My daughter suggested your book(s) as a result of a problem with cholesterol (I do not wish to use drugs to lower these numbers as they have innumerable side effects) I am type II diabetic, have lost 60 lbs and have eaten VERY carefully. I have been able to completly control my glucose numbers with diet and excercise ( hb1c at or below 5.2) but I have had little or no effect on my cholesterol. She explained the concept of food "sensitivity" (hdl;56 ldl;162 tri;138 total cholesterol 246)I have been Very carefully following your diet recomendations for 3-4 weeks now and will have follow up blood work in october.



I recently aquired the Encyclopedia version of your series and now have all three. There seem to be some discreptancy between books. Eg. I am type o...for condiments Mayonaise is AVOID, and worcestershire is NEUTRAL in Cook Right 4 Your Type. In your Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia these items are reversed. I have enough trouble keeping all this new info straight...do I now have to go over item by item checking for contradictions...and which is the correct information. thank you, hoping for a quick response -- Judith V



Hello, Judith! I think you're doing a great job in getting your weight down -- congratulations on all your hard work!



There were new developments in research which are reflected in the food lists of later books (Live Right 4 Your Type, the Encyclopedia and the individual "little books," Blood Type Food, Beverage & Supplement Lists). We maintain a database here on-site for your use in reviewing any food item you want a value for: TYPEbase3®.



I'd like to suggest one highly effective strategy for lowering your cholesterol without drugs: Chinese Red Yeast Rice powder. That link will take you to a site with a great reputation for the highest-quality product -- use the Contact Me or Order link for details on obtaining it. This substance has proven itself even in people whose cholesterol levels remained dangerously high in spite of dietary and drug interventions -- without side effects. Look it over and see what you think!



Use a daily teaspoonful of high-lignan (FRESH) flax oil. It does wonders for balancing those HDL/LDL ratios back where they belong.



I hope you'll come back with any questions at all that may arise, and thank you so much for writing, Judith! :-D

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Dear Heidi Merritt, I am a 34 year old male who is about 5'7", 130 lbs and an “O” positive blood type. I just started practicing eating and living correctly for my blood type last month after reading a good part of Dr. Dadamo's excellent books.



However, I have always had an extremely high metabolism and can never gain weight. Can you recommend any special foods, special exercise or way of living for my blood type that may help me put some additional weight on my body. Any suggestions or advice would be extremely helpful. Many thanks and I'll look forward to your response. Best regards, Ryan in Round Lake Beach



Hello, Ryan! Welcome to the Gate of the Sun!! :-D (I dunno where that came from, it just popped out. I'm odd like that. ;-}) Welcome!



OK: First off, you're quite fortunate to be of naturally slender build. I know that's no comfort when you're trying to bulk things up, but just keep in mind that the people who live to be 100, 110, 120 are almost always the life-long slender folk. ;-)



Now: the O diet will provide abundant goodies to get your muscle-building project underway. Consider that the diet is designed for a 150-pound person. Use the high range of all the frequency tables in Live Right 4 Your Type for secretors, and eat for 150 pounds at the moment. When your weight increases beyond 150, add percentages of the frequencies and portions to match your weight.



When trying to up one's food intake, there's one of two ways to go, and I want you to follow the one that chimes in best with what feels right for you. You can snack between meals (use protien primarily -- a little jerky, a bit of leftover hamburger, a handful of nuts, a rice cake with almond butter, a piece of quiche, or a hard-boiled egg). Or, you can add a bit to one of the three meals you eat daily. Just make sure you're well-content after each and every meal -- never go hungry, and don't fall back on "power drinks" or other garbage. Eat real food. Don't skimp on protein or fat, ever. Load in those vegetables each day -- they're keys to staying focused and physically healthy.



Follow the exercise guidelines in that book. Do two, and two only, high-intensity weight training sessions each week. Focus on heavy weights -- if you can lift it five times in a row without straining, it's too light -- and minimum reps for that maximum weight you can handle for each muscle group. Work each muscle TO EXHAUSTION: get one of the gym staff (someone with a decent attitude) to walk you through that part of it. Enlist their help -- you're paying their salary, my friend. Work the upper body on session 1 of the week, and the lower body on session 2. On three of the other days of the week, do some light cardio and/or sport such as hiking, running, swimming, skating, basketball, volleyball... whatever toots yer flute. ;-) But keep it light and fun, no overdoing. Kinda kick back on your non-training days. Loaf around. That's when the building part of our show actually happens, as the muscle fibers repair the "damage" you instigate through training. That's a good thing, the muscles LIKE to build themselves, and it's a very ancient and well-recognized process for them!



Please do keep in touch, Ryan! Let us know how this works for you, and ALWAYS, always write in if you have any questions or problems as things go forward! :-D

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Hi Heidi, thanks for your response on 'breakfast' ideas - I'm still in mourning for my morning pleasures (sorry, pun unintended) but at least I know what I should be aiming for now... meanwhile, any O's out there with tasty 'first meal' ideas, please share!



Now a couple of quick qus for you, Heidi: About your stock/broth recommendations - does it retain a significant amount of protein? I mean, would a bowl of meaty broth make an adequate daytime meal for an active O?



About distilled water for Heallix: just received my first batch of Heallix in the post, v. excited about possibly killing off what I believe is a low level persistent virus that gives me chest inflammation any time I'm a little bit run down (so, so boring and demoralising) ...wondering about the distilled water thing. a) where can I get it? b) can I make it myself? c) to what extent would boiled, filtered or bottled spring water compromise the effect? I ask the latter because I travel a lot and those are often my most run down moments, so I really need to know how I'm going to use Heallix on the run! thanks as ever for your patient wisdom. x Kate in England.



Hello, Kate!! Sorry the mourning period's still taking its toll! :-)



The stock has a good amount of protein, but it's primarily a 'mineral brew.' Cook your meat and veg in it -- chop up whatever you'd like as a soup, and dump it right in. A very ancient cooking practice, and very flavorsome when salted & herbed to your taste.



Yes, do carry small bottles of distilled water with you on trips, for use with the Heallix. I've tried all the other options, and they combine to form a cloudy liquid when the Heallix is added. Only distilled water will do. Look for it in gallon jugs at the supermarket. Folks in England, could anyone recommend a brand of distilled water Kate might easily find?



And... there's nothing like steak & eggs, or steak & kidney pie re-heated. YUM!! ;-) Please do add suggestions for Kate, anyone? Best wishes, dear!! and thank you for your message! :-D

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Hello Heidi Well after a summer looking after my dad (great homepage about kidney disease!!!) and my daughter, well I think my eating was very much in the low priority- so this autumn i`ll get my B-diet back on track and keep my daughters O diet simple and easy -BUT she misses soured cream so MUCH what can substitute it in dressing etc- it would be lovely if I could eat it as well! she hates soy- She want someting to go with her veggies or sweet potato chips- I think 100% homemade mayo is a bit fat- but what else can I do?



BTW there has been alot of talk conserning using cornstarch as foodcontainers/plasticbags etc - would food wrapped in theese be a healthhazard for me? Hope to hear from you or somebody else . Henriette B-secr.



So nice to hear from you, Henriette! It certainly is time to start taking a little better care of YOU, my dear!



For your daughter, how about some lovely raw-milk goat or sheep yogurt? Full-cream! Where you are, it should be no trouble to find such things. You would both enjoy it very much. It stands in beautifully for sour cream. Your homemade mayonnaise is also absolutely fine as a base for dips. It is not the "fat," but the "kind of fat" that counts for us, thank goodness. Thin it to the consistency desired, jazz it up with a bit of lemon juice, chopped green onions, garlic, salt, whatever spices she'd like, and I think she will be very happy!



If the cornstarch bags or containers will degrade over time and/or with the presence of moisture, then you should indeed avoid them. I'm interested in these products -- could you give us more detail, perhaps a reference we could read online? The only cornstarch storage products I'm familiar with are the meltable 'peanuts' in which conscientious manufacturers (like NAP) pack their products.



Bless you, Henriette! Stay strong and lively, and keep writing!! :-)

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Hey Heidi! Just a note to check in. I am loving the non-secretor group! It is chock-full of great ideas and recipes, not to mention wonderfully supportive people. I have been working at clearing out my kitchen of all the no-nos and stocking from the must-have pantry list.



I've also found some great recipes and ideas (ground pumpkin seeds make a GREAT 'breading' for fish or chicken, seasoned with salt and spices; just watch 'cause they scorch easily). I've also been canning-homemade plum sauce, peach-blueberry jam made with chicory syrup, pumpkin butter...I'll be doing some stock next. I often buy soup bones from the butcher or inexpensive bone-in chicken parts to make stock. Easy and much tastier than water in recipes.



I actually use a lot 'cause I try to make a crock pot of stew each week for easy freezer meals to take to work. Don't know if you can post about the non-secretor group (or if you've done so before), but I would highly recommend it to all nonnies. Anyway, I just wanted to check in and say hi and thanks. Cheers, Paige



Well, wonder of wonders, I'm REALLY thrilled you've found a happy home with Nina's ragtag band of explorers!! Thanks so much for the report, Paige -- it makes me very happy! :-D

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Dear Heidi, I'm a Type O non-secretor who had been a vegetarian (sometimes vegan) for 27 years, simply for health reasons which is pretty ridiculous looking back now considering that during that time I developed emphysema (non-smoker), breast cancer, had chronic migraines, could never get cholesterol under 200, and according to last two EKGs have had a silent myocardial infarction. The things that kept me alive I believe are that I never got overweight, maintained a steady exercise program through it all, ate almost totally organic, used some herbs that I've learned now are good for my type, and refused all the medical nightmares proposed for my ailments except a lumpectomy.

I seem to be doing well on the diet (4 months with 99% compliance) and now love my food, having initiated the diet in hopes of overcoming the migraines. Having eaten "strangely" for so many years, I'm used to figuring out how to make things taste good to me no matter what they are or what foods are denied. In fact, that is one of my great pleasures. I had my cholesterol checked last week, and the results will let me know if I'm truly on the right track with this. Thanks for your great column! I will be checking back regularly to keep in touch with it. Carol

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An inspiring story, Carol. Your example gives hope to so many people who are very sick and believe there is little or nothing they can do to turn their health around. There IS something they can do ~ and you did it!

Congratulations on your success!

Heidi, Just wanted to thank you for your quick and very helpful answer to my rash problem. Reading what you wrote made so much sense and calmed me down. I've had a lot of stress in my life recently and even though I brisk walk 2 miles 4 to 5 times a week, I guess the exercise couldn't keep up with the stress

I decided against the antihistimines and have been making a conscious effort to decrease what stress I have control over. The rash has started to gradually fade and be less itchy - yea! I'm also trying to improve on getting organic food as much as possible and keep drinking that water. THANKS AGAIN for all your help and caring! mfn

Hey! Thank YOU for confirming that what I said rang true for you. This medium of exchange is necessarily incomplete, as I can't see you or hear your voice or ... "smell" you, if you know what I mean. So I'm flying on past history, combing through everything I remember you saying about your life, and letting this info percolate in my gut & produce a psychic image of your true situation. Explaining what I think will help usually involves lengthy and multiple paragraphs of hectoring, "if-then's" and redux, and you plowed through it all & picked up what applied. Job well done, dear! :-)

A note about exercise, since I see you're well committed to your regimen: Work it, girl. Keep raising the crossbar. Do a smooth jog for as much of one of those miles as you can do, every day. A "swimming" motion helps: meaning, swim through the air straight from the waist with your arms, as if you're pulling yourself forward with them (shoulders DOWN and head still), and keep your leg motions smoothly forward and effortless. Long-distance running is best undertaken with the help of a sharp-eyed coach, but the swimmy thing is a great way to gentle into the heart-pounding jog. Pause to do some pushups or situps until you're exhausted, then rise up and briskwalk the way home. When a type O has done enough exercise to release the stress chemicals, there is a feeling of euphoria, a mild "everything's fine" softness about the world. The light looks a little different. I know a guy who quit a four-pack-a-day habit cold turkey with only exercise as his aid. It's a powerhouse of medicine that costs nothing more than the time one takes to do it -- along with new athletic shoes when the old ones poop out, I hasten to say.

People's health is pretty simple, when all's said & done. Food and water. Activity that makes you feel really good. Social exchange, to the extent and of the nature that suits you. Peter's done a foundational and earth-rocking service in establishing which foods and which activities WILL punch the button for you. We weren't designed in a chemist's lab, thank God, so we can be assured that the chemists are there only to fill in what we are unwilling or unable to provide for ourselves from Nature's magical provisions, or to reverse the effects of perversions the chemists have foisted upon Nature (temporarily, friends -- only temporarily!).

I think you've got a firm vision of how to move forward, MFN, and it's a joy to see. Thanks for writing -- please continue! Early and often! :-D

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Dear Heidi, I wrote you a few days ago about my homeopath and her take about my potential intolerance to Heallix. Please don't publish it; I don't want to discourage others from taking it. Heallix has been so wonderful that I hate to give it up but may start taking it like a protocoal -four weeks on and four weeks off - just to be sure. Heallix has taken care of so much for us, including parasites, infection and even lectin scrubbing! I love the way it makes me feel and don't to give it up! I'll write to Leo for guidance. Thanks, Karen

Hallo, hon! I've been waiting on publishing your Q cuz I'm waiting for a reply from Leo that I sent to him that day. Never fear, we're not playing patty-cake here. Our mission is to ferret out the truth, no matter what it is, so -- although I can't imagine what part of Heallix your homeopath thinks may trigger intolerance, since fulvic acid is absorbed where needed OR excreted, and ionized silver is bound to its targets then excreted -- if any possible intolerance COULD occur then everyone should know about it ASAP.

And if anyone out there has experienced any ill effects from Heallix (aside from the expected detox in some cases), by Harry I want to hear about it!! Speak up, lads & lasses!! :-)

We'll figger it out, Karen, and we'll be yakking very distinctly about it! Thanks so much for your kindness! :-D

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Dear Heidi, Hmmmn...just read your reply to my query on mercury detoxing. I did not do the gallbladder flush before starting the chlorella/cilantro, etc. detox, so guess I should wait til I finish (which could be a looooong time). Hopefully, I have not done myself any harm in NOT doing it before I started!

I don't have a problem keeping my bowels moving, and if I do, I take more Trifala (I generally take only one capsule daily, whereas the bottle says to take 2 with each meal). Fortunately, the wonderful fresh figs are still in good supply, and I eat 2 heaping tablespoons of ground, soaked flax seeds as well.

I did read about the flush, however, as well as all your comments on it in various columns, and have a couple of questions for future reference. One, are the various pre-flush supplements (bitters? etc.) necessary as I would have to have them shipped to France. Two, I don't have a juicer and do not intend to buy one, and cannot find fresh juices here. Are the (not fresh) juices in health food stores okay to use? And, I think you recently said that a type O nonnie can use apple juice (exceptionally, of course!) for the fast??? As always, merci mille fois for your column! a bientot, Abby

Bonjour, Abby! No harm in not doing the flush before you started. Rather, it aids the process IF you do it before starting the metal detox.

Keeping those bowels at peak efficiency is a must through your ditch-the-metal process, and I'm very happy to hear all's well in that area for you.

The bitters, gold coin grass, etc. are not at all necessary for the flush unless you have good reason to suspect years-old large stones in the gallbladder. If you've had scans showing big muthahs in there, the flush will be far more pleasant and anxiety-free if the full protocol including herbs (as outlined by Julia at www.sensiblehealth.com) is followed. This is of more moment for folks over 60 years of age whose diets have offended them.

I would only do this flush if I had a juicer on hand. I'd never attempt it with storebought apple juice, for instance, "organic" or not. No enzymes! They Daid! They been PASTEURized away! ;-) I wouldn't go forward with olive oil and some such pasteurized canned or bottled grapefruit or lemon juice (granted, the citrus guys are easily relieved of their juices with a fork & a squeeze, so a citrus juicer or plain fork answers the need there).

On lots of thought (non-medically-educated as it is), and with the several successful experiences I and other O-NSs have had with apple juice in the flushes, I would venture to opine that apple juice for that day or two is an OK O-Nonnie thing for this therapeutic application. It does have a stone-softening effect, and it is quite the colon-cleanser in its innocent-looking little way. Mind you, when I say "apple," I mean very tart, low-sugar, green Granny Smiths. Not your head-poundingly sweet Fujis, Deliciouses, Romes or even MacIntoshes. Instead of GSs, if you can get Northern Spys, or one of the other sour, heritage pie apples, all the better.

I have one last impression to share with you: don't tempt me to send my old friend Chris to your door with a juicer in hand. I don't want him falling in love with yet another woman. He has too many to juggle already. And I'm sure you wouldn't want such a disturbance in your household, either. he's endowed with far more charm than any one being should be entrusted with...

so........ ? :-D

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Ooops, Sorry to hog up all your time, Heidi, but I just remembered a question I have that is kinda urgent..... My step-daughter and her hubby will be here next weekend (Sept 5) and we are going to take them out to a couple of restaurants with delicious avoids.....

I have been 100% compliant on the O nonnie diet with the exception of my 1/2 bottle of red wine daily with dinner, and indulging with my husband on margaritas maybe 3 times since I went "nonnie" last December. I have even quit my tasty Essene bread, and since there are fresh figs now, have not even been eating rice cakes with my almond butter for breakfast.

Soooo, Friday night we will go to an Italian restaurant on the sea that serves these thin, crusty pizza bread things that one douses with olive oil as an "amuse bouche." How much harm would eating this wheat do on a one-time-only basis???

I don't have any Deflect, but I do have some NAC and (can't remember the word.....some seaweed/kelp stuff in Deflect which is good for thyroid...). Would this help, or should I just be brave and turn down the appetiser???

Also, we will go to an Indian place on Monday night. I can skip the naan, but would the papadums (garbanzo flour, I think) be too terrible??? If you remember, my doctor thought I may have a celiac problem, so that is why I quit the Essene bread in June- not the lectin thing.

Before finding out I was a nonnie, I used to cheat with occasional wheat items without any noticable effect..... So, what do you think????? merci, Abby

You again!! (LOL!! ~~:-D just kidding! :-D)

I think... you're just trying to torture me with longings for those foods I loved so much. That's what I think. :-D

OK: from the foccacia, the harm you'll notice is that you'll feel foggy, moody, achy and deep-down-uncomfortable. You may be running to the chambre aux dames (tee hee, Franglais at work) at inconvenient moments. GOOP that bread up with olive oil! and yes, take the n-acetyl glucosamine, early and often. You can't over do it. Coat your innards with it before, during (if possible) and after. And drink prodigious amounts of salted and/or lemon'ed water (away from the meals part).

If 'twere me, I'd subtly not eat that particular "amuse gueule" in favor of some fresh whole sardines (or any tiny whole fish they have on hand) fried in oil. They're a regional Italian specialty, and many exported chefs have wept at the difficulty in convincing non-Italians of their magnficence. Make a lifelong friend of the chef (and discover a tasty new favorite) by requesting them. ;-)

As to the Indian joint, I honestly can't say what chickpea flour will do to you on this one occasion. Perhaps that "Indian Spice" (the closest translation I've managed to extract from waiters) incorporated in the crisps are somewhat protective -- or not. :-( That's not the only, or the worst, challenge you'll face when contemplating an Indian restaurant menu. Heaven knows I've run that gauntlet, and come up very envious of type As and Bs. ;-) Golly, dear, I can only wish ya luck there!

HEY! What the heck's wrong with doing a high-end bistro and a quayside fish restaurant instead of these two (SEDUCTIVE) Italian/Indian deals? just my two centîmes for your consideration. ;->

I certainly think you'll all have a marvelous time, and please do write and tell me how it worked out, Abby! Be well, and keep that soul-sword sharp & shiny! :-D

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Hi Heidi! I have recieved so much help from you in the past for medical issues regarging my husband and myself. His problem was a hiatus hernia and I'm happy to say we've found a chiropractor who did the stomach pull down method (that's just what it's called). He also teached him how to do this at home and together with the ginger juice you suggested, it seems to help a lot.

Being on the diet also brought down his high blood pressure to a normal 120/80 and he certainly doesn't complain about losing weight so easily!

I'm the nonnie and have been struggling with my weight all my life until I started the BTD diet about 4 years ago. I also find that the Atkins-low carbohydrate approach combined with the BTD diet helps me to maintain my weight, so I've cut back on a lot of fruit and sweet potatoes and added more beneficial nuts instead.

I've also contacted "nowfoods" and asked them what the carb value for vegetable glycerine is and their response was that it is not a carbohydrate and has no carb value and has 4.3 calories per gram. Great news for all of us!

I have a question (again!), this time about Julia Chang's gallbladder flush... you suggested to somebody recently with similar problems I'm experiencing ( bad breath, fatigue etc.) to look into her website and everything I read points to a "heated" stomach and liver and possibly gallstones.

I had jaundice about ten years ago and 3 years ago a naturopath in Australia told me that my organs were extremely weak and suggested a similar flush. I never did it because I couldn't imagine drinking a whole cup of oil but since you've suggested it again I'm more open to a solution. You said recently that the GCG is not a must... Does one absolutely have to do the day of apple juice (Can't stand it ... way too sweet)? I'll appreciate your thoughts again. Regards Ilze

Hello, Ilze ~~ That's a happy report on your husband!

Don't be put off by that cup of oil. It gets gulped right down. It needn't be olive if that seems too heavy -- you can substitute any organic neutral or beneficial oil. Use some sweet red grapefruit juice instead of lemon -- I was so impressed with the taste, I ended up designing a salad dressing around it.

I used very tart, green Granny Smith apples, freshly-juiced at home. The juice is mixed 1/2-1/2 with water. I'd now try it with whole cherries, blended with an equal volume of water, instead. OR juiced watermelon, no dilution. Whichever you prefer!

By the way, I hope you're getting plenty of dark green vegetables as well as those nuts!

Be well, dear, and let me know how the flush goes! :-D

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http://groups.msn.com/er4ytUK/foodtranslations.msnw Is the link for food translations from US to British English. Anyone is free to suggest additions. There are Scots variations though, eg Rutabaga is swede in England but Turnip in Scotland, while I think Turnips proper are known as Neaps. Sweetbreads are still sweetbreads in Britain but are not commonly eaten nowadays. Sarah

Many thanks, Sarah! Nice resource! :-)

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All right Heidi you stinker!! {:oP, ;o)-- in that case you are just obligated to print my loooong correction and precautions! Ahem. Regarding the salt report – I should have said that I eat a total of 3.5g sodium daily (not 3.5g salt) including food sodium. Salt is composed of about 40% sodium and 60% chloride. A dietician would likely say this is too high, though not extreme.

To estimate food-sodium intake, use the FDA database, http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl. For info on salt deficiency, web search on “chronic hyponatremia,” electrolyte depletion. It’s somewhat different than the acute hyponatremia associated with endurance athletes – the chronic form must be addressed gradually for safety, and there may be fewer symptoms because your body has had time to adjust to depletion.

Hospital doctors should be familiar with chronic hyponatremia, they watch for it in relation to their medications. If anyone thinks they are salt deficient, talk to your doctor – I think there is a test for electrolytes. It’s best to be medically monitored for blood pressure & heartbeat, or if you have kidney problems, and to ask how gradual repletion should be.

Note that I couldn’t increase salt while I had a vit D, calcium & magnesium deficiency; it gave me heart arrhythmias. So far, here’s what I’ve found salt deficiency affects: any mucous production, absorption of water & water soluble vitamins B & C, absorption of glucose (think energy) and amino acids (required for healing), heart rhythm, digestion (acid production), iodine intake into cells (affects thyroid hormone production), and mental function (brain is powered by glucose.)

I had to increase my salt gradually to reach 3.5g sodium, or it gave me headaches. (Immediate slight headache when I reached a certain salt level, and it would go away if I switched to pure water.) And if you increase salt without drinking enough water you’ll get headaches for sure. I’m drinking a gallon water daily, some with salt & some pure, and I watch myself carefully for dehydration, and to make sure urination frequency stays healthy. Signed, the Bird (Yah Heidi, I am appreciating your column, never would have thought about salt if you hadn’t mentioned. I do remember Joachim talking about it on the old message board, but I was too sick then to think.)

Tee Hee! :-D Many thanks for this marvelous info, M... uh, Little Bird!

Aren't you glad I'm such a stinker? ~~:-D

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I have very severe case of CFIDS (CFS) of 5 yrs. bedridden and very debilitated with it. i was dx in ll/98 by dr. paul cheney md phd. a top dr. in the fiedl. I"ve been trying to follow the type O diet as much as possible with leaky gut syndrome numerous food sensitivites per the ALLCAT IGG test my Dr. uses

Dr. Cheney says i've always tested low in glutathione and most research including jacob teitlebaum (from fatigue to fantastic) say most CFS patients are "universally" low in gluthithione. Yet you say WHEY is avoid for type O's .... Does this include bioactive non denatured whey protein isolates, ie like immunocal, and other brands basically same thing?

If you are familiar with CFS research, the 450 cytocrome system ie especially the liver are "centrally strained" in CFS patients, therefore the need for bio active non denatured whey protein isolates because it helps the body make the most of it's own glutathiane accordign to DR. Cheney and the research i've read on it. So do you speak of like sweet dairy whey or does Dr. D Adamo say all type O's should avoid this type of non denatured whey protein isolates thanks you Paul Story in KY

Hello, Paul! The type O diet with modifications for your food sensitivities will do miraculous things for your condition -- it has resolved fatal illnesses that the medical community has declared incurable. No one substance can do what the diet system achieves. Because of your situation, I strongly suggest setting up a phone consultation with Dr. Bronner Handwerger at the D'Adamo Clinic.

Telephone consultations include:

· Phone consultation with the clinic director Dr. Bronner Handwerger, N.D. · A discussion of your full personal medical history · Recommendations for adapting the Blood Type Diet to your specific health conditions · Recommendations for nutritional supplements and lifestyle changes · Scheduled follow up telephone consultations

Call 203-348-4800 for further information.

Doc Bron can answer your questions in the detail you require, and I'd feel much better if you called him as soon as possible! VERY warmest wishes to you, Paul, and do write again! I'd like to hear how you do. :-)

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Something popped out at me while reading your column. Someone mentioned a banana allergy and I've read that there's a cross reaction between bananas and latex. If a person is sure of an allergy to bananas s/he might need to be cautious about exposure to latex. Mav

Interesting one! Mav, let me know if you find the source of that research, I'd very much like to read about it! THANKS!! :-)

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Hi Heidi! I have a small question - I'm O+ on the diet for 2 years - My problem is 'dust, humidity, stretofiloccocus and huge problem stafilococcus. When I was living in Paris I used something called 'divasta' but pasteur stop producting that. The diet is wonderful so divasta (almost freedom to avoid list}:-}. Can you advise in something similar I know all yours protocols and I use then but some times they are a bit heavy and the most important 'slepness(ative mind), tiredness ... ... they don't go away a really nightmare. Fatigue/insomia protocol, methylB12 active, vit ... for my type doesn't work. With the diet and urtica dioica I can fight 'dust, humidity & streto' but I haven't slept well since I stopped divasta (3 years}. If you have any advise I would be greatfull. And even if is at last I'd like to congratulate Dr. Adamo & all team for all your excellent work, books {eat/live/A-Z enc 4ut} ... ... Many Thanks Maty

Hiya, Maty ~~ Do you have any information on what divasta IS? An old bottle, a label, any details on what it is or what's in it? If I knew what it was, I might have a better handle on what worked so well for you & how to replicate that effect.

By the way, do you exercise regularly? That is a major key for type O stress relief (which translates into higher allergic threshold, as well as better sleep).

Do write again, and we'll see what we can do! :-D

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Greetings, Heidi I am writing on behalf of my wife who is a type B secretor. Her naturopath has prescribed collagen for her and for several years she has been faithfully taking it. We began the BTD about 6 mos. ago. She recently learned the collagen she uses is made of chicken sterum cartilage and is labeled "undenatured type II". She takes 10 mg. daily. Chicken is a type B avoid. Is chicken sternum cartilage also an avoid ? If so, can you suggest a substitute? jonny

Hi, jonny -- I would not use that particular supplement. Have her make up a big pot of turkey stock, using the entire leftover roasted carcase plus skin and attached meat, as well as several carrots, a few stalks of celery, bunch of parsley, an onion, a handful of garlic, and a couple teaspoons of good gray sea salt. I make mine in a 16-quart stockpot, with enough water added to cover the bones. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer for six to eight hours (overnight is fine). Remove from heat to cool enough to handle it, then strain out all the solids and store the broth in pint containers in the freezer. Each will have a layer of fat on top -- that's good, but she can discard the fat before re-heating the broth if desired (I don't).

One cup daily should provide all her collagen needs. She will notice that most of the broth is "gelled" when she defrosts it. It is absolutely full of collagen, proteins, and minerals. Have her discuss this option with her naturopath! As a nutrient-packed traditional food, it should make big points with the doc. Alternately, she might ask the ND to find a non-chicken collagen supplement for her. Hope this helps, and do write again! :-)

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Hello there Heidi! I really appreciate this service to all of us, thank you deeply! I have several questions to ask you.

My husband and I have been on this way of eating for 4 years now. My husband (O secretor) has been much more, shall we say, compliant than I and has had marvelous success with eradicating long term tinnitus, chronic fatigue after lunch, yeast overgrowth and a small but protruberent belly. I on the otherhand (type O nonnie) have not fared so well. When I began this new lifestyle, I did really well and I felt fantastic. I lost 30 pounds over the course of a year and my migraine headaches began to go away (one every 3 months instead of 3 a month). In general, i began to feel fabulous. Then I got pregnant.

During my pregnancy several things happened, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (not Hashimoto's) and I had hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) from week 2 until delivery. If you are not aware, HG is basically unremitting nausea and vomiting from the smell, taste, texture and even sight of food! Following any semblance of the BTD was impossible! In fact, the highly beneficial items made me very nauseous (especially meat). I woefully fell off of the wagon and ate whatever i could.

I lost 30 pounds by 20 weeks gestation and by the time i delivered my sweet daughter, had gained it back to weigh the same i had started. She is now 6 months and i am still struggling to stay away from carbs, potatoes especially. I now have some more health issues as well.

I have just been diagnoses with lichen sclerosis and rosacea both of which seem to be auto immune in nature, my teeth are also giving me problems as well (I make tons of plaque and have to get my teeth cleaned 4 times a year and have big problems with buildup. I am continueing to breastfeed my daughter Zia (who is an O for sure!) but I need some help dietarily and in initiating some bit of exercise.

1. Is there such a thing as a dentist who is holistic and who understands the ins and outs of my non secretor status?

2. If such a bird exists, where or how would I find him/her? I live in the San Francisco Bay area and would be willing to travel for such a rare bird.

3. Do non secretors secrete their immune system into their breast milk?

4. Other than stopping the potatoes (which i am trying to do), how else can I help my auto immune predilection? (I take fucus, and O probiotics).

5. I crave dairy something fierce, and always have since beginning this diet. Is there any way to alleviate or replace this craving that you have found?

6. Can you please add me to the nonnie list?

I know that this is a long email and i completely give you permission to edit it for length if you choose to answer it. I am also hoping for a good reccommendation of an ND in the Bay area, because I need one! Thankyou so much for bearing with me with this lengthy missive. I appreciate everything that you do and the very kind way in which you answer all of the questions. Thank you! Misty

OK, Everyone! Stump up with a great recommendation for a Bay Area ND and/or Holistic BTD-DD for our Misty, please? Thanks in advance!!

Here are some prior notes on NDs in your area (and the number for Doc Bron):

I live in the San Francisco Bay area as well and there is one practictioner (Moses Goldberg ND) that includes the BTD program. He's in Santa Rosa but that's only about a half hour from 94947 (Novato) in non-commute times of course. The webaddress is www.imcsr.com. Hope that helps. -- Diane

Christine Chan is in Castro Valley, which is in the East Bay. She can find her in the registry. Also, Dr. Bron will do phone consults at Dr. D's clinic. The clinic number is 203-348-4800. -- Lisa

Hope those help!

On question #3, the child's immune system builds from exposure to the world of food & bacteria, and your breast milk has provided colostrum AND continues to give your baby the very best start in life!

#4: What are those potatoes doing in the house? :-) Use artichokes, sweet potatoes, turnips (white and yellow), carrots, any other savory vegetable you can get your hands on. Butter 'em up and chow down!

#5. I'd definitely start taking Phytocal-O. You certainly need the added support while nursing, and I think your mineral levels are low right now, which can exacerbate many other symptoms. Also take a look at the broth recipe above. It provides a nice wallop of minerals, collagen and proteins; it's tremendously satisfying; and it's a great little pick-me-up plain with a pinch of sea salt, a touch of cumin, a little garlic powder and some cayenne (if the little one isn't troubled by those items).

#6. Sure will!

And I'll publish any ND/DD recommendations that come in from this tremendously plugged-in and caring network of readers! Hang in there, Misty -- it will all turn around for you, just keep doing your best!! Warm regards ~ :-D

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Two questions please. Number one: Is it better not to eat any carbs at the evening meal if I want to lose weight, I am a type "B". Also, when I eat out, which is fairly often, what kind of bread is acceptable if I want a sandwich. I know the resturants don't carry spelt bread! Thank you for your reply. Cheryl

Hi there, Cheryl! If you want to lose weight, choose something other than a sandwich when you eat out. Salad, soup, a selection of appetizers, or plain broiled meat or fish and some greens. You're right, it's rare that a restaurant will offer any bread other than one which contains wheat. That's definitely not what you want to help your weight loss along.

A little carb at your evening meal won't do any harm. Choose a vegetable carb rather than a grain or sugar. Or have a little fruit as your late-evening snack.

Good luck to you, and let me know if other questions pop up! :-)

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Since protein is highly beneficial to type o's and helps us to loose weight, then how much protein should be consumed with every main meal per day? oh, and because of our stomach acids being more acidic-like and meats being digested easily and quickly, is it highly likely that we should pick up weight if protein is consumed too much daily? Liz : )

Hi, Liz! It's highly unlikely you'd be able to overeat in the meat department, since the stomach gives very noticeable feedback when enough's enough. Nausea will tell you if you've crossed the line. ;-)

We don't specify how much protein goes with each meal. Instead, we give guidelines for the week. Even within the type O plan, there is a range of allowed proteins (beans, nuts, seeds, fish, poultry, eggs, red meat), as well as variants which affect suggested frequency of those proteins, such as Rhesus factor and secretor status.

As a very rough reckoning, one serving of meat daily is adequate for secretor Os. However, an Rh negative nonsecretor might require twice that much. Fish, eggs and the vegetable proteins have their own suggested frequencies, and the vegetable category should see action at least three times daily. All this information is available in Live Right 4 Your Type -- a great resource on all aspects of the blood type plans!

thanks for your note, Liz! :-)

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Hello, Heidi!! It has been a while that I don't write to you!! I have been folowing the BTD for 3 months now and my husband, too. We are enjoying it very much. We both are Type O+ but we don't know if secretor or not.

I ordered Chinese Bitter to start the process to clean my colon and liver. Do you remember when you told me about that site from Julia Chang? I believe that Chinese Bitter is not avoid for O, right? Besides the diet, this last days I have not feeling well with my digestion...

My belly is hard, kind of big on the region of my small intestine. I am not feeling confortable. I also have been eating a lot of figs, prunes,and plums because of the season and I love those. Coul it be the problem?

I can't remember when was the last time that I had my period... but I do not care that much about it because I am like this for my whole life... I am almost 30 years old now. I do have energy to workout - something that I LOVE to do!! However days like this make me feel said. I want to know what do you think that could be causing this hard and big feeling in my belly? I feel like I have tones of food inside of me that is not digesting...

I try to eat a lot of green leafs to help, kelp, dulse, olive oil... could it be the beef the problem? That's why I decided to do the colon/ liver cleaning. Do you think that I am going to the right direction? Should I do it with Chinese bitter? Also is Buttersquash good for Os? What about passion Fruit? Have you heard about passion fruit flour? Bcha!

Hello, Bcha!! Very nice to hear from you!

I would definitely get some pancreatic enzymes from a supplement store. Carlson makes a good one. Take one after the first bite of your meal, and let me know how that works after two weeks.

Make sure to eat three times the amount of dark and light leaf vegetables with every protein serving. If you eat dried fruit, soak it in a bit of water first (and have some flax seed, ground & soaked in some water, in the evening after your dinner). Are you managing to drink 1/2 ounce of water per pound of body weight? with a squeeze of lemon or pinch of sea salt in each quart?

The liver flush should work well for you, if you can get your bowels moving in this way before starting it.

Butter squash? Is that "butternut" squash? It's a large, pale orange/tan winter squash, and it's fine for type O. We don't yet have a value for passion fruit -- and no, I hadn't heard that they're making flour from it! Will wonders never cease! :-)

Keep in touch, Bcha! :-D

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Dear Heidi, What are the yeast/fungus protocols allowed for a nursing mother of a five month old baby. I have managed over the years to keep my candida under check but know that I am not free of it yet.

After following the btd - 80% compliant - (love coffee) - this was the only pregnancy (out of seven) that I did not get a yeast infection nor any heartburn. I am not sure which of the things recommended are allowed while nursing.

The main symptoms that I have not been able to clear up toenail fungus and a persistently lightly coated tongue with many cracks in it. I am desperate to rid myself of these things and would not want the fact that i am nursing at the moment for the yeast numbers to get out of control again.

I really appreciate your column and look forward to reading it every morning while I feed the baby. (have gotten real good at surfing and nursing at the same time. I recommend the diet to everyone I come into a conversation with over their health problems (love the skeptics and can only say "prove it wrong") I commend you for your dedication and care. Annie

Gee, thank you, Annie! :-) That's great news about your latest pregnancy!!

I'm not sure of your blood type, so I'll offer some general suggestions. By the way, the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia has yeast/fungus resistance protocols for all types on pp. 492-93.

I would certainly avoid dairy, grain and all forms of refined sugar absolutely and without exception. Taking your blood type probiotic (PolyFlora) along with some ARA6 will help your system re-establish its proper balance. Both of those supps are safe to take while you're nursing.

Oil of oregano and grapefruit seed extract are two powerful anti-fungal substances, but I will put this out to the group as to whether nursing moms are advised against them.

Toenail fungus is best treated to a twice-daily vinegar application. After scrubbing and drying your feet thoroughly, put two drops right at the base of the nail, and let it run around and under the nail (ALL the nails). The cheapest supermarket white vinegar is the perfect product for this treatment. Go barefoot whenever possible -- let those toes breathe.

Congratulations on your seventh successful pregnancy, Annie! and thank you so much for your kind support!! :-)

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saliva vs blood -- dear heidi been doing the btd for 3 years and its been not only fun but it makes you feel so good.

for past six months i have been eyeing the noni list and kept saying to myself this really feels like what i should be eating. i had my blood tested and was typed a secret- tor. then read on your sight that saliva takes preference over blood test! i sent off right away a saliva test.

well my feel- ing were right i am non-secretor and this was an amazing confer- mation. heidi i think that the importance of this should be posted more. anyway keep up the great work (don't what i would do without your colume every day) peace, bob (a1+mnnoni)

GREAT! Welcome to the nonnies camp, Bob! Funny how the intuitions can steer one in the right direction, eh? I'm pleased you're going to be having even more fun than before -- that's kind of how I look at it, too, when I'm not grumbling about some lucky type A vegetarian and how I'll never be one... ~;-D Have a splendid day, friend! :-D

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hi heidi, i have a tip! for all the breast feeding type A mums out there with colicy babies. i stuck to dr D's advice in eat R4Y baby and eliminated milks (including soy) garlick, onions, spices sugar etc. however, my little fella still got colicy for no apparent reason.

i worked it out! us A's who are succepitable to stress was the problem. i found that while he was asleep id run a round like a chook with its head cut off trying to get everything done. the bub would wake up and id feed him. 2 hours later the screaming would start!

i found if i rested for 1 hour before feeding time he was fine! this is probably why dr D says to drink cammomile tea while feeding. anyway, i just thought id pass it on- relaxing is the key.

now for a quick Question- my type A friend has a cyst on her left ovary of 8 cm wide. she doesnt want to have surgery to remove it. are there any supplements you can reccomend? thanks, ros xoxo

Superb tip, ros!

About that cyst: laparoscopic surgery is also commonly done, which does not involve the removal of the ovary. She might discuss this option with her doctor.

I ran across some interesting notes in an article about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) by Bryan R. Kurtz, MD, FACOG, FACS, which may shed some light on your friend's situation. Here is the relevant section of the article (here on the Net):

"However, recent research has shown that insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia may be the culprit which initiates the imbalance in ovarian hormone production. Women with PCOS, although not usually diabetic, require higher levels of insulin to maintain their blood glucose levels. Studies have shown that, if insulin levels in the blood are high enough, the ovary will produce more testosterone. This disrupts the "feedback loop" between the ovaries and the pituitary gland, and the pituitary gland produces too much LH, leading to the production of even more androgens. Ovulation doesn't occur because the egg couldn't develop properly, and the immature egg, instead of being released from the ovary, becomes a tiny cyst that starts producing its own supply of androgens, which in turn interferes with next month's developing follicle. Subsequently, the tiny follicles accumulate in the ovary along its surface, giving the typical "polycystic" appearance. When treated with medications that lower the insulin levels, the hormone imbalance is often corrected, symptoms improve, and ovulation can occur with subsequent pregnancy."

How's her diet, ros? ;-) I don't know her blood type, or her general condition, but that doctor's explanation of the latest research into causes certainly dovetails nicely with what we know about poor diet, insulin resistance and hormonal imbalances.

Natural progesterone is one nonsurgical treatment used successfully by some doctors. This site has some (admittedly commercial) information about it, and quotes Dr. Lee extensively. She should take a look through it right away, and do some further digging on her own. It's certainly worth a shot, and no prescription is necessary if she wants to try it.

Best wishes to you both, ros! Spectacular findings on maternal stress and its connection with a colicky kid!! very nice work!!! :-D

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Heidi, I saw your note to Helena on Bette Hagman's Cookbooks. I own the first four and looking to get the rest soon. I have usede the arrowroot starch in plach of cornstarch and it just produces more of a gel like texture. But I need to know the other alternative subs. Spelt has not been agreeing with me as of late, So I need to drop it (O SEC), My husband is the lone Nonnie in the house. I am trying to use more Kamut(if I can find it) and Amaranth Flour. I need a subs for Tapioca Flour, Potato flour, Potato starch, Sorghum flour, garbanzo bean flour, gar(banzo)-fava bean flour combo.

I am also asking for your opinion on the mail order Gluten free (GF) providers (bread, bagels, and other not so good things for type O). I would like to occassionally be able to use products that are Good or OK for added variety, not as a main stay.

You had a teacher approach you for materials to teach in her nutrition of her Home EC class I would also like that as I am Homeschooling my children and am teaching them about their blood type diet (all O Sec-Thank goodness only one oddball my husband O-non). I will also give you an update later on my BTD food storage We hit a snag. Thanks -- Angel in UT

Hello, Angel! Shiloh Farms (P.O. Box 97, Sulphur Springs AR 72768) is the producer of the amaranth and kamut flour I buy. They also bake bread (including a number of sprouted varieties) and have a website -- http://www.users.nwark.com/~shilohf/index.htm -- unfortunately, the flours aren't listed there. Kamut stands in beautifully for wheat, has a better gluten response than spelt, and tastes great. Whole kamut makes fine bread, and I've used kamut pastry flour to make simple, freezable/storable flatbreads.

For two 12" or four 6" flatbreads:

1 cup kamut pastry flour

1/4+ cup water

1/4-1/2 tsp salt (as desired)

Mix the salt and the flour together and then dribble in some of the water. Use a fork to start mixing the water & flour together. When most of the flour has formed clumps, reach in and press it all together in a ball. Wipe up any excess flour with the ball. If it easily forms a wet ball, add more flour. If it won't quite press together, add a few more drops of water. Knead right in the bowl, about five minutes, until smooth & elastic.

Divide into two or four pieces, roll into balls, and let rest for five minutes. Then roll out the pieces with a rolling pin.

Heat a nonstick skillet to medium high. Put the first piece in, and let it sit until the edges just start to curl (less than a minute). Flip it, and give it another 30 seconds.

Using tongs, set the bread onto another burner set at medium-low. It will puff right up. Move it and flip it constantly until it's specked with brown and has been allowed to puff up in all areas of the bread. This takes about another 30 seconds.

These make great wrap sandwiches, and the small ones are perfect for making mini-pizzas. They can be frozen, and they thaw out in minutes.

I never buy "gluten-free" products, as they invariably contain potato, corn, both, and/or other avoids such as gums (which enhance the lectin activity of the avoid flours), and look & taste like bland, dry, gummy white bread. Can't recommend any of those.

I know you're very into doing things yourself at home -- which is a VERY good thing for everyone, but especially type Os who want to bake breads. How about fine rice flour instead of potato? Finely ground flaxseed, soaked to make a gel, as a binder in wheat-free breads? 100% rye flour, combined with kamut for lightness? And have you tried dehydrating well-cooked beans (or sprouted beans) like northern, white, black or cannellini beans or black-eyed peas?

I'll look forward to your food storage question, and hope I can help! :-D

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Heidi - Thank you so much for your column. I have read almost everything in the archive for your column as well as the old chat rooms. So Informative!

Almost immediately from the onset of the diet, I have noticed a wonderful reduction in my mucous production, I used to go through 1 1/2 boxes of tripple thick tissues a month... constant running and sneezing. That has been so encouraging and I won't stop the diet because I love that benefit.

I have been on the diet for just over two months now and have a few questions about weight loss. I'm a type A, stay about 70% with Beneficials and 20% with neutrals. (My husband is type AB and the neutrals help us eat nearly the same meals.) The times I stray into the Avoid category has been primarially due to Birth Control Pills and the inadvertant items that one runs into at work and family events and when one is not used to reading EVERY label. :o)

I'm getting used to it and taking my own food. Good thing I'm an excellent chef. I'm ending the Pill usage this week so hopefully that will help.

I do a yoga inspired streching program as well as Oxysize (a breathing/isometric-isotonic program) and take walks with my husband.

Anyway, enough rambling and to the point. I'm 150 lbs over weight. I know that the weight will come off slowly... I've already lost 5 pounds... but I was wondering what I can expect with regards to time frame. Are there any things I can do to speed my progress? Have there been other As successful with this amount of weight? I've read Morrisa's entries and your responses and I'd love to correspond with her if she'd be interested...or anyone else in the same boat. Thanks in advance for any advise! Susan

A very warm welcome to you, Susan!! I am quite certain that dropping the Pill will speed your weight loss. Bear in mind that it will take a bit of time before your hormone rhythms return to normal, so that's another little wait which will pay off handsomely.

I want to give you a huge pat on the back for your exercise program. It sounds absolutely perfect for you!! Yes, there have been many other type As who have shed significant poundage -- I think Shirley Stonehouse reported nearly 200 pounds *poofed away*.

Here are some suggestions to work with for now: warm lemon water in the morning on arising; small, frequent meals; tempeh, green vegetables, mushrooms, fish (particularly cod, mackerel, red snapper, sardines, trout) regularly; walnut, flax, and olive oils; limit grains to one serving of whole grain daily (oatmeal, amaranth, buckwheat, rice, 100% sprouted grain bread); drink 1/2 ounce of clean water per pound you weigh, daily, with a squeeze of lemon or pinch of sea salt in each quart; PolyFlora and ARA6 daily.

While I'm sure your husband is pleased with it, you've no idea how happy I am to have a chef on board -- keep an eye on us here, and offer some cooking tips to the needy, eh? :-) I'll certainly put you in touch with anyone who offers to correspond! Very best wishes, and keep in touch with us! :-D

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Hi, Heidi I'm writing to say that I think I was missed when you had that computer problem in late July. My first name doesn't come up in the search engine, and I can't remember my exact question, but I think it boils down to wanting to know which bacterial strains are beneficial, neutral, and bad for the Type A digestive tract? Part two regards echinacea for Type A's, as the descriptions in the blood type store imply that it's not the best for all types. And last, could you go into more depth on why you don't recommend spirulina and blue-green algae. Thanks for all your time and effort Antonio, Santa Fe

Hi, Antonio! Yep, I must have missed you! sorry about that!!

The beneficial guys for type A would be:

Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus plantarum, L. reuteri, B. infantis, B. longum, B. breve, L. caseii, L. salivarius, L. rhamnosus and S. thermophilus. Type As benefit nicely from these. I wouldn't use others.

What was the question about echinacea? It works well for As, but isn't advisable for type O, for example. It is an immune "upper" -- handy for those types who can use it, but contraindicated for other types who are prone to auto-immune and other hyperimmunity conditions.

We have no plans to recommend spirulina or blue-green algae supplements. I think they'll soon be dropped from the food lists altogether, as their presence has prompted a great deal of fluster among people who sell and/or are attached to using them. To learn more, try separate searches for "algae," "spirulina," and "plankton" in this column.

Thanks again for writing (and for re-submitting your Q! my apologies for the lapse!!) Best wishes to you, Antonio! :-D

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Heidi: Do you know anything about the 4 mini baby blood type books coming this fall? brian

They're news to me, brian! Tell me more! ~:-D

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HI Heidi! Well, I finally bought some lamb and ate my first piece yesterday (I'm a . It tasted pretty good, and both my sons (A tried it and liked it too.

I've been growing lots and lots of tomatoes (I only planted 4 but they've gone wild!) and finally tried some last week - I couldn't believe how tired I was the next day - I needed, and took, a nap, and it seemed to take a few days to recover. Now I am giving my tomatoes away and dehydrating them for gifts.

My question is regarding tiredness. I am still nursing, and get woken up several times a night, but I still think I am sleeping too much. I seem to need about 9-10 hours a night, but really need to get that down if I'm going survive when my oldest start kindergarten in two weeks. We do eat our main meal in the evening, between 6 and 7 (this is going to change to between 5 and 6 in the next 2 weeks). We are coming from a vegatarian diet, (and my husband is an A) so we still have some heavy starch meals, although I'm trying to make them vegatable starches more than grains these days. Thanks for any help, Ann.

WHOO-HOO!! Hey, I'm THRILLED you all enjoyed your lamb!! That is one powerful healing food for Bs & ABs. :-) Good going!! :-D

For your sleep schedule? Go with the flow. Ten hours is only needed because you're likely struggling to get back to sleep after feedings when your circadian rhythm would benefit by staying up for a few hours at certain times of night (and taking a nap in the afternoon when the baby does). Take a walk outside if you can. Bring the baby along. Or do the Five Tibetan Rites, or a short visualization session. Have a tiny snack, maybe a piece of fruit, or some water or calming herbal tea. Read for a while, write some notes, record your dreams, do whatever you feel prompted to. You'll find your own best schedule -- perhaps three hours sleep, a feeding, another two hours, a feeding, get up for a while, then sleep for an hour or two when your little one naps during the day. It is actually far better for you all round to maintain a staggered sleep routine rather than one big session of sleep followed by one long wakeful day. Once the babe's weaned, a 5- or 6-hour sleep and two naps (one before dawn, one in the afternoon) would be ideal.

Once your grain meals have been reduced to once daily or less, you'll find the tiredness will fade rather quickly. Grain sugars tend to excite the nervous system, then drop it into a creeping sluggishness. You're doing fine on that front, too -- just keep up the great work!

By the way -- save some of those sundried tomatoes for the soon-to-be-kindergartner. They make a great fruit-leather-like snack, and ABs are fine with them. ;-) Warm wishes, dear -- talk to me about how the sleep thing works for you, OK?? :-D

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I've been on the diet for 2 weeks and could tell the improvement of my weight, though I'm not too much overweight, 135lbs, want to get back to 125 (I'm going to weigh myself on Mon. after 2 weeks).

My blood-type is an A and have been a vegetarian before I started the diet, but eat fish. I'm trying to eat more of the Beneficial fish instead of neutral, which the bene. has some fish I've never eaten before. I love Cod which is on the Beneficial, but when I went to the fishmarket to get the cod the guy said that Haddock was the thing. So I bought it and brought it home and saw it is on the avoid list. How could the same species of fish be on two different lists? Any other good fish choices? I bought the whiting, but it's too fishy looking. I like the steak-type fish like tuna, sword, which are on the neutral. I eat salmon, but I'm trying to vary my diet alittle more. Of course most of my favorites are on the avoid, shrimp, lobster, etc. Please, let me know! Love the diet! Laura

Hey there, Laura! Welcome in!! Haddock, hake, and cod are quite different. The fishmonger was probably trying to suggest his "best" fish of the day. The oilier fish, like whiting, tuna, salmon, mackerel, etc. benefit from broiling with lemon, olive oil or light broth, and onion or garlic -- they're VERY tasty that way. Of course, when you buy a fish, it should never smell fishy. The eyes should be clear and bright, and gills should be a very bright red. If you love lobster, try monkfish! It's remarkably similar in texture and taste. Hope this helps!! And take a trip to a big bookstore, and browse through the cookbooks to find a couple good ones about fish particularly. They'll be a big help building your confidence in shopping & cooking for those beneficial fishies!

:-D

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For Helena in Sweden, received my Deflect-O and -B in the mail yesterday from Stacktheme - in a nice padded envelope an anonymous as they come! Besides a thougth struck me - if it is prohibited to sell in Sweden it isn't prohibited to buy LOL !!! Smiles from Ingrid

Smiles back atcha, dear!! thanks for that note! :-D

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A note to Maddy with high mercury levels.... I have not read the web site she mentions, but I am currently taking several things for mercury detox: chlorella, cilantro tincture, and bear garlic tincture - plus high doses of selenium and zinc (I don't know if the doc gave me this for detox or for something else).

Anyway, the cilantro I got from a pharmacy in Switzerland sent info with the "ParaCilantro" which states NOT to take cilantro tincture without taking chlorella (which should be certified mercury-free). Also, do not take if pregnant as it causes uterine contractions.

At some point in the future, I am going to switch to NDF Plus, then NDF (check out www.healthydetox.org. NDF comes highly recommended by my old pharamacy friends in Santa Monica, as well as another blood-type follower "RM").

Maddy should also read up on how cilantro, chlorella and garlic work in www.neuraltherapy.com - go to articles and read the protocal for neurotoxins/lyme disease (I think). If I've messed up on the exact website address I will correct later. Anyway, I tend to agree with Maddy on not using DMPS..... I would also probably attribute not having all the nasty mercury symptoms tø following the blood type diet! I know my symptoms are nothing compared to what I've read.... a bientot, Abby

(and a big hug and Bonjour to you, Heidi! Yes, I'm still MELTING.....)

Marvelous stuff -- keep yer cool there, Abby, autumn's just around the corner! Right? Right? :-} and keep writing!!! :-D

Not really a question, just more of a thought .. I realised that organic nut butters tend to have alot of oil.. as compared to the commercial peanut butter which is not oily.. or not at all. I suppose the organic one is the better choice but I'm wary of the oil. What do you think Heidi? -- Mavis

Hi, Mavis! Actually, much of the oil you see floating on the top of organic nutbutters is also present in the supermarket brands. Some of it is marketed separately. Those companies use "hydrogenated oils" to re-moisten the dried-out peanut mash they work from. You can't see that, though, because the ADDED hydrogenated oils (no good for anyone) as well as sweeteners (of all things), are whipped all up together, which stabilizes the "mix." It always looks just the way consumers expect. Take a good look at the labels -- you'll see some of those additives, but they're under no obligation to list the pesticides used in raising the peanuts.

The oil you see in any organic nutbutter is perfectly healthy for you if the nut is OK for type A. This kind of product is far superior to anything made by commercial non-organic manufacturers! And if you'd prefer, you can pour off the oil and blend the remainder with water to make a spreadable consistency. Just promise me you won't be eating that hydrogenated, sweetened stuff! :-) Thanks for your note, Mavis! :-D

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I am type O. I believe I might have a sensitivity to iodine causing cystic acne that looks almost like welps on my skin. Are you aware of any type O conditions that might result in sensitivity to iodine? If I have this sensitivity, should I stay away from the O beneficial foods like kelp, seaweed, and bladderwrack? Another question I have is, I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to bananas (at least bananas that aren't fully ripe). I notice the Blood Type PolyFlora contains "Banana Fruit" along with the Probiotic Blend. Should I not use this supplement? Thank you so much for your help! Tina

Hey there, Tina! Tell me more, OK? Are you taking PolyFlora now? and how much sea salt, seaweeds (including supplements) do you eat daily? If you cut out all iodine-containing foods & supps, does the acne disappear?

And what are the symptoms of banana allergy? If you abstain from them for two weeks, then eat a whole (ripe) banana, what happens?

Sorry I've got more questions than answers here, but I want to make sure I understand your situation before offering advice! Let me know, OK? I'll wait to hear from you! :-)

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A little birdie sent me this one. You know who you are, mmhbrrraa haha!! I understand your reluctance to have me publish this post. However, I'll make it very clear here that "Little Birdie" had low blood pressure, and her results might not be the same for someone with high blood pressure! Your Mileage May Vary! OK? This note was just too full of valuable information to keep to myself -- besides, we ALL have different blood types and different situations of all kinds. We're used to that! So, here we go!

Hi Heidi! An update on salt! I'm doing so very much better since starting more salt -- I'm taking 3.5g a day salt, will reduce when deficiency is corrected.

It's been a month, and my energy is gradually improving. Best yet, all of a sudden I'm doing the detox that people talk about when they start ER -- and I never did! My sinuses are clearing out. Turns out I've had a low-grade sinus infection for at least 7 years -- I thought my tooth hurt because it was cracked and it was just going to be that way because the dentist fixed it as best she could.

What I'm reading in Guyton's Textbook of Medical Physiology, is salt is required for proper mucous production. (Nerves signal sodium & chloride to go into mucous-producing cells, water follows the salt, cells swell until it triggers mucous release.) Salt deficiency would mean my sinuses don't function right. Plus no doubt lots else -- there isn't much available research on salt deficiency. (Though one of the symptoms of chloride deficiency is "profound lethargy" -- that's been me!)

I am hoping the rosacea goes away when the sinus inflammation dies down -- a low grade infection would surely ramp up the histamines in that side of my face. I think anybody like me who switched from lots of processed foods to cooking all my own food, and who exercises or sweats alot (no air-conditioning) could be at risk for salt deficiency.

We are so ingrained with the concept of reducing salt intake. I was salting my food and not trying to skimp -- but when I added up all the natural food-sodium plus what I salted, it was just a bit higher than the amount of sodium a body naturally loses in a normal day -- about 530mg (I was eating 730mg). But you lose a lot more if you sweat: 1g/hr in intense exercise. So I was gradually depleted, even though a nutritionist would say my salt intake was wonderful.

P.S. -- my tooth doesn't hurt anymore. I haven't been able to chew on that side of my mouth for as long as I can remember, and now I can even chew carrots! "Little Birdie"

I'm THRILLED that salt was the key for so much healing!!!! Be well, and keep writing! :-D

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For Helena in Sweden and glucosamin / Defelect O. I suppose Stacktheme products are mailed out from within the EU so the Swedish Customs aren't interested. The prices are in British pounds too. I say go for it! Ingrid in Sweden

I say, you're a devil! and thanks so much, Ingrid! ~;-D

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Hi, Heidi, a newsletter I get points out that mercurochrome and merthiolate both contain mercury, so do not belong in the medicine chest. Also, iodine and hydrogen peroxide both damage the skin and retard healing. The best bets are anti-bacterial creams like Bacitracin and Neosporin, but even those should be used sparingly. I keep an aloe vera plant in the kitchen and often use the pulp on cuts and scrapes. Honey also is a good antibacterial substance, in a pinch.

By the way, my aunt has since been told she does not have Fuchs' - big sigh of relief for everyone, AND she's a B+, not an A (my grandmother was an AB+). But she is going to have cataracts removed from both eyes, which will help a lot. My aunt is fascinated with the blood type diet information and you have a new convert in her. Thanks for all your help. Kim

Bless you, Kim -- I am thrilled to the ground that your aunt is "cleared" of Fuchs'. The mercury and disinfectant notes you posted are familiar to me. Anyone else have some notes on this subject -- or on cataracts? Write 'em in! :-) Be well, Kim, and my very best wishes to your aunt's ocular health! :-)

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hello heidi its your scots nonnie i would like to know if you have a translation site for words that i can't understand for instance i don't know what cilantro is i thought it was parsley and, what is sweetbreads i took it to understand sweetbreads are cakes etc! which i believe you call cookies my sis in new jersey calls them cookies hoping to here from you soon thank-you for all the info its great!! mary.

Good morning, Mary! Cilantro is coriander leaf -- we here in the States make a distinction in name between the two, and call the leaf by the Italian name, and the seed by the English name. A melting pot it's been called, and not for nothing. ;-) Sweetbreads are meats (the thymus or pancreas), and sweetmeats are the sweets (although no one here has said sweetmeats for only 200 years or so). It's a lovely country, and you should visit more often!

;-D

I don't have a translation site for you, and I've been known to fall short of the mark in the "beans" area as my English friends have patiently pointed out from time to time, but if you send me a list of the food names that are on you like a headache, I promise to do my utmost to translate them into Scots (not the Gaelic, I mean, but even that I'd try if you'd like to see a grown woman cry). How will that do you, dear?

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Heidi, I don’t believe that the yucca that Leo uses in his line of supplement products is the food yucca root. If you may remember I wrote you about yucca a few months ago. This was the reason I wrote. From what I discovered researching yucca since then is that there are two uses of the term yucca. Yucca as a supplement comes from a different source and has no relationship to the yucca root used as a food. The supplement yucca is used in the anti-inflammation protocol for type O. Don

Hello, Don! I went looking for our previous yucca discussion, and found the following from June of last year:







Unfortunately, the label for Leo's product just says "yucca" without specifying any particular extract. If it is the yucca saponins, then it's fine for Os -- although we'd still have the aloe and echinacea to contend with.

Hope this helps ? :-)

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Hi, I am very much over-weight (1.6m, 92kg). I want to shed off at least 30kg of fat. Thus I would like to try out your plan together with the supplements. I am of a B+ blood type. Could you please help? Kindly recommend what I should take especially on the supplements that you are selling. Greatly apprecaite your attention. Irene

Hello, Irene! The first thing to do is to read the book -- all the information, along with the food lists, is contained there. I suggest Live Right 4 Your Type, which has the most detailed information, if you plan to find out your secretor status to refine your diet choices (and speed things up). If you'd rather use a short, pocket-sized guide to the diet which will work without knowing your secretor status, use the Blood Type B Food, Beverage and Supplement Lists. Both can be purchased in our Store here.

They both give guidelines on exercise and the importance of stress-relieving activities, as well.

The supplements are really there to provide extra nutrition in most cases -- they're not essential to the plan, but if you'd like some guidance in using them, just try the diet for a few weeks and we can discuss your needs at that time... just write back and let me know, OK?

WELCOME, and I'm sure you'll find the B plan is ideal for weight loss! Do keep in touch! :-D

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Hi Heidi! My mother's sister, age 80, was just diagnosed with Fuchs' dystrophy, an autosomal dominant condition in which the cornea swells and can't disperse fluid. Corneal cells flake off and painful blisters are produced. It is the numebr 1 reason for corneal transplants. My mother and I have the opposite problem - dry eyes, but the chances are that we too, may have inherited Fuchs'.

Anyway, in doing some research, I discovered that many eye doctors advise avoiding nightshade products, including cucumbers, as well as milk, wheat and corn. My aunt, mother and I are all type A, which is interesting, as all those foods are avoids for type As except for cucumbers and corn. I doubt my aunt is following the type A diet, but I plan to recommend it to her. Is there anything else you can suggest she do? And for my mother and me, I saw that some eye specialists recommend 12 almonds or pecans daily plus 3 500mg capsules of evening primrose oil 2-3 times a day (for the essential fatty oils), in addition to plenty of Omega-6s and 0mega-3s. Any other dry eye advice? Thanks for all your help Heidi. You're a special person. Kim

Hey there, Kim ~~ You did some nice research there! :-) The only things I could add are

(1) stay absolutely hydrated throughout the day, which means the old "1/2 ounce of water per pound of body weight" with a squeeze of lemon or a pinch of sea salt in each quart. You will be astonished at what this simple (and real cheap) method will accomplish. Nearly everyone is chronically dehydrated, and after the age of 35 or so (as I understand it), we have a much-diminished sense of when we NEED water than before.

(2) use bilberry. The best supplementary form for this purpose is the extract. PhytoPharmica makes this product, and it seems to be good for whatever ails the eyes.

Blessings to you and your family! and please let me know how you all get along, OK? :-)

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Hi again! I am a type O and I'm having a hard time finding wheat free bread that doesn't taste like cardboard. Also, I can't seem to find Ezekiel bread that doesn't also have oat flour and other "avoid" flours mixed in. I've looked in almost every healthfood store in the area and it's always the same brand and ingredients. Is there a brand of Ezekiel bread that doesn't have any other flours? This may be a silly question, but is "Wheatgrass" actually wheat? Does it have the gluten in it that I'm supposed to stay away from? I'm a type O, and I didn't see it listed in the book. It seems to have everything else that would be beneficial for a type O. Thanks! Amanda

Hi there, Amanda! Wheatgrass is actually wheat. But it hasn't yet grown the "grain" part that contains the gluten. No "amber fields of grain" - just the green part (the grass). Same with barley grass. They're both GREAT for all types! :-) Are you avoiding gluten due to celiac?

The Zeke brand I see constantly is Food for Life. Visit their website at www.foodforlife.com. If the label says "100% Flourless," it's all sprouted (or "malted") grains, and it comes in several forms: loaf, hamburger buns (the orange wrapper IS flourless, but the other isn't), seeded hamburger buns (flourless), hot dog buns (which are NOT flourless) and a whole slew of bagel varieties that I haven't checked. *Whew!* ;-)

We're noticing more & more that using brand or product-descriptive names like Ezekiel and Essene are confusing people more than helping them. Trust your own ability to read labels, and use that information in preference over the fact that a product name may have been included in the food lists. We're most likely going to eliminate ALL these terms from TYPEbase3 and minimize their prominence in books not already published (or already in the publishing queue).

I've found enormous numbers of wheat-free breads in my little old HFSs. Kamut, rye, millet, quinoa, spelt, rice breads of all kinds, not to mention the "manna"-type moist breads.

All the ones I've tasted are nothing at all like cardboard. What breads are you use to? Maybe if I had an idea of your preferences, we could recommend something to try that would be similar. In a way it's fortunate that type Os are allowed only a few servings of grain per week. ;-)

And DO check out the foodforlife site and their links -- you'll be better equipped to have a meaningful chat with your organic grocer's grain manager!

;->

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Hi Heidi! I am trying to lose the "spare tire" aka flab just like Carl mentioned in his post but I am a B nonnie. I have been taking Green tea extract. I was wondering is that as beneficial as the actual Green tea? I try to avoid caffeine so I chose the extract instead. Do you think it matters? Thanks so much!! Take care, Nicole

Hello, Nicole! Most of the foods we note for specific purposes are best taken in their natural state, rather than an extract of that food. The many elements of the whole food tend to work together in synergy to do the amazing things they do -- while a fraction or individual element rarely does the same job as well (or as safely, in some cases). I can't say that green tea extract would not work for you, but I'd certainly like to hear your results!

If you are caffeine sensitive (if there's no amount small enough that it doesn't give you jitters, or cause migraines when you quit it), then it's worth testing out the extract, but keep up a solid exercise program and plenty of slightly mineralized water (lemon juice or sea salt) and see how it works for you! :-)

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I took two tests recently that showed my mercury and lead were high.One blood test and one urine test. Mercury was really excessivly high. Yet, I have no symptoms that are typical with mercury poisoning . I had one dose of DMPS and a 6 hour urine test to see what I excreted and it was in the highest range possible.... Doctor wanted to put me on a chelator of DMPS and to go for treatment until my urine was clear, but I read a lot of negative things about it.

Decided to try on my own a protocol from the Life Extension Institute (www.lef.org)...go to heavy metal detox. They recommend using Cilantro as an herbal remedy. 15 drops twice a day in hot water....for 5 days on, 2 days off. Do this for 3 months. I am just starting this protocol.

They say to start off slowly if you're very toxic...I just did one drop this morning and will add one more drop with each dose until I reach the 15 drops. Cilantro is supposed to chelate mercury through the urine.

It was recommended that I do a liver support while on this formula...and so they suggested milk thistle twice a day. And to drink lot of water and use green drinks and a lot of veggies. I think candida is a problem for with people with heavy metals in their system and some probiotics might be helpful.

I will report again after I try this for awhile. I quit eating the large amounts of fish I ate often...and switched to some organic chicken, turkey and even some eggs for variety. I'm not sure the culprit is just fish...and I think mercury toxicity is a bigger problem than we know as most people aren't even tested for it. I used to PLAY with the mercury from a broken thermometer when I was a child. Dumb I know but it wasn't something we ever knew as toxic back then.

http://www.lef.org/newshop/items/item00551.html Heidi, here's the link on cilantro for heavy metal detoxing. Thought you might like to read about it before recommending it to anyone. Maddy

Wow, yeah, I remember you mentioning the "mercury as a toy" experience some time ago. Many thanks, Maddy! I will CERTAINLY look forward to your next report, and I'm sure lots of other people will, too!! :-D

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Avalon, thanks for another timely heads-up!



The relevant area of the site is on the right-hand side. You will be asked to register (free) with a username & password of your choice. Folks in the U.S., please go and cast your vote -- let your public servants know what you think on this issue! MANY THANKS!! :-D





Heidi, You are so prompt! Just a couple of notes: I knew that the agave nectar probably wasn't great, I just figured it was the lesser of two evils due to it's low glycemic index and it's sweetness (sweeter than sugar). On the upside, I have discovered chicory syrup which was mentioned in the same column you refered me to for the agave and said was probably OK. It's also cheaper than agave! (For all you nonnies looking for sweeteners-if Heidi says chicory syrup is OK-if I can find it in Canada, you should be able to get it in the US. It's pretty good-very natural tasting.)The veg-gly I have IS Frontier brand, I just find that it smells and tastes a bit artificial; kind of metallic. I will keep trying though. Thanks for your continuing advice and support. You are always a font of information. I'll keep in touch (I'm sure you're sick of seeing my name , but I always think of more questions!) Cheers, Paige



:-D Heavens No, I'm always pleased to hear from you!! :-) Let us all know the brand name of the chicory syrup -- sounds tasty, and I'd no idea we had something like Abby's chicory extract here in North America! BEST wishes, dear!! :-D

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Hi Heidi, Are you doing okay up there in NY? I hope you fared the blackout alright.



Had a story and a question to share. My AB nonnie cousin who lives in NY and eats out almost every meal and does not follow the diet, except to cut out chicken and corn, visited me this past weekend. We had a long heart-to-heart about her health and the BTD. She has had so many sinus infections that antibiotics no longer work and basically always has a low level one. She has fertility issues and many fibroid cystic tumor on her ovaries. She just went to a new doctor in NY who told her there was some correlation between the tumors and blood sugar levels. Wanted to share that interesting tidbit with everyone. So she is now trying to drink the Sip Right Tea for AB rather than her morning cup of coffee, which she did not know affected blood sugar levels, and has cut back on the fairly regular and large quantities of wheat that she consumes. Amazingly enough, she was the one who introduced me to BTD some 5 years ago.



On the other hand, my A nonnie sister has come around so much to the BTD that she won't eat my Tofu Mousse with Mori-Nu tofu because it contains Gluconolactone (GDL) which is not in the TypeBase. Love her for that. :-) Not 4 mos. ago she was eating potatoes and wondering why she was getting headaches. This is what the company says about it, "Although a very tiny amount of GDL is used in making Mori-Nu, you should know that generally, the companies that make this ingredient use corn syrup as a starting base. Of course, by the time it is processed into a pure white, crystalline powder, it carries none of the characteristics of corn. The final product can be found in its natural state in bee's honey." Is this stuff alright to eat? Thanks Heidi. We are very lucky to have you around. Best, Nina



Hi, Nina -- I enjoyed the blackout tremendously -- and it was brief enough that little or no damage was done among my nearest & dearest. Mind you, I was not one of the thousands of poor souls caught in the subways when the lights went out & the A/C went off. Shoved together in humid darkness with hundreds of nervous strangers, waiting for the crew to come along and open the car so you can walk miles through the extremely filthy and dangerous tunnels is not a laughing matter, and I'm sure it was a much longer outage for them than it was for me. We were very fortunate this time, in terms of duration and the relatively mild weather. Only a few hospitals here have emergency generators. People undergoing operations or dependent on life support could easily have died on a hotter day, or if the grid hadn't come back up when it did.



But here where I was, it meant sudden, luxurious quiet. No blaring radios. No A/Cs rattling and humming along. No TV noise, anywhere. At first we thought it was just our apartment, or our building, but soon learned the score from the transistor-toting folks who gathered out front. Just as people check on their moms & dads during a catastrophe, Bryan & I headed down to check on our butcher. ;-) You see, in the '99 blackout (a localized phenomenon when Con Ed's poor planning got our entire "unimportant" neighborhood shut off), he lost thousands of dollars of meat to the 100+ degrees and nearly three days it took to restore the electricity.



So, we found his little shop already packed with other concerned locals, and him sitting on his stool, pronouncing "what will be, will be!" grinning and cracking jokes with everybody as usual. As it turned out, his carefully packed-up meat stores survived the only-16-hours unscathed. :-)



The best parts were ... reading by lamplight ... an hours-long philosophical discussion with Bryan that somehow turned to designing a BTD-compliant "Ding-Dong" (a very long story) ... and the unlooked-for blessing of a light-pollution-free night. We strolled outside around 11:00 to catch a little breeze, and stood in the street with our neighbors, gazing up like little children at the incredible sight of STARS overhead. Great night for a walk in the park! I wanted to go for a walk in the park, but he chickened out. LOL! Don't tell him I said that. :-D



OH! Whoops! you asked a question. :-} Gluconolactone, eh? Darned if I know. The description given by the manufacturer leads me to believe that the low carbers, celiac folks, and probably BTD'ers as well, have already torn them ragged over whether there's corn in there, and they've done their homework to give a thorough answer to those concerns. I'd opine that your sis can enjoy your tofu mousse with a clean conscience! :-)



It's great to hear your stories of family & friends -- I have to say, that's a big 10-4 HOO-RAH for your AB nonnie cousin! If I can help her with anything, just say the word -- hey, she's a "neighbor" of mine, after all! and keep up the magnificent work, Nina! Blessings on ya, dear! :-D

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Heidi, Just a note for Helena, the celiac in Sweden (August 16, 2003). I don't know if it's available in her language, but the Gluten-Free Gourmet cookbooks by Bette Hagman are fabulous. Some substitutions need to be made for type O's and nonnies (arrowroot for cornstartch etc.) but it's a great basis for a lot of recipes.



The Gluten-Free Gourmet bakes bread is great for flour mixes as well as the information for making your own flour blends.



Another great cookbook for us type O's is The Allergy Self-Help Cookbook by Marjorie Hurt Jones, RN. Again, some substitutions are necessary, but the general idea is there. Hope that is helpful! Cheers, Paige



Many thanks again, Paige! Great stuff!! :-D

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Dear Heidi: I'm going to be teaching high school foods/nutrition this fall, and I thought I remembered a teacher writing in that she was teaching the "blood type diet" to her students. Does Dr. D have any visual aids that could be used for teaching to 9th & 10th graders? I'd love to be able to teach it. I'm not teaching "the food pyramid." Thanks, Judy



Hi, Judy! OK, ANYONE GOT BTD TEACHING MATERIALS? :-D I know some of you out there are doing presentations and may have something Judy can adapt for her classrooms?



Write in!! :-D

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Hi Heidi, I wanted to get back to you about the yeast/fungus rash on my body. I tried the grapefruit seed extract and Heallix and it is gone. I said before that I am kinda compliant on the B diet. I do OK at avoiding the avoids during the week but I don't eat as much as I should and there is no such thing as fresh fish in this town. On the weekends with my husband, he likes mexican food and I can't seem to resist the salsa and chips. I know I shouldn't but I still do, although I'm cutting back.



I'm living in one town during the week and at home on the weekends. Instead of managing my stress it's managing me. The only excercise I get is a little walking a couple of times a week. I've tried the alternate nostril breathing and can't seem to focus long enough to get it done. I'm taking 2 caps of Corticaid a day and pregnenolone. Once I took dhea with pregnenolone and felt pretty good but I'm afraid that the dhea will cause facial hair growth.



I know I need to do yoga or something like it but I'm not one to do it at home alone. I went to a yoga class several days a week in my 20's and that's the best I've felt, ever. I've looked for a class and the closest one is 70 miles away. I'm in Lawton OK during the week if anyone has any suggestions.



I went to see a counselor today and he told me that if I don't start feeling better in the next couple of weeks he's going to suggest antidepressants, which I really don't want to do. But my stress, anxiety, depression is affecting my marriage which is making matters worse. Do you have any specific recommendations that will help me feel better? Vickie



Hello, Vickie! GREAT news about the fungal stuff being gone!



With a choice between doing the alternate nostril breathing for a couple of minutes daily, or else taking antidepressants, I'd certainly try my utmost to "work it out" with myself to do the breathing. ;-) It's a very flexible thing: start with just one minute, and work up to 5 or 10 if you can -- and there's no need to focus mentally on anything in particular. You can plan your day, work on a meeting agenda, run through your shopping list, anything you'd like. You need not close your eyes. If you put something like a "single-ding" kitchen timer in the next room, or in a drawer, it can time your session without your attention, and without a noisy alarm jerking you out of relaxation.



A yoga class would be superb -- I DO hope readers have some suggestions for you as to finding a closer location to Lawton!



With such a demanding schedule, it must be very tempting to just do whatever you can to get through your weeks. I suggest taking a few Deflect caps for those Mexican meals, to help minimize the damage. Also (even though it's not a group activity like the yoga class) I heartily recommend the 8-minute full exercise program detailed on the 5 Basic Exercises pages. They require nothing except those few minutes and space to lie down in -- fabulous for perpetual travellers. Take a few minutes to look it over. First, look up the info in the Age tables, then go to the lowest level of exercise routines and just start right in. There are four simple exercises, then either a walk or a run. You can jog in place instead of outside if you wish. Even this simple activity would be powerful for your stress-reduction needs. Another very brief (and very B-like :-)) program is the Five Tibetan Rites. Again, no equipment or special space required -- a hotel room floor would suffice -- and just a few minutes to do the five exercises.



I truly hope that one of the above can fit into your schedule, while you're searching for a good yoga or T'ai Chi or martial arts class near you! Folks, please do write in with any suggestions for Vickie, OK? Take care, dear!

:-D

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Hi Heidi, I just received the results of my secretor test and have confirmed that I am a non-secretor (as I was already sure!). Now that I know that I am a non-secretor, I am trying to find out as much as I can about it. I have picked up from reading this column that there are several distinguishing features of non-secretors: something about eye/hair colour (can you explain this?), dental issues, diabetes, etc. I've looked in BTD and LR4YT extensively (and a little bit in the Encyclopedia at the bookstore) for definite info on non-secretors all collected in one place but I still feel like most of what I know is vague and I must be missing some info. Can you give a summary of what it means to be a non-secretor? Thanks, Kate

Hey there, Kate! Congratulations! and Welcome to the ol' Nonnie Tribe! ;-)

The hair/eye note you saw was something Peter posted on the old message board. He mentioned that green-eyed folks with either brown or red hair are more likely to be secretors. No guarantee there, though -- just an interesting "unverified association" to ponder while gazing at your friends and neighbors... or awaiting your saliva test results. ;-)

Nonsecretors are overrepresented among people with diabetes (and other ailments) and among folks sitting in the dentist's office. That doesn't mean you can count your cavities and know which one you are -- nor does it mean that if you have Metabolic Syndrome, you are necessarily a nonsecretor -- or that if you don't have it, you're a secretor. Again, these are associations rather than determinants.

There is a huge amount of info on secretor status in Live Right and the Encyclopedia which bears many re-readings. There are also a multitude of links on disease, etc., in the SCIENCE section of the front page (www.dadamo.com), as well as a nice thorough précis in the Knowledge Base (linked just to the left of this column).

Enjoy your research, and I hope this new information about yourself will be of great value to you! Keep me updated!! :-D

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I saw that someone recently commented on getting swollen eyes from vinegar. I am a type B and sometimes get puffy eyes first thing in the morning. I do have pollen allergies, but tend to get this during the year and assumed it was due to having dry eyes (I live in Colorado and my eye doctor said dry eyes were common here) and if I exposed my face and eyes to direct heat, such as looking into an oven when I am cooking or barbecuing. However I also wondered if it had something to do with what I am eating. Do you know what it was about vinegar that gave the person writing to you the "frog eyes" as she called them? Thanks! Joyce

Hi there, Joyce ~~ Dehydration can cause puffy eyes, as can allergies to environmental substances and ingested foods. This is another good reason to stay FULLY hydrated (and get adequate minerals), especially in the hot months of the year, and to take Deflect as a precautionary measure if one's not absolutely certain of the ingredients of a particular meal. Hope you're doing well, dear! :-D

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I'm wondering if you would be kind enough to explain something that I haven't understood in the material on avoids. What does "flocculates serum or precipitates serum proteins" mean? Assume you are speaking to an anatomical novice that needs the dots connected! I figured that "provokes abnormal blood reaction" referes to aglutination. Best wishes, Cyndi

Hey there, Cyndi! Sure, here goes.

Flocculates = coagulates. Coagulated serum is like when you have a wound, and the blood cells (along with mucus, white blood cells, etc.) coagulate to form a protective scab there. "Precipitates serum proteins" means that the nice whole little proteins in your blood "give up the ghost" and separate out of suspension from the liquid serum. If this is done in a test tube, the poor little bits end up all flaked out at the bottom, like dead autumn leaves. ;->

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Dear Heidi, Nice to have you back! Just to share a useful discovery for A and B type coffee drinkers re soy milk:when you change from dairy to soy milk and find that with many brands your coffee is curdling in a most unaesthetic manner, try adding vegetable glycerine as your sweetner of choice BEFORE adding the soymilk.Problem solved. Also, I've been making soy yoghurt at home using full cream, best quality soymilk, and it comes out as a mildly sour creamy sauce that can be used in cooking and as a topping for everything that dairy yoghurt is used for. It also came up well as the creamy base of a tuna casserole.This is such a boon for the O type person in my family as otherwise she found herself breaking out of the diet to have some form of dairy product. Cheerio, Jenny

Ah, that's a nice one -- thanks, Jenny!! :-D Want to share your recipe/procedure for soy yoghurt when you have some extra time? It's something the O & AB secretors, B nons and all the As would much appreciate, I'm sure!! thanks in advance... very sweet of you!! :-D

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Hi, and thanks for all the splendid supplementary research and advice. Another correspondent wrote a few months ago about using cherry juice as a glycogen replacement drink after strenuous exercise. I have adapted the principle and now use cherry juice as a sports drink while cycling and running. I mix 1/3 cherry to 2/3 water, and add sea salt. Not great for racing (empties too slowly) but superb for training and recovery. My question concerns the pesticides associated with cherries. I have a chart that list cherries as one of the most pesiticide-rich fruits. Given that it is almost impossible to get organic cherry juice out of season, are the benefits of drinking black cherry juice (Knudsen) greater than the risks associated with a high pesticide load? And do juices have a lot of pesticides? Thanks in advance. Nadine.

Allo, Nadine! Glad you're finding black cherry juice useful in your workouts!!

If organic cherry juice is tough to find there out of season, consider buying the whole frozen cherries (available year-round) from big producers like Cascadian Farms. They can be thawed, juiced, or just stuck in a blender and whizzed up with water to the desired dilution, then strained if you like. That said, I'm a big fan of buying up fresh organic cherries in season, then just pitting them & home-freezing (or vacuum-packing, or dehydrating) them for use later on. Buying up the juice and freezing it in serving-sized, flexible containers is another option. Pesticide-y fruit is something we'd all do well to steer clear of, so plan ahead and see what will work for you!

Nice Q! be well! :-)

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Heidi, you have been so very helpful in the past so I'm hoping you can find it in your heart to respond to this one quickly as I have very little time. I leave for Spain in less than three weeks and I'm finally convinced after reading about it enough in your column that I should do a gall bladder flush before I go. I have visited www.sensiblehealth.com but am not sure if I need to do Step 1 (gold coin grass) and step 2 (intestinal cleansing) before doing step 3 which I have read so much about here, the actual olive oil/grapefruit juice flush. With so little time, what do you recommend I do? Thanks as always - you are out blood type angel :-) Dianne in L.A.

Hi, Dianne! OK -- Here are my opinions:

The GCG is an "excess of caution" measure for most of us. However, if your doc has found through a scan that you have Large stones, GCG would save you the (very rare) risk of getting a big one stuck in the bile duct and having to repeat the flush till you pass it (veddy upsetting and uncomfortable for most folks) or going to Emergency to get it removed. This is rare to the point of being a remote possibility, but it's something you would need to "make the call" on. I didn't use GCG, nor did the dozen or so friends who did the flush successfully. The apple juice was entirely sufficient (it softens the stones, whereas the GCG breaks them up). I didn't know I was a nonsecretor when I used the day-long apple juice method (fresh-juiced green Granny Smiths, diluted 50% with water), and as a therapeutic thing I'd say it's probably the best way to go even for O-nons as long as they don't mind an avoid used as a short-term (one-day) tool.

As to the intestinal cleansing, it's a nice thing to do -- but it's something I'd suggest only if you have persistent constipation, impaction, or some similar real trouble there. Otherwise, the flush itself cleans things out quite spectacularly. ;-)

So, if you can, go ahead with the process -- but not if you'd feel rushed & a tad stressed about it. If you take probiotics before, during & after the flush, things will return to normal pronto. Allow a week from the flush to the day you fly off on your trip -- and let me know how it goes for you, OK? :-) DO enjoy Spain!! :-D

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Hope you had a good break- we missed you!

I just wanted to tell you that my dad (ab man with severe kidney failure) is so much better- the sun, light exercise and good ab food helped so much that his nurse at hospital said that it was cases like him that made her work worthwhile BUT- because he is in dialysis every night he has to keep his intake of potassium and phosphorus very low - it means that a lot of the veggies and fruit, nuts and dairy that is beneficial for him is a NO NO if he follows the hospitals advices.

I´m really worried because I do not think that he gets enough fruit and veggies. He eats : In the morning ryebread with a bit of butter and cottagecheese or jam maybe a glass of applejuice. Lunch is ryebread with different types of meat and fish. Afternoon green tea and one fruit and a biscuit. Dinner: meat, rice/pasta and small amounts of veggies, glass of wine.

Do you know a place on the internet where I can find the amount of minerals and vitamins in different food? - I really want to show him that not every veggie and fruit is high in potassium- the hospital is not very helpfull on this. Henriette B-sec.

Hallo, Henriette! I'm thrilled your dad is doing better now!

HERE is a page detailing potassium content of various common foods, along with cooking techniques which reduce potassium. Most of the low-potassium foods listed are neutral or beneficial for him.

You know, the hospital's staff is where this info should come from -- this is a huge part of their responsibility, both in educating their patients and in giving full information on dietary guidelines. You may have to nag a bit (in a friendly but persistent way) if they don't feel like helping you. Speak to the doctor, nurse or dietician and ask for a comprehensive list of foods showing potassium and phosphorus content, and to give you an exact upper cut-off amount on those minerals so that you can plan his meals. Also, make sure he gets plenty of beneficial proteins -- lamb, liver, mutton, rabbit and turkey, and fish -- he needs them for healing. One portion of meat or poultry 3 times per week, and one of fish 4 times per week.

How about eggs? A little less grain (bread, biscuits, etc.) would be better for him -- he really should have a maximum of one grain serving daily (two slices of bread, one muffin, or 1/2 cup of dry rice, cooked. Reducing his grain intake will make it easier on his kidneys.

Thanks SO much for that report, and I look forward to the next one! VERY best wishes to you both -- you are a wonderful daughter!! :-D

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The reason your various readers have not found umeboshi plum seasoning to have the same ill-effects as vinegar is because it isn't vinegar. Umeboshi plums are pickled in salt with something called shiso leaves. The plums are then sold at great expense & the pickling liquid is sold separately as a seasoning. It does make a good vinegar sub by way of a change but I assume we wouldn't want anyone to go hog-wild on it because of the need to moderate salt intake. Sarah

Yep! It's a very strong, tasty pickling liquid. ;-) Thanks for that, Sarah! ;-)

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Dear Heidi, Thanks so much for responding to my letter and thanks to all the other readers for the support! I'm sorry I haven't checked in for so long; I've been away for 3 months and have neglected to check the postings-I didn't even know you had answered my questions! As an update, not much has changed YET, but I'm working on it .

One thing I have started is making iced green tea to drink instead of soda (I'm afraid that was a nasty addiction). I make about 2.5 liters (I'm Canadian so you'll have to convert) and use 16 tea bags. Then I add the juice of 2 limes and 1 lemon. Unfortunately, I just can't give up sweeteners entirely right now, but I try to minimize them-I use 1/2 cup of unrefined sugar and 1/2 cup of agave nectar and try to reduce the amount each time. I am finding that I require less and less sweetener each time. The way I look at it is that 1 cup of sweetener in 2.5 L is a lot better than than the amount in the soda or drinks I had before.

I am slowly trying to get an exercise program going and plan to try some of the suggestions you and the other readers made. I'm just such a picky eater *sigh*. I'm working on making some sort of snack bar, like a breakfast bar, that I can keep at work for snacks or have for breakfast when I can't make something. Do you have any suggestions for a protein supplement/powder to use since whey and soy are out (I'm Type O non-s)? I was thinking about ground almonds or other nuts, but don't want to overwhelm the recipe with one flavour. Bottom line- it has to be tasty or I just won't eat it.

My cupboards and fridge are always filled with healthy food I buy with all the best intentions, but end up tossing out because I really don't like it. I seem to have very limited taste preferences; possibly because I've eaten so poorly for so long. I just don't think I can give up sugar or sweeteners entirely, I guess I just have to minimize. You mentioned hooking me up with a btd practitioner in my area, well I live in Ottawa, Canada and would love to know if there is anyone in my area. I would really like to correspond with some of the readers-you know, for support and to trade recipes etc. so if anyone is interested my email is [LET ME KNOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO CORRESPOND WITH PAIGE, AND I'LL FORWARD HER ADDRESS TO YOU. :-)]. Thanks Heidi for your continuing support and information.

Heidi, Just one more note. I have some veg-gly that I try to use-especially when baking-but I find it imparts a very metallic taste. I have tried it in tea etc. but find the taste off-putting. Have you or any of the readers noticed this? Cheers, Paige

Hello, Paige ! Vegetable glycerine would be a wonderful substitute for the cup of sweeteners you currently use in your iced green tea mix -- 1/4 cup equals 1/2 cup of sugar. If the brand you bought does not taste good to you, try any of the other brands mentioned in the several columns on sourcing veg gly. Frontier brand seems to be the frontrunner on flavor. And if you're interested, take a look at my quick note on agave in this column.

I don't think I'd be of much help in designing a protein supplement you could *keep* at work and just mix into a drink, or use as a food bar. You might try albumin (egg) powder -- try ProteinFactory.com. Jerky is most definitely the best option for protein snacks that will survive a while in an office desk drawer, and the book Jerky by R.D. Livingston explains the basics and offers plenty of recipes which can be adapted at will.

It does take a little determination to find tasty ways of using beneficial and neutral foods in cooking. We all face that obstacle, and overcome it either by testing new recipes or adapting the ones we're familiar with. For instance, if the only way I could drink green tea was with sugar, I'd choose a beneficial juice or an herbal tea I liked instead. I do understand your difficulties incorporating new foods, starting your exercise and weaning yourself off sugar. Just try to move forward a little bit each day - take as much time as you need. ;-)

About your request (posted later) to design a meal plan for you, it looks like you have all the tools at hand to do so -- and only you can taste-test recipes to see if they meet your exacting standards. Just start by making up that frequency table for yourself out of Live Right, then fill in the blanks with meat, fish, vegetables, in very simple combinations for main meals. For reference, try using just one big cookbook like The New Basics Cookbook (Rosso & Lukins) to have all your recipe choices in one place. It gives plain cooking techniques and tips for most common foods, as well as a wide variety of recipes which easily can be adapted for your purposes. VERY best wishes, Paige, and please do update us now & then when you can! :-D

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? The column of 14 oct 2002: "back by popular demand~more potpourri? Chris wrote to you stating: im "(rh neg Kal neg." I wanted to find out what "KAL neg" designates? Can you tell me? brian

Good question! I'm not familiar with this term. Anyone have an idea on this one? :-)

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i am a type B soy products are bad for me does this include soy protien isolates? allen

Hello, Allen ~~ Yes, the isolated soy proteins should be avoided - that is the concentrated form of the soy elements which are most harmful for Bs. :-)

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I just read Eating Right 4 Your Type and found I'm eating all the wrong things for my type. I'm A+ so I should be a vegatarian. I bought the Cook Right 4 Your Type book to get some ideas of meal planning and discovered that a few of the recipies suggest type A should avoid them and I don't understand why. Can you tell me why we should avoid the Lemon Tea Cake and Walnut Cookies? Lemons and walnuts are ok for us, right? Renee



Hi, Renee! I think it's the butter! Use ghee instead, and enjoy! :-D



By the way, not all type As are best suited to vegetarianism -- some are, and some are not. Just follow the beneficial/avoid/neutral status for the foods, and include chicken & turkey (and fish!) if you seem to benefit from it.



and a WARM WELCOME to the BTD! Write again with any questions! :-)

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Dear Heidi, thanks for your recent reply to my query around my agonising ulcer - I just wanted to update you on what my BTD practitioner has next suggested and ask you if you agree with her recommendations ... you told me 'heallix' might be a good thing to start taking to heal the stomach lining - on asking my practitioner she said it was commonly used for treating cancer! - she's given me 'permatrol' to take as she thinks this will help heal the gut. She has also given me another herbal remedy which includes licorice, marshmallow and comfrey. Next for my endometriosis she has given me 'bromelain' which she believes has given her successful outcomes with other patients suffering from endo. Heidi, could you tell me what you think of these? I'd really appreciate your opinion.



Could I also trouble you with another question - my husband is also following the blood group diet (he is a B - waiting back for secretor status but think Nonnie). She is treating him for Candida, a couple of years ago he also had this quite badly and got rid of it quite successfully but hence only to return. He has felt absolutely awful while taking the herbal remedy she has given him - we think it might be the 'die-off' effect - can you let me know if this is possible? She also asked if he had any mercury teeth fillings of which he has 6 - she suggested he get these replaced as she feels this may help him - can you tell me what you think? Heidi, I'd really be interested in hearing what you've got to say - so sorry it's a bit of a long one this time. I value your column greatly and think you do such a fantastic job in answering all our queries. Thanks again - Josie...



Hi, Josie! Read about Heallix at www.heallix.com. Yes, it is effective against cancers, but it is generally a powerful HEALER (fulvic acid) and ANTIBIOTIC (ionized (not colloidal) silver -- no harm to intestinal flora/fauna balance) -- that's why I suggested it for your ulcer! ;-) It cleans and heals -- and acts far more quickly that the herbals customarily prescribed for ulcers. That said, anyone who's had a stomach or duodenal ulcer would be well advised to include Fucus in their daily supplements. It does a lovely job of fending off H. pylori bacteria from contributing to a future ulcer.



Permatrol sounds fine for the most part: L-glutamine, n-acetyl glucosamine, gamma oryzanol, ...vit E,... l-acidophilus. However, acidophilus will not give you (an O NS) the results that are intended. Please consider taking the first three ingredients separately, and using the probiotic PolyFlora-O instead (you found the site, www.stacktheme.com, I believe?). Ingredients: "a unique blend of Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Saccharomyces boulardii probiotics in a base of larch arabinogalactan, chicory concentrate and banana concentrate prebiotics." Quite different from a one-size-fits (or doesn't fit) all product like acidophilus.



NOTE ADDED: L-glutamine should be avoided by types A and B because it raises cortisol levels.



Bromelain is indeed good stuff for clearing up old endometrial tissue. Great supp! :-D



The symptoms your husband is having are most likely the old die-off dance. Getting the mercury fillings removed is often an excellent choice -- you can pick up more info in this column by searching for "canal." And of course, loads of resources on the Net generally.



Hope this helps you both, Josie, and please do write again! :-D

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Dear Heidi, thanks for all your help so far. I am the a type (52 years old) with recurring melanoma. After being biopsied at stage one I was sent to a surgeon to have a bigger piece taken out. He took a look at my back, declined to make a bigger incision on the arm already biopsied, and said he wanted me to go to an oncologist Monday because of all the 'lesions' on my back. You gave me information on non-ITF? but blood type doctors in the St Louis area. Thanks for that, but my husband works for the airlines and I would be able to fly to most any large city in the US. Do you know of a Blood Type Doctor that may have a special knowledge of or feel for melanoma? I am so grateful for your input. Oh, and do you think the TFA might be helpful for me? Thank you again, Judith A pos



Hi there, Judith! TFA should definitely be on your supp list.



Second, get a supply of Heallix right away, to take internally and apply to the lesions.



Third, remember the note I posted about Cansema: "Also, go to the Minnesota Wellness Directory Cancer Page, and read the whole thing through. Then go back to the top, and make notes on any products or procedures which apply with melanoma or cancer in general. Take special notice of Cansema -- a topical ointment with so-far-spectacular results in melanoma. It comes with a money-back guarantee, so I think it's well worth getting hold of it ASAP." If I had melanoma, I would grab up a bunch of this product in a New York minute.



Finally, since you have that wonderful opportunity of choosing among large cities in which to find a good doctor, just make a list of cities you'd consider and check the Practitioner Registry with each one. Use the left-side pull-down menu to search by city, enter the city name, and hit the search button. It will take a while to go through them, but you'll then have a list to contact by telephone for further details. Oh, and send us the list of cities, I'll post it and ask the Marvelous Readership to offer their recommendations as well! ALL THE BEST, dear, and keep us posted!! :-D

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Hello Heidi! I thought you and your readers would like to know that my doctor did a coloscopy which gives a good view of the cervix and she took 3 biopsies of suspicious areas. She said that the abnormal cells the first PAP revealed were "reactionary cells" that could have been caused by irritation by a large polyp in the canal.



I'll know next Thursday the results and even then she will either freeze the bad areas or we'll talk about other options. I can tell you that the FEAR from the thought of cancer is tremendous. I thought for two days that I was terminally ill and the world as I knew it was coming to an end.



Cancer can make us think about all the bad things we've eaten and how much we have control of at least THAT ONE part of our lives. Not only that, but the relationships in our lives become more important. This also goes to show how great preventative medicine is. Women (and men, too) should go for those annual checkups that help us head off potential disease. Being informed is a great feeling.



BTW, I have a wonderful doctor who believes in holistic health and natural healing! : D I live in Columbus, Georgia, far from LA! If anything is really wrong, I'll be sure to contact Dr. Bron. Thanks for all the great advice about cleansing. Live well and prosper... Juli Ann



THANK YOU, Juli Ann!!! Great report, and I'll stay tuned for your test results. Warmest wishes! :-D

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I am on the type a diet. Can I eat jicama? Thanks jim

Hi, Jim! Just go to our online database: TYPEbase 3 and enter that term. Hit the "search" button (not your "enter" key) -- the answer is waiting there for you! :-)

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Hi Heidi - a while ago you gave a recipe for a vegetable drink - I'm an A, husband is a B. We can't have tomatoes but I think I recall you talking about a drink you make using celery, peppers, all kinds of good sounding things. Can you help me? Thanks Sandy

Sure, Sandy -- It's made in a juicer, and the base is carrot/celery (say, 5 carrots to one or two stalks of celery). The rest is up to you! A small beet, 1/2 clove of garlic (or less -- the flavor is extremely strong, so put only a very tiny amount in at first), 1/4 of a small red onion, a handful of greens such as kale, chard or collards, a small bunch of parsley, half a red pepper for your husband's batch, and the list goes on!

The book Juicing for Life (Calbom/Keane) is full of recipes for all kinds of juices, both fruit and veg, with instructions on how to go about it all -- including which fruits work for juicing and which don't, which items should be used alone, and safety measures in preparing the foods for juicing. A great resource, and highly recommended! :-)

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Hi Heidi, If you are interested and haven’t seen it already, here is an article I found about the potatoes relationship to diabetes issue. The link, http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,6566117%255E2,00.html, wouldn’t work so I copied the whole article below.















Here are a couple of links, that do work, on the subject: http://www.mercola.com/2003/jun/28/diabetes_potatoes.htm http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,6565880%255E2862,00.html Don

Fascinating, Don -- thank you! Looks like there is much more research needed before we'll know the practical implications of this study. Since the team said the toxin may persist from the vegetable eaten by a steer or cow through the meat or milk, it brings into "yellow alert" many more foods than just potatoes or sugar beets.

I'm eagerly awaiting news of any development of a test to determine the genetic susceptibility discussed -- since the study indicates that the toxin is detrimental only to individuals with that susceptibility. Thanks again, dear! :-D

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Hi! That entry about calcium being helpful against cold sores is very intruiging! I always get a lip sore after being stressed out and reaching for a comfort food like chocolate with almonds. Now that I think about it, there have been no full bloom eruptions since starting to make calcium soup from bones. Amazing! In the morning it is fun to poach a couple eggs in the cal-soup while also heating up some meat too. Throw in some spice, cayenne and paprika, along with the turmeric and it is a masterpiece! Yummy! I thank you for the original recipe!

About empty capsules, are the gelatin based capsules safe to use, they are surely made from pig body parts. And the vegetarian caps from Now are made of the following: Hydroxypropyl Methycellulose (HPMC), veg source & water. What is HPMC and will it bother a type 0?

Have a beautiful day! David

Hi, David! Glad you're enjoying the taste and health benefits of old bone soup! ;-)

Gelatin caps are fine for type Os, but for those of other types who take LOADS of supps daily, it's best to go with veggie caps. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (C8H15O8-(C10H18O6)n-C8H15O8) is a basic plant cellulose (carbohydrate) powder used in ophthalmic preparation of eye drops -- better known as "liquid tears" -- and it's also the basis for non-animal source supp capsules. You'll see it as an ingredient in every single veggie cap, no matter the manufacturer. Its useful properties in this application are that it can be formed into a clear, moldable, stable little item (like a capsule) which will dissolve quickly when ingested.

It's inert, so not a worry -- good news there! Thanks for your note! :-D

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Please pass this along to Cindi on Jun 23 with the foot problem. What you describe sounds exactly like "hyperhydrosis", which I had as a kid for a few years. It is a stress disease, and responded to a low dose of a tranquilizer, donotal. They told me that I would have it the rest of my life, but I have been doing yoga/meditation for about 25 years now and it hasn't returned. She needs to wear only white cotton socks and all leather shoes while it is active (or leather sandals). The other things the doctor gave me were cortisone cream, sun lamp treatments, and chlorophyll foot soaks (wonderful). Hope

Thank you for that note on hyperhydrosis, Hope! I don't recall she had a problem with excess sweating, but it well could be... Chime in here, Cindi? and Hope, read on... Cindi's had some shocks recently, but at least her feet are doing well ... ;-D

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Hey Heidi, OMG!!! (This is Cindi!!) Guess who is new to the NONNIES list? yep, big shock I am now in sitting here freaking out and wondering just what to do now. I lent my book out and can't even look up what I have to change now!!!!! I guess you better put me on that new group list that I read about a couple weeks ago!!!!!!! Is this a bad thing, this nonnie thing? WOW, didn't think I was part of any 20% of the population for anything at all. LOL!!!!

Anyway, the feet are much improved, I already was into the vinegar soaks by the time I read your response, but, thanks so much for re inforcing what I was doing was ok!! Now, could be being a nonny have anything to do with it being so slow for my weight to go away? I never have had any problem losing weight before I turned 37 or so. Im 41 on Sunday, 6-29, Happy birthday to me...... I consider 41 "in my forties" 40 was just the end of the thirties, but 41 puts me in my forties and what a present I got from my hard work spitting. A nonny, still cant phathom it, ok, im back in focus, i think. WEeelllllllll ok talk to me please!!!!!!!! Cindi 0+ NON SECRETOR!!!!!!!

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Hello, This is Cindi again with a nonny question. Wow still in shock. What i need to know is the secretor status inherited from my mom and or dad? And do I maybe pass it to my kids? My mom is 0- and my dad is 0 + i think, just wondered if this came from one of them or both of them and what it means to my offspring? Thought maybe i could let my mom and grandma in on getting the spit test if we can trace back the nonny gene, if it even happens that way, or if I can blame my daddy!! Cindi

LOL! :-D What a difference a spit makes! :-D

Hey there, Cindi ~ Happy Birthday, and welcome to Secretors O-Nonymous. ;-) Being a nonsecretor is neither good nor bad, just a fact. KNOWING our secretor status, however, is a potent tool for getting hold of that ol' optimal health thing! I think you'll find the nonnie adjustments will take care of the lingering weight -- most "new nons" see all kinds of improvements with just the basic food swap-outs.

Glad the tootsies are better, and now might be the time to (a) take a stroll through TYPEbase for the food changes on the items you usually eat (or would like to eat), and (b) get your book back! ;-0



Secretor status is inherited. It's determined by two genes, just like your ABO type. Being a nonsecretor is much like being an O in this respect: the nonsecretor gene is recessive, just like the O gene, so each of your parents had to have at least one nonsecretor gene to pass to you, and you have a set of two matching nonsecretor genes. :-) However, your parents could be nonsecretors OR secretors OR one of each -- a secretor can have a recessive nonsecretor gene, just as a type A or B can carry a recessive O gene.

So, if you choose a mate wisely (someone with at least one nonsecretor gene- preferably two) you could have a whole family of nonnies! ;-> But that's for a couple of birthdays away -- for right now, enjoy the shock and welcome to our noniverse! :-)

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Hello, Heidi!! I have 2 questions: 1) I am doing ok on the BTD however I feel very Irritaded/angry when I do not eat carbs at all. I have no patient with my lovely husband and I am not that kind of person and I don't like to be that way.

My energy level goes so down some days that can I sleep the whole day and still wake up tired. I have been very strong to work out most of the days ( I a really do it like 60 minutes intense aerobics or more and some abs etc. I also warm up before and after working out). I always liked to work out but I don't like the feeling of lack of energy to start doing it.

Is irritable feeling and that level of lack of energy normal??? 2) I am short and did not loose the weights that I would like to. I know that I may have more muscles and lees fat and the muscles are heavier than fat. But I think that I used to be more lean with my muscles well defined and now I feel that my muscles are getting bigger (specially my arms and legs)- that is what I do not like. I don't wanna have a Masculine body in a "petit woman frame". Is that true that too much protein can make my muscles bigger when I work out?? I do not and never took any kind of protein shake or someting like that. What can I do to stop it and actually to re-verse and have my muscles lean again? Love,Bcha.

Hi there, Bcha! Sorry you're having difficulty with moods & energy! Don't worry, this is only a transition phase and will pass more quickly if you stick with it!

When you say 'carbs,' do you mean grains? You do not need grains at all, but you DO need carbs from vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and having some bean dishes will also give plenty of carb and fiber. You need those GOOD carbs, along with good fats, for nervous system health.

Weaning yourself off grains and sugar can produce irritability and energy sags. Although uncomfortable, that is a GOOD sign. It means the sugar-dependent organisms in your gut are dying. They are kicking up a ruckus because THEY WANT THEIR SUGAR (including grain, which converts rather rapidly to sugars as well). and you want to make sure they don't get it. ;->

It's possible your muscles (and your body in general) look larger because the fat layer is being pushed out by the muscle development. It is not a matter of the food you're eating, and the more active tissue mass you have (muscle) the more quickly you will metabolize the excess fat you're carrying.

I'd suggest for now that you try one weight-training (anabolic) session per week and only three sessions of catabolic activities like jogging, skating, kick boxing, "aerobics," etc. On the food side, follow the portion/frequency tables carefully and include plenty of pure water with a squeeze of lemon daily (1/2 ounce for each pound of body weight).

From here, it is a little difficult to determine whether your natural healthy weight is a little higher than the goal weight you're aiming for. Could you tell me (again) how tall you are, what you weigh now, and give me an arm & leg measurement: length of inseam (top to floor length of the inside of your leg), measurement around knee, top of thigh, waist, elbow and wrist -- and length of arm from armpit to longest finger. I'm sure we'll figure this out, Bcha, don't give up hope! Write again soon!! :-D

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Hi Heidi-it's Susan again following up. First, let me echo the sentiment said over and over by others in the column....it is sooooo wonderful to have you as a resource to turn to for suggestions, knowledge and guidance...thank you for being so wonderful!

You asked that I follow-up with you. I was puzzled by how I was feeling with a long list of symptoms and no luck at getting pregnant (0 negative, secretor, 38 years old with an AB positive, non-secretor husband).

Despite being on Synthroid for 12 years due to Hashimotos I had not resolved all of my ailments. My recent test results indicated that my adrenals are low in cortisol, DHEA and testosterone, (the estrogen was fine) and we are waiting for the pregnenolone results as well as the recent thyroid panel and progesterone results.

The DR. recommends low doses of DHEA, adrenal support, glandulars and gave me a choice of licorice root or hydrocortisone. She said cortisol would give me the immediate boost, while giving the adrenals a chance to relax and rebuild, and I could go off it when it repairs itself in perhaps 9 months or so. The licorice root will take longer. So, my question is which route to take...cortisol hormone or licorice root? Do you have any resources that sheds more light on the advantages of either to help me choose the right course of action or any experience with either?

I would like to feel better right away of course, but I am hesitant to take another prescription (but willing if needed). I did take one capsule of adrenal support with licorice root in it (as well as ginseng) and I developed a welt and itchiness. From past experience my body is very sensitive to most everything.

My other question is I read that according to Dr. Mercola "pregnenolone is the grand precursor from which all the other steroid hormones are made including DHEA and cortisol." If that is the case, wouldn't it be wise to take that instead? Or is it not that cut and dry? And, would cortiguard be helpful? I've been on the blood type diet for four years, 99% compliant and I am currently taking chromium, cyto-redoxin anti-oxidants, B complex and O probiotic. I do drink green tea and dandelion tea and add astragalus liquid to the teas and eat prunes to help the liver detox. In addition, my acupuncturist gave me a blood toning herb with dang gui, bai shao, chuan xiong and shu di huang to take up to ovulation. So, what should I stay with and what should I add? I'd like to feel better soon! Thanks for your help, Heidi! Susan

Hello, Susan! You have a wonderful doctor, please keep her!! :-) Onething I'd suggest you discuss with her is the pregnenolone INSTEAD of the cortisone. There is no harm in trying it for a month to see if it will do the job of both the DHEA and the hydrocortisone, in my (very unmedical) opinion. It's also cheap, OTC, and may hold some answers on your thyroid issues. Show her the Mercola pages, and look around for others using "pregnenolone, adrenal, exhaustion, thyroid." If your DHEA is low against your cortisol levels, Cortiguard is a GREAT thing to take to lower cortisol. It's for all types, not just Os. And it is the balance of cortisol against DHEA which I believe your doc's looking for.

I would also ask her about seriously considering switching to Armour (although many docs don't like to do this), and carefully monitoring your dosage during your progress as you stick to the diet and the supplements. If your thyroid is still intact, this approach is the key to a lot of potential healing. Following your AB diet and EXERCISE plan is crucial -- every interaction with the "world outside" engages through the gut and respiratory mucus & ganglia and their ABO "sentinels and administrators." I would use those basic strategies as the foundation, and never waver from daily adherence to them. They'll serve you VERY well.

Back to pregnenolone -- there is a trial period at the beginning, but with the right dosage you should feel better right away just as you would with the drug. That is, again, if the Cortiguard doesn't resolve that particular issue for you.

OH! And I noted that since we last discussed your pregnancy situation on May 20, you and your husband both found out your secretor status. You know what? This is great news! Since your husband is a nonsecretor, your ABO secretions don't "see" any pesky foreigners to rout out -- so when your health issues are resolved and barring any hubby-side problems with sperm production and delivery, you're in a better position to get pregnant than we first thought! Yippee!! :-)

Do think about all this, and discuss with your wondrous doc! Best wishes to you, and I look forward to hearing how it goes with you, dear!! :-D

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On pages 26 and 27 of the book, "Blood Type B Food, Beverage, and Supplement Lists", Barley is listed under both the Neutral and Avoid catagories. Which one is correct? Thanks in advance for your time. Wanda

Hello, Wanda! Barley is neutral for all type Bs. If ever you are wondering about the rating of some other food, just go to the main page (www.dadamo.com) and look for the TYPEbase 3® link. It is also mentioned at the bottom of this column. Thanks for writing!! :-)

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I am a type O. I am trying to lose weight and wondered if drinking a soy protein shake, made with soy milk, to replace two meals a day would be helpful or harmful. In addition to this I would try to get as many veggies and a few fruits in each day, as well as another protein source and probably a serving of rice. Your advice would be most appreciated. Lisa

Hello, Lisa! Well... in short, I'd say it would be harmful. Here's why:

If you are a type O secretor, your minimum-for-health meat/poultry frequency is six servings per week, for fish is three per week, veg approx five per day, fruit three per day.

Just on this point, how would you fit all this food in when replacing two meals per day with soy shakes? It would certainly defeat your purpose which I assume is weight loss. Additionally, if you are Rhesus negative, add two servings of meat/poultry and two of fish to the numbers above. Woof! I don't know about you, but that's a wee bit beyond my capabilities if liquid soy concoctions take up two full meals out of three.

Second, your maximum allowance in the beans category (where soy fits) is only three servings per week... whoops. Soy -- well, beans in general, actually -- are just not the ideal protein foods for us (nor effective weight-loss aids) that they are for type As -- although the makers of soy-protein powders and other soy products advertise their virtues as if EVERYONE will benefit from them, of course. ;->

To make matters yet more interesting: if you are an O NONsecretor, minimum animal protein requirements rise further, bean allowances sink lower.... and who cares at that point, cuz soy becomes an Avoid, so that option's shot altogether anyway.

I'm going on and on here (a great surprise to regular readers of this column, no doubt) because I'm trying to make large & real to everyone the difference between using the food lists alone, and using them in the framework of the portion/frequency tables and the greater understanding of our metabolisms provided by the texts of the books taken as a whole.

actually, Lisa's just getting picked on because she hit me on a chatty day. ;-)

For weight loss, don't look for meals in a bottle. Instead:

(1) use the portion/frequency tables and feel free to eliminate grain, bean, and dairy foods altogether.

(2) the more closely you stick to the beneficials, the faster your weight loss. 100% beneficials for two months can move anyone's scale in the right direction. ;-)

(3) Breakfast like a king, lunch like a squire, and dinner like a pauper. What do I mean by "squire?" I dunno... just think "medium."

(4) Vegetables at every meal. It's no easy task to get all those beneficials in during the single day or week, so get thinking on how you'll spread them out between cooked and raw among the meals and snacks. Stuff on veg! In this Fellowship of the BTD, we are ALL vegetarians, my brothers & sisters! and most of us have a bunch of meat, poultry, fish and/or dairy to squeeze in along with our massive veggie intake as well, so make GOOD use of all those dark leafy greens (kale, chards, beet greens, collards, dandelion, escarole) that cook down from a two-foot sheaf to a serving for 2. Great base for meat dishes or cooked veg salads!

(5) Drink 1/2 ounce of water for each pound of body weight, daily. Add a squeeze of lemon juice or a tiny pinch of gray sea salt to each quart or liter. Drink the water at least 1/2 hour before and at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours after full meals.

(4) EXERCISE -- and use any excuse to get out in the early morning & get some sun in your eyes for a few minutes. Exercise puts the world and you on notice that you're a bundle of energy. Which is exactly what you are. :-)

Right now, Lisa's probably wishing she hadn't written, but I'm glad she did! It's so important we all remember how powerful FOOD and ACTIVITY are in accomplishing our health goals. ok, I'm done! ~~:-D

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Hi Heidi: I am a Type A (Don't know my secretor status) and I have been using the diet for years (though not always as strict as I should because I feel so much better when I stick to it). I want to deeply cleanse my colon and have been investigating different detox programs like Renew and the Arise and Shine program (I was recently diagnosed with blocked fallopian tubes and wondered if cleansing myself might help). The programs seem rather aggressive with some strong herbs like cayenne that I know are avoids. Is there a Type A detox program that I might use in place of this.

I have a juicer and wouldn't might juice fasting as well as using the psyllium but since this would be my first time I don't want to over do it but I would like to cleanse my entire colon. I have also decided to use colonics and enemas to help. Do you have any suggestions or a Type A program that I might follow to detox and cleanse? I have the blood type encyclopedia but I wasn't sure if I if I should start with the Detox protocols and if I could use those for more than one month. Alicia

Hi there, Alicia! I'd start with the Detox protocols and use them with a two-week break between iterations. During the break, do one week of vegetable juice/fruit juice fasting, using as many beneficials as you can and following a good guide like Juicing for Life by Calbom & Keane. Never go hungry. If you're hungry, slog down a full glass of water, wait 20 minutes and drink more fresh juice. Your daily dose of psyllium can be taken first thing in the morning.

Don't forget a squeeze of lemon in all water you drink, and to do daily gentle exercise -- and sleep whenever you wish -- throughout the detox & fast. After the fast, slowly introduce whole veg again and work your way back to the Live Right 4 Your Type A diet -- now would be a good time to get your secretor status, just so you can plan your perfect diet for the rest of your life! It's a great opportunity to make those changes and set things up so you'll never have to dicker over it with yourself again. Best wishes, I hope you enjoy your fast! and write in & let me know how it goes! :-)

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Hi, I am enjoying reading the questions and your responses here, so I thought I would send in some that have been nagging me. First, I have cravings for chocolate and nuts, (incl. carob chips) that are hard to resist, One bit of kchocolate and I will binge on it. Is there an ingredient in chocolate/carob that I could be addicted to? I have gained 5 pounds with these cravings. By the way, I am type O+. When I can fight these cravings I crave vegetables and other good stuff for me! Next, I need clarification on grains. So all grains cause weight gain anf other gluten reactions. I have no abdominal/intestinal/reflux syptoms since beginning this diet. So now I find I eat a lot os rice products and Ezekial breads. My wieght stayed the same with Ezekial breads but I wonder if rice products eaten almost everyday could cause me weight gain or other problems. The longer I am on the diet the more I am fine-tuning. I know it works and it is very healthy! I hope to here from you , Wendy.

Hello, Wendy! You may have a chromium or zinc deficiency -- check any supps you take, and if you see no chromium or zinc anywhere, make sure you get daily servings of brewer's/nutritional yeast, beef, eggs and pumpkin seeds.

This may sound strange, but it may be the grains you're gaining weight on rather than the chocolate. You mentioned you eat "a lot of" rice products and Ezekiel. If you're a secretor, your grain maximum allowance is 6 servings per week -- that would be any grain at all, so perhaps three servings of rice and three of Zeke bread in your case. Max. If you want to lose weight, the grains really should go at least down to the minimum (1 per week) or out altogether.

Restricting or eliminating grains will do good things for your sugar cravings as well, although there is an adjustment period in which you may feel tired, cranky, lousy, and crave like mad. That will pass, and you need never go through it again if you stick with it the first time. ;-)

I'm very pleased you're so happy with the diet! Nice, ain't it? best wishes!!

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Dear Heidi, your column continues to be a source of wonderful tips and inspiration! Not a question, but a suggestion for Ann with the upper arm pimples and dandruff. Years ago I read an article that the upper arm pimples could be one of the first signs of zinc deficiency. It's something our family has kept an eye on over the years as our soil here in NZ is deficient in this mineral. I find eggs, walnuts and flax oil does the trick and clears up both complaints. Hope this helps. Regards, Angela.

You bet! Great tip, Angela, and much appreciated!! thanks, dear! :-D

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Hi Heidi Just wanted to thank you for your encouragement and thorough answer to my questions! As I have only just started to eat fish, it is too early to know whether or not it will be sufficient to ward off all of my problems (particularly the period pain), or if i will in fact need to eat meat as you recommended last week.

I can say that since I started to radically cut back on grains (about 6 months ago now, on the advice of my partner who religiously follows the diet) my skin has improved markedly. Since I started eating fish a few weeks ago and virtually no grains, my digestion has improved too - far less bloating and gas. I was wondering if you could recommend any particular supplements/foods to help heal my intestinal tract and assist with my skin and menstual cycle, or if the O diet is enough. Thanks again for taking the time to impart your excellent wisdom, Emma

Hey, Emma! Glad to hear from you!!

It sounds to me as if the diet is working its magic right on schedule. Between the food choices and The Exercise (of course ;-)), I think you'll solve every difficulty on your own without the expense and fuss of supps. Using ghee on a regular basis is better than any med for healing your intestinal tract -- and some additional foods such as nutritional yeast, wild yam, and maca root can all be of assistance if desired. Just keep right along with what you're doing, and I'm very excited to hear your next "report!" :-D

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Dear Heidi On LDN, diet 27 July 2003: My daughter is tested both LDN in a blood test and secretor by saliva test from NAP. So now you know two of them:-) I am an O secretor, but as a relative to an O non secretor I hope it is possible for me to join Nina's O nonnie list. Thanks for all the inspiration I get from your column. Kirsten

Hi there, Kirsten! That's fascinating! :-)

Since your daughter is a secretor according to the saliva test, she should follow the secretor food lists. The nonnie recipe list wouldn't help much, I'm afraid -- it's all according to the nonnie food lists.

Blessings to you, and many thanks for your kind words! :-D

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Dear Heidi, I have not been able to follow your collumn every day due to travelling abroad. I hope I have not missed too much of your very precious advise and comments! As Marshal and Susan I have a little problem with the LDN and positive secretor status (and further: A1 Rhesus + MN) which is the case of my daughter. She does not react to the A secr diet as well as others do and and also feels attracted to the non secr diet. I suppose that her particularly tricky case is more for Dr Bron than for you, but still, I thought I would share the fact that there was another rare bird around the place! Perhaps there are some more little birdies hidden somewhere on this planet and it would be interesting to hear if they have particular experiences. What do you think Heidi? Anyway, than you som much for your dedication. Bianca

Yet another rare bird! Now we've got three!! :-)

Yes, if there are problems in that area, it's best to consult with the docs. I hope her situation can be resolved soon, and wish I could do more to help!

One thing I CAN help with is catching up on columns: just go to the bottom of this page, hit the List Previous Topics button, and "hover" your mouse over the titles until you see one dated previous to your trip. Then you can work up from there, if desired! Thanks so much, Bianca, and I hope to hear from you soon about your daughter's situation -- best wishes!! :-D

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Dear Heidi, I have used Mineral Check hair analysis from Body Balance. My mercury and arsenic levels are elevated. Mercury is 3.69 (the range is <=1.69, and Arsenic is .140 (range is <=0.082). I eat a lot of fish, mainly haddock or cod. I am B non-secretor and these are the only fish that are on my beneficial list available here.

Is there anything I can do to detoxify my body. I plan on cutting consumpion of fish to once a week. Is there anything that you can recommend. I heard about mercury in fish but I was never was aware of arsenic. Thanks for your wonderfull work. Magda

Hi, Magda! Chelating heavy metals is a complex matter, but there are some columns posted in the past few months which may be helpful to you. Go to the bottom of this page and enter the search term "chelate" or "chelation" -- we've been graced with some expert reports as well as some folk remedies.

My very best to you, and I do wish I could help further there! Anyone who has some specific advice for Magda's condition, please do write in and share it! :-)

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Hi Heidi! This time I'm asking on behalf of a friend. She's just been diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus. She's a type O, and by the time you get to answering this, she should know her secretor status. She hasn't yet started BTD, but I hope she will soon. Anyway, we've read the past OTD entry about GERD, but that's all I could find in this column. My advice to her has been to start BTD asap and very religiously and to get the Encyclopedia. I note in the Encyclopedia there are several behavioral guidelines to follow, and these pretty much mirror what's said in the straight medicine sources (which has been her only counsel so far).

However, the straight guys also give lots of diet advice. Since the Encyclopedia shows that the majority of people with Barrett's (and cancer, of course) are A's, I'm assuming that much of that advice may be useless or even deleterious for a type O and that (unless symptomatic) she may still be helped by eating O beneficials. Do you think that's right? Do you have any other suggestions for her? Would something like Heallix be advisable? Eagerly awaiting your best-guess opinion! Kathy K (B-NS)

Hi, Kath! Well, I took purely forever to get back to you, so did your friend obtain her secretor results?

You're absolutely right: she should emphasize type O beneficials! She did not develop this condition by eating an O-appropriate diet. If you're able, do help her sort through the various doctor's recommendations to avoid falling into the type A advice. There are general as well as O-specific recommendations in the Encyclopedia which would benefit her tremendously. Heallix would most certainly help in healing the tissues. She should also be taking bladderwrack religiously, as H. pylori is not just problematic in ulcers -- it's been implicated in Barrett's esophagus as well. VERY warmest wishes, dear, and please let me know how she gets along?? :-)

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Heidi! I had the most delicious fish Sable !! and I hope it is OK to eat. I also want to know the value of Ocean catfish. I checked the BTD encyclopedia, checked the Typebase and asked Nina on the nonsecretor site for the values. She says: "Black cod is also known as sable fish and cod is beneficial for all of us alike. I assumed/hoped it was a kind of cod :-) but this is probably a job for Heidi. Especially the next one. These are the other names I found for ocean catfish - Sea Cat, Wolffish, Loup de Mer(French) and Lobo(Spanish). Ocean catfish is a bottomfish and feeds mainly on various shellfish and is not to be confused with the freshwater catfish. So it does not sound like it would have the same rating as catfish in the TYPEbase. Technically, if it is not listed in the TYPEbase and there is no new rating for it, you can treat it is as a neutral if you are in good health. I would sent these to Heidi to be on the safe side. :-)"

Is there any further info on these fishies? thanks, emme, 0-ns



Hi there, emme -- Nina did a fine summary of your fishies. The ocean catfish, or seacat (wolffish here) and the sablefish bear no relationship to any of the rated fishes we have on our database -- so, it's the old "unknown" category for them! enjoy!! :-D

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Hi Heidi, although I've been following the blood type diet fairly religiously for the past five years with excellent results, lately it feels like I'm blundering around instead of having a clear idea of how to look after certain aspects of my being!



A recent acquaintance suggested trying Essiac tea since it supports the immune system, among other things. Gullible me, I thought it sounded great, so I brewed some up. It does help with bowel movements tremendously. However, the fungus on my neck and upper body seemed to spread (it began after I tried this wonder amino acid stuff that has soy in it, not sure what else) and got a lot itchier, and my eyes have been discharging like crazy. I finished the batch and decided to stick only with BTD as the way to improve my immune system. Being a B+ non-secretor, that's vital! Even more so since I just turned 65.



I can't find essiac tea in the search list, nor can I find most of the ingredients in the tea. Has Dr. D. done any research into it? The herbs used in it are burdock root, sheep sorrel, slippery elm bark and turkey rhubarb. As an aside re the fungus, I got some tea tree oil and a couple of applications over the fungus, combined with oil of oregano (as well as taking the oil of oregano internally) cleared up almost all of it in a couple of days! Amazing! And my eyes are clearing as well.



Lesson well learned, I think. Stick to the stuff that has been proven scientifically to work. ;-) I appreciate any information you can supply regarding Essiac or any of the individual herbs that are used to make it. And thanks for your continuing cheerful, supportive and informative communications. By the way, I can't find the column you had recently regarding red yeast rice and the ONLY company you recommend. I looked at the web site, but didn't make a note of it, and now I can't find it in the archives even though I've looked on several occasions. Love to you, Janet



So nice to hear from you, Janet! ;-)



Essiac tea is made in many ways, and the ingredients vary considerably. Rene Caisse did not reveal the original recipe to anyone, so folks have been brewing up similar-but-not-identical mixes ever since. You've listed some of the basic ones, though - cat's claw and a number of other herbs also appear in essiac preparations. Turkey rhubarb is one of the varieties of rhubarb (a B avoid), distinguished by its spiky leaf shape. The bottom line is that it exacerbated your fungus problems, for which I'd give it a wide berth. ;-)



For the veddy best red yeast rice, here's the site: http://www.redyeastrice-china.com/public_html/index.htm If ever you have trouble finding it again, do a search for Jingxin. Hope you enjoy your reading, and thanks again for writing in! :-D

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Dear Heidi, Living in the UK, all eggs are kept, and sold, unrefrigerated. Having had a bout with salmonella this year (treated with homeopathy),I am concerned about eating eggs here. I do buy organic, free-range eggs and now only have them hard boiled. My guess is that I got the salmonella from eggs in a restaurant.



Since I react to so many foods I mistakenly thought that plain, scrambled eggs cooked in oil was a "safe" bet. Never again! Are hard boiled eggs safe? Also concerned about chicken in restaurants since it can harbour salmonella. Any suggestions for eating chicken safely? Is turkey typically okay? Thanks, Karen O- secretor



Hi, Karen! ;-) Hard boiled eggs are your safest bet in restaurants, since both the shell and the egg are thoroughly boiled. As to chicken or turkey in restaurants, it depends entirely on the restaurant. If you don't know whether the restaurant is trustworthy, I'd make sure the fowl is cooked right through, no pink showing... better yet, I'd visit a better restaurant, cook only at home, OR take Heallix before & after any dubious meal! You might want to choose meat or fish instead? Sorry you've had such a rough time of it on the microbial front!! Best wishes, dear!! :-)

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Zoot! Alors..... I never thought of the condensation on the eggs having come out of the refrigerator!!!! Since I have one of the world's tiniest "frigo"s, guess I should just leave them out - but the entire kitchen is tiny.....so hmmmn... Maybe I've just been lucky living in France (knock wood..), but if I worried about e coli and salmonella, I don't think I could ever eat! I go to the best butcher shop in my area, and most Americans would be freaked out. No gloves on the butcher's hands (and they shake hands with all good customers when they come in). They pick up the beef of lamb or veal or chicken with their bare hands, put in on the cutting board, and cut it (with the same knife...), and then slam it on the scale. During fresh rabbit and game season, these little creatures get weighed on the same scales fully furred or feathered!!! So, obviously, the meats one buys here are exposed to the little things that cause uproar in the USA. I must say that I cringe, but so far, have not been harmed - at least not as far as I know..... Could it be that one'e tummy just gets adjusted????? Like I said, this IS the best butcher shop around (you should see some of the other ones!!!). So, Heidi, should I just consider myself lucky, or should I be doing some kind of lab work to make sure I don't have some kind of menagerie crawling around inside me??? a bientot, Abby



LOL! ~~:-D Well, I doubt your menagerie is a harmful one!! If you saw my childhood environment, what I tromped around in barefoot daily, and what I ate (including venison, squirrel, and other delicacies long before the recent harsh emphasis on sanitary measures), you'd be as surprised as I at the utter absence of any parasite of any kind. When I did my first bowel cleanse, I was all excited at the prospect of passing worms & all such fascinating things. Well, nothing. Nada. Same with the gallbladder flush. No critters, not a single blamed one. Just a bunch a stones. :-D



Bear in mind that plenty of folks would be mightily concerned about you. In my opinion, the quality of the meat you're getting means there's no nastiness to spread via handshake or shared scale. And I'd much rather see you eating that meat than biting yer nails down to the elbows in a doctor's office whilst awaiting your lab results, LOL! much more nutritious! Just my opinion! VERY best wishes to ya, dear!! :-D

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Hello Heidi! I have been on the BTD for about 4 months now, since my saint of a mother introduced me. Immediately I was interested by the cover since I am also a Peter Jay (sychronicity or what?). I have had good health all of my life but notice a huge improvement in digestion and over all energy levels. Love it! I know that I am a Type A but nothing more. This was ok when I started out with ERFYT but now since I have purchased LRFYT, I would love to know my secretor status. Here's the catch. Currently I am living and teaching in Bangkok Thailand. I have contacted several hosiptals in my area and (granted my Thai is not the best) all have said that they do not perform secretor tests. My question to you is, any ideas how I could find out? Thank for your informative column, I have read it since I've been on the diet and it has answered so many of mine, as well as uncountable other people's questions. We're all so grateful to have you! PJ in BKK



Greetings, PJ! :-) Lovely to hear from your fine self in Thailand!



The saliva secretor test isn't done everywhere; if you're staying in Thailand for some time to come, ask for the LEWIS test. It is a blood test which often correlates with secretor status. If you get hold of a lab who can do that test, let us know and we'll help with the interpretation of the results.



Otherwise, if you'll be moving or travelling soon, there are labs in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and North American to which I can refer you... so keep in touch, and let me know how it goes. And I'm tremendously pleased you're enjoying the benefits of the diet! Blessings ~~ :-D

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I am a type O neg who has small benign tumors scattered about my body. I have just stared the O diet. Are there anyother suggestions for supplementation?

jenn



Hello, Jenn -- WELCOME!!



Could you tell me more about the benign tumors? for instance, does your doctor have a technical term for them? that would help greatly in figuring out if we have some supplemental strategies which would be useful for you.



Write again soon, OK? thanks! :-)

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I have been diognosed with fibromyalgia possibly caused by chemical exsposure. I read in your book that type O's have some success with herp suppliments. my LFT's are raised but liver ultrasounds have come back clear. i have a heightened sense of smell to chemicals and im no longer able to tolerate alcohol. i have blood type A and was wondering if there was any suppliments that would assist with my illness, i am particulary interested in things that boost your liver fuction. i have started on a basic vegetarian diet mainly due to the fact my cholesterol is over 8.0 Iam only 27 and any hel would be greatly appriciated.. Aaron



Hi, Aaron! I can certainly recommend the Liver Support protocols in The BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia. The ideal diet for type A is not necessarily a strict vegetarian one, nor with the A diet raise your cholesterol levels. Do you have one of the basic books -- either Eat Right 4 Your Type or Live Right 4 Your Type? Read through the type A section carefully -- you'll find nearly everything you need there.



For the rest, let me know if you can get the Encyclopedia there in Oz, and write again if you have more questions afterward, OK? I'll be thinking of you -- let me know how you're doing when you get the chance! :-)

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I am wondering if bulgur is okay to eat for a type 'A'. Can you help me? I really love tabouleh! Thank you. Lucie

Hi, Lucie! Bulgur, or Bulghur, is just whole wheat berries par-boiled then allowed to dry. It's sort of pre-cooked whole wheat. So, the item to check in your food list is "Wheat (whole)." Thanks for writing, dear! :-D

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hi heidi me here still battling with weight loss & underactive thyroid. i've doing the xbs programme you recommend for quite a while at least i thought it was.however i've now discovered there are different charts for different levels which seems different to the programme i downloaded originally.

anyhow i've done it every day this week but not the 1/2 mile run or 1 mile walk i only noticed that part yesterday.the trouble is i get up early to do this exercise programme plus cook breakfast the btd way & i don't have time to do the run or walk in morning. would it matter if i did that part later in day or would i have to do the whole programme again in order to warm up?

as i know you recommend o's to do this programme every day & some extra strenuous exercise 3 times a week.would the run & walk part of the xbs be classed as strenuous enough or would you recommend something else?thanks for your help & advice & welcome back you are sorely missed.thanks debs

Hey there, debs! The 5BX program can be as strenuous or as light as any other, all depending on the level at which the individual works it. So, yes, if a run is done strenuously, that would count for the aerobic part of your strenuous exercise. Weight training would be the other strenuous part.

You can do the run or walk (or jog-in-place) in the afternoon, that would work just as well. And did you get hold of some nutritional yeast & glandulars for your thyroid? Great inexpensive way to start turning that pesky thyroid trouble around! Very best wishes, dear, and let me know what you're up to!! :-D

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I have recently been diagnosed with Celiac disease. I am Type A, can I follow the type A diet ?? Deborah

Welcome, Deborah!! If you have celiac disease, the type A diet will be a life saver for you. Just make good use of your resources on grains (and products) to avoid while you're healing. Also, visit the various pages and columns on our site, and use the search engines to find out what we've posted on celiac.

Please stay in touch! Write in with any questions you may have!! Best wishes!! :-D

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I'm new to the diet (6 months, type A, non-secretor) and have a few questions that I've always been too embarassed to ask a doctor, and so have been working on solving on my own.

I have always had many cavities, a coated tongue, constant sour taste in my mouth and bad breath. I'm guessing this is connected to the non-secretor status. I also always quite low in energy (improving as I stay on the diet), and cannot (at all!) digest fats. They produce diarrhea every time.

Also, my skin, when I'm outside in the sun, has a somewhat unpleasant odor to it, which I try to mask w/perfumed soap and lightly scented perfumes. I have had some improvement in my mouth by brushing my teeth w/oil of oregano; but the problems still persist.

My father had these same problems (unknown blood type), and his mother, also. So, I assume whatever is at the root of all this is genetically caused, but beyond that, I'm not sure. My father died of lymphoma, though my wonderful grandmother lived to 96.

I've cleared my body of frequent yeast infections, with a Cave Man diet, and Caprylic Acid and herbs, hoping that it would solve the other problems but it didn't. I had tried the saliva in the glass of water test, to see if I had candida in the mouth and I sure did, but the diet didn't affect my mouth.

I have read what you have written about Heallix, and have ordered a bottle; I'm not sure how much to take, or how often for these symptoms. I have tried so many things, though, that I don't have alot of hope that this will work any better. Sorry for being a little down, but I'm 49, and am not sure I will ever solve this, and would like to be able to live a more normal life, with normal relationships. As you might imagine, it's difficult to be in a close relationship w/constant bad breath. With so many people writing you about cancers they are fighting and other big problems, I am feeling very trivial, but solving this would quite possibly be life changing. Thanks for your help. Carrie Ann

Greetings, and welcome, Carrie Ann! Listen, if a health complaint is important enough for you to write in about it, it's important to me! I'm very glad you decided to come on in & ask. :-)

First of all: following the nonsecretor diet strictly is the first foundational step to clearing up these problems for once & all. It starts its work in the intestines; as your flora/fauna balance improves there, your breath and skin odor will change right along with it. A daily meditation and/or yoga practice is the second part of the foundation. Because of their profound effects on the nervous and endocrine systems, they hold great power for healing and re-balancing your entire body -- don't discount them. (and they make you feel REALLY good. :-)) I know you've been with the diet for a number of months, but DON'T ever feel discouraged -- you have some persistent difficulties which just require a little more time and a few boosters.

Special tips: two tablespoons of nutritional yeast (I wish I had a penny for every time I've said, "KAL brand is spectacular!") every day. Use some beneficial fruit (I know I've already said two bad Candida words, but you'll find this will work), a tablespoon of nut butter, some ice and the yeast to make a blender-smoothie.

Second, get in the habit of making fresh juices from beneficial vegetables, and include wheat grass, barley grass, beets and their greens whenever you can. These should eliminate, over the period of a month or two, any remaining gunk (scientific term) in your intestinal tract, and tone up your liver function. The book Juicing for Life by Calbom & Keane is an invaluable resource for instructions and recipes (always check for avoids, though).

If you haven't yet done so, consult the www.sensiblehealth.com site for full information on the gallbladder flush. That one simple, safe procedure should get a medal for its effects on fat digestion.

PolyFlora-A is a must for you. Finally, try to consume at least 1/2 ounce of water for each pound you weigh, with a squeeze of lemon juice added to each quart.

Heallix will do you a great deal of good in the bacterial control department. Take it at the therapeutic level for one week, then drop to the maintenance level (dosages are on the bottle). I'm throwing a whole bunch of things at you all at once, so I'm going to stop here and wait for your report. (Oh, did I mention that everyone has to submit regular progress updates? LOL! ;->)

Carrie Ann, there IS hope, and between all of us here we'll see you through this and beyond, into a whole new level of health & satisfaction with your life. Be well, get to work, and write again soon! :-D

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Does Veg. Gly. need to be refrigerated after it's opened? It doesn't say anything about it on the bottle (NOW brand), but it is sold primarily as a cosmetic additive so might not. Thanks so much for your encouragement and help.

Ginger

Hi, Ginger -- no refrigeration necessary! Very handy!! :-D

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Hi Heidi, one question: do you know or any readers if using vegetable glycerine would work in making jam/jellies? i use Pomona Universal Pectin. We don't eat a lot of jam, but with this product you can suit your own sweetness. I usually use honey and/or part maple syrup. Thanks, jayne

Hello, Jayne! It works fine as a sweetener for your purposes. You may have to experiment a bit to get the right sweetness, but the rule of thumb is 1/2 tsp veg gly equals 1 tsp sugar. Frontier brand is also reputed to have the best taste -- let me know how it turns out for you! :-D

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Thanks, Heidi, for continuing the great search for the perfect carob chip/drop. Unfortunately, the Now product has hydrogenated oil. Lisa

Yep! Still seeking the good ones at my old HFS... read on! ;-)

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Label on bulk carob chip, Sunspire Brand reads, "Ingredients: carob powder, whey powder, nonfat milk powder, fractionated palm kernel oil, soy lecithin (added as an emulsifier)." I am embarrassed that my previous response was not more complete. I have eaten them for years without any difficulty but I sure see that for o's there are several avoids. Hope I didn't send anyone on a wild goose (carob) chase -- Conrad

Hey there, Conrad! Don't feel bad!! Your post got all that information out in the open, and let lots of people find out the ingredients in various brands. I certainly appreciate it! :-)

I visited LifeThyme a few days ago, looking for those carob drops I mentioned, and although they'd already stocked up on their chocolate stuff, they didn't have that one item. I'll go back and bother them when the chocolate/carob guy is available for a chat. Wish me luck -- and thanks again for being here!! :-D

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Hi there, folks!

Due to a glitch with the software used to upload replies, a full column was lost.

It contained what was to be Saturday 9th August's Q&A, with roughly a dozen questions submitted in late July. The column intended for the 10th overwrote that one during upload, and my normal backup procedures weren't sufficient to circumvent this new oddity.

I have put new protections in place to make sure this kind of thing (which in other modes has occurred many times) doesn't happen again. I must here acknowledge the invaluable contribution of Bryan, who got me swiftly into my straitjacket and gag at the moment of upload meltdown, thus preventing me from harming myself or others during my recovery from this incident. LOL!!! ~:-D

I'm now working on recreating that material, but it will take some time to figure out which questions were included and to reconstruct the replies. So, if you're wondering what happened to your Q from July 20 or thereabouts, that's what happened to it. Hang in there, I'll get it done. :-) and yet once again, THANKS SO MUCH for your patience and loving consideration! it means a lot! :-}

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HI Heidi, I've missed your column alot and glad that you're back. I have a question about vegetable glycerine - is that the same as glycerol, because I found an article in a magazine that was talking about different food additives and it said that glycerol can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea...etc. You always speak of it as if its the nonnies sugar cravers dream come true - so in that cause I want to know why they would write misleading information or where they would even get it from. I guess I want to be resassured because I saw some at my local health food store and have been thinking of using it. Also do good oils such as olive oil have the same value if it is heated.

I just bought myself a juicer and was wondering what vegetable and fruit juices would be particularly good for the liver. I have decided I will use the grapefruit for that gallbladder/liver flush because I found some grapefruit - I guess its just an acquired taste. I also wanted to know what the signifigance of the grapefruit is for the flush. And for teh second day before I do the olive oil thing should I just be eating fruit and vegies or vegie juices. Nice to have you back. Thanks in advance. Chantelle

Thanks for the welcome back, dear! ;-)

About your vegetable glycerine question: yes, it is glycerol. But as to why the authors of that article would write what they did, and where they got their information, I think the best way to find out is to ask the author/publication. I'd be interested in their answer, too, so please let us know when you receive a reply!

Oils have the same listed food values whether heated or not, as long as they are not brought to a temperature where they begin to break down and smoke.

To choose vegetable and fruit juices for specific health purposes, consult the book Juicing for Life (Calbom/Keane). Always check a recipe for avoids, and remove them or substitute an OK choice for those items.

Grapefruit or lemon juice may be used for the gallbladder flush - grapefruit is simply more palatable for many people. The day before the flush is best spent with juices only -- apple juice/water for everyone except O nonsecretors. :-D

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Type (A1+)MM,Sec: I have 27 years experience in foodservice. 5 years experience in blood group (A) preparation. I looked into www.foodtv.com < They require a sponser from an established production company to air a blood type food tv show. I thought it out & got an idea. We could do a blood type cooking/ food prep demo at the February 2005 IFHI conference to show people our style of cook-right 4 your type. I can demo type(A) someone could demo type (O) food another type (b) & (AB), if this could be fitted into the tight schedule. Please reply at your convenience. Tell me what you think:) Brian

Hi, Brian ~ It sounds really interesting! If you'd like to put together this kind of presentation for the 2005 conference, just go to this page and propose it to the IfHI folks. Best wishes!! :-D

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Hi Heidi, Hope all went well with your projects. Not a burning question at all so whenever you get to it is great. Revisiting the L-glutamine discussion. Leafing through the encyclopedia and under Alcoholism it says recommended for Blood Group A: Specifics: L-glutamine: 500 mg. twice daily Maybe alcoholism is something where the upside of raising cortisol levels outweigh the downside. Like when eating lima beans is good thing when a Type A has cancer. Thanks for everything Heidi. Best, Nina

Hi, Nina!! I haven't yet been able to verify the glutamine issue, but I'll be posting it as soon as I do. I suspect it is one of those developments in research that supercede the info I have on file, but when I hear, so will you. thanks for everything, dear! :-D

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Hi Heidi, It is Lisya again. I am mainly writing for my mother and my best friend. My mother is 70 years old and started BTD a year ago although secretor status unknown, I am shure she is a non secretor (Iam as wel)she lost 11 kilos during the year and 75kilos now. She is using basic pack A. Important of all she was suffering 25 years long from very soft eliminations with mocus (at times not able holding it) and now it is normalizing!

She reported that when she uses polyflora more frequently she notices better eliminations. She doesnt use her allergy pils anymore.

The only thing I do not follow is, when she eats abricots, prunes ore green salad and oils even if beneficial she gets a water like elimination.

Her galb ladder was removed years ago because of stones. So I tought meybe part of the problem is the absence of gal bladder. Would it be more dificult to digest oils because of that? On the other hand we do need some oils for vital functions. I cheked on internet site but can not find any recomendation for people without gal bladder.

Another thing is that she has has a very big vet buble at her back and some under skin white hard little bubles on her face. I thought of giving her brewers yeast and lecithine because I red that the inositol and choline part in yeast and lecithine can help in this cases. Doe you have any suggestions about these subjects?

My friend is 46 she is an O+ secretor sta. unknown. She is on a diet sinds a year as wel. although she sais she does not eat avoids, I noticed she does not chek the ingridients of products very wel. I think she is eating mainly ok. 1.she is suffering from joint pain ellebow and fingers. I adviced her to to chek trough her doctor if it a kind of reumatic illness like artritis etc. cut all grain and cheese for the time being. Her doctor was not cooperative she was very laconic about BTD so I thought she could carefully try Glucosamine sulphate, detox pro. liver support protocol with basic pack O.

She menstruates every 18/17 days which is to often and has a meat tree (i dont know how to call it in English it is non cancer growth in or out the womb) out side of her womb. In the medical publications of Academical Medical Center of Amsterdam they suspect disbalans on ostrogen levels could be causing myoms as they call it. My friend is been told that hers is rather a large one.

I thought, can a hormonal disbalans cause also reuma like symptoms? meybe it would be ok using fem balance anyway to normalize the hormon balance which might effect many complains positively? Last interesting one is that she has a buble (walnut size)on her right side immidiatly onder her last rib. After an ecography chek they said she has a air buble in the upper side of her bowel?? So they can not do anything abaut it and they do not know the cause. Heidi did you ever heard of anything like this before? Can a poor flora meybe cause that? But I can not follow why and by what air can be captured in the intestines without the ability to move? a certain bacterial overgrowth? I thought of intestinal health pro. and Ara powder but I would appriciate any advise from you

Okey last one about myself. I have little white underskin bubles under my eyes. I have it since I am 15/16 I think. They call it here underskin colesterol. I was wondering when my colesterol levels reading normal how can I have underskin colesterol? Do you have any idea how one can get rid of it. In one of the books I was reading recently they see it as early sign of cardiovascular problem and genetical suseptibility for hart problems. I hope it is not that bad. after 6 months of antibiotics I started to get vertical lines on my nails could it be mineral deficiency or efa or both? I am taking basic pack O. I have few more questions but I will stop now and send it an other time. Thanks ahead for everything, Lisya

Greetings, Lisya! For your mom, I think your suggestion of brewer's yeast is excellent. For her digestive trouble, there is a place online to study. It contains information on the liver/gallbladder flush for those whose gallbladders were removed, just like your mom. It is www.sensiblehealth.com -- and Julia Chang answers questions there as well.

For your friend, I think your recommendations for her joint problems are very good, but instead of glucosamine sulphate, use straight n-acetyl glucosamine ("NAG"). I don't know the answer to her intestinal bubble situation, but it definitely warrants getting a second medical opinion. For both the joint and the hormone/endometriosis problems, cleaning up her diet is the most important thing to do. She would certainly benefit from taking the type O probiotics, ARA6 and Deflect, but her commitment to her own health will be the deciding factor as to whether she begins healing, or gets worse. Avoiding the wheat and corn in the ingredients she isn't now checking will make a big difference in the way she feels. Do encourage her in that direction!

The antibiotics you took for a long time are the reason why your digestive system may not yet be up to snuff. Take some brewer's yeast and lecithin, along with your mom. Horsetail herb (Equisetum arvense) would be good for your nails (and hair), and make some good homemade broth from leftover roasts & birds. It is full of collagens & other proteins you need for healthy nails, and should also help with those little under-eye bubbles -- especially if you drizzle a little flax oil into it just before eating it.

I hope these ideas help you & your mom & friend, and look forward to hearing more from you again! take good care! :-D

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I just found out recently that my blood type is O positive, and it shocked me because i've always fallen right into place on the type A diet. I feel sluggish and bad when i eat meats, healthy and energetic with soy and veggies and fit into everything else about an A even down to feeling worse after eating cashews and eggplant. The two are exact opposites, and I was wondering if there were any exceptions or factors that could cause that switch in diet. Thanks Shayna

Hey there, Shayna! Long-term vegetarian Os often have a lot of trouble adjusting to the diet that's best for them. Pancreatic enzymes taken before meat meals for a few weeks will alleviate that sluggish feeling. Your body will need time to begin producing those enzymes which haven't been called upon in years. I'm O positive as well, and cashews and eggplant have always been my least favorite foods -- as it happens, they are both avoids for me (O nonsecretor). Neither soy nor veg is an avoid for O secretors, except for those veggies on the specific avoid list (not many).

Try using the enzymes I mentioned, and commit to 100% beneficial O foods for just three weeks (along with the exercise). I think you'll then have ample evidence on which to base your decision. Best wishes to you, and thanks for writing! :-D

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boo hoo! boo hoo! boo hoo! my mornings are just not the same without you.although i like reading dr dadamo & brons columns everyday they can sometimes be a tad heavygoing sometimes or i'm just thick! but i thoroughly enjoy your column & i miss it & you any chance of you staying up all night to do your other commitments so we can have you back sooner!? i know i'm being selfish but it just ain't the same without you! sniff!boo hoo! sniff!debs :-(((((

That was a great suggestion, debs -- I just stayed up all night, and got a little more caught up. Just like college days! LOL! thanks for your kind support & compliments... and don't be too hard on the good doctors OR yourself. We're all working on understanding what's gone before and planning for what the future holds! bless ya, dear -- :-)

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Hello Heidi! It seems that in my quest for better health I may be doing some damage. The BTD diet has worked well for me for the past 8 months, having lost about 10 kg but nothing more. I am type A (no knowledge of secretor or not) have also found that for the past few months I have had a constant craving for chocolate. Does this reflect low iron levels? Also, I have been taking some coral calcium, which is reputed to have wonderful healing qualities. However, since taking this regularly, my body acidity levels have skyrocketed and stomach acidity has dropped.

I note that the BTD book refers to Calcium Carbonate requiring highest levels of stomach acidity. Does this mean that I can't take the coral calcium? They say that the body can go through quite a dramatic toxic dump when starting on the calcium so could this be what is happening to me?

Then one last question: when buying pasta I am confused with the ingredients as the front of the pack says 100% durum wheat, but the back of the pack lists it as durum wheat semolina. As a type A I can have durum wheat but no semolina. Whew, that was a mouthful. Thanks for all your wonderful responses and I hope you are able to help me with the above queries. Have a wonderful day. Dagmar/Vicki

Hi, Vicki ~ The chocolate craving is more likely a hormonal problem, and/or a chromium deficiency. Try a daily tablespoon or two of nutritional yeast, and consider using Phytocal-A instead of coral calcium to alleviate those stomach problems. It has all the calcium and balancing / trace elements you want, in an easily digestible form. ;-)

About the semolina issue - yes, the ingredients list on the back is the one to go by. They did use a rather confusing combination of terms! since semolina is a byproduct only of durum wheat, so the only semolina IS semolina made from durum wheat. Hope this clears things up!! ;-D

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I've been curious about something. I can find no evidence to support the claim on the website http://www.dadamo.com/ regarding the advocating of the blood type diet by the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation. I have emailed them and they were unaware of this claim. They said that they do not advocate the diet. In actuality, the link takes the Internet user to the Life Extension Foundation--which is something entirely different. Why is there a misrepresentation of something so important? It truly bothers me because I believe that the blood type diet can work for many people--so there is no need to make false claims. How can this be explained? Lydia

Hi, Lydia! I think it was probably just a typo. At any rate, I see that our website has already been corrected to reflect the correct information, so thank you for the heads-up! :-D

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I have a recipe for T-Biscuits. I use rice flour and tapioca flour. The thing is I followed the recipe to the letter. I'm suppose to end up with soft dough that cleans the side of the bowl instead I ended up with sticky dough that clings to the side of the bowl. I added more flour (mistake) My biscuits came out hard as a rock. Obviously I'm doing something wrong. Do you have any advice for me. Elaine

Greetings, Elaine! Could you post which recipe you used? This isn't one I'm familiar with. I'd be glad to look it over and see what I can come up with! Also, if you could let me know your ABO, rhesus (and secretor if available) type, I could also try to figure out some substitutions for you.

thanks, dear! :-D

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Good evening Heidi, I have previously written you before regarding Vega testing - thanks for the reply. I am a type O secretor who is a very active triathlete and mother of three who currently is breastfeeding my nine month old son. I train 2-3 hours per day plus all the running around I do with three little ones. I would like to have some help putting together an eating plan following the blood type diet to ensure that I am eating the correct number of servings per week from each blood type food group. I find myself often craving carbs and frequently hungry with low blood sugar. Perhaps I am not eating frequently enough. I would really appreciate any help that you could give me. Thanks in advance, Sara.

Hey there, Sara! I'd be most pleased to help. Just shoot me a note with any food sensitivities you have, along with any foods you just won't eat (for whatever reason). We'll whip up a nice athlete's table for ya.

I have to say I'm in deep admiration of your endeavours. Heck, with three littles around the house plus your training, I'd say you're a double triathlete!

Best wishes, and I look forward to hearing from you! :-D

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Heidi I have been on the diet for well over two years, and although eating out is a challenge (I am an O), I am very happy with the results. How I have managed without reading your column daily which I now do, is a mystery to me!! Thank you for being there for all of us.

Having searched the archives for answers, I still have questions!! If drinking water with meals (maybe 3 or 4 oz.) is a problem, then what do you drink? I have found Soda Water to be great at dinner and through the evening, and have green tea with breakfast. Eating with no liquid would be very difficult for me. Breakfast options...the age old O problem. I understood that grains at brekkie were not good and that rice was preferable. Today you mentioned ezekiel with eggs etc. Now I am confused. Thanks Toni

Hey there, Toni! We encourage folks not to drink much, if at all, with meals, only so that the digestive juices can do their work without dilution. A few sips of water with your meal, if necessary, won't be a problem.

Well... rice is a grain. Ezekiel and Essene breads are 100% sprouted grains, so they are in a slightly different category. The whole what-food-you-eat-with-what-other-food issue is a matter of personal choice by trial & error. Some find they do best with a balanced protein-carb-fat intake at each meal -- some do better separating grains from meats. I mention "classic" substitution options for the standard American breakfast to folks who are used to that breakfast and are just starting out. I don't want to hit them with "organ meats, onions & green veg" right out of the starting gate! ~;-D getting rid of the avoids while maintaining a semblance of "normal breakfast" is important for many people at first. ;-)

You won't find me eating anything but meat, fish, eggs and greens (& other veg) at breakfast, but that's simply what I've come to over years of trial & error (and emotional acceptance of my hunter-gatherer physiology & its optimal regimen). I would like everyone to find their ideal meal-approach as well!

thanks for your note, dear, and I'm very pleased to hear you're prospering! :-D

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Dear Heidi, I wanted to thank you for all the info that you put out there. I have been doing the diet for type O for about a month or so and I have had great results with my allergies but not with my weight.

I have also been doing intense exercise (lunges, squats, pushups, abs- believe me this work out is 50 minutes of bootcamp exercises) but the weight is not coming off. Then I read a post about the thyroid and a.m. temp. Guess what? I am consisently under the normal range- average about 97.2.

I ordered a glandular product called Thyodine. Do I continue to take the product after my temp returns to normal? Or is there a maintence routine you do? Thanks again, Tina from VA

Hallo, Tina! That thyroid thing is pretty sneaky, isn't it? Glad you did the temperature test and found your solution!

The Thyodine product I'm familiar with is bladderwrack only, no glandulars or B vitamins -- is that the one you're using? Bladderwrack is fantastic, so give it a month and see if your temperature comes up nicely in that time. You could also benefit by a tablespoon of nutritional yeast in a hot cup of broth or added with some almond butter to a fruit smoothie (sounds awful, tastes great). If things haven't shown progress in a month, pick up a mixed glandular with B vitamins -- ask your chemist or supp shop manager to point out what they carry in that line.

And if the product you're talking about does contain the glandular & B ingredients, just carry on and let me know how you do, OK? by the way, HUGE congratulations on your commitment to the diet AND exercise components of the plan!! SUPERB work! HOO-Rah!! ~:-D

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Hi Heidi! Regarding Sayrah's stress and heart and inflammation, I ran across interesting information while working on my magnesium deficiency, and maybe it would be helpful to her. From what I'm reading, magnesium deficiency would increase inflammation, because it is somewhat of a natural antihistamine -- deficiency apparently results in higher than normal histamine levels, which would affect allergies and inflammation etc. And, deficiency can be related to arrhythmias, because of its various effects.

I've been reading that stress and Magnesium deficiency create a vicious cycle, because deficient people can't handle stress as well, because somehow magnesium is used by the body as a calming influence. Without enough magnesium, stress can be more stressful than it would be normally. And then stress exacerbates the magnesium deficiency.

And on a few sites I read that stress situations cause body reactions which result in magnesium rushing out of cells into the bloodstream as a calming reaction -- which if you're deficient, would throw the heart/electrical impulses more off-balance, which might be why heart reactions can happen under stress.

Also magnesium deficiency creates a potassium deficiency because then the potassium can't get into cells effectively even if eating enough (per Garrison & Somer's "Nutrition Desk Reference"), which also greatly affects the heart.

Anyway, it might be worth it to search the web for magnesium deficiency and words like "stress" "arrhythmia" & "histamines". It's very easy to get magnesium deficient (I was pumpkin seed skimping) -- medicines can cause magnesium drain, also Vit D deficiency can bring it on, and if you use alot of Vit B6 you may need more magnesium.

The site www.mgwater.com is a good comprehensive site with many articles. Another site, http://www.barttersite.com/consequences_of_magnesium_defici.htm, is specific to some of the stress effects -- though the severe reactions it's talking about would be for a severe magnesium deficiency, which people on ER wouldn't be likely to have, so no worries there! Hope it helps! (o:Maia

It sure does! WARMEST THANKS, my dear!!! :-D

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I had pre-eclampsia with my first pregnancy. I am starting to follow the blood tyope diet and would like to know if it will help to minimize the chance of getting pre-eclampsia again? Emmie

Hello, Emmie! The surest way to ensure a healthy child is to have a healthy mother. The blood type diet and exercise plans are the gold standard of building strength and being physically prepared for the demands of pregnancy. For specific advice, refer to the latest book: Eat Right 4 Your Baby!. Toxemia and high blood pressure are two of the simplest issues that resolve through the use of these diet & exercise plans. Best to you, Emmie -- please write again! :-)

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Dear Heidi, Two personal experiences in response to others.

1) On oils and rancidity: I use the contents of a BHT capsule in every bottle of oil to prevent rancidity. Is this a healthy thing to do?

2) On umeboshi plum vinegar: Regular supermarket vinegars (especially balsamic), even in small quantities, make me quite ill and give me swollen eyelids. My husband calls them my "vinegar eyes"; they make me look like a frog. Umeboshi plum vinegar in moderate quantities has no bad effects! I have to have a quarter of a bottle to have a reaction! I wonder if it makes a difference that plums are beneficial for O's? Thanks for the daily guidance! Karen O (O-sec)

Thanks, Karen! Interesting observations!!

From my side, BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) kinda gives me the shivers. I guess any compound including the element "toluene" is something I would need to investigate thoroughly before ingesting it (or touching it, for that matter). Here is a website that will give you some of the background I'm referring to. In short, I would read up on the shelf life of every oil I use regularly, and refrigerate them if needed. I'd be MOST inclined not to add BHT to any food item.

Hope this helps! And thanks for the report on umeboshi plum vinegar! :-)

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My dad is 83 and has congestive heart failure. He also has severe stomach pains whenever he eats (except when he is in the hospital which is becoming more and more frequent). He has had to go into the hospital every 3-4 weeks for the past 5 months for blood transfusions as his blood count keeps dropping to 7 or 8. This started about 3 years ago and only recently are the transfusions needed more frequently. He has had every possible scan, scope, MRI, etc. test done 3 times to find where/why he is losing blood and EVERY test is negative for blood loss.

Just as the doctors cannot find what's causing the blood loss they also have no explination for his daily stomach aches. The only suggestion they have is for him to eat small meals but to eat more often. Generally, within 15-20 minutes of his meal he begins to get abdominal pains which vary from and ache to severe cramping and getting worse. The pains are even starting to come before he has finished eating and fortunately or not he has a very healthy appetite although he is skin and bones ( 6'1' and 150 lbs.)

At the recommendation of a relative we were recently introduced to ERF4YT. My dad is very set in his ways, eating is one of his greatest pleasures but he has never been and adventerous eater. As it turns out almost everything he loves is on the AVOID list for his O type blood. However, he is in so much pain so much of the time that he is willing and I've been helping hims to make the changes necessary. At the recommendation of a store dietician he has also started to take OmegaEnzyme before eating and acidolpholis and papaya after eatung to stimulate his stomach acids.

My questions are these:

1) Is there an at home test he can do to check the stomach acid levels. It was suggested that he could drink 2oz. of apple cider vinegar and pains or no pains would determine if his intolerance was to grains or proteins but I didn't actually understand what the result would indicate. Is this something you have heard about?

2) In the Blood Type Encyclopedia under the protocol section, when they list the blood type protocol for a condition is it intended that each of the remedies be taken or is it one or the other? The reason I ask is because when I looked up anemia (which is just one of my dad's problems) there were 3 different protocols recommended and each protocol had 4-5 items mentioned. That would mean taking 12-15 tablets a day on top of the 9-10 perscriptions he already takes daily.

We are just new to this natural/holistic type of living so until we see some very perceptible results from his diet change we will not be eliminating any of his perscribed medications for his heart problems even though it's probable that taking so many perscriptions for so many years is the cause of the stomach problems. On the other hand I do know that they are what have kept him alive this long. There is no man in his family tree that has even made it to 72. Your answers and suggestions will be very appreciated. MDAY

Hi there, Mday - well, I salute you and your dad for choosing the O diet to alleviate his suffering! Be assured you made the right choice!!!

I wouldn't bother doing stomach acid tests - they're fussy, uncomfortable, risky and unnecessary. The key to restoring his digestion is introducing small quantities of beneficial meats, fish, vegetables, and fruits, which will actively stimulate his secretions to perform naturally.

I also agree with you, and suggest, that he not embark on a full series of the protocols on top of taking lots of meds. His body would be best served by working toward 100% compliance with the diet (which is the prime key to all the success we have here); by carefully supervised and graduated exercise; and by adding only two supps: PolyFlora-O (our probiotic, far superior to acidophilus for type Os) and ARA6 (a prebiotic food for the beneficial bacteria, and a great intestinal tract healer -- also available in the Store here). As he heals, he will need less of the medications that became necessary due to a years-long avoid-heavy diet. He should, however, supplement with magnesium -- his heart will thank him. As he feels better, the addition of Deflect-O and a saliva secretor test to enable us to design a targeted diet for him would be in order.

If you do not have one, a juicer which does not remove all the fiber from the juice is a perfect "supp-maker." Beneficial juices based upon carrot/celery juice, with additions from the vegetable list as desired, provide the fluids he so desperately needs (most heart patients are chronically dehydrated) as well as vitamins, minerals and trace natural elements in a form he will find eminently digestible. Another great treat is frozen berries, pineapple and banana, blended with a half scoop of nutritional yeast (I trumpet the virtues of KAL brand) and a tablespoon of walnut or almond butter & some water or ice. It's like a wonderful fresh fruit ice-cream! :-) When you're out from under a bit and he's home again, ask me about my bone broth recipe. Spectacular for delivering protein and minerals in a natural matrix.

Please tell him for me that he is now on track to be healthier and happier than ever before in his life! Every change he makes in the direction of the BTD will repay him many times over.

This is just a quick summary of tips. As time goes by, please always feel free to come back with more questions. I am very much interested in seeing him come through his present difficulties to a very shiny new life! Best regards, and thank you for writing!! :-D

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In the Blood Type Encyclopedia it has protocals usually 4-6 weeks. how many times a year or how much time before each do I need to wait to do it again. I have Prostitis, how often should I do the Male Health protocol and.... What is your comments on Colloidal Silver. I use if I get bacterial infection. Thank you in advance. Keep up the good work. Tony

Hi there, Tony! Allow two weeks after a full run on the protocol before taking it up again. There's no need to repeat a protocol unless the problem persists, or unless you want to do them at regular intervals for preventive/protective reasons.

I much prefer Heallix to colloidal silver. Have a good read through that site, and I think you'll agree. :-)

Thanks for the kind words, Tony! and please feel free to write whenever the urge strikes! :-D

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Heidi, I have acne and am type O. I know we are supposed to stay away from Wheat. I'm using an acne topical treatment system that contains tea tree in all of the products, which Dr. Dadamo suggested. I noticed that the cleanser has Sodium Lauroyl Wheat Amino Acids as the 3rd ingredient and the gel has Wheat (Triticum Vulgare) Extract as the 4th ingredient. Should I stay away from this? Is this the wheat that's bad for type O? Thank you, Tina

Hi, Tina! In topical products, the food avoids won't harm you. You might try using plain hydrogen peroxide as a last-step "disinfectant," and plain tea tree oil with a bit of pure soap and a gentle facial buff-puff for exfoliating. Probably less expensive than the product system you're using -- and just as effective. Best wishes, and let me know how it goes for you! :-D

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Heidi, I was re-reading the following Bladderwrack information on the website tonight and came across something concerning herpes. NAP Knowledge Base - Fucus vesiculosus " Bladderwrack" Fucus vesiculosus: Anti-microbial Activity The fucoidan found in bladderwrack inhibits the growth of many unfriendly bacteria and viruses. Some of the viruses this compound is antagonistic to include herpes simplex virus, human cytomegalovirus, and human immunodeficiency virus. Bladderwrack has been found to agglutinate the cells of several strains of Candida. Bladderwrack also has a toxic effect on some strains of E. coli and all strains tested of Neisseria meningitidis.

Do you think this info would be useful considering the recent herpes topic? Don

I sure do, and thank you MOST kindly, Don, for this very timely reminder!!:-D

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Hi Heidi ThanK you very much for that A metabolic protocol!!! I searched the database but could not find anything in answer to this question - can A's use grapeseed oil??? I saw this oil for the first time on SA supermarket shelves this weekend and due to the fact that grapeseed extract is supposedly good to take, I was wondering about the oil. Currently I use olive oil only. Thanks a million!!!

Second question - I asked in a previous message about the use of Fucus Vasiculosis (hope my spelling is correct) for A's as it is mentioned in LR4YT as a lectin blocker for A's. (Which I was very glad about, because I cannot order Deflect etc over the web and this product is available here in SA). Maybe you did not see this question in my previous message, but I was hoping that you could clear this up for me as in the column it is only mentioned as being good for the O group! Yet - it is mentioned in the book under the chapter dealing with the A group. Thanks - hope you can help me with this and thank you for the time and effort you put into answering all my questions - much appreciated! eurika

Hi there, Eurika! Nice to hear from you again!!

Here's a November 2002 OTD column on grapeseed oil. ;-)

Fucus vesiculosis may be used by all types! See Don's post just above for some of its magnificent qualities. :-D I wonder if you noticed in my original reply to your NAP supp question that forms of payment other than credit card might be used -- I understood that was the obstacle to your ordering them online? Just a reminder that a quick email to NAP would answer that question for you, if you're still interested. Blessings, dear, and keep smiling!! :-D

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Hi, Heidi. I wish I could cheer the recent posting for Sunspire carob chips, since I've been looking for compliant chips for years. However, here are the ingredients, posted at S'spire's site. Looks like an avoid to me (an O secretor). Whole grain malted barley and corn, fractionated palm kernel oil, carob powder, soy lecithin (added as an emulsifier). Lisa

Hello, Lisa! I thought Conrad might be referring to something similar to the red bagged "Unsweetened Carob Chips" rather than the green bagged "Vegan Carob Chips" (the product whose ingredients you listed). The "Unsweetened" ones in the red bags contain dairy -- but his source is a bulk product, so not sure they're the same at all.

Did you look into the unsweetened carob chips Nina mentioned? the ones by NOW called carob drops? I guess I will have to go back to my old HFS and get their source for their bulk unsweetened carob "drops," which look like flattened little chocolate kisses -- I remember that they contained no sweetener or dairy. Will report back when I can, don't give up hope! :-)

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Dear Heidi, On the "egg" issue, thought I'd pass on some info I recently read on a leaflet I got at my health food store which was put out by a French organic foods company.

1. Never wash an egg - it destroys the "cuticle" which protects the egg against bacteria.

2. Take eggs out of the refrigerator one hour before you are going to use them (this is for better taste).

3. Ways to verify that the egg is fresh: A) break it into a plate, and if the yellow is well-round like a ball and the texture of the white is somewhat dense and does not run too much - it is fresh; Place the egg in a glass of water. If it floats in a horizontal position, it is very fresh. If it becomes semi-horizontal, it is a week old. If it floats in a completely vertical position, it should not be eaten.

4. Guidelines for using eggs based on their age/freshness are: A) can be used raw up to a week old; poached or fried up to 2 weeks; C) scrambled or omelette up to 3 weeks old; D) hard-boiled or ingredient in a cooked dish, up until 4 weeks.

I have used fresh, organic eggs without any problem raw in steak tartare, etc. without any ill effects for years. Now, it would seem to me that there is a small problem with the idea of checking the freshness by putting it in a glass of water, when one is told not to wash the egg! Guess I should ask about that next time I'm in the store - or call the company and put it to them.... Anyway, I think that you are correct in what you say about buying only known quality organic, free-ranged eggs. Don't know if this is worth printing, but thought I'd pass it on - you know how the French are about there food! a bientot, Abby

:-) Hey, VERY useful tips, Abby. Thanks so much for putting them all under "one roof" here.

By the way, commercial egg washing is quite different from just dropping it in water right before using it, so no worries there. AND, factory egg producers in the U.S. routinely wash their eggs (you can really tell with the white ones, whose shells have no surface texture and begin to look more translucent than opaque) because the various "committees" have decided it "works." ~~:-E Something on the order of how well that apocryphal committee succeeded in designing a horse....

;-D

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Regarding Salmonella and raw eggs. I note your recipe for Mayonaise calls for lemon juice. Lemon juice is an antiseptic. We need a biochemist to tell us if that is sufficient to kill Salmonella.

But the main thing to consider is time spent unrefrigerated. Salmonella grows. A minor exposure from an egg crate becomes worse if the egg or mayonaise is left out at room temperature.

I love fresh-brewed iced tea. After a Salmonella scare in southern California, many restaurants replaced it with fake tea. In that case, the problem was inadequate cleaning of the tea urns from one batch to the next. Food safety practices require tea to be thrown out every few hours. I know Jack-in-the-box dumps theirs every six hours and cleans the urn. Their tea always tastes fresh and they emphasise food-safety (handling, if not dietary).

I have always wondered if the antiseptic/antibiotic I put in it (sugar) is of any value. And how many other things have become tradition because of their safety value? We know that the closer a people live to the equator and hot climate, the more antiseptic spices they use.

A famous Salmonella outbreak was traced to contaminated marijuana by the CDC. I couldn't say whether it should be kept refrigerated.

Bottom line, it may be all around us, but we have natural defenses and some common sense ways to reduce the risk. Sandra

~;-> Incisive points, Sandra.

Local traditions vary greatly. For example, my English friends are mystified by the American habit of refrigerating eggs. Well, one practical consideration may be their climate in contrast to ours (or, our many climates, including desert and subtropical). Another element coming into play may be the average size of the Yank's fridge compared to the Pom's. ;-> I don't refrigerate mine because (1) they are fresh and unfridged when purchased, and (2) once removed from the fridge, the condensation forming on the egg breaches the cuticle and porous shell, which sort of defeats the contemplated sanitary purpose of fridging them.

I guess the moral of the story is not to put your marijuana in the same cupboard where your eggs go? ~;-D Seriously, I want to encourage everyone to focus on obtaining nasties-free food at the source -- but I understand the concerns many have over the salmonella issue generally, so I hope everyone learns as much as possible, then does what he or she feels is most sensible to do. Best wishes to all, and thank you again for your thought-provoking message & dry humor, Sandra! ~;-D

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Aloha Heidi, My wife and I searched everywhere for that magnesium reference and all we could find was a reference about manganese on pg. 89 of BTD. My mistake and I apologize for that. An update on my tinnitus research; I did my tests and my thyroid came out low (average of three days was 97.3 for my temperature) and I do have alot of the symtoms for low thyroid. So I'm off to do the protocals in the Encyclopedia, thanks so much for the thought that it could be a thyroid problem. I'm excited to get started and by the way, negative on the cancer, yeah hoo! Being I'm an "A" secretor, that's a relief. Carl R.

Hey there, Carl ~~ That's so good to hear about the magnesium thing, thanks VERY much for getting back to us on that one!

And WHOO-HOO on the cancer test -- I expected no less, of course!!! I'll look forward to hearing how the protocols go for you -- ain't it great to find a good avenue for investigation (in this case, the thyroid)? Keep me posted, and keep SHINING!! :-D

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Heidi- Love your column and I find it very helpful, I have only been doing the BTD for 2 months now and love it. I have already lost 5lbs and am starting to feel much better. However, I am a little confused and hope that you can clear up my head for me. In the BTD book it states that we should avoid Whey, but we can have yogurt. I was always thinking that Whey was the yellowish liquid that forms on the top of yogurt. Am I correct or have I just gotten my wires Crossed. Oh, I'm an A+, don't know the secretor stuff.

Also, I have a very versatile home with 3 different types in it, A, O, & B. Cooking for everyone has become quite a challenge, but we're getting through it. Would buying the Cooking Right for your Type help in this?

Oh, yeah, one more question.... I made the Quinoa Applesauce cake out of the BTD book, but instead of maple sugar i used Stevia and the cake was very bitter. Not even my 2 year old would eat it. What did I do wrong? Was it the Quinoa or the Stevia? Any suggestions on how I could sweeten this cake without killing my family? Thanks for your column and all your help. Sandie :0)

Hey there, Sandi -- SO nice to hear you're prospering, and bringing your 3-type family right along with you! Well done!! :-D

Whey is the liquid portion of milk, which is separated from the solids (the curd) in, for example, butter and cheese making. Whey can be concentrated to a powder, at which point it is sold as the "whey protein" supplement, and used as an ingredient in some food products. In fermented products, it can be yellowish -- and that is indeed what you're seeing floating atop your yogurt. ;-) That doesn't mean the yogurt is an avoid for you. It's the concentrated "whey" we'd like you to avoid -- both as a supplement and as a product additive. The whey on your yogurt is a naturally-occuring byproduct of the yogurt-making process, and presents no problems for you.

Cook Right would probably be a great help to you! Bear in mind that since the food values have been expaneded and changed somewhat since the publication of both Eat Right and Cook Right, you will still want to check the ingredients of each recipe against your family's various food lists. This goes for any other cookbook or online recipe collection you come across as well, and it does become second nature after a while. ;-) I've found that having on hand a few huge, dependable cookbooks is the best way to go -- dishes you'd like to try can usually be adapted quite neatly to your household's ABO types.

Sorry about your poor little cake!! :-( Stevia can be quite bitter. It may be a matter of how much you used -- a little goes a very long way. Another OK-for-all-types sweetener is blackstrap molasses -- but if you'd like something which closely approaches the taste of plain sugar with none of the metaboic drawbacks, try some vegetable glycerine. There's lots of info on it in these column pages alone, so if you're interested just go to the bottom of this page, enter the search term "glycerine," and read from the bottom UP. ;-) Veg gly substitutes for sugar at about 1/2 the quantity. So, 1/2 cup of it will equal one cup of sugar. It's really a godsend, especially for multi-type cookery.

You're doing a FABULOUS job, and I salute your determination & good cheer! A winning combination... :-D

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Hi Heidi, I just thought I'd drop by to say hi and to tell you how great I feel, just "grooving" ( as Nina said) along here in my nonnie world.I just got home from my chiropractor checkup, and my neck is holding up great now, 4 months without requiring an adjustment. I'm doing more and more work and exercise, and just enjoying life with my kids and my crazy standard poodle, Gretchen,and my garden ( just picked a beautiful turnip for my lunch with greens and all with my lamb burger and onions and garlic, yum!) On my way to the gym now--while kids are in piano lessons--isn't life grand?? (Just telling you this because you helped me alot getting here; thanks...) Suzanna (AB/Non)

Oh, sweetie, what a lovely update!!! How very considerate of you to pass it along so we all might enjoy your blessings! {{Sigh!}} Marvelous! and a wonderful gift -- thank you!!! :-D

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Dear Heidi, Thank you so much for answering my question on white spots on the skin. I went to Web MD to check it out a bit more and it seems I have all the criteria needed to attract "tinea vericolor." Namely, I sweat a lot, am prone to getting athlete's foot and live in a humid, hot climate (FL). So there I have it ... I think perhaps I'll try the Heallix although it seems like it may take a year or two to clear up.

And thanks also for the ranch recipe. I've written it down and am very eager to try it. I'll let you know how I make out.

And as for the kefir, it never even occurred to me to try the stuff in a blender with fruit! What a great idea, maybe it's thickness will be a plus when it comes to making a "shake!"

Thank Henriette for her advice to Sally in the same column (July 27th). As a type B who hasn't lost any weight (my own fault though, the death of my father plus moving to another town really threw me for a loop, i'd eat anything available or that didn't run away from me first!) I am now getting back into the diet but am really craving the grains and dairy. I needed to be jarred back into reality and realize I need to cut those two categories down and really "beef" up the fruit/veggies, lamb and fish!

It's nice to have other B's that know what it's like. Anyhow, sorry for rambling on and thank you once again for all your help! Please keep up all the great work!!! Carol

Lovely!! Pleased to hear it, Carol ~ I'm sure your new resolve with serve you well... and I think you were wise to "do what you needed to do" when such enormous burdens were on your shoulders. Bless you, and do write again! :-D

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Hi Heidi! Just a quick comment for Carol about kefir. Yes, it comes out lumpy and sort of like sour milk, but if you stir it (just a spoon is fine), it smoothes out nicely. When I first started using it, I used equal parts (1/2 cup) plain kefir (flavored has lots of sugar!) & vanilla soymilk (silk)--just mix with a spoon--it's delicious! Now, after having gotten used to the taste, I use equal parts plain kefir & skim milk (as I'm a B-, nonnie). My father likes to drink it straight, thinned out a bit, because it reminds him of lassi (an Indian drink he had back home as a child). A fellow B friend uses it in her protein shakes with berries, a scoop of whey, and water because it thickens up the shake nicely without having to add milk. Just my two cents. --M.K.

Many thanks, M.K.! :-D

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Abby's mac may have crashed (On the Diet Topic For 27 July 2003) if there was not enough memory allocated to the browser that her version of AOL uses to read a particularly long On the Diet Topic. Increase the amount of memory for that program or for AOL and it may work better. Tom

Ah, that should have occurred to me... in my case, I had to adjust the pagefile size for certain sites, but it seems Abby's machinery requires a bit different treatment -- much appreciated, Dr. Polymath! :-D

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Hi Heidi! I was really interested (and motivated) after your answer the other day regarding pimples on the butt. Do you know the cause of pimples on the upper arms? I've been after the answer to this for years, and wonder if it's the same as for those butt ones. The other answer I've been searching for is the cause of dandruff, both on the scalp and the eyebrows. Any clues? These problems seem to be improving very slowly on the B diet (minus meat at present, although I did actually eat lamb twice on vacation - first time in 12 years). Thanks for any help, Ann.

Hey there, Ann!! Well, both can be traced to fatty acid imbalance, along with avoids such as corn and too much in the way of grains. Certainly, these 'detox'-area complaints fade quite steadily on the diet. Are you using the MFC drink with flax, fruit & lecithin?

Another great help is exercise, which I'd suggest in conjunction with just a tiny bit of lamb or turkey or even beef now & again -- as a B neg, you need it, dear! Give it a good solid effort, and include yer fishies as well... with time, you'll look back to wonder how you ever managed without your bennie-protein foods! Best wishes, and let me know how you do! :-D

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Hi Heidi, Thanks for answering my question about pastuerized eggs. Couldn't find any that are both organic and pasteurized. They are pasteurized by immersing them in warm water for a period of time depending on their size but does not cook the egg while in the water. It is all computerized. They are not powdered egg and the shells are intact. Maybe someone else knows of a company who has organic and pasteurized. The Egg Beaters have guar gum and a bit of corn oil to add back the vitamins/minerals their processing destroys.

Any other suggestions for using uncooked eggs to make homemade mayo?

I found the unsweetened carob chips. They are by NOW and are called carob drops. I think my very sensitive to chocolate daughter is going to love them. Thanks again Heidi. Nina

Hey there, Nina! I've heard a number of anecdotal measures some folks take to fend off infection just in case the bacteria is present, but I've not verified any of them. There's further info from Conrad, below, and a note about carob chips as well, but I'd like to just maunder a bit on this topic for a moment.

In the interest of public safety, I must say that salmonella is around. It is present on eggs laid by infected chickens, and on eggs laid into poorly sanitized infected egg flats, and the risk exists for humans eating those eggs. Because I care about the food I put into my body, I care about the quality of life and good management of the flocks who lay the eggs I eat. This is the crux of the matter. Healthy, ranged, unmeddled-with birds do not spread salmonella through their eggs, and health-conscious organic chicken farmers do not expose their valuable layers and products to the kind of barbaric factory practices which allowed these bacteria to mutate and create a public nuisance in the first place.

A question arises that, if one's immune system is particularly vulnerable or compromised in some way (infants, people with AIDS or cancer, or the very elderly), shouldn't one use only thoroughly-cooked eggs (and meat) to be sure of avoiding bacteria? Perhaps. But cooking the life out of any possible contaminant-carrier seems more extreme to me than getting verifiably clean food from healthy animals as a rule. However, not everyone feels that way, and I think that anyone who doesn't check their food sources is indeed much better off with well-done and hard-boiled, and whether they are hale or ill is moot.

Mayonnaise was invented in 1756 by the French chef of the Duc de Richelieu, who had planned an egg & cream sauce but found at the 11th hour that no decent cream could be found. Like any master chef, he proceeded through necessity to invention, and devised an emulsion of the eggs with olive oil instead. The achievement was named in honor of the Duc's victory at Mahon. "Mahonnaise."

:-)

So, for nigh on 250 years, cooks & chefs have been making mayonnaise at home or in the professional kitchen just as Richelieu's chef first made it: with FRESH high quality raw eggs, oil, and vinegar or lemon juice. I have been doing it myself the same way for years now. I don't feel I'm playing Russian roulette --rather, I believe that I'd be remiss in my responsibility to myself AND to the Earth if I chose to eat sub-par food of any kind, so by the time I get round to making mayonnaise, I'm taking no risks at all. The problem is prevented at the source.

In browsing around on the Salmonella topic, I came across the following transcript of the FDA/USDA Egg Safety Public Meeting -- April 6, 2000. Take a good, slow read through it. There are tips and clues everywhere. Read between the lines. I was rather entertained by what was said, what was hinted at, and certain deafening silences -- and my resolve that healthy, ranged, unmedicated birds shall be the only mothers of MY eggs was strengthened and validated.

Enjoy the topic ~~ there are no easy answers, but there are some real good ones! thanks again, dear... and read on! :-D

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Re Nina's query regarding a source for unsweetened carob chips. Here in Denver,I buy them bulk packaged from Vitamin Cottage, $4.38/pd. They are Sunspire Brand. They are also available from Whole Foods or Wild Oats Markets. Note, although called unsweetened, carob is actually quite sweet by itself. There are some sweetened carob chips so be sure to carefully read the label. Enjoy! Conrad

Well, that explains where the unsweetened carob (bulk-packaged) at my own HFS comes from. :-D thanks for that, and I'm sure Nina's group will appreciate the tip! :-D

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With respect to the 26 July question on pasteurized eggs, it is my understanding that terms such as "cold pasteurization, electronic pasteurization, pasteurized and pasteurization" are currently being allowed to be used on a variety of food products incuding eggs, as euphemisms for irradiation. However, the label "organic" would preclude irradiation or any of its euphemisms; so, for someone like myself who considers all irradiated foods as avoids, buying only organic eggs is or soon will be the only safe bet. Al

That's a provocative bit of research, Al ~~ thank you very kindly for posting it! "Fills in some blanks" for me, and for others as well, I hope!! thanks again! :-D

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Are coffee enemas ok for type A? Thanks -- Mary

Hi, Mary -- We don't encourage *regular use* of enemas, simply because the diet is more effective (and less costly and/or time consuming) at ensuring good digestion & elimination. Before "plunging in" at home, I'd suggest at least one session and consultation with a hydrotherapist to determine whether enemas would be a useful jump-start for your colon health.

If constipation is the problem, try drinking at least 1/2 ounce of water daily per one pound of body weight; getting plenty of raw and steamed beneficial veggies; adhering closely to the portions & frequencies of foods; and taking two tablespoons of flax soaked for 10 or 15 minutes in a little water, an hour or two before bedtime ~ not to mention doing your yoga! it's really key for type As, to boost the robust functioning of ALL the organs! Hope this helps!! :-D

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Heidi, On June 14, in a response to Marshal, you appeared to indicate that even though he is Lewis double-negative, he should continue to follow the diet as a secretor. However, in a reply to Jennie on July 26, you seemed to indicate the opposite. This is of concern to me because I am an A+ secretor, but I strongly suspect that I am Lewis double negative because both of my children are non-secretors [as is my husband] and secretors are supposed to be a dominant gene. If I am Lewis double-negative, should I follow the secretor or non-secretor diet? Thanks for all your help. Susan

Hi, Susan -- Remember what Marshal wrote: "Per Dr. D'Adamo's office, I use the "Secretor" column in the LR4YT book, since my saliva sample came out as "Secretor." So, you bet! Of course I would counsel him to follow those instructions.

As Peter has indicated in the past, he puts nearly all his LDN patients on the nonsecretor diet. In fact, Marshal is the only LDN I have ever heard of who has produced a positive secretor results through the saliva test. Now you see that Peter's office gave those instructions precisely because the saliva result is the ultimate determinant even in very rare cases like Marshal's.

Since you obtained a secretor result through the saliva test, there is no need to go further to the Lewis test; as you see by the above, the saliva test rules. As to your kids' secretor status, the reasonable conclusion is that you are a heterozygous secretor (one dominant secretor gene, one recessive nonsecretor gene), hence your recessive nonsecretor gene was passed on to your kids, along with your husband's only possible contribution (nonsecretor gene). This is a very common occurrence! and whether you were Lewis double negative, Lewis nonsecretor, or Lewis secretor, it would not change your diet since your saliva test has given the overriding mandate as to what your diet should be. :-D

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Heidi, thank you so much for forwarding my name to Nina. I had meant to ask you to do this and forgot. I so enjoy your column and continually get great information from the 3 of you. Thanks for your thoughts about not trying to rush things and do everything all at once. This is my down fall in all that I do, jumping right in and then loosing interest. Bless you and yours for all the great work you do. I can tell you have affected to many lives. Fond regard Pat



You're MOST welcome, Pat! :-) I gave her your name because you *did* ask... didn't want you to think I was reading your mind! :-D Thanks for your loving support! :-D

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All hog meat is an avoid food for all blood groups. Does this include wild boar? Rosemary

I hope not! ;-) but we don't yet know. Stay tuned!! :-D

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Just a quick thank you for your patience with my questions.I tend to be nit picky concerning minute details until I reach clairty.Because of that I sometimes cannot see the forest because of the trees.Keep up the good work and the good demeanor...John

John, you are most welcome! It's my pleasure, truly -- and I actively encourage precision in communications!! :-) Be well, and thanks for your kindness! :-D

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Dear Heidi, Don't know if there is anything you can do on this matter, but thought I'd pass it on. There have been two columns recently that crash my computer (Macintosh) every time I try to open them - I think it says something like "AOL has quit due to a System 2 error. Restart your computer." One column was from this week with the title "Some This, Some That...All Kindsa Qs and As!" The other column was on May 5th ( I remember the date as it is my birthday). Is there any reason for this that you can think of???

I hate missing your column!!!!!!! a bientot, Abby (P.S. I did not go to see my doc on Thursday the 24th, as I was too sick with this cold/flu thing - will see him on the 31st instead and will let you know what he says - also did not get the copies made and sent, but have not forgotten!) Abby

Any reason? Well, using AOL on a Mac might be it, LOL! Honestly, I'm not at all sure why those pages would crash you, but I've sent them out to you. Don't rush on the labs, no hurry at all. I hope you kick that cold in a hurry, dear!! and I fervently hope it's detoxing you nicely. Let's visualize THAT! :-D Take good care, and write again when you feel better! :-)

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For Sally B-type concerning bread and cereals. If you by any change was like me when I started: I just changed all the avoid stuff with neutrals and beneficials - and that was hard enough- but simply not good enough!. Look at how much you consume and when. Think about fruits and veggies first, then top with meat, fish, beans, nuts, cheese,eggs or yoghurt. Think about cereal and bread as a small sidedish not a pricipal part in your meal. In the summertime my breakfast is without cereal/bread because I eat mainly fruit or veggies, small amount of cheese or yoghurt- so I save the bread /cereal for later . In the wintertime I eat most of my bread or cereal in the morning, mostly as poridge or bread with eggs. I eat oat, rice and spelt. When I am at good health I eat homemade organic white bread(I´m not perfect!) Try to learn or take up cooking and baking - it will save you a lot of money and worries.! Heidi, I think that the B-types might be lucky to have(My O and A friends think so!) the diet with most variety - but it is also very difficult to get the right B-alance in it. Most B´s have tried: "I am not loosing weight- feeling better- but I only eat beneficial stuff......." most of us was overdooing the cereal and dairy part! I hope Sally can use my experience. Good luck Henriette B- sec.

Lovely advice from a member of the type B sisterhood! thanks SO much, Henriette! :-D

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Heidi, I want to thank you for your wonderful column and all the advise you are able to give from being involved with the BTD plan. However, on July 24, 2003 you answered Nina's question: " Is rice protein powder in the grains/starches category and soy protein powder in the bean/legume category? Thanks so much Heidi for everything. Nina I'll bet you know the answer, too, Nina! I'd put it in the grains group -- nice to hear from you, busy person! :-D " Are you saying soy protein powder is in the grains group? That doesn't sound right to me. Would you please clarify this? Sarah SE OK

Hi, Sarah! Thanks for that note -- I've corrected that column to say what I meant to convey! I agreed with *both* categorizations as she presented them. And how are you doing, dear? :-D

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Methionine question to Heidi: Hi, it’s me again with a question. (By the way, thanks for the bone soup recipe).

On today’s post it mentions how L-glutamine, in supplement form, raises the cortisol levels in A and B blood types. In the same way, does the supplemental use of methionine found in a number of products, like soy protein powders, help produce polyamines as mentioned on p. 440, (last paragraph), of the BTD Encyclopedia?

Also, when I did a search on methionine in Dr. Bron’s column, dated 4 Dec 2002, converting homecystine to methionine is apparently a good thing, promoting good balance in health. Therefore, if it exists naturally in foods, since it is an essential amino acid, would it be OK? I’m thinking of buying Bragg’s liquid aminos, but I don’t know if methionine is a naturally occurring amino acid or if it is processed in such a way as to not make it safe. Am I missing something here? I hope you can unravel this for me, since it has me stymied. Thanks, Susan

Hey there, Susan! After reading Doc Bron's 4 December 2002 post, I have two things to offer:

(1) A certain level of polyamines is necessary even in adults for building new tissue. That level is supported through the normal conversion of homocysteine to methionine, and that's what his discussion referred to as healthy and beneficial.



(2) The Encyclopedia's advice is that supplementing with ornithine, cysteine, and/or methionine is to be avoided if one is trying to reduce high gut polyamine levels -- so, you can see that this doesn't conflict with what Doc Bron described. If you're seeking to lower your polyamine levels, you would want to stay away from concentrated sources of methionine, cysteine, and ornithine -- and eat your folates! :-)

If this still isn't clear, please feel free to let me know! Best to you, dear!

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Dear Heidi, I love reading your column. I think it's great that you are so knowledgeable and helpful to people regarding the blood type diet. Please don't ever give it up!

I have a question about small white patches I've got on my skin. I've had them for years. They are mainly found on my legs and arms and they are much more prominent in the summer, when I've got a tan (not that I try to tan, I live in FL and can't avoid the sun). I use sunscreen, but the things just don't seem to go away.

Do you know what could be causing these and would the diet help to clear them up? By the way, I'm a B+, sec status unknown. I ask because my 7 y.o. daughter has a few on one of her legs so if it could be cleared up, that would be great.

Also, I have a question about kefir. I know it is HB for B's so I recently bought some and it seemed to be the consistency of very soured milk! It kind of tasted that way too. It was not passed it's exp date. Is kefir supposed to be like that?? No one I know has ever heard of it.

One last thing, are there any B's out there who know of a salad dressing that does not contain canola or soy oil? I love my salads, but all the dressings I find in the store contain and avoid oil for a B. And sometimes, I'd like a good Ranch dressing instead of just Olive oil and vinegar or lemon. Thanks, Heidi. Hope to hear from you soon! Carol

Carol, how very kind of you! thanks!! :-}

For those white patches -- see this column, just scroll down (or control-F) for "tinea versicolor." That may be what is causing the white patches on you and your daughter. What little I know about it is all there. :-}

I had kefir years ago, and it tasted pretty gamey, but fascinating. Someone made a strawberry shake with it (that tells you this was a very long time ago), and I drank a good quantity of it with no ill effects. Of course, I can't vouch for the proper consistency since I only sampled it after blending... Bs, any advice here?

For salad dressings, I just start with a base of olive oil, lemon juice (vinegar for you if desired), and sea salt, in a blender. From there, you can make any dressing you see on the market, you name it. If you like a bit of sweetness and a touch of tomato, stick 'em in. Herbs? Garlic? Basil? No problem, they pop in and whiz up beautifully.

Taste as you go along. Once you've gotten your batch as you like it, bottle it up and make another, and stick 'em all in the fridge. Fresh, organic, and much more flavorful than the store-bought stuff, I think!

There's a pretty tasty ranch dressing recipe in the column entitled "A Many-Type Splendor" that I put up in March of this year -- the only BTD adjustment for a B would be to use animal rather than soy yogurt. Experiment! Report! Enjoy!! ~:-D

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Hi Heidi ~ I've often thought about writing in, but had too much to say, so I usually decided not to.

I am a type O; don't know my secretor status but suspect that I am a non-secretor. I have been overweight for the majority of my life, and very sedentary.

I started the blood type diet at the end of August, 2001, and to date have lost approximately 65 lbs. I am actually a tiny person! Still a shocker when I look in the mirror . . . and I am still carrying some excess around my belly/ab area (first place to gain and last place to lose!)

The whole weight-loss process has been a real journey; as the layers were coming off, it was as though I was having to face difficult issues from my past that lay stagnant under the excess. I don't know if this makes sense to you, but there is not other way to explain it.

I have definitely been a "poster child" for the BTD in my small town of approx 4000 people; I know of at least 10 who have bought the book after they asked me what I was doing. I am annoyed that people still view it as a diet, or some sort of get thin quick scheme. It is a lifestyle for me that I can not deviate from, unless I wish to suffer in mind, body and spirit.

I was reading your column earlier today, and noticed your comments to another type O who was eating fish but no red meat. You commented that her liver was possibly not receiving the protein it needed to work properly, hence her skin problems, etc. I never looked at it this way. Though I know from the book that red meat is beneficial, every time I ate it, because of the damage I had done to my body in the past, I winced, thinking "I know I need to eat this, but I hope my liver can handle it!" Can you please expand on this for me?

I have struggled with acne for going on five years now - never had a blemish growing up. I suspect it is from dirty blood, as it seems to get better when I experiment with blood cleansers. Does this mean my liver is not doing it's job? Is more red meat OK for a type O whose liver is not functioning properly? Is it the more the better?

I have had liver function tests that have come out with flying colors, and still the skin issues. I understand that the health of the bowel is also an issue when it comes to skin; any suggestions for a type O with a unexplainably sluggish bowel? There are no doctors in town who really support the BTD, so I have been pretty much on my own since I started, and hoping and praying that I was doing the right thing.

As the weight has come off, obviously there is huge benefit in that, especially as my Dad died of a heart attack at the age of 59 in 1999 (that was the catalyst for my search for health).

Sorry for the rambling . . . I have many questions, and "what ifs". I believe in the research behind the BTD, and though many people I have spoken with say it's "not for them", I think that every one could benefit greatly by listening to their body and fueling it with what it desires, and was made to digest!

It never occurs to some people that the reason their bodies reject foods that are listed as beneficial, is because their bodies are so out of balance from years of abuse, that they are not going to recognize "medicine" until they get consistent doses for a greater period of time! Again, I apologize for going on and on. I hope to catch your thoughts on my questions; thank you for what you do. Tanya

Greetings, Tanya! I'm so very pleased you decided to take the leap, and enrich us with your experiences -- this would have been a poorer place without you!

I can most certainly relate to your observation that working through the layers of fat is more than just a physical process. All kinds of issues arise and go, along with the excess weight. The sense of oneself can alter in unexpected ways, while others' perceptions of you may also transform in mysterious fashion. It can be quite a wonderful learning process -- it's such a profound personal change in ways that are difficult to describe. I think you summed it up beautifully. ;-)

About your skin and sluggish digestion, there are a few different ways to go. The first things I'd look at are:

(1) limiting grain consumption to 3 or less servings per week

(2) sticking to lean meats for now, and getting ten portions per week

(3) eating two tablespoons fresh-ground flaxseed soaked in a little water (it gels up) daily -- before bed, or first thing in the morning, doesn't matter. NOTE: If you experience any unexplained itching or rash soon after starting it, you're one of the very few people with whom it does not agree, so just discontinue it in that case.

(4) shooting for at least 6, and preferably 8, servings of veg daily. Raw, as well as lightly cooked, as well as fresh-juiced. Use every means possible to stuff the veg into yourself. Fill up on it, snack on it, make it the largest item in every meal.

(5) Heidi's Harped-upon Water Thing: 1/2 ounce of water per pound of bodyweight, with a squeeze of lemon or a very small pinch of sea salt in each quart.

(6) Strenous, heart-pounding, sweat-producing hard exercise three times weekly. :-D If you feel very far removed from such activity and would like some tips on getting started closer to where you are, please let me know! I've got lots of great ideas in that area :-D

In less than two weeks, your bowel function should be stellar, and your skin should show marked improvement. IF after that time you're still feeling 'blocked up' or 'thick,' we'd want to explore doing a little detox, and a gallbladder flush or two to eliminate that potential problem.

So, give it a go! And I enthusiastically support your idea of getting your secretor status -- it's a brilliant thing for fitting those last little pieces of the puzzle together! Once again, I am DEEPLY pleased you wrote, and I'm looking forward to hearing how you do in the next couple of weeks -- do not be a stranger!! :-D

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Aloha Heidi, I read about Kim and feel for her. If I could add to helping her out a bit. What I know is for shingles, so if it's not that, then this might not help that much. Make a salve from zinc ointment (an over the counter product), a table spoon of aloe vera (available at any health food store), and the content of one 1,000 I.U. capsule of natural vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol, NOT DL-alpha tocopheral) mixed together and applied to the vesicle. Also vitamin b-12 should help as well. Peter sells the active form (metholcobalamin). Most b-12 is sold as (cyanacobalamin) the inactive form. The info I'm getting this from says about 500mcg a day. Hope this helps, Carl (an "A+secretor" also).

Hey there, Carl!! What a guy! Thanks for this one, friend! It's going in the "shingles" files. have a marvelous day... :-D

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hi heidi in response to vicki's qestion today re her friend bill. my dad has emphysema he used to smoke but gave up @ 15 years ago,he says he regrets ever having put a cigarette in his mouth.my dad is suffering every day.he only climbs the stairs once a day to go to bed as he is unable to climb them any more often.so he uses a commode downstairs.he cannot walk very far,a few feet,before getting out of breath.he is now having to use oxygen and any little thing is making him very anxious & stressed making his breathing worse.my mum is his carer.she even bathes him.all the household & garden chores she does because he is unable to.not because he doesn't want to he did these jobs all his life but he is UNABLE TO.tell your friend to stop sitting on his brains and stamp the bloody cigarette out now! thanks debs

Loud & clear, debs! It's her dad with the smoking, and I hope vicki passes on your sage & pungent advice to him (from a safe distance, lol!)! :-D

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Heidi, I've just been pondering something. Ia am a b+ secretor and don't know the lewis type, but let's just say I was double negative. In a case like this, I've read that Dr Dadamo asks us to consider ourselves nonsecretors because of the same health risks, etc. Does that mean following the same exact diet as the nonsecretors? In other words, would I be able to eat tomatoes as a type B+ secretor double Lewis negative? Or would I just follow the secretor diet, and not eat any nonsecretor avoids? I would love to hear how this works. I am going to find out my Lewis type, just in case! Thank you! Jennie

You bet, Jennie ~~ tomatoes are neutrals for B nons! and if you turn out Lewis double negative, you'll follow the nonsecretor diet. Good luck with that test, OK? I'll be rooting for you! :-D

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hi Heidi- OK,I admit I am the devil here concerning my Question about Glutamine...But... after reading your answer,I reread DR. bron's answer concerning glutamine for type A (I am a ,and he also suggested supplimenting 500-750 mg. between meals for a week or two,which,of course,is not in synergy with co-factors,as you suggested...I am not indicating that DR. Bron is the Devil,but you really have to look out for those cherub faces ;-). John

~;-D Quite true -- but that part of his post is of the "general usage" character which I noted, rather than the "glutamine in foods" (potential co-factors) part. ;-> May your tribe increase, John -- and may they all find their way here, I know I'd love to hear from them, too! :-D

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Heidi, I have a tip that might help Sarah and her trouble with the taste of HEALlix. I suggest that she use a straw. Preferably a flexible straw so that the tip of the straw can be inserted fairly far back in her mouth. Hopefully, this will reduce the contact of the fluids with her tongue so she doesn’t taste it as much before swallowing. It may be worth a try. Don

GREAT tip, Don!! Thanks for that! :-D

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My husband is type B, I'm type A, and we have seven kids: 4 type A's, and 3 type AB's!! I am enjoying getting all of us on board with the blood type diets. What can I use as a substitute for butter that will work for all of us? Brand names would be helpful to me, as I'm having difficulty locating things. Thank you. Patricia

Well, MY hat's off to YOU, dear!! Nine of you, three blood types, and you're ENJOYING the process! If there's a medal for spunk & great attitude, you should be wearing it! :-D Sincerely, congratulations on your efforts -- they will pay off handsomely!!

The best sub for butter (far better for everyone's health, too) is GHEE. It is clarified butter. Quite simple to make at home, and if you'd like to purchase it, I suggest either a health food store, or an India specialty foods shop. It's the "lipid of preference" in most of the subcontinent. It's also called "clarified butter," but the above shops would recognize the name "ghee."

We also have a recipe, in Peter's Butyrate and Ghee column. It's simply wonderful stuff, buttery & light, and has great health benefits. Enjoy, and Keep Shining!

:-D

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Ihave switched to the eat right diet almost 1 month ago.I am A+ and I have completely changed my eating patterns.For the first week or so I felt ill on the diet but that passed and my sluggish digestive system began to work at a faster pace.

What puzzles me at this point is the fact that i have not lost any weight.I have not had any redmaeat of dairy products since I started the system(I used to eat meat or cheese at least once a day) and I am eating tofu and other soya products at least three or four times a week.I eat fish twice a week and chicken twice)I am also eating pineapple every day and I am adhering to the highly benifical suggestions on most occassions.

I find this frustrating when I am sitting down to my plate of stirfried veg and tofu while my friend tucks into her steak (blood type o)and she has lost 14 pounds since we started with very little effort!!!What am I doing wrong??? (my parents are motherA+, Father O+) I would appreciate any suggestions. Tina

:-) Well, Tina, I'd say the only thing you're doing wrong is eating dinner with that type O friend. ;-) We can be very annoying with our quick weight loss on the O diet. :-D

The metabolism of most As is quite different, and the "apparent" speed of the response to the diet is less dramatic. As long as you're getting plenty of raw and steamed/stirfried veg, drinking 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight daily (with a squeeze of lemon to each quart), and doing some light exercise each day, you are doing precisely as you should do. It is quite normal for type As to take longer to show weight loss. However, you can take some reassurance by checking your body measurements (waist, hips, tops of thighs) weekly, rather than using the scale. I think you'll find your 'size' is slowly going down, even if the scale does not register a loss quite yet.

Trust me, you are in the MOST difficult phase right now! Give it a few more weeks, and you will definitely begin seeing the results you want. The first thing that happens is the body readjusts to the new diet, grudgingly sometimes. The second thing one sees is enhanced energy, and the third thing to expect is weight loss-- slow, steady and PERMANENT weight loss. ;-)

So do NOT lose hope, dear!! Just hang in there, and be reassured that there is NO better health plan, for life, for you! Keep me posted, just write in with whatever's going on, OK? I do want to hear from you! :-D

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This is a reply to Theresa who made a suggestion about trying lecithin to clear up the warts/fungus problem and to Heidi for posting it. Thank you very much for your concern about us. I have already let my son know about what Heidi had suggested earlier and we are currently trying that, but I am going to look into your suggestion. I am very glad it worked for your friends. The part about the excess dietary fats being the cause sounds interesting to me. Thanks, again!

And for Heidi & Sarah in PA- Thanks for clarifying that two Tier business for me. It makes much more sense now. As it turns out, I was following the diet correctly. I guess I just need to be more patient with my body and more diligent in my exercise regime. Eagle

Many thanks for the update, Eagle ~~ I'm looking forward to the next one... keep 'em coming! :-D

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Hi! Love the column and all the great advice, comments, tales. I have some advice of my own to give; 1) regarding nail fungus. Grapefruit seed extract applied and scrubbed under the nail with a toothbrush, in the shower, has headed off and cured nail fungus for me. I don't know about the latter stages (nail deformation, etc.) as this had always nipped it in the bud. 2) Kim's shingles/herpes II. Homeopathic Rhus Toxicodindron is a wonderful nontoxic remedy for both of these ailments. Homeopathy is symptom based treatment worth looking into for all kind of problems that baffle standard medical science, or for which it can only offer poisonous cures. Ask your Naturopath or alternative practitioner about it. Keep up the good work! Lois o neg, secretor status unknown

MOST appreciated, Lois! By the way, it's lovely to hear from you -- don't be a stranger!!

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I am brand new to this concept and I am currently breastfeeding. Can I do this now or should I wait until I am finished? Holly

Greetings, Holly! YES, the sooner the better! Also, if you have the chance, take a peek at the new Eat Right 4 Your Baby book. Much of it concerns pregnancy, but there are useful tips for new moms as well.

Welcome, and stop by with any questions you may have!! enjoy! :-D

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Hi Heidi, I saw that Conrad mentioned unsweetened carob chips. My HFS will order stuff, just have to know the name of it. If you read this Conrad, would you mind passing along the brand name of your carob chips to Heidi?

Also wanted to ask you about broccoli sprouts. Since broccoli is beneficial for everyone, what about the sprouts? Radish and mung bean sprouts both carry the same value as the unsprouted source. Probably not always the safest way to extrapolate so checking it out with you.

What do you think about using pasteurized eggs for making homemade mayonnaise recipe to avoid risk of salmonella? The nonnie list is going strong and some of these questions came out of our discussions. Thanks as always for all of your help with that and all that you do. Best, Nina

Hey there, Nina! Broccoli sprouts are just as beneficial as broccoli, only better. :-) so pile 'em on!

I just make sure that the eggs are organic, from healthy, ranged chickens, and that the shells are intact & whole. But if anyone wants to use pasteurized eggs, I see no objection offhand. Are you talking about flash pasteurization? Not some dried egg product, I hope? Fill me in on the details, as I'm unfamiliar with pasteurized fresh eggs -- thanks, dear!! :-D

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Hi Heidi, I knew I could rely on you to put me in my place regarding my passion of sunbathing, ha ha!!! ;-) BUT.....you will be pleased to hear that another of my passions in life is growing vegetables (I eat them too!). High in antioxidants, great for the health and the skin protection.

As you said, a little sun goes a long way so I take care to build it up gradually. It has been proven that those highest at risk from melanoma are those who work cooped up in sunless offices most of the year and then spend 2 weeks in the summer on a scorching beach trying to cram in as much burning as they possibly can, just to prove that they have been somewhere hot! Not my idea of fun at all.

As far as I can remember, I have only ever gone a little red a couple of times in my life - my skin goes olive brown very easily since I am outdoors most of the year.

I am glad you said sunscreens are a bad idea. I never liked them on my skin and a newspaper article stating that Octyl methoxycinnamate (found in virtually all standard suncreams) is a known carcinogen was enough to turn me off them completely. No way as good as the natural way, that is what I reckon.

Could you please pass my email address to Abby - I would greatly appreciate any help with a reputable homeopathist in the UK. Well take care, and enjoy the sunshine if you have it (we do!). Best wishes from Craig (England) O Rh- non-sec MM

LOL! :=D AH, well that passion for gardening tips the scales in entirely the other direction! ;-D I will be honored to give your message to Abby, and if anyone else has a UK homeopathist recommendation for Craig, sail it on in!!

Bless you, Craig, I'll be smiling all night. Take good care, my dear!! :-D

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Please , I know everyone is super busy at dadamo.com, but I would love to know more info about Colloidal Silver. I am a type O - and have had 2 major Bladder Infections in the past 1 1/2 years, it seems I may be suseptible- anyways, I am very sensitive to antibiotics, (everytime, i take a course- I get a cold, and a yeast infection)- ontop of that, antibiotics lower (almost negate) the effectiveness of the birth control pill-for me- I recently read miracle testimonies about Colloidal Silver- (a natural antibiotic?)- these women swear to never get another UTI- is taking this silver safe???? does it affect the "Pill", and how do I make sure to take the right amount ? (i had also read about the dangers of mislabeled amounts and overdoses of silver- causing the skin and nails to discolor? please shed some light on this if you can, thankyou! Cassie

Hi there, Cassie! Hey, you know what? You're no more sensitive to antibiotics than anyone else. They kill ALL the beneficial flora & fauna in the gut of everyone, leaving you open to infection again, to colds, and majorly screw up your digestion. That is why I ALWAYS recommend HEALLIX instead of antibiotics for colds & bladder infections. It contains IONIZED SILVER, not colloidal silver (which, as you noted, can build up in the body as "argyria," and produce that bluish skin tone). It also promotes healing with its FULVIC ACID component. Just take a trip over to that website, and read it all. The dosages are certainly safe.

By the way, do you follow the O diet at all? And have you pinned down what seems to be causing the UTIs in the first place? Thanks for writing, and please stop by again! :-D

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Hi Heidi, This is my first time writing in. I have been on the diet now for just over 2 months and feel good with it but my weight has not budged. I wanted to ask you for any pointers or tips you might have to help me along.

I am 49 years old, A1 +, nonnie, NN. I take Taraxacum officanale, Bromelain, to help with scar tissue from C-sections and other injuries, and Methy12 plus. I also started Armour 2 months ago, 15 mg. And sublingual progesterone, Progon B, 2 in the morning and 4 at night. This seems to have really helped my migraines which come with my cycle, also got rid of the spotting, and I am sleeping better. It has even gotten my cycle back to being on a regular 27 day schedule. My hair falls out from time to time. Not at present but it has done so in past 2 months.

I am about 100 lbs. overweight. I stick to the A nonnie diet. Here is pretty much what I eat. Breakfast - Rice protein powder in cranberry juice (no added sugar) alternate high protein sprouted bread the other morning for breakfast with a bit of Earth balance.

Sometimes, often around my period, when I feel I need the extra protein, I will eat turkey in the morning.

Lunch - is leftovers from dinner either fish (salmon, cod or occasionally pollack) OR turkey breast slices or burgers. Sweet potato with Earth Balance, lots of green beans, carrots, celery, zucchini and yellow squash. Sometimes I will do greens like swiss chard or spinach when I haven't had my oil serving for the day.

As you can guess, as an NN I don't digest fats well and have many lipomas. I always use olive oil or Earth Balance. I am careful with eggs and soy because I am allergic (whole family has this issue). I do occasionally eat walnuts, pecans and raisins for snacks. I do eat beans occassionally - black beans and rice. I have a reaction if I eat too many beans/legumes. Everything slows down in my digestion and sometimes I even break out in little bumps in my mouth.

I also will get the little bumps in my mouth from avocado and banana. My whole family has this reaction to various things and 2 of my family members go into anaphalatic shock with peanuts.

I have been eating more fruit - pineapple, plums, watermelon, peaches, nectarines. I try to eat one yogurt (from cow's milk) per week but I don't do well with dairy. I used to eat whey protein powder but now just use the rice protein powder.

I take liquid vitamins and calcium.

Dinner - is either fish or turkey, whatever I didn't have at lunch with veggies. Green beans are one of my favorites, usually steamed. Sometimes fruit before bed. If I feel I need more protein during the day I will eat a protein bar, Vegan Organic Food bar, or have more rice protein powder.

I drink about 3 litres per day. Some more, some less. I drink one cup of coffee about every third day. Exercise - gardening and housework and walking. I have had no trouble with constipation or elimination, even before the diet. I do have sore joints and do not eat any nightshades including tomatoes even though they are neutral. I have been healthy and feeling good otherwise. But my weight has not moved up or down. I am still contemplating stomach bypass surgery but am in hopes that the diet will help me lose weight. Help!! Thank you very much. Roberta

Oh, Roberta, I'm so glad you wrote!! The Type A plan will CERTAINLY see you through to your weight loss goals, no worries there!

I want to talk just a bit about what your choices are. If it were the case that diet wouldn't change your weight, bypassing the food route would not change it, either. It would introduce a host of complications, though.

I know several people who've had this surgery, and besides the complications, their weight gradually crept up to what it was before. It's always our diet interacting with our biochemistry that *causes* the extra fat storage -- that cause is not addressed by the surgery, and is still at work unless it is addressed. In addition: unfortunately, even if you find their work ineffective, surgeons give no refunds. :-(

Right now, your body is healing. You've adjusted a number of things just two months ago -- the thyroid hormone replacement, the progesterone, and starting the diet. It's my long experience with type As that their bodies require a somewhat longer time to adjust to new circumstances and "show" results than other types. NEVER think that this plan will not work. It most certainly will. At this time, the protective energies of your body are going into repairing those areas which it, in its infinite wisdom, has decided need attending to right away. Don't despair! There are beneficial changes taking place at this very moment. Be comforted and assured that they're happening. Any and every difficulty which appears to be your lot due to family history is about to change entirely. You are the beginning of a new history.

I have just a few suggestions for you right now. You're doing a splendid job with your diet, and I have just a couple of ideas which will support what you are already doing.

Look into a yoga class, or tape, or meditation instruction. Right now, do a few minutes of alternate nostril breathing just before dinner -- just go to the bottom of this page and enter "nostril" in the search form. You'll find the instructions there.

As a general note: NEVER GO HUNGRY. Always have a little something to eat whenever you feel like eating. Snacking between meals is actively recommended for type A weight loss.

Consider using green tea. I can't say enough the taste of Mr. Itaru's tea, sold in the Store here. One to three cups daily does marvels for type As, as a powerful antioxidant as well as a weight loss aid. It can be any fresh green tea you like -- it will still do the job.

For breakfast, I'd use a good organic raw oatmeal to make cooked cereal, daily. I'd add to it two tablespoons of freshly-ground flaxseed, soaked for ten minutes in a little warm water (four or five tablespoons) to make a "gel." Drizzle some vegetable glycerine on it -- or, if you don't care for sweet breakfast, stir it into fresh fruit juice or just glug three or four tablespoons of it daily as "medicine." It does wonders for the nonsecretor metabolism!!

Next, for dinner: be sure to get a big salad of raw veg, such as lettuces, escarole, dandelion, onions (red are very tasty raw), slivered carrots and celery, broccoli sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, any other B or N veg you'd like to put in there. It's great just dressed with a drizzle of lemon or lime juice and a nice grind of sea salt. Stick to the white fishes generally for now, and the light meat of chicken or turkey.

Can you tolerate miso well? A tablespoon in warm homemade chicken broth is a wonderful way to start or end the day.

Even though you don't suffer from constipation, I would still suggest adding PolyFlora A and ARA6 -- along with Cortiguard. You would not need to take them forever, but they are the cornerstone supps for weight loss.

Does your liquid vitamin contain zinc -- hopefully 25-50 mg? And does your calcium contain a balanced spectrum of magnesium, boron, etc.?

As to water, just drink 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight. I assume you will need about one gallon daily, so adding one liter to your current intake is all it would need. Give each liter a little squeeze of lemon juice or tiny pinch of good gray sea salt. This strategy alone, added to what you are now doing, will get you where you want to go. ;-)

Finally, put the scale away for one month. Instead of weighing, pick a time each week to measure your waist, hips and top of thighs, and keep a record for comparison to the next week's readings. If you prefer weighing, just establish a visiting schedule with the scale -- say, every Monday -- or monthly, two days after your period starts -- and record the results. When it's not a "weigh" or "measure" day, forget all about it! Imagine how you will feel and look in a brief six months' time, and enjoy the anticipation!!

Roberta, I am convinced you're going to see astonishing success with this plan, and I'll help in any way I can to support and offer whatever I can along the way. Stay in touch!! :-D

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Hello, my name is Sally and I am a Type B, just starting out on the diet. I am having problems with the grain / bread section of the diet. It seems that a lot of labels do not say if the grain is sprouted or not. In Eat Right for your type page 157, WASA Bread is recommended. The only WASA I can find is crisp bread, ie Fiber rye, however it contains, rye and sesame seeds. Is it the company WASA that is referred to or another type of bread? What kind of Bread: When you are at a subway or a general sandwich store, I am at a loss as to the type of bread to ask for, please give me some suggestions?

Cereal: I have been eating Go Lean by Kashi. I find it fills me up like no other cereal on a small amount. However, I am not sure if this would be on the diet due to it containing soy protein , corn bran….etc.

2) Arrowhead mills - makes spelt flakes and I assume they are ok, however, is a very light cereal.

3) Health Valley - makes real oat bran almond crunch, I am assuming this too is ok, however, the calories are very high. Would you please provide a list of companies and the name of the products that you would recommend for bread, cereals, pasta, grains for type B. I am finding this quite confusing as products have a lot of ingredients, they do not specify if they are “sprouted”. Additionally are there any products for meals on the go you would recommend that could be readily purchased? Is there a product resource list available by blood type?? Thank you sincerely Sally

Hi, Sally! A very warm welcome in!! Don't worry, dear -- you're going through the worst part of the adjustment phase right now. You'll soon have "done your homework" and be settled in with the products that you can depend upon. We all go through it! The beginning is the worst!

If your bread, crispbread or cereal contains any avoids (anything at all from corn, for instance), then it is an avoid.

It would be impossible to list brands of OK cereals and breads, because there are simply way too many -- more arrive every day, including additional varieties/flavors of each brand. What we all do is check the ingredients against our food lists. You will find it much easier if you disregard Eat Right's listings of brand name products -- just go by the separate ingredients and compare them to the food list's separate items. We don't count calories, so putting that aside is a very good idea right at the outset. Just observe the portions & frequencies -- and for that purpose & for quick reference, the updated short food lists are available in small pocket form as the Blood Type B Food, Beverage & Supplement Lists. It is a GREAT shopping list!

Welcome to the BTD, Sally! It will TRULY get much easier as time goes by -- checking ingredients really does become second nature in no time at all. Thanks for writing, and please let me know if I can help further! :-)

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Oh, and I have one question of my own: peanuts count as nuts, right? Not legumes? Just checking, since the implications are significant for me right now in terms of frequency.

By the way, that hummus recipe is SOOO delicious, and FILLING, too (hooray!)--even though I reduced the tahini and olive oil to 2 tablespoons each so I could eat the whole thing at once! There's just one problem--it turns out that the baby is ALSO sensitive to sesame seeds! He got an eczema-like rash in the creases of his elbows and knees after I had eaten sesame seeds a few days running. ARRGH!! On the bright side, he doesn't seem to react to any other seeds or nuts.

So, are there any good-tasting substitutes for tahini in hummus? I tried just leaving it out, but I was ravenous again just one hour after eating an entire recipe of hummus (minus tahini) with a handful of brown rice snaps, a handful of baby carrots, and a whole can of no-salt-added corn. I know I could just experiment with the recipe on my own, but I prefer to start with something that someone else knows/thinks tastes good and then modify it! I guess that attitude is a holdover from my finicky childhood. Oh, drat--this post got long! How did that happen? And I was going to be so good and keep it short, because we're all going out to the local farmers' market before it closes. YUM!! Thanks again for your helpful insight! --Sarah in PA

Hi, Sarah!! Yes, peanuts are considered "nuts" for the purposes of portion & frequency in the diet.

And Yes, there's a fine substitute for the tahini -- you might find it even more tasty. Use slightly thinned (with water) peanut, almond, pumpkin seed or walnut butter, in the same quantity. They each impart an ever-so-slightly different taste, but they're all wonderful, and fill the role of tahini perfectly while you're nursing. ;-) enjoy, my dear!! :-D

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Dear Heidi, just a quick question: if red wine is beneficial and white wine neutral, how about rose? I really like my rose in the summertime! Marieke (A+)

Hi, Marieke! It would be neutral, as long as it's just wine, no additives. enjoy! :-D

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Hi Heidi, How's it going? I just found your answer to my question today so just ignore the message I sent yesterday (silly me), sorry about that. I have another question anyway - When I do the two day gallbladder flush for my liver, not knowing my secretor status should I assume that I'm a non-secretor and drink grapefruit juice instead and if so is there anything apart from grapefruit juice that would do the job, because I tried grapefruit juice (the red variety) for the first time yesterday and can't see myself drinking it for a whole day - yuck!! And when I do the first day with the juice should I eat be eating anything or is it just juice I should be having. Thanks in advance!!! Chantelle

Hi, Chantelle! Going pretty good here. Hey, I despised grapefruit juice when I was a kid, but over time (and effort) in following the diets, I came to actively love it -- so give it a chance and I think you'll find you warm up to it as I did. The bitterness is offputting at first. Ask your friends & neighbors where to get really good sweet red grapefruit? You may have gotten a bum one! OH, and if you're drinking the canned or bottled variety, that stuff can taste awful. The real fresh-squeezed juice should be used for this purpose.

The first day is just juice and water, no solid foods. If you just cannot thole the grapefruit, use red watermelon (again, juice it up fresh at home). Is it in season there now? Heck, do you even HAVE red watermelon there?? Listen, if I'm all wet on this, just send me a list of fruit you CAN get fresh there in mid-winter, and I'll see what I can devise!! Bless ya, dear! :-}

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Dear Heidi (and Elizabeth), What amazing readers on this list! I am curious about adrenaline and blood type O's. Elizabeth said " My 80-year old aunt has congestive heart trouble (which she defies!) and high cholesterol. I suggested pantethine, which I believe you have mentioned. As an O, I take it for excess adrenaline, but among its effects is lowering cholesterol (and not damaging the hdl/ldl ratio in the process). " What would you suggest to a blood O-, secretor, MM to lower excess adrenaline and occasional anxiety? Thanks, Karen O

Hi, Karen! I would definitely say EXERCISE (of the vigorous type) is by far the most effective approach for lowering adrenaline and preventing anxiety attacks. A regular program means a few days per week -- which addresses the problem in the way it's meant to be addressed, and which has other lasting benefits. It's what the body needs, and the perceptible adrenaline over-abundance is the message intended to communicate that need to you.

For Os wishing to reduce adrenaline rushes, I would suggest taking a supplement like pantethine, Catechol, even Cortiguard (much of what seems like an adrenaline surge may be a high cortisol output -- this product is helpful for ALL types) ONLY if a regular strenuous exercise program has not been effective within a couple of months, OR for people who are absolutely physically not capable of exerting themselves at all. thanks for your question, Karen!! :-)

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Hello Heidi - thanks for responding to my note. My friend, Bill, is quite typical of lots of people I have come across - while he can understand the reasoning behind the BTD diet and other complimentary medicines, he always reverts back to the traditional doctors and allows himself to be used a guinea pig. I am only guessing, but I believe that the thought of changing his lifestyle appears too difficult and popping pills is just easier. Very frustrating! I would love to hear your words of wisdon on how to sway people like this as I feel quite frustrated having to watch them become more unwell. Like my father, a long term smoker, who told me recently that there is a great new pill for the lungs so he has taken up smoking again !!! even though he has water on the lungs. Looking forward to your words of wisdon. Kindest Vicki

Hi, Vicki! In both Bill and your Dad, it sounds like your suggestions are meeting with a firm resistance to change. They are clinging to a comfort zone enabled for them by "pills" and "doctors." All I'd have to offer in this situation would be the effects of the poisons, the benefits of the beneficials, and the example of myself (and others). It seems you've offered all that admirably. If someone who is already ill does not feel moved to make changes, sometimes the progress of the illness will so move them. Be prepared, though, for their decisions to remain incomprehensible to you. :-)

Perhaps Bill trusts his doctors, and lumps this plan in with "quacks." Maybe he thinks he'd have to change his lifestyle entirely and immediately in order to use the BTD, and feels that's a huge and unpleasant task for such unknown, "uncertain" results, whereas the "idea" of doctors is a "certain" one for him and gives him comfort. That comfort, if it's based on a true faith in his doctor's ability, is a healing component in itself. However, it might help to assure him that the diet can be approached slowly, and taken at his own speed.

If Bill got rid of just a couple of major avoids, he'd soon see for himself the remarkable and undeniable results. He might also save a ton of money on doctors and drugs. Of course, if "it's all paid for by the insurance," most people will choose to go that way unless they are personally convinced they're being robbed of life. And they've been stripped of so much money over their lifetimes, nearly everyone puts cheapness at the top of their criteria for everything -- food, supps and medical care included. Right now, his treatment may seem "free" to him, whereas changing foods and buying better quality items looks like a dubious expense. If, however, he's at all willing to pay something and take MORE pills, DEFLECT could give him a taste of the improvements he'd have by following the diet.

And your Dad is plain in love with smoking. Like an impassioned suitor, he will be blind to his beloved's faults, and will welcome ANY means to overcome any obstacle to being in 'her' company. ;-) Since he's at least open to the supp side of complementary medicine, you might suggest that he get a mini-trampoline and bounce gently on it for five or ten minutes daily. The bouncing could reverse the course of the emphysema which is about to make his life a nightmare -- IF he stopped smoking for good as well. As it is, it will slow the course of the disease. And he might be open to using Respiratone -- it has definite healing and rejuvenating effects on lung tissue. As I say, approach people through whatever "door" they leave open for you. Sometimes it more like a cramped crawlspace than a door, but at least it's an opening! LOL!

I think you've done a lot, Vicki. These guys sound pretty intelligent and aware of their options. If you find a way to make the suggestions I noted, and then just stay available to them in a friendly fashion, I can't see what more you can do. I just hope you can 'detach' from whatever decisions they make, once you've extended your knowledge, caring, and openness to them.

VERY best wishes to you and your curmudgeonly guys, and I send you my gratitude for this humanitarian work you're doing. Be well, and know it! :-D

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Hi Heidi, Another quick question generated out of our nonnie group. Given "a bean is a bean by any other name" exchange, I think I know the answer but wanted to make sure. Is rice protein powder in the grains/starches category and soy protein powder in the bean/legume category? Thanks so much Heidi for everything. Nina



I'll bet you know the answer, too, Nina! Yes, I'd put rice powder in the grains group and soy powder in the beans group -- nice to hear from you, busy person! :-D

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Dear Heidi, Just thought I would pass along this suggestion to Eagle and her son who has toe nail funguses. Several years back, I had picked up a fungus at a public swimming pool, it was on the bottom of my foot, and no matter how well I doctored the thing, it just wouldn't go away. At about that time, I had gone to Florida to visit my sister. We went to the beach, and after walking across the hot sand a few times and spending time in the ocean, that nasty fungus had disappeared in two days! I believe the salty sea water was what did the trick. My sister has also had similar experiences with fungal infections and salt water.Hope this helps.Michelle



Hi, Michelle! Thanks for that note -- salt water is a great healer.

:-D

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Hi, Heidi! Your column is awesome! I have a question for you. In today's column, you suggested freshly ground pepper for an O. The typebase tells us that pepper is an avoid. I know from your past columns that you've said fresh ground pepper is ok because it's the molds that accumulate after the pepper is ground that make pepper an avoid for O's. But you've also said the typebase is the final word on these matters. Could you clarify and do you think there might be similar distinctions with other foods? Thanks again, Heidi! Lisa



Hi, Lisa - it's a common misunderstanding about pepper. Look for the item "peppercorn," and you'll see the answer. It's fresh-ground "peppercorn" I'm referring to -- not the commercially pre-ground pepper (an avoid.) Hopw that helps!! and thank you for the VERy kind compliment! :-D

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Hi! Im a 26 year old type O and after being (a very carb oriented) vegan for about 8 years, recently started eating fish. While I was generally in good health on my previous diet, about 2 years ago I started experiencing extremely bad period pain, which is made worse for eating - ie the cramps increase and i experiece a kind of 'stuck' feeling in my abdomen. The pain varies in severity and sometimes lasts up to 4 days and on occassion is accompanied by intermittent chills and fevers and near fainting.



I had several tests done in pursuit of an answer to all of these symptoms, and the only one that came back irregular was for TSH, which at 5ish was slightly outside the range of normal. My holistic doctor and I were both surprised as there is no history of autoimmune disease in my family, I am lean and otherwise symptomless. The test for thyroid antibodies was also negative.



I have been taking chinese herbs and getting acupuncture regularly, but these have only provided temporary pain relief.I also generally suffer from bloating and gas, and recently an iridologist attributed this to leaky gut syndrome.



Lastly, I also suffer from what is now mild acne which i have had since i was a teenager - it has greatly improved since them, especially since becoming vegan and cutting out wheat and processed foods, but i still get about 1-2 cysts/blind pimples a month, usually (but not always) around my period. I also get little red pimply bumps on my bottom, particularly when I sweat, which i would like to clear up also (i love exercising and dont want to worry about this!) Ok - so to my question! Do you think there is any link between all of these symptoms and what can I do to improve them ? I dont want to eat red meat or chicken - so is fish sufficient to bring about improvements, and what else would you specifically recommend? Thankyou so much for your time and all the best. emma



Allo, emma ~~ The very best thing for you WOULD be to begin eating the red meat. Turkey and other fowl which have a higher percentage of dark meat would also be of some help, but the swiftest recovery would come through eating proteins you are biochemically best designed to digest -- and they are in greatest quantity in red meat.



Don't ya just want to kick me?



I know this is not the answer you might have hoped for, but it is quite true: if your acupuncturist were familiar with the blood type diets (as mine was, bless her), the confluence of problems you're having would have indicated to him or her that your liver does not have enough of the proper protein to function efficiently, thus is not processing toxins or repairing itself in the manner it biologically expects to do. This causes digestive sluggishness, menstrual pain, skin outbreaks (particularly on the face and butt, as I fondly and very clearly recall from my meatless days!! ;-)) Your iridologist may be right. It is ever so likely that the grain-heavy diet has damaged the vili in your intestines.



Don't be surprised that your thyroid hormone levels have now shifted a bit. It has nothing to do with family history: it has everything to do with your diet, which just happens to be of the sort that commonly and surely associated with thyroid difficulties in type O. The health of the thyroid is intimately associated with the health of your digestive tract, especially the tissues, AND the flora & fauna, of the intestinal environment. What you are seeing is just the beginning of major trouble -- which you are entirely empowered to ward off, if you decide it is worthwhile to do so.



Fancy docs, various treatment modalities, and the entire panoply of alternative medicine will not help you if your recent addition of fish proves insufficient to your needs. I was not quite at the stage you've reached when I made the necessary change to meat-eating -- yet it took me some weeks to heal the obvious trouble, and over a year to come to a consistent state of good health. During that time, my body's needs for a rather enormous amount of protein (well over the suggested quantities) were voiced quite clearly to me. Fortunately, I obeyed the promptings of those needs.



One more note: It took me until the age of 39 to see visible evidence of the damage I'd inflicted through years of vegetarianism, veganism, juicitarian, fasting, you name it... and you're only 26, yet you're already in trouble. That's why I'm coming down so hard on you, dear!



Please: take stock of your philosophical premises. If you are eating flesh food already (fish), then it will be a matter of learning the truth behind real, conscious ranching and farming, and deciding if meat raised that way is what you may originally have thought, and whether your initial distaste is merited. You will not be able to change your biochemical nature or your body's needs. You can't circumvent those needs by supps or yoga or meditation or the highest-priced alternative medical care in the world. But YOU CAN HEAL YOURSELF, using food alone.



I have to apologize for yelling a lot! I have been through a great deal, not only in myself, but with others, which long ago convinced me beyond any of my old naive philosophies and emotional reactions that doing the very utmost to cherish and enlarge this life you are given is the highest value -- within that value is the prayerful taking of the proper food.



I hope I've not offended you, and that what I'm at pains to convey to you will be received in the spirit it's given: I want to see you in thriving health! Let me know if I can help with the details of anything to do with the O diet .... be well, and I'll be thinking of you, dear! write again if you're moved to do so.

:-}

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I am an O+ but I don't know my secretor status. Unfortunately my husband is B+ secretor status unkonwn. Through your site I have managed to plan our meals so that we eat only foods beneficial to both of us. The amazing thing that I have noted is that "avoid foods" are usually the foods that we both don't like. It is as if we subconciously know that they are bad for us. My real question is about rooibos tea. Is it allowable for O types to drink it? I hope you can help me Yours sicerely Emmie



Hi, Emmie! Os & Bs do nicely together, so it's not so unfortunate as it might be! :-) It's a great feeling when you correlate "avoids" to stuff you find "yuck" anyway. :-D You are CERTAINLY fortunate there!



Rooibos, while technically "unknown," appears to be fine for all types, as far as we know now. Have a look at this column for more detailed information. enjoy!! :-D

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I'm a B type and the book says its neutral for me to have grapenuts, but the ingredients are wheat, and wheat flour. Is it ok to eat and why? By the way I have lost 44lbs in 6 months on this program and feel great. Thanks Michelle



OH, that's fabulous, Michelle!! You should really be proud of what you've accomplished! :-)



You're using the Eat Right 4 Your Type book -- which has relatively older food lists. Look into getting hold of the Blood Type B Food, Beverage & Supplement Lists (or, 'Little Book') for the updated food lists. And, as always, if a commercial product contains an avoid ingredient, you can dependably avoid that product.



Congratulations on your success, and do let us know how you're doing as you go along, OK? best wishes! :-D

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I get sickly bedridden & immobilized when I eat 3 day old refridgerated watermelon. What could be the cause?? I still have the bottle of phytocal ( to give away, any takers?? Big hug. brian



Hmmmm.... You know what, brian, I think it's the watermelon, but I don't know why it's having that effect. Invisible mold growth, most probably. Sounds like it's a real good idea not to eat three-day-old refrigerated watermelon any more.



About the Phytocal-B -- did you have any luck adding it to juice or MFC or smoothie for your mom? Take care, dear!! {{:-)}}

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Hello Heidi... I read with interest concerning your recent column about Glutamine. If I may be the devil's advocate,may I suggest Dr. Bron's column entitled "Curious about Glutamine." A type A asked about it and received a glowing report. I am a type B and a long time power lifter,and have found said amino acid to be of much benefit...And if it is found to be in relative abundance in meats and dairy products, which are "B" bennies, or at least neutral, then the benefits would seem to outweigh the negatives... Looking forward to your perspective on this "advocacy."...John



Hey there, John! ... Umm... Are you saying Doc Bron is the devil? He doesn't seem like much of a devil to me, but I could be way wrong... ~~;-D



We're in an area where angels like me should fear to tread. ;-> And of course, in I go. In June of '99, Peter posted a note on our old message boards, saying that L-glutamine should be avoided by As & Bs. He noted that it raises cortisol, which is an issue for those blood groups especially. I should add that he was referring to taking it as a supplement -- not to its presence (and synergistic action) with other elements in foods. Second, this supp is recommended in three Encyclopedia protocols -- but only for Os and ABs, which tends to reinforce the impression that it's best reserved for those types. I checked through Ask Dr. D., and found glutamine mentioned only once in the context of a non-O or -AB question, which mention was made to note that an older medical treatment for scleroderma included glutamine.



As you know, I have no training or authority at all, at all, in any of these matters, so what you read here is always my own practical application of what I hear the archangels singing. ;-)



Now, if you look closely at Doc Bron's "Curious about Glutamine" answer, it becomes evident that he first informed the questioner about glutamine in general terms, including typical supplemental dosages. He then supplied her "food sources for As" request, by including in the list of glutamine-rich sources the items, "fish" and "beans." In other words, he precisely answered the questions she asked: What is it? How essential is it? What are good type A sources? but did not suggest that As use it as a supplement -- and indeed, she did not ask that question. ;-D



:-D OK, John! Who's the devil now, dear? LOL! Thanks so much for your note, it was a welcome opportunity to celebrate hidden harmonies! :-D

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Hello, Heidi! I reached age 57, with grown children, and still had the same slender body shape I'd had as a teenager. Yes, I'd gotten a little chubby at some points in my life, but not recently. Then all of a sudden, while not eating more or worse, I develped an actual very pronounced stomach! I checked, and it was flesh, not just bloating or something internal. At the same time the thighs got larger, but the stomach was more of a shock, because it was flat soon after childbirth, and had nver been an issue. I am about 10 pounds above my best lifetime weight.



I am wondering what sort of chages could have produced this. It has lasted now for three months or so. I am wondering if there is a hormonal imbalance, some metabolic trouble, or what! I have for several years used a natural progesterone cream, and very occasionally an estrogen cream. Menopause was about a year and a half ago, and was not a problem.



I am an O non, and I get plenty of protein and benficial fruits. Probably need more vegies--I prefer raw vegie juice and try to get some every day. I was overdoing starches by eating rye toast or rice almost every day, but have cut down to 3 times a week and sometimes less, for the last two weeks. I believe I eat way too many nuts and nut butters and am working on cutting this back. I almost never eat sweets, except fruits and things with vegie gly. No doubt need more water and exercise.



But the sudden change startled me! What are some factors I can check? Since it is still a recent condition, I want to get rid of it quickly. I have heard that stomach weight is associated with health issues, more than other areas. Cyndi



Hi, Cyndi ~~ The stomach-area weight gain can indeed be an effect of hormonal changes. But please don't worry about any associated health issues -- are you thinking of the "apple shape," which is said to be more susceptible to certain ailments? This is different, and it's directly related to having come through menopause (congratulations on your smooth passage, by the way! Whoo-hoo!!! :-))



At first glance, it looks like what has happened is that "10% redistribution" thing. It's quite common among post-menopausal women to find that while they haven't gained any weight, some fat cells seem to have "migrated" to the tum! :-> Are you still using the hormone creams? If you've reduced the dosage noticeably at all, that may have triggered a little adjustment in fat storage. If you're in a rather warm & humid locality, you may also notice some additional swelling (at least I do on occasion) in response to the weather.



I'd keep up the successful diet strategies, and see if that water, some exercise, and the grain reduction you're already doing will take care of it. I believe it will! Os get great body-shaping results from strenuous workouts, and I'm sure you'll be very pleased with the effects... Keep me posted, OK? :-)

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Aloha Heidi, If I could condense my story on how I got started on this new lifestyle I would. Only from an OK from Heidi would I do that.



Hi Dianne, this should help. Go back and read Dec.13th 2002 "Sweet Potpourri: all about vegetable glycerine! After I read this for the second time I started using V.G. instead of sugar. Just like Heidi recommended, use it instead of other sweeteners. Here's a Quote from that page "[in other words, release & convert STORED FAT for use in the body as energy]". I must have read stored fat as spare tire. :-)



Of course I've been on the diet for over 2 years and my motto is "no avoids period". If I don't know, I don't eat it. Green tea is just my coffee replacement, but it is way less caffeine.



About Tinnitus; I've had my ear's cleaned out more than once and as far as I know my jaw is fine and my bite is good according to my dentist. I'm not around loud or excessive noise. I have ran marathons and I can easily run 4 to 6 miles at a time, so my cardio is good. I've never had cancer or thyroid problems, but I will test both of these at home, which is more accurate than the doctors do at their clinics and way cheaper I might add. I have tried ginko capsules for 6 months, no change. I don't know what "double point white crystals" are, but am always willing to learn new things, please inform or send a web site.



Thank you Kim for the reminder to see my Chiropractor, he has told me that he has cured some people by adjustments. Also my next step is to get a mineral count done, with Heidi's advice on mineral tests from before. Thank you all for the help and Thank you Heidi for letting us all share and for sharing your knowledge with us all.



Just a note to Suzxx; If I'm not mistaken Peter says "O"s shouldn't supplement Magnesium. Sounds like Heidi is right about V.G. tring to detox all that extra magnesium. and Cindi, my wife could never lose weight swimming either, she's an "O". Mahalo nui loa, thats hawaiian for Thank you very much, Carl R.



Consider this an OK from Heidi!! :-D I'd love to hear your story -- oh, and so would Cocky, by the way! I think you deserve a column page all your own, so shoot her a note if you're interested! ~:-D



~ hey, if you have that reference to 'no mag 4 Os' handy, could you send it along? I've found several references to magnesium being OK for all types in Ask Dr. D., and the Encyclopedia lists it in the Female Balancing Protocol for all as well -- but I'm interested in what you saw!



Lovely notes & reports there, Carl ~~ blessings, and shine on! :-D

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Hi Heidi! I'm a B- secretor, age 56, and have been changing my eating over to the diet for about 3 months now. And I'm enjoying the benefits greatly! So far the changes have been pretty easy - mostly opposite of what I was eating in the past. I'm now focusing on vegetables and need some help with the B beneficials.



I read your column every day and have picked up lots of good tips - thank you! The easiest way for me to eat many vegetables is raw. If I can add them to my salads (which work well for me), I actually enjoy things like cabbage, brocolli, cauliflower and even kale is OK. I have trouble with simmered vegetables of any kind - and simmered or steamed kale, collards, mustard greens, beet greens simply don't work for me.



Your June 9 post to Matt/seedy seemed to indicate that I need to cook the brassicae vegetables - not eat them raw. Does this apply to juicing as well? I've just read Juicing for Life, which includes kale, brocolli and other brassicae in the juices, and I certainly could drink juices. Is it ok to juice kale, brocolli, brussels sprouts, beets? How about collards, beet greens and mustard greens - can I eat them raw or juiced? I cook stirfrys, and can eat some of these vegetables that way. But when I look at the amount of vegetables I should be eating daily coupled with my very busy life, raw vegetables look really attractive. Is it a firm "cook all brassicae" or is it cook some, eat some raw and juice some? Thanks for your help and insights, NanJoy.



Hi, NanJoy ~ welcome! I'm pleased you're enjoying the B diet! :-)



You can certainly juice some of the brassicae, stir-fry some, eat some raw. It's best to maintain a wide selection of veg in your diet in any case, so as long as you do include the root veg, lettuces and others as you go along, and since you don't mention any thyroid difficulties, then use them all as you like!



best wishes, and thank you for writing in! :-D

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Heidi, I'm an A+ and have just come down with my second case of shingles in two years. Luckily, this time I recognized the onset and got to the doctor right away, instead of the first time, when I thought it might be poison ivy or chiggers and waited a week. I am on acyclovir five times a day for a week, but the rash has really spread fast - a fourinch wide swath from my navel to halfway around my back, down into my groin and on both legs, both arms and my chin, jawline and neck. In addition to the acyclovir I am taking 4,000 mg of lysine, 3,000 mg of vitamin C, 10,000IU of vitamin A, 60 mg. of zinc daily and a couple of bromelain capsules every few hours.

My fear is that I am going to be susceptible to many future outbreaks (I'm only 51) and am hoping that you can give me some advice on what I can do long-term to minimize the risks. My (A+) husband takes 500 mg of lysine daily to reduce his cold sores - would the same regime help me? Or something else?

Anything else I can do right now? The pain is ghastly - feels like things crawling under my skin, plus the itching, plus the pain of having anything (even clothing) brush against skin that looks like it has a third degree burn. Thanks for any help you can give. P.S. my wrestler son Andrew had to have jaw surgery this summer, so the protein shakes you advised are doing double duty, and he's slowly gaining some weight (had to gain some back after the surgery, as well). Kim

OOOoof! ~~:-( That's a torturous thing to have -- so sorry you're going through this!!

It looks to me as if you are doing everything possible at this time.

First, I'd like to offer my understanding of this condition.

(1) Shingles (Herpes Zoster) is a one-time outbreak (except in cases of extremely impaired immunity such as AIDS or terminal cancer); it manifests on one side of the body only, and does not cross the midline from left to right; it is not contagious; its sufferers are usually those who have had exposure to the chicken pox virus; and the recommended complementary medical treatments are:

-- 100 grams IV (intravenous) vitamin C (ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate) daily, for three to five days - and/or

-- Adenoside monophosphate (AMP) administered by injection as described below (Dr. Anderson or another MD or ND familiar with this treatment should be consulted for details):

"In 1985, the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) carried a report of a carefully done study of shingles (herpes zoster). This herpetic infection is inadequately treated by most of the conventional drug protocols, as witness the large number of elderly who suffer from this persistent, severely painful syndrome. The JAMA study described 88 percent total cessation of all symptoms within one month compared with 43 percent attained by a placebo. In my exerience, if treated early, no more than two or three injections of adenosine monophosphate are ever necessary. Adenosine monophosphate (AMP) is a chemical compound synthesized in the human and mammalian body and has essentially no potential for harm. In spite of its description in the JAMA a leading conventional medical journal received by all members of the American Medical Association, AMP injections are rarely used by physicians in the United States." -- Robert A. Anderson, M.D., past president of the American Holistic Medical Association (from page xxi of the Foreword to Walt Stoll's Saving Yourself from the Disease-Care Crisis).

(2) If the lesions are present on both sides of the body (as yours are), and if it is a recurring thing (as it is for you), what you are seeing is not shingles, but Herpes II. Many doctors are not aware of the distinction between them. One thing they have in common is that they both manifest when immunity is low.

For right now, if you take one gram or more of lysine *twice* daily (you could split your current 4 grams into two doses), while avoiding arginine-containing foods, you should be able to stop the outbreak within one week. To prevent recurrence, keep intake of arginine foods to a minimum, and keep taking at least 500 mg of lysine *twice* daily (total 1 gram daily) -- while continuing your type A program with high compliance. I'd also suggest doing the Encyclopedia's Antiviral and Immune Enhancement Protocols at least twice yearly.

It's essential that your immune system be kept strong with appropriate diet, exercise and stress-relief practices, to speed healing and avoid recurrences. Some exposure to sunlight (and fresh air!!) is also helpful in this regard, to maintain high levels of NK (Natural Killer) cells.

Here is Peter's text from the Immunity Knowledge Base IX:





And, of course, I'll put in a plug for Heallix again. It is a marvel in the immune-strengthening arsenal. Bless you, Kim! I fervently hope you're better in short order!! Keep me updated on your progress, OK? :-)

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hi heidi hope you are well i wanted to know if you do a ratio two parts omega 3 essential fatty acid to one part omega 6 for b+ nonnies as i believe this is the perfect ratio to take EFA'S thank-you for your ever understanding and patience mary

Hi there, Mary! Supplementation of fatty acids should be designed with the customary diet of that individual in mind. Also, different dosages would be recommended depending on the general health and/or specific problems that supplementation is intended to correct. Here is an Ask Dr. D column entitled TYPE B AND FLAXSEED OIL for more detail on ideal type B EFA ratios. Thanks so much for your message -- and take care, Mary! :-D

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Heidi, Me again, Cindi, I was reading some previous days Q & A's, didnt realize I had missed more than a few, anyway, I keep hearing about Rice Cakes, first, can I eat them? O+ non. Secondly for those who think they are without flavor or boring, when I didn't know I was a non secretor and I could eat Feta, Mozz cheese, etc.... I put some cilantro, fresh jalepeno, onion, cheese, on the cakes and heated them up in the microwave, they have a whole new taste and texture when heated. They are sort of chewey and softer, and very delicious.

I like things intense, so i spread a little horshradish on the cakes first if I was out of jalepenos, and that was, well, intense, but good. after I heated them and the cheese was melted, I sometimes cut them into 4 peices and they hold together well while warm and softened. Even when they have cooled all the way, they still are tasty, and filling.

Also, Abby wrote about the lipomas, I had one on my forehead and was told it was a fatty lipoma and after about a year it got bigger and people would mention it to me, so I had it removed, it was hard as a rock and the doctor showed it to me, strange, he had said that since it moved freely when I touched it, before it was taken out, that I didn't have to worry about it being a tomour (how do you spell it?) tomur? any way as long as it wasnt stuck in one place, attached or growing off a body part. It has been 14 years, sometimes the spot where it came out at, looks like it is getting one again, but if it is, its taking a long time. My friend has a bunch of them on his arms, and rib are area and they are marble size, some bigger, his dad had them too and his doctor told him they were not to worry about!!! Ok, bye everyone!!!!!!Cindi 0+ nonny

:-) thanks, Cindi -- Abby's an O non, too, and yes, you can have rice cakes. ;-)

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I am Blood Type A negative. The Diet recommends that I use soya products but I am allergic to Soya. I am also lactose intolerant. I was diagnosed with Helicobacter Pylori and cleared that up with Antibiotics before discovering "Eat Right for Your Type" and would like to follow the Diet to prevent further stomach/intestine disorders as there is a history of both stomach and pancreatic cancers in my family. Also there is a history of heart disease. I eat plenty of Fruit and Vegetables and would have been aware of many vegetables that are not suitable before the diet. I also eat plenty of fish but wonder if my diet is lacking due to not being able to eat foods that are soy based? Catriona

Hi, Catriona! Let the diet bring you back to a high level of health, and allergies and intolerances will fade into the background. We always suggest that if you have food sensitivities to items on the Neutral or Beneficial rosters, you should avoid those foods for at least the first six months of following the diet. At that time, you can decide whether to introduce them again. These plans (which include exercise and stress-relief practice as well as food choice) lower the total burden of toxins and allergens your immune system must handle, while increasing your immune system's ability to deal quietly and efficiently with the world. ;-) This most often results in people who discover they can happily eat foods which before the diet would trigger adverse events.

A warm welcome in here, Catriona ~~ please write again if we can help you 'get settled in,' in any way at all. :-D

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Hi, Heidi! I was reading your column today (July 19) and noticed that Eagle seemed confused about the Tier Two diet, so I thought I would offer my interpretation. Here goes: EVERYONE should eat according to the Tier ONE food lists, and everyone should choose Beneficials over Neutrals as often as possible. If you desire only moderate compliance, that's as far as you need to go--and you can pretend that all of the foods in the Tier TWO list have the value "Neutral." If, on the other hand, you desire stricter (Tier TWO level) compliance, then you should eat according to BOTH lists COMBINED--not just the list labeled "Tier Two." So if you have been ignoring the distinction between the tiers and treating them as one big list, then you're already aiming for Tier TWO compliance! The way I personally use the Tier system is this: I strive to avoid all foods marked AVOID on either list (Tier TWO compliance), but if I know that circumstances are going to require me to eat an AVOID food, I try to make it one of the ones on the "Tier Two" list because I figure that these are the lesser evils. Anyway, I hope this helps clear up any lingering confusion (and Heidi, feel free to correct me if my own understanding is skewed). --Sarah in PA

Hallelujah! :-D Absolutely! And I missed this issue entirely in my reply to Eagle (sorry girl!) -- thanks again, Sarah!! :-D

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Hello again, Heidi...thanks for the tip on using Heallix for my skin issues. I ordered and received some and so far am using it topically with great success. The rash and breakouts have cleared beautifully. However, taking it internally is another issue. Even in the recommended 8 oz of distilled water I can hardly tolerate 1 tsp [which I do manage to take once or twice a day]. It just tastes so weird, sort of bitter, but more metallic than anything and it's really yucky for my tongue. I tried to add more to my glass but couldn't bear to drink more than a couple sips. So, what I want to know is, is this normal, and is there anything that can make this better, because I'd like to up my dosage... Thanks again, Sarah AB nonnie

Hi, Sarah! Sounds like you're one of those "intense tasters." ;-) The lemony-metallic taste of Heallix doesn't seem so strong to most people as it does to you.

What I'd do is put a capful in a scant 1/4 cup of water, and gulp it down. It doesn't go down too pleasantly as a sipped beverage, I'll attest to that! :-D so down the hatch, the quicker the better. ;->

I'm very relieved your skin trouble is clearing up with the topical treatment!! Do keep up with the internal dosage though, OK? that way you're addressing the internal causes of the breakouts as well, to prevent recurrences. Thanks a bunch for writing in, Sarah! :-)

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Hi Heidi, Is there a message board for secretors? Thanks Ann

Do you mean a recipe exchange, like Nina's list for nonnies? Not that I know of... anyone know of one for Ann? write in!! (Nice to hear from you, Ann -- hope you're doing splendidly!!) :-)

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Re: red yeast rice, statins, and CoEnzyme Q10. I found the site I mentioned: August 2002 Life Extension Magazine. www.lef.org/magazine/mag2002/aug2002_legalnotes_0.1html He filed citzens petitons with the FDA to label statins and to issue a medication gude re: the need to take CoQ10 whenever using a statin The petitions explain that statins deplete CoQ10 stores and increase congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy risk, and that one should take 100-200 mg. of CoQ10 if taking statins. He does NOT refer to red yeast rice, and I have not found the reference I thought I had seen to similar modes of operations between the ryr and statins. I don't know how this has come out with the FDA. For my aunt, I still feel she is safer with pantethine. (Cf. Ask Dr. D'Adamo Question for 3 March 2003 which does a great job explaining pantethine) Elizabeth

OK, Elizabeth -- thank you kindly for providing that reference. I understand what the confusion is. His warning does apply to statin drugs. Lovastatin, for instance, is one of the best-known, and very commonly prescribed -- and is a pharmaceutical product based on "active" elements of red yeast rice removed from their source whole yeast matrix.

Your aunt will certainly benefit from the pantethine, and while red yeast rice has proven safe in all respects, the decision which gives you most peace of mind is surely the best one. Many thanks once again for following up on this issue -- and best wishes to your aunt & you!! :-D

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Hi Shelley, I am so happy that i was able to give you some help with your nickel allergy. I wanted to Thank you and Heidi for your Thanks, that meant a lot to me. My husband tells me that i go overboard with advice, so i am glad this time that it helped.

I too did not show metal toxicity in the blood. The body always is trying to clean and detox so metals usually are not easy to detect. I was chelated to flush out metals in my body and then the urine was collected. The nickel in my urine was in the normal limits. I also had a hair sample taken and sent to a lab for evaluation and that is where they found it to be sky high.

So you may have to find a Dr that uses these methods of detection. I had 10 chelation treatments with EDTA to pull out metals. I have etremely high levels of mercury also, that was found both in urine and hair. The chelation cost $120 a treatment, so i stopped at 10 and bought a juicer to finish the process of metal detox. I have a juicer that can do veggies as well as wheatgrass. Wheatgrass and cilantro are 2 juices that can cross the blood brain barrier and can chelate metals from the brain as well as the whole body. I suspect that is where most of your toxicity is from the nickel as mine was.

I am slowly getting better from CFS, but i have a lot of different issues to work on. I did notice that i did tolerate some cheap jewelry i wore to a wedding recently. I do this every so often just to see if i am making any improvements and i have made enough that i no longer blister. Once i start to itch i take all the jewelry off. I have not even itched the last few times i have worn it.

Please be patient, you have a long road ahead of you. Once your body detoxes it will heal and will be more efficient and let you enjoy life more. I have read quite a few books on CFS and few have cured themselves but it has taken them many years. Its a slow process. The Bloodtype diet is one of the keys in the healing process. I wish you the best of luck and hopefully you will let us all know how you are doing. If you need to email me, please feel free to do so. Arlene

Great info, Arlene!! VERY much appreciated here!

Shelley, if you'd like to be in touch with Arlene, just send me a note and I'll pass her addy to you -- bless you both! :-D

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Hi Heidi! A question about CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). Do lectins survive the production of it? I'm thinking of taking some, and the source is safflower oil, an avoid for type B. Should I look for another source? Thanks! Kathy K

Hey there, Kathy! The very best sources are meat and eggs from healthy 100% grass fed animals and flax-fed ranged birds, respectively.

About the supp you're considering -- I'd check the ingredients carefully, to see if it's in a base of some avoid oil or other. If it definitely contains no avoids, then the CLA itself is fine & safe to take. :-D

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Dear Heidi, about Carl's tinnitus, a recent article reviewed in the latest "ENT News" mentions tinnitus can occur in people with normal hearing but with a zinc deficiency. If Carl has a hearing loss, he may be able to get "tinnitus retraining therapy". The brain normally has a natural filtering process which stops us from hearing the sound of our blood in our ears but this can break down sometimes. In the UK we have hearing therapists who offer counselling and can issue noise generators to help the brain to rehabituate. PS - could you tell NAP to write "vitamins and supplements" on their boxes when I order them? Much appreciated, just like all your other work! Gwyneth

Thanks, Gwyneth! That's a very kind note for Carl.

Regarding your NAP orders, that's something you'll need to advise them on. They'll not allow me to place terms on other people's accounts. ;-) I'd communicate with them via email (under the contact link on the left side of the page) to request this label on your packages.

For anyone wondering about this point, the reference is Karen's discovery regarding the UK import tax laws:

"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."

thanks for the opportunity to post this info again! :-D

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