G'day from the land down under. I am a newbie to the BTD and have scoured your archives with great interest.

I have worked within a naturopathic clinic for the past 2 years and in that time have slowly eliminated all chemicals from my life. In particular a nasty one called Sodium Laureth Sulfate (which is a foaming agent in nearly every product made).

I finally found a natural (and pleasant tasting) alternative to toothpaste, as well as an all natural facial cleansing, moisturing and suncare range - however, these are all based on ALOE VERA. You can imagine my dismay at discovering that Aloe Vera is an AVOID for blood type O.

If these are applied topically (and orally for the toothpaste) will the lectins still absorb into my body and have the same negative affect as if ingesting them as a food? If so, any suggestions for alternatives would be wonderful - also any help from fellow Auzzies would be greatly appreciated. Thanks heaps... Rebecca (SA)

Greetings, Rebecca ~ and a very warm welcome to you!

I'm very happy to report that avoids are fine to apply topically -- that status is given based on digestive reactions, not skin reactions. As long as the product doesn't raise a rash or produce any kind of problem for your skin (or mouth), it's fine to use as a moisturizer or toothpaste as the case may be.

Thank you for writing, and please stop by again!! :-D

Dear Heidi, How are you? My blood type/rh factor is "A" Positive" A1/A2 type is "A1", MN type is "MN", and Secretor status is "Secretor" per saliva sample and "DOUBLE LEWIS NEGATIVE" per blood draw.

In reference to Bianca's E-Mail of 13 Aug 2003, Bianca had mentioned that her daughter, (who is also a "Secretor" along with being "DOUBLE LEWIS NEGATIVE"}, has a tendency to lean more towards the "non-secretor" section for type "A", vs. the "secretor" section. HEIDI, I CAN RELATE TO THIS. THE "SECRETOR" SECTION IS MORE RESTRICTIVE, THEREFORE, REQUIRING EXTRA EFFORT IN EXCERCISING EXTRA WILLPOWER. In fact, when Dr. D'Adamo's office had told me to use the "secretor" section, it truly knocked out even more of my favorite foods.

TRUTHFULLY, IT IS WELL WORTH THE EFFORT AS FAR AS MAINTAINING YOUR HEALTH AND FEELING BETTER IS CONCERNED. BIANCA'S DAUGHTER CAN DO IT! SHE CAN ACTUALLY BE AN EXAMPLE TO HER OWN PEER GROUP!

In Dr. D'Adamo's updates, "WHEAT (WHOLE WHEAT PRODUCTS}"has gone from "neutral" to "avoid". In reference to original printing of LR4YT, this is where I HAD TO MAKE A LOT OF ADJUSTMENTS IN MY TASTE BUDS: Harvest fish is "beneficial" for type "A" non-secretors, but "avoid" for type "A" secretors". The remaining 53 items (in alphabetical order) are "neutral" for type "A" non-secretors but are "avoid" for type "A" secretors: 1)Anchovy, 2)Banana, 3)Bass(Bluegill), 4)Beer, 5)Beluga, 6)Bluefish, 7)Caviar, 8)Chili Pepper, 9)Chili Powder, 10)Club Soda, 11)Coconut/Coconut Milk, 12)Cottage Cheese, 13)Duck, 14)Eggplant, 15)Flounder, 16)Frog, 17)Goat, 18)Goose, 19)Gray Sole, 20)Grouper, 21)Haddock, 22)Hake, 23)Halibut, 24)Herring/Kippers(Fresh), 25}Kidney Beans, 26)Lamb, 27)Mango/Mango Juice, 28)Mushroom(Shitake), 29)Mussels, 30)Mutton, 31)Navy Beans, 32)Octopus, 33)Opaleye Fish, 34)Partridge, 35) Peanut Oil, 36) Pepper/Cayenne,Green,Jalapeno,Red,Yellow, 37)Pheasant, 38)Plaintain, 39)Quail, 40)Rabbit, 41)Scallop, 42)Scup, 43)Selzer Water, 44)Shad, 45)Sweet Potato, 46)Tangerine/Tangerine Juice, 47)Tea(Black regular/decaf), 48)Teff, 49)Tilefish, 50)Tomato/Tomato Juice, 51)Turtle, 52)Whey, 53)Wintergreen.

HEIDI, AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, TYPE "A" DIET, AS A WHOLE, IS QUITE RESTRICTIVE. ALTHOUGH, THERE ARE QUITE A NUMBER OF FISHES ALONG WITH POULTRY MEATS(CHICKEN/TURKEY) WHICH CAN MAKE THE DIET QUITE ENJOYABLE. ALSO, I HAVE TRULY LEARNED TO ENJOY EATING VEGETAGLES AND FRUITS, ESPECIALLY THE VARIOUS BERRIES AND CITRUS FRUITS. Again, for Bianca's daughter, along with other type "A" individuals, IT CAN BE DONE, HANG IN THERE, THE REWARDS ARE "PRICELESS"! Heidi, God bless you and your family, God bless the U.S.A.! Marshal in Wichita, KS

That's a great summary of the matter, Marshal! I thank you for your persistence and enthusiasm -- and I hope Bianca will take heart from your experience. It's certainly not uncommon, and no matter how difficult the adjustments seem at first, habit makes them easier, and the results make them well worthwhile. Bless ya, Marshal! :-D

For those missing the potato and possibly looking for another breakfast food:

I am still experimenting, but have tried both Jerusalem artichoke and jicama (unrated, I believe), sliced VERY thinly (nearly transparent) and treated as if they were home fries (sauteed in olive oil with herbs--rosemary, thyme, pinch of sage, tiny pinch of lavendar flower--a Provencal touch), salt and fresh ground pepper. This, with appropriate mushrooms, makes a good meatless hash, and is even better with the ground meat of your choice.

To make gratins, I mix the raw slices with very thinly sliced sweet potatoes, layer them gratin-style, use rice milk to moisten, and goat or sheep cheese along with Pecorino Romano. Bake and serve. As the days get cooler, these are nice in the morning, or reheated for lunch or dinner.

I am a great believer in dirt-easy cooking. The only work here is peeling and slicing a vegetable. The overn does the rest. Other seasoning ideas include brewer's yeast, Bragg's aminos, a dash of madeira and brandy. For those not on the meat path, tiny dashes of good madeira, brandy, sherry, whiskey, port can go a long way toward adding depth (the alcohol cooks away, of course). For those who are, they are still wonderful at adding complexity. Buy a nip and experiment! Elizabeth

Hey there, Elizabeth! Nice recipe ideas!!

By the way... jicama is listed in the Posted in On The Diet