Hi I'm a type O, in her early twenties. I am wondering if food intolerances or indigestion often cause fainting. I have fainted a couple of times, both when I felt nausea. I have seen doctors but they could give me no concrete answers. The most recent fainting spell was a day ago. I've had terrible pain at the base of my skull since then (I didn't hit me head though)and have found it really hard to function normally (basically I've slept for about 24 hrs!)In the morning before I fainted I felt fine and energetic. I ate a nutrition bar about 10 minutes before I fainted. I checked for avoids and the only one I could see is barley flour (But I used to eat barley as a child and never had major problems). Apparently my Mom faints whenever she drinks coffee. I don't have that particular problem but I'm wondering if something else might be causing it. Also, the doctor checked my blood sugar levels and said that they were fine. Thanks for your help :-) Mikyla



Whoo, that is a worrisome thing to deal with. First, has your doctor been advised about the pain at the base of your skull? That should be checked out immediately. Please do that first, OK?



Remember that the intestinal ganglia, or "gut brain," can react strongly to foods you eat long before they are fully digested. That nutrition bar contained no milk/whey stuff, corn syrup or other corn derivatives at all? rare bird, if so! It sounds like both you and your Mom are highly sensitive to foods that are no good for you ~ and this extreme intolerance was built up over time, so even though barley gave you no trouble when you were a child, it might cause significant trouble now. It also is possible that one or both of you are on the edge of adrenal exhaustion.



The first thing (after getting that head pain thoroughly researched) would be to get your secretor status, either from the saliva test available through this site, or by getting your Lewis (blood) type through a local lab. Once you have your result, get a food diary. Follow the diet 4 your type/secretor status carefully, do the recommended exercise, and write down everything you eat, and any reactions you have. If you experience a fainting spell, eliminate all the foods you had immediately previous to that spell, and go on from there. The exceptions would be red meats, especially lamb (no galectin and very low allergy provocation); beneficial veg, and beneficial fruit. If the last meal you ate before a faint contained one or more of those items, then test those items singly, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, and as soon as possible. You want to make absolutely sure, in the case of foods which are major components of your diet.



Eventually, you should be able to add the eliminated foods in, singly, and see how you do ~ but for now, I'd study the ingredients in that food bar and avoid everything on the label, as a start.



I would also get some 30mg pregnenolone from the supp shop, and take four of them per day. If you are now eating or drinking anything that contains caffeine (except green tea), discontinue it. If your fainting is related to adrenal stress, this will help you rebuild that area.



Mikyla, please drop me a note on how you're doing, OK? take good care, dear!! :-)

Hi Heidi, Thanks for the great site! It's on my daily site-check list & I glean lots of helpful info. I'm a 57 y/o female, O+ non-secretor.My husband & I have been following the diet for a while now but not stringently. We have both seen radical improvements in our health since starting the diet. (At this time I will be stringently following the diet.) We are just starting to use the 4 your type supplements along with the diet. Since we work construction we contact a lot of people with multiple problems related to wrong diets,so everybody gets to hear about the diet and so many of them have begun following it. Some questions: 1. I'm starting to follow the cancer prevention and the chronic illness recovery protocols listed in the encyclopedia. Do I run these protocols concurrently or alternately? 2. Where can I get Tarragon 100 mg. in caps.? I've found everything else on the list. 3. Under the cancer prevention protocol there is a recommendation for typhoid vaccine. What's the connection there? Thanks for your time. I'll be looking forward to your response. Jan



Hi, Jan! I'm glad you're seeing wonderful results, and passing the word along! :-) You can use two protocols concurrently, but I wouldn't do more than two at the same time. Tarragon capsules. Yeah. Hmmm. Tell you what: Buy the dried tarragon in the spice section of your local HFS (organic if at all possible), and grind a bit of it to a powder in a clean coffee grinder or with a mortar & pestle. It's the same thing that would be in the capsules, and 100mg is a very small amount ~ basically, 1/24th of a teaspoon ~ so 1/8th of a teaspoon is equivalent to three of those tarragon capsules. Sprinkle it on your salad! If you can find fresh tarragon (again, organic, pleeze! ;-)), just hang it to dry in your kitchen and take bits of it off to grind up for your daily tarragon powder. The typhoid vaccine recommended is the closest thing we can get to the Springer T/TN vaccine. Another tip: ask your doctor for a pneumovax (pneumococcus vaccine) shot at your next checkup. It is wonderful for boosting immunity to the A-like cancers. [Note Added: Pneumovax is no longer considered effective for this purpose... it still protects against pneumonia, but that's not relevant here! :-}] thanks for writing, Jan, it's good to hear from you! :-)

i HAVE HAD ECZEMA FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS. IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE WITH EACH PASSING YEAR. I STARTED THE BTD DIET 3 WEEKS AGO IN HOPES TO CLEAR UP MY SKIN. I AM TYPE O. CAN ANYONE SHED SOME LIGHT ON THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH THE DIET AND ECZEMA. THANKS. Joyce



I think you will see results soon, Joyce. Eliminating "avoid" grains, getting enough protein from appropriate sources, and including beneficial oils seems to be the common protocol for eczema, and it works well. Give it some time, and keep us posted. I've heard from several people who have been successful in healing their eczema with this plan, and perhaps a few more will write in with their experiences! thanks, dear!

Hi Heidi, It's me again ;-) I was reading about goitrogenic foods on the Internet and comparing them against the type O diet. There are several foods that are listed as goitrogenic and are listed as highly beneficial or neutral for type Os, such as kale, millett, soy (isoflavones), etc. Since I am having some hypothyroid problems, are there any foods that I should additionally avoid or limit consumption of or should I just make sure I am getting plenty of iodine rich foods such as seaweeds to compensate? Also the information I read said that it's thought that the enzymes involved in the formation of goitrogenic materials in plants can be destroyed by cooking, so thorough cooking may minimize goitrogenic potential. Is this true or are there foods listed as highly beneficial or neutral for type Os that I can eat cooked but that I shouldn't eat raw? For instance, I frequently enjoy broccoli/carrot/cabbage coleslaw on my salads. Is the raw broccoli and cabbage OK to eat? Thanks! Don



Hi, Don! Yes, I'd stack up on the seaweeds and I do not believe that small amounts of your homemade coleslaw will harm you. You can, if you like, work from the list of goitrogenic foods and eliminate those that are only neutral for you. There are no hard and fast rules there, but sometimes it helps to *feel* better about one's choices, so that's why I suggest sticking to the beneficials from that list if you find you're more comfortable with them. What I would like to emphasize is a really good stress-relief program, for alleviation of the thyroid difficulties. Try that Meditation as Medicine book I'm always on about! :-) and let me know your thoughts on it! :-)

Hello, I am type "O" positive snd have Hashimotos Thyroiditis. I have been taking Synthroid or Levothyroxine since age 12. I am curruntly taking .88 mg Synthroid daily. As a youth I never noticed any symptoms, but for the past 2 years I have been experiencing discomfort in my neck and lately the pressure seems to cause lightheadedness and I get a little anxious. I am usually a patient and calm person, so this doesn't feel like "me". I get worried because the doctor I see doesn't have an answer, he told me to try malox for possible acid reflux. That didn't help. The specialist I saw last year said it was inflammation and told me to take ibuprofen for 6 weeks. I did that and it may have felt a bit better, but it was no real help. I have no real leads to a cure except this diet as well as prayer, attitude improvements and excercise changes. I am not good at following the diet precisely but I have been trying for the past 4 months. When I am very strict with the diet my sinuses, which are usually slightly stuffy, are clearer that ever, so I know it is working. I have also been diagnosed with slight asthma that occured within the last 6 months and had an allergy blood test that showed a dust allergy. Have you ever known any case like mine and do you have any recommendations for relief for the pressure in my neck. Some days it feels better that others but I can't find a pattern. I am only 27 years old and I don't want to live with this problem for much longer. I am hoping and praying for a complete cure, but will be happy with any improvement. I've read about healix, do you think it would help? Thanks for your time and the care and concern you show in your column. Sincerely, Marian from California



Hi, Marian! Take a peek at what I just wrote to Don, above. I suspect you are a nonsecretor, and I suggest you pick up the book Live Right 4 Your Type and follow the nonsecretor diet and exercise plan very strictly for one month. While you are doing this, see your doctor at the beginning and end of that month, because you may find your synthroid dosages need adjustment. Any chance of finding a naturopath ~ maybe in Oregon, you're not prohibitively far from there? I would like someone with solid professional experience in complementary medicine to advise you, because I get the impression your physician is not as up-to-the-minute with such things as I would like. The O plan, including diet, exercise and stress-relief, WILL make major improvements in your condition! but because you're on synthroid, those dosages need to be monitored and adjusted downward while you improve! and perhaps switched over to Armour, instead? :-) Heallix is good for many things ~ if there is any bacterial or viral involvement, it would certainly help with the short-term neck discomfort, but do pursue the long-term diet plan, and get a copy of the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia for specific supplementation protocols you might follow once you're solidly on the diet. My prayers go out to you, dear! You will surely heal, and every little improvement along the way will make all your troubles and all your efforts to help yourself well worthwhile. Keep in touch! thanks, dear!! :-)

Dear Heidi, I hope you can advise. Last mid-Dec.2001, my front upper gums started to feel funny. Over Christmas I noticed they were shrinking. I got into my dentist after NY and he said they looked fine, actually better or firmer than my last check-up, Aug.2001. Since then they have been receding, they do not bleed but at times they ache. I am a mouth breather at night and find if I eat too much wheat during the day I am stuffy at night. I also have TMJ on my right jaw. I am Type 0+ and have been following blood type diet for about 3 years. I take Quest B complex, at the moment NOW bone calcium (although I have taken Quest calcium and Floradix liquid cal-mag). In the morning I make a shake of Transform (from Greens+)1 Tbsp of flax oil, 1 Tbsp.of molasses. I have read Peter's question about receding gums and took 1 bottle of Coq10. I did the folic acid capsule rinse for a while and then just finished the bottle orally. I usually have about 6 stewed prunes every morning, and I was eating 1/2 grapefruit through the winter most mornings. I find if I eat too many eggs in the week my gums seem to ache. I had the Natural healing Encyclopedia from the library and just reviewed what it said about proper brushing. I think I get enough Vit.c and calcium but worry with not drinking milk any more that maybe I'm not absorbing properly. My mother did have gingivitis in her early 20's and has had dentures for ages. I don't want to go that route, since i've always looked after my teeth. thanks for your help if you can give me any other possible suggestions. (I am thinking about finding another dentist for one!)jayne



Hey there, Jayne ~ don't worry about not drinking milk, as we Os are ill-suited to absorb the calcium in it. You're not missing anything there. Hey, a different dentist might be all you need! :-) In the meantime, this just in:



Hi, Heidi, The blood type diet has been absolutely wonderful for me. I am an O+ secretor. Thought you might want to let the woman from India know that selenium does wonders for teeth and gums. After 3 or 4 years of avoiding wheat, corn, and potatoes and also taking selenium, I have totally reversed my gum problems (at the age of 64!!!!) Keep up your great work. Dorothy



How about that for a timely message? Try supplementing with selenium. Peter's Phytocal-O contains 20 mcg. At high doses (around 800 to 1,000 micrograms per day), selenium can cause tissue damage, so look at all your supps and make sure your total intake per day doesn't go above 200-300 mcg. When your gum troubles are alleviated, slowly reduce the selenium dosages until you have found a good maintenance level for yourself. Thanks for writing, Jayne, and let me know how you do! :-)

Heidi, You referred someone to the LR4YT updates page recently and it states that if you are on Tier One diet that anything listed as avoid in Tier Two can be considered neutral. Tier Two avoids for type O include Goose egg, Whey, Poppy seeds, Plantain, Potatoes, Evening Primrose oil, Tea etc. Does this mean that if I am happy with the Tier One diet I can include these? Keep up the good work. Regards, William.



You bet, William! If you're hale & hearty on the Tier One list, dig right into Tier Two as neutrals. Hey, don't eat them all at one meal, OK? and if you notice any trouble cropping up (like creaky knees from those potatoes), just pop that back off the list. enjoy! and thanks for your encouragement! :-D

on the 'O' diet I noticed some contradicting info in the big book as compared to the paperback, individual 'O' 'Eat Right 4 Your Type' diet book. In the big book, it showed mustard as neutral, strawberries and cinnamon as avoid. While in the small, individual food list it showed mustard as avoid and strawberries and cinnamon as avoid. I know the individual book was printed later. Had the info been reinvestigated and reinterpreted at the later date? Should I go by the later dated small book info or the original big book info? Which is correct?! Also, in the individual, small book on page 28 it showed pumpkin as being a beneficial food and then showed squash, pumpkin as an avoid food. Can you clarify? Do you have any suggestions for an 'O' type like myself for acne treatment. I am 50 years old and still suffer from it since adolescence. I still have oily skin and breakout easily even with cysts. Iodine (seafood, sea salt, etc.) and oil ingestion seem to play a role in outbreaks. Thanks so much, in advance, for your input. wendy



I previously incorrectly submitted my question, so I will now rephrase it, about a contradiction in the encyclopedia which listed for my 'O' type diet that mustard was neutral and strawberries and cinnamon are avoids. While in the small, individual food list which was printed at a later date, it showed mustard as avoid and strawberries and cinnamon as neutral. Which is correct?



Hi, Wendy! About which book to follow: just check the bottom of this page, your answers are there! Note: in the little O-book, both dry mustard (under spices) and prepared mustard (under condiments) are neutrals. On page 31, where the vegetable avoids are, I don't see "squash, pumpkin" -- Does your book say something different? Please let me know, OK? This may be a case where your book is faulty and should be returned for a new one! I hope this helps, and thanks for writing, Wendy! :-)

Hi there I am a vegetarian with a blood type O. I am finding it hard to modify my diet as O's are the meat eaters HELP -- Thanx Estelle



Hi there, Estelle! Take it at your own pace. Start by using all the beneficial foods in the categories you are willing to eat, and avoiding the "avoid" foods. Take a daily dose of coleus forskohlii. Then, give it time and see how things go. Read over the "Newbies" link at the top of the home page (www.dadamo.com). Enter the search term "vegetarian" at the bottom of this page, and read through a column or two of those hits at your leisure. If you find, somewhere down the line, that you are ready to add fish, go ahead and do so. Let the diet come to you, and give yourself space to allow your body to advise you on how to proceed. Drop me a note on your findings, and I hope to hear from you soon! :-)

Dear Heidi, I would like to thank you so much for this column, I read it first thing in the morning everyday!!!it's great, very valuable information for me, I have benefited alot! On October 7/02 your responded to a woman who is TYPE A and would like to lose weight, you suggested a Chicken soup, a smoothie for breakfast and salad dressing recipies. Would these suggested recipies benefit TYPE O, please advise. Thank you once again for all your hard work and valuable information. Rose



Sure would! I'd say turkey, beneficial fish or red meat prepared similarly would be even better for us, but that soup recipe is a good place to start, and using chicken is fine, too! Here's that column for quick reference, and I'm glad you liked it, Rose! and thank you for your sweetness!! ~:-D

My D.O. recommends the blood type diet highly. He believes that for type Os, "saturated fat is our fuel." Do you believe that this is correct? He also says that the high saturated fat content is the main reason to eat red meat, and I wonder if you think he is correct about that also. (It can't be the amino acid content. Does it involve better mineral absorption from red meat?) I know that coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernal oil and cocoa butter are high in saturated fat. Type Os don't do well with coconut, though. Would palm oil, palm kernal oil and/or cocoa butter (chocolate is neutral for Type Os) be good for, or neutral for Type Os? Thanks very much! Laura



Well, you're fortunate in your D.O.! Mind posting his name? :-) Red meat contains lots of beneficial things for type Os, but a high saturated fat content is not foremost among them. On the other hand, a balance of the fats and proteins is probably what makes it so readily digestible for us. One of the great effects of our higher protein diet is its stimulation of our mineral-absorption enzymes.



We don't have a rating for cocoa butter. Palm kernel oil was considered an avoid when this diet first got started, so I'd leave that one there ~ palm oil was discussed in Peter's Ask Dr. D'Adamo column and in one of mine (search either page for the term "palm"), and while the jury's out, I personally will stick with the beneficial and neutral oils that are listed. I hope this info helps, and thank you for writing, Laura! :-)

New type O dieter, following food plan mainly for weight loss. Am following diet to the 'T' EXCEPT for 2 morning cups of coffee with 1/2 & 1/2 added. Would this alone prevent me from losing weight? Expected to see immediate weight loss with this plan. None in 2 1/2 weeks. Thanks Jane



Hey there, Jane! I don't think that amount of coffee and dairy would preclude weight loss, but is it possible your diet proportions are leaning a little heavily on the grain/bean/dairy side and a little light on the meat/veg/fruit/nut/seeds? The portion/frequency tables in LR4YT contain all the info you need. Also, how is the exercise (fully 1/2 of the plan for weight loss) going? Not knowing more, I'm not sure how I can help further ~ so write back with more details, and we'll give it a go! :-)

1. What is the value of knowing whether you are a secretor or not? I can't find out why it would effect my food selections. 2. I am a type O and it says in the BTD to avoid oatmeal, but the recipe book uses it in a Granola recipe which says it is OK for O's? Why? The food list says it is neutral in the condensed booklet and avoid in the ER4YT (or vice versa). What do I do? 3. Barley is neutral in ER4YT, but the booklet, food, bev & Suppl list for Blook Type O (2000) say barley is an avoid? Which do I believe? Thank s for you help with this. Also what do we do about foods that are from other cultures, chinese herbs, etc. How do I know what is beneficial or neutral for O and what is an avoid? Marion



Hello, Marion! Look to the left on this page. You'll see a link called "Knowledge Base." Click on that, and you'll see a list of links ~ choose "Secretors and Nonsecretors." Live Right 4 Your Type has loads of ways in which to benefit from knowing your status, including separate food lists for each type, divided along secretor lines. Ah, oatmeal... ;-) and barley. Use the latest book for food values (look at the next paragraph). You'll run into lots of foods for which we have no listing. They can be considered neutral, unless you are trying to lose weight or resolve a health complaint. thanks for writing, Marion! and I hope you enjoy the diet! :-)