Dear Heidi, I am 63 years old type B positive. All my life I am suffering from constipation. I have bought three books: Eat, Live, and Cook right 4 your type. For four months I and my whole family are following the diet from the books, and it appears to be beneficial for my son; however my constipation is getting worse instead of better (I eat flux seeds, psyllium husks and drink plenty of water, but it does not help bowel movements - there is no urge at all). First question: yesterday I have read your response called "Freedom from enemas?" and immediately went and purchased type B Polyflora from the web site. But I do not know what is the best way to take it - before the meal, with the meal or even after the meal? If before, then how long before? Second question: where is the latest diet information available? I am confused about which of the books is the most up to date. Third question: both Eat Right and Live Right both classify soy lecithin granules as AVOID for B group; but Live Right (copyright 2001) on page 251 advises to use lecithin as a part of "membrane fluidizer coctail". I use soy granules lecithin. I am doing wrong? Is there some other lecithin available? Yelena Sorry, one more question. In the intestinal health protocol it is recommended to take magnesium, but not calcium. Should I take calcium as well of I follow the intestinal health protocol?



Greetings, Yelena! Let me see if I can sort this out for you. First, here is the answer to your lecithin question. Soy lecithin is fine for all types. Flax seed can help, but only if you take plenty of water (away from meals) throughout the day (which I suggest in any case).



The PolyFlora-B works well if two are taken in the morning on an empty stomach 1 hour before eating, and two in the evening one hour after your last meal.



The latest diet information is in Live Right 4 Your Type, with updates as posted on the Updates Page -- that page also can be found linked from the homepage, at the bottom of the "Library" section. One of the wonderful things about Live Right is the portion/frequency guidelines given for every food group. This addition makes it MUCH easier to plan your meals and balance your diet.



The B diet provides ample calcium, and Bs benefit from a higher magnesium-to-calcium ratio in their diet than other types, hence the suggestion in the protocols to take magnesium. Trust me that you can slowly increase your dosage of magnesium until the bowels loosen, then cut back a bit and remain at that level unless you need to adjust it slightly later. It will work!



Most important, though, is getting enough exercise so that the normal muscular peristalsis can resume and proceed on its own. Exercise is SO important in getting all the body's systems back to optimal levels! For instance, walking a distance of 1/2 mile or so at the fastest speed you can maintain is a great start. Do some physically-challenging (for YOU) exercise three times per week ~ you may be amazed to find yourself taking great pleasure in it and looking forward to it on "off" days! ;-) and it is probably the best thing for constipation of all.



I do hope this helps, dear! Please let me know your results ~ and I'm happy your son is seeing improvements! :-D

Hi! My husband and I decided that we would like to give the blood type diet a try. However, I have a couple of questions. Why are there contradictions between the web site and "Eat Right for Your Type"? Also I was wondering if you could tell me if grape seed oil is okay for types O & B? I also had a question about these spices; for O & B; Minced Onion, Onion Powder, Hot Paprika, Zatar- which is made of hyssop, sesame seeds, wheat, salt, olive oil, sumac, parsley, and coriander. Cajun seasoning- Salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and thyme. I'd also like to know about the spice ginger for type O. Thank you very much, Sara





Hi! I e-mailed you earlier this month with questions concerning certain spices, and discrepencies between BTD and the web page. Unfortunately I have not been answered yet. I was also wondering whether types O and B can have rice bran oil. Thank you. Sara



Beginning in March, I hope you won't have to wait so long for an answer, Sara. Sorry for the delay! ;-)



The "contradictions" between the Eat Right book published in 1996 and the website here in 2003 are improvements and additions to the research available in 1995. I suppose Peter could have simply left all the food lists at the level of Eat Right. Would have saved him a deal of trouble ~ no new food lists in the subsequent books. And a place to ask questions on the website isn't necessary, either. Hmmm..... Maybe the research should considered finished, and stopped as of now. And these columns simply archived and closed for questions, so that everything remains just as it is. No more changes, ever, after that. Of course, the NAP store would remain open and its staff available for questions on their products only. It's an idea! What do you think?



All the spices and herbs you mention can be found in the TYPEbase 3 database, except for hyssop and sumac. For these we have no ratings, so they are technically "neutral" for people with no extra weight or health complaints. Hyssop I suspect would be quite good for type As and ABs, and neutral or less for Bs & Os. Wild hyssop would do for Bs & Os a bit better, methinks. Sumac has antiviral activity, and is a potent source of vitamin C, along with other properties. It's not listed in LECster! :-) so I've nothing to report as to possible lectins, and I can't give an opinion as to where it stands in the BTD herbarium.



Grapeseed and rice bran oils are also unknowns, so may be considered neutral if you have no weight to lose or other health issue to resolve. It is difficult to find organic sources for these oils, but they certainly have high smoke points and thus are safer for high-heat cooking than any of the other O&B-OK oils. Proceed with care and explore with joy!



Hope these bits of info are of help to you, dear! :-D

Hi Heidi, could you please give us a little info on negative gut bacteria. My friend was having quite a bit of trouble with what she thought was an exterior fungus, went to a naturpath and for $300.00 tested her stool & found she had 3 neg bacteria in her gut. One of the neg bacteria was one that thrived on carbs. The prescription was starve the bacteria-no carbs, make the gut inhospitable-mega vit C, & boost the positive bacteria-Acidolpholis supplement. Mindy is B "positive", I am A- & pending the info you send back I also think I am a NS, I cannot tolerate soy products. So in starving the little buggers I am also starving myself. Feel like I could explode any minute after drinking a glass of pineapple juice, I like it but my stomach burns all day after drinking it, I cannot handle very many fresh fruits I mostly like home canned black cherries & then peaches. Needless to say I am very restless always looking for something to satisfy my needs, I prefer beans but they are very aggrivating to my gut. Do we need to identify all the different little buggers or can we get them all with one prescription. Thanks Cindy



Hoo, boy. OK: If I were struggling with this problem, no matter WHAT my blood type, I'd go straight to www.heallix.com and order at least one bottle of Heallix ~ probably two. Of course, read ALL about it first and ask all your questions of Leo there who is a great human being. Heallix is a tremendously effective substance in (a) chasing the bad guys out, (b) feeding the good guys and (c) healing tissue. ~ Note that (a) and (b) in this case are somewhat simplified, as the "guys" who are bad only attain "badness" through overproliferation, which is permitted and abetted by a bad diet and built-up stresses in the HPA axis (compromising the immune system and digestive efficiency).



It's wise not to bother identifying & quantifying & giving energy to "who's up to what" in the case of gram-negative bacteria OR any others. Lab tests can tell you a bunch, but we don't need that particular information in order to know what to do. Both you & Mindy should do the following: keep strictly to your diets using only Beneficial items (making an exception for neutral oils - you need them for healing -- and don't bother with any of the foods giving you acute distress (that will change once your gut population is in better order!)), and use the antibacterial and antibiotic protocols 4 your types in the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia on pages 467 and 468. 250 mg of acerola cherry or rosehip Vitamin C twice per day, one tablespoon of ARA6 twice per day, and two caps of PolyFlora first thing in the morning an hour before breakfast and two and hour after your last meal at night, for both of you.



That's the prescription. :-) You probably already know this, but I wouldn't feel right not saying it: Please!! Do not take any prescription antibiotic drugs, OK? It will put you right back to where you were before eventually, only worse. That's not where I want you girls to be.



A HUGE hug to you both, and I want to hear your progress reports! thanks, Cindy! ~:-D

I checked the ingredients for soy sauces and for tamari sauces, and they are basicly the same. However in your new database of foods it lists soy sauce as an avoid for type B's and tamari sauce as a neutral for type B's. Is there something in the processing of the tamari sauce that makes the soy beans less harmful??? Please explain. Dave



Hi, Dave! What you're seeing is the difference between "Tamari (wheat-free)" and "Soy sauce." The ingredients are usually quite different, with soy sauce customarily containing wheat and chemical extracts and/or flavorings and/or colorings. The wheat-free tamari we recommend (organic, of course) is a fully-fermented product with no additives except for a bit of salt in some cases. And it is used in relatively small amounts, being stronger-flavored than the commonly-available soy sauces. A good middle-of-the-road brand is San-J organic/wheat-free in the gold label. There are many fancier, stronger "gourmet" brands with which I'm less familiar.



Hope this helps clear up the confusion, and thanks for your note! :-)

I'm a type B secretor In LRFYT pork is not listed as an avoid for tier one. Does that mean I can have it unless I'm sick or something and need to follow tier 2? Rachel



UGH! I was afraid one of you Bs would ask this question!!! THANKS, RACHEL!! LOL! Well, what I think is that pork should be moved to 'Tier I avoid' for Bs. Especially because Bs are particularly susceptible to slow-growing viruses and pork is known for carrying viral material.



Long ago, Peter posted the following under "Ask Dr. D'Adamo:"







But I can't find any reference to that change in my notes, so I'm going to check this with Peter and post it when he's had a chance to review it and reply. Thanks again, Rachel, and we'll ferret it out for you!! ;-)

Dear Heidi, I've got info for Debbie in England or anyone else in Europe searching for vegetable glycerine. Go to www.healthleadsuk.com on the internet. They have vegetable glycerine in 500ml size, and also have black cherry juice concentrate, as well as other supplements. You can phone them in the UK at 0845 345 8880, or outside the UK at 44 1994 23 1940. Outside UK, the shipping is pretty expensive, so I just made my second order for 12 bottles, and got a good discount. You actually can buy vegetable glycerine in France and possibly other European countries in pharmacies, but it is horribly expensive - and I find the UK source to taste better as well as being more economical. Also to Debbie regarding surgery, she might check with a homeopathic doctor, as there are certainly good ones in England. There are many homeopathic remedies for pre and post surgery that might help her.



Many thanks, my dear!! I'll make a note of your info as well, and it's much appreciated! ~~:-D