Hi Heidi... Can you bear another Deflect question? I know, because of the name, that Deflect counters lectin activity. But how about the other bad reactions to blood like "provokes abnormal blood reaction", "increases polyamine or indican levels" or "secretory insufficiency" ? Does it work on those kinds of avoids, too? (Really, Heidi... I know I sound like I subsist on avoids, but it's not true...15 percent MAX!!!!) Linda (B- NS)





Hey there, Linda! :-) Your intuition (as usual) is correct! Deflect is for lectins, primarily. It also contains some fruit-derivatives which may help a bit with the polyamine and indican levels, but it can't do anything to protect you against the rest of the avoid functions. For instance, taking a whole bunch of Deflect will do nothing to change your ability to digest foods which are avoid due to secretory insufficiency, nor can it block other elements of the food from entering the blood stream.



Now a question for you: Where are you managing to find enough avoids to make up 15% of yer diet? eh? OK, ya lost white potatoes, and in return got artichokes, tomatoes and pumpkin. Yeah, a few cheeses went south, but look at all the ones you CAN have. And all those new OK items in the meat and fish lists! And as if your fruit list wasn't magnificent to start with, look at all those new beneficials!! Heck, girl, with that B-non food list, I'd be in heaven!! ;-) {jealous, jealous!! ;-D} seriously, thanks for writing, Linda, and I'll be happy to take any and all Defect questions now and in future!

~:-D

Hi! I have blood type B and I do have an autoimmune disease (sarkoidosis) which is active right now with a hight inflammation rate in my body. I don`t know yet if I am a secretor or not (I have already ordered the test kit) but I know that type B has a tendency to autoimmune diseases. The thing is that there are not so many recommendations about what we can do about it once the disease is there. At one point I read to take things like magnesium to strenghten the immune system but it is already overly strong so that it attacks the organs (lungs, heart and skin is already affected). What exactly other than sticking to the B-type Tier 2 diet would you recommend? Thank you very much!!!!!!! Sincerely, Birgit





Hello, Birgit ~ I am sorry you're suffering with this! The diet does strengthen the immune system ~ this means it will better fend off invaders in the future. The autoimmune response you are having is a result of the invaders, not a result of having a strong immune system -- in fact, your immune system is overburdened and confused by the level of "aliens" in your tissues, to the point where it is attacking healthy tissue as well. This is where our blood type-specific plan can help where most others cannot.



Keeping to your diet is the first step, and in your case I strongly recommend using the Immune-Enhancing protocol on pages 481-82 in the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia, as outlined for sarcoidosis patients. And I believe that a stress-relief practice such as meditation, visualization, and any of the activities listed for Bs in Live Right 4 Your Type that you can engage in will be of immeasurable help for you. It's not just a matter of "calming down," not at all. These practices are designed to send signals to the ruling glands of the body, in order to clear stresses and step the body down out of "permanent emergency" (autoimmune) mode.



Best wishes to you, dear! Please keep me posted on your progress!! :-)

Hi Heidi, I just started the blood type diet and I had two clarification questions. I am B and I am confused about the use of soy. I have all of Dr. D'Adamo's books and I think that in one of the books it says that soy protein is ok but soy milk and soybeans are not? But then I saw that wheat free tamari is ok which is made with soybeans. I am confused! Maybe I have read something incorrectly though. My second question is in regards to dairy. I know that as a B I can tolerate dairy better than other types, however I have sinus problems. I just sent in the secretor test and I realize that if I am a non-secretor my dairy intake will be more limited. I am also taking the collinsonia supplement. Is it still ok to consume dairy with a sinus difficulty? Thanks so much! Nicole





Hi, Nicole! On soy: just follow the B food lists from Live Right ~ take a look at the Updates Page; and for quick reference, use the TYPEbase 3 database which is linked from the home page as well. Remember, lecithin is neutral for everyone. I went into some further detail on tamari in a reply to "Dave" in the "Type B Roundup ~ #6" column of a few days ago, in case you'd like to read more.



About dairy, Peter has mentioned in the past that it's sensible even for Bs to discontinue it until a sinus problem is relieved. There is also a sinus health protocol for Bs in the Encyclopedia if this is a recurring problem for you: magnolia flower (Magnolia lilflora), 50 mg: 1-2 caps twice daily; wild indigo(Baptisia tinctoria) tincture: 5-7 drops, twice daily. Four weeks total. There are additional recommendations there for nonsecretors and the mention of vitamin C, yerba santa, anise essential oil in a vaporizer, and the use of a Neti pot. I hope this helps "clear things up." and hope you're feeling better ASAP!! :-D

I'm still confused about this wheat thing for type Bs. I know whole wheat is out, the data base says white flour products, bleached and unbleached wheat is ok. Does that mean I can have white bread? What about wheat products like crackers and cake? Rachel





Hi there, Rachel!! The database is a list of foods -- think of them as "ingredients" -- so when you go to buy a product like bread, crackers or cake, check the ingredients of that product against your food list. That's the best & only way to find out whether a product is OK for you. Take care, and keep smiling! :-D

Hi, I have been following the diet for 2 1/2 years. I have read all the books and love the diet. I am a B. My question is about suppliments. Can I add brewers yeast and bone meal to my daily suppliments? Thank you and keep up the great work. Fred





Hey, Fred! thanks, you're a sweetie! Brewers/nutritional yeast was omitted from the original type B list in Live Right 4 Your Type, but we've supplied that omission and you'll see its values now in the Updates Page and the TYPEbase 3 database. Bone meal is OK for you, but I do suggest you get a brand that's certified to be from free-ranged, no-drug sources. Better yet would be the Phytocal-B supp available in our Store here, as it is readily assimilable and contains balanced quantities of other minerals and cofactors designed just for Bs. There are plenty of calcium-rich foods in the B diet, as well as natural sources of magnesium and other bone-building elements. But if you'd like a supplement, the bone meal would be OK as long as you're getting plenty of the mag-rich foods, and the best supp would have to be the Phytocal-B. Thanks for the Q, and the compliment! :-D

Hi, i've been on the diet for one week only and i feel as if i've lost a little weight and i have better 'color'. problem is, i have been plagued with heartburn (acidity) and my brother, who put me on the diet, urges me not to use medication for it. will this pass? i am a long time sufferer of acidity but the diet has seemed to aggravate it slightly. second qusetion, if it is not on the list (like: soya oil) is it ok to have? i am type B and the oils seems to be my biggest problem in the diet. everything it seems contains palm oil or coconut oil etc. if this is let say in a cracker, are the voulmes of oil negligable? James





Hi, James ~ The "bad oils" are one of the worst heartburn-producing foods, so if this is the major problem you'd like to resolve, I'd steer clear of any nasty no-nos in that area, no matter how small the quantity seems in the product. About soybean oil -- take a look at the the TYPEbase 3 database. Many foods have been added to the lists since BTD was written, and most of them made their first food-value appearance in Live Right 4 Your Type in 2001. Also, see the column I wrote on GERD: Ginger Juice -- Chiropractic. There are great non-drug strategies there which have proven highly successful for 'heartburn.' The diet itself will do a fabulous job on eliminating the reflux, and these extra strategies should have you fine & happy in no time!



And may I offer my WARMEST WELCOME to the BTD!! Keep in touch, and feel free to ask anything that arises as you get settled in your new plan!! :-D