (especially berries) are wonderful antioxidants, as well! Thank you for writing, dear, and please keep me up to date on how everyone's faring! :-D
Cristine, you wrote some time ago ~ at that time, I wanted to wait to see if the O diet (including all the vegetables, fish, and fruits) would alleviate this problem for you. You had some big changes to make, from veg to O! Congratulations for taking the leap!! :-) Physicians often recommend giving blood for haemochromatosis patients, so from your message it appeared you were already on the right track. Could you drop me a quick note on how you're doing now? Thanks, and I look forward to hearing your report! :-D
Hi, Anna ~ We have no listings for camellia or perilla. They have not been tested for ABO reactivity, so I can't say yea or nay to them. Please be careful when using concentrated "unknowns," OK? Monitor your reactions. Make sure the product is accomplishing what it claims without unwanted side-effects. Coix (Job's Tears) we do have a rating for: it's listed only for type Bs -- hmmm! -- so take a close look at all the other ingredients and compare them with the supplement list in the Encyclopedia ~ just to be on the safe side! :-)
Cassie, type Os are strongly advised against the birth control pill because we, more than other types, are susceptible to heavy bleeding (much lower clotting factors!) and bleeding disorders of various kinds. The pill worsens this condition.
According to Willa Shaffer's book, "Birth Control Without Fear: Wild Yam," wild yam has proven extraordinarily effective for women of all types as a birth control agent. The book -- really more of a pamphlet -- is available on Amazon for about $4.00 and describes Ms. Shaffer's experience with this herb over many years' practice as a midwife. Worth a look, if only for a backup method.
You are right that the liver and every other organ will function better when you're following your ABO plan, but that is a GOOD thing in every sense. The alternative is to court illness!! You are much better off to continue on the O diet, no matter which birth control method you decide upon -- and you may find that you need far less of any drug to achieve the desired effect.
If your heart is set on using the Pill, have your gynecologist test you carefully for the appropriate estrogen/progesterone dosage and recheck it from time to time. Thanks for writing, Cassie -- and I hope you're well back on track for the New Year!
Dear Pierre ~ Chlorella is great for type As. I'm not familiar with Green Germ -- is it a wheat (blé) germ and greens combination? Wheat germ is an avoid for As... if the Green Germ product contains wheat germ, I would not use it. I'm certainly glad to hear that your Doctor Renkin is providing these supplements in Belgium! Great news! Thank you for writing, and I hope you're feeling better now!
Hi, Gary! Spirulina and blue-green algae, I can't in good conscience recommend for any type. Chlorella is perfectly fine for all types. Since you are already purchasing these substances in supplement form, may I suggest the Harmonia product available in this site's store? Two teaspoons pack a wallop of greens, fruit powders, herbs, seaweeds, flax... and it tastes good even on its own. I used to be a big consumer of Sun Chlorella, and I have switched over to Harmonia with better results. My type A guy is benefiting from it, as well. Give it a good look and see how it shapes up against what you're using now. :-)
Hey there, rosie! I do want to suggest yoga for you, because of ALL the benefits -- including cortisol reduction, which greatly aids weight loss for As. Second, I'd like to encourage you to eat at least a small meal three or four times per day. That way, your metabolism will be supported throughout the day, and your body won't assume a starvation mode and hold on to that fat. Try a snack in the morning, your main meal as a late lunch, and a snack later on, if that's easier for you. Let me know how that works for you!
Annie, I can't think of anything you're missing by avoiding whey supplements. They're just one of thousands of supps promoted very convincingly by people who sell them. If you look around your local supp shop, you'll see that all those products are marketed to everybody. That's true of 99% of the diet/health books as well. And that's what sets Peter's work apart from the others. I'm not familiar with the ingredients of "Greens+," so please read the label carefully and compare it with your type A food/supp list -- then you'll have solid information on whether to take it. For the most part, I urge people to make their own supplements by juicing/blending whole foods, but if you're more comfortable purchasing a greens supp, please consider Harmonia. It's a great product, and I can recommend it knowing it will do you no harm! thanks, dear!! :-)
Hello, Laurie! Good question!! Generally, a deficiency will show itself as such when & if you add to your diet what you were missing. An allergy or intolerance will start bugging you when you add new foods that you're as yet unable to digest or to which your immune system has already been sensitized.
You've figured out you had a vitamin B deficiency, which is a big step. The patch on your face may improve with more water (mineral water as well) and beneficial oil in your diet. Also: monitor it for change an hour after each meal. If it shows a flare-up of redness, itchiness or size after a given meal, try eliminating all items in that meal from your diet for a period of one week. Then add one item at a time and see if you can nail down which item caused the trouble.
The dry patch could be the result of a hormone fluctuation, inadequate hydration, even a reaction to your shampoo, toothpaste or moisturizer. Do you use the Membrane Fluidizer Cocktail described in Eat Right? I'd try it, and see if that dry patch goes away in a few days.
Weight loss doesn't always happen in the same time frame on each try. The body tends toward homeostasis, and with successive attempts to lose weight, the results may be slower to appear. Don't be discouraged! Get plenty of dark greens and beneficial proteins & fruit in your diet, and consider pepping up your exercise routine. Let me suggest a little something that may appeal to you -- take a look at the Five Tibetan Rites ~~ it's a remarkable body-balancer, and confers benefits far out of proportion to
the few minutes it takes to perform. Keep at it, and let me know how you're doing!
Greetings, Sarah ~ Go to the TYPEbase3 database and enter wheat as your search term. Remember to hit the search button - the "enter" key doesn't work on that page. You'll see the food status of all the wheat items there. Great wheatless recipes can be found in their thousands all over the Net. I'm not sure which dishes you're trying to make, so I suggest using the search engine www.alltheweb.com/advanced with the search terms "wheat-free" "wheatless" "celiac" and/or the food you want a recipe for, like "bread" or "cake" or "bagel." Bookmark the sites you like! You'll also find cookbooks listed from bookstores. Enjoy your research!! :-)
Karin, you can write any time, and I will listen with all my heart! I'll also try to help you with your challenges. First, focus on the beneficial foods on your B diet, and do it as strictly as you can. Alone, it should provide some relief soon. Stick to the fresh and dried fish for now, rather than the smoked fishes. Chocolate is a neutral, as is cocoa powder, but watch out for corn sweeteners in your chocolate. Sugar-sweetened is better, and homemade hot chocolate from organic (biologic) bitter chocolate with vegetable glycerine or molasses added is better still! :-)
This diet certainly will help you get the upper hand with lupus -- and you wrote a while ago that you have the Encyclopedia as well, so you have the best tools right in your hands. How is it going with the protocols?
Did the German naturopathic doctor offer to refer you to a colleague? If not, call his office again and ask for a referral. How are your symptoms now?
From my reading http://www.healthanswers.com.au/drugdata/appco/00070432.asp on chloroquin (or "chlorquin" or "chloroquine"), I conclude that your doctor chose this drug as an anti-inflammatory. It has side effects -- please read that link to learn more about it. Most webpages on this drug are in German, so I assume it is more commonly given there than here in the U.S., and if you do a search for "chloroquin" and "lupus," you'll find a great number of German-language sites to read, too. There are many other powerful anti-inflammatory substances such as quercetin (available cheaply as a supplement) bromelain (from pineapple - often sold in combination with quercetin), which are safe to take at high dosages -- as well as the protocol supps which you're using now.
I wrote a column for a type A woman with lupus: it may be of help to you! Substitute turkey, goat, lamb or venison (on the bone) for the chicken in the recipe, and use it and the broth as mentioned in that column -- it's here, and don't forget the Membrane Fluidizer Cocktail: a tablespoon of flax oil, a tablespoon of lecithin granules, and eight ounces of the fruit juice of your choice (I suggest pineapple, black cherry, one or both, mixed with cranberry), shaken or blended.
QUESTION FOR READERS: Anyone have a good lupus support group to recommend to Karin, either in English or German? Please write in and let us know!! Karin, I'll pass on to you any suggestions received! Take good care, dear -- I'm thinking of you!
Yes, if your previous diet was fairly avoid-laden, you may have an adjustment period in which you feel a bit sluggish and need more sleep. It will certainly pass ~ your entire physiology is cleaning out the old toxins and doing much-needed repair work throughout. Drinking a good quantity of pure water every day, and attending to your B-type exercises, will hasten the entire process and set you up for a spectacular New Year! As I noted to Laurie, above, the Five Tibetan Rites might appeal to you. The Encyclopedia also contains specific metabolic-enhancing protocols to speed the process. Marian, give it a little "tincture of time," and see how you progress over a month or two. You will see an upswing in energy soon, I'm sure! Keep in touch!! :-)
Hi, Ed ~ Here's a column I wrote in which I discussed the coffee change for ABs ~ take a look, and write back if you still have questions! Thanks! :-D
Hey there, Mike ~ There is a phenomenon people often experience when they attain a goal they have sought and hoped for over a long time. I don't know if this is the case with you, but after so many months or years of focusing on weight loss, once the problem is solved, it can leave an odd kind of emptiness in its wake. Like, OK, I did it! It's done! ... uh... now what?
That said, are you getting at least 100 grams of protein in a day's meals? I'd call that a minimum to maintain healthy neurotransmitter function (among many other things). Also, the servings you quoted apply to the whole meat/poultry list, not only to red meat. These are from Eat Right, correct? Ooooh, I think I've got some enlivening news for you: in Live Right 4 Your Type, the portion/frequency for this category in the AB diet has increased. And I note many items that are neutral or beneficial there for you: lamb... rabbit... turkey... ostrich... pheasant... for nonsecretors, quail and venison are neutral... That's only a smidgeon of the vast new information contained in it. Worth a look! Write back with your personal review! and I hope this helps perk up your mood! :-) By the way, CONGRATULATIONS on your great achievement!!! It may be a little old hat to you, but it's thrilling for me! EnJoy it!! :-D
Yes! That column can be easily adapted to type AB, with great results. First, turkey instead of chicken; then go through it and adjust the fruits and herbs toward the beneficial for her. Walnut & olive instead of sesame oil. And be sure to tell her about my favorite exercise site, in the first paragraph of that column: the Royal Canadian Air Force's 5BX pages. I can't tell you how great it is for anyone, at any fitness level, as a mild and brief daily routine which will take you from wherever you are to where you never thought you'd get to. You gotta try it to appreciate it!!
What a good friend you are, Kirsten. :-} Let me know how she does. And take good care of YOU, too! :-D
Boxing Day!
July 13th, 2000 , by admin
Wondering what it is?
(UK, Ozzie, Canuck & Kiwi folks may want to skip this part! ;-D)
December 26 is Boxing Day (St. Stephen's Day), a bank holiday for Great Britain (with the exception of Scotland), Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. If the day falls on a weekend, the holiday is observed on the following Monday.
When I first heard of Boxing Day, I envisioned a Dickensian England in which the day after Christmas was set aside for pugilist sporting events ~ sort of a get-together-with-the-family on the 25th then work-off-all-that-anxiety-and-aggression-with-a-punch-fest on the 26th sort of thing. ~:-D Wrong! Not that kind of "box." ;->
The traditional celebration was a charitable one ~ gifts were customarily proffered to charities, the poor, and service people like lamplighters and mailmen. The holiday is quite old, probably beginning in the early Middle Ages, and its origin seems to lie in the custom of the church to distribute the contents of alms boxes to the poor on the day after Christmas, and in the English nobility's 'gift boxes' to servants on that day.
In whatever way it is celebrated around the world today, I think it's a very sensible and highly civilized practice to have the day after Christmas as a holiday ~ wish the U.S. did the same! ;-)
So, in memory of happy times in London, I'm taking a tiny holiday of my own on this Boxing Day ~~ to greet some old acquaintances who have stopped in to say hello ~ and to drop a note or two on how to "stay in touch" with this column & each other!
Good to hear you are back, Heidi. Boy, you sure had a strange farm! Different than any dairy farm I ever worked on. Just kidding around, glad to hear about the new column. Take no diet prisoners. Blaine
LOL! Strange when I describe it, eh? 'Zat what yer trying to tell me? ;-> s'alright... I'll bet the farm was quite normal, until I arrived. What a life it is, eh? Do you miss it? Incredibly hard work, but daily rewards straight from the earth and sky. It's like a dream of magic for me, a mythical time imagined in childhood ~ a haunting reminiscence throughout my life.
Oh, and thank you for yesterday's Christmas & New Year wishes! Please give my love to your family and I dearly hope you all are prospering! [p.s.: you've got a Q in the queue which I have not forgotten. Coming soon! ;-D]
Hello Heidi: Your column is great. You and I have corresponded on the message board over the years - I am AN, the Armchair Nutritionist - also aka Content Police (way, way back). Anyhow, I have just come across a fascinating study published several years ago in Scientific American regarding "Corn Caused Disease Among Native Americans". An abstract of the article is available at the Dr. Mercola web site at http://www.mercola.com/2000/june/3/corn.htm. This may be old news, but I wanted to pass it on to you and Peter. Regards. Roy
Roy, great to hear from you! Thanks for the link to that article... quite an eye-opener. I'm posting it link here for anyone who hasn't read it -- well worth it, folks!
Lord, your message takes me back to the glory days of the old boards... Hey, what about "Spelling Police," "Grammar Police," et al.? We ran SUCH a clean shop, lol! Remember when sean did that perfect parody of my posts, and signed it Captain Kangaroo? I can still feel the bruise where I fell off my chair laughing. What a bunch. Everything from mages to mice ~ sheesh, we could have transfered the whole crowd direct to a medieval castle without missing a beat.
Wonder where the thaumaturges all flew off to? Write back with a map... :-D
Hi Heidi, I sent you a Xmas email but it bounced back - I guess you are no longer using SouthLodge@operamail.com If you feel like emailling, it would be great to hear from you. Merry Xmas and all the best, Deb
:-) Hi, Deb! FYI, I'm at helpinghand@emsmail.net ~ Email on its way, and a very joyous holiday to you!!
So good to hear from you again. Seems like a much more efficient use of your time. I guessed that you are a Renaissance Woman, but your bio confirmed it. You have always been so kind and helpful to me. I look forward to the new addition to the website. I have been trying to start my own website on breast cancer coping-- breastcancercoping.org, but don't know how to do it, tried myself with programs and couldn't do it, and the friends that were to help didn't come through. Getting to the point that I'll just have to pay someone to do it. All I wanted it for is to post some of my writings, some of the research from the listserve Amazon on alterntive treatments and breast cancer and links--Dr. D being a big one! Looking forward to hearing from you--Keep up the good work. Fondly Marilyn
Hi, Sweetie! Hang in there, I'm sure there's a way to do this. Hey, can anyone here help Marilyn with her website? She is a breast cancer survivor, devout warrior in the holistic cause, and a purely wonderful person ~ any web-savvy folks out there who could help get her coping pages up & running on the Net? Drop us a line, I'll pass it along!
Marilyn, take care and keep the light shining ~ love you!
Would it be possible to organise Dr D'Adamo's, your & Dr Bron's column in date order or be able to search by date. I log in to your site everyday at work but don't work weekends & it takes a while to locate the missing days. Just a thought!! Helen
Well, it's secretly organized that way already. There's a trick to it and here's the trick: When you log in on a Monday, go to the column page and choose "list all topics." The first two at the top will be Saturday's and Sunday's. You can check this by hovering your mouse pointer over each link -- look at the bottom left corner of your browser. There you'll see the name of the link -- and the last four digits are the month & day of that column entry. Ta-Da! :-D Hope this helps keep you caught up, Helen! Thanks for the note!!
Hello Heidi! When will the message board archives be available for searching again? I finally got around to making fresh ginger juice last night and wanted to find all the posts about how much to take and when. Thanks! Dianne
:-} I haven't yet come up with a message board solution that doesn't cost hugely in bandwidth. Still trying... we'll revisit this problem in the new year and make a concerted effort to solve it. :-} Maybe I'm a bit late for that batch of ginger juice, but start with 1/2 teaspoon in the morning before breakfast. At first it seems fiery hot, but the "burn" won't hurt you. Work your way up slowly to a tablespoon if desired. Some folks fell so in love with GJ that they slurp a bit of it before each meal. Let me know how you do, and thanks for the MB reminder!! :-D
Hi Heidi, Early on after the demise of the message board, I went to the website: http://www.er4yt.homestead.com/index.html In regard to the chat room there, I don't understand it. What are you supposed to do? Is there really a chat room there? Phil
We do still have a chat room there, but you'd want to schedule a chat with others in order to get together at the same time. See below for an option at the BTD-UK board! thanks, Phil!!
Dear Heidi, Peter and Martha are so blessed to have you helping them out with your Q & A column, and so are we. Thank you so very much for all you do to encourage and help all who visit the site. God bless you! Mary
Oh, Mary, I'm the one blessed by doing it, in too many ways to tell. It is so wonderful to hear from you!! Don't be a stranger ~ A brilliant New Year to you, my friend! *:-D
^Heidi^! Guess I have been gone from the program for too long. What happened to the message board? My husband and I fell off the diet and decided last night that we get back on track full force today! Needed some inspiration from everyone darn it. Janet
Whoops! Hey there, Janet ~~ I highly, highly recommend Tom Greenfield's BTD-UK board ~ it's for everyone including us Yanks, and I hope you find a new home there in a community of kind, talkative and brilliant people ~ HERE it is! Pop it into your Favorites, and here's the link to copy & paste if desired: http://groups.msn.com/er4ytUK/_homepage.msnw?pgmarket=en-gb
Enjoy, dear ~ and keep in touch!!
that goes for everyone, by the way! and... Happy Boxing Day!! :-D
ABO, Water & Ghee
July 12th, 2000 , by admin
What is the "most common" blood type? -- Darlene
The most common ABO type worldwide would be O, followed closely by A, then B, and AB. Taking several blood-type systems into account, it is most likely that type O+ secretor MN males are the most numerous group ~ and type A2B- nonsecretor NN females the least numerous. :-)
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Dear Heidi, For soaking beans is it ok to use unfiltered tap water or is it better to soak them in mineral water if you're serious about minimising toxins? Or do you think it's worth buying a good water filter for this purpose? I don't know whether water filters can filter out all the hormones and chemicals in tap water. Very confused. Olympia.
Hello, and thanks for a great column. Do you have any info on home water filtration systems? We are considering the purchase of a catalytic/magnetic system to prevent calcium scale buildup, and a system using KDF material. Have heard that RO systems may not be safe, although they are ? the only ones that will remove fluouride. Andrew Weil uses a distilled system, but we once put distilled water in our fish tank, and we had to do CPR with tap water to revive the fish! Like your upbeat approach. Ann
Hi, Ladies ~ I'm no expert on water filtration systems. I'd think the first step would be to get your tap water tested by your local authority. You may find your water is quite good, and needs only a perfunctory filter. I would at least use a charcoal filter for water used in preparing food and a run-of-the-mill filter for shower or bath water, and consider more expensive means of purification if an assay proved it necessary. Distilled water would be fine for soaking beans, but not for one's regular drinking water. (Wow, Ann! Close brush with death for those fish!) Generally speaking: the livelier your water, the livelier you will be. Clean spring, well or mineral water are the best for drinking. Beyond that, I can offer only my best wishes to everyone in organizing your various home filtration needs!
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Hello Heidi, Can you please tell us the proper way to make ghee? Dr D gave a recipe in May of 2000, and he never said anything about having to strain it. Since then I have seen on ER sites that straining is necessary, so I wonder if I am doing it wrong. Please advise, and thank you. theresa
Well, I don't strain mine. The brown bits stick to the bottom of the pan almost without exception ~ if you wish to use cheesecloth to strain it, you can, but you sacrifice a bit of ghee to the cloth that way. There is no requirement that you strain it ~ just that it cook until the water is gone (use the paper strip method: dip the strip into the ghee and light it over the sink. If it sputters, keep cooking the ghee and test again until it does not). I skim the foam from the top while cooking. Other than that, it's a matter of trial and error. Don't be concerned about doing it wrong ~ just keep an eye on it so that it does not burn, and remove from the heat once it passes the strip test. :-)
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And a very merry Christmas Eve to all! :-)
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Mini-Roundup for Type O ~ :-)
July 11th, 2000 , by admin
Hello Heidi! I don't know if you remember me from the message board, but I was the one who often commented on the home environment, and like you, I'm an O non secretor. First I want to tell you what a fabulous job you're doing with the column. I can't imagine how TIME consuming this must be for you, but it's obvious you put your heart and soul into it. We are all so fortunate to have your help and talents so easily accessible (and fun to read, too!). You're an amazing researcher. Here's my question: Like many O's, learning to cook meat has been a real experience. After years of learning how to cook and present gorgeous, tasty grain based meals, I still feel like I'm still in the middle of a huge learning curve with preparing meat. I'm not very good at it, and could use some help. I only buy grass fed organic beef (as an O non secretor trying to eat beneficials, I mostly eat beef, and once in awhile lamb or venison). Besides choosing grass-fed organic, what's the HEALTHIEST, EASIEST way to cook beef? I almost always resort to stove top pan grilling a rib eye steak in some ghee, but I've heard that it's healthier to cook meat slowly, in water. Do you agree? If so, how can one achieve medium or rare by cooking slowly? Got any really handy tips for the meat-cooking-impaired? I don't ever use non stick by the way, as it's plastic and does break down. Thanks for your suggestions. Best, Mary
Of course I remember you, Mary! it's most kind of you to pile such compliments on me, but really I'm still just the receptionist/librarian around here, as always! ;-)
There are a multitude of healthy ways to cook meat, but only a few unhealthy ways, so I'll start by talking about how not to do it: don't char it. "No" to blackened, burned bits on the outside of the meat and attached fat (if any). Light brown marks from grilling are fine, but deep brown/black burn marks aren't. This applies as well to pan-frying as it does to grilling: lower the heat and cook a bit longer if you'd like the meat cooked through.
Second, don't cook meat in oil or butter/ghee that is smoking and browning.
Some of the recommendations we've offered over the years are: eliminate surface bacteria by setting the steak into a pot of just enough boiling water to cover, turning off the heat and leaving it there for 10 minutes before proceeding to cook it in whatever way you'd like. For ground meat, mix in a tablespoon or two of black cherry juice per pound of meat as an "instant antioxidant." These are excellent safety measures. That said, I don't generally use them because I get my meat from a highly reputable and very fastidious butcher who cuts and/or grinds it right before my eyes.... and maybe I like to live dangerously! ;-)
Now, Mary, no matter what you say, I know you're not "cooking impaired." :-) But, I'll mention the basic parameters on a couple of easy, healthy ways to do it: quickly sear chunks or slices of meat in a bit of oil or ghee, spice as you wish, then add broth, some red wine, and fill up with chopped vegetables and herbs to make a stew. Slow cook all day (a crock pot helps!). For ground meat, saute the onions with any other hard veg (like broccoli, kale, etc.), add the meat and some liquid - broth or tomato sauce or wine - and simmer till it's at the consistency you like.
That's about it for my cooking tips, since (*blush*) Bryan has taken over virtually all the cooking in the house! He LOVES to cook, and I am MOST pleased to have him do it! Gee, maybe I should have him write a column on cooking for an O and A nonsecretor household? :-)
Anyway, as space allows, I hope this is helpful, Mary ~ stay strong, dear, and keep smiling!! :-D
Congratulations on your informative and caring column! I am an O non secretor. My question is on foods that are usually avoids, but which could possibly be OK if sprouted. For example, I know wheat sprouts and wheatgrass work for Os. But what about soy sprouts? Barley sprouts? Sunflower sprouts? I know some sprouts are definitely avoids, because of alfalfa. I'd like to know as much as possible about what avoids become OK when sprouted, and which (BOO!) stay avoids. Is there a general principle, or does it vary from one food to another? genie
Hello, genie, and thanks! I am TOTALLY in tune with your love of sprouts, and I wish I had more ratings to give you. Basically, I can say that any sprouted grain is going to be fine and possibly beneficial for all types. Sprouted corn is an "unknown," but I suspect it may be OK for most people (probably not us O-nons, sorry to say). Almonds and other OK nuts can be sprouted a bit, of course, although they don't yield much in the way of greens! but beans are really a mixed bag, as you've observed, and seeds appear to share that ambiguity. You know what? I wonder if we'd be safe eating ONLY the sprout part of the sprouted "avoid" bean or seed, after removing all the bean/seed bits -- *sigh.* Probably not. :-} Fact is, we're probably a lot better off without them. :-( I'm detecting in you what I still have a touch of: that A-itis ~ you know, those cravings for living on grass, nuts, seeds & twigs? :-) Seriously, sprouting is a great pursuit and produces wonderful food, but until a specific bean/seed sprout is tested, I'll have to say, "pass" on those. I do hope this fills in some blanks for you, genie ~ thanks for the Q! :-)
(more tomorrow! :-))
General Food Qs ~ All Types !
July 10th, 2000 , by admin
Hi, We live in the Southwest and love mexican food. Hubby is A and I am O. Was looking for tomatillos on the Typebase and couldn't find them. Can you tell me if they are legal for us to eat? Thanks much. Lori
Hi, Lori! Here's what I wrote on October 8 to a question from a type A woman: "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." For a type O, again based on the reasoning above (specifically its similarity to tomatoes), I would not hesitate to use it as a neutral food if you have no autoimmune conditions, joint problems, or skin disorders ~ unless you have a specific sensitivity to tomatoes and/or peppers. :-}
Hi! In Dr. Adamo's Blood type AB Food, Beverage and supplement lists (Berkley, Jan.2002) paperback ed. page 32 lists loganberry as highly beneficial, whereas pg. 33 has it among that which should be avoided. Pg.43 says aloe is an immune system booster, but pg.45 lists it to be avoided. Pg.60 cayenne to be used for nausea, yet pepper (all type* is to be avoided (Pg. 37), because it is acidic. Can you please address. THANKS Gloria
Hello, Gloria! Here are the correct listings from TYPEbase 3 for AB: aloe - avoid; loganberry - beneficial; cayenne - avoid. That said, a little cayenne in tea is indeed effective against nausea ~ but not to be used regularly as a spice, nor during pregnancy as a daily nausea remedy. :-)
There are some food stuffs in the book which appear to be contradictory and which puzzle me such as:-
1. Cabbage - under Vegetables etc - avoid. under Juices - neutral.
2. Broad beans - under Vegetabkles etc. - avoid. - under Beans and Pulses - neutral.
3. Durum Wheat Bread - under Breads etc - avoid Durum Wheat Flour - under grains etc - neutral.
I would much appreciate your explanations. Ralph
Hi, Ralph! Well, I skimmed through several, but I can't be sure which book you're referring to.
It could be any one of the eight... could you pop me a note back and direct me to the book you found these items in -- and which blood type's food list? Thanks so much!I'm confused about potatoes for type Os. In LR4YT potatoes are listed as one of the worst red flag avoid foods. However, in the vegetable food list potatoes are listed as a tier two avoid. I don't understand how an item can be both a red flag avoid and a tier two avoid. Please explain. I searched the LR4YT errata page and didn't find any clarification on this issue. Thanks! Don
Hey there, Don! The potato lectin is a red flag ~ for all Os except secretors who have no inflammatory problems, no joint trouble, no extra weight, no other health difficulties at all related to diet. For those healthy folks, we say "it may be considered neutral" because that is the most practical way in which to communicate this seeming anomaly to the small percentage of Os who digest it without trouble ~ always secretors, and never those with the conditions listed above. This is a case in which the subtypes fully come into play in regard to reactivity -- further, even a good percentage of secretors cannot eat this food, and it is difficult to pin down the exact differences between them that makes this so. Potato lectin has a profoundly different effect for Os who do not fall into that group, thus its continuing "red flag" status. :-)
In some of your receipes you call for spelt flour, but there are different types of spelt flours? In one of your receipes you call for using goats cheese for part of the icing, but what kind? Sandra
Ah! Well, I'd use whole spelt for recipes in which whole wheat would make an acceptable texture. For all else, I'd go with white spelt flour. The best goat cheese for the icing would be a soft, very mild variety with no herbs or other additions. :-D
Your mention of organic eggs made me think of another question I have had on my mind for some time now. What is the difference between free roaming and organically produced eggs? Are free roaming produced eggs better for your health then regular eggs? If so, are the free roaming produced eggs adequate for good health or are organically produced eggs an important additional quality? Thanks! Don
Free roaming hens pick & choose what they eat from their environment. Bugs, seeds, dirt, etc. ~ including whatever feed is scattered for them, organically-produced or full of pesticides and potentially GMO. They are unlikely to need antibiotics, since they are not kept crowded together in disease-breeding pens. Organically-fed hens are not exposed to pesticides through their food or water, but lots of questions as to their living conditions are unanswered by the term "organically-fed." So, it's important to the quality of the eggs that both of these conditions be met in order to ensure a healthy & happy chicken ~ and that no hormones or antibiotics are used to raise her. Finally, the fresher the egg, the better; if you can obtain yours from a local farmer, you both will reap the rewards.
On a personal note, I can report that my digestive system discriminates loudly between the happy chicken's egg and the alternative, so it is not at all an esoteric matter for me! An enteric matter instead, you might say... as well as a philosophic one, as I abominate factory farming, fully support local farm commerce, and care tremendously about the quality of life provided to food animals. As more of us adopt a similar attitude, the benefits will multiply in ways seen and unseen. Don, thanks for writing! :-D
I wonder if you can tell me if the South American herb stevia is okay for any or all blood types? I tend to use this in place of sugar, to cut down on my sugar intake naturally, and would like to know if it's okay. Carol
Greetings, Carol! To check the status of a food, just go to http://www.dadamo.com/typebase/typebase.cgi ~~ and remember to hit the “search” button. . . the keyboard “enter” key does not work on this particular form. Also, consider the use of vegetable glycerine. There are a number of columns in which it is discussed, so scroll down to the bottom of this page, enter "glycerine" and have a good read! :-D
Hi, I am a little confused as I find some discrepancies between the book eat4your type and the food, beverage and supplement lists that "supposedly" comes from the book, e.g. fruits highly beneficial book mentions figs, plums and prunes, the list mentions banana, guava and mango among the others, herbal teas book mentions highly beneficial 13 teas, lists mentions in this same section green tea as highly beneficial but not in the book, so which one should I follow the book or the list, please do clarify me this doubt. thanks, paola
Buon giorno, paola! Here’s a paragraph from the “On the Diet” column on August 12, 2002:
FOUND CONTRADICTIONS between the various books' food lists? The latest ones (in Live Right 4 Your Type, the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia and the Food, Beverage & Supplement Lists (these "Little Books" are secretor non-specific)) should be used. ALSO check the official change log at www.dadamo.com/lr4yter.html for the most recent updates -- at a later date, an update area for all the recent books will be created.
You can read that column at
http://www.dadamo.com/columns/begin/ask2.pl?20020812.txt ~
The TYPEbase 3 database at http://www.dadamo.com/typebase/typebase.cgi contains ALL latest updated food values for secretors & nonsecretors.
again, a warm thank-you to all!!
~ A Little Potpourri for the Shortest Day ~
July 9th, 2000 , by admin
Do products using texturized soy protein--the fake "meats"--get categorized with other soy products? Joe
Hey there, Joe! Those faux meat products are highly processed foods, and have fairly numerous ingredients (often including wheat), so can't be put under any one category. Read the labels carefully, and evaluate each component against your food list. :-) thanks for your note!
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Hello Heidi, the column is looking very good. >I'd ask the nurse at your medico's office what diagnostic lab they use. Then, phone the lab. Get the procedure, costs and request forms for the tests you want, then take that information to your doc or clinic.< I saw your advice above to my compatriot. It caused me a moment of wry amusement. You may know we have a publicly funded national health service here: we pay for the whole thing through taxes & never have to pay a single penny up front for treatment, nor take out insurance. This is really excellent if you have some serious illness. The down side is, treatment is rationed, we have very little choice over what doctor we see, and no way would a general practitioner (family physician) order blood tests unless he or she thought them necessary. ie, we cannot order up tests ourselves in the manner you suggest. The only way to get such a test would be to arrange it privately outside the National Health service, but I suspect one might not need to go via a doctor at all. I am posting a link to that column on Tom's site, Tom will be able to give advice (and probably does the tests himself). Sarah
LOL! Sarah, I'm glad you still think the column looks good! ~:-D Yes, I assumed Olympia would have to step outside the National Health system, but I'm fascinated to learn from you if it is possible to order a test such as the serotype panel she sought without getting it via a doctor. Any walk-in laboratories in the UK? Thanks for your note ~ it took me back many years to my first summer in London, and the astonishing sight of groups of women in full purdah and jewelled metal masks, sweeping along the pavements. A friend told me it was quite common for people to take a summer holiday there, stay long enough to satisfy the requirements of the National Health, get their medical needs seen to, then return home. I've lived in New York for many years, and never seen a thing to rival it. *sigh.* Lovely place you have there! :-}
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Hi Heidi, My Blood Type is O and I would like to know how many times per day I may eat meat and/or fish and the amounts. Thank you. Jane
That's difficult to answer without knowing your height & weight, activity level... secretor status would help, too! And it's not just any old meat or fish, although I think you're probably aware of that. At least one 2-5 ounce serving per day for women is a VERY general guideline ~ hope this helps! :-)
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For whom is rooibos tea ok? Nice site, but I couldn't find the tea info. Thanks. Marie
Hello, Marie ~ Follow this link to a column I wrote in June of 2002 ~ and scroll down near the end to follow the links contained therein! :-D
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As recommended by my family physician, I tried the blood type diet (I am Type O). I always thought my diet was alright, calorie wise, but could not loose weight (I only need to loose 10-15 pounds). My diet did consist of mostly proteins, but also a modest amount of dairy and wheat. Well, I did the diet for three days and had diarrhea for three days! When I added the dairy and wheat back, the diarrhea stopped. It seems that every Type O meal I eat, it is followed by diarrhea. What am I doing wrong, or is there a supplement that I am missing? I would really like to make this diet work! Thank you! Deborah
Hmmm... Questions for you: Which book are you using? What did you eat on the three days? Which foods did you not eat that you're accustomed to? Diarrhea can be a very good sign that your new diet is allowing the bowels to get rid of a lot of old impacted matter ~ it can also be an indication of food allergy or other reactions too numerous to mention here. Deborah, could you write back and tell me more about all this? Many thanks, and I look forward to a bit more info so I can get a better idea of the trouble. :-)
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And: A note for Clark, on his search for 100% buckwheat soba noodles: EDEN makes them, so check your local HFS or largish supermarket ~ thanks go to Lily and Maddy, for the tip! ~:-D
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Seed of sun in the womb of winter: red berry bright on snow-bent bough. In blackest sorrow, hope's fierce fire.
A brilliant Winter Solstice to all!
Type O ~ oils, protein, diabetes... Hi, Shay!
July 8th, 2000 , by admin
Hi! Thanks for your column. I'm trying to do 2 things at one time: live right 4 my type and reverse diabetes (pursuant to Dr Julian Whitaker's book, _Reversing Diabetes_. The RD program prefers fish oil to flaxseed oil as a supplemental source of omega-3 fatty acids, because "ALA [alpha-linolenic acid] has already been converted to the more useful EPA [eicosapentaenoic acid] and DHA [docosahexaenoic acid]". However, LR4YT lists flaxseed oil as beneficial for Os (that would be "moi") and fish oil as neutral. Does the alleged conversion advantage justify my taking fish oil instead of flaxseed oil? At the moment, trying to keep a "foot in both camps", I'm alternating both! Thanks for your insight. Shay
Good idea, Shay! Taking both is fine, and that goes for any other neutral food which you want to use for specific purposes. It's only the avoids I'd stay away from! :-)
Hi, Heidi! Suppose an O-type person wanted to eat 8 ounces of protein a day, 4 ounces for lunch and 4 ounces for supper. What would be the relative value of eating beef (beneficial) at both meals versus eating beef at one meal and rotating among poultry, fish, and an equivalent amount of soy-based nutrition bars and/or drinks, all neutral but with a variety of nutrients different from beef and with less cholesterol? Thanks for your column. Shay
Well, rotating foods is certainly the way to go. However, there are only so many meals in a day or week, so I'd be inclined to choose beneficial protein sources (and vegetables, etc., naturally) over neutrals -- especially when resolving a health issue -- and in the case of type O, flesh proteins rather than plant proteins. Remember that high serum cholesterol is not caused by eating foods containing cholesterol -- 90% that cholesterol is produced in the liver, and hypercholesterolemia is a result of eating the wrong foods, which impacts all the organs of the body. The concern over beef's cholesterol level is one of those food pyramid boondoggles we BTD'ers can discard with assurance!
I do support your desire to vary your protein meals and ensure an optimal variety of nutrients... but the beneficials will certainly cover all needs in that department. I suggest a melange of meats and fish, with eggs, nuts, seeds and nutritional yeast for good measure. Shay, let me know how it's going with defeating that diabetes, and many thanks for your messages!!
~:-D
An O Potpourri... and more on feeding da baby!
July 7th, 2000 , by admin
Liver is a food that enocourages weitht loss on Type O diets. Does it matter where the liver comes from? Beef? Pork? Chicken? Is one better than the other? Are prepared liverwurst products such as Underwood Lieverwurst Spread acceptable? Delores
Hi, Delores ~ Liver from animals whose meat is beneficial is a bit better than liver from the 'neutral animals.' If the meat is an avoid, the liver is an avoid (pork, for instance). About prepared products: compare the ingredients on the label with your food list... although fresh is usually much better than a mixed canned product. Thanks for your message! :-)
Should I take something to replace no spleen? I am O positive, age 73 female in good health except I am never without sinus drainage. Allegra affected my eyesight. I got some relief from the Sinus Health Protocal for the four weeks. How often can one repeat the Protocals? I have been on the O diet about 90% of the time for almost two years and friends and relatives have bought the books. -- Louvena
Hello, Louvena! You can certainly repeat a protocol a couple of weeks after finishing one. Have you tried eliminating grain and dairy completely for a week or two, in order to see if the sinus drainage might be triggered by a reaction to one or more of those foods? Try it: it might take some of the burden off your immune system.
The functions of the spleen are to clear old red blood cells and platelets from the blood, and to produce antibodies to fight bacterial infections, especially those caused by pneumococcus or other similar types of bacteria. The best advice I can give is to use the Immune-Enhancing protocol in the Encyclopedia, take the Deflect-O supplement regularly, and consider getting the Pneumovax vaccine if your doctor offers it. Please write back and let me know how you're doing!
Help! I'm type O and BTD really suits me. Two queries: Can I eat soya yogurt AND Is it OK to carry out coffee enemas? Many thanks for your help. Sarah
Hey there, Sarah ~ Soy yogurt with OK ingredients is fine for type O secretors. If you have any health concerns (such as constipation), I would tend to stay away from soy until you discover the cause of the problem. We don't encourage regular use of enemas, simply because the diet is more effective (and less costly and/or time consuming) at ensuring good digestion & elimination. Try two tablespoons of flax soaked for 10 or 15 minutes in a little water, taken an hour or two before bedtime ~ and get your exercise! it's key for the robust functioning of ALL the organs! Hope this helps!! :-D
Hi Heidi. Approximately 4 years ago I started the O type diet and lost 60 lbs quite effortlessly. {A side bar. I'm 5'3" and when I started weighted 225 pounds. The weight loss took me to 165 which is still about 30 pounds over what I wanted to weigh, but not matter what I did I couldn't seem to lose any more by eating O type.} I kept the weight off for 3 years, and was quite sure I'd never gain it back, however last Christmas, I let down my O type guard, and ate whatever I wanted for a month and a half. Consequently I put on 20 -25 pounds very quickly. Yikes!!I have since been faithfully eating O type again but have not been able to lose the weight . This time, I have been taking all the supplements on the web site for O. The basic pack plus catechol, fucus plus and licorice. This additional 25 pounds puts me about 50 pounds overweight. It's quite depressing. Any suggestions on how to get things jump started?
Another equally challenging thing has been the arrival of hot flashes for the last year. They are so uncomfortable! I've been taking the black cohosh and maca root that is recommended for seniors in Live Right for Your Type. (I'm 49). It hasn't helped. For about 8 months I used progesterone cream but it's effectiveness wore off. Do you have any idea what might help. I've thought I might order the aromastate on the site. Have you heard if it is helpful for hot flashes? Thanks for your time. - Debra
Hello, Debra ~~ Hmmm... How's the exercise going? The last ten pounds or so may take a bit longer to get rid of, but exercise makes all the difference in the changes in your appearance -- the scales may be a bit sluggish to move, but your measurements will continue to reduce more easily with exercise than without. It also is very helpful in controlling appetite, a vital concern around this dangerous time of year! :-D
Aromastat may be of use to you, and it is worth a try. Look into Rhodiola rosea as well -- it can be highly effective for resolving hot flashes, according to several Os who've mentioned it to me. I think a two-pronged approach involving the Female Balancing protocol from the Encyclopedia and exercise (the extra weight can be a secret but major culprit in hormonal distresses) would be best to get the job(s) done. Keep in touch! ~:-D
And ~ a word from an experienced woman on feeding Verna's grandson!
Re: Verna's Grandson I am always happy for babies who are breastfed, especially long-term breastfeeding. I breastfed all four of my children each for 3-plus years and I had some experience with LaLeche League. The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding , "the definitive guide" to breastfeeding by La Leche League , recommends that the addition of solids should be delayed for at least 6 months or longer for these reasons. ( page 232, 6th revised edition)First, you want to maintain your milk supply. The more solids the baby ingests, the less milk he will take at the breast. A growing baby needs more of the perfect food, not less!! Also the decrease in breast milk means a decrease in protective antibodies the baby receives. Another reason to delay solid foods is that the younger the baby, the more likely the food will cause allergy. The baby may be be on the large size, but that doesn't necessarily mean that his digestive system is mature enough for solids. A good indication of whether he is ready for solids is the development of teeth. (not just the erruption of that first little front bottom tooth at around 5-6 months--you can't chew much with that) Along with the development of teeth, the mouth muscles develop the cooridination necessary to move food around and the tongue gains the ability to move food to the back and swallow. A baby who has to be propped up and spooned mushed food, repeatedly, as the stuff keeps oozing out of the mouth does not have that coordination and readiness of his mouth. Watch your baby for readiness to feed solids, not the scale or the calendar. In addition to teeth and mouth coordination, grabbing for food, enjoying the food he manages to get into his mouth, his appetite will grow , demanding to be nursed more frequently. If this appetite increase lasts for more than four or five days, he is greater that 6 months old, and has developed teeth, then he is ready. I encourage the mother of Verna's grandson to keep on breastfeeding as long as possible, while adding solid foods , as the baby will go through ups and downs in his eating patterns. Teething, colds, flus, emotional upsets, and many other things effect how a baby eats, and maintaing breastfeeding throughout the first 3 years of life insures your baby of a good foundation for his diet. Suzanna
Whoo! Thank you so much, Suzanna!
~;-D
Verna's Grandson
July 6th, 2000 , by adminVerna, I'm so happy your little grandson is doing so well! I have little experience feeding babies, but I do not think quinoa or any other grain or seed will in the least challenge your little type O's ability to digest protein. Did your daughter ask the pediatrician for the basis of the "protein stresses kidneys" warning? This is one of those things that have been doing the rounds in alternate health circles for some time now, and I have found nothing anywhere to substantiate it -- especially, nothing blood-type specific. I'm curious about what the pediatrician says, could you let me know?
In fact, if it were my kiddle, I would use vegetables and fruits as the first foods to augment the breast milk. I would offer him a blended bit of any fish or meat he showed a taste for ~ just a tiny spoonful or two. This is how babies were fed throughout human history, and still are in some parts of the world where food is plentiful ~ although your daughter may prefer using the blender to pre-chewing stuff for the kid. :-) I'm not sure I'd offer him plain grain, even rice, without some broth or oil of some kind. Here's another question for the pediatrician: what valuable things does grain provide him that other foods do not? Would it be best to mix the grain with a bit of fat, to slow the carbohydrate metabolism? That said, any of the grains acceptable to both secretors & nonsecretors would be perfectly safe for him to ingest. I am only thinking that grains are among the least helpful foods for Os of all ages, and I am more inclined to keep him filled up with breast milk, vegetables both starchy and green, fruits, fish, chicken or turkey, a taste of nutbutter now and again, and plenty of water rather than fruit juice. He won't go hungry, and I think this would spur his optimal brain & body development.
A type O whole foods diet, from birth! Lord, how I envy the little guy!!!
Well, write back & tell more ~ it's great to hear from you!!
:-D
Food Combining and the Blood Type Diets
July 5th, 2000 , by admin
Lots of folks ask some form of this question. In reply, here's the column I promised on "food combining" ~
There are a number of diet-for-health books advocating some form of food combining, or "food separation." Very briefly, this idea is based upon the observation that when digestion is swift, health (including normalization of weight) will follow – so foods which digest well together are combined, and separated from those requiring a different digestive environment. Food items are categorized by their fat, carbohydrate and/or protein content (fruit has its own headings); meals are planned according to compatible foods; certain time periods are left between meals to separate incompatible foods from each other; and obtaining the freshest possible whole foods is encouraged, with a reduction or elimination of most processed foods – especially sugars.
Like any system, this one can be reduced to bare-bones principles (don’t combine grain with flesh foods; start the day with fruit, alone), but true food separation as practiced by its successful adherents is more complex. The purist’s approach is to eat only one food item at any meal, allowing at least three hours between meals. They’ve got it easy. ;-> For everyone else, it looks like this:
A. Fats – including all oils and nuts, and cheeses with 50% or higher fat content.
B. Proteins – flesh foods and eggs, including cheeses with less than 50% fat content.
C. Fruits – except apples, bananas, breadfruit, cheramoya, melons and plaintain.
D. Starches – all grains and sugars, potatoes (other than sweet potatoes), true yams, and including apples, bananas, breadfruit, cheramoya and plaintain.
E. All vegetables other than the ones noted above.
F. Melons.
Most questions revolve around "what about food X," and "how do I maintain my gallon-per-day water intake while observing the hours-between-meals schedule and the no-drinking-with-meals caveat?" I couldn’t begin to tell you. There are many variants, subsets and refinements of this basic structure put forth by their various proponents. All I can say is that for the purposes of results rather than learned analysis, this particular approach fills the bill. Common sense, flexibility and looking at the month’s, rather than the day’s, general dietary picture are essential for success with this rather demanding plan.
Peter hasn’t recommended using food separation because (1) practically speaking, it is discouragingly complex for most people to follow two "diets" at once; (2) the many foods which contain significant amounts of protein, starch and fat raise an equivalent number of vexed questions; (3) his diet plans limit by default the amount of grains for Os and Bs and meat for As; and (4) the blood type diets (based on what you eat rather than how much or when you eat it) have a medically documented 85% success rate on their own.
I have heard from several people who report benefits from regulating their ABO-compliant meals along food separation guidelines. Some feel that LR+FS is the Ultimate Healer, Foolproof Rejuvenator and Life Extender Extraordinaire. If you feel it’s worth a try, do it ~~ there’s nothing to lose, and it might be the key you've been looking for!
Kefir
July 4th, 2000 , by adminQefir Question:
Hello, Paula!
Live Right 4 Your Type and the TYPEbase3® food database list kefir as follows: Neutral for As, Beneficial for Bs and ABs, and Avoid for type O.
You can find kefir made from sheep, goat, cow, any old milk. I've seen several brands of it in my HFS. Several companies on the Net sell "kefir grains" or starter cultures -- these are not "grain," but ready-made bacteria in a culture medium to use in making your own kefir. Here's a brief fact site, with a link for buying the starter.
It seems that people have made fermented products such as kefir for millennia, using the milk of the handiest mammal. The ancient Scots made kefir from the milk of sheep. Like the cultivation of grain, it is possible that the practice of fermenting milk began and continued largely for the purpose of producing alcoholic drinks. Nomadic Mongols did not sit around waiting for wheat or corn to grow -- instead, their animals offered the raw materials. Koumiss (or "kumiss") is one such product, made from mare's milk. Drinks for everybody! :->
Palm Oil... Oh, Lordy!
July 3rd, 2000 , by admin
I've looked in my Eat Right book, as well as searching on this site but I can't find an answer to my question: Is palm oil ok for type O's? Is it possible it is in my Eat Right Book just under a different name? Thank you for your time. Hopefully you can answer my question.
(you'll feel my pain in a moment.)
The short answer, as usual in these cases, is: it is an unlisted food, therefore to be treated as a neutral unless your common sense, wisdom guided by experience, or negative results indicate otherwise.
This isn't a usual case. :-(
The long answer is: the subject is vexed, the references conflict, and I must say that this little question has burgeoned into a monster for someone like me with dwindling brain cells and no home laboratory in which to sort it all. Hey! I can't even get access to a medical library to read the full text of the references! What a world. (*thanks for listening! LOL!*) Now that I've got that off my chest, let's see what we CAN do:
A while back, our beloved BB participant "Bob L" contributed a fact sheet link on palm oil. Take a look. To my eye, the first four points don't weigh much. If they're true, fine -- they're also true of olive oil and other common oils. The first thing I found worth considering is the fourth footnote to "Fact #5": . At least it deals with palm oil instead of vitamin E, as the other 3 notes do. This may be the key to the whole business. Wish I could read it.
Down we go to Facts #10, 11 and 12, which appear promising: Am I to infer this is a significant equivalence? Wouldn't linolenic and linoleic acids be better candidates for comparison?
OK, I can't read the full reference, but what *kind* of balance? Is it found in palm oil?
Well, that's real likely, because lauric and myristic acids RAISE LDL ... and palm kernel and coconut oils are no-nos for just about everybody, anyway! NEXT!!
I'm glad for the hamsters, but a fat blend approximating American intake must have come straight from Kentucky Fried Chicken. Yikes. WHAT other oils were used in comparison??
Hmmm... unlikely to benefit type Os...
experimental-induced cancer... in humans?
I chose this link to discuss because it makes the most thoroughgoing claims and includes more references than any others I've found. Yet I came away from it with more questions than I had going in, as you may have noticed.
Onward.
Here's blessedly brief view, from WebDietician.com: No references, but we're beginning to see a pattern.
Back in December of last year, Peter answered a question on oils. In relevant part (all snips and emphasis are mine):
....
.
...
The says 40%. I don't know about you, but I'm too tired to quibble.
Don, Bob L, Elisa, Bill, Jimmy and Rhonda: I have to say, from this vantage point it doesn't look like palm oil is our friend. Ghee, walnut oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil... that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. *zzzzzzzzz*
Cheese & Flowers? ~ :-> Type O !
July 2nd, 2000 , by admin
Hi Heidi! I´m a young swedish woman who about a year ago began to follow the type O diet. I´ve always liked red meat (especially moose meat) so that part of the diet was no problem. I’ve also always been eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Potatoes are very popular food in Sweden, but they are not a big trouble for me - never liked them anyway. The challenge is to find good, healthy substitutes for pasta, bread and dairy.
I haven’t yet found anyone in Sweden who can determine my secretor status, but I’m assuming that I’m a secretor and I feel very well on the type O secretor diet. I have become more alert and experience that my brain works quicker. I am off my asthma medication and the sinus problems I’ve suffered from as far as I can remember has improved considerably. Even though I don´t have time to exercise as much as I would like to, I´m losing fat and gaining muscles.
My husband is even more exalted about the BTD than I am. Before he knew his bloodtype he realized that almost all the foods that he likes (except icecream) are listed as beneficial or at least neutral for type B, while everything he doesn’t like is on the type B avoid list. Guess who was overjoyed when he got to know his bloodtype - he is a type B!
There are some things that concerns me. My waist is getting smaller but I’m not losing weight. I was hoping to lose weight, as I’m far too heavy. I am overweigt, but I’m not considering myself as ”fat” even though my BMI is as high as 32! I’m 64 inches tall and weigh 187 pounds (hope I did the calculations right, we use other units in Sweden). When I have the weight where I’m feeling most comfortable I weigh about 145 pounds and it will make a BMI at about 25,5. I’ve had that weight before (about 10 years ago) and would like to reach it again, and keep it. I am robust, with a very heavy bone structure and I have always been very strong. It seems as I just have to think about exercising to make my muscles grow! Even before I was on the diet I was very muscular, now my muscles are growing bigger and bigger… …what am I going to look like?
I love exercising and I feel so good, so relaxed and pleased with myself after a hard training pass at the gym or after a fast inline-skating or biking race or an aerobic class. Can you please explain to me how to interpret the BMI-factor? In some places I’ve read that the BMI should be between 19-24, while others say that 18-19 is the optimum. Somewhere I’ve seen a table saying that if your BMI is above 25 it means that you are overweight and above 30 you’re defined as fat or even obese. Can it really be true that a robust person like me should have the same BMI as a slender person?
There’s also another thing that causes a problem for me - cheese! I love cheese! And as I’m on the diet, and convinced to stay on the diet, I just have to watch my type B husband eating camembert, cheddar and parmesan… …not to mention all the Swedish cheeses, those with small holes and a dense texture - some of them mild and some with a strong, assertive flavor… YUMMY! Well, I know cheese isn’t the best you can eat if you want to lose weight, but I sometimes have feta cheese or mozzarella, which are neutral for type O secretors. But now I would like to know: is there any difference between different types of feta and/or mozzarella cheeses? I mean, is feta made of sheep’s or goat’s milk more healthy for type Os than cow’s milk feta? And how about ”mozzarella di bufala” - the real Italian mozzarella which is made of milk from water buffalos - is it better than mozzarella made from cow’s milk? Most mozzarellas available in groceries in Sweden are imported from Italy and many of them are made of cow’s milk, while some more expensive ones are made of milk from buffalos. Goat cheese is also listed as neutral, but how about cheese (other than feta cheese) made of sheep’s milk? For example, in well-sorted groceries I’ve seen French sheep cheeses (they’re not cheap!) and ”pecorino” which is an Italian, parmesan-like cheese, also made of milk from sheep. What about those cheeses for Os? for other bloodtypes? (probably good for Bs anyway!)And how about camembert made of goat's milk? What is farmer cheese? It is also listed as neutral but I haven’t found it in any dictionary and have no idea about what it is. Can you please explain to me what kind of cheese it is.
Last, but not least, I would like to thank you so very much for your column. I feel both delighted and enlightened by reading your often quite humouristic answers to questions from people all over the world. Best wishes, Ylva.
Ylva! Now, here is an O close to my own heart: a full long paragraph of questions all about cheese! :-D I'll get to that issue in a moment.
First, I agree that 187 pounds at 5'5" is too heavy for you and that a full year on this plan should have done more than reduce your waistline. The BMI is useful for people of average bone weight, average build, and average muscle development ~ for everyone else, there are better means of ascertaining one's bodymass-to-fat ratio. You can monitor body fat loss by using calipers, which can measure fairly precisely the change in size of the "pinch" taken weekly at the same place on the abdomen or arm, for example. Or, if your physician is one of the rare ones who possess the necessary machinery, bioelectric impedence testing is a highly reliable method of establishing your true "mass makeup." Considering the relative costs, I'd go with the calipers! :-)
Weight loss for some individuals is achieved only through sticking 99-100% to the Beneficial list. It's possible you're one of them. :-} You did not mention what your representative daily diet & exercise routine is, but based on your results, here are some general suggestions.
(1) Diet: If possible, get hold of Live Right 4 Your Type. There are specific portions and frequencies listed for each food category (I'd adhere strictly to them). Until you have the book, use the TYPEbase 3 database on our main page here to check items individually. For a period of two months, eat only the Beneficials for secretors -- minimize the neutrals to as near 0% as you can, and avoid those avoids like the plague. Now you're wishing your arms were long enough so you could reach my neck, ;-D but believe me, this is not forever!! It's only to jump-start the weight loss AND to give you a reference point for your own ideal weight-loss diet. When you add in a neutral or two at the end of that time, keep a close eye on how your weekly fat loss rate compares to the Bene-Only period. If the scale shows stuck again, or wants to edge up a bit, or your "pinch" grew rather than shrank, you have learned something of great importance about specific food items that no one else could have told you!!
I also suggest you drink one gallon (say, nearly four liters) of pure water each day, away from meals. I will not cry if you drink only three liters instead, but promise me you'll keep the volume at least that high.
Emphasize seaweeds and dark green leaf veg among the Beneficial veggies, and have one to three cups of green tea daily. Fresh fish or red meat at least once per day.
(2) Activity: get one good workout every other day. Let me play that old broken record of mine once more: exercise is a full 1/2 partner in the BTD, and confers wonderful unexpected side-effects! ;-D Take advantage of your love of exercise!!
Now to the cheese questions: I refuse to answer on the grounds that it might tempt you to indulge in those lovely goodies!
{just kidding... sort of. ;-> }
When you've concluded your two-month ALL BENEFICIAL regimen, feel free to plan a once-weekly cheese treat. Any sheep or goat cheese is OK, except those camembert/brie or moldy (bleu) types. And only one ounce at a time. Aw, don't glare at me like that ~ I'm just reporting the portion/frequency allowances from LR4YT! :-D Farmer's cheese is nearly the same as cottage cheese without the noticeable curds ~ simple and fresh. Mozzarella di bufalo is the best sort of mozz! Mind you, if your sinuses send you a signal after eating cheese, once again you've made a personal health-enhancing discovery, for free! :-)
I am truly pleased that both you and your husband enjoy the BTD and are seeing benefits. Now, I'm looking forward to hearing your results on your 100% beneficials experiment, and a weekly caliper report! best wishes, dear!!
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i am o type.what is the status type for hibiscus, elderflower & rose? these ingrediants are regularly used in herbal teas and i cannot identify if they benefit etc.anywhere. please help in case i undo all my hard work by ingesting an avoid albeit unwittingly. ps;i'm tired of people telling me i'm becoming obsessed about food just because i want to choose to eat healthily (not just friends but even my blooming doctor said it!) have you got any suitable fresh retorts i can sling back as i'm running out of ideas, short of shooting them!
thanks ~ debbie
Hello, debbie ~ :-D Rosehips are a wonderful vitamin C source for all types, so I doubt the petals (organic!) are harmful for you. Elderberries are beneficial, so I'd posit a neutral status for the flower. Hibiscus is a great "female balancer" for all types. :-)
About those maddening "friends and physicians:" I've found that
"When one who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, they will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest." ~ Anonymous
So, rather than a retort (stressful for the giver as well as the receiver) I suggest employing a light, mad giggle. Smile! Say, "Really?" Giggle again! "You don't say!" Big smile! Work on this in the mirror. Get so good at it that you can effortlessly switch to it at a moment's notice in the most "maddening" situation. If someone asks why you're laughing, shrug say "Just feeling cheerful, I guess!"
P.S.: You may want to keep your friends despite their conspicuous lack of support, but I'd get shut of the doctor. Being dismissed as a monomaniac is one thing, but paying for the privilege is adding injury to insult, I'd say.
;-)
take care, and enjoy yourself, dear! Happiness, after all, is the best retort anyone can make. ~;-D
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