Regarding the IBS treatment of 5/5/03, my wife was not upset with the rice/blueberry diet, but to the long term avoidance of garlic which is a highly beneficial food for A secretors. (Quote: . . . Eventually you should be able to eat more fruits, vegetables and carbs, but garlic, lot of onions/leeks, . . . and a diet based on lots of cabbage family vegetables (like broccoli) will probably never be tolerated again. . . end of quote). There are few foods left that she can tolerate or like without flavoring them up with some garlic. Quercetin also is high in the onion family and is needed to control the allergies she has. The word “never” made it seem unendurable to her. Actually, she has been doing a lot better since staying off of grains (except rice and amaranth), dairy, and sugars, even in spite of eating the garlic with her braised vegetables, which she is determined to do anyway. I suppose you meant moderation and not avoidance, especially in the case of garlic. At least, that’s what she hopes you meant. By the way, is it possible to have both IBS and celiac disease, without having anemia? And is there a way to detect celiac sprue without having a biopsy of the small intestine? GPF

Hello, GPF! Thanks so much for clarifying your wife's concerns. In Joachim's advice, instead of the word "never," I'd like her to look one back to the word "probably." ;-) All these recommendations are simply information for your use, and certainly not carved in stone. It enables people to narrow down potential food problems, by giving them a few specific items which they can then use for testing purposes. For instance, when she feels she's healed, she could try some garlic and see if that made things worse, or if it had no effect. Right now, it may seem an impossible task to isolate what's continuing her illness, so these guidelines are there for her use if desired.

Quercetin is one substance in yellow onions, but is not the irritant, so isn't an issue for her. I'm not familiar with the medical testing aspect of celiac and IBS, so I couldn't say whether anemia is always present, nor can I comment on celiac sprue testing. Perhaps one of our expert readers could offer this advice?

I'm really pleased that she is doing a lot better now! I believe and hope she will continue to improve, and I would be grateful if you'd continue posting on her situation!! thanks so much! :-D

I have read the book: eat right for your type. but i have one important question to ask, I am blood type O+ and according to the diet i am supposed to eat lean meat and poultry, but I am a vegetarian (but eat fish and eggs). How do i stick to the 0 blood type diet, but remain a vegetarian? Please, I would be really greatful for an answer. Thanks for a great book. Angela

Hi, Angela! You would choose from the beneficials and neutrals in the non-animal-protein categories. Coleus forskohlii is reputed to boost energy metabolism in vegetarians who have blood types which require animal protein for optimal health. Best wishes, dear!! :-D

Hi, I am Type A Blood Group and would like to go on the diet however I am allergic to Peanuts, Soy and have mild reactions to most legumes. How do I get enough protein in my diet if I am not eating much red meat or dairy? Kelly

Start by following the diet very closely, meaning "aim for 100% beneficials," but do not eat the foods which you react badly to. Use all the beans and pulses and nuts and seeds that you CAN tolerate, whether they are beneficial or neutral (don't use avoids). And fill in with the beneficial fish and the neutral poultry. You should do very, very well, no worries! Thanks for writing, Kelly, and welcome to the BTD! :-D

Hello there again Heidi. First a sit-rap, than a truckload of questions: Been following the BTD lifestyle for exactly one year. I’m O secretor, Rh-, male, 37 years. A was a wheat, potato and corn junkie. My two motivations for BTD’ing is weight loss and maximizing general health, but no other known health issues.

Well anyhow, the first six months went along very fine, lost 16 kg and increased energy. Problem is the last six months. I still have 20 kg. to loose, but the scale have not moved further down, neither has chest etc. measurements. And believe me I have been doing it all: Only beneficials for two months, no grains except beneficial veggies, drinking 4 liters of water every day, exercising two – three days a week (running and intense weightlifting) and any other advice I pick up from my daily reading of your fantastic column.

Lately you have on at least two occasions commented on hypotherose. I have the last days measured my temperature in the morning, before I go out of bed, and the temperature is steady 96,40 Fahrenheit, which then should be a strong indication of to low thyroxin production. Can this be the sole explanation for the lack of weight loss or is there other theories about plateaus when one goes down in weight?

In spite of high intensity of my training, my body have not adapted to any extent to the training, and I know that it is not due to overtraining. As I understand it, low thyroxin often means high adrenaline, can that be a possible explanation on the lack of training progress? I’m seeing my doctor two weeks from today in order to check the thyroxin levels. Any suggestions for other test I should do when I’m there?

If the test confirms my suspicion, you did mention here the other day some general suggestion (glands etc.) of thing to take in stead of the chemicals the doctor would normally give. I must admit I didn’t quite understood what you meant, can I kindly ask you to specify. Finally, I have a question about the presence of lectins (wheat for example) in the gut. When one completely drop eating a specific lectin containing substance, for how long can the lectin hang in there before it goes a way? Best regard Geir

Allo, Geir!! That is indeed a low basal temperature. There are plateaus, but six months is far too long after you had a steady weight loss in the preceding six months. The inexpensive glandulars I mentioned to a woman in the U.S. are made by Vitamin Shoppe. I'll give you the ingredient rundown so you'll have a reference to search for a similar product in Scandinavia.

"Thyroid Complex" -- Thiamin (B1) 10 mg, riboflavin (B2) 10 mg, pyroxidine HCL (B6) 10 mg, cyanocobalamin (B12) 25 mcg, iodine (from kelp) 150 mcg, magnesium oxide 100mg, zinc 3 mg, selenium 70 mcg, copper 150 mcg, manganese 3 mg, molybdenum 150 mcg, L-tyrosine 150 mg, and multi gland complex 35 mg (from bovine liver, lung, pancreas, heart, kidney, spleen, brain). The zinc, selenium, copper, manganese and molybdemun are in the form of amino acid chelates. One to three capsules per day, with meals. If you can find an organic source of the multi-gland complex, that would be spectacular. The B vitamins are "helpers," along with the other minerals & trace elements.

Lectins remain attached to the cell pretty much permanently. Once the cell dies, it's replaced with a new, clean one. Hooray! As I understand it, the lining of the intestinal tract renews itself about every 14 days with an entirely brand-new epithelium. Yours has been sparkling clean for a while, so I don't think that is the issue. Try a glandular, and keep testing your basal temperature. Once it's in the normal range for a week or two, you should see better results in your muscle mass and in fat loss.

Thank you for writing, Geir ~ it's really nice to hear from you! :-)

Hello Heidi, I really enjoy this column and read it everyday. Your care and attention are truly appreciated. I have a couple of questions. I am bloodtype AB+. My first question is about plantains. I did a search and saw where you said ripe plantains had the taste and texture of bananas. How do I know if a plantain is ripe? Also I thought plantains had to be cooked. Is this right? Also in the books plantain is listed under fruit. But I thought it was sort of starchy. As you can tell I am plantain illiterate. Thanks for your help. Also I was wondering about a fish called Char. I did a search and found nothing and it's not in the books so i deemed it neutral. As I thought about it a little more I wondered if maybe it has another name or something. Just being careful.(I had some today sauted in a little walnut oil and man was it good). O.K. last question. This one concerns tomatoes. Since all non-avoid vegetables have no limits on consumption does that go for tomatoe sauce as well?(organic of course) Thank you so much for your time! Best Wishes and GOOD VIBES Mike

Hey there, Mike!! :-) Great to hear from one of you rare ABs! :-D

Bananas and plantains are slightly different botanically. Most plantains shipped to the U.S. are a hybrid of two species: Musa balbisiana and Musa acuminata (the latter includes the yellow banana we know and love). Plantains have starchier fruit and less sweetness than bananas, and are a traditional starchy food in the tropics. They make a wonderful fried starch vegetable-like side-dish when green but can be eaten raw when ripe (they turn color somewhat and smell sweeter, just as bananas do -- the color depends on the cultivar).

Char is something I was introduced to years ago here in NYC, at an Italian restaurant run by Yugoslavians. :-) It's a lovely delicate, sweet fish, Salvelinus alpinus (Linnaeus). All the other Salvelinus fishies are trout of various sizes and characteristics. Our char appears to be a sea trout... sadly, trout is off-limits for AB secretors. Did you say you were a nonsecretor?? :-) Hey! Now's the time to find out!! :-D

The vegetables are recommended in unlimited amounts in the hope that you'll get a variety of them, OK? :-D yep, tomato counts as one. :-D best wishes, Mark ~ thanks for your message!

Hello, Heidi: I haven't been able to convince my wife (an "O" who doesn't like eating much meat and doesn't want to give up wheat, diet pop, etc.) to stay with the BTD, but have had some success in treating her with supps recommended by Dr. D'Adamo for a different matter.

However, my question is this, what can she do to help prevent hair loss and acne? The hair loss started about two years ago, the acne about a year. The dermatologist recommended Rogaine and tetracycline. An endocrinologist, after many tests, thought a trial of metformin may be in order because the only abnormality was a high DHEA level. The tetracycline did clear the acne but the Rogaine didn't help much, and she still hasn't tried the metformin. She tried strenuous exercise regularly for a few months with no apparent change.

Her daily fare typically consists of either no breakfast or a piece of toast, a can of diet pop about 3x/week, no lunch or just a piece of fruit, and an average size dinner of a little meat, some veggies and a carb. Her caloric intake is less than 1500/day but she can never seem to lose the 15 lbs she'd like to, even when she worked out hard and even when she did try the BTD with about 70% compliance (although it wasn't the weight loss menu plan--she said she'd be too hungry on it and didn't want to eat so much meat).

Anyway, can you recommend any supplements or other advice for the hair loss and acne? She has about half the hair now at 39 then she had at 24. I haven't checked her secretor status, but assume she's a secretor because she's generally quite healthy. Thanks, again. :-) Todd

Hello, Todd! I'm smiling because I'm remembering my condition just before I started the O diet. I was doing a juicing and fasting regimen, "mucusless" fruits and vegetables. ;-) For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why I had

hair loss

and acne

:-) Those little troubles sent me to an acupuncturist, who checked me over, said the little problems were signs of much bigger ones, asked what my diet was, and said I was probably type O and should find out right away and start doing the BTD!! By the way, I was your wife's age, and I'd had the acne and hair loss for many months, just as she has.

First, I can testify that, as to the drugs, she should save her money. The Rogaine has deleterious DNA activity, and the tetracycline will foul up her GI tract even further than the wheat and soda do, but most important of all -- they're not going to work in the long run. Metformin is a diabetes drug, which I'm glad she hasn't tried.

Here's what the Australian DEA have stated -- bear in mind that this is how they approach diabetes even with ELDERLY people!

"Diet and exercise remain the cornerstone of management for Type 2 diabetes, with the aim of achieving and maintaining ideal body weight and reversing potentially damaging metabolic consequences of diabetes. In general, if an average of 3 months of diet and exercise intervention fail to achieve optimal glycaemic control, then pharmacological treatment should be commenced."

If your wife were willing to give the O diet a full trial for one month (no avoids) according to Live Right's portion/frequency guidelines, and eating a big breakfast, small lunch and smaller dinner (throw the calorie concerns to the winds!) I know that the weight loss would start up and proceed gradually along, and her skin, hair and digestion would be blessed with the changes. I'd also suggest drinking pure water to the tune of 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight, and continuing the exercise plan she started.

The "calorie system" honestly does not apply here -- she would see that difference immediately if she spent a month eating 1500 calories per day from grain and vegetables, then spent a month eating 2500 calories per day from meat, fish and vegetables. She'll gain or maintain on the first, and she will lose weight (fat, that is) on the second. Right now she is eating so little that her body is forced to starve during the day, then gets fuel at the end of the day when it's not needed. So, it's stored as fat.

There are some inexpensive supplements such as horsetail which may help if she's low in silica and if that is part of the cause of her hair loss. It sounds, however, as if she is protein deficient -- especially if it turns out she is a nonsecretor. Has she done the basal temperature test? If she finds it's low, then the "thyroid complex" product I mentioned above to Geir could help her, but she will still very much need that protein.

I've gone on and on, and probably been of very little help to you, but I do want to say that I applaud you for doing so much to help your wife resolve her health troubles. I wish I had an army of pills at my disposal that would be useful in her condition, but the fact is, the diet is the first and foremost thing -- without it, my hands are sort of tied. I think you're doing a marvelous thing, and I wish the very best for both of you! Let me know how it goes, OK? :-)

I am a type B and have been following the BTD diet for several years. Since type B's are dairy tolerant, I was wondering why ice cream is an avoid. I can attest that if I eat regular commercial packaged ice cream, I do get stomach upset, etc that I do not get with frozen yogurt. Is this because of the additives in ice cream and if so, then is home made ice cream not an avoid? I do not eat much of commercial ice cream anyway but do notice the ill effects if I do. Also now that summer is here, can you give me good tips to help avoid heat exhaustion? I had my first problem with this when I was about 22 and since then have to watch being in the heat and humidity. Thanks Joyce

Hi there, Joyce! Yep, you figured it out -- the reason ice cream is listed as an avoid is because most commercial brands contain loads of yuck. Homemade ice cream from OK ingredients would be fine for you, YOU LUCKY B!!! :-) sigh! Frozen yogurt with OK ingredients is even better, as cultured dairy products are ideal for you.

Heat exhaustion can be easily avoided with plenty of salted water (1/2 ounce of water for each pound of body weight, with a pinch of gray sea salt per quart) -- along with the customary precautions about exercise above certain temperature/humidity indices, which you'll see on every weather broadcast. Bananas and other high-potassium foods are a good idea. Eating lightly but maintaining your protein intake is also very helpful in avoiding heat stroke. Enjoy the summer!! :-D