Hello Heidi, I'm a type B, my wife's a type A. Your note about L-Glutamine was a bit of a shocker because we both use 'Whey-to-Go' protein powder by Solgar. L-Glutamine is an added ingredient so I'm guessing that we should not to be using it. What are your thoughts? Thanks so much for your continued help. David.



:-} So sorry for the shock, David! If it set you back a step, imagine how gobsmacked *I* was. I learned that status back in 19-bloody-98, right from the horse's mouth. Not normally the kind of thing that slips my mind, although plenty of other things do, and.... oh blast it, I'm disgusted! :-( And very sorry you spent good money on my advice, which turned out to be a stinker. :-(



{bleah!!} Now: No, y'all should go back to the HFS and find a whey product without the glutamine -- or a rice or egg protein powder instead. Or do as I always suggest: use nut butter, hard-boiled egg, and nutritional yeast for the job. A dab of blackstrap molasses wouldn't come amiss either, and all these are very good for both of you!



thanks for still reading & writing here, David -- you're a good sport, and I won't forget it! :-}

Hi Heidi, Before I started this diet I went to a dermatologist because I have these little bumps on my face under my eyes. He started with the "as we grow older spill"(I'm only 36yrs) and said there was nothing he could do about it. I'm a type O-(no idea about my secretor status) but I was wondering if anyone knew what causes this and how to treat it.



I'm asking because the BTD has changed my whole family. My daughter(7yrs) A+, who has had constipation problems and allergies is in great shape since we took out the dairy. My other daughter (3yrs) A+ has become a genius (proud mom) since I quit providing all those avoids. My husband (A+) has stopped snoring and everyone is sleeping better. For myself, I have been totally off allergy meds and life is just so much better. Anyway, thanks again for all your help. Tina



Oh, Lord-a-mercy, that report went straight to my heart, Tina!! I'm just endlessly pleased you and your family are reaping the rewards of these diets!! :-D



Those tiny little bumps are oddball fat/toxin deposits. Stick closely to the plain old O diet, and they should go away. My mom had them, and I used to have them, too. I can't tell you when they went away because it was one of those tiny "BTD side effects" that quietly slipped in, and all without my noticing it. I'm sure they were gone within a year of starting the 'straight BTD O' diet.



I'm sure yours will disappear, too. Have a lovely one, Tina, and thanks so much for the inspiring report! :-D

Hi Heidi!! Warm, loving greetings from sunny Southern California :-) Carl wrote in that drinking a daily cup of green tea helped to slim down. I cannot have caffeine so I was wondering if decaf green tea would have the same effect? Thanks! Dianne in L.A.



Hi, Dianne! Green tea's caffeine content is negligible; theine is the primary caff-like substance in it. If you drink "decaf"-anything, you are still getting some caffeine (or theine), since the process does not remove all of it. Kind of like the 'no-beer' products -- they do contain scant amounts of alcohol.



So, you could either see if a good green tea (honestly, my personal favorite is Mr. Itaru's stuff sold here -- there's nothing like it) will accomplish your goals, or try a de-theine'd variety for a month or so. Three cups per day. Let me know how it goes for you, OK? :-D

On constipation: I use cascara sagrada once or twice a month to "jump start" my system - better than dynamite. It's not on the Typebase, but the HFS suggested it. (Of course I only have this problem when I am not 100% compliant - otherwise ground flax seed 3-4 times per week works marvelously.) Amber



Ah! Thanks for that, Amber. Cascara sagrada is still an 'unknown,' so anyone who'd like to try it out should proceed with caution. Much appreciated! :-D

Hi Heidi! I'm impressed with the quick response to my questions from yesterday. Thanks so much. Now for today's query: I'm bumming a little today because I just looked up beer in the Typebase and discovered that I should avoid it, being an O. The BTD book that I bought has it listed as neutral. How does a food that I thought was neutral become something to avoid? Does this happen often? (BTW - I only have a couple of beers during the weekend; I'd hate to switch to red wine.) Eva



Hey there, Eva! Well, food values have gone through one major change since BTD was published in 1996. It's all due to new research and newly-developed techniques for food testing -- and by the way, it is highly unlikely that the food lists will change at all from now on, except for additions! :-) Just scroll to the bottom of this page and choose any of the links which deal with this event. Check out the Updates Page linked at the bottom of the Library section on the main page (www.dadamo.com) -- a great deal of useful info is right there. Thanks for your note, dear!! :-D

I've seen the recipe for chelation pesto on your site in O and B versions. Would you, could you, print a version that is optimised for A secretors? I am researching mercury free dentists in the UK & whether I can afford to get my fillings replaced in order to decrease my toxic load (I have 2ndary breast cancer). But in the meantime this pesto sounds an interesting idea to get some degree of chelation. Sarah



Dear Sarah!! How are you doing, sweet?



The "chelopesto" for type O is perfect for type A secretors. Pumpkin seeds, olive oil, garlic and cilantro. Sea salt to taste. And you can add basil, pine nuts, and any benefical fresh herb to taste, & just whiz 'em up. Also, order some Heallix, since one of the results newly discovered for it is chelation of heavy metals. I am beginning to wonder if Leo somehow arranged for a blood draw from God, and is titrating the sample as "heallix." :-D If so, I wish he'd whisper same in my ear, but if I were he I'd keep mum about it -- guess we've all lived in the contemporary world long enough to know why one might want to zip the lip now & again, eh?



If anyone has further ideas for Sarah, please post away!! Take good care, dear! :-D

Hi Heidi, I am writing regarding my own nickel allergy and maybe this could help Shelley figure out something about hers. I wore braces made out of nickel 30 years ago. I had very crooked stubborn teeth and ended up with braces for about 3 years. As my immune system started to falter in my late 30's early 40's i started to notice my skin would get very irritated if i wore nickel jewelry. In fact nickel based earrings blistered my ear lobe so badly that i had to let them heal for 6 months and eventually get another hole made in another spot on the ear. I can only wear gold posts now.



I never associated my braces and my nickel allergy until i got CFS and read every book i could get my hands on. I had all my mercury fillings removed 3 years ago and my nickel allergy is slightly better. I do not seem to get a skin reaction as quickly as i did prior to amalgam removal. By removing the amalgams i must have given my immune system a little more strength to deal with nickel.



There are a lot of books written regarding metal toxicity, maybe Shelley can find one and maybe give her clues to how she came in contact with nickel during her life course. It could be something in the air or water or surroundings she grew up in, or something her mother encountered while she was in utero with her.



The Japanese did a lot of studies on metal removal and they found that cilantro did an excellent job chelating heavy metals from the human body. Maybe Shelley can juice cilantro and help her body get some of the nickel out and maybe that will subside some of her reaction. Heidi your column is great and i love to read it everday. You and the other readers have helped me many times and i hope this might be helpful to Shelley. -- Arlene (AB+)



Arlene, thank you kindly for writing about your experience, I truly appreciate it! I'm sure Shelley is reading this, and will use it. Thanks again, my dear! :-D

Heidi, this is for Carl with tinnitus. Research I have done for my book shows that risk factors for tinnitus include: hearing loss from excessive noise,earwax buildup, some medications, misalignment of the jaw, cardiovascular disease, some types of tumors, malfunctioning thyroid and trauma to the head or neck. One of these may be a factor for him - at least something else to explore. Kim



You're wonderful for posting this, Kim! Carl, whaddya think?



thanks so much!!!! :-D

Bonjour Heidi, Just wanted to thank you and Maia for her recent post with thoughts on my lipoma problem. I'll mention it to my doctor when I see him next on July 24. Interestingly, I am zinc defficient, though the doc has me taking 30mg of zinc (in an ampoule form that I mix into a bottle of mineral water each day). I just got back the lab reports and zinc is still low. So, don't know yet what the doctor will do about it....maybe I have a problem with assimilation...



My hair and skin are actually rather nice (lucky moi), so that sign is not present - however, maybe my poops float! Also, they are pretty loose normally, but I eat LOTS of figs during the long fig season around here, and take Triphala when they are not in season - either of which may cause the loose stools.



As to omega 3's and 6's, I eat 2 heaping tablespoons ground flax seeds in water daily (can't get flax oil in France), plus I eat alot of almond butter, sometimes walnuts and pumkin seeds, and use plenty of olive oil and walnut oil, and a little butter now and then. I don't have the pain associated with gallbladder trouble, so assume it is okay.



I quit all seafood due to the mercury toxicity issue. I could add lecithin if Heidi thinks it would be wise. The doc had me do some strange blood test which checks out all organs (so they say), plus any early signs of cancer or other problems. I saw the test results, but they are Greek to me, so will see what the doc says on that, too. Anyhoooooo, thanks again for the ideas, and I'll let you know what the doctor says. a bientot, Abby



We're workin' it out, girl! Lecithin is a fine thing for all types, so feel free to add it. And I'm curious about those test results.... could you post something (for publication or not, as you see fit) on the specifications and the values associated with them on your results?



By the way, most gallbladder trouble is asymptomatic. No pain at all. So do consider a flush twice per year, just as 'healthy maintenance.'



Love to ya, dear -- hang in there, you're going to OVERCOME!!! :-D

Thanks so much for a very informative page. It helps a lot when there are questions about the blood type diet. I am sure that this question must have been asked before, but I have not been able to find any info. I am type O and I am a coffee-holic but I find rooibos tea a good alternative. Can type O's drink it? I don't like the reccomended teas for type O's. Thanks so much Emmie



Hello, Emmie! Just go to the bottom of this column page, and enter the word rooibos. All your answers are there! Best wishes, dear! :-D

Hi Heidi, Constipation is not a subject we freely talk about...except for here!! On today’s postings (July 10, 2003) a couple of the readers where expressing there concerns with constipation. I would like to share with you and the readers my story and what has helped me.



I have suffered with constipation for many, many, many, years, actually since I was a little girl, the older I got the worse the constipation was...believe it or not...I would have a bowel movement once every 7 to 14 days...you could only imagine how gross I felt and how full of toxins I was!!!. In my teen years I came to discover that I had reactions to the following foods: wheat, dairy, peanuts (I loved peanut butter, as kids we would eat it by the Tablespoon) corn, sugars...all these foods did not like me! Guess what...they are all AVOIDS for O's.



As I avoided these foods I was started to notice that I was feeling better, but I knew that I could be feeling a lot better, so off to the bookstore I went ...I came to discover BTD...what a blessing!! As I read the book everything made sense and started to come together, but I didn’t stop there.



For the past 1 1/2 years I have been treated by a Doctor of Chinese Medicine...miracles still do happen, they have happened to me! To my amazement I now have 1 or 2 bowel movements per day!!! yes you read that right!! How thrilled I am everyday!



I may suggest to all that it is so important to take care of our livers...Julia Chang from http://www.sensiblehealth.com is very knowledgeable in this subject. I believe everyone would benefit greatly from reading her website and doing a few liver cleanses...you would all be surprised on how great you feel and you know what...no more constipation, but please remember to follow and be compliant to the blood type diet. On rare occasions when I do cheat I react so quickly to the "avoid" foods. that ...trust me I really pay for it big time. That makes me not want to cheat anymore.



I must say that I'm still having problems with my legs swelling...I know that as I continue to be strict on my O + nonnie diet as well with cleansing my liver and kidneys, I will beat this problem successfully. I feel that each and everyday I am getting closer to having those great legs I once had ....not too long ago! I hope that I have been able to help some readers by sharing my experience. Thank you once again for all your help Heidi...I greatly appreciate it! Rose from Toronto, Canada



Thanks for that, I was wondering how those legs are coming along, Rose!!



Julia's site is a must for everyone. When you find someone like her, who is so devoted to helping people HELP THEMSELVES, it's like finding a pile of food, water and jewels in the desert.



Thanks, Rose -- now don't be a stranger, OK? Let us know how this is going, for Heaven's sake!! :-D

Hello Heidi, It's (Cindi) 0+ Nonnie. See, i typed that in regular font, not all in CAPS, adjusting I guess. Well, my confusion seems to be figuring out exactly what I need to eat, lets say weekly, I have tried to use the books and list the recommended portions and frequencies, but I make it way too complicated I think. I need some guidance in a simple form, if there is such a thing.



I still am trying to lose weight, even though since I changed to the 4 your type plan, other miraculous changes have occurred in my daily living which are so cool, if i never lose a pound, I will always stick with this way of life.



But, since in the last 4 months, the excitement of "pooping" at least once a day (instead of 2 or 3 times per week max for over 20 years) well, lets face it, excitement like this cant be shared with too many others on a daily basis, and I think I resembled the guy in the Cheerios commercial who says "I lowered my Cholesteral" to everyone he passes, only we wouldnt want to see a commercial with "Guess what?, I pooped today and everyday for a week!" Just not that interesting to most....



Now my kids appreciate my happiness, and all that, but I am ready for bigger and better things to get me all pumped up and to feel like i am making progress. I swim now, 4-5 times a week and I eat no more oatmeal or spelt flour since the nonnie thing came my way. I eat beef, onions, watermelon, a couple poached eggs twice a week, salad with jalepenos, onions and romaine and some canned salmon or chicken in it. No more cheese of any kind, lots of grapes and watermelon, grapefruit once in a while, spinach, garlic, and thats about it. I use only olive oil and no more vinegar, I try to eat early, but sometimes have to do it mid day, so I try to have an egg or fruit in the morning and after work, 1pm, i eat the protein meal, then a snack of pumpkin seeds or watermelon in the evening, and I still am not feeling like I am even toning up little own losing an ounce.



I tried bladderwrack for two months, not since ive gotten the nonnie sentence, maybe, that would help? Please give me what ever you can............ Cindi 0+ nonnie



LOL! Great poop report, Cindi!! I wish more people would write in with their successes in that area -- it's a keen indicator of what's going on in the body, so stop your grinnin', folks!! :-D



Two things come to mind right away: it looks like your veg quantity is very low, although the fruit is plenty high enough. Fiber might be the key -- water-filled fiber like that in lightly steamed crucifers (broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, chards, etc.). I would certainly add bladderwrack, along with seaweeds of all kinds. How's the water intake? 1/2 ounce for each pound of weight, with a squeeze of lemon or a dash of gray sea salt?



Odd -- I never found that swimming was a weight-loss aid. Always had to get out and run, or do aerobics, or get very active in sports or ballet, something very strenuous and 'on land' for it to reduce (this was years before the BTD, however).



Let me know about those little points -- and how much you weigh now & your height (if you haven't posted it yet). Thanks, Cindi -- we'll get it solved, never you worry!! :-D

[bah, I'd nearly finished a detailed submission when the internet explorere quit due to "error type 2" whatever that is!!] Heidi, this is not really for the column but use it if you think it would be of use, and otherwise pass it to Yelena or not as you think best in the knowledge of her circumstances.



Yelena should ask her oncologist for a more detailed account of why anaemia matters to her treatment. This is how it was explained to me: chemotherapy very often causes anaemia, because it interferes with the replication of fast-breeding cells, like cancer cells, but also like bone marrow, where our blood cells are made. So if a person is very anaemic, either because of their illness or because of their treatment, it can be dangerous to give them more chemo. This is not because the chemo won't work, but because it risks reducing the haemoglobin levels so low the body can't get any oxygen to its tissues.



The standard treatment in the UK is blood transfusion. In the US they sometimes give a drug called erythropoetin, that stimulates the marrow to make more red cells. I never went very anaemic, but did lose my white cells & had to inject myself with the equivalent drug for white cells (which are centrifuged out of transfusion blood for disease-transmission reasons). Would you mind also directing Yelena to a great resource for people with cancer, ECAP, the website of Bernie Siegel MD, a great inspirational thinker for people with cancer. The address is: http://www.ecap-online.org/home.htm and they have a message board too. Sarah



Thanks, and blessings, Sarah. I hope Yelena will read your post, and I sincerely hope anyone reading this will fare far better with all the very kind, knowledgeable people who lend a hand to help. Best wishes, and please keep writing!! :-D

Heidi(great name by the way), My mom and three aunts were diagnosed with breast cancer within the last 2 months. I have been reading in my book BTD that people with high risks of breast cancer should consider putting eatable snails in thier diets? is there a supplement out there that would give the same effect, or are the snails highly reccomended? I am type AB+ -- Heidi

Hello there, Heidi -- welcome!! We need more ABs AND more Heidi's here!!

:-D

Snails are very highly recommended for type As -- there is also a supplement called "Helix Plus" in the store which contains the same substance and should definitely be taken daily by any A with breast cancer. "TFA" is the other one to consider, along with following the blood type diet strictly. What are their types, by the way? let me know a bit more, and I'll do whatever I can to help!

Thanks for coming by, and please write again! :-D

Is there any protein powder/supplement out there that is NOT based on whey, cassein, or legume-avoid proteins and is compatible with blood type O? It would be so nice to have a powder I could blend in with my highly-beneficial fruit smoothies, then call it a meal! Jan

Hi, Jan! Either soy (for secretors only), rice, or egg protein powder (for secretors or nonsecretors) would be fine for you. I do suggest using fresh organic eggs, hard boiled, in a smoothie instead of the manufactured powders, though. Whole foods do nicer things in the body! A scoop of brewer's yeast, a tablespoon or two of almond or walnut butter, a hard boiled egg, and you have a high-protein shake you can make from all organic ingredients. :-D

Hail, Eagle! :-) Yes, Willa Shaffer's wild yam protocol worked for almost every last woman who stuck to it -- with only that rare exception, the woman who wryly explained that she'd get pregnant just from her husband "hanging his pants on the bedpost." :-D A 'fertile turtle,' you might say.

Wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) is a vine plant, with short, slender tubers quite unlike the firewood-sized white tubers popular as food among African, Caribbean and Latin American folks -- and listed in Peter's books as "YAM," an avoid for type As. Here is a detailed web page with pictures and descriptions.

Oh, and I'm so sorry I haven't yet gotten to that question -- the reason is purely that I'm a wee bit backlogged at the moment, but in a few days I'll be caught up again. Your warts & fungus Qs merit a bit more time in research, but rest assured I'll give them a good beating, never worry! So I stuck this more recent question in here so that I could let you know you've not been forgotten!! Best wishes, high-flying soul!! :-D

Hello, Heidi - I continue to learn so much from your daily column, so thanks again for all you do! I need to get back with you later on about my problem fingernails with vertical ridges, but that will require a lengthy submission.

In the meantime I have a question re your response to Elaine in connection with coconut oil and vegetable glycerine. The TYPEbase on this web site gives the following info. on coconut oil: "Food Item: Coconut Oil Category: Oil Links:NUTRIbase Has A Link - A AVOID: Flocculates serum or precipitates serum proteins. B AVOID: Flocculates serum or precipitates serum proteins. AB AVOID: Enhances effect of other food toxins. O AVOID: Non-secretors: NEUTRAL "

Does this mean that vegetable glycerine is only suitable for O non-secretors, or is there some process by which the veg gly is derived from coconut oil that makes it OK for everyone? Thanks again for the mountain of messages you tackle each day - we need your compassion and insight! Becky

You're a sweetie, Becky --- thanks! ;-} Veg gly is OK for all types -- it does not react adversely in any type, and it is especially good for nonsecretors of all ABO persuasions. ;-) It's just glycerol, it doesn't have the fat structure of palm oil, coconut oil, etc. that would be troublesome for most types, and it contains no lectins or cholesterol, anything like that. It's just glycerol. It actively promotes proper fat and carbohydrate energy conversion.

Hope this clears it up, dear, and I look forward to your fingernail report! Been wondering about that!! Take care.... :-D

Dear Heidi, Thank you for caring. The flax seed in water or in my morning shake did not work, also more water, fruit and veggie. I even put a 1/2 cup prunes in my morning shake. I guess I have to use dynamite LOL. I even put in 1 tablespoon of flax and olive oil in my shake. I want to get off laxatives, but at this point I have to use them. I have started taken Triphala, but have seen no change.

Where am I on the BTD, 6 mos. once in awhile I have ice cream and still working on wheat, but I am doing better. I do see a diffrents in my bloating an gas problem. I am 0+ and 68 yrs old. Thanking you in advance for all your help. Joan

Hello there, Joan!

Laxatives change the functioning of the intestinal tract. They're sort of an "addiction for the colon." Once you've used them for a long time, it takes time for your natural peristalsis (the rhythmic motions that move the stool along) to take over again. So, the best thing to do is to quit the laxatives altogether and put up with the discomfort until the body starts doing its job again. Give it time!

Plenty of dark green leafy veg (at least two big servings, say a large bunch of kale, chard or collards daily). Are you juicing carrots, celery, beets and greens? Excellent for the lower digestive tract. As is wheat grass or barley grass, juiced (mix with a milder juice like carrot -- green juices are STRONG). If you do this for a week and you're still constipated, take a magnesium supplement - 200 mg per day, and increase it until you have runny stools, then back off just until the stools are firm.

Were you grinding the flax, or using the whole seed? I suggest the former, and soaking in some water to make a 'gel,' then down the hatch. ;-)

And do take DEFLECT-O at the high dosage (listed on the bottle) with a full glass of water, between meals (this is just to get things moving, and clear off some of the wheat damage and dairy-build-up). I also suggest using the probiotic, POLYFLORA-O, daily, to help your system get back to normal functioning. Regular exercise will help enormously in that regard, too.

I promise we won't need the dynamite! :-D Keep up what you're doing, Joan -- you're making great progress, even though it seems slow right now! Take care, and write again soon!! :-D

Heidi, this is Yelena again. Yesterday I was told that I have very low hemoglobin - only 8.5 (should be 17-18). I was recommended to take iron supplements, but they cause constipation. And I have a lot of trouble with constipation even without iron supplements. So what to do? Maybe there is some other way to get more iron? (I already take magnesium (200 mg x 2), Flora, Phitocal, Potassium Citrate, and most of the stomach cancer protocol supplements).

A little background: currently I had two chemotherapies through the port (abdominal). I feel much worse from them. I am going to have intravenous chemotherapy done in a few weeks as well as radiation therapy. For the therapies to be useful I need to a) improve my hemoglobin, and b) need to solve my constipation problem. If these two problems are not solved, there is no point in having the therapies, I think. Yelena

Hey, it's good to hear from you! Have you tried Floradix? It's made by the "Flora" company, and is the best iron supplement I know of -- it gets the iron where it's needed without constipating you. See if you can get hold of it locally.

I'd suggest the juices I just noted to Joan, above, for the constipation, which you can intersperse with the following two: (1) A small hunk of ginger root, 1 beet, 1/2 apple and 4 carrots -- (2) handful of parsley, 4 carrots, 1 clove garlic and 2 stalks of celery.

I'm thinking of you, Yelena -- Please keep us abreast of how you're faring!

:-D

Heidi, thanks for being so prompt with answering all my questions. You asked what my tryglicerides are. They are 33....which is ridiculously LOW....Can't figure out how. I've always had very low tryglicerides. Not really sure what tryglicerides do. Yes, I use flax oil but not every day....The ground seeds often make me feel bloated but in small quantities I guess I could try them again.

A fatty acid profile blood test showed me very low in the omega 6's. Even eating nuts and seeds, my omega 3s were sky high and the 6's were low. I had been taking fish oil all winter. Is it okay to use Udo's oil as a supplement to get omega 6s? Evening Primrose oil, borage oil and black currant seed oils, I know are omega 6 oils but they all give me headahes. Udo's oil doesn't. And it contains flax oil, but in balance with all the 6's.

I've used up one small bottle so far and think I'm sleeping better since I started it. I tend towards low blood pressure and wondered if ginko or hawthorne could lower it further? I will get the red rice yeast and try it for lowering my cholesterol. Thanks for all your help. I really appreciate all your great advice. Maddy

Wow, lower trigs than mine! Woo!! :-D

Well, girl, I'm confused, too. Heck, if Udo's oil works for you, that's great!! The thing I'm scratching my head over is that it's a balance of 3s & 6s, so I can't figger out how come straight 6-sources don't increase your 6 levels, but a balanced blend does. hmmmm! Use it with my blessings!! ;-)

Gingko & hawthorn are fine for you -- hawthorn can lower blood pressure, but it also strengthens the heart and improves circulation (gingko does similar things as well).

By the way, how's the yoga going, sweetie? And do make sure you're including your full complement of A2 protein daily, OK? best wishes, dear! :-D

Heidi, I know what you mean about having a "major house-cleaning chore" cleaning up fallen hair. My hair is about 10" below my waist, and it has been falling lately. I'm confused as to what I should do about it. I have been checking my morning temperature for the last 3 days, and here's what I've had so far (in order)---98.2, 97.2, and 97.4. Any advice would be truly appreciated.

Also, when making a roux for my gumbo in winter, would it be better to use barley flour (an avoid) or wheat flour (a big avoid). Those are the only 2 flours that work right. Thank you, dear, for your precious time! MD (O+)

Hey there, MD! Keep checking the thyroid temp over a two-week period, then use the average of the 14 readings, just to be sure. Hair loss can be caused by stress, hormone imbalance, B-vitamin deficiency and a host of trace mineral lacks. I can't tell from here which ROOT cause is at work, since one "thing" off can unbalance others. Eating avoids certainly can factor into the problem, but I'd start with having a daily cup of homemade bone broth (roasted bones of meat or fowl, or raw bones of non-fatty fish, simmered for at least 6 hours in water, with chopped non-cruciferous veg (carrots, onions, celery), seaweed, and a good big pinch of sea salt added -- strain & store). Stir in a heaping tablespoon of nutritional yeast, a few pieces of dulse, a dash of cayenne, and cumin, garlic powder, any other spices you'd like, to taste. A teaspoonful of flax oil floated on the top right before you drink it can help, too. See if that potion does the trick -- and keep me posted on that axillary temperature in a bit.

Oh -- for that gumbo roux, use kamut pastry flour (Shiloh Farms). It cooks up beautifully. I think it's the type O wheat-lover's dream! :-D Be well, dear!! :-D

Hallo Heidi Thanks again for your great column. Love to read it! I hate adding to your workload, but I would really appreciate it if you could let me know what the metabolic enhancement protocol is for A's. I am A+ (South African) and suspect that I am a secretor. Still have to do the test!! I lost 18.5 kg so far and are 100% compliant. I do include some neutral veggies and fruits however. Why I am asking is because the Encyclopedia is not available here and I am standing still on the scale now for more than a month!!!!! I still need to lose about 10 kg at least. PLEASE tell me how I can help my metabolism along as I know that I have a slow metabolism.

Thanks for your help - you are great! PS (I do use Fucus Vasicolosis in a liquid form - it was mentioned in LR4YT under the A diet program as a lectin blocker. Also bear in mind that I cannot order any supps from your site because you need a credit card for such transactions.). EURIKA

Hallo, Eurika! Here you go:

METABOLIC ENHANCEMENT PROTOCOL for type A

(Use this protocol for 4 weeks)

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica), 100 mg: 102 capsules, twice daily

-- NOTE: Do not use Gotu kola leaf if you are pregnant.

Triphala - a combination of Amla (Phyllanthus emblica), Beleric Myrobalan (Terminalia belerica), and Chebulic Myrobalan (Terminalia chebula), 500 mg: 1 capsule, twice daily

-- NOTE: See THIS column if you have trouble finding "triphala." There is a link to follow for further information, in the word "Here" in that column.

;-)

L-Tyrosine, 250 mg: 1-2 capsules, twice daily.

Deflect-A, 2 capsules with meals

Green tea: 1-3 cups daily



Eurika, you can order from the www.stacktheme.com distributor nearest you, or from the U.S. store here, and arrange to send a money order to them in whatever currency they require. I certainly hope that there will be a South African division of NAP set up at some time, since we have so many BTD'ers down there!!

Warmest wishes, best of luck getting that weight loss going again (you've done BEAUTIFULLY so far!) and ... don't forget the yoga! ~:-D

Hi again Heidi. Been a while! I've noticed something about working the diet, and was wondering if it was common. I started the diet completely cold turkey for type A. After just the first week of eating meticulously non-dairy, I was delighted that my sinuses were clear, no post nasal drip at all. I found a whole new world of fragrance in the garden and among my kitchen spices, in the coffee and tea stores, and in the bath shops. I'd thought I had a sensitive palatte before, but now, wow!

But after about a month, I found my mucus membranes SO dry that my eyes weren't tearing normally. I'd blink, and feel the insides of my eyelids grinding across my corneas. I'd wake up in the morning with my eyes shut, feeling for the eyedrops I started keeping right on my dresser, not even trying to open them without added lubrication.

After getting disgusted with experimenting with different brands of eye drops and contact wetter solutions, I decided to reintroduce some neutral dairy. I've been eating organic plain yogurt or small amounts of goat cheese about three times a week, and I can blink without discomfort now, and it hasn't seemed to affect my weight badly or send me into a craving spiral. I feel like a petri dish, one big chemical reaction. Amazing when you really get in tune with your body and your food, how completely clear it is that the old saw "you are what you eat" is true wisdom.

Bright eyed and bushy tailed, Morrisa

Congratulations, my dear!! You're finding your own way, with the BTD as your guide. That's my fervent wish for everyone!! HOORAH! ;-)

It's possible you'd have good results from some sheep's milk or goat's milk yogurt, maybe twice or only once per week. Just a thought. ;-) You may have been low in CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), so using yogurt from grass-fed critters' milk can give a much higher dose of it in a smaller package.

Good work, and keep shining, Morrisa!! :-D

This not a question in the sense that I would expect an answer. I would have liked to ask Dr. D'Adamo: Have you ever thought of involving a dentist in your research? A hunter could only survive with good teeth. My father must have been a type o, as he loved his beef and lived until 96 with full possesson of his mental faculties (save the last few days when he was unconscious). At 75 he still had 27 good teeth. I am a type 0, born to a mother who lost her last teeth between 60 and 63, and at 66 I still have 25 usable teeth. Secretor status must have a bearing on the development of dental deposit, mustn't it? Best regards, and good luck to you Inez

Hello, Inez! In fact, secretor status does affect dental health. Nonsecretors tend to have more cavities, and more bacteria in the mouth generally since they do not secrete their ABO antigen as a "first line of defense" there. Type O nonsecretors have one 'beneficial' which is an 'avoid' for O secretors: avocado. Why? Because it removes pellicle, making plaque harder to form. :-) Nice comments! Thanks!! :-D

hi, this is the second time l wrote. l turn on my computer. the first thing is your column. it is awesome! thanks for this wonderful column. l get so much knowledge from it. l tell everybody about it.

l was reading er4yt and it said "type O's have an extreme sensitivity to coconut and coconut-containing products". l was reading the bottle of "now" vegetable glycerine and it said "all natural product derived from vegetable oils,predominately coconut oil". l tht that was a good sweetner for us, and l took your advice to use it for cravings. what's the scoop? l am sure there's an answer to this dilemma.

l started going to a naturapath. she is a classical homeopathic. she gave me hawthorne,bladderwrack, athen sativa, which is a nervine. and a homeopathic remedy to help healing the whole body. l am 55 and had a stroke 8yrs ago due to stress . l am using up dr d's bladderwrack. they really smell bad to me.

l am at a point that l dont like pills.l have taken alot of supplements in my lifetime. so for me its is good taking dropper forms. l just used the muti. from dr. d's. do you know of any multi. l can take from the health food stores. l cant seem to find one without vit.e. l live in phoenix, az. And do you know of a calcium from the health food store besides dr, d's. l am o'. l decided to order the secretor test. right now l am following the small book for o's.

waiting patiently for your answer. thanks, elaine

Hey, Elaine -- it's been a long time since you've written! Don't be a stranger, OK? I was wondering how you were doing.

Even though vegetable glycerine is often made from coconut oil (or palm oil, etc.), its chemical structure is entirely different from its source. It is safe for everyone. ;-)

I'm laughing because bladderwrack smells bad to everyone! :-D That's why it's best in a pill form. It's a stinky old thing, but it does wonders!

I can't recommend a HFS multivitamin -- none of them are formulated correctly by blood type -- but the Bone Builder supplement would be a good calcium supp for you, or the microcrystalline calcium hydroxyapatite form -- or calcium citrate.

Thanks for your kind compliments... and for keeping in touch, Elaine -- I'm very glad you have such a good homeopathist taking care of you! :-D

Dear Heidi, For future reference, those of us in the UK can receive vitamins and supplements from the US without paying import taxes. All the sender needs to do it put "vitamins and supplements" on the box. So folks can order from Vitamin Shoppe and from Heallix. Yes, you pay shipping but it's worth it. Kind regards, Karen

Good news!! Much appreciated, I'm sure! :-D

Hi Heidi - thank you so much for providing this wonderful service! I'm responding in regard to Shelley with the nickel allergy. Shelley if this began in March of 2003 what changed in your life at that time or just before that tim?. Nickel is part of the compostion of silver fillings. Did you by chance have any silver fillings put in or removed? Also, nickel and or laxatives herbal or otherwise can affect the bacteria in our gut. I hope you can very soon discover the cause. Patricia

Great questions -- hope Shelley puts in a response! Thanks, Patricia!

:-D

Dear Heidi, I promised to report back about my metabolism after giving up all grains and starches. Have been following the metabolism protocol from the Encyclopedia and my metabolism has soared after four weeks on it. I can do three times as much cardio-vascular time at the gym! In addition, my seasonal hay fever just isn't there anymore. I would typically be taking medication for it by now and I'm now medicine free and have only added Quercetin Plus to my supplement routine. Karen ( 0 Negative, secretor)

EXCELLENT NEWS!! SO glad to hear it, Karen! :-D

Hi Heidi! Isn't anyone writing in about lipomas? Wasn't going to send this in, because it isn't something I have any proof of, just following logic -- lipomas are fatty cysts, and if it were me, I'd check into my fat metabolism. That would include ability to digest fat, and also the nutrients that move fatty acids etc around in the body.

The things that have helped me with fat metabolism are correcting mineral deficiencies, especially zinc (*lots* of minerals affect fat metabolism, I'd get on a good multimineral supplement or do the juice or broth thing, & take zinc lozenges if deficient in zinc which is very common -- see earlier column for what Heidi says on zinc amounts.)

And, make sure not to be fatty acid deficient in either the omega 3's or omega 6's (see http://udoerasmus.com/articles/udo/fthftk3.htm for explanation -- there is an optimal ratio, but his balanced oils have avoids). I'd bet that BTD has balanced the fatty acids in the diet if you follow the portions, but I don't like fish and that's a main source of omega 3's. So taking flax oil is important for the omega 3's. (If all you use is olive oil, I understand that has very good things for health in it, but not much of the omega 3's & 6's -- so you could be fatty acid deficient, because the body can't make the 3's & 6's.)

And, check into gallbladder health. And, make sure you're not B vitamin complex deficient, or choline/inositol deficient. The last two are found soy lecithin (other kinds of lecithin are available if can't eat soy). Choline & inositol are important for the liver to make bile, and deficiency results in a liver collecting fat/cholesterol and affects bile production, which affects fat digestion (and liver function/overall health).

I've been taking 1-2 tablespoons a day of soy lecithin, in a smoothie or liquid. I finally got my fat metabolism right recently, and my skin & hair changed within a few weeks, got a lot softer. Dry skin/dull hair is a sign of fat metabolism problems, and also sometimes your poop may float. There are probably other nutrients that affect fat digestion, but these are all I know of.

Anyway, like I said, no proof this has to do with lipomas, but if you have both lipomas & poor fat metabolism, worth checking.

Heidi, how do people put paragraph breaks into their submissions? I give you big globs of text! Thanks! Take care! maia

Hey there, maia! :-) I'm glad you popped in to fill the deficiency (so to speak!).

Oh, there's no way to insert paragraph breaks in your submissions. I just split up the paragraphs myself. :-)

Thanks again!! :-D

Just a note to Kim M. and Jasper from today's column: some people will not change their diets for ANY reason. Good luck to you in trying using Heidi's wise suggestions, but after a while, it may become damaging to YOUR health going through the stress of it all...

My husband is a B-, and he won't even consider NOT eating chicken or tomatos or popcorn or ham. And if we found out that he was a non-secretor and was asked to give up potatos! Forget that!!! He has high cholesterol and high triglicerides but would rather take Lipitor than change his diet or even try red yeast rice. I just cook my own O beneficials and cook him whatever he wants. Believe me, I've tried all reasoning with him.

His grandparents on both sides of the family lived very long lives, so I can only hope his good genes will save him. My family on both sides have had cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis.....so I am very vigilant on my own diet and try not to stress out over my stubborn but much loved and very loving husband! And Heidi, how lucky you are with your A man...did you have to work at convincing him?? Bye, Abby

Good advice, Abby! The best you can do is walk the walk. If others would like to come along, that's great -- but if they'd rather not, that choice is theirs to make. :-}

Bryan was open to the idea, having discovered for himself that certain foods set his stomach aflame. He happens to be someone who enjoys exploring systematic paradigms -- like the BTD. It was actually a relief to him to see it work, since it made so much sense to him on paper. :-) Best wishes, hon! You never know when someone may make a surprise 180-degree turn, so don't be shocked if your husband comes round when you least expect it.... :-)

Dear Heidi, How are you? In reference to statistics on "Secretor Status" among the U.S. population, are these figures correct??: (1)Secretor-80%, (2) Non-secretor-15%, (3)"Double Lewis Negative"-5%. Also, it is mentioned that the gene for "secretor" is dominant while the gene for "non-secretor" is recessive. Is the gene for "Double Lewis Negative" dominant or recessive? Please advise on these 2 questions. Thank you. Marshal in Wichita KS

That's my understanding, Marshal! As to the Lewis genes, I'll have to look further into that and let you know -- thanks for your note!! :-)

Dear Heidi, just a quick note to say thanks so much for your reply. You are a tremendous support to me. Really appreciate it. Josie ...



Oh, you're very welcome, sweetie! My pleasure! And I hope you forgive me for my massive goof with the l-glutamine... the rest was reliable, honest!! ~

I have been reading your fine works: Blood Type O, Food, Beverages and Supplement Lists (BTO-FBSL) book, after reading Eat Right 4 Your Type (BTD), and enjoyed them both, and am trying to slowly change my eating habits to see what good things happen to me. However, two of my favorite foods seem to have fallen between the cracks of your proof readers: I find strawberries listed as Neutral in the BTO-FBSL book, but in Avoid in the ER4YT book. I find pinto beans listed as Avoid in the BTO-FBSL book, but in Highly Beneficial in the ER4YT book. Where would wheat berry fit in with type O, and with type A pos? Which book should I go by? Or which category does each of these foods fall into? I will keep reading, and keep comparing. Thank you in advance for your answer to these questions. Sincerely, Gary



Hello, Gary! Sorry to say, it's not a proofreading issue ;-) -- certain values have been changed due to new research. The answers to your questions are at the bottom of this column page. Look down there, and begin reading at "Found Contradictions?"



Thanks for writing, and welcome to our little corner here! :-)

My 31 year old daughter (Type O+) gave birth to her first baby (girl) one week ago. The baby is Type A+. The mother intends to give the baby only breast milk for 6 months and then gradually add solids. She will breast feed until the baby weans herself. QUESTION: Should the nursing mother eat only beneficial and neutral foods according to her own (O+) blood type, or should she eat only beneficial and neutral foods according to the baby's blood type (A+)? Gloria



Hi there, Gloria! Your daughter should follow the diet according to her own blood type. A great resource for new moms is the Eat Right 4 Your Baby book. Nice present for her! Take a peek at it, and let me know what you think. ;-)



Thanks for writing ~~ and Blessings on your new grandchild! :-D

Hi Heidi, I've missed the bulletin board we both used to contribute to a few years ago. I recently retired from my job at the University of Toronto (I got too old - they said I had to quit!), so I'm being lazy in the heat, but getting ideas for things to do when it stops being hot ;-}



I have a question that I hope you can answer for me. It's regarding the Blood Type Encyclopaedia. I actually have two questions in one, related but not the same! It is: To use the protocols, does one follow one after another in order, or use them all at the same time? I can't find this info in the book (perhaps my eyes are getting as old as the rest of me?). And then, to complicate the question, I have several areas that probably need to be addressed at the same time, for which I'd like to consider using the protocols (aging, gall bladder and fungus infection). Should I simply choose one at a time and follow the protocols (together or separately?), or can I follow the three areas at the same time without doing any great harm? I hope you are continuing to be as well as ever. janet



Janet, how wonderful to hear from you! I've missed you!! :-} Silly U of T, what will they do without you? Hrmph!! Well, I'm sure you're set to embark on a whole new adventure. ;->



The protocols can be used together, but if you have several issues you want to address, it becomes a practical matter of how many supps you can coordinate during the day between eating, drinking water, and... sleeping. ;-D Some of the disease conditions refer to three, four or five protocols. However, different conditions' protocols sometimes overlap, which makes it a bit easier to follow them concurrently. Among the ones you mention, there is very little overlap (only "Immune-Enhancing" between 'aging' and 'fungal disease') so I'd suggest start with the fungus protocols, repeating as needed until that problem is cleared up -- then moving to gallbladder, then to the aging protocols.



There's no harm in following them all at once, and some people prefer to do so -- but it's just as effective to use them one after another, and saves you the trouble of juggling 16 supps for weeks at a time. :-) Thanks SO much for writing, dear ~~ let me know how the protocols work for you! :-D

I find you're blood type diet very interesting, and i would like to know further information on how you have concluded to this opinion. I'm only a school student so my knowledge is rather limited, but i still would like to understand how blood cells define what kind of food your organism can digest better.I have learnt that blood cells carry O2 and CO2,so do they perform a different job too? but blood cells only live for a limited amount of time,( which i believe to be 100 days)how can they have such a long term effect? i've always believed that whatever problem a person might have is due to his genes.So amongst other things,aren't you're genes that basically determine what kind of food your body will digest more effectively? I thought that the cause of the antigens on our blood cells were to help recognise different or the same blood cells. I look forward to hearing your answers. Thank you for your time. Chrissie



Greetings, Chrissie! Thank you for your interest!



Briefly, the structure of the diet is not so much based upon blood cell reactions, but rather on reactivity of foods with ABO material located throughout the digestive tract -- as well as ABO-mediated levels of digestive secretions, hormone production, and neurotransmitter preponderances. Rhesus type, ABO subtype, and secretor status also come into play.



For in-depth reading, go back to the www.dadamo.com main page, scroll down to the bottom, and follow the links in the "Science" section. And I highly recommend the book Live Right 4 Your Type to pull it all together for you!



Thanks for writing! I look forward to hearing your thoughts!! :-)

Heidi - Quick question. In Dr. D's recipe for the hair rinse (O Son with Crohn's Disease - sic) is the glycerine ingredient the same as our beloved vegie glycerine?? Thanks - Linda



Yep! All-purpose little ingredient, that veg gly is! ~:-D

Hi Heidi, You are such a godsend to me and my whole family. My mom is now going and reading through old OTD columns. She raves about Heallix everyday. It has made her so regular (O secretor) for the first time in her life. Leo said that was one he hadn't heard before. :-)



My question is about whey powder. We have been talking about what protein powders people buy and like on our nonnie list and whey protein powder has come up. I noticed that all of the whey protein brands, even if there list of ingredients is fairly small, do contain (probably naturally occurring?) phenylalanine. Dr. D says this about phenylalanine and Type A (p. 209 of LR4YT), "...inactivates the fat-busting enzyme intestinal alkaline phosphatase (already quite low in Type As) and should be minimized or avoided completely." The one that I bought has 469 mg of phenylalanine per serving. I know Doc Bron has recommended it to 2 A nonnies that went to him. Do you think it is a problem for us A nonnies? Thanks very much, Nina



LOL, that's one I hadn't heard before either! HOO-rah!! ;-) It's a pleasure to hear your mom's doing so well, and she writes in regularly, too (boosting her right into my "favorite people" list, of course! ;-D)



I think it's important to get the phenylalanine issue sorted, and I suggest contacting Doc Bron & running that info by him. He has the background and experience to give a definitive answer, so he'd be the one to ask. Best wishes, Nina, and thank you so much for your many kindnesses! :-D

Good morning Heidi, As a life-long allergy, IBS and candida sufferer I am loads better and virtually medicine free (O negative secretor who eats no sweeteners, grains or starches). Even better, I've been on the Metabolic Enhancement Protocol (page 489 ER4BT Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia) for four weeks and have more energy.



I am writing to ask you about something to improve my muscle recovery from working out. It's called Microhydrin. What do you think of Microhydrin for a 58 year old blood type O- who has learned to love exercise? Thanks for your wonderful resources and support. Karen



Hi, Karen -- Microhydrin is a "proprietary blend" product, so the ingredient list may not be complete or entirely descriptive of the contents. They do say it contains silica hydride (silica, potassium carbonate, magnesium sulfate), rice flour, mannitol and magnesium stearate, none of which are of particular note in terms of ABO reactivity -- but that's about all we have to go on. If you decide to try it, please let me know how it works for you! :-)

Dear Heidi, I am 61 year old, female, A+ Secretor and having been taking synthroid for about 16 years, long before I knew about the BTD. I read about how to switch from synthroid to armour yesterday. But I'm not sure why this is important. Can you please tell me why armour is better than synthroid? Or point me in a direction where I can learn about this. Many, many thanks. Kathy

Hi, Kathy! Natural (multiple) thyroid hormones in a product such as Armour tend to do the job better -- and offer a better chance of your own thyroid "starting up" again so that you can look forward to getting off the product altogether.

Here is a very short page on the issues involved. If you use "switch from synthroid to armour" as an exact phrase in a web search engine (I use www.alltheweb.com/advanced), you will find thousands of discussions and reports on thyroid hormone replacement. I hope this helps! ;-D and... read on!

Heidi, I've been meaning to send this tidbit for awhile now, but relevent from today's Armour/Synthroid question. I recently found out that Armour thyroid contains corn (dextrose I think). Since I take them sublingually, I do notice they are very sweet. Due to corn being a no-no for O's, and the possibility that I am gluten intorerant, I will be switching to Nature-Throid. It also is natural pork thyroid, but is bound with something like cellulose. According to Women's International Pharmacy, it is just as good a product as Armour. (You can Google search it - don't remember the website) Bye, Abby

Thanks, Abby -- This is indeed a very attractive alternative! Much appreciated!! :-) While corn does not contain gluten, it is an avoid for nearly everyone -- and much of the commercial crops used to make corn sweeteners is GMO corn, a thing we don't want to support. Blessings, and thanks again! :-D

Dear Heidi, Please tell us more about "Nature Thyroid" mentioned in your column today. A websearch was not helpful on that phrase alone. Many thanks, Karen

Hello, Karen! I heartily recommend you try using www.alltheweb.com/advanced -- it's a great search engine! To find the manufacturer, I used the phrase "nature thyroid." Even though that is a misspelling of the name of the product (correct name is NATURE-THROID, no "Y"), here's what it brought up for me:

Nature-Throid is made by Western Research Laboratories: http://www.westernresearchlaboratories.com

That search also hit another great reference page for natural thyroid products, doctors' groups and rating sites, and finding docs who will prescribe natural thyroid meds. It's the welcome page of the Thyroid Health-Fitness MSN group. Enjoy! :-D

Dear Heidi, From your response to Craig's beautifully written note today, I've got a couple of questions.... First, I take melatonin every night for...duh....sleep! Does that mean that I am protected from melanoma??? And does that mean that the dermatologist who recently took off a suspicious mole (which was okay) was wasting my money since I take melatonin??

I sunburned my eyes badly at age 19 skiing without sunglasses and did permanent retinal damage. I can't even think of being in the sun without sunglasses!

As to sunscreen..... fortunately I am not a sunbather like Craig, even though I live right on the Mediterranean. But, when I do swim, I use sunblock to avoid sunburn pain/cancer/wrinkles and have always been strongly advised to do so with my very fair skin. So, all these doctors are nuts?? I do use very good products.... Also, what about sunscreens that are oil-free?? Are they okay? Not to mention, I think most of my face creams and eye creams (good brands like Sisley and Borlind) contain suncreens. Are they a no-no, too?? I'm thoroughly confused here...and rice bran oil is not available in France... Help me understand better, okay?

Last item, living in France, I eat steak tartare and carpaccio (from reliable butchers only...) and LOVE IT! I always eat raw garlic with it as I am guessing that might kill off anything that may or may not be in the "raw" beef. I think Dr. D'Adamo might cringe at eating raw meat, but to my knowledge, I've never had a problem with it.

(Oh, and a tiny note to Craig in England, just try Thuja 30CH if you don't want to go to a homeopathist. If you are in or near London, I can recommend someone if you want - I know some of them are loonies!) As always, Heidi, thanks for all your wonderful help! Abby

;-) My suggestion to Craig was to get 20 minutes of sun-in-the-eyes EARLY in the morning to stimulate the body's own melatonin production -- I certainly wouldn't want you, with retinal damage, to go all day without sunglasses. I'm not sure whether taking melatonin is as effective against skin cancers. I can't comment on oil-free sunscreens because I'm not familiar with their various ingredients, but it is the polyunsaturated oils in the sunscreen formulations that I raised a red flag on. Of course, getting some sun in one's eyes will not protect against sunburn -- so if you're going to be outdoors when sunburn is possible, get minimal exposure and cover up afterward!



To tell you the truth, I probably should have "passed" on this issue (and the synthroid/armour thyroid matter) because they're general health questions which are really outside my purview of helping people follow the BTD. Topical polyunsaturates are not a BTD avoid -- they're just a bad idea if one is going to wear them in the sun. :-) But I couldn't resist sharing some knowledge on these things that I've picked up over the years, which I'll most likely continue to do even when it may not be BTD-specific info. What did that Japanese ABO site say about O's? "Can't shut up!" ?? I plead GUILTY. ~~;-D

Hi Heidi First I want to express my thanks for P. D'Adamo's work and your column. I think we are privileged to profit from your knowledge. My biggest concern is when people reject the theory for all kinds of reason. It is very sad to see so many people with health problems that could most likely be healed with the LRYT diet and reject it as another fad. My preferred gift to friends and relatives is the french translation of LRYT and following that many have greatly improved their general health. I must say this is very gratifying.

Let's come to the point. A week or so ago, you mentionned that people should go out in the sun without sunglasses and adding that this principle is well substantiated. For most of my life, I have applied that and I spent lot of time on the water which amplifies the sun's reflection. Wearing sun glasses was unaccepatble to me. I remember to have read when I was a kid that an old Indian had said that to-day if people are sick it is because they don't let the sun get into their eyes.

Well, to-day there is anothe side to this theory. There is more and more evidence that uv rays may damage the eyes and be a major cause of cataracts. There is lot of literature on this subject. If I were young again I think I would wear sun glasses at all times when outside. I am no medical expert and I submit this opinion to you in search of the truth. I don't want young people go out in the sun without sun glasses and then be sorry for that in their later years. Best regards Paul

Greetings, Paul! I'm immensely pleased that your family and friends are benefiting from Peter's work! It is gratifying indeed to make a difference in the health and happiness of those around us. :-)

The old Indian was right, insofar as his "eyes could see." The ionosphere was in far better shape in his time than it is in ours, for one thing. Certain kinds of weapons being developed are an even greater danger to Earth's delicate and complex atmosphere.

My suggestion in these parlous times is to use the protective action of sunlight on the retina for that 20 minutes in early morning -- just after sunrise is best. I do hope no one thinks this means stare at the sun???? yeesh. To regularly submit any of one's parts to pinking & burning in the sun is unwise for a variety of common-sense reasons, but for those who wish to protect themselves against melanoma, this simple practice will work. Additionally, wandering or lying in the sun while wearing polyunsaturated oils is a practice to be avoided.

By the way, I recall from the IfHI conference that there is a company doing R&D on a sunscreen which does not present this risk of free-radical production. Stay tuned!

And thank you so much for writing, Paul! It's the kind of news I always look forward to hearing! :-D

Dear Heidi, Thanks for the URL how on to switch from Sythroid to Armour Thyroid. Now I need to find a doctor to help me through it.

On finding alternatives, when I finally got to synthroid 18 years ago I was desperate from the impact of low thyroid. An alternative doctor did a tsh testwhich had never been done before in annual physicals. My hair started to turn gray at age 11 and I stopped menstruating at age 27. From what I've read, low thyroid was probably involved with both of these. And wheat was the culprit in low thyroid (ER4YBT). I am entirely open to alternatives now. My dosage is .15 in synthroid. What do you suggest?

On the mouth sore, on the off chance that it was detoxing from milk and wheat, the blood type A tried salt water using gray sea salt and the sore went away in two days. Will have him keep a general diary of foods he eats so that he can note his reactions. Also gave him your earlier advice of mouth sores. What a difference this column makes! Thanks, Karen (O negative secretor)

Great news from your type A friend! Glad that's cleared up!!

Karen, you're in Europe, correct? If you search round the Net, you may find there is a webpage similar to this U.S. "Top Thyroid Doctors" site for your region. Start with that, and see what you come up with -- and please do share with us what you learn! :-) Thanks for writing, dear! :-D

Hey there Heidi, Just wanted to say that i can't thank you enough, I just got my period and the pain is so much better. Instead of being stuck in bed all day I've been up and about, there is still a bit of pain there though, but following your suggestions has helped tremendously, the only advice I haven't taken is buying organic meat, not because I can't get any but because at the moment I can't afford it, because I don't have a job yet, but hopefully that will change next week, because I have a job interview in a week.



At the moment I'm craving grains and something sweet and I've never really craved sweets, I prefer savoury food. At this moment I'm thinking about making myself some banana and carob pancakes with maple syrup, in fact I've been thinking about it for days, in the last few weeks I've had probably three servings of grains, none in the last week. Anyway just wanted to say thanks for your help and your wisdom, I love reading your column every day!!! Chantelle



Well, Gor bless ya, Chantelle, and I'm very excited about your progress! Good on ya!! The cravings may come & go a bit over time -- have a tablespoon of vegetable glycerine if they get pushy with you.



Thanks so much, and please keep writing, dear!! :-D

Hello, Heidi! I have a couple of quick questions: 1) I occasionally do a liver/gallbladder flush my chiro recommends, and it goes well. I'd love to do a kidney/bladder flush, because I've had some past infections, and present candida, in those areas. Plus, I'd like to get ahead of any stones or other debris that might be forming.



The kidney flush products I'd aware of have quite a few ingredients, some of which are avoids for O nonnies. Do you know of a kidney flush that works for us guys?



2) My son who has gone off all wheat and gluten wonders if wheatgrass is ok for him. He loves it. I know it is OK for us Os, but what about someone who may have Celiac? Does the sprouting take away the unfriendliness of the wheat, in that case? Incidentally, it looks as if you and I were right about his need for B12. The tingling he has is apparently nerve damage, and the B12 should start to reverse it! 3) If wheat is made into "rejuvelac" by soaking it in water until the liquid gets lots of good bacteria (and then just drinking the liquid, not eating the wheat itself) does that make the wheat OK for O nonnies? Would it even make the wheat OK for those with Celiac? Or is that another issue? I don't miss wheat much at all, but do want to be clear on what forms I can have it in, and which to steer clear of. Best wishes to you! Cyndi



Hi there, Cyndi! In Julia Chang's herbal mix, corn silk is the O-avoid, and gold coin grass and eucommia ulmoides (rubber tree) bark are unknowns. You might substitute bearberry for the corn silk, or go ahead with four days of her mix as-is -- if you have any chronic inflammatory conditions, watch carefully for any signs of trouble in that department. :-) Subsequently, use the urinary tract health protocols in the Encyclopedia for four weeks.



Wheat grass is beneficial for all types! ;-) There is no gluten in the grass -- only in the wheat berry. I have no experience at all with rejuvelac, and some folks have passed on to me concerns over the types & levels of bacteria present in it -- so I don't feel confident recommending it to anyone.



I'm very relieved that your son's healing is getting underway -- please keep me posted! :-D

Hi there, I am a Type A (secretor status unknown) living in South Africa. There are a few varieties of fish available here that aren't mentioned in the book. I would like to know which blood type they are suitable for. They are Snoek, Kabeljou (I think a type of cod) and Kingklip. Besides hake they are the most widely available in South Africa. Please help! Vanessa



Greetings, Vanessa! Enrico wrote in asking about Kingklip back in March -- here's what I dug up:



Kinglip (Genypterus capensis) is a demersal, or bottom-feeding (?) fish which perhaps is eel-like? (I've been unable to pull up a picture). We have no listing for it, and it does not share a genus with any of the fish for which we do have a listing. So, the classic rule applies: use it as a NEUTRAL if you have no health complaints or desire for weight loss.



Snoek (Esox lucius) is what we call "pike" - neutral for all As, beneficial for most other types. Kabeljou (Argyrosomus japonicus) is "croaker," also a neutral for As.



I have to say that your names for these little fishies are far snazzier than ours! :-D



enjoy!! :-D

I am a B and found pollack--also known as atlantic pollock--listed on my avoid list. I have some "Alaskan pollock" and wondered if the same rule applied. Thanks. Dee



Hello, Dee! The avoid status applies to "pollock" (Pollachius virens) -- whereas "walleye" (Alaska pollock - Theragra chalcogramma) is an "unknown." ;-)

I am writing for a friend of mine who has had some recurrent health problems over the past few years. She is Type A and seems to be having problems with her thyroid (hypothyroid) - the medicine isn't regulating it properly, has high cholesterol - it is 293, high blood pressure, and the past few months her liver enzymes have been high. The only good thing about her last report was that the liver enzymes had dropped since the last blood report, but were still high. She has made changes in her eating habits the past few months, but nothing seems to help. Her doctor told her to strictly eat the foods that were Beneficial to her for a while and then add the Neutral foods. She is taking a liver detox and Cholerest given to her by her doctor, but her cholesterol is still extremely high. Do you have any suggestions on other supplements that would help her bring down these high test results? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Oh, I almost forgot her doctor just diagnosed her with Syndrome X. What is this? Susan



Hello, Susan! I'm impressed with that doctor's advice about eating only beneficials -- extraordinary doctor, and we need more like him!



Here is an explanation of Syndrome X from the Secretors and Nonsecretors article found under the "Knowledge Base" collection (linked on the left of this page):







For the persistent high cholesterol, she should order some Red Yeast Rice from Jingxin Labs. This is the only source I recommend for this supplement, because each batch comes with its individual government assay, and the quality is unsurpassed. The dosage is 1/2 teaspoon twice per day, stirred into juice or a smoothie. Her levels should start dropping like a rock, and the HDL/LDL profile should improve dramatically. This is a perfectly safe supp, and is nothing like "lipitor" or any of the other drugs which attempt to mimic it, but since she has liver enzyme issues, her doctor should monitor those levels while she's taking the RYR. I'd place an order immediately if possible!



For thyroid -- her doctor might look into Armour (or better, "Nature-Thyroid"), but her thyroid troubles spring from her digestion and diet. She would benefit in this regard from daily PolyFlora-A and ARA6, both available in the Store here. And do encourage her to get her salivary secretor test done (also in the Store) so that she can benefit from using the diet according to the Live Right 4 Your Type secretor status guidelines. She needs this higher level of compliance to get her health problems under control as quickly as possible. A daily yoga or meditation practice would go a long way to resolving her endocrine dysfunction -- if she's interested, I'd be glad to provide references for her to evaluate.



Now: She should limit her grains to one serving daily, and I strongly suggest it be a breakfast helping of oatmeal. It has shown itself effective in reducing blood pressure (yep, you heard that right - blood pressure!) over a period of weeks. Other than that, she would profit by eliminating fowl for the time being and eating a small portion of fish daily. Some ground flaxseed soaked in water will aid elimination and provide fresh EFAs. Use it as a topping for the oatmeal, it's really tasty! And DARK GREEN LEAFY VEG and two large salads every day, however much she can fit in.



That should set her on the high path, and I'd like to hear how she's doing if you have the chance! You're a good friend, Susan! :-D

Hi there Heidi - I just want to start out by saying that your support and guidance are such an enormous help as I make my way through life as a BTD-compliant AB nonnie. I have been getting some great results so far, but have been nibbling around the edges of a rather sizable [for me] issue.



I have experienced skin problems for about the last five years [since age 25 or so] -- which will all confirm my nonnieness. First I started getting breakouts [which I'd never really gotten before]. With the help of a fabulous ND in W. Massachusetts we worked through that [soy-sensitivity related], and then a bout of pityriasis rosacea [viral skin rash], as well a mercury detox to resolve candida [and some associated rash there]. Then I moved down to hot and humid NE Florida and started getting a rash on my face, neck and trunk, which during a visit north my ND diagnosed as mold related. As I don't have easy access to my ND, I started seeing a local herbalist. She has been having me do extensive liver detoxes, and encouraged me to try the BTD and I have been getting good results with these for my rash, but it's still lingering. Maybe I just need patience, but I just wanted to check and see if there is anything I can do in the way of diet, supplement or herbs that will encourage my body to not act as a nice home for mold and fungus. I may not be able to try them all since I'm embarking on the frugal lifestyle of a grad student, but all your input is welcome. Thanks again! Sarah



The rotten little moldies & fungi love you, eh? Well, Florida summers are pretty bad, but just think: if you lived here in NYC, you could have plenty of that heat and humidity with tons of toxins and soot added to the mix. :-) Could be worse! :-D



I won't recommend any herbs, supps or dietary interventions other than hoping you take PolyFlora AB regularly. Herbs are fabulous for boosting health and staving off debility, but in your situation I'd lean toward a more aggressive approach right now. Your natural defenses will revive more quickly if we apply the 'velvet hammer' to the persistent baddies while supporting your recovery with the plain ol' AB nonnie diet. ;->



To simplify (and speed) matters, I'd suggest two things only: grapefruit seed extract, and Heallix. A few drops of GSE in very warm water as a wash for the affected skin areas, and taken internally as well. And two or three doses daily of Heallix, and one topical application as well (as your budget allows). One bottle contains 48 standard doses (teaspoons). I believe you will see results within one week, and can then determine how you want to proceed.



Since Heallix replaces everything in the typical medicine cabinet except band-aids and Q-tips, I feel it should reckon in the dirt-cheap category of health products. ;-) First-time orders are only $26 per bottle, and you can order more than one at the intro price. Sign up for Leo's free newsletter, and subsequent orders are only $28 per bottle. If I had a big family or a medical practice, I'd be grabbing up the stuff by the gallon ($225 - thus saving $207 on the equivalent amount in 8-ounce bottles. Now THAT's a discount! {grin}). Do I sound like a salesman? I should reiterate here that I'm not in any way associated with Leo except as a very happy customer, and the only profit I hope to gain from more people using it is the joy of hearing your glowing reports of renewed health & well being. Highly effective, no side effects... even a little "results lottery" for free bottles at his site. How can ya lose? ~;-D



OK, that was my pitch. Sarah, I'll be watching & waiting for your update, OK? Take good care, dear! :->

Hello and thanks in advance for answering my question. I've just begun the BTD for A type blood. The only thing I'm not sure about is the daily amount of each food group I should have to lose weight. For now, I'm trying 2 proteins; 2 starches; 1 fat; 3 veggies; 3 fruit; and one milk. It's not much food, so I wanted to ask what the recommendation is. The book says you can eat certain foods anywhere from 0-4x a day or a week, so I have no idea what is optimum for me to lose weight. Please help. Heather



Hello, Heather! Welcome to the BTD!!



Here's how I'd use the type A diet for weight loss. You didn't mention your Rhesus (+ or -) type or secretor status, so I'm proceeding under the assumption you're a Rh positive secretor.



2 chicken or turkey and 3 fish in the week
2 eggs and 2 servings yogurt per week
1 serving beneficial beans daily -- because soy milk is a very dilute form of soy, feel free to use it now and again in addition to the bean dishes
1 handful nuts/seeds or a tablespoon of nutbutter daily
1 grain daily -- like oatmeal or Essene bread at breakfast, or brown rice at lunch
4 fruit servings daily
1 olive or flax oil daily


UNLIMITED veg! Steamed, stir-fried, raw, salads, you name it. Get a wide variety. Try some you've never had before. Make them the "pyramid base" of your diet.



In addition, get in the habit of eating a large breakfast, medium lunch and small dinner.
A cup or two of green tea daily
WATER! 1/2 ounce of water daily per pound of body weight, and squeeze a little lemon juice or add a wee pinch of good gray sea salt to each quart.
PolyFlora-A and Deflect-A are great aids to the cleaning-out and rebuilding processes necessary to bring your digestion to optimal levels and spur weight loss. And do take up a yoga or meditation practice if you haven't already -- the cortisol-lowering effects are well-documented, and lower cortisol means easier weight loss and a happier Heather!



Best wishes to you, and do keep us posted on your progress!! :-D

Hi Heidi, Thank you for all your time and energy and wisdom. I've been on the BTD (A secretor) for almost two years and I've managed to put my asthma into remission (among other things), which is so great!



That being said, I still have three chronic problems that I am battling: my finger nails are brittle and they flake and peel off at the slightest pressure (I'm taking Now brand Silica Complex and free form amino acids for this), I'm constipated (help!) and I've been experiencing a chronic case of itchy ears with a bright yellow discharge, especially in the left ear; for this last one, my ND thinks I have candida in my ears. She irrigated both ears with a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water (1:1), and the left ear produced a lot of candida like substance.



She advised me to avoid sugar (I use veg gly in recipes that call for sugar - thanks for the great suggestion), fruit juices (I drink quite a bit of grapefruit juice which is a beneficial), tropical fruits (I love pineapple which is also a beneficial), and alcohol (I have a glass or two of red wine a couple of times a week). She also put me on a yeast/fungal detox and suggested that I irrigate my ears with a solution of warm water and Y-Stat. My question is whether I should avoid the items in question while I am healing from this case of candida even though they are all on my beneficial list. What does your experience tell you? Thanks again for your time... ~ Drea



Hey there, Drea! I'm very glad you have an ND to help you!!



The classic advice for candidiasis is to avoid all fruits, so I'm not surprised she suggested you do so. However, it's been our experience that fresh whole fruit (as-is, or juiced) will not feed your fungal infection. My approach would be:



(1) eliminate all dairy (except cultured products like yogurt and kefir) and wheat from your diet;



(2) start taking PolyFlora-A right away, along with the anti-fungal protocols in the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia; and



(3) ask your doc about using grapefruit seed extract, both by mouth and instead of the Y-Stat in your ear wash. It's quite effective against fungal infections, without drugs of any kind. ;->



For that pesky constipation, pick up a package of organic whole flax seed. Grind a tablespoon of it to a powder in a clean coffee-grinder, and stir it into a quarter-cup of water. Let it sit for ten to twenty minutes, and slurp it down. It's surprisingly tasty. ;-) You can do this twice daily, and it's a great EFA balancer if you have olive oil daily as well.



You may be low in magnesium? An easy solution is to chop and stir-fry a bunch of kale, collards, or swiss chard and eat it daily. I also suggest at least one raw-veg salad every day, for vitamins, minerals and fiber. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water between meals: 1/2 ounce for each pound you weigh, with a squeeze of lemon or a tiny pinch of gray sea salt added.



For nail health, take a look at this column from December of last year. There are a number of nutritional interventions you can make to get your nails healthy and strong!



Best wishes, dear, and please keep me posted! :-)

Heidi, HELP!!!! I am totally confused ;-}and need your wonderful help. Today (May 28th) in the Dr. D. column he covered the oatmeal conflict as neutral or avoid for an O. The differentiator was health status and desire for weight loss. So here is my question: as an O (S) with arthritis, fibromyalgia, giant cell arteritis(GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (all auto-immune, inflammatory diseases)and obesity what foods that are normally beneficial or neutral should I avoid? I started the program on February 1, 2003, and have experienced dramatic improvement. I am off all pain, arthritis, and sleeping medication. I am exercising for the first time in two years. BTD has been a miracle for me but I have been at a plateau in weight loss for about 6 weeks. I am still on high doses of prednisone for the GCA but wonder if part of the plateau might be related to eating beneficial/neutral foods that should be avoids for someone with my diseases and obesity. I read on your site a few weeks ago that for reactive arthritis I should avoid all bell peppers (including the O beneficial red peppers) and tomatoes (O neutral), which I have done, and have seen improvement in the joint pain. I have been using oatmeal in the pumpkin cookies and realize I should avoid the oat now that I have read Dr. D's column from today. How about brown rice, spelt flour, kamut flakes, etc.? Are these avoids now because of the inflammatory diseases? Suggestion for the next re-write of the Encyclopedia: add the food add/avoid modification lists to the protocals. Thanks, Heidi, you are a saint for sure to put up with all our questions. Peggy

Hello, Peggy ~ Thanks for the reminder on this question -- not sure how I missed it!

The prednisone is, of course, blocking further weight loss -- you probably know that from reading about it. I see you've had wonderful success with the diet!! To help further, I'd avoid all grains and sweeteners except vegetable glycerine. They are not 'avoids for your condition' per se, but eliminating them will reduce inflammation and aid weight loss insofar as the prednisone will allow it.

Once again, thanks for reminding me of your question, and I hope this will speed your progress, my dear!! :-D

Hello, Heidi!! After reading and reaserching about the "cleansing plan" I am more in to do that with my husband and some relatives. In the site that you suggested about "gallbladder flush" they talk about "CHINESE BITTER". Because we have no gallbladder stone problems (as long as we know), they told me by phone that we should take Chinese Bitter for 2 or 3 weeks before do the plan, instead the Gold Coin Grass. When I read your comments about this issue I liked very much the 3 days juice plan that you suggested for Jayne (april, 23, 2003), but again you tell her to take PolyFlora-O for the full week and week after. Does that means that anyone how wants to do the 3 days plan should take PolyFlora-O (type O people)? If we follow your 3 days juice plan do you think that it is a good idea to take the Chinese Bitter first or it is not necessary? My husband has some problem with his liver (according to our Wholistic doctor). It seems like he does not digest protein very well. He is type O. Do you think that he should take Chinese Bitter anyway? Thanky you for your attention!! Have a great day!! Bcha.

Hello, dear Bcha! The Chinese Bitters are not really necessary, but they help stimulate the bile flow. Julia Chang is truly the expert in these matters, and I would trust her advice. However, three days of juicing & light veg, followed by the flush, should be adequate for both you and your husband. He could look into taking pancreatic enzymes for a few weeks (before protein meals) after he has completed the flush. Also, think about doing a series of flushes -- see Julia's www.sensiblehealth.com site for a typical schedule. and Yes, I would certainly take the PolyFlora steadily before & after the flush. It tends to clear EVERYTHING out. :-) be well, dear! :-D

Hello, Heidi!! Thank you very much for answering my question on Jun,30th. From the day that I wrote to you until the day that I got the answer my mood changed a lot and I am back again!!! GREAT!! I am having very good time with my husband Who has following the BTD with me (and actually his mood improved a lot, too). I drink a lot of plain water with a piece of lemon inside almost every day (for years, actually). I feel WONDERFUL following the BTD plan.

Because the weather in USA is good now (Spring/Summer)I do everything by walking. I have to tell you that I am worried a little bit about the time when the winter comes back, but it is a problem for the future and not now.

Yesterday, was sunday, I had a really bad nutrition day (was only one day). I ate some coffe beans covered with dark chocolate, cake, sweets and etc... It is "amazing" how BAD my face and my body reacted today!!! I feel like a truck passed over me. How bad it is in a view of the continuity of the BTD plan when a day like that happens (because of a party or birthday)?? The first thing that I did when I woke up was to take a tablespoon of bentonite (detox - clay) and drink water. I felt much better in seconds. The BTD is just GREAT!

About the carbs, I do not eat grains, but my husband used to eat every morning. He has no weight problem at all, however I changed his grains for rice or Kamut puffs. He eats that during the morning with banana and soy, almond or rice milk. Sometimes we change for blueberries or other beneficial fruits. I realized that I can take bread, grain, and sweets AWAY from my diet but not fruits (beneficials) and apple (neutral - less frequenty). I really need them! I feel great and I do not see that I gain weight with them. I LOVE figs!! OH, God! And I am so glad that I have been found fresh ones in the market these days!! Thank you very much for all your job, God bless you!! Bcha.

Ah! You've come through the darkness and into the light!! Splendid, Bcha! :-)

For those "party situations," DEFLECT does the trick! :-) Glad the clay made you feel better, though! And don't let those grain-containing sweets ambush you -- they can trigger the old foggy feeling and new cravings. I'm really pleased you & your husband are doing so beautifully now! Best wishes!!! :-D

On my test it stood AB-,does the minus mean that i am a non- secretor? joakim

Welcome, Joakim! The minus stands for the Rhesus type -- Rh Negative. You'll find information on Rhesus type and its impact on the diet in any of the multi-type books -- like Eat Right 4 Your Type and Live Right 4 Your Type. To learn more about secretors and nonsecretors, just click HERE! Thanks for joining us!! :-D

Hey Heidi! This is Craig here again, the English tea addict (28 years old, Group O, Rh negative, non-sec., MM). Thanks ever so much for your kind words of encouragement and reassurance regarding my 'beloved beverage' - your positive attitude towards life and food is a pleasure!

You are dead right about too much change all at once being a bad thing - I think in my case this would be too much of a shock, having probably never ever in my life having had a day where I have not consumed at least 1 or 2 AVOID foods. Over the last year since first learning of the BTD I have managed to drastically reduce my bread consumption...I had tried unsuccessfully since 1998 to do this, but at the same time as trying to be mostly veggie.

It just shows the need for protein is undeniably strong in us carnivorous 'O's. Having lived a number of years in France where raw/rare meat (steak tartare) is the norm, I know the positive health benefits of eating it cannot possibly be understated, so always have some to hand for when a wheat craving would strike. It really does the trick! Organic minced beef is such a revelation I don't know what I would have done without it! I have gained so much more muscle through eating it too (I am 5' 9" and my weight has increased from 140 to 148 lbs).

Instead of feeling guilty about eating the 193 (yes, I counted them from the Encylopedia!) AVOID foods (probably worse, emotionally, than the damage done by eating the food itself!) I now have the attitude that my newly-acquired knowledge will stand me in good stead when the time is right. When I live on my own as normal, I simply purchase only BENEFICIALs, with just occasional NEUTRALs (I am a sucker for those cherry tomatoes!). Unfortunately I am at present staying with family, where the enemy products are freely available and temptation can arise!

Never mind....better to do things slowly and steadily than to take too much on at one go and come crashing down to earth with a great big bang. I just think myself lucky that I have managed to survive relatively unscathed and fit and healthy from a lifetime of eating what have now been shown to be problematic products that eating the occasional AVOID will not mean certain death!

One of the worse aspects of this transition phase is the feeling of deprivation. Certain situations evoke powerful memories and associations (e.g. passing by anywhere which sells sweets, visiting cafes and smelling fresh percolated coffee, visiting friends who always have freshly-brewed tea on the go) and the desire to indulge. I have always been, so to speak, a member of the 'I Can Eat Anthing And It Won't Affect Me' Club! When all around me seem to be dieting due to uncontrollable weight problems, I have been the one never to refuse second helpings and sweets and goodies, and really believed that they weren't harming me. I suppose I shall now have to eat humble pie!

I sometimes feel that if I had a weight problem, it would be much easier to be seen to refuse certain foods, but alot of folk seem to think only in terms of the outer appearance, and not what is going on within.

I just have one quick question too before I go - sometime from the other day made me a little worried. You mention always having the eyes exposed during sun exposure. How does that affect contact lens wearers? I do have them in for approx. 10 hours per day, but since they are only -2 diopters I do try to go outside in the morning without them in, and wear glasses for using computer, etc. But could the fact they block UV light from entering the eye mean that I am asking for melanoma inadvertantly when sunbathing on the beach? I am already a sunlover as it is - it's one of life's great passions!, but would not want to kill myself off since us O Types are already a higher risk for skin cancer.

Oh, and thanks too, to Abby regarding Thuja - I shall do some research on this but unfortunately have had mixed experiences with homeopathists.

On Vega testing I was told that all foods apart from cod mackerel and salmon (yes, even the dreaded dairy and grains!) were fine for me, when this is clearly nonsense, and on another occasion I was treated for allergies only to find no change whatsoever.

Anyway, thanks for all you do, and I shall keep you posted on any happenings! Best wishes, Craig in England

Steak tartare -- ah, what a treasure! :-)

It sounds like you're motoring along the BTD highway quite nicely, and I think the little "compliance issues" will only get easier for you over time. The body has a way of urging one in the proper direction, once given the chance to clear up a bit. ;-)

Now: about that other passion you have, sunbathing (hey, how many new passions do you plan to face me with, would you say? I've counted out four so far, and they show signs of steady propagation!! ;->) ... As I was saying, in re sunning, my understanding is this: sunglasses actually promote skin cancer because they block the light from reaching your retinas. Light (UVA, UVB, no matter) hitting the retina triggers melatonin production, which inhibits melanoma quite effectively. BUT that doesn't mean spend hours & hours in the sun with ANY part of ye unprotected; 20-30 minutes of eye exposure in the morning is adequate for a full day's melatonin-shield. Further to the discussion, you sun-lover, you: sunscreens are a bad idea. The nasty poyunsaturated oils they're loaded with have the proven habit of spawning loads of free radicals when exposed to... yep... sunlight. To protect your skin, EAT your antioxidants (abundant in all the BTDs) and if desired, use an emollient such as plain old rice bran oil (rich in gamma oryzanol taken internally, and highly resistant to sun-induced free-radical production when used as a sun-shine).

The lecture is concluded! :-D Blessings -- and a lot of fun -- to you, my dear!! ~:-D

Dear Heidi, If I would like to move from synthroid to Armour thyroid how do I guide my doctor to prescribe it properly? I tried it once years ago and had a reaction to it. Could there have been an impurity in the type of Armour thyroid I used?

After encouraging an A (secretor status not yet known) to move to the BTD, he got an under-the-tongue mouth sore. Is this just detoxing or is there something that he should do about it? Thanks, Karen (O- secretor eating primarily beneficials from BTD, no grains or starches).

Hi there, Karen!! :-) Very likely what happened the last time you tried switching to Armour is your body reacted to the very potent T3. Armour has both T3 and T4, whereas Synthroid is T4 only.

Question: Before Synthroid, did you ever try one of the over-the-counter thyroid support supplements? They're whole glandulars with helper substances (like B vitamins). Just wondering!

Now: for you and anyone else who wishes to explore using Armour in place of Synthroid: here is a great page designed just for you: DrumLib's S/A Switcheroo! :-) It has plain-language explanations, along with precise instructions with which to guide one's doc!

About your type A friend with the mouth sore ~~ it very well could be detox. It could also be a sign of a deficiency of some kind, or a little bacterial issue. I'd also wonder if he keeps a food diary -- having that information can make it simple to determine whether a specific food he added might be implicated in causing the sore. Some thoughts to go on with! :-) Thanks SO much for writing, Karen!! :-D

Is it OK to add my daily lecithin and ARA6 to hot soup? Need to make sure that heating does not destroy the goodness of either product. Also is it OK as a B nonnie to eliminate all grain? I also have trouble with my skin when I eat fruit and feel better when I just eat meat,fish,dairy and loads of veggies. I'm still tweaking my diet and know that I am feeling better all the time! Jean

Hi there, Jean! Lecithin shouldn't be heated above 325 F., but stirring it into hot soup is OK. ARA6 is perfectly fine in hot soup, too.

Looking at Live Right 4 Your Type, only 3-5 servings per week are recommended, and there are only a couple of beneficials in the grains category -I'm sure you will do fine without them! There's nothing in that group that you require for good health.

If it is ALL fruits, rather than certain items or kinds of fruit which bother you, then stay away from them for the time being. Do fill in with PLENTY of fresh veg of all kinds, though -- and see if in a few months you can tolerate any of the beneficial or neutral fruits. Have you tried grapefruit seed extract? It may help you to clear out whatever is still lingering in your system that's causing a reaction to the fruit. With a stellar list like the B fruit extravaganza waiting in the wings for you, I'd love it if the cause of the trouble could be found pronto!

Best wishes, and please keep me posted, OK? :-D

Dear Heidi, Well, so far, no one in my area (Melbourne, Australia) has responded to the idea of a discussion group, so I will try to think of some other way to forward BTD principles here; by the way, is there likely to be a study course with accredication (by mail or email), for those of us who would find it difficult to get to Arizona for the next International conference in 18 months time?

Also, I am confused about a small aspect of wheat eating for ABs. According to the Typebase, and to the blood type books, most wheat products are Neutral, except for refined, unbleached wheat which is listed as Avoid.Why would this be, as refined, bleached wheat is Neutral and more tampered with, and unrefined wheat(wholewheat) is Neutral? Hoping you can enlightenen me on this, and best wishes, Jenny

PS I should report in that my A2 diet is going wonderfully well, and while I occasionally have to break it for social reasons, there is always a very clear reaction and I pay for the privilege for a day or two while my system clears out again!After 9 months on the diet I am healthier than any time in my life (aged 62), even after a lifetime of "good" eating, and have enjoyed watching others do well on it.

Hi, Jenny -- Hey, I'd be very surprised if no one in Melbourne wants to join a discussion group --

Melbourners, what do you say?? :-) SPEAK UP, I can't hear you from all the way over & under there! :-D

I'm not aware of any study course being offered in lieu of the conference, but as we get closer to the time there may be some news in that direction.

About the rating for refined bleached vs refined unbleached wheat -- Hmph! Excellent question. I'm clueless on that one. :-} I'd expect both of them to be avoids for secretor and nonsecretor ABs. Sorry that enlightenment was not forthcoming from this quarter! I'll try to get confirmation on the values for that item. :-}

Very pleased that the A2 modifications are doing their job for you ~~ and thanks so much for writing, Jenny! :-D

I recently finished reading BTD.

My interest stems from years of trying to find out why I am overweight despite eating healthily, have migraines, skin breakouts, excess body hair growth, and suffer frequent bouts of exhaustion for no apparent reason. I am a 30something A+ and I believe, although I have not been tested or diagnosed by a physician, that I have elevated cortisol levels and most likely Cushing's Syndrome(or Disease?).

I have discussed my symptoms with an endocrinologist (who seemed most concerned with finding diabetes and when he did not, put me on a diuretic, told me to try to lose weight and sent me on my way), my gynocologist (who, when ovarian cysts were not found, asked me if I had ever seen an endocrinologist) and a neurologist (who was only concerned with my migraines and gave me a perscription for a beta blocker -- which I never filled). I am against taking random medications-- I want to find the root of the problem and fix it, not just treat the symptoms.

BTD makes perfect sense to me and I am working on eliminating all of the "avoid" foods from my diet. I have noticed that when I am able to follow the diet perfectly for any length of time, I have much more energy, I sleep better and I feel less bloated. I think this is really going to help me, but I am unsure if it can "cure" these symptoms that all seem to stem from prologed exposure to elevated cortisol levels. Have you ever researched how ER4YT may help a person with this problem?

The Cushing's website has a link to the Atkins Website, so I have a feeling that some people with Cushing's have had success with modifying their diets, but I am not about to try Atkins. I remain in search of a doctor who might be able to help me, but in the meantime, I would appreciate any extra BTD diet tips you may have. Thanks so much! Please don't print my name or e-mail address.

AW, don't ya LOVE all those -Ologists? ;-)

On the name issue: How about I give ya an alias? "Rayna," for the moment! I print only first names, initials, or some "handle" or monicker -- just to make it possible for you to search for your name in the search form and find the answer to your question at a later date. Full names, emails, etc. aren't posted here unless requested. ;-)

To help you in your doctor search, I'd have to know where you are -- that is, if you ("Rayna!") would tell me your general location and all ow me to post it here. There are hundreds of localities covered by our many readers, and in this way they could offer suggestions for great local doctors for you.

In any case, do take a look at the Practitioner Registry on the main page (www.dadamo.com) and search by your city or state (use the appropriate pull-down selection in the box on the left, if you do so).

Great news for you: the type A diet AND exercise plan is strongly focused on reducing cortisol levels, and repairing all kinds of damage. In your situation, the Cortiguard product available at the store here is ideal -- and I'd pick up some Deflect-A while I was at it.

The A diet and the appropriate activities as outlined in your book will indeed get you back on the road to health. I do suggest you consider purchasing Live Right 4 Your Type and getting the salivary secretor test, only because I see you have multiple health issues and I'd like to offer you the most condition-specific information available.

Best wishes, Rayna, and let me know if I can assist you in any way! :-D

Dear Heidi, Thanks for the reply to my loooong note to you (hmmmn..... sorry for all the typos I saw in it)! I do hope someone out there knows about lipomas...

Anyway, now that I thought more about it, after being off cheese for a month or so, I did have what seemed to be sinus infection symptoms. Used colloidal silver nasal spray for a few days to get rid of it (next time I'm in the USA I promise to get some Heelix). It very well may have been a detox from cheese as I did not have a cold before the sinus problem. However, no weight or fat loss.

Also, none so far from switching from Essene bread (and ALOT of it!) to rice cakes.... We'll see. Anyway, thanks to Donna for her kind note about Lundberg's rice cakes - I think I bought them on accassion when I lived in LA and they were tasty! Actually, I do get good ones in France made by Lima.....it's just that compared to Essene bread, ANY rice cake is yucky!

And for the first time ever maybe, today I had NO grain at all for breakfast. I went to the open-air market early and bought fresh figs. They are really yummy sliced in half with a big dab of almond butter and one whole almond stuck in each half to add a little crunch. I had 4 figs like that and did not feel cheated not having any grains! By the way, I have not started getting rid of the mercury as yet. I finally decided on a product to chelate the metals, but won't be getting it til September when someone can bring it to me (it's TOO hot to have it shipped.....). Hope you all in the AIR-CONDITIONED UNITED STATES are appreciating it! I'm about to melt.... a bientot, Abby

What typos? :-)

The weight loss will occur if your body believes it's carrying excess. I'm really pleased to hear that your sinuses did a surprise detox after the cheese went away! and ... give the pounds some time on the grain change front. You're dealing with a number of issues, and it may seem you're making no progress for a long time... then WHAM, a number of problems can clear up in a week. That's just the domino effect of resolving one persistent condition, whereby a host of 'others' fade away in its wake.

Fresh figs with almonds & almond butter!! Delicious!! congratulations on a truly splendid first grain-free breakfast!! Be well, dear, and keep those updates coming!! :-D

HI Heidi, Winter down here isn't too bad, so far we've only had a few really cold days, the other days have been mostly sunny. I've noticed you've mentioned a gallbladder flush several times and I was wondering which steps I need to follow just for a general cleansing to give my liver a kick, do I need to do all of them or just one. I also wanted to know if O's can have tomato paste, I know that we can have tomatoes but was just wondering, because the paste seems very concentrated, I've always wondered how they make it. I haven't made your cherry filling pastry yet, but will very soon. Well thats all for now. Thanks in advance. Chantelle

Hi, Chantelle ~~ The basic flush would involve one day of apple juice (grapefruit/pear juice is a good choice for nonsecretor Os), then the flush on the next day using Epsom salts (a dash of lemon juice won't make it palatable, but it dilutes the horror somewhat ;-)) and the olive oil / grapefruit juice combo. Texas red grapefruit makes this a very tasty item, believe it or not. Just follow the instructions at www.sensiblehealth.com for the timing.

Sure, Os can have tomato-anything. Tomato paste is just cooked-down tomatoes -- but watch the ingredients of the brand you buy, in this as in any other commercial product. ;-> Do let me know how you like the pastry recipe! Take care, dear, and enjoy the winter!! :-D

You posted a very helpful reply to mfn who was concerend about meals on a visit to family. What has worked for me when I visit my parents is that I cook my own meals separate from theirs.

I explained it all (and I had it reasonably easy as I could "blame" it on cancer which typicaly leads people to adopt different diets), and I simply withstood the pressure first time round to allow them to cook for me.

At first my Dad felt he was failing me by not being able to provide suitable food, but I soon got it through to him that I would not expect him to cater to my special needs. Now they both just accept that I sort my own food out, and Mum even goes so far as to get in the odd bit of veg or tin of beans from their local hfs to cover the first night.

The only drawback is that I invariably sit down to eat when they are halfway through their meal!! But if I was content just to have salad every meal this would not arise. Sarah B XXX

Hey there, Sarah! It is great advice to counsel that we stand our ground in these matters, and to stay cordial & relaxed in the "adjustment phase." There are deep emotional currents surrounding food, more so in the family setting, and pleasant open firmness seasoned with a good measure of loving regard can make the adjustment pass quickly and without hurt to anyone.

I'm glad you and your parents opened your hearts to each other about what providing food and caring are about... very inspiring! Thanks for letting us share it with you! :-D

First of all – after reading the 4-Type books two years ago, I realised that, as Type A, and having become vegetarian fifteen years ago, my diet had during that period progressively moved to a very close match to the Beneficial pattern simply by observing my bodily requirements and reactions.

But it's not me I'm worried about but my brother who is also A. On principle he eats meat and a very acidic beverage intake. He suffers from what he calls 'honking' which occurs when he eats and is as though he is about to be sick but never quite is. Doctors have diagnosed it as 'hiatus hernia' but I don't believe it and nether does he.

His theory is that he has to drink alcohol to relax his reflex stomach actions. His normal intake is two pints of home-brewed beer at lunch-time, two pints more early evening (now replaced by a double brandy) followed by about one bottle of either red or white wine. The physical reactions could also be partly psychological, denoting tension and anxiety in the presence of younger brother but his problem is making his life a misery and I cannot get through to him that a change in intake might be beneficial. His age is 79. Could my theory be right that his natural low stomach acid level reacts to overload of acidic fluids? Jasper

Greetings, Jasper! Your brother sounds like a right tough old bird! ;-)

Yes, your theory is certainly applicable. Additionally, poor diet can CAUSE hiatus hernia, and he well may have it. It's noticeable as "uncomfortable fullness" and specific pain on the left side right under the ribs after eating. Lots of meat and alcohol can surely create this problem in type A, and a hollow cough is one symptom of hiatus hernia.

I'm not sure how much success you'll have in convincing him to change his diet. It sounds like his two-to-three quarts of beer, brandy and wine in the day are the central goals rather than digestive aids for food. That's certainly a lifestyle choice, and don't let anyone tell you that choice OR his symptoms have anything to do with your presence!!!

However, the more opposition you express to his choices, the more adamant he may become about them. I suggest a cheerful chat in which you present him with one of the books, and say that while you care about him, his health is up to him and you've now discharged your responsibility to your own peace of mind. Drop it entirely, and let your own route be that of ignoring the flaws you see and enjoying the brother you love. Interesting things will happen, I promise you!

And I'm happy you found your own way to the BTD!! Please write again, Jasper, I'd like to hear from you! :-D

Heidi: My name is Shelley and I wrote to you about a month ago regarding a servere nickel allergy, and my intolerance to any foods that contain even miniscule amounts of nickel. I had the full spectrum of tests through a holistic doctor that I've been seeing. The only thing that he could find wrong with me is that I had zero lactobacillus in my gut (per stool sample test) I had normal amounts of the other good bacterias except for this one.

I've been taking the blood type brand probiotic twice a day for the last year. I'm not sure why it's not working.

I take the full spectrum of blood type vitamins also, but I can't tolerate the green drink, it causing me to break out in hives.

I take quercetin twice a day (this works really well). And I'm currently on Larch ARA.

Also, I've learned that I have the MM subtype. I am a Type A, RH-, Secretor. For the MM diet I am told to increase my servings of nuts and beans. Since all nuts and beans break me out in a terrible rash, I can't even eat small portions of them, as they contain nickel. I do daily yoga and walk five times a week.

I don't have any problem sleeping, my weight is 135 and I'm 5'6. I'm 39 years old. I'm not experiencing any stress at home or at work. My doctor scratches his head at this one, as says that I look really healthy on paper and that I seem to be doing everything right.

I've been suffering very severely with this sensitivity since March 2003. I can't eat pineapple, green beans, peas, or fish of any kind either, without breaking out in a blistering rash....mostly around my eyes...which is very discouraging. Please, please, any suggestions at all would be helpful...I've searched the internet and I can't find anyone suffering with this. Most of the people with nickel allergies can't tolerate jewelery....not foods...especially my highly benefical foods for my blood type. Help!

Well, Shelley, I'm scratching my head over it too, as you might expect.

FOLKS, DOES ANYONE HAVE A CLUE ON THIS ONE???

It struck me that PolyFlora A contains 1.5 billion cfu of bacteria, including Lactobacillus plantarum and L. reuteri -- WHAT is killing them off when Shelley takes them? Tips, hints, research, please just offer anything you've got!! Among the thousands reading this column, there is SOMEONE who has some useful advice for her, I'm sure.

And Shelley, pop over to the BTD 4 Brits (and others!) Board and put up a question for Dr. Tom Greenfield.

Next, put all your medical tests & food diary & symptoms together in front of you & call Peter's clinic to arrange a phone consultation with Doc Bron. There are mucho brains around the BTD medical community, and I am SURE we'll have this sorted out before long. Hang in there, and keep me apprised of what's happening, OK? Best wishes, dear! :-)

I have found discrepancies in the book Cook Right For Your Type and Eat Right. For example, Cook Right tells me I, being a type O, can eat pinto beans. Eat Right tells me to avoid them. Why is this? Confused. I also want to know if turbinado sugar or stevia is ok for type O's. Catherine

Hello, Catherine ~ welcome!! It's a whole new world here!

Take a look at the updates page for a bigger part of the picture -- and the TYPEbase 3 database for the updated food values. Enjoy touring around, and write back if more questions arise! :-D

I have just started the LR4YT diet with a friend about a month ago we are both AB+'s unknown sec. I can say i have never had this much energy before and love it. I am a little confused about the supps though, i hardly ever get sick, so what if any should i be taking, since i know you say we get most from the diet.

My other question though is for my husband he is type A+ unknown sec. he coughs and gags after eating a meal almost everytime he eats. He was once diagnosed with a parasite in the lining of his stomach which is what the doctor said caused this gagging. I am sure he wont want to follow the diet because he is a big meat eater, but what can i do to help him with this problem if anything. I want to have something to read to him to make him realize what he is doing to his body. I really worry about his health. I look forward to any help you can give me. Thank you in Advance. Kim M. in Pennsyvania

Kim, welcome! How great to hear from more rare ABs!! ;-)

There's no need to take supplements if you don't have a purpose in mind which they might help you achieve. If you're healthy and happy on the diet alone, that's actually what we hope for, for everyone, and it's the goal the diets are designed to accomplish when all's said & done.

For your husband, just open up LR4YT to page 191, and read the first note under "keys". Then turn back to page 176 and read the three columns starting with "low stomach acid production." That's the high-meat-diet-for-As story in black & white.

You may not convince him to consider the diet -- that's a decision only he can make -- but you will have explained the basics of what the meat-eating does in his system (and connected it to a symptom he now has -- the coughing & excess bacterial growth/parasites). To help somewhat, you can choose from the supplement list under "Increase Your Stomach Acid Levels" on page 192 -- if he benefits from the pills, it may convince him that the book has worthwhile information. They'll help a little, but not forever, and won't address the cause of the problems. Let him slowly get his head around it all, while he sees how happy you are with your new diet!

Best wishes, and thank you for writing -- keep in touch! :-)

Hi Heidi. I love your column! It's the first thing I go to when I log onto the computer! I'm a B non-secretor. Here's my question: I'm taking the some of the recommended supplements for type Bs that are listed on page 279 in LR4YT. Specifically: magnesium 200 mg/day, CoQ10 60 mg 2x/day, L-Carnitine 500 mg/day. I'm also taking a multi-vitamin that includes several of the others listed, and calcium. Can you give me some guidelines as to when and how to take these? (i.e. time of day, on an empty stomach, with food, etc.) Also, I started taking L-glutamine because someone suggested it helps with sugar cravings. Can you tell me if that is ok for blood type B? Thank you so much! Lisa

Hello, Lisa ~~ thanks for your kind words! I'm glad you enjoy the column!!

Each of your supps should have directions for use printed on the label -- check those bottles and see what they say. If any of them do not indicate whether to take with food or away from food, a good rule of thumb is to take the calcium & magnesium together with meals; the CoQ10 is OK with or without food, and I'd take the L-carnitine away from proteins.

Rather than L-glutamine, try a teaspoonful of vegetable glycerine when cravings hit. You can carry a little bottle of it (needs no fridging) and squirt a bit right in your mouth when needed.

Thanks for your note, dear ~~ let me know if there's anything else I can help with, OK? :-D

Dear Heidi, Thank you for all your work, we all have so many question, thanks again. I have several medical problems, constipation, digestion,depression and arthritis. I am reading the Complete Encyclopedia and all the protocols, I need to know how many protocols should be followed at one time? The protocols list 3 to 4 supplements, do you take one from the list are all that is listed from each protocols. Thanking you in advance Joan P

How good to hear from you, Joan! I haven't had a note from you in quite some time!

Listen, could you give me an idea of where you are with the diet and exercise plan? Whatcha eating and whatcha doin'? ;-)

I'm asking because using the diet, exercise & stress relief plans for your type, with plenty of water daily, have been known to clear up every problem you mentioned. I gather you tried the flax and it didn't help?

I just want to save you from buying a load of supplements if the basic things can help you, OK? Write again soon, and let me know! I'm thinking of you! :-)

Hi Heidi, I wanted to thank-you because you may have actually saved my life.

I recently started the program and I'm an O+(rest of the family are A+s). I sent my hubby to the store with the list of foods. He brought back dried apricots which I had been eating for about five days.

On Sat.June21, I was at work at the hospital (Clinical scientist) and noticed that I just was feeling terrible and my tongue was itching. On Sun. June 22, I had no energy at all and felt like I had the flu, then I read about the sulfurized dried fruit and asked dear hubby about it. He had been being the sulfurized fruit (I have a known allergy to sulfur drugs).

If You had not made me aware of this I could have possibly had an anaphlaytic reaction. Thank you again, Tina

OH WOW! Crikey!! {{whew!!!!}}

I tell you, Tina, it was one of God's "coincidences." I just happened to mention it on a day when you happened to be reading it, and just after you'd been exposed to the fruit, and none of us had any way of knowing who was doing/reading/what at the time --

so I'm thanking God for the whole thing! and thanking YOU for bringing the sulphur allergy issue to the forefront so we'll all be "on notice" regarding sulphured foods! Best wishes, dear, and I'm VERY relieved you're OK!! :-D

Hi, I asked a question ahile back about pregnenlone. Dr D said dhea was not wise for type A i was wondering if the same was true about pregnenlone. You have recommended it and I would like to take it, if it is a good choice for type A's. Linda

Hey there, Linda! I'd first ask what you want to take it for -- do you test with relatively low DHEA levels? or is there another reason? Generally speaking, Cortiguard does a great job for all types with that kind of problem.

While it appears that pregnenolone is used to the extent the body needs it, with the excess being excreted harmlessly, it's always a good idea to try the herbals first and the hormones last.

I just had a weird upsurge of intuition, and I don't know why this would apply to you but here goes. (Oh, I can just imagine the rolling eyes of all the hard science types out there right now. :-} to tell you the truth, I'm rolling my eyes, too!) Are you eating bladderwrack or any kind of seaweed? If you can't find "dulse" at any health food store near you, please order a bag of it from www.seaveg.com. I know this sounds completely weird and out of left field, but if it doesn't break the bank, give it a try. Have some every day dropped in some warm broth with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast (KAL, if possible) and sea salt. And let me know if it helps you -- or if I'm nuts! ;-)

How is your nephew, by the way? Is the ADHD responding OK? Let me know what you think of all this, and do see about that seaweed. ;-)

Hello Heidi, On todays On the Diet topic for December 10/02, the link is missing for: FOUND CONTRADICTIONS between the various books' food lists? Here's the scoop: * IF YOU DO NOT KNOW YOUR SECRETOR STATUS: The Food, Beverage & Supplement Lists should be used. * * IF YOU KNOW YOUR SECRETOR STATUS: The food lists in Live Right 4 Your Type and the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia should be used. ALSO check the official change log at http://www.dadamo.com/lr4yter.html for the most recent updates -- at a later date, an update area for other books will be created. * The TYPEbase 3 database at http://www.dadamo.com/typebase/typebase.cgi contains ALL latest updated food values by secretor status. :-) Please help...I am interested in the supplement list for blood types, especillay "O" Thank you once again for all your help..it is greatly appreciated. Rose

Hi there, Rose! There's no link to the Food, Beverage and Supplement Lists -- they're little books, individual blood type books. See if you can find the type O book at your local library or bookstore -- it's 1/4 inch thick by 5 inches tall, maroon and white (every type's book is a different color). They're really little lists bound together, and they're designed for secretors only. Hope this helps! :-)

Dear Heidi, Thanks for a great column, read it every day and learn a lot. My question is. Have been on the diet for about 18 months now with varied success. I do have a lot of energy but I cannot get rid of my underlying viral infection and the yeast/fungal infection I have. Also the level of bacteria is apparantly quite high in my body as some recent immune system tests have revealed which also suggests my immune system is low and not fighting the infection. e.g. It is probably systemic candida ......have been taking Polyflora A regularly and Larch. Have used antifungals a lot. I am an A secretor A1 MN, help! Any thoughts would greatly appreciate this. One more question. Do you know of any research which suggests Ipriflavone lowers white blood cell count in some women, particularly if they are post-menopausal, have read this recently. and this substance is in Phytol-cal.Keep up the excellent work. Val from England.

Hey there, Val ~ thanks for your compliments!

I'm going to suggest the quick & dirty route here, because the idea of persistent viral and fungal infections is so anathema to me I'm prompted to take a sledgehammer to it. (a little Type O showing there).

First, I believe you should stop ALL antifungals and ALL antibiotics (if you're taking any of them). Additionally first (LOL), drop the money on four bottles of Heallix -- www.heallix.com. The shipping from the States is what will maim your pocketbook, but you NEED this, and you'll be saving somewhat on the prescriptions if you're taking them. Second, make sure there's not a single avoid in your daily diet, and keep carefully to the portion/frequency AND yoga/meditation parts of the plan. Third, get some ProBerry syrup (or caps) from www.stacktheme.com in the UK and take them three times per day. And keep taking the PolyFlora, at two caps twice daily.

I don't know why I bothered numbering all those items -- please do them all as quickly as possible. You're absolutely sure you're type A, right? just checking!

About ipriflavone lowering white blood cell count -- Not for type As, it doesn't. ;-) Get in touch with the researchers for that article and ask if they sorted their sample population by ABO type. {{wink}} For the Bs, ABs and possibly Os in their study, I'd believe it -- trouble is, they likely don't know which was which. We'll see, eh? ;-)

OK, Val! I hope I haven't alarmed you with all my ranting on. Please write to me as soon as you like! :-) I want to hear how you're faring. :-D

Greetings Heidi - Question on the female balancing protocol in the encyclopedia - I am using the FEM Balance Supplement from your store since its ingredients match up with the female balancing protocol -I'm 46 type O, non-secretor, peri-menopausal - do I need to cycle off this Supplement now and then (the encyclopedia says to use the protocol for 4 weeks) to keep its effectiveness? - warm regards. Catherine/Southern Maryland

Hello, Catherine! Yes, I would cycle off most herbal formulas for at least one week before resuming. This works well for OTC glandulars and hormones as well. It gives the body a chance to show how it's doing without them, and lets you see if it's pepped up its own production of certain substances in response to the supps. It also allows the herbs to have a "fresh whack" at it -- so dat's the answer! :-D

Hi Heidi Well, I´m back again- just wanted to report that drinking more wather had a great impact on my health.Seemed to speed my weight loss up- but I still find it hard to get all of it every day. - I also wanted to share that keeping a diary and more important keeping a diagram(I think somebody else recommeded it)of my portions of different types of food, has helped a lot to see where things go wrong! I have made mine in Excel- made the boxes with minimum number of portions pr. week dark and the rest light.

Every day when I write my food diary I make an x for each portion. It works really well. BUT I realised after more than 4 weeks that I seem to have some problems: The meat, oil, grains, vegies, and fruit portions are all very good. But I always get more dairy and eggs, and to little of fish,nuts cheese and beans...HELP the beans are the worst. On a good week I get 2- 3 portions of beans but more often only one - Is it correct that B- secr should get 5-7 cups of beans? -it is a lot!!!!

Do you think it is allright that I eat a bit more eggs and yoghurt instead of the beans and cheese? I think it is more satisfying to eat cold yoghurt dishes and light omelets in the heat and eat the heavy bean and nut dishes in the winter.

Last: a good substitute to tomatoes: 500 grams dark tart plums 2 big red peppers 1 onion cooked with a bit of water untill tender- process in a foodprocesser and sieve the tough skins away- ad a bit of vinegar, a bit of sugar and maybe herbs, boil until the thicknes is what you want and it works very well on pasta and pizza- I have even boiled it to a kind of ketchup- Lots of summerwishes from Henriette B- secretor

Allo, Henriette! What great news, and a neat recipe, too!

I don't mind too much if you don't fit in 5 portions of beans per week. By the way, a serving is more like a cup of cooked beans! However, I have a suggestion: buy a few cans of lima beans, navy beans and kidney beans. Toss in some limas or kidney beans when you make a salad (keep the remainder for a day or two tightly sealed in the fridge), and use the navy beans in that hummus recipe I posted (makes great salad dressing if thinned with water & a little additional oil & lemon). That way you'll get more beans throughout the week, effortlessly -- and they're all cold dishes -- and these are all beneficial for you. ;-)

Crumble some cheese on your salad now & again -- or toss in a few walnuts.

You're not missing TOO much in the fish area, but how about some gravlax with sour cream? Herbed, cold cured fish is great in the summertime, either on its own or with a cold platter of cheese & olives. Sounds like you're doing just beautifully, dear ~~ isn't the food diary a great tool? thanks for your note!! :-D

Hello again, Heidi, Glad to hear you had a great trip. I'd say we missed you, but you were soooooo kind to have set it up so we had your column even though you were gone! Merci!!! Now, a couple of questions..... One, I started the rice cakes with almond butter yesterday. 2 rice cakes at probably zippo calories/carbs/fiber/nutrients vs. my "slice" of Essene bread of 100 grams. Yup, I did say 100 grams - I LOVED IT! Anyway, I made the leap.

So, what are you and Conrad talking about when you mention a glucose rush???? Don't think I had one, but don't know what to be expecting. I don't have any "rush" that I know of when I eat dried figs, cherries, etc. with fruit sugar in them, but I may not understand the issue.

Two, I get a kick out of it when people who were vegetariens/vegans can't take the thought of eating any animal meat. I was once a semi-vegetarien myself (lacto-ovo, then just added fish for some years). When I saw the "phychic nutritionist" in 1982 I think, she put me on basically an O diet WITH MEAT, but with many more restrictions. I'm 5'6" and weighed at that moment around 130lbs. I went to see her due to bad, constant headaches, swollen legs, and these little lumps (fatty cysts?) that had started appearing in my arms. Well, after 3 months on her "diet" I had lost 20 pounds (too much maybe, but put back on 10 after a while), and had no more headaches, and less swelling in my legs. Unlike many people who radically change their diet, I had no noticable detox, Thank God.

She said for me, the main "baddies" were wheat, sugar, corn, dairy, (I loved ice cream, pastries and cheese cake). She did leave me with other grains, such as oats, millet, buckwheat, and rye, and really I had no problem making the changes. But, especially, NO PROBLEM eating beef! In fact, I'd probably eat a cow if it would stand still!!!!

Now that I'm going to follow your and my doctor's advice, and only eat rice, I'm guessing that I may drop a few pounds (which is all on my bottom half). I'd asked you about this "few pound" thing a few months back when I found out I was a nonnie, as I had been eating alot of fresh goat and sheep cheese and buffalo mozzerella since being in France. You thought I may drop the few extra pounds from quitting the cheese, but nada. No effect at all that I noticed except for missing the taste of the cheeses.....

Now to the question part: The lumps in my arms never disappeared with diet changes (the nutritionist thought they were from dairy). In fact, I have gotten more of them over the years. The first time I saw one, I ran to the doctor, thinking I had a blood clot... He said, nay....don't wory about it. That's also what all doctors since then have said. Even a French dermatologist recently said, "iiiits nothing!" Obviously, they are SOMETHING!!!!!

I've searched a little on the web under "lipoma" and evidently lots of people have this, though many with it much worse - like horrible lumpiness down the sides of their ribs. Mine are just mumerous lumps of various sizes, like a very small pea to a marble, in both arms. With my skinny arms, they are visible.... I realize that this is not a MAJOR issue, and I don't lose sleep over it, but, do you possibly know what causes these things??? I know I'm drawing at straws now, but could it be toxins either from my mercury toxicity or from gluten (if indeedy that is a problem with moi)??? Sorry for going on for so long!!!!! It's soooooo hot and humid here now with no air-conditioning that it is hard to think straight, let alone write coherently.... As always, many thanks for all your wonderful wit and wisdom! Abby

Whoo! Hey there, Abby! Good going on your diet adjustments, and I'm looking forward to hearing the results!

Conrad mentioned a glucose rush from almond butter on rice cakes -- which I've had as well -- hence my note to you. If you notice nothing, that's great! It was just more grain carb than my body ever wanted, so it let me know. Conrad apparently had the same experience.

That's funny about the cheese... no apparent effect? No less mucus, no faster transit time through your digestive tract, no fat loss? Interesting! Once your doc's experiment's done.... hmmmmm..... ;-)

I don't know anything that can reduce lipomas once they've formed, nor do I know all the reasons why they form in the first place. I have a small one on my ribs, which arose when I was so thin that lying on my side was uncomfortable -- it popped up right where the pressure was greatest. Surgical removal is the only measure I'm aware of to get rid of them. Wish I could help further on this subject!

Anyone out there with some good info on lipomas? Abby & I'd be glad to hear it!

Well, take care and keep writing, dear! I'm really enthusiastic about that mercury business going away for once & all. !! OH -- and see below, just in case your buddies in CA can ship you some Lundbergs... :-D

I was just browsing a bit and came across someone who found rice cakes and almond butter to be yucky. Rice cakes are certainly not all created equal - some are yucky and some are really, really yucky! But if you can find them, try Lundberg brand. They are produced in California near Sacramento by the Lundberg family using rice they grow themselves. I haven't found their taste and texture matched in any other brand - these rice cakes actually taste like real food. (My favorite is the Brown Rice flavor, but they have several.)I get them at the grocery store here in California, but I would think a HFS could get them. (www.lundberg.com) Sometimes I like to crisp them up a bit by putting them in the toaster oven or the oven for a just few minutes or in the oven with just the pilot light on might even be enough. They are really worth a try. Donna

Thanks, Donna! Abby is in France now, but she might well appreciate your tip! It's very kind of you to suggest them ~ they're very tasty! :-D

Hi, Heidi, I have a question about zinc. I’ve read that taking zinc too long, causes immune problems. There is zinc (12 mg for 3 capsules) in Phytocal. I’m A+ secretor and can’t tolerate dairy products at all. I’m wondering if I take all 6 capsules a day (with 24 mg zinc) for my daily calcium needs, do I have to take a break from it because of the zinc? If so, what do I use while taking that break?

Also, in the BTD Encyclopedia, it mentions for the menopausal protocols to use for 6 weeks. If it’s an on-going problem, how much do you break for it before resuming it again?

For example, I take a daily generous serving of soy protein (and rice protein) which contains 60 mg. of soy isoflavones per drink a day, besides my regular serving of tofu or soy nuts. How do I know if I’m getting too much or taking it for too long?

From my recent blood test, I found that I was low in protein and very low in cholesterol [115 mg/l]. I am also underweight, and have trouble gaining weight, even though I consume a lot of fat in olive oil and nut butters. This is a result of my pancreas not metabolizing fats well, which my doctor discovered two years ago. My skin complexion is very good, so I must be doing something right.

However, I have a difficult time finding reasonably-priced [and safe] seafood in New Mexico; and I don’t care for chicken or turkey at all. I like salmon, but high quality salmon, eaten every day, would be horribly expensive. I’m already stretching the budget with good quality supplements like probiotics, Ara6 (Larch), Cortiguard, quercetin, bromelain, etc.

Also, I have another question about Vitamin E. If I’m taking 400 I.U. a day, is that too much if I’m also eating nut butters like peanut, tahini, almond, etc., on a daily basis? I’m also eating a boiled egg with my veggies every morning with rice or amaranth cereal, but I share some of the yolk with our two teenage sons.

There is one other discrepancy that I noticed in the LR4YT. On page 177, it mentions that non-secretors have a slightly higher level of intestinal alkaline phosphatase. Then on page 225 is says that Type A non-secretors have extremely low levels of intestinal alkaline phosphatase, which is involved in calcium delivery. I believe that the latter statement is correct, but would like to have that verified. Since A blood type women have a problem with this anyway, what steps can they take to improve their calcium delivery, especially if they can’t have dairy products or find suitable seafood? Reported mercury levels in tuna are enough to scare me away from that option.

Also, I can’t find sardines that aren’t packed in any other container than aluminum. I eat a lot of beneficial veggies a day (5-6 servings, and many of these are larger than the 1 cup standard serving), and have one serving of grain in the morning and one at mid-day and one in the evening, since losing weight is NOT my objective at this point! I’ve also been doing weight-bearing exercises and I’ve been trying to find an digestive enzyme for my ineffective pancreas with no success.

I’ve tried gentian drops but that doesn’t help with metabolizing fats, only with my burping and stomach problems. I’d appreciate so very much if you or any of the readers could help me sort this all out. You may have addressed some of these concerns before, but I didn’t take note of them. This news column has been most helpful to me and I can’t thank you or the contributors of this column enough! Thanks for all the good you do! Susan

Hi, Susan! That's a great post. I see how it can feel pretty complicated and nearly impossible to sort out the troubles you're having, but I think they're actually all centered around one thing.

Let me start by going through your supp questions.

The zinc level you're getting in Phytocal is fine for long-term use. The 400 IU of A is also fine to take daily -- therapeutic dosages for type A are much higher. The Menopause Support protocol can be stopped for a week, then resumed. Potentiate calcium delivery by having a little lemon water with your calcium, and take any C-rich foods, juices or supps with the calcium as well.

There's a little confusion here over pancreatic enzymes. They are for protein digestive support, not fat digestion (bile from the liver is the fat-buster).

Yes, that is a typo on p. 177 of Live Right - nons have *lower* levels of intestinal alkaline phosphatase than their secretor counterparts.

Here are the clues I believe point to that one thing at the root of your troubles.

Daily soy plus soy supplements -- thrice-daily grains -- extra daily fat intake far above recommended type A levels -- no animal protein except occasional salmon and possibly sardines --

Tests show low protein, low cholesterol and low body weight -- (by the way, how do the HDL/LDL levels look?) -- difficulty digesting fats --

PROTEIN. Inadequate protein intake is the cause of the fat digestion problem, the underweight and the too-low cholesterol.

You see, eating extra fat may clog you up a bit, but it won't help you as a type A to gain weight. The same goes for filling up on grains (they're ratcheting you up, but not providing enough protein to maintain healthy body weight with the energy you expend). Soy is a fine food, but should not be used to the exclusion of the other beans; and at any rate, all the vegetable protein you've been eating and supplementing with has not addressed your protein deficiency, nor your difficulty digesting fats.

The primary need you have right now is ANIMAL protein. Go back to the portion/frequency tables in Live Right. Three servings of poultry and three servings of fish are the maximum number in usual situations -- yours is not usual. Those should be your minimum numbers (actually, seven weekly - one daily - is better) for at least two months, or until your protein levels have tested at least normal for at least three months.

Your meals should be small & frequent, with a little of that extra protein in at least three of them. Your digestion will improve if you make sure you're never nervous or upset when you eat -- the tum ain't ready & willing then.

This protein will stimulate your intestinal alkaline phosphatase production, which in turn will increase your calcium absorption as well as boost your fat digestion. It's all in one little package!

I understand the obstacles you face in this situation: fresh wild salmon is expensive, other clean fish is difficult to find, and you don't care for poultry. But -- this is the pivot point -- this is the area which, if you work it to your advantage, will make everything else work, too. Therefore, it's worth all your energy to find -- and figure out tasty ways to prepare -- clean poultry and fish to your liking. I just counted 16 kinds of beneficial fish, most of which are commonly available -- and about twice as many neutrals. Seven kinds of neutral fowl. There are thousands of ways to approach this stumbling block, and the first may be to see those beneficial fish as medicine. think of them that way.

If you would benefit from advice on how to obtain, store, prepare, and cook any or all of these items, I will be happy to help you if you give a little more info on where you are and how you're set up with kitchen equipment. I won't post any details you don't want made public, and I'm sure the many gifted cooks and sourcers who read and respond here will have suggestions as well.

Second to protein, is yoga and meditation. The balanced diet/exercise/stress relief plan for your ABO/rhesus/secretor profile will bring your digestive and endocrine organs back to health so that your weight will normalize. Some patience will be called for here, because weight gain is a slower process than weight loss, and we need that weight to be composed primarily of active tissue mass -- muscle. We want you to be a smooth, slender dolphin of muscle and a wee bit of fat under the skin. That's the goal. ;-)

Finally, as an aid to the fat digestion, and to clear out any lingering problems which may have started due to the previously high daily fat intake: I suggest a series of gallbladder flushes. www.sensiblehealth.com is the prime source for information on this very helpful practice. I'd be glad to answer any questions you might have, as well.

So: adjustments to the diet as noted, daily yoga & meditation, and gallbladder flush (if desired) -- and I promise you will be thrilled with the results! Susan, please keep in touch!! ;-D

Hello Heidi, I need your expert advice on my diet delimma. I am an A+ secretor, 50 YO, whose ND placed on the BTD a few months ago. I have also been on several digestive supplements including digestive enzymes, stomach acid, and acidophilus. I had been running 90+ percent true to the book and website for my blood type diet. I started walking/exercising again and over the few months gained about 4 pounds despite a conscious effort to eat less.

MY ND had me complete a blood allergy test called the Immuno1 Bloodprint, IgG Standard Food Sensitivity Assay to check for food allergies and sensitivities. He was looking for a reason for a continuing high histamine level in my blood and a cause for headaches, fatigue and irregular intestinal function. I had already been through the Primal Defense regimen and gall bladder purge. The test showed sensitivity to rye, barley, pinto beans, mushrooms, wheat, yeast, B/W pepper and eggs plus some others which I already didn't usually eat. It did not show sensitivity to some of the avoid foods that develop antigens for an A+, in particular tomatoes, cow's milk and cheese. My question is this: Since there was no reaction to those food antigens in the IgG ELISA test, are these foods safe for me to eat?

I assume the protein digestive difficulty for an A+ would still apply for the high protein foods such as meat. I really had to discipline myself for the BTD diet since I was a high protein, high fat, processed food junkie. Now, the blood test results have restricted me even farther and I feel the only food choices I have are for foods I don't like and generally avoided previously. However, I am adjusting, grudgingly, to the dietary state of affairs, much better than to the expense of so-called natural foods. Steve H. in Abilene, Tx

Hi there, Steve ! Since your question came in, I've answered a few others on whether VEGA- and/or IGg/ELISA-Ok avoids are OK for us (nope), which columns you've probably already read. :-}

Here's what I believe is happening: you've been on the new diet for only a few months (feels like forever, don't it? ;-)). Those who find they need the longest time to adjust are usually type As -- and it's not uncommon to see your weight go up instead of down at the beginning, so no worries there. The use of the Primal Defense and acidophilus programs has implanted some not-so-beneficial-for-A bacteria, leading to the headaches and sluggishness. In addition, it takes time for that adjustment from an animal-protein and fat-heavy diet to one based on plant proteins and lighter fare.

I am pleased to see you have access to an ND, and I really don't want to poke my neb between the two of you. The awful fact is, though, that the epithet reserved for type O in the Japanese ABO description fits me uncomfortably well: "CAN'T SHUT UP." so let me maunder on, and please extract the core points to discuss with him.

If you'd like to see if eliminating the ELISA avoids makes a difference, do the following: ditch the rye, barley and wheat -- spelt, kamut and rice all make great breads (and crackers, and (rice) cakes, and pizza crust, and wraps) and will do anything those others can do. Ask which types of mushrooms came up troublesome, and use the other Ns & Bs in the food lists. Black & white pepper are avoids anyway, sliced & tamari'ed tempeh can do for eggs in the morning for the time being, and unless "yeast" means "nutritional yeast," I'd start taking some.

To lower histamines, three things: yoga and/or meditation daily -- PolyFlora A daily -- and quercetin daily. The deep stress relief practice will both improve your digestive environment AND adjust your endocrine system to help the weight disappear effortlessly. That's why it's the best fat loss strategy for As.

Steve, you must be cursing me out right now. :-) Not only am I bloating your budget with yet more hippie-dippy 'alternative'foods, but I'm insisting you sit on the floor in a leotard and chant like a swami. Welllll..... honest, not really! I've meditated on buses, planes, trains, park benches and the subway, and all people see or hear is a woman sitting with her eyes closed. And the teeny little extras are just very common (and not spendy) items at any health food store... and only to replace items you won't buy, along with just two VERY important supps....

I still feel kind of bad about it, though! Listen: as a former meat, fat and junk-food junky, you have done spectacular - SPECTACULAR - work so far, and I SALUTE YOU! I absolutely know that if you do those three little things, and keep getting settled into the A diet's foods & portion/frequency guidelines, you will see magnificent results. And let me know if I can help in any way, OK? I can even be brief if pressed to do so. :-D thanks for writing, and keep it up!

Heidi, thank you so much for your thorough address to the "adrenaline-craving O" question. I thought I'd give a note of hope to anyone who has had hair loss. I had very thick hair, then lost quite a bit 5 or 6 years ago. I just realized that, since I've been following the O diet, and particularly since I added the "nonnie" refinements, I not only stopped losing hair, but I seem to have grown some back. My hair could once again be considered quite thick! The hair doesn't come out in my brush, either. Wow! Cyndi

Congratulations, my dear! Those little benefits often pass unnoticed, and it's a happy thing when I hear someone's enjoying them. Thanks for that note!! :-D

Hi Heidi, this is my first message and I'm astounded by the quality of information and level of support you provide here - it's invaluable to us all! On immune complexes: I'm a male O-nonnie and am intrigued to read that 'non-secretors have genetically-induced difficulties removing immune complexes from their tissues ... and are more prone to generalized inflammation than secretors". Whenever I have infections (for example in the eye) I tend to get over the major problem pretty quickly (largely due to the BTD!) but it tends to linger slightly inflamed for a long time before it's fully healed - is this what removing of immune complexes is all about? What can I do to expedite purging of the complexes? Thanks so much. -- Peter

Yep, you're a quick one, Peter! you got it in one.

The best approach I've found for helping immune complexes on their way is (a) exercise, (b) quercetin and (c) water. The exercise increases blood flow, the quercetin puts out the fire and the water cleans up the residue -- which closes the circle with (a), since the organs of elimination are worked out through exercise as well. Neat question, thanks! :-D

Beer is listed as an Avoid for folks with a blood type A. If this test was done on a lager like Budweiser, could the result be different if the test was done with an ale or microbrew? I brew beer from barley, hops and brewers yeast, all of which are listed as "beneficial". Because of the brewer's yeast, microbrew is high in B vitamins, particularly B-12. I am a blood type A who has been brewing, and drinking microbrew, for 15 years with no ill effects. Burt

Hello, Burt! I wish I could say microbrews or some specific kind of ale, lager (Pilsner, preferably -- what I wouldn't give for a Plsner Urquell right now! ;-)) were OK for the avoid-beer folks. It appears that brewed grains foster complement in the intestinal tract of As (not a good thing) and we can't seem to get round that fact. Nor can *I* figure out exactly *how* it happens -- what the exact mechanism is. Brew-lovers have been stirring away on this question for some time now, and all we have to show for it at the moment is: we just dunno.

In the absence of a technical answer, I do have a practical suggestion: If I were you, I'd get my secretor status tested. Type A nonsecretors are OK WITH BEER. Bless their hearts. >:-E grrr.... You may be one of them. ;-> worth a look-see, don't ya think? :-D

Hi Heidi I have a question about polyflora. The bottle says to take 2 capsules twice daily, but the online store says 1 or 2 capsules daily. Also, is polyflora something that you take indefinitely? I have been on the diet for 10 months and am generally healthy. However, I am still taking prescriptions for allergies and asthma. I've tried twice to stop taking them and the congestion and coughing come back. I was hoping that eating right would 'cure' these things, but is there something else I could take or do that would help? I love the diet and would never trade the way I look and feel now with foods I gave up eating. I'm a little nervous about an upcoming trip to visit family for a week. How will I be able to eat? I have no problem not eating avoids, but I'm worried about how I'll get enough of beneficial foods. I'm sure I'll survive, and I tell myself that I don't want the diet to keep me from visiting family, but - Has anyone else been in this situation? Thanks, Heidi mfn

Hello, mfn ~ Yes, either one or two capsules is fine. Even down to one daily, since you've had SUCH great weight loss and your health is so good. Use your judgment as to times when you feel you could benefit from a higher or lower dose. Illness, a few troublesome food items or extra stress call for two caps, twice per day. ;-)

Have you been taking quercetin? That, exercise and steady pure water intake should clear up the allergies for once & all. Try taking two 500mg caps each day, and see how you go. It takes anywhere from a few days to three weeks to see the results, but I'm sure you'll succeed. Keep me posted on this!

Well, I'm writing this so long after the fact that you're probably back from your trip to see the family. How'd you fare? I usually pack snackables like dried meat/fish/fruit, nuts & seeds -- and shop there locally for a few items to slip into the cooking schedule or as part of the planned meals -- vegetables, salad stuff, fowl, fish, whatever is on my list that the group likes as well (preferably ABO-OK, since I get nervous that I'll poison someone). Rice cakes and nut butters are another thing folks like to tote along for trips. I'd be tempted to bring along some fresh mini-flatbreads (kamut) if no Bs or ABs were in attendance, just so my A guy could have his favorite tiny sandwiches and "pizzettes." Manna bread is another thing most people like, and it's OK for everyone.

And we pack Deflect, because the odd rascally avoid Will slip in there. You're absolutely right, you will survive (or perhaps DID SURVIVE) just fine! Write in with a report when you have a chance -- I'd love to hear it! :-)

Hi Heidi Thanks for replying to my query on my friend's prostate problem. He was informed by the doctor that his bladder could not empty completely thus he would have the urgency to pee. The next alternative he mentioned was to have an operation which my friend was not keen on. As mentioned, it was difficult to come by nettle root. However, there is this product called Swissoats A111 which have the following ingredients : Green Oats Extract (avena sativa), Stinging Nettle (urtica dioca) and Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae Rhamnoides). Would this product be good for him to take (he is Blood Type A+)? It is patented under US Patent No. 4,886,665 and manufactured by Arcopharma S.A. Geneva Switzerland with a website www.swissoats.com. Also you have mentionmed Qucertin, can he take Qucertin with Vitamin C packaged together. I am so sorry to take up your time but hope you can assist. Thanks a lot. Shirley



Hello, Shirley! Quercetin plus C is fine, although I would prefer two separate products: a high-quality vitamin C such as acerola cherry powder, and any old quercetin. The product you asked about does not contain any known avoids for type A. However, I still am wondering if he is following the diet? Taking pills and potions may soothe things for now, but will not prevent the problem from recurring unless he eliminates the dietary cause. Best wishes to you both, Shirley! :-D

I am an O and have been on the diet for about a year. I have athlete's foot, candida and am prone to infections. None of these conditions bother me unless I eat fruit. One fruit a day is enough to set off these conditions. I went for 10 years without eating fruit and was fine. I would like to eat fruit because without it the diet is bland. Can you help? Lyn



Hey there, Lyn! First thing I'd do is get a saliva test for secretor status. Persistent and systemic fungal infections are far more common among nonsecretors -- and there is a specific diet and protocols to get rid of those problems and boost you back to good health -- including getting the benefits of fruit! Is it possible the fruit you're eating is at all moldy / or has traces of pesticides or other poisons? Fruit sugar is not the cause of candidiasis, but it can illuminate the problem if it is constantly there in the background for you.



Please tell me more about the O diet you've been following -- is it the one in Eat Right 4 Your Type? Do you use the updates posted on this site -- or the portion/frequency tables in the pocket guides or Live Right? and do you take any antifungals or other prescription medication -- any topical medications for the athlete's foot, etc.? Give me a little more detail, and I'm sure we can figure out how to eradicate the system-wide conditions which aren't a good thing to leave hanging around. Warm wishes, and please write again! :-D

First, another holistic dentist in the LA area: Dr. James E Rota, 310 208 4297, in Westwood. He can also refer to a dentist who specializes in oral surgery.



Next, Heidi, you asked me what my son's doctor had to say about his gruesome situation (shifting pains, nausea, numbness, etc). He had been to MANY docs and had every test known, but with no diagnosis and lots of alarming speculation. Now he has gone to a down-to earth GP who looked over the whole scene and said it looked like Celiac. He said to quit wheat and gluten altogether for a month and see what occurred. That would be simple and easy to treat! All those good vegies and supps I was pushing wouldn't have gotten through if he had Celiac, because the little villi in the intestine get eaten away!



I will search your files for anything about celiac, and meanwhile will suggest he follow the A diet. Any other thoughts on recovering from this, or making it better? I am doing general internet searches as well. I am so interested to see if this is what has been going on all this time! Cyndi



Cyndi, I hope this diagnosis will be the one to put him on the path to healing! Don't worry about those veggies being wasted -- they're needed to provide the right kind of environment to clear his system of toxins and old waste. The vegetable fiber and the water in the veg & veg juices do an essential job, and not all the vitamins and minerals are lost. Type As NEED those veggies! ;-)



Now you can use the suggestions in the earlier column with the addition of eliminating all gluten from his diet. It is trickier than it sounds. Gluten hides all over the place in commercial products, so the safest way to proceed is (1) have good references at hand to check products against; and (2) prepare all foods & beverages from scratch at home.



To get you started, here's a favorite celiac resource page:



Don's Gluten-Free Links



I wish you two all the success in the world!! And thanks very much for the dentist suggestion for Nina! :-D

Hi Heidi! A quick question...I am considering liposuction of the breast area when I reach my goal weight (only 7 more pounds to go!). In the past, dentists and doctors have asked me if I was on some kind of blood thinner or aspirin regime (and I never was) because I would bleed extra. I guess I have thin blood, and being an "O", this is normal, right? Anyway, I wanted to know what I should do to help my thin blood issue before scheduling my procedure to ensure everything goes well. My doctor is reputable so no problem on that end. Thanks for your input, as always, Heidi. Oh, as a note, my husband has curbed his dairy intake thanks to your answer on the subject, and I am now working on his love of coffee. Have you heard of the coffee substitute called teeccino? Are they okay for "O's? My best to you as always, Pennie



Hi, Pennie -- yes, the O tendency is toward free bleeding. The diet is designed to normalize that issue, though -- plenty of vitamin K in the romaine lettuce and the dark leafy greens. For surgery preparation and recovery protocols, see the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia -- the detailed information is there.



For teeccino, there are several flavors: just check the ingredients against the O list. That brand, like most coffee substitutes, is loaded with roasted BARLEY (avoid for Os). thanks to sharp-eyed Sarah for this correction! ;-> The only commercial coffee sub I know of that contains no barley is Raja's Cup -- a blend of three Ayurvedic herbs with a bit of licorice. I've also heard tell that roasted dandelion root makes a very decent coffee-like infusion. Hope this helps -- and I'm very pleased he's weaning off the dairy! take care ~~ :-D

Hello, My name is Luis and I am very interested about all this stuff about blood types,it really facinates me. My question is can you send me a catalog about diets and foods I could eat. My blood type os O. Please reaply as soon as possible. Thanks! Luis



Hey there, Luis! Well, I'm pleased to welcome you here! There are several books available on the blood type diets -- which one you choose depends on how much detailed information you want about the background, history, research, and special information underlying these plans. They're all available in bookstores both offline and online, and in our Bookstore here. Just click on each title for a description.



Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you'll be back with your thoughts on the books & the diets! :-D

Hi Heidi! Thanks for the great information your column provides. I read it daily! I have been following the diet (about 85% compliant) for over a year. I am an O+ Secretor who formally followed the Atkins diet for four years with great results as far as my weight-loss.



I was contacted by my physician this morning to come in for additional tests as soon as possible as my PAP came back showing abnormal cells. I am 45, in good health, about 25 pounds overweight, but following a good exercise program that includes free weights and walking 20-30 minutes daily on my treadmill. I am gathering the recommended supplements to follow the cancer protocol listed in the Encyclopedia but was wondering if you could give me any other advice. I don't know what the verdict will be until after the tests, but I would like to try alternative measures to combat any cancerous or precancerous conditions.



Are the colon, liver, kidney and pancreas cleanses mentioned on the site "Cleaning House" (http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/detox/detox.htm) safe for O blood types? For example, one of the cleanses contains the ingredient aloe which is an avoid for us Os. I certainly don't want to cause my immune system any more problems. Also, I have been using progesterone cream for the past 2 years and wonder if it has caused any problems. I have been told it helps prevent cancer since it helps level out hormone levels. Thanks for your help! Juli Ann



Hi, Juli Ann ~~ First of all, PAP smears are notorious for both false negatives and false positives, so I'd like to hear what your doctor suggested after reviewing the tests and discussing the issues. Try to see this situation as a blessing, and an opportunity to clear out all areas of your life which you'd like to change. Trust in your own energies and your ability to use this horrible-seeming news to your advantage. And take the time you need to decide what you want to do. It's highly unlikely that the Progesterone cream has anything to do with the cervical cell anomalies (again, that's IF any anomalies do exist).



I would indeed consider the gallbladder flush -- the one described on www.sensiblehealth.com is the version I'd use -- with grapefruit juice for the olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon in the Epsom salts -- and the colon formula #2 on the page you cited - but not the #1 formula. Instead of the #1 mix, if you have even an inkling of any constipation issues, start eating plenty of raw vegetables -- at least twice per day -- as well as fruit, and get hold of a juicer if you don't have one. The book Juicing for Life (Calbom & Keane) contains a treasury of excellent juicing recipes. A good one to start with is 4 carrots (greens removed), 1 small beet, 1/2 Granny Smith apple (seeded), a half-inch chunk of ginger root (about 1-1/2 tablespoons, approximately), and a handful of parsley. It will turn your stool a very alarming red color! :-D that's just the beet juice! ;-> but the important thing is that it WILL gently but thoroughly clear you out. Help the process through keeping up your regular exercise, and drinking 1/2 ounce of water for each pound you weigh == with a squeeze of lemon for every quart. :-)



When your bowel movements are firm, frequent & thorough, that's the time to use the colon formula #2.



Then, the herbal bolus with the lemon or lime rinse to follow.



None of these food/herb applications will harm you, and they can do a great deal of good even if your tests turn out to have shown false positives!



Last, and important: Think about arranging a phone consultation with Doc Bron after you've had a chance to discuss the tests with your doctor. Call the D'Adamo clinic and get some superb medical advice! BEST WISHES, Juli Ann!! Keep me posted! :-D

This Just In --



A note for Juli Ann regarding abnormal pap smears: I totally agree with Heidi....don't panic! I actually had cervical dysplasia when I was around 26 years old, and had some kind of office procedure that froze off the bad cells. No problem after that until around 3 years ago at age 48. I had another iffy pap smear, and my gynecologist had me repeat the test - I think 2 times even. Both were also iffy, but my doctor thought was just stress. My mother was dying, we were getting ready to move to France, my parrot was driving me nuts, and I was getting all my mercury amalgams replaced... My doctor had me take very high doses of natural Folic acid (she can get it at Santa Monica Homeopathic Pharmacy), and made me promise to get another pap in 3 months. Well, for a variety of (stupid) reasons, I did not get another one til 3 months ago.....and it was FINE! I think Juli Ann is in the LA area, and if she would consider changing gynecologists, I highly recommend Dr. Uzzi Reiss in Beverly Hills. Could not find a better doctor - especially since she is likely to be in perimenopause. I could not have gone through the past few years without him. I still consult with him from France. And, he even believes in the ABO type diet!!! Best of luck, Abby



THANK YOU, ABBY!! You're a champ! MOST appreciated, dear!! :-D

Hi, Heidi! I was wondering if you could help me identify the cause of some symptoms i've been having recently (not *too* long, but enough to be of significance). Firstly, i've noticed that i've been getting really sleepy at certain times of the day. It may be that i'm usually in the same place during those times, but i can't say for certain. However, it seems to occur generally about two hours after i finish a meal. The size and composition of the meal seems to make no difference. Secondly, i've been waking in the middle of the night every day to urinate. Again, this is another interesting timing issue, as i seem to awaken between four and five hours after i fall asleep. I am fairly certain that i'm not sleep deprived as i've been going to be earlier and consequently awaking earlier, but i'm quite concerned that i'm not obtaining enough, if any, deep sleep (i wouldn't say it's been the most restful). On a similar note, i occasionally feel that i'm urinating more frequently but can't conclusively state the notion. Does this sound like anything to you, and what do you think i should do to alleviate the symptoms? Many gracious thanks, matt.

Sounds to me like you're getting healthier by the minute, Matt! :-)

Your body is reasserting its own rhythms. Four or five hours sleep at a time is actually ideal -- far better than sixteen hours awake and then eight or nine hours of sleep at a clap, for a multitude of reasons. Briefly, those reasons comprise muscle tone, toxin elimination, neurological balance and mental performance.

Try this for the coming week: If you wake after the four or five hours, spend at least half an hour UP. Have some water, go outside if possible, read a bit, have a tiny snack. The following day, take a nap at the earliest possible opportunity during the day (could be late afternoon if you work a day schedule) and continue this way -- I think you'll find you're more alert during the day and sleep more soundly. The actual hours spent sleeping may decrease as well. You should feel less 'woozy' as you settle into the new schedule.

Ideally, we'd all have a broken sleep schedule with no more than six hours in sleep at one time, with a brief nap or two in the daylight hours. This little measure alone can resolve mental and physical illnesses to an unforeseen extent.

Try it and see if it helps, Matt! I think it will, and I look forward to your results! :-)

Dear Heidi, My husband is A+ but is being treated for inherited hyper-acidosis with the drug Aciphex, so he does not have the low acid stomach normally associated with A's. He has always been a big meat eater and is having a problem adjusting to the vegetarian A diet. I've been weaning him down to chicken and turkey and some seafood, but he wants to know if his acid stomach can handle some other meats as well. Thanks, Anne

Hello, Anne! HCL in the stomach is only one of many factors which determine which animal proteins are OK for type A. With variations for secretor status, A subtype, Rhesus and MN type, most As do beautifully on no red meat at all, and with a preponderance of vegetable proteins with some fish in the diet.

In fact, the type As who are heavy meat eaters usually do find themselves at the doctor's getting a prescription for acid reflux, hyperacidosis and other gastric problem of varying kinds. The actual cause is LOW stomach acid and eating a heavy meat diet! Surprising, isn't it! Counter-intuitive, but true. The A digestive tract rebels at constant high meat intake, and the result is very often a constant burning feeling as the food sits and stews -- which is rather ineptly termed "acid stomach." It's a precursor to more serious complaints, which I'm glad your husband has been spared by his new diet!

I know how difficult it is to give up favorite foods -- but he will greatly benefit from the changes the A diet offers.

I'm curious about this: could you tell me more about the tests the doctor ran, and how s/he established a genetic stomach-acid condition profile for your husband? I'd very much appreciate learning more about this particular situation. Thanks so much, dear! :-)

Hi, Heidi! Sarah in PA here (A+ secretor). This has turned from a quick question into a rambling sort-of-update on a few topics. I apologize for the disorganization, but I don't have the brain-power to tidy it up!

Anyway, I FINALLY remembered to take my basal temperature this morning (at about 11:00--it was a late but fun night). I used an electronic "infants' thermometer" which I expect would have to be rated for axillary use, although I couldn't find the literature to double check that. I took several readings on both sides and found that my left armpit was almost 1 full degree warmer than my right armpit! Does this mean I did something wrong? Anyway, the average of all the temperatures was about 94.8F!!!! No, I didn't transpose the digits! Now that I think about it, I remember trying to use an old-fashioned mercury thermometer to check my basal temperature several years ago, and I thought I must be doing something completely wrong because I couldn't get the mercury to move AT ALL! I guess this explains why!

So, protein and B vitamins, huh? I like KAL nutritional yeast, too, but there are two varieties available at my Whole Foods--"vegetarian support formula" (fortified) and "imported" (unfortified) yeast. Which one are you referring to? Either one works for me, though I have to split the "dose" of the fortified yeast to avoid a niacin flush.

And can you recommend some high-protein snacks? I've been eating extra servings of peanuts every day, but I'd like more variety in my diet. Please keep in mind that I'm still nursing my 11-month-old baby and so can't have much dairy. (And now I seem to be intolerant, too! I had some goat's milk a few weeks ago and got a faceful of REALLY PAINFUL acne as a result. Even 1/2 cup of sheep's yogurt twice a week seems to perpetuate the acne problem, although it doesn't aggravate the baby's eczema.)

I'm also avoiding wheat/semolina/spelt because I think it acted synergistically with dairy to exacerbate the baby's eczema. (And now I notice that I can tell if the fish I ate at X restaurant was dusted with flour before they cooked it because the next day a patch of skin on my arms or legs will ITCH terribly for a while until I moisturize it. Is that weird or what?)

Oh, another thing I just noticed (I've been pretty dense) is that my nose runs like a faucet after I eat oatmeal. I guess I must be sensitive to all gluten, not just wheat. Do I have to avoid oats now, too? But it's not fair! I tried oatmeal for the first time in my life only because oats are highly beneficial, and I discovered that I adore it!

I can't afford to be eliminating all this food--I'm starving again! I had been doing OK in the hypoglycemia department until I visited my parents for a week, and then my appetite disappeared. Not because of them; I think it was a sort of psychological reversion to childhood habits, and I never ate much when I lived at home. But now I have to start over again dealing with nutritional deficits.

I haven't had any energy for weeks now and my blood sugar has been dropping and I'm SOOO depressed and can't make myself exercise, plus the baby is nursing less now and so my hormones are revving up again and my mood goes haywire because of them, too. Help! Sorry I started whining there; I need to eat something now. Thanks for all your help and ideas and your upbeat attitude--it really helps! --Sarah in PA

Hey there, Sarah! Don't worry, sweetie, you're doing a grand job with the babe & all, and really all you need to do to make life more pleasant for yourself is to take a few minutes for a relaxation exercise twice per day. More on that below. Your left armpit temperature can be warmer than the right because of your sleep position -- and very likely it will measure warmer because it's nearer the heart.

I use the fortified KAL, but either is great. High-protein snacks? How about making up a batch of hummus?

Time to prepare: 10 mins!
Ingredients
1 can black-eyed peas, black beans, aduki, whatever's beneficial -- it works with ANY cooked bean
2/3 cup tahini
2/3 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon (or 1 1/2 limes)
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt

Put the lemon, olive oil, garlic & sea salt into the food processor and whiz to let the salt start dissolving. Add tahini, whiz it - then the beans, and whizz until smooth.

If it's too dry, add a little more oil and lemon juice. Served sprinkled with paprika and chopped cilantro leaves & a wee squeeze of lemon. Rice crackers (Edwards & Son! the plain brown rice variety) or sliced raw veg for scooping it up. And feel free to adjust the ingredients -- for instance, it can take a load of garlic (10 cloves is tasty, to give you an idea), but I've posted just the mild basic recipe.

I know you are VERY organized with your portions & frequencies, so this is just a suggestion for a quick thing that can sit in the fridge for a few days, and you can snack whenever you like. It contains quite a helping of beneficial fats, which in this case I believe will help your energy and skin.

Remember to keep up with the warm lemon water in the morning, and the quercetin. Are you still taking the Cortiguard? How's that working now?

You never ate much when you lived at home? that got my attention! It sounds like an area you may want to work with. Explore what it meant to you -- for instance, how not eating much was a good idea. How it feels. What it provided for you when you were a child. I'm suggesting it because there are belief patterns connected with that childhood experience which are still operating in you now.

Oatmeal and all the other beneficials will become your friends again -- as soon as your stored stress levels are brought down. This is the "background noise" behind all the other troubles, including the discomfort from the hormonal changes.

For five minutes after the temperature check in the morning and five minutes before you lie down to sleep at night, sit up comfortably in bed or in an easy chair, and do the alternate-nostril breathing exercise with eyes closed. If you feel like going back to sleep after the morning session, that's a good sign - do it! ;-)

I suggest a couple of pillows propped in your lap to support your elbow while doing it. Take a deep, easy breath, and let it out. Take another; block your right nostril with your thumb; exhale; inhale. Block the left nostril with your middle and ring finger; exhale; inhale. Five minutes.

That's your assignment for the week! :-D Report back!! ~~:-D

Dear Heidi First of all still loving my fish eating, I even had my first sashimi and fully enjoyed the experience - by the way can AB's have Fluke? I know I can't have Yellowtail so in a sashimi platter i am left with Mackarell, Salmon and Tuna right?

Now my question - Ever since I started having the daily nutritional yeast (LEWIS LABS, couldn’t find the KAL), both my boyfriend (A+) and I have been having very bad gas!!!! I googled around on nutritional yeast and found a bunch of information advising that if you experience gas from the yeast discontinue taking it as it may be an indication of having candida overgrowth, in which case yeast in any form (including nutritional and brewers) should be avoided. Now from what I recall in one of your previous columns is that on the contrary nutritional yeast works in helping to eliminate candida? Could the gas just be a sign of detox? Thanks. Martynka (AB+)

Martynka, you've put a smile on my face! Nothing like having a whole new food group to explore as an adult -- and finding out you love it! :-D thanks for giving us that vicarious experience!! :-)

Flukes fall into either the flounder group or the sole group, so I'd say it's a no-go for you. However, a glance down the AB fish list shows a bunch of common sushi OKs & Beneficials: squid, mackerel, red snapper, tuna, salmon, salmon roe, scallop -- and sushi restaurants often have additional varieties such as tuna belly (toro), spanish mackerel (saba), etc. which are also fine for you. Flying fish roe is another one to try -- one of my favorites! ;-)

When you've finished the Lewis Labs batch of nutritional yeast, try finding the KAL again. They had a month or so of no deliveries, so you may have been shopping for it when it was generally out of stock. Go to the nearest Vitamin Shoppe, they'll have it -- it's a regular item even in their smallest stores. Nutritional yeast does not feed candida, according to every trustworthy source I've read, and according to individual reports of clearing up candida while taking it.

The gas can be a good sign that your population is reorganizing, but it shouldn't persist more than two weeks. Once you've got hold of the KAL brand, run a comparison against the Lewis Labs label. Might be something that doesn't agree... do keep me posted!! :-D

Hello! Thank you for answering my blood-spotted egg question a few days ago. I know you are the food questions person, but I am not sure where to direct this question/problem: Today, I have been trying to research several medical topics on this site. I have been referred repeatedly to this site address: www.dadamo.com/ask/IndexADD2.htm Whenever I click on the topics that are further down on the list all I get is a blank page with a notice that Dr. D'Adamo is not accepting any questions at this time and to please ask Dr. Bron. Do I have a computer problem? are the topic links old and have been removed/no longer available? is there perhaps a site problem that until now no one knew about? LM

Hi, LM -- That's an old search form. You're then clicking on Ask Dr. D. questions whose URLs have been changed. For those, try going to Ask Dr. D. and searching direct from that page.

Oh, and a quick suggestion - you might want to use a first name, or at least three initials, so that you can use the search form on this column to find your question later. :-) best wishes!!

Hi Heidi, I am a new BTD user (Type A positive). I don't know my secretor status but would like to find out. How can I do that and what does it mean?

I have been on the "diet" for about 5 weeks now and I must say, I feel better than I have in a long, long time. Before I started the diet I was having terrible pain and stiffness in my right knee. I went to the Dr. and was told I have some kind of displacement of the knee. I guess my knee is not completely in the socket. Well, it didn't help that I was carrying 278 pounds on my 5'7" frame. Since I have been adhereing to the diet for the last 5 weeks, my knee is almost 100% better. I can walk without "favoring" my right leg and I can stand up from a sitting position with little to no pain.

I am still wrestling with what to eat on a day-to-day basis though. I mean, I eat alot of salad and grilled or baked chicken. I have switched from whole wheat bread to Ezekiel bread with soy butter. I am eating salmon and red snapper more frequently and lots of broccoli. My question is, is it ok for me to have like, 2 scrambled eggs, toast and green tea for breakfast? I'm not sure if I should cut eggs out of my diet completely or not. I don't normally eat breakfast but my Dr. said breakfast is the best way to kickstart your metabolism in the morning so I have been forcing myself to eat it. He has also suggested 10 drops of vitamin K oil daily. I complained of being sensitive to being poked or my arms or legs being squeezed. It's like I have no muscle so the slightest touch is very painful. He said it sounds like fibromyalgia. I am taking one packet of Repleniss everyday as well. I can feel my body changing and taking on a new shape and it is so exciting. I am down to 266 pounds right now while averaging a 5 pound weight loss per week. My goal weight is 170 pounds and I hope to hit that by October or so.

Right now I am just walking more than usual but I haven't really started an exercise regime. Do you have any suggestions for that?? I noticed you told another type A to do Yoga in the morning so I will scout the bookstores and see if I can find a book to follow along with. One more thing, my sex drive has decreased significantly since I gained weight and I don't know what to do to get it back. Will the weight loss give me a much needed boost in that area or is there a supplement I should be taking. My husband will thank you forever for any advice you can give in that area.(smile)

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer all of our questions and concerns. What would we do without you?????? 266 and counting.......... sandi

Greetings, Sandi! Hey, I'm very happy to hear your progress!! You're doing a beautiful job, just keep sailing along!

On the FAQ page that you went through in order to ask a question here, look near the top. The secretor/nonsecretor information is linked there, and also in the Knowledge Base linked to the right of this page.

It's fine to have eggs & toast in the morning, although I'd suggest using the portion/frequency table for all foods, either from Live Right 4 Your Type or the Type A Food, Beverage and Supplement Lists "little book." Your doctor's absolutely right about having breakfast, and it makes a big difference in weight loss. Another option would be peanut or almond butter on the toast, or a tofu scramble with onion & chives, or any number of different foods -- anything that strikes your fancy. We usually suggest that people desiring weight loss eat their largest meal in the morning, or at least soon after they have a little something of some kind. The largest amount of food taken in should fall in the first part of the day. Then, have a medium-sized lunch, and eat more lightly in the late afternoon and evening.

There are a couple free online guides for exercise I'd like to mention: the first is Marianne Cirone's Yoga for Health and Fitness, and the second is the 5BX (5 Basic Exercise) site. You might do one in the morning and the other in the evening -- they're great complements to each other. There are several beginner's technique pages on the yoga site, and the 5BX takes only a few minutes to do & requires nothing more than space to lie down in. great stuff!

Oh, and good news for your hubby! ;-) Barring other factors, your sex drive will return naturally over time. On a personal note, your feelings will change as *your* pleasure with your own body increases. Hormonally, as your body senses it is healthy enough to support a pregnancy, the urges will creep back in. Funny how that works! ;-) In the meantime, though, look into taking maca root powder -- it's a mineral-rich food that has great enlivening effects. One tablespoon once or twice daily -- www.pennherb.com is a dependable source, and you may find others locally.

Best wishes, Sandi ~ it was a pleasure to hear from you! keep writing!!

:-D

Re Cindi's foot problems. My reaction was why doesn't she try Healix or at least contact them. Conrad

Hey there, Conrad ~~ I'm pretty sure Cindi's aware of Heallix, and that's a good idea. My suggestions were prompted by the belief that she's on kind of a tight budget at the moment, and wanted instant relief. Since Epsom salts & vinegar are a couple of inexpensive things she could find right away at any grocery store, I figured that would be the place to start.

thanks for your note, though -- I'm glad Heallix is getting better known & loved! :-)

Thank you SO MUCH for the recommendations, friends!! I'm sure Nina appreciates your help!! :-D

Greetings...Just a quick question about how to define a couple dairy products. Is cottage or ricotta cheese considered cheese, or would it be similar to yogurt? As an AB nonnie [of European decent] I get to have 0-4 servings of milk or yogurt, and 0-1 of cheese. Since I have been reduced to 4-6 servings of grains a week, I am trying to find non-grain ways of creating meals, especially breakfast, and cultured dairy is a nice addition. I don't use non-cultured cow's milk anymore, so I guess I'm asking if it would be advisible for me to swap the proportions of some categories around? I am doing well on with using Beneficials in my diet and am getting good results [had a cramp-free first day of my period for the first time in years], and am now trying to become compliant with frequency of consumption. Your input is appreciated...Thanks! Sarah

Hello, Sarah! Wow, I'm so pleased you've seen results right away from the AB nonnie changes! LOVELY!! Good work!!

Yes, both cottage cheese and ricotta are considered cheeses -- the making of ricotta is a bit more involved, but they're both still fresh, soft, light cheeses. I think you could swap them in once or twice a week instead of the milk/yogurt servings without doing harm -- they're closer to plain milk than, say, Jarlsberg, Gouda or cheddar -- see how you do with that.

Other suggestions -- warm lentil soup with greens, or miso soup with additions as you please, makes a marvelous breakfast. Plain turkey stock with nutritional yeast and a few beneficial spices is great in the morning. Eggs poached in a bit of leftover turkey soup or lamb stew?

Or the Scottish dish "kale kenny," which is chopped potatoes, turnips and kale, cooked in broth until the liquid is gone and the vegetables are cooked. It can be molded in ramekins or muffin tins and set aside for reheating. A little poached egg on top for breakfast? tasty!!

You're the only type for whom eggs are Beneficial, which is kind of a neat thing ~ eat 'em! A one-egg omelette, filled with a little onion and cabbage stir-fried in ghee with a few pinches of whole cumin or fennel seed & salt. Simple and excellent "curry." An omelette is license to cook just about anything -- how about a few tablespoons of ricotta and some fresh-grated nutmeg as filling? ;-)

Thanks so much for keeping in touch here, Sarah ~ I hope these ideas help, dear!! and once again, congratulations on your successes!!