Hi Heidi - thanks for such a great column! All your hardwork is not going unnoticed - many of us read and learn so much from your column, everyday! I am a type o planning to start a family next year. When is Dr D's book on eating right for your child due out? In preparation for falling pregnant, what does Dr D generally recommend apart from obviously eliminating avoids? Are multivitamins important and which ones? How much folic acid and calcuim should be taken and how long before conception? Anything else us mums to be need consider? I have searched the site for more information on collodial silver which I know you don't recommend. Unfortunately, we can't buy 'Heallix' here in New Zealand. Do you have any other suggestions? What exactly is wrong with collodial silver - is it the process that is used to derive the product? My final question (!) is about energy slumps in the mid afternoon. I also have terrible trouble getting out of bed in the morning - really no energy (unless I sleep around 12 hrs!) even if I have been eating mainly beneficials/no grains etc. I do have low blood pressure and I wonder if that would explain the morning slump? What do you suggest as a good 'energy' supplement for 'o' and what could be causing my 'sleepy head' situation? Thanks Heidi - keep up the good work! Ru





thanks, Ru, you're very kind! :-} The Baby Book is due out at the end of March, since I see Peter will embark on a wackified travel schedule for the book tour at the end of that month. I'm sorry to say I have no pregnancy preparation advice direct from the Doc ~ my best suggestion would be to follow your diet/exercise plan as if you were training for an athletic competition. :-) and get accustomed to the idea of having only very basic supplements, as I've gleaned that many of the herbs & supps which do the average woman good are not recommended during pregnancy. If you could tell me what you are hoping to use the colloidal silver for, perhaps I can suggest an alternative that would be available in NZ? The cost of colloidal is disproportionate to its usefulness for the most part, and the silver does tend to collect in the tissues.



For the morning slumps, start eating your last meal of the day three and a half hours before you go to bed ~ no earlier, no later. Have a very tiny snack an hour later. It's possible you're eating too late or too early -- or, too much or too little -- which can leave you dragging at various times of the day. Are you eating enough protein, and getting a full schedule of exercise? Strenuous activity has a marvelous energy-balancing effect. Too much sleep can be more stressful on the body than slightly too little... Active B12 (methylcobalamin) taken first thing in the morning along with a good shot of sunlight in your eyes (or a dawn-light to wake up by) can help, as well... but there could be so many factors involved that I can't really pin this down without more info from you. Send away! :-)

I'm a Type O, and have been following BTD for almost two years, with very good results. The only problem is that in the last six to eight months, I have had dramatic thinning of my hair. I am of Indian origin, and have always had very thick, dark hair, but lately my hair has started to turn brown, and each individual strand appears thinner than before. I have never chemically treated my hair. Is there anything you recommend, other than the usual Type O diet rules, Vitamin B and folic acid? Farah





Yes: silica (horsetail grass is a good source), oils like flax... walnut... olive, sulfur (plenty of eggs, and supplement with MSM if desired ~ www.msm-msm.com has an excellent product at decent prices), and be aware that pre-/peri-/menopause and/or emotional stresses can precipitate hair changes. If you've been going a little heavy on the grain or a little light on the red meat, reverse it and see if this is useful. Please let me know your response, and thanks for writing! :-)

Dear Heide, today I need some good advice from your kitchen. As a 0 type (and my husband is an A)from Germany I realize that I and mostly we should not eat any milk products, which includes whole cream (whipped cream). However, very often, some whole cream is just what makes this soup and some other dishes tasting delicious rather than only good ;-). In the case of sour cream the ratings concern low and no fat varities. What about normal, rather fat varieties? And what about creme fraiche? In case I/we should avoid all this, what kind of substitute do you advise? Then: Parmesan: there is a variety not made from cow milk but from goat (I believe). Would that be ok? And then, there are some cheeses made from goat or sheep but also treated with some fungus (blue cheese varities, like for ex. Roquefore). Why are these avoids when other goat/sheep cheeses are rated as neutral? Is it the fungus which is considered bad? Many compliments to you personally, and also to the great services and databanks your side gives. Did you ever consider to make those ratings available for a Palms or other kinds of handhelds? Many greetings, Eva





Hi, Eva ~ :-) Wish the copyrights permitted us to make the food lists downloadable ~ I know it would be a great convenience! but I'm sorry to say that at least at this time we can't offer that service. :-}



Well, crème fraîche is a mixture of heavy cream and sour cream. Both no-nos. :-} All the blood type diets can be seen as either a list of things we can have or a list of things we can't. :-) Peppers and tomatoes for A secretors, for instance. Chicken and peanuts for Bs. ABs are hurting over the duck-egg prohibition, I hear... (OK, just kidding!! ;-)) and of course we O nonsecretors can't eat anything that isn't raw meat and river grass. LOL! I've found that the best way to approach things is to find new dishes I *can* eat rather than staying hooked to the old. I wept bitter tears over the gorgeous sherried mushroom cream soup I used to make, I reflected ruefully on the years it took to perfect fine pastry, I had dreams about that aged blue farmhouse cheddar I ate in Cashel, Ireland... then I "drove on." (Not that I don't moan a little now & again over some B's vichyssoise or my A-non man chowing down on a pile of fresh, succulent New Zealand mussels.) But, FOLKS! There's a world of wonderful foods and new recipes for them, just waiting to make your acquaintance and nuzzle a place in your heart and in your family's daily and festive meals.



END of SERMON! :-) Now to actually answer your question... Frankly, I know of no truly undetectable substitute for cream or sour cream. I suggest you experiment with some very soft, fresh goat cheese softened and thinned with water or a bit of soy milk ~ but I haven't tried it. As to the cheese issues, mold is a concern ~ both the visible varieties and that which covers and imbues aged cheeses, along with the milk from which the cheese is made. Some O secretors can't touch cheese at all without either a sneezing fit, a mucus attack, a few days' constipation or all of the above. Others do well on all sorts of goat or sheep's milk products, as long as they eat the Live Right recommended allowance only (which ain't big). So, with your experience on this plan under your belt, I trust you to plot your own course through the cheese jungle! :-) hope these rather subjective answers give you the "flavor" of the issue as I see it... thanks for your questions as always, dear! :-D

My family and I, all O’s, have decided to start on the blood type diet but I’m a little confused. In the Danish translation of BTD, some of the foods have totally different status than those on www.dadamo.com TYPEbase. These are the discrepancies I’ve found. Food item TYPEbase Danish translation Cucumber Avoid Neutral Beer Avoid Neutral White wine Avoid Neutral Apple/juice Neutral(Avoid) Avoid Garlic Neutral(Benef) Beneficial Banana Neutral (Benef)Beneficial Vanilla Neutral Avoid Oatmeal Neutral (Avoid)Avoid Even though it is A it is recommended as a part of the breakfast in the recipe part of the book Cabbage Neutral (Avoid)Avoid These differences are only those I noticed because these food types especially have my interest. Also a new book with a lot of BT recipes, just published, has a leek soup for type O. If leeks are to be avoided for O's then I find it wrong that these kind of errors are escalated because every new book in Denmark are base on the same translated book, but I'll not start to make a lot of fuss if I'm wrong. Further more I’ve a few questions: I don’t see the parsley root mentioned, neither in the Danish translation nor on www.dadamo.com, this is a root I often use and therefore miss the status of. It is said that Goat cheese is Neutral (non-secr: Avoid) but what kind of goat cheese? In Denmark you can have Goat cheese in various kind, Brie cheese, blue cheese, cheddar cheese etc. Further more is it said that feta cheese is Neutral, what kind of feta cheese? In Denmark the feta cheese is normally made from cow milk. Only the low/non-fat variation of the Sour Cream is mentioned, what about fat Sour Cream and Cream (both 38% in DK) are they too to be avoided? Asian Pear, what is that? I haven’t been able to look it up in any dictionary neither at my printed ones at home nor on the net (e.g. Websters).. Is it just another kind of pear or is it a whole other species? When do I know a pear is an Asian Pear? Another question I have is, is it generally that smoked food is not good for O’s? Salmon/smoked salmon. I’ve just bought a Charcoal Smoker to smoke fish and meat. Is it a waste of money or can it be used? Many of the smoked products you can buy today has been chemically smoked. Is there a difference in the way the smoking has taken place and what we can tolerate? The – Essenerbrød, as I see the recipes, it seems to be of no matter which kind of grain is used for this bread. Since wheat is not good for O’s should the bread be made of other grain than wheat or does the process the bread is going through make it better for O’s. I know this is a lot of questions but I like to do this right for both my family and I. Kind regards Annette





Hi, Annette! Well. Hmm... Let's see how briefly and clearly I can answer all your questions. First, BTD is the oldest book we have, the cookbook Cook Right 4 Your Type is second-oldest ~ and the values on TYPEbase supercede the old values. Parsley root is a wonderful thing! No, we have no rating for it, but it is very likely neutral. "Goat cheese" refers to soft, fresh goat cheese ~ not the aged or moldy varieties. Feta cheese is the classic variety, white and crumbly. Sour cream of all kinds has the same status as the listing. Asian pear looks quite similar to a rough-skinned green apple ~ Here is a site with a nice picture of the tree and its fruit. Os are at the least risk from smoked food, and if you are using pesticide-free wood in your smoker, with no petrochemicals or other additives when burning, I think even two servings per week is safe for you. Finally, essene bread is 100% sprouted ~ and yes, that is the process that makes even wheat OK for type Os. Enjoy, and I hope you and your family prosper! :-D

How does a Type O, Hepatitis-C challenged individual adhere to the O Diet without raising blood iron levels? If one avoids organ meats and dark leafy greens, it doesn't leave too much left to graze on, does it? Mo





Aw, you've got plenty left, Mo! I count a bunch of fowl, plus rabbit, and a host of fish to choose from, and all kinds of beneficial veg. Do me a favor: get hold of the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia and follow the specific Hepatitis protocols for a few weeks. If you're concerned about potential haemochromatosis, see if your doctor can do a blood draw once every month or two? Please write back, I'd like to hear from you!! :-)

Hello Heidi. What is the current thinking on soy in the diet? I find that as time goes on, I'm consuming more soy as a replacement for dairy products: soy protein powder in my morning smoothie, soy milk/yogurt/kefir/cheese, etc. I've heard there is controversy about regular consumption of soy. What do you and Peter say? I'm Type O. Thanks. Nancy





Hey, Nancy! Peter's current thinking on soy is best expressed in the many columns he wrote in Ask Dr. D'Adamo, so stroll on over there and browse. Real eye-openers, some of them!



Soy became famous for its abilities to replace all kinds of dairy foods, meats, even grain in products like bread and crackers, and its market has boomed with the fashion for vegetarianism along with solid evidence of its usefulness against cancer. However, if you look at these claims through the BTD lenses, the lion's share of the benefits go to type As, especially secretors. Os are neither at particular risk for a-like cancers, nor do they need to avoid meats.



The trouble Os run into is trying to replace all the dairy they used to eat with soy. The maximum frequency for the whole bean category is only three servings per week. Try a boiled egg in the smoothie, some farmer, feta or goat cheese now & again, just to allow everything to take its proper place in your diet. There are no miracle foods, and there are hundreds of miracle foods when eaten in the right quantities and proportions for the individual. End of sermon #2! :-D thanks for your Qs, dear! :-D

I have lots of questions, Heidi. Hope you will be able to answer some of them! I have learned of a quality powdered greens product - a mix of 80% barley leaves and 20% alfalfa leaves - that I would like to take. I know that alfalfa sprouts are an avoid for Type O. I have also been told that the mature leaves of alfalfa don't contain the toxins found in the sprouts and seeds. Would it be all right for a Type 0 to use this product? I understand that many people are finding it beneficial. Thank you. Nancy





Ah! While you're over there reading through the soy columns Peter wrote, take a peek under "alfalfa," as well. A question for you: why not use barley and wheatgrass instead? with a dollop of chlorella, if the mood strikes? There are many other greens which can fill the bill without dipping into the avoid foods. Hope this helps!! :-)

For a type O who is a vegetarian (but eats fish), is substituting fish OK for meat. I won't eat meat for ethical reasons so I can't include it in my diet. Please let me know as soon as possible as I'm not sure if its worth continuing on the plan if its necessary to eat some meat. I look forward to hearing from you. ann



Hello, Ann! Using the diet in any way you see fit is perfectly OK. It is a set of guidelines that we know works, and it will work incrementally to the extent you use it. Ethical pesca-vegetarians will certainly do well on it, and may I extend a cordial welcome? :-D

We are a family of O's, convenient but challenging. Came across ERFYT when searching for answers for my daughter(non-secretor) who has had chronic hip, back and knee pain since Jr. HS. Pain had gotten so severe and disabling in High School. This began a search through series of DR's and therapies (including painful Prolotherapy) which helped some but not totally. Most pain now in hips, what I don't understand is that it is most severe when she in having her menstral period. I had always known something was different about her food metabolism as she was very active in sports but had continuous weight problems now believe it is non-secretor status. She now follows O diet with some resistance/resentment and an occasional "Fat weekend". She is 19 yr old college student now. Questions: Why pain during periods? What kind of minimal interventions can she do at that time or as continuous maintanence for good health? (She is resistant to taking too many pills.) Are these symptoms of something bigger going on with her. She had been told some scary stuff by some Dr.s during our earlier search. O Diet has provided more relief than anything else we did but she is not totally pain-free. Many thanks!



Q #2: 17 year old son (O-secretor) is into body building for baseball performance. Has had a history of being slightly heavy then period that bordered on food disorder and loss tremendous amount of weight. Now trying to gain weight and muscle power. He has always been athletic. Also has had tendancy to depression (which we now use Rhodiola for and works well). We disagree on types protein that he uses (whey). Any suggestions for helping him reach his goals as far as supplements or protein powder go. Also, how long can he use Rhodiola? Also can you tell me how to get information that was once on web site for body builder and his nutritional plan. I wanted him to see that and it was gone before I showed it to him. HE follows diet some but not totally...he's a teenager!



Q #3: I am O-secretor age 48. Doing pretty well and try to stick to diet but...not perfectly. Lots of family responsibilities, work etc. Slow metabolism and hard time getting my weight down (desire to lose 15 lbs)and some issues with stable emotions...feel menopausal at times. Recommended supplements for maintenance? Exercise could be better but run all day long just caring for everyone. Would like to know more about guggul and what would be better guggul or bladderwrack to speed up metabolism and for how long?



Q #4: Is secretor status hereditary and could my (Italian)husband be non-secretor since my daughter is? He is resistant to my ideas but generally follows high protein diet for weight control. She inherited his Italian skin/hair color etc. Has cough he believes in allergies he can't get rid of...suggestions?!! Many thanks for all your assistance! This site has been great resource! Virginia





Whoo! This is my day for complex Qs! :-)



OK: #1: When I was a teenager (and before), I had many of the same problems as your daughter's. The first thing I want to say LOUDLY is LET HER KNOW that when a doctor tells her SCARY THINGS he is working AGAINST HER HEALTH. {rant meter approaching critical here.} A physician's words are often taken very deep inside and believed entirely, which DOES have an adverse impact on the immune system and the psychology as a whole. Saying scary things to a young girl is a breach of the Hippocratic Oath, in my opinion. Healing things should be spoken by anyone in this regard, and certainly by the authoritative voice of a doctor. "Ya got nothing to say that will help? Doan say nuthin!!!!" :-} *phew.* thanks for letting me share.



Now to the practical advice: In my case, I was down for the count 25% of the time with dysmenorrhea. An ugly name for an extraordinary, truly psychedelic thing. The high-dosage prescription codeine-based painkillers really weren't putting a dent in the pain and associated fun stuff ~ so, I was put on the Pill. This was great, because although I turned into a lunatic and came to believe it was my nature, I had no more pain and didn't flood seven days out of the 28. I don't suggest she go that route.



It is no surprise to me that her hip pain increases during menstruation, as I vividly recall that sensation. There is swelling in the tissues and a change in the ligaments and tendons at that time, so if she can avoid all grains and sugars for four days before the onset, the effects will be lessened considerably.



She's in college, so stock her up with Phytocal, PolyFlora and Deflect, and give her a straight food list for nonsecretors from Live Right with Beneficials in Green, Neutrals in Blue or Purple or some nice color, and Avoids in Red. Use the O nonsecretor pyramid I posted a while back to make up a paragraph at the beginning: Meat/Fowl so many times per week, etc. Her diet in college will NOT be exemplary! but if she wants to succeed in her work, she'll soon notice how the foods make study and practice easier or harder, how her periods go and how her skin and body look. That's it. Let her find her own way. Never let it develop into her-against-Mom about the diet. She's got all the knowledge she needs and she's a big, smart girl, so it's time to Let Go and Let Daughter. Wash your hands of it and perfect the smiling response, "That's nice, dear." You are frowning now, but you'll thank me for this! LOL! :-D



#2: Do a food list for your son, too, and mention that nutritionists charge big money for this kind of service but he's getting it for free. :-) then go right ahead and drop it all with him, too. ~;-D Your son can use egg protein (Jarrow, perhaps?) in conjunction with nutritional yeast (KAL is by far my favorite brand). Second choice would be soy protein. Tell him I said to spring for ORGANIC protein powder, if he's going to be using a lot of it. But never replace a meal with a shake. And go easy on the beer. ;-> We type Os are so beautifully suited to sports, but often so ill-equipped to deal with the hogwash that comes along with them ~ and I don't just mean the cheap suds. I do salute him for pursuing that grandest of team sports, and wish him well in all things!!! and... Can't find that bodybuilder article. Do you remember the name of the person? I'm kind of embarrassed here, but I don't remember and it's rather difficult to search the site without having a file "handle." Just drop me a note and I'll ferret it out for you!



#3: Hrrmmm... I'd start with two tablespoons of maca per day, which will begin to alleviate any hormonal-related energy and weight issues. Tweak it as you see the results, and add some bladderwrack as well, if you wish. You know, my friend... that kind of running-around-taking-care-of-others does rather the opposite of exercise ~ wears you down and tires you out while increasing your stress levels. Your kids are well old enough to take charge of themselves. Doesn't Mom deserve some care and her own time, too? How about an hour every other day for a nice workout? Is this so much to ask? Honestly, you'll feel so much Better! Different! in ways I can't truly describe in words. If you like, right now think of it as what you need to do in order to keep taking care of the other three whilst working and cooking and cleaning and keeping up with everything else you do. And, feed well! That leftover piece of steak is YOUR snack! Jolly well right up with the meats, fish, turkey, etc., with as much veg as you can hold. It's cook's prerogative. Don't undereat in hope of dumping that last 15 pounds ~ your energy levels will take care of it for you if you don't starve yourself. And do take that three hours in the week's 168 just for your own workout, or I shall fuss at you something fierce. Deal? ;-)



#4: Your husband could be a secretor or a non. There are two secretor genes, and they follow the typical pattern of dominant (secretor) and recessive (nonsecretor). What we DO know is that he at least has a recessive nonsecretor gene (so do you), since your daughter is a non and she needed two non genes to turn out that way. It's like being an O in that respect, in that O is recessive to A and B ~ so a type A person and a type B person together can have a type O child and be thoroughly confused (until they write and ask me. :-)). Two secretors can produce a nonsecretor child, but we don't know if that's the case in your family. Anyway, the classic cough-that-persists in type Os is most commonly defeated with one or two days of dairy avoidance. It happens that fast! I wouldn't necessarily present him with this info, but rather plan a few days' meals with no dairy (and have something besides coffee to drink if he uses it with milk or cream). Just test it out on him, if possible. A weekend would do if he works full-time and eats "at will" when away from home.



I honestly commend you for doing your best to take such good care of your family ~ I truly hope these suggestions will be of use to you!! thank you for writing, Virginia ~ it's a pleasure to hear from you! :-D