Hi Heidi, Just thought you might like to read this article about galectin-3 and cancer. Cheers Annette

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993801

Deadly spread of cancer halted

12:21 05 June 03 NewScientist.com news service

The spread of cancers through the body could be halted by targeting a protein that helps cells latch on to each other, reveals a new study.

The spreading of cancer from an initial tumour to other parts of the body - called metastasis - frequently means there is little hope a person can be saved. But scientists have now modified a naturally occurring human protein to disrupt this deadly process in mouse models of human breast cancer.

"We were able to significantly reduce the spread of the disease and decrease tumour growth without any evidence of toxicity," says Gary Jarvis, a microbiologist at the University of California in San Francisco. "If we can stop metastasis in humans, we will have gone a long way towards successfully treating cancer." "It's when tumours spread to essential organs, such as the liver or lung, that they become fatal," says colleague Constance John, a research chemist. "There is nothing to date that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of cancer that works on that process."

Stick together

The team modified a protein that seems play an important role in helping cells stick to each other. This ability aids metastasis by allowing cancerous cells that enter the bloodstream to lodge themselves in other parts of the body.

The team, lead by Jarvis in the US and Hakon Leffler at the University of Lund in Sweden, singled out a human protein named galectin-3. This is from a family of proteins called lectins that bind to sugar molecules on the surfaces of cells. Galectin-3 is known to play a role in cancer formation, particularly in promoting cell-to-cell adhesion. "The idea was to break that contact and inhibit secondary cancer formation," says Jarvis. So the team removed the key part of galectin-3 that normally allows cells to stick to each other.

The modified protein also occupies the site on a cell's surface blocking normal galectin-3 from binding. This stops cells from adhering to each other. The modified protein more than halved the number of mice that developed metastatic tumours. Cancer implanted into the mice spread to the lymph nodes or other organs in 11 of the 20 control mice given sham injections, but only four of the 20 mice given the truncated protein.

Slow growth

The growth of the implanted tumours was also significantly less in mice treated with the modified protein compared to the control mice. "It's not only affecting metastasis," Leffler told New Scientist. "It's reducing the primary tumour a lot." Importantly, he adds, the novel treatment did not cause any adverse reactions.

A drug therapy targeting galectin-3 might one day be effectively used in combination with currently available cancer medications like chemotherapy and radiation, say the researchers. Although, the results are "optimistic", Leffler cautions that "an animal model is not human". "We're not trying to develop a cure for cancer," says John. "What we're trying to do is make cancer a disease that one can live with."

Journal reference: Clinical Cancer Research (June issue) Shaoni Bhattacharya

Thank you for the article, Annette! You'd be very interested in the developments foreseen by IfHI at the February conference -- keywords: cadherin/adherin!

!! :-D

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Hi Heidi! I read your column almost dayly and I find much support in it! I am doing pretty well on the BTD, except for that my previously nicely low blood pressure is even lower now, too low actually. I excercize daily, (alternating between aerobics, long walks, bikeing etc) and I drink plenty of water with lemon or salt just as you recommend. But the low pressure is a problem and I can´t wait in lines or stand on the bus or get up from a chair too fast or I will just faint!

And I do look gasthly pale...I have heard that cutting out grains and increasing proteins (as I have done since I am an O that used to eat mostly vegetarian...) can lower the blood pressure, but it is always thougt of as something good, and for me it surely is not! I am stubborn and first I just waited, thinking my body would get used to it, but it has been several weeks now... Do you know how I can RAISE my blood preassure? (I would forget about avoiding sugar and grains and eat a lot of lichorice candy, but I am celiac and have to avoid it carefully as there is always wheat in it...I used to love it though!!!)

I have also had much more headaches than I am used to, but I think it is slowly getting a little better. I also want to tell you that I have introduced the BTD to my Mum (who also is an O), she has problems with extremely high cholesterol, and to my sister (who is A). My sister is very VERY much underweight and has struggled with it for all her life. She has intuitively always eaten the A type food except that she used to avoid ALL animal proteins. She also avoids all dairy since she is lactose intolerant and she often beware of gluten as I am a celiac and it is often running in the family so she decided to be careful with it herself as well. I have read in a previous column of yours that increasing the protein could help her as she likely is lacking protein and then her body can't use the fat she is eating. (She loves peanuts and almonds and other fattening things, but this far it has not helped...)I am very curious about how the BTD can help them both! Love, Helena

Hello there, Helena! It may be low blood pressure you're experiencing -- but the cause may be adrenal fatigue. First, try some licorice root tea instead -- no gluten or additives of any kind in it. Alvita is a well-known supplier here in the States, and I'm sure you'll find a brand easily in any organic grocer. I think it will make you more comfortable while your body is making its adjustments to the no-grain 'way.' If in a week your low pressure hasn't shown some improvement, take a good read through the following page linked here: Understanding Adrenal Function.

Type Os most often experience a dramatic drop in cholesterol once they've brought their diets into line with the BTD. Eliminating grains altogether will produce the most noticeable results -- wheat is a terrible fiend to our systems! So just have your mother do pretty much what you're doing. If her cholesterol remains persistently high, she can look into the supplement "red yeast rice," which has a great history of normalizing lipid levels.

I think your sister would do well on one small serving of whole grain daily. This could be oatmeal, or some 100% rye or 100% sprouted grain bread. I think it would very much help her -- that's straight from the Doc. One serving each day won't make her a celiac, and as long as she follows the rest of the A diet, she should feel much better and begin to show some weight gain. She would greatly benefit from doing yoga, meditation, or other deeply calming practice. And yes, if her protein intake is very low, she'd do better following the Live Right portion/frequency guidelines for all her foods.

You're accomplishing a great deal in your family, Helene -- well done! Let me know how that pesky low blood pressure gets along, OK? :-D

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Hi Heidi, I went to the NOW foods website. They list their ingredients for their carob drops as: Carob Powder, Partially Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Sorbitan Monostearate and Soya Lecithin. My bag from an internet distributor did not contain the sorbitan one. So the oil is not from corn but I did no feel so good with it.

But better news on another product front. I found Kamut pretzels by Happy Herbert's at Whole Foods. The guy there is actually Gary. Very nice man. Gives 10% of profits to children's charities and has an exclusive contract with the one and only kamut flour maker in the US to make kamut pretzels. I feel so much better eating them than spelt pretzels. I really do feel the difference in the gluten response and my daughter likes them better than the spelt pretzels.

Here are the ingredients: Organic unbleached kamut flour, organic whole kamut flour, organic canola oil, organic barley malt, salt, yeast, soda So with those ingredients, it works for all As and O secretors.

Kamut is okay for A and O but canola oil and barley malt are avoids for O nonnies. :-{ I told Gary about the Blood Type Diet and making it blood type friendly. Maybe if he gets enough calls from those on our nonnie list and others, he will make a change so the O nonnies, especially kids, could enjoy them too. He will also ship 12 bags with no shipping and handling cost. His number is 1-800-SO-HAPPY Thanks Heidi. Nina

Hi, Nina! Yeah, any "hydrogenated" oil is not so good for any of us. I can't figure out why they wouldn't just go with carob powder, lecithin (emulsifier), and some stabilizer like sorbitan monostearate -- which is also a thickener. What's with the hydrogenated oil? Must be something that complements the machinery of their manufacturing process. Sigh!

Your new pretzel find sounds great ~~ keep up the wonderful work! :-D

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Hi Heidi, I appreciate your ability to tie together so many elements of the blood type dieting approach and compress them in fairly readable fashion on this site...so I've got a couple tough ones for you, one of which could well open a pretty big debate I've seen the beginnings of already.

First: given that grapes, grape juice and red wine are neutral for O's, would it stand to reason that since apples, juice,cider and apple cider vinegar are neutral for O's that alcoholic apple cider would also be neutral? What would alcoholic apple cider be for A's given that the fruit, juice and cider are neutral while the vinegar is an avoid?

My other question has to do with lectin uptake and transferance to humans via animal product consumption. Fortunately, I have, in Alberta, plenty of access to grass fed beef, bison and lamb...but what about chicken? And eggs? Even organic chicken and eggs are fed grains of various sorts...what does this mean for O's like me who have hitherto been big chicken and egg eaters, if the poultry is fed with corn, wheat, etc? Poultry like turkey and chicken don't eat grass in nature, do they? And what about these birds for type A consumption, and ostrich -- the "other" red meat poultry in abundance up here and a neutral for A's and O's? What kind of feed should people look for in the poultry and eggs they eat?

What about dairy products like mozza or ghee from milk from grain fed cattle? Where do we draw the line? Will Dr. D'Adamo address this, or should O's go straight to wild game and A's vegetarian? thnx!! John

Hi there, John! Apple cider is much like beer or wine, depending on the fruit and the processing. The best ones are very light and dry, of a rather high alcohol content (10-14%, like wine) and anyone for whom apples are OK could enjoy it in moderation -- technically it's an unknown. I wouldn't extend the same welcome to the standard commercial varieties found in six-packs, since they contain added sulfites and preservatives which put them in the reactive category for sensitive individuals -- and in the blood-sugar spike category -- akin to white wine for type O (an avoid).

Chicken, turkey, etc. are natural grain eaters. They also eat grass. Chickens can get 20-30% of their nutritional needs from grass alone -- and turkeys, if left to their own devices on good pasture, will eat up to 40% of their diet in grass. For the rest, they eat bugs, grit or sand, berries, seeds, worms, and they thrive on these foods. I'd make sure that the poultry you eat is properly ranged, has a varied pasture from which to choose food (they peck all day long), and is not stuffed with grain for fattening. Any grains they're given as supplements to this natural scratching & pecking should be organic -- and no, I wouldn't be fearful that the chicken is storing away corn and wheat lectins which will pounce on me when I eat the chicken. Grain is perfectly digested by the chicken or turkey or pheasant (organic only, please), and is not stored in the fat the way pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and other rotten interventions are stored -- nor the way rich grains of that kind show up as traces in the stored fat of ruminants (cows, sheep, etc.).

Now, as to the flightless fowl we know as "ratites" (ostrich, emu, rhea, cassowary, and kiwi), they are a very ancient family of animals. I was interested to note that ostriches in the wild have a lifespan similar to humans - 60- and 70-year-old birds are not uncommon. The thrive quite nicely on grass, along with succulents (like cacti), seeds, berries, and leaf browse, and probably get the odd bug along with their predominantly vegetarian diet.

A note here which is rather off-topic but which much deserves this space: there are no humane treatment laws for birds designated "domesticated" in this country (don't know about Canada). We are well familiar with the barbary and butchery visited upon factory chickens and turkeys. The ostrich and emu are grand, wide-open-spaces creatures, who currently are the new "meat craze" here and who are kept in the ugliest conditions and receive absolutely miserable and horrifying treatment during their "domesticated" lives by most "producers." Here is a very calm and meticulous description of the ostrich industry as practiced in the States. Please read it if you can.

the moral of my rantings?? KNOW YOUR FARMER, FOLKS! Please, Please do NOT purchase the products of ANY farmer who disdains the welfare of her/his animals. This includes ostrich ranchers who pluck their birds regularly to sell the feathers. It is an extremely painful experience (which the commercial producers outright LIE about), and usually drives the birds to insanity long before they're slaughtered for their meat. And Please do NOT buy the meat of ratites who spent their lives in cages. Please support CONSCIOUS FARMING AND RANCHING!! ... thank you, my dear friends!!!

*phew.* OK. Now, where were we? Milk and milk products from grain-fed cattle. You're not going to be getting corn and wheat lectins in your milk or cheese. However, remember that the nutritional value of the product will be significantly reduced if the cow is fed grain. The essential fatty acid balance will be way off.

Frankly, I don't understand the idea of giving milch cows grain, anyway. Ours never got any -- they were pastured on rich grass, alfalfa, clover; hay from our barns in the winter; ok, come to think of it, they got some fermented corn (silage) in the winter as well, but very little. It was the big feedlot operations who grain-finished the beef cattle, to fatten their meat and raise their weight for a better price at market - at least that was true when I was a child. I imagine, though, that the factory-raised female calves and heifers (virgin cows) are probably shot full of growth hormones and may get an inordinate amount of grain to hasten their growth to the milking stage. They'd also be given antibiotic tags. And Yes, all those dirty little chemicals will come right through into the milk, likely along with nice strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. But the grain lectins, no.

I noted with hope and pleasure that some of the dairy farmers who list on www.eatwild.com now offer arrangements whereby you can purchase raw milk and raw milk cheeses. That's pretty wonderful -- something I also remember well from my childhood. :-) There is a growing abundance of conscious farmers and ranchers, many of whom can be found on the eatwild site. These very encouraging developments mean that we and our children will not be self-defensively forced to subsist on home grown veg, nor to depend upon the sharpened stick for any hope of good meat. ;->

My best to you, John -- thanks for your Qs! :-D

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Thanks for your varicose vein advice, Heidi, I'll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, more fun in the kitchen with Jenny.......

RE SOY OR DAIRY YOGHURT MAKING......I am told that placing the covered dish inside a polystyrene box with lid (eg from the greengrocer) for 6 hours will retain the heat sufficiently to do the job in the absence of a yoghurt maker.

RE SOY CHEESE ....I am told that placing some fresh soy yoghurt mixed with chopped herbs of one's own choice, to drain overnight using muslin or kitchen paper x 3 in a sieve will produce a nice soft cheese.

RE TOFU CHOCOLATE MOUSSE....p 296 of "Cook Right" - I have tried this several times, but find it too powerful for my taste, so I adapted it to a simpler version viz: 1 packet, 300grams or 10 oz approx. of medium-firm or silken tofu (not hard tofu) 1 cup or slightly less of chocolate icing sugar (tch tch), 1 egg, and half teaspoon crushed cardomon seeds or powder, blended well and set in a steamer over boiling water for 30 mins, then chilled. Cheers! Jenny

icing sugar - shame on you! ~~:-D Lovely recipes, Jenny -- thank you! and I look forward to your progress with those pesky veins! :-D

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Hi Heidi, I'm an O+ sec, and have a boatload of questions about detoxing and cleansing, so I apologize in advance for the length (feel free to edit)! First, I'm interested in the Detox Protocol from the Encyclopedia, and I've been reading as many posts as I could find on this, but have run into problems with two of the supplements. Prune Powder - no luck at either HFSs or Asian grocery stores, and the one website where I found it for sale (you also recommended it - Voigt Global, has discontinued it. FutureCeuticals makes "HiActive Prune Powder, and I've emailed them to see if they're willing to sell it to individuals (they appear to be only a wholesaler), but haven't heard back yet. I know my HFS isn't willing to buy 45 pounds (or whatever the minumum order is) on the chance that more people will want it. What would be a good substitute for this? Prune juice? If so, how much, how often and how long? Is there another supplement appropriate for type O that will suffice?

Chinese Garlic Extract- I've checked with 3 HFSs and none of them seem to know what this is or how it differs from the numerous other garlic supps available. Can you provide some info? Web searches yielded surprisingly few sources that specified "Chinese" garlic, but lots that talked about "aged" garlic extract (lots of references to Kyolic brand)- are these the same? Would you recommend a particular brand? The one site that sells the exact item (emersonecologics.com), requires that I list my physician's name, address and phone number (which I'm not willing to do). Whew!

Ok, the next set of questions is about liver and/or gallbladdar cleansing. All the info in various posts has got me to thinking about detox/cleansing in general - can you explain what the Detox Protocol does that is different from the cleanses? (I'm referring specifically to those recommended in Julia Chang's site) I don't have any reason to think I have gallstones, but the liver cleanse sounds like a good overall detox-type thing to try. Is this correct?

It's unclear to me from the site, whether there is actually a separate cleanse or "flush" for the liver - and if I should do the first two steps (gold coin grass and intestinal cleansing), if I don't think the gallbladdar issues are a problem for me. Should I just take the Chinese Bitters (recommended for "de-congesting the liver), and call it good? Or are the two cleanses really designed to work together? If doing the combined liver/gallbladdar flush - do you recommend the apple juice for type O? I also have concerns about my ability to go for two days without food and 3 days with no protein. I tend to get headaches if I don't eat properly - especially if not enough protein. Do you have a recommendation for this? Sorry to go on and on - thanks for your patience and great information! Jane

Hello, Jane! Long Qs are no problem! I've been known to go on and on myself from time to time (as EVERYONE will attest!! ~:-D) About the prune powder: I'd use prune juice for the moment, probably 10-12 ounces to the tablespoon of powder needed. But since FutureCeuticals does make this perennially elusive product, it stands to reason that they sell it to SOMEBODY. Now, whether those retailers market it only in combination products, I don't know -- but I'd ask FC if there ARE retailers they could direct you to -- while making it clear you're not trying to steal their clients, you're just trying to get hold of some gol' derned PRUNE POWDER for personal use! ;-)

I'm not sure if this is the case, but in looking at the name "Chinese Garlic Extract," it occurs to me that perhaps we're supposed to notice "Chinese Extract" rather than "Chinese garlic" -- and if so, the Kyolic brand is most likely what's being recommended. Weird how so many supps are being corralled into doctors' proprietary sites for their own patients or somehow restricted to distribution only on doctors' orders. Very odd. This would actually be an excellent question for Doc Bron, as he very likely uses it in his practice and might be able to suggest a substitute if it's not available OTC. Absent other options, I'd be inclined to chop and age my garlic and just use it as is.

The detox protocols work gently to draw out toxins from the entire body and gradually eliminate them. The gallbladder cleanse, on the other hand, is a bile purge -- meaning that it's a relatively safe home therapeutic procedure whereby you prepare your digestive tract for a day or two with light diet and stone-softening/bile-releasing stuff (apple juice), then ingest (1) substances which relax the bile ducts and keep the elimination process moving RIGHT along (the Epsom salts); and (2) substances which strongly stimulate the liver and gallbladder to dump all their bile into the GI tract at once (the oil & citrus juice). The idea there is the same as washing out a sink full of sand. You can trickle water forever, and the sand will stay largely where it is, but jet the water full-force, and the sand is lifted and carried away with it. The bile dump carries the stones out as well -- and gets rid of a great deal of stagnant old bile as well. The liver cleanse Julia suggests is a combination of some hepatic stimulating herbs in tincture, and the avoidance of a handful of foods, including chilled food and drink. She also suggests taking some warm water in the morning, and doing some exercise. Exercise enlivens and strengthens ALL the organs, stimulating their full function.

I suggest doing whichever procedure, or combination of procedures, you would like to try. They're all rather different. How about two gallbladder flushes, one month apart, and do the standard liver herb prep beforehand? Use the malic acid supplements she suggests instead of the apple juice. Then do the Encyclopedia Detox Protocol for one week on, one week off, one week on, one week off, then repeat the flush.

I understand your concern about no protein for a few days, and no food. It's quite common to get headachy or woozy during a 'fasting' protocol such as this -- but it won't do you harm. In fact, these reactions indicate work going on that needed doing, so they are to be welcomed as a sign of progress. ;-) Shorten the three days to two if you like. And try to do it at a time when you can be relaxed and engaged in pleasant activities, rather than pressured by work or other responsibilities. ;-)

I think I covered everything, but when more questions crop up, do write again! Best of luck, and let me know what ya do & how it goes! :-D

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Hi Heidi, I need some info to help me (O non-secretor) stay away from potatoes! In LR4YT, potatoes are listed as an avoid in Tier 2. As I understand it, Tier 2 food lists are for those who are using the diet to fight disease. What about for us healthy people? Is it OK to eat potatoes occasionally if we are just following Tier 1 and avoiding avoids? I'm sure it's not that simple (since potatoes are also listed in LR4YT as one of the Type O Red Flags)... However, I still really like potatoes and need some help staying away from them!

I notice definite bad effects from eating sugar (one of my favourite things) and wheat and this has really helped me stop eating these foods entirely, but I don't have the same experience with potatoes. What is it about potatoes that makes them so bad for type O? Is there anything really nasty that they do to our bodies that can repulse me? Any help is appreciated! Kate

Hello, Kate! ;-) The evildoer in potatoes is the lectin. It just loves the joints. In some folks, the small joints (fingers, toes) stiffen considerably within an hour or two of a potato meal. In most people, however, the damage is done quietly over time, and may not be noticeable as creaks, stiffness, pain, swelling, etc. until many years have passed. I'm not surprised you notice the ill effects of sugar and wheat. They act fairly immediately on blood sugar levels and speed of elimination (and boost allergic reactions) -- not to mention the harm sugar does to the immune system. If you feel like half your strength just vanished after consuming a teaspoon total of sugar, well, you're right. Immunity drops 50% in a flash, just from that small amount of "refined horror."

Now back to potatoes. The Tier system in LR4YT is intended to offer some options for folks who have no health complaints and would like to occasionally consume some avoids which are "less avoid-y" than others. The bad news is: those options aren't available to you & me.



Nonsecretors, A2s and MM types should follow the food values as written -- including the avoids in Tier 2. So, we "variants" aren't offered the the leeway that healthy, average-weight MN secretors (including those who are A1 rather than A2) have in regard to Tier 2 -- for good reason! It's designed that way to safeguard our health. Whether a food appears in Tier 1, Tier 2 or the Neutral Tier is immaterial to nonsecretors -- we just look at the food name and the value assigned, and that's what we follow. ;-}

sorry to be the bearer of less than welcome tidings, Kate! ;-/ but at least it's a simpler system to follow, eh? just remember that you're not alone in this!! you have PLENTY of company! ;-> be well, and turn ever away from those spuds, ok? :-D

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Dear Heidi, I have very thin hair and my body is like a candida machine. I've heard about the BTD in 96 and started making diet and lifestyle changes and I have gradually become very disciplined. I visited Dr. Bron last year. He recommended lots of biotin.

Here's what I take Biotin-8 by Thorne 2 caps 2x (4), MulitVM 1 cap 2x (2), MaxEPA 1 cap 2x (2), Fucus by NAP 1 cap 2x (2), Phytocal by NAP 2 caps 2x (4), Methyl B12 by NAP 1 cap 2x (2), Folacal by Thorne 1 cap 2x (2). I take a few drops of Horsetail tincture in water, a few Polyflora and Quercitin every other day when I remember to. I take 1-2 tbsp of ARA6 almost daily.

I learned that I was a nonnie and started making those adjustments. In the past year, my hair has improved slightly and I get candida problems if I stray too far from the nonnie diet baseline. From reading your column, I have made efforts to choose organic foods as much as possible, including grass fed meat. I've also learned that supplementation with msm, floradix, thyroid can help improve hair growth.

I'm not sure which therapies to use when. I would like to know if I should do a gallbladder liver cleanse first and if it would make the supplementation more effective. I figured I would just go through one therapy at a time until my hair got better, so I started using msm and have gotten through 2 tubs of it. I am up to 6 tsp a day. I have started to include 1000 mg of Glucosamine sulfate because my sinuses are going crazy. MSM? Hay fever? I don't know. Then I thought I should consult with you instead of going ahead on my own.

I have detailed food lists which I can scan and send to you. I'm not diet perfect, but it's because I'm working hard and having as many great times as I can fit in. I'm in NY so I would like to arrange a consultation, if possible. I could drive back up to CT to visit Dr Bron, but he is so handsome that I can't keep my mind on diets around him. ; o ) Emme, o-non

Hi there, Emme! Hey, it never occurred to me that being handsome might impair one's patients' thinking processes, but this puts a whole new aspect on my relationship with my beloved and extremely handsome gynocologist! ya learn something new every day! ;->

I wonder if Doc Bron should wear a 'warning label?? ~:-D

As y'all know, I'm not accredited by any board or institution to practice any form of medicine, including complementary health care practices of any kind. Instead, my mission here is to help people get the information they need, and to suggest areas of improvement according to what I've learned -- operating as a source of 'new eyes' looking at what is presented to me, in hope that my perspective will lead you to insights that might not have occurred to you on your own. Getting a different angle on a problem from someone heretofore unconnected to it can be instrumental in speeding a resolution forward.

For right now, and from what you've told me, a gallbladder/liver cleanse procedure cannot hurt you and is very likely to get your progress kicked up a few notches. If you'd like, I'd be glad to review your diet and exercise regimen with you! I don't charge anything for doing so. If you'd like to go ahead with that, just drop me a note and we can talk about where to go from here. But do consider the flush/cleanse, and use Julia Chang's site as reference. She's got all the info you'll need on the procedures.

Blessings and very best wishes, Emme! I hope to hear from you soon!! :-D

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THANKS ALOT TOM!!!!!!!!! Now, it seems I may have done more harm than good switching a year ago from coffee to (organic) green tea! Okay, Heidi, now what CAN I drink in the morning??? Should I just check LR4RT on which herbal teas are beneficial, or do you have an especially good recommendation? I've been having 3-5 cups daily of green tea. I guess no other tea-or-coffee-like beverage would give a little kick of caffeine... What next will I have to give up, eh? I read the link Tom noted, and since I do have aluminum as well as mercury to contend with, and osteoporosis as well.....sound like green tea should be stopped. boo hoo.....Abby

hi, abby...

Well, Tom's post mentioned (1) Medline research indicating low short-term uptake of toxic metals in tea, and (2) his opinion is that Schuld's timetable for the onset of fluorosis is unrealistically grim. So, while the news isn't tremendously uplifting, I don't want it to cast you down into despair, either!

I would welcome some BTD-expert input on the issues Dr. Schuld raised, as green tea's such a popular beverage and recommended generally for all blood groups. The only related info I've come across is the Ask Dr. D. column on Os and fluoride, suggesting that type is particularly susceptible to fluorosis. I'm gazing wistfully at my second cup of green tea, and hoping for its reprieve from this particular judgment.

Thought I'd mosey around and see if fluoride levels are something I could test all by myself. (hey folks, you know how I am.) Found a pocket-sized device used by water inspectors, sold by Hach for about $300 including reagent strips, etc. I'm SO tempted to buy it and test my tea (and urine). I'm going to look further, but I'll be giving the budget a good squeeze to accommodate that item if nothing else useful presents itself quick-like-a-bunny.

So: my dear friend, I'd suggest choosing an herbal blend for now (perhaps roasted dandelion root, or a choice of herbs & spices you know you can tolerate well), and we'll see whether some new information comes to light... I'll keep you posted! :-}

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Hello Heidi, I am A+ and my husband is O+. We have been on the diet for about three and 1/2 weeks now and I read your column daily. I have lost about 7 pounds but I am includig neutral foods along with the highly beneficial foods to lose in a healthy manner. I have searched the archives for specific information, but have been unable to find what I am looking for, hence the question. My husband has been overweight most of his life. We have been married a little over a year before we discovered ERFYT. He has a tough schedule but tries to get his workouts in. When he does work out and sweats he gets these pimples. We assume they are due to toxins but I was wondering is there a way to detox from the inside out to prevent them? I cannot think of any other way to put it but they smell. Thanks, Dawn

Greetings, Dawn ~~ welcome to the BTD!

As your husband loses weight, the fat cells are releasing a number of toxins which the liver is a bit too overburdened to process effectively. They circulate in the bloodstream and show up as skin disturbances, particularly after a workout. Now, that process of detox is a GOOD one, one we don't want to stop, but rather we'd like to increase his ability to process and eliminate the poisons as they are released.

He should do his best to stick VERY closely to his diet, and try to minimize grains and sugars of all kinds. He may be particularly sensitive to pesticides and other contaminants, so going organic and free-range with the food is an excellent idea. Here are some tips for him:

(1) Drink 1/2 ounce of water per pound of bodyweight. Into each liter or quart, add a squeeze of lemon juice and/or a pinch of gray sea salt. If you're using the salt, let it sit for five minutes, then shake (to allow the salt to dissolve in the water). Never, never go thirsty. If you eat and still feel hungry, down some water first and see how you feel in a few minutes.

(2) Absolutely stuff vegetables into every corner of your diet, particularly dark green leaf veg, salads of all kinds, broccoli, onions, carrots, celery, and emphasize beneficial veg whenever possible. The minerals, water, and fiber they provide will speed digestion and move the weight loss right along.

(3) Regular steambaths or saunas would help the skin to get rid of the toxins it's passing. The dry skin brushing technique, done with a soft brush in circular motions all over the body from soles to crown (except the face and groin) is another helpful tool. Believe it or not, more frequent cardio workouts would speed this process, too. The more often you really work up a sweat, the more quickly your skin will finish its detox job and heal -- and look better than ever before.

(4) Take PolyFlora-O and ARA6. The beneficial bacteria in the gut needs a little support when weight loss is producing a greater toxic load. Feed them, and you'll ease the weight loss and the detox.

(5) Consider doing a gallbladder flush (there's been lots of talk about it in the past few columns, and the reference site is www.sensiblehealth.com). It's not a necessity, but any adult who's been overweight all his life deserves a chance to find out what it's like to have a clear and fully-functioning liver and gallbladder. It's quite an experience!

Let me know how these ideas might work for him, Dawn, and please keep in touch! I'm very pleased to hear you're losing weight like a champ!! keep up the wonderful work you're doing for yourself & yer man! :-D

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What is inositol? How does ARA differ from lecithin in terms of health benefit and should I take both regularly? Rachel

Hello, Rachel ~~

HERE is a fact page on inositol;

HERE is the page on ARA6;

HERE is an interesting page on lecithin and gallstones -- follow the "lecithin" link to the standard description.

Keep them bookmarked - I think they'll answer your questions admirably!

Thanks for writing! :-D

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Dear Heidi: I am an O nonnie who has been following the O diet for about 6 years now. I have been having major gastric upsets for the past year. Throwing up, diahrea, sore stomach etc. I thought I was catching stomach bugs and being stressed out, not being able to cope.

In July, I had another bout of stomach flu and last weekend, I started again but with no respite from the pain. With increasing abdominal pains, I went to the doctor on Monday and she said ulcer. The pains increased throughout the week and I ended up in emerg on Wednesday night. They did some tests and found my white blood cell counts were high. They gave my anti-spasmodic medicine which took away the pain for 12 hours.

I started doing research on the internet and found a condition called hypochlorhydria which is low stomach acid. With low stomach acid, your body does not kill the bacteria that comes into your stomach and voila, more occurances of stomach flu. You also may experience constipation, fullness of stomach, burping and a feeling of being hungry all the time.

From a Website:

Good health and the presence of absolute immunity depend on the existence of a normal production of hydrochloric acid and its presence in the bloodstream and other fluids of the body. When the HCL production falls short, and a progressive diminution takes place, we find a loss of absolute immunity, a decreasing degree of tissue susceptibility, an imbalance of blood chemistry, and poor digestion and assimilation. This is the starting point of general ill-health and malnutrition.

It is a logical assumption that a lack of sufficient minerals in the daily diet must of necessity give rise to a deficiency in the hydrochloric acid production. It is known that certain salts, such as potassium, are needed by the glands responsible for its production. It is also known that when the hydrochloric acid production falls short the required amount necessary to maintain the acidity of the white cells and the acid-base balance becomes insufficient and hydrogen chloride eventually vanishes from the circulation.

When hydrogen chloride disappears from the circulation some other acid must take its place immediately in order to maintain the pH of the circulating fluids. The acid wastes assume the role of hydrogen chloride in the blood chemistry. This is followed by an imbalance of the blood chemistry. The acid wastes can not be thrown off as quickly as they are formed so they begin to accumulate in the fluids and tissues of the body with the resultant struggle between these and the alkaline reserve. The result is a depletion of the latter.

Functional disorders of a metabolic, endocrine and allergic nature and the condition of acidosis become manifest. The person loses his natural immunity and is highly prone to develop focal infection followed by acute disease. In this depleted condition they lack the necessary reserve to destroy the invading microorganisms completely.

What I did: I started taking hcl supplements from the health food store along with enzymes on Friday. Today is 1 week with the HCL and I feel like a new person. Since last week, I have lost 4 pounds and these 4 pounds came from areas around my lymphatic system, under arms, hip creases, and collar bones.

My stomach pains have finally released and my bowels are starting to return to normal. I am not craving carbonated drinks, nor do I need to eat every 3 hours. What a relief to finally find out what is happening and being able to do something about it.

Believe it or not, I think I have had this condition since childhood. I can remember always getting gastric bugs throughout my life and no-one else would get them. I think my mother may have this as well. She had been diagnosed with an ulcer, but all of her symptoms look like low HCL. I know this contradicts what Dr. D says about O's and stomach acid, but I think with many O's eating foods that aren't great for their blood type, their stomach acid might be depleted when they start BTD. The good news is this seems to be an easy problem to overcome. Jean

Interesting website! http://www.rheumatic.org/hcl.htm --

I noticed, buried in the discussion of HCL, a note about insufficient minerals. Jean, had you been getting sufficient minerals from foods or supps? I realize the constant diarrhea must have depleted most of what you took, but there are ways around the dietary means of getting them. If you were also kind of hooked on carbonated drinks, perhaps their contents were contributing to the mineral depletion? they do tend to do that.

If you get the chance, I'd love to hear your account of your usual diet through this period ~ it would help us all, and particularly anyone facing what you've gone through! :-)

Right now I'm just truly pleased that you discovered a major piece of your health puzzle and are on the mend -- thanks so much for your post, Jean!

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I am blood type A. I am allergic to all forms of seafood, (violently to some, but not the ones on my list...) and allergic to soybeans and many soy products. I am also a type2 diabetic, and overweight with a bmi of ~40. what do I eat for protein on this diet? I have been trying to eat low-carb for yrs to keep my blood sugars normal. What does a diet plan look like for someone like me? Vicki

Hello, Vicki! Your proteins would come from the vast number of other beans on your OK list, along with nuts, seeds, yogurt and allowed cheeses, nutritional yeast, all the neutral beasts & birds on the Live Right 4 Your Type food list, eggs, and whatever fish you're able to tolerate.

Go carefully through that list, red-flag foods you can't have right now, and proceed with the rest. Vegetables are the staple in every blood group's diet, and the dark leafy greens are well familiar to you from your low-carbing history.

Be aware that as your gut heals and your sugar metabolism returns to normal (which it will), the intolerances you experience now will fade. Give it a good solid try for one month, and have your physician monitor your medications carefully -- people most frequently find that the dosages should be reduced, in a very short time.

A MOST warm welcome to you, Vicki -- please and keep in touch! I'm listening!! :-)

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Hi Heidi: I have been following the blood type diet for several years. I am a type B but not sure if I am a secretor or not. I always feel well when I follow the diet for my type but it was not until about 6 months ago when I tried eliminating wheat products and refined sugar that I began to see some weight loss.

I also avoid any food that has corn syrup in it - and many do! I have been eating mostly Irish Oatmeal for breakfast for a month or so and this helps to quell my morning hunger until a mid morning snack.

I did have an exercise question. I bought a manual treadmill a couple of weeks ago. I finally had to buy one to use several times a week to replace outdoor walking, since the weather has been terribly hot this summer and I just don't tolerate extreme heat well. This treadmill is set on an uphill incline, and since it is not powered by a motor,it really works me out in a short period of time. My question is - is this a good workout for my type and should I pair it with other exercise or make this my main type of exercise. Joyce

Hey there, Joyce! That's a good cardio exercise. If I were a B, I'd add a little something different, as well.

Eo Omwake at Mind, Body & Spirit Academy has a great collection of videotapes available -- I have the Stretching and beginner's Tai Chi & Qi Gong. He's a marvelous teacher, and a wonderful presence (even on VHS. ;-)). I'd pick up one or more of those for when getting out & about is really unpleasant. Also, a quick and effective addition to your cardio work is those Five Tibetan Rites I keep harping about. ;-} Try one or both, and let me know what you think!

:-D

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Hi Heidi, I have a question about Dr.D's new book "Eat Right For Your Baby", in the section on Diet for Blood Type O's. He says fresh tuna is one of the fish with high mercury levels, but he says canned tuna is ok. I have read so much contradicting information out there about what fish are ok to eat and which ones are not. Can you tell me that the canned tuna are really ok and not a typo, I love tuna salad sandwiches, they are easy and delicious and my kids like it too, but I want to make sure it's safe. Thanks! Stephanie

Hi, Stephanie! Yes, it is the fresh tuna (which may or may not be tested for contaminants) which is to be avoided -- but only during pregnancy. Pre- and post-pregnancy, tuna of all kinds is Neutral again. ... thanks for your note, and glad your kids are enjoying their diets, too! :-D

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Hi Heidi, I just got some routine blood work back from my OBGYN checkup and was surprised by the results. I expected my blood work to be perfect after being on the blood type diet for nearly 3 years and the nonsecretor diet for the past 3 months, but instead my cholestrol is elevated (228) and my TSH is elevated (6500). The OB wants me to find a physician and have this "evaluated". What are your thoughts on this?? Suzanna (B non)

Hello, Suzanna! Give me as complete a rundown on your diet and exercise as possible, and I'll take a good close look at it. Hang in there, dear -- thanks for letting me know what's happening! :-)

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Hi Heidi... I'm responding to a suggestion you gave someone about 6 weeks ago about thinning hair. You said to combine Nutritional yeast, MSM and horsetail...then report back to you at the end of August. Well, I started that regimen immediatley, and can report that my hair DOES feel thicker. There are far fewer strands of hair coming out in the shower, too. So, will keep up these supplements with joy. I also have been taking 5mg biotin, Maca and Fo-ti for the same hair thinningness....but was doing those for several months (years?) before adding the yeast, MSM and horsetail. Thanks.....you're the BEST!!! Linda (B- Nonnie)

Hey, I'm pleased you've finally gotten some good results! Sometimes these things go by trial and error -- certain underlying problems can resolve through taking biotin and maca, while others which also cause the same-seeming hair loss are better addressed with silica, elemental sulphur and B vitamins. Once you've found what works, you've also gotten a clue on some deficiency you had, and can keep an eye on it in future. Congratulations, Linda, and thanks for that note, dear! :-D

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Heidi, Thank you for your response on the hormonal connection to the acne. I'll be headed to the store to get the wild yam capsules and yaca root powder and I look forward to seeing the effect. However, I must confess that the Type O Female Balancing Protocol in the Encyclopedia looked quite daunting! Lots of tinctures that seem not so easy to get. I have purchased the FEM Balance supplement from NAP. It is friendly to all Blood types. Would this be acceptable to use as the protocol for the next month? How long should I plan to take these supplements? Will it be on again, off again, or should I plan to make them part of my daily supplements going forward? - TINA

Hello, Tina -- The FEM Balance supp is fine to start with, and it may take care of everything without your having to do the full protocols. See how it goes for you, and if your progress is not noticeable in a month or two, then consider doing the protocols in their entirety.

Maca and wild yam can be taken regularly and indefinitely -- they act rather as foods, unlike many herbs and specific nutrients. If you do the protocols, follow the instructions on timing given for each of them.

Best wishes, dear! Keep me posted! :-D

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Dear Heidi: Thank you for responding ti my questions. And for the big congrats. Yes, it was a bit difficult but not living in fear of food anymore is worth the hassle, believe you me.

Thank you for the phytocal suggestions. It feels as if I really need the manganese as I have recently felt joint pain. The calcium suggestions are also a great plus. Luckily I eat most everything on that list, so that calms my mind. As I said, I actually like collard greens, spinach, okra, etc. I will wait for my hunger pains to subside.

As I try to wean myself off all grains (though I do eat sushi because I get my fish and my seaweed fixes and I love eel), I will keep that in mind and try and boil some eggs and keep some almonds on hand. If I need that protein fix, will miso soup do, as I carry that around with me and it has all the tofu and seaweed I like so much. All in all, however, I feel I have been doing very well. And I thank you for answering my questions. Regards, Allison

Good going, Allison!! My pleasure -- and please do keep in touch! :-D

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hi heidi hope you are happy and healthy. A quick progress report - after eating fish at least once a day for the last 6 weeks or so, my last period was MARKEDLY better! Yay Yay Yay! It wasnt perfect, but id have to say it was 80% improved, and I was even able to go to work without having to make a hasty and very pale faced departure once it started. Apart from the radical decrease in pain, the flow is much healthier - it was on the scanty side before.

Other issues resolving too - digestion is better as is the skin. The other thing that I noticed is that I have lost a bit of weight -I was already slim but the increase in proteien and the decrease in carbs (grains and beans) has made me leaner, and I must say I feel physically better for it - like I am functioning at my optimum!

I also just read Connie from Ohios question about osteoperosis. While I am but a mere layperson, the advice I have is straight from the jaws of an expert! Anyway, according to him, the latest research into the area suggests that walking is not enough to improve bone density; that the most (and he couldnt emphasis this enough)effective remedial and preventative activity is weight bearing exercise (as you referred to in your reply). So walking with weights, or holding weights (with straight arms) above the head and bending the knees, making sure to keep the back straight (ie tummy tucked in to avoid arching the lower back and of course not hunching the shoulders). Hope this is of help cheers, Emma

Ah, another glowing report ~~ I'm so happy for you, Emma! And thank you for the corroboration on bone building!! :-D

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this isn't a question but a suggestion re bone loss/gain. studies out of Tufts that resulted in the books that include Strong Women Stay Young. the studies have shown that strength building (30 minutes twice a week) results in bone gain. it also results in leaner muscles over time. thanks, ruth

Great -- thanks for that, Ruth. There seems to be an abundance of research supporting weight-bearing exercise as a good idea for anyone seeking to reverse osteoporosis. :-D

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A couple of questions as I prepare for my gall bladder flush(es) - first, I have been taking Chinese Bitters for about a month now (and an order for Gold coin grass is probably arriving today), but I have had a worsening of one of my symptoms; I have been having diarrhea, pretty constantly for the last, maybe, 5-6 years. The diet has helped, but still loose. Well recently (not sure if it coincided w/the Bitters), it's much worse, watery really, pretty unpleasant. It seems to improve if I cut way back on any fats and sugars, but not totally. Is this a reaction to the Bitters, or is this going to continue until the flushes clear things out? Julie Chang has said my symptoms indicate clogged liver, gall bladder and spleen; I guess my question is, can small amts of good fats, and sugar cause this to worsen, or is it the Bitters?

It's ok if it's just part of the fix, but I just don't want to make it worse. Also, I know from nutritional testing, that I am extremely low in all minerals, especially potassium and magnesium, and I know diarrhea can cause that and certainly make it worse. My tests also show I am very low in protein, even though I have always eaten meat, and red & white blood cells.

Also, I bought some ghee to give it a try, as Dr. D says it's a great intestinal healer; thought it would help; but it's loaded w/fat. Can it really be healthy with 11 g of fat in each teaspoon (3 of which are saturated)?

I got my juicer and am playing with different blends; and try to always have a green drink w/barley and wheat grass each day. It makes me feel good! And I am taking ARA6, Polyflora A, and Deflect. And have started doing yoga/light aerobics each morning, which also feel wonderful - good advise all around !

Could you also put me on the nonnie list? (I'm an A non secretor) Not sure what that entails - is it a chat group, or newsletter? But I bet it would be helpful, as is everything else you and this great site do for people.

Oh, I wanted to tell you - someone suggested I try inositol for depression, and I started taking 2 t/day; and it certainly has helped (along w/everything else). I feel much calmer/ less anxious all the time and generally happier. If I miss a couple of days, I feel myself slipping back. What do you think? Carrie Ann

Hello, Carrie Ann! That diarrhea should clear up a few days after you do the flush. Remember to keep taking PolyFlora-A throughout -- it will greatly help your intestinal environment to get back to normal. Julia, of course, is correct about poor fat metabolism being connected to constant diarrhea. Don't worry, it will be easier to correct itself once the flush is complete.

Try to stick very closely to your A nonnie diet, in order to resolve the low-protein and low-RBC/WBC issues. Use your beneficial protein foods at the higher frequencies. And be sure to include dark leafy green veg at every opportunity -- daily is not too often. ;-)

Ghee is loaded with butyrate, a potent intestinal healer and friend to YOUR best friends, the happy good-guy bacteria without whom we wouldn't be alive. who enable life for us. I can very cheerfully say here that once again, it's not that it's fat, or protein, or vegetable... it's the KIND of fat, or protein, or vegetable that makes all the difference. Hallelujah for Dr. D.!! If it weren't for him, we'd still be in the dark ages, trying to decide between grape juice fasting, whole wheat bread, and hunter-gathering with nothing but heatlh magazines dependent on supplement sales to show us the way. *phew!!*

Juicing is marvelous, isn't it? :-D And that inositol tip may prove VERY significant for folks out there battling depression. thanks! ;-)

The nonsecretors list is a wonderful group, mostly for recipe exchange, hosted by the estimable Nina -- I'll send her a note, and she'll send you an invitation.

Keep me posted on the results of your flush, and I'm really glad you're getting out from under that depression! bless ya & keep ya -- :-D

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Hey Heidi - Thanks so much for answering my questions about weight loss earlier. It was helpful to look over Shirley's experience. I also appreciated the "yelling" you did the other day. I laughed so hard but really took it to heart. It's so good to get the hard line every now and again. I sure needed it too!

I have a few comments that you may or may not wish to share and a question. My AB Hubby and I (A) did the gallbladder/liver flush on the site you regularly recommend this weekend and let's say it was an experience. After the fast, I couldn't down an entire cup of the olive oil (he did... God bless him!)

Our experience was freeing. He had his gallbladder removed 8 years ago at 24 and has had problems with sluggish metabolism and depression on an increasing level since. He's been a much more "lively" self...nearly the man I married 5 years ago. His "excema" (what dr.s call something that they can't really diagnose) has cleared noticibly. My benefit relates to my previous post. I've finally broken the 300 pound mark!!! I've been hoovering just above that for weeks. YIPPEE!

My other question is about hunger... or lack thereof. Since going on the diet, I have only occationally been hungry or had few instances that a very small amount of food has satisfied my hunger. I mean to say that about a handfull of food has satisfied my hunger every 2 1/2 hours. Is this normal? Could I possibly be getting enough calories?

I eat 1/2 cup oatmeal toasted with a bit of molasses and about 1/4 cup soy milk or a scalloped veg dish I adapted for my type. Mid-morning I have 1/2 - 1 cup of fruit with green tea or soy mocha. For lunch a slice of spinach, tofu and soy cheese lasagne (all beneficials) or salad (again all beneficial veg and fruit) with a walnut oil and maple syrup dressing or the like or refried beans/corn chips/guacamole/soy sour cream & salad. Then for dinner, fish or 1x to 2x per week turkey or ostrich, veg and occasionally a rice/veg dish. For "dessert" a handful of peanuts with a few chocolate chips or a glass of soy milk.) I do drink about 100 oz. of water a day and rarely with a meal.

Am I eating enough? Thanks again for the response, and the help. Susan - the chef from MN (A)

Hi there, Susan! Hey, it's certainly nice to hear from you... I took a chance there, letting "Gunny" have his say. I was a little concerned I might never hear from anyone ever again!! :-D

It is just a joy to me to hear that you and your husband have experienced great results from the gallbladder flush. Yeah, it is a bit of an eye-opener, you might say... ;-> but the benefits are most commonly WELL worth the ... surprises. :-} THREE CHEERS for the weight loss -- CONGRATULATIONS!!!! :-D

One of the things that is perfectly maddening to me about my type A man is how little food he needs to remain broad, husky and strong. He was pretty surprised at it himself at first. Handful of salad here, cup of beans there, a tiny portion of pasta and veg, a little bit of fish or fowl, and I mean, LITTLE... the breakfast of 1/4 cup plain oatmeal and coffee that would send me climbing the walls in search of edible protein (this being NYC, I'd probably find some). He calls his diet pine needles, grass and dirt -- and is now rather proud & happy about it. ;-D It's enviable, and I hope you rejoice in it!

In brief: yes, you most certainly are eating enough, and wouldn't it be nice if that splendid "built for famines" quality were characteristic of every blood type! *sigh.* I think you're doing just beautifully, and I wish I could get another woman, a fine chef and type A (and just under 300 pounds), to just put a toe into the A-plan pool. I just know she'd love it once she's inspired by the possibilities.... but I think she & her husband will be off to their new home in France before I can really get my talons into her, LOL. ~

I'm very much looking forward to hearing how things progress for you & your man, Susan. Sounds like a grand time for you both!! thanks SO much for letting us share the joy with you!! :-D

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Dear Heidi, I had a strong suspicion that I was an O nonsecretor because the more I ate soy the worse the gas and stomachs became. Also I have alot of dental carries.

I had an acupoint energy reading and for food sensitivity/ allergies my reading was only 30. 48-60 is a balance for an acupoint, >60 = Inflammatory energy (CHI), <42 = Chronic downward energy (CHI). Eliminating soy, oatmeal, mozzarella cheese, cinnamon, honey, etc. brought my reading up to 40 after only 2 weeks.

My acupoint tester strongly advocates for the BTD and said that he usually finds that people who follow the BTD are in the acupoint balance range for food sensitivities and was surprised that I wasn't. He suggested I may be a non-secretor.

Yesterday I received my official salivary secretor profile is group o non-secretor. I already feel better on the non-secretor diet. Could you please add me to Nina's ad hoc nonnies list for e mail. Thank you very much, Rose

Well, my goodness! The newest addition to the O-Nonnie crew --- WELCOME IN, Rose!!! I'll be sending Nina your info -- look for her invitation, and ... hey, you wouldn't want to share the name of your acupoint tester, would you? Sounds like a man lots of us would like to meet!

That's a great little report on the effects of eliminating the avoids. Thanks for your message, Rose -- Keep shining, dear! :-D

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Hello, Heidi: I notice to my delight that you posted a detailed "how to" for your famous soup stock in today's "On the Diet". I immediately cut and pasted it into a word processing document called "Heidistock" (kind of like Woodstock, only without the tye-dyed shirts and Hendrix *L*) so that, just maybe, with practice, I can progress from "stock challenged" to a stock wiz.



I would also like to humbly suggest--wait a minute, that is a split infinitive, so make that I would also like humbly to suggest--that you place your stock recipe in the "Recibase". Currently, when one searches under "stock", one is met with a resounding "No matches found for stock". Since stock/broth is such an important staple in the BTD kitchen, particularly for us O's in search of calcium and natural gelatin and all that good jazz, would you consider posting your recipe there? That way, anyone looking for a "how to" primer on making good stock will find it easily.



Thanks--oh, and could you include whether to cover it or not for the eight-hour overnight stint. Logically, I would assume YES, but one never knows...also, could you suggest what proportion of veg to the pot size one should add? You do say 3/4 of a pot of bones, and that is very clear and helpful, but saying how much veg and, ideally, what are good veg to add, would be fab, too. Think of the stock-challenged, such as me, and don't assume that we know ANYTHING *lol*. Thanks again, and peace to you! "O-nonymous"



As I was typing up the recipe for the stock, it occurred to me I hadn't said whether to cover it or not. I idly wondered to myself who would be the first to ask whether the stock should simmer covered or uncovered -- or if anyone would ask at all. I guess some part of my consciousness decided not to include that part of the instructions in the post -- maybe just cuz I wanted to hear from ya! :-}



I leave it uncovered in the boil and simmer stages. Technically speaking, stock-making is a reduction process -- moisture released from the meat and veg, along with some of the cooking water, is removed from the broth as steam -- concentrating the goodies out into the broth. At the moment I turn the heat off, the cover goes on for the cooling stage... I don't want to leave it open to errant bacteria while it's turning lukewarm and inviting. The only airborne critters with access are those already in that little space 'tween lid and stock level -- and they have a rough time of it, cuz the steam's still coming off and the liquid's still too hot for them when that lid clamps down on their hopes. Sorry, critters! MY stock, NOT yours!! :-D



The veg we should use is the standard ole stuff: onions, carrots, celery. They are the classic and time-honored stockveg. If we're brothing up some bird (ahem! all you Scots, Irish, Ozzies and English: remember I'm American and any perceived obscenity you're giggling at is QUITE unintended! ;-D), I've first stuffed the cavity with a nice tied-up bundle of (1) parsley -- with the addition of thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, basil, mint, marjoram, in some toothsome combination... any good fresh herb I have on hand. That bundle gets plopped in along with the bones.



IF we're making broth from other meats/fish, etc., which do not obviously lend themselves to being stuffed with a buncha herbs, then DO drop into the broth pot a nice bouquet garni of your choice of the above (I always include more parsley than anything else) -- wrapped in cheesecloth and tied off.



As to quantities: my descriptions are suggestive, but not precise, since this kind of knowledge is gained in the doing (and the size of your stock-pot relative to the item(s) roasted is relevant). Inspiring you all to swallow any feelings of inadequacy in the kitchen prowess department and plow right in is my aim. Marring broth, if the simple instructions I indicated are followed, is gosh darn purt'n'near impossible.



Here's my example, which you can scale up or down as circumstances allow:



I have a 24-pound turkey. In the bottom of the broiling pan, I've set a "rack" of four large carrots, four celery stalks, and one or two onions cut in thick 'strips,' across the short width of the pan (rather than the length or longest measure of the pan). The neck and innards are rinsed and placed snugly around & between, or atop, the veg, and it all gets a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil. On top goes the roasting rack proper, OR just the turk (oiled, salted, peppered, or however one likes it), which sits comfortably in said pan (3-inch-high sides). I add a cup or so of water in the pan, to keep things from burning while they give up their moisture in the heat. We baste with those juices, and sometimes add a bit of this & that to the basting liquid. When birdy's done, the meat is carved off and eaten or stored. (We often start off with the legs & wings, gnawing as we go, then add those bones to the pot when we're done. :-D) The bones go straight in the pot and get mangled around a bit if necessary to fit below the top.



I use a 16-quart stockpot. Once the bird's carved, we put dem bones straight into the pot, along with the herb bunch from the cavity, the juices that gathered on the carving board, and all the veg and liquids that remain in the roasting pan. It all gets scraped right in. Water is then added to cover the bones and the heat is turned on -- and one proceeds as per the previous column.



NOTE: if you're going to be up & about and tending it, you can add water as the level lowers in the simmer. However, if you're doing it overnight, best to give it a full two inches over the level of the bones. You still may wake up to a few bones poking up over the water level, but it matters little. Just stuff 'em down in, add your lemon squeeze, and proceed with the last hour of simmer.



Anything bigger than a 24-pounder, you may want a larger pot. If you've got a few little quail or grouse or pheasant guys you've roasted, they'll all fit in a much smaller receptacle. And so forth. :-) But the quantity of veg you use for the roasting is the perfect amount for the brothing.



I have made a note to enter the recipe in RECIbase® -- but I confess that I seem to have trodden into a psychological meander of terrible laziness recently!! My mind curls and wriggles like a wet puppy at the thought of DOING anything right now... the mere impulse to knuckle down to some task finds my eyes drifting to my right, where Bocklin's "Villa am Meer II" beckons... and above it, an ancient pen and ink of Tupper Lake in the moonlight... then to its left, the big black & white pic of autumn waves crashing against the rocks of the Oregon coast... my entire psyche seems to have gone on holiday and left my body affixed to my office chair....



... but I'll keep that note here for when the operative portions of my personality return from their wanderings!



thanks for your note, dear -- and I profoundly hope that you're prospering!! peace and fulfillment to you! :-D

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Hi Heidi, love your column and have learned a lot.



My mother is a type B, both of us have been on the diet for 2 years and have had such good results. She is very upset after her doctor sent her for a bone density test and scan. He told her that her bones are in very bad shape and wants to put her on fosamax or actoml.



I hate to see her on either of these due to the possible nasty side effects that they have. Can you suggest anything else that will help to strengthen the bones naturally, She is 71, walks over a mile a day, and follows the diet at about 75-80% compliancy. I will be very grateful for any supplement ideas, etc to try and keep her off the medication. Thank you, Connie in Ohio





Hello, Connie! I'm glad you wrote! This is how my 70'ish friend (type A secretor) did it:



-- High compliance to her diet (around 90-95%)



-- Phytocal-A, four capsules daily



-- Walking for about 45 minutes daily, in addition to her usual housekeeping and gardening (she has a good-sized house in the country, with lawns, trees & gardens -- she's working in the gardens on days of good weather, and doing all manner of housework in addition to shopping, etc., when she's not outside).



One year after committing to this plan, her scan still showed some bone loss, although it had slowed considerably.



-- She then added Cortiguard, two capsules around 4:00 with her afternoon meal.



-- She also increased her walk time to one hour daily, and started carrying some weights in a back pack or fanny pack -- we wanted to increased the weight-bearing part of the exercise to stimulate bone growth.



A year of that, and her new Dexa scan shows she has been *building bone again.* The loss was not only stopped, but reversed.





Here is what I suggest for your Mom:



(1) Make sure she is getting daily beneficial proteins, alternately from red meat, turkey and fish -- preferably roasted on the bone (and the bones come in handy for making broth (below)).



(2) Daily portions of one or more foods on the high-calcium foods "Ask Dr. D'Adamo" post entitled "Calcium from Almonds." Of special note for her as a type B: one or two cups of cooked dark leaf greens (collards, kale, chard, spinach, turnip greens, beet greens, mustard greens); a tablespoon or two of blaskstrap molasses; broccoli, almonds, figs, bok choy.



(3) Bone broth made from roasted meats, turkey, or fish -- with the usual vegetables (carrots, celery, onion, parsley roasted with the meat or bird or fish). No crucifers in the broth -- no broccoli, cabbage, or hardy greens. They're fine to cook in the finished broth if she's making soup, for instance, but not as vegetables in the broth-making process.



She probably is quite well versed in making stock! but I'll offer my tips here anyway.



I use enough bones to loosely fill about 3/4 of a pot, then add the veg, then cover it all another 1-2 inches with water. I add sea salt, bring it to a boil, then lower it to a quiet simmer and let it do its thing for six to eight hours (I usually let it go overnight). I then give it a squeeze of lemon juice (half a lemon does fine) and let it continue simmering for another hour. This does brighten the flavor a tiny bit, but the operative clause here is "extract calcium." The acid from the lemon juice works quickly to grab what minerals remain in the stewed bones.



Then I let it cool off a bit, strain it through a colander, and distribute it into pint containers which I freeze. I don't skim the fat. It all floats to the top and forms a nice little preserving seal over the broth as it freezes. If she doesn't want to consume the fat (although I think it's better if she does), it's much easier to just pop the pieces off after thawing the container in the fridge than to do the whole messy French defatting process while the broth is still hot.



Note: if I roast small birds or fish, I pack the bones away in heavy plastic bags and freeze them till I have enough to make a batch of stock. Go ahead and stick the rabbit bones in with the lamb bones, with the bird carcase. Butchers and fishmongers can be persuaded to save bones from clean critters for you -- keep those frozen separately, and roast them before broth-ing. ;-) Also, if she is planning to roast any kind of meat *off* the bone, have her get the bones from her butcher and ask him or her to saw them up into fist-sized lengths. Just lay the bones alongside the meat to roast with it. Then, she can poke the marrow out of the roasted bone and eat it -- or plop it in with the bones to make the broth.



I have my freezer (such as it is) packed full of this stuff. I pull one out, run hot water over the outside, open it and plop it into a saucepan. I drink it alone with spices (cayenne, sea salt, turmeric, cumin,), some nutritional yeast, and a handful of crushed dried seaweed. It can be the base for a soup or a sauce. It can be reduced all the way down to demi-glace as a very elegant sauce, for instance. It's a chef's best friend and a nutritional medicament, all rolled into one tasty and simply-prepared package. :-D



(4) Phytocal-B, six capsules daily -- with meals or a little citrus juice (with vitamin C stirred in, if possible, as a booster).



(5) Cortiguard, two caps daily with an early evening meal



If that sounds surprising, remember that Cortiguard is recommended for Bs as well as As, since they both tend to overproduce cortisol and have trouble getting rid of it. Cortisol is a bone-eater. ;-)



(6) Make full use of her inherent visualization talents! Suggest she spend a few minutes before sleeping in a little 'mental picture' exercise. Have her imagine / see / feel her bones drawing all that calcium right into the crystalline matrix -- it's getting packed full of crystals, growing thicker and stronger, like a pale, flexible steel. Have her envision this kind of growth in any way that rings true for her.



This kind of exercise benefits everyone! but type Bs seem to take to it a bit more easily, and have rather remarkable success with it.



In my utterly layman's opinion, DEFINITELY do not start taking fosamax or actomel. I say that not only because of the potential digestive tissue damage, but also because fosamax for instance is effective only in a limited number of cases -- and that success is short-lived, since it often reverses itself and bone loss continues. Osteoporosis is not a disease of fosamax deficiency, if you know what I mean. ;-)



SO: have your Mom look this over, and let me know if you two have any questions or need further information. I wish her the VERY best in this process, and I look forward to hearing from you both! :-D

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Hello Heidi, There have been some comments about tea recently, Maddy thought that green tea (and miso) might be helpful as metal chelators.

Anyone interested in the subject of tea and metals may wish to read a well referenced open letter by Andreas Schuld published on Dr. Mercola's web site: http://www.mercola.com/2000/sept/10/green_tea_fluoride_thyroid.htm It suggests that far from being a chelator, tea collects Fluoride and Aluminium from the soil, the air, or from chemical treatments, and this can add to the body's burden of these elements in the long term.

Other (Medline) research suggests that the short-term uptake of toxic metals (Cd, Hg, Pb, Al) with tea is low, and generally there appears to be little difference in heavy metal content between green and black teas.

I would suggest that Schuld's timetable for skeletal flourosis is a little pessimistic, but apart from that it would seem reasonable to avoid long term consumption of green (or black) tea in situations where you are hoping to remove metals from the body. Tom

Great note, Tom -- MANY thanks, once again! :-D

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Replacement for carob chips - feel free to modify as you see fit! This was my "first try" recipe and I like it as is...but you can change any aspect of it:

In a small bowl stir together:

1 heaping tablespoon of rice protein powder (NAP will be shipping Dr. D'Adamo's new protein powder later this year we hope!)

2 heaping tablespoons of brewer's yeast (try nutritional yeast if you'd like)

1 heaping tablespoon roasted carob powder (try cocoa powder if you'd like)

Now add some liquids and gently stir to wet: a big dash of almond extract or almond flavor, about 2 tablespoons of vegetable glycerine (I use food grade Frontier brand), about 1 tablespoon of molasses (or better for you yet: blackstrap molasses), add water as necessary to form a thick paste or thick liquid, as you desire. I just eat it from the bowl.

You can also try to make your own carob chips - I haven't tried yet....gently heat and stir together carob powder, vegetable glycerine and/or ghee (ghee will make it softer and somewhat oily), molasses. Put the result into a parchment paper lined pan to dry for a day- then chop up to form "chips".

There is a product called "carob molasses" - I'm hoping it is a thick liquid taken directly from the plant...I'll have to research that further.

BTW, carob increases one's requirement for water intake! I saw recommended limits for carob at 20g or less for adults per day (15g or less for children). Be careful not to become dehydrated. Happy carobing!

Thanks for the tips, Vicki ~ I hope the home cooks take up the challenge and devise their own variations (and post them!) ~:-D

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Hi, Heidi -- I'm one of those rare AB's surfacing with a question. As I'm sure you know, there's been tremendous hype recently regarding coconut oil and its miraculous benefits to thyroid function, weight loss, etc. As I recall, coconut oil is classified as an avoid for all blood types. Has Dr. D'Adamo responded to the new issues surrounding this oil? Thanks for any updates! Linda

Hi there, rare bird! Coconut oil was evaluated by Peter not too long ago, and he's given it a neutral rating for O nonsecretors, but it remains an avoid for other types.

When I hear that one food is heaped with praise and miracle properties are ascribed to it, I tend to think that it has somehow provided something missing in the standard American diet "S.A.D." That's not difficult to do, and it's tempting for marketers to then publicize the results as miraculous.

Your diet, however, is an elegant and nutrient-rich way of eating, as well as one which shuns so many harmful elements present in the standard packaged/processed/pesticided/poisoned food diet most people eat. That puts you way ahead of the crowd. ;-)

I hope this is some consolation! Give us a glimpse of your usual diet, and I'll be glad to help tweak it with you to accomplish your goals in expedited fashion!

Thank you for writing in, and don't be a stranger!! :-D

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Hi Heidi! Thanks for your very thoughtful response about the gallbladder flush. I just read today's question about it, namely whether store bought apple juice would work... obviously you say not... so I'm wondering if I can just eat those granny smiths that day instead of drinking the juice.

I also don't have a juicer - we live on a boat and it's simply not practical for us (I'm already getting away with a dehydrator for jerkey and a big freezer for meat and lots of storage for veggies). Can I perhaps just skip the apple juice part and go ahead and do the flush?

Sorry to grind this topic to death but I'd like to be sure the flush is worth it. Kind regards Ilze

Hey there, Ilze! Well, you're close-quartered as it is -- I forgot you're on a boat!

Here are the options I can suggest: get a watermelon and eat that all day. Or, go with a mix of grapefruit and lime juice, diluted somewhat with water. Those can be squeezed without special equipment. Obviously, there's no apple pectin in either alternative, but it will definitely help clear the colon and kidneys -- a nice prep for the process.

And do read through Julia's instructions and "what to expect" info until you know it backward & forward. It helps calm any jitters one might feel, and makes for a pleasanter experience.

Let me know how it goes! Best wishes, dear! :-D

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Moi encore!!!!! Sorry to write you about the tempting restaurant items..... But, regarding your reply, I do not have N-Acetyl-Glucosamine, but "Resbid" which is a time-released version, supposedly the best on the market, of N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (sp??). And, the word I could not remember is bladderwrack (duh..). So, will either or both of these supps do me any good as far as wheat lectins go???

The Italien restaurant is chosen because it is only about 5 minutes from our apartment (in an old villa) and right on the water, and full of interesting Italiens for people-watching pleasure... We live basically on the Italien border of France on the Mediterranean, so lots of Italien restaurants here. It is also a fixed-price menu, and the ONLY "amuse bouche" they offer are the little thin pizza-bread thingies.

As to the sardine dish you mentioned, I LOVE it, but I have been avoiding seafood since the mercury diagnosis. So, I'll be having risotto (rather than pasta) for the 1st course, and steak rather than seafood for the 2nd. Dessert??? Maybe they will have some nice berries as I will forego the TIRAMISU!!!!!!! And, oy vay! IT is WONDERFUL there!!!! (Sorry, Heidi, can't resist!!!)

Anyhoo, let me know if the Resbid and/or bladderwrack are worth taking in case I can't resist temptation - and I'll let you know how dinner goes. (As to choice of restaurants.....there unfortunately aren't too many great ones right here, and nearby in Monaco the good ones are also Italien - or super-expensive French joints. Fortunately, the Italien places have steak and lamb, salad and spinach - so I'm not FORCED to eat the pasta!)

By the way...it FINALLY cooled down...we're on our 2nd lovely day, and what a difference it makes on my mood! Sending love your way, Abby

Forget the love! I want that tiramisu!! ~:-D

Well, the NAC (yep, and I thought it was a typo) isn't prime lectin bait on its own, exactly, although the bladderwrack will help to a degree. Can you get hold of NAG at all, or is that one of those hard-to-find (or 'outlawed' bless their hearts) supps? Looking at the Deflect-O bottle, the dosage is 500 mg of NAG, 400 of Sodium Alginate (from Laminaria, another seaweed), 200 mg of bladderwrack, 200 of ARA6, 100 of NAC and 100 mg of gum tragacanth from Astragalus to kick the whole mix up a few notches.

See if any of those things are pick-up-able through your supp supplier, to jazz up what you already have on hand.

Oh, Lord, I'm relieved to hear the heat's letting go of you. We've had such a gorgeous summer here that I find myself wondering when the other karmic klog will drop. typical NYC pessimism! ;->

Now... PLEASE have pity - you wouldn't come back and torture me with a detailed report of how magnificent those meals are, would you? :-D well... a little report would be nice. Just leave out anything you know I couldn't bear.... like in the pasta, pastry and cream sauce departments, stuff like that. ~~

;-D

have a marvelous time with your friends, Abby, and keep that electrolytical H2O working for you too, ok? ... ENJOY!! :-D

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HI Heidi, Still reading your column every day. I learn so much from you and others. You know how I said that a magazine had written bad things about veg gly well I read that article in a doctor's office and haven't been back yet, so I can't ask them about where they got their information but Cindi sent in a good article about it anyway, it just sounds like everything else - in moderation.

For example green tea is great for everyone, and at one stage I was drinking 4 large cups a day and had bad headaches every day for six months until I gave it up and they stopped, so now i only drink one cup a day.

I've noticed you've mentioned that apple juice may be alright to drink for therapeutic benefits for one day for non-secretors, well I don't know my secretor status but I may try that anyway, did you ever have ANY ill effects from drinking all that apple juice. You also mentioned that you should have half apple juice and half water. On the sensible health website, it says to have 2 cups at a time - 8 ounces, so would it be 8 ounces of apple juice and then another 8 ounces of water or 4 of apple juice and 4 of water.

I've also been drinking alot of vegetable juice - my own disgusting concotion - pumpkin, beet, carrot, parsnip, beet leaves, radishes and ginger - not very tasty but it seems to have improved my symptoms much quicker in the last few weeks than just eating lots of vegetables for the last 8 months or so, why do you think that is? Anyway that all I can think of for now. Thanks for you help!! Chantelle

Hi, Chantelle! You'd take 4 oz of juice mixed with 4 of water, to dilute the impact of the fruit sugars. I had no noticeably profound or lasting ill effects from the apple juice -- just a very subtle feeling of "stiffness" in my stomach, as if the tissues had "seized up" or "hardened" just a tiny bit. You may not notice any such effect at all.

Vegetable juices are highly esteemed for the reason you mention: they deliver nutrients in a concentrated, immediately-digestible form. You can get very nearly the entire vitamin and mineral blast of two pounds of veg in a glass of juice -- down the hatch! :-) I'm very pleased to hear you're seeing quicker results by using this natural "medicine."

Best wishes, my dear -- and let me know your experience with the flush! ;-D

---

As you may have heard, it looks like there's a possibility we may be hosting a new message board.



Here's the basic idea so far. It's not going to happen right away; it's still in the planning stages. It's only a possibility! To figure out whether it will come to be, or not, we'd like to hear your suggestions on what you'd like it to be, and also if you'd be interested in joining -- having an approximate head count would be very helpful to us in this process.



Drop by Peter's As I See It column for an overview of what the new boards would offer & how they'd work.



By the way, the plans for a new "community forum" are entirely distinct & separate from the columns now running on this site -- it would be a new entity altogether, and having one doesn't mean we wouldn't have the other. ;-)



SO: comments, suggestions, and a show of hands, please? Let me know what you think and whether you'd be interested in joining the new board! Right now it's only a possibility -- so we need your feedback!

Vote Now! Vote Now! Vote Now!



~;-D



P.S.: Do try to include a "Yes I would sign up" or a "No, I won't" with your suggestions & comments -- makes it far easier for me! :-)



We'd like to close our "poll" on Sunday, September 28 -- so, spread the news, ask your friends, family & BTD buddies stop by & let us know what they think. Thanks, everyone!! :-D



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Hi Heidi, Thanks for the information on soaking the lecithin before shaking - that was the first time I'd heard that advice - tried it this morning and it worked great.



My question is regarding children and greens. I've heard you mention several times how important it is for children (mine are AB-) to eat plenty of greens. My 10 month old eats them as he doesn't know any better, but my nearly 5 year old strong-willed son will rarely touch them. He used to eat all sorts, even kale and seaweed salads, but not any more. He loves tamari, so I often use tamari and olive oil on the greens, but that won't even work these days. Do you, or others on the list, have any suggestions? Thanks, Ann



Hello, Ann! Glad you like your "new & improved MFC." :-)



Well, sounds like that 10-month-old of yours DOES know better. :-) Do you serve the greens to everyone, as a vegetable that you all (except the elder son) enjoy?



My trick for getting greens into the recalcitrant is to make a blended soup. I start by sauteing sliced onions in olive oil, add some sea salt, then minced garlic to taste, then parsnips or turnips, and carrots, cut up & dumped in. I stir them around until they begin to release their sugars (showing a bit of brown here and there), then in goes a big batch of roughly chopped chard, collards, kale, whatever green is at hand. Cover with homemade turkey stock to about two inches above the vegetables, and add a bunch of herbs (thyme, basil, marjoram, or some combo) wrapped up in cheesecloth & tied securely. I let them cook at a high simmer for an hour or so, until the root veg are soft right through. I check the seasoning at that point -- then fish out the herb bundle and begin blending the soup in batches. It makes a really pretty, thick light green soup. Tastes wonderful, too!



OK, I'm putting out the call for other recipes in which greens may be hidden! Cooks, contribute your ideas!! We need to take care of those rare little AB kids!! ;-D Thanks for writing, Ann!! :-D

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I'm a type O and don't like soya milk. Is it an option to replace milk by lactose free milk? Thanks! Coty



Hi there, Coty -- Try to find rice or nutmilk (like almond milk) instead, and be sure to check the ingredients for avoids. These things aren't too difficult to make at home -- there are lots of recipes flying around the Net. Lactose-free milk is a no-no for Os ~~ the lactose is only one problem many of us have with it. Its sugars are the main problem -- they act on our digestive systems in much the way a bad blood transfusion affects the bloodstream (albeit in a much slower manner).



Let me know if you need any help finding or making some tasty OK milk sub! :-D

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Hi Heidi. Thank you for the effort and time (and humor) you expend keeping us all healthy. I enjoy and learn from your column every day.



A while back there was a question about cherry juice and the pitfalls (pardon the pun) of using any that was not organic. Several readers said they were unable to find organic cherry juice. That was bad news to me because I love my black cherry juice, but it was not organic.



So, I looked myself and came across the following, available on the internet at www.enkueros.net (search for black cherry juice). It is organic and the only ingredients are black cherry juice and "Lactobacillus Acidophilus - 10 Billion Live Cells." No preservatives, artificial colors, wheat, yeast, egg, etc. I'm trying to picture 10 billion live anything. :-0 Would this juice concentrate be an okay thing for us? And if ordered in bulk, how long would unopened bottles last if not refrigerated? (The site also says they welcome international orders.) Thanks....Diane



Thank you Diane - you're very kind!!



That organic cherry juice stuffed with acidophilus is a fascinating little item. 10 billion is only about 7 times the quantity in one capsule of PolyFlora, so I can well believe they'll all fit comfortably in a bottle of juice, LOL -- still, I'm pretty sure that it's not a good idea for everyone. L. acidophilus is the "usual" bacterium we all think of when the word "probiotic" is mentioned, each blood type does best when supplementing with its own particular blend of critters. I'd say a steady stream of acidophilus in cherry juice may not be a healthy addition for any of us.



If you run through the list of bacteria strains in each of the PolyFlora products (just hit the Search link at the top of this page, and enter the name polyflora, then follow each "more info" link), you'll notice (a) they're all a bit different, and (b) none of them include L. acidophilus. Each blood type is literally "food" for a different natural mix of critters, and in turn we're healthiest with that mix.



How about Eden Foods for organic cherry juice concentrate? Walnut Acres also makes organic cherry juice, to which they add apple juice (putting it off-limits for nonsecretor Os). If anyone out there knows a brand or two of plain organic black cherry juice, do write in!! :-D

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Bonjour Heidi, Believe it or not.....a quick and hopefully simple question today! Unless I'm mistaken, green olives became an avoid for me when I found out I am a nonnie (O). Is this due to the fact that they are generally preserved in vinegar??? I just saw fresh green organic olives from Nice at my health food store that are sold "dry" (actually packaged from bulk by the owner of the store). They have been preserved by some kind of water & sea salt method, and are evidently on the market for only a very short time each year. Would these be okay for moi??? Merci et a bientot, Abby



Hi, Abby! The avoid status you mention is due to the olive flesh itself, as I understand it. The difficulty we have is in distinguishing the precise kind of green olives which are OK for O secretors. The genus and species names aren't much help when out & about shopping, so this is proving rather a pesky issue for BTD olive lovers everywhere. :-} For nonsecretors, all olives are avoidskis.



Abby, it's becoming clear that we need to move you far away from all those gorgeous Mediterranean temptations! Ever thought about Finland? LOL! take good care, love! :-D

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Dear Dr.Dadmao I'm writing to you in concern of my mother, she is a 57years old Caucasian (Irish) 12st7, her blood group is Type A.



She has been abiding by the Eat Right for Your Blood Type diet for the past 9 months, i wanted to ask on her behalf for advise as she takes quite alot of medication, she's concerned if that it affecting the fact that she doesn't feel there has been any change over a period of time?



Initially she lost 14pounds, but that's all. she takes 150mg Eltroxan for underactive thyroid Each day, 30mg Lipther for chlorestrol each day, 2 antibiotics because she has no spleen each day, 1 tablet for osteoproses each day, 1 water tablet each day. my mother also had her womb removed in 1997. She was also told recently that her Chlorestrol has risen again. she is an active woman who takes walks everyday & goes irish dancing once a week, we would be so gratful if you could advise my mother in what to do. awaiting your response, Kind Regards, Esther



Greetings, Esther! Welcome to you! I'm glad you came by to ask about help for your mother. I have to tell you that I'm not the doctor -- this is the "BTD Help Desk" here, run by a layman -- but I believe I can offer some useful assistance to you.



Tell me a little more about the medications: for instance, the water tablet - it's what they call a diuretic, right? There's the first thing I'd be inclined to talk to the doctor about. I mean why's he got her on it, and wouldn't it be grand to just drop that one. She needs more water in her tissues, not less. It's the fat she's after losing, not the water. More about that in a moment.



What's the thing he's got her on for her bones, it's not calcium, is it? If it's a drug, I'm going right out on the limb here and I'm going to suggest she stop taking it if it's anything like I think it is. Fosamax or Actomel, are what we get here in the States. Those drugs (1) are murder on the stomach lining, which in type A is already on the sensitive side, and (2) usually don't do what they're supposed to, and if you're so fortunate that a little bone growth happens, it tends to reverse itself to the same or worse as time goes by. I'm beginning to feel a powerful desire to share some views with that doctor of hers.



Her thyroid troubles should begin to resolve on this diet. As well the cholesterol. I'd like her to supplement with a good B vitamin source each day - could be brewer's yeast in some warm broth with a little salt, could be a B vitamin pill, could be some nice chicken livers, it's up to her. That will help her thyroid function greatly. For the high cholesterol, read through what I wrote in this column here -- actually, just scroll down to where the blue text starts, then begin reading at the start of that question.



Then, go to this column linked here, and read the top of the entry where I describe my type A friend's success with osteoporosis. For purchasing the products I mentioned there, go to the www.stacktheme.com site and look on the left for Peter's area. The specific links to those products are in the Type A Catalog ("phytocal-A") and the ABO-Friendly Catalog ("cortiguard").



Now: The antibiotics she's taking can be replaced with a good non-invasive product like Heallix. It's very effective, while it does No Harm. The trouble with antibiotic drugs is that they clear out all the GOOD, NECESSARY digestive bacteria in the intestinal tract which she needs for digestion and for immunity. Heallix does the job without disturbing that essential 'population of friendly critters.'



Her doctor's job should now be monitoring her progress regularly, and reducing those dosages of thyroid and cholesterol drugs. If she goes ahead with my suggestions, she will have a great many more Irish dances to look forward to (for which I am profoundly jealous of her, please tell her so :-) ) and far less pain and trouble once the drugs are put away for once and all (yes, she can! slowly but surely). Losing a stone on this diet was only the beginning. She but needs a little extra step to the right & straight forward here. Type As are often the ones who lose the weight most slowly, but once it's off it's gone forever. The other small troubles will go the same way.



One more note, since I can't seem to stop myself. Try to lay hands on the book Live Right 4 Your Type. I'm sure the Stacktheme site carries it, some bookstore near you may have it as well. It's an important reference to have at hand, for the massive amount of useful information in it, much more than the first Eat Right 4 Your Type title. Stacktheme can send her the saliva secretor test, and if she's a nonsecretor she'll be well pleased with the modifications to the diet. At any rate, there are many new food listings in the book, and the very important portion/frequency tables which will enable her to significantly speed her progress.



Now, Esther ~ I'd be pleased if you write again if you have questions of any kind -- between the two of us, we'll have your Ma fiddling and dancing at the same time. Be well, dear, and I'm waiting to hear from you! :-D

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I am a Jamaican of African descent Blood type B. Should we adhere to the diet more strictly than other races? Earl



Hello, Earl! A very warm Welcome to you!



No matter one's blood type or race, we recommend close adherence to the diet for everyone. When there is an illness present, or severe weight problem, we often ask the person to consider using the Beneficial foods only, in specific combinations, sometimes with certain modifications, along with additional therapeutic measures to optimize the healing process.



Peter has noted his experience with many of his type B patients of African descent who have had more difficulties in certain areas than people who were type B but not African -- or African, but not type B. These individuals required special regimens for their conditions, which also took more time to resolve.



However, this is not to say that all African type Bs will face additional hurdles to attaining optimal health -- any more than a nonsecretor must somehow expect worse health problems than his 'secretor' neighbor. Rest assured that it doesn't work that way. If you have an issue to resolve, we're well equipped to address it -- but if not, then the diet will enhance your present vitality, and work its protective magic throughout your life. :-)



So, as with everyone around the world, I invite you to use the diet and exercise plan for 30 days and see how it works for you. It's like a collection of varied sets of building blocks which may be acquired and used in construction as best meets your circumstances: - first the ABO type, then the rhesus type, then secretor status, then ABO subtype (for As and ABs), then MN type. Each set of blocks offers some refinement of the basic idea of choosing healthy food and activity. So, the structure an individual makes of those blocks can be as simple, or as detailed and complex, as he needs or desires. The book Live Right 4 Your Type is the "complete builder's manual" in this respect, outlining virtually all the ways in which these information sets can be used in creating the ideal personal structure of diet, exercise and stress relief practices.



Again, a very cordial welcome to the BTD, Earl -- do write again! :-)

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Well, folks -- the day has come. ;-> It looks like there's a possibility we may be hosting a new message board.



Here's the basic idea so far. It's not going to happen right away; it's still in the planning stages. We'd like to hear your suggestions on what you'd like it to be, and also if you'd be interested in joining -- having an approximate head count would be very helpful to us in this process.



The board will be structured a bit differently from the ones that ran from 1997 to 2002. There would be lots of new features -- various type-specific and subject-specific forums, a facility for hosting on-site personal pages for participants, a photo gallery, one or more IfHI-accredited moderators, and scheduled chats with our beloved NDs and NAP folks!



A notable difference is that it will be private, accessible only with a unique username and login given to each participant. There'd be a nominal access fee -- somewhere between five & eight dollars, paid monthly as a membership 'renewal' -- to help defray the costs of design, maintenance, and to support high-quality content & moderation and ensure a spam-free experience. :-)



SO: comments, suggestions, and a show of hands, please? Let me know what you think and whether you'd be interested in joining the new board! Right now it's only a possibility -- so we need your feedback!

Remember those cute senators from Malastair in The Phantom Menace?



Vote Now! Vote Now! Vote Now!



~;-D



I'll be running this message here for a few weeks -- spread the news, ask your friends, family & BTD buddies stop by & let us know what they think. Thanks, everyone!! :-D

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Regarding the baby who can't keep things down: yes, of course pay attention to what is going down there.



As an infant, some fancy specialist was about to sever my vagus nerve, as I just kept rejecting whatever went down. An old GP told my father he knew what to do, but the specialist must be discharged before he could take the case. This happened, and I got plain old paregoric, calmed down, and was able to retain my food. (Can you guess I am a high-strung O?)



This may not be directly applicable, but sometimes approaching the problem as a stress response might help. Very best of luck! --Elizabeth



Elizabeth, thanks (AS ALWAYS) for offering your help. I have to say I'm darned relieved that your vagus nerve is still intact. *phew!* My childhood doctor was another old-fashioned GP, who showed remarkable insight on a number of occasions. Of course, I came to appreciate his gifts only many years later -- by contrast, you might say.



It's wonderful that we have an opportunity to exchange views and enlarge our knowledge here. Thanks again for contributing!! :-D

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My type is O.



1) I undertand that occasional sugar is quite tolerated by type O. Can one have it with one's tea?



2) I was introduced to "yerba mate" (ilex paraguayensis) long before it became an available item in North America and I drink it in a dense preparation. Is it compatible with type O? Thank you -- m. gimenez



Greetings! Sugar is best avoided by type O, although secretor Os can use it very occasionally as a condiment. We have no specific rating for yerba mate, although it is used therapeutically in at least one Encyclopedia protocol for O. There is a column entry by Dr. D'Dadamo you might want to read also: TYPE O AND YERBA MATE. Best wishes! :-)

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Bonjour Heidi, So, who is this Ryan guy! Certainly knows how to research! Merci to him for all the tea info, and maybe he or you can answer this.... I was actually a wee bit more concerned about the aluminum in the green tea than the flouride, as my aluminum levels are somewhat high.



I have switched to herb tea (so far, a combo of dandelion root/licorice) and Yerba Mate - all organic. Are these teas safe from aluminum??



I assume that flouride is only present is "real" tea, whether black, green, or white. But, what about the aluminum, eh? I figure I can have my organic green tea (okay - only 3 cups max...) maybe once a week or less if I feel the need for caffiene without too much worry?? Or, would I be better off with one small cup of coffee on such occasions?



On a different issue, someone wrote in recently about garlic in detox protocols. I have read in my mercury searches that "bear" garlic (which I think is a young, wild garlic) is best for detoxing, while other garlics are better for antibacterial purposes. In France, I get bear garlic tincure made by Vogel, a Swiss company. I can't remember if it distributes in USA health food stores or not.



(Also, Heidi, I went for the tiramisu and skipped the pizza bread - it was yummy!) I'm just enjoying the beautiful weather we are finally having, and hope you are having same! a bientot, Abby



Hi, Abby! Whaddya mean, who's Ryan? ;-) Didn't you see the IfHI photo gallery yet? ;-> He's a student at the moment, and one of our most knowledgeable contributors here. I'm posting your note so that he'll have an opportunity of seeing it & responding if possible.



Thank you kindly for the bear garlic mention -- and I figured that tiramisu would be splendid! Glad you enjoyed it, dear!! :-)

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Hello Heidi, I've been away for several weeks, and have missed being able to access your column while away. Thanks for keeping the archives going!



Just before I left town, I visited the doctor in connection with an ultrasound exam I'd had earlier. The part I want to ask you about is the cysts he said I had on my liver and maybe also on the gall bladder (I'm not sure of this last, simply can't recall what he said). The doc said not to worry about the cysts, they're a normal development, and certainly not dangerous. However, I'd like your opinion/advice about their existence.



I'm a B+ non-secretor, and I am 65 years old (but in great shape, generally!) ;-} Love to you, Janet in Toronto



Hello, Janet!! You certainly have been in wonderful shape. I'm trying to figure out what yer doc meant.



Any chance of getting a second medical opinion on those cysts? Ask for a copy of the ultrasound record, and have another doc talk to you about it. Also, ask your original doctor exactly what kind of cysts they are. Hydatid cysts? We'd want to know what he's found in order to understand what's going on there. And ask about what he told you -- they're a normal development "because..." of... what? :-)



While we're waiting, have a nice read through Julia Chang's Liver and Gallbladder Health site. And consider starting the Encyclopedia liver support protocols. I can't think why it would be perfectly fine for you to have cysts on the liver and gallbladder (or spleen, did he say perhaps?) -- but then, there's plenty I don't know. I'll wait to hear from you, dear! Take good care!! :-D

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I have just picked up BTD Complete Encyclopedia yesterday. This is the first time I have BOUGHT any book of this type. However even for this cynic - Doctor D'Adamo gives hope. So I forked out the cash because I was grateful.



I am OnsetDiabetic -Type A and have slowly lost weight 1 kilo/month down ten kilos. I use Emu oil and Cogent DB Plus to assist me. The Cogent has been particularly helpful, happier disposition, lessens the Diabex tablet symptoms, and I now take less medicine, whilst the Emu Oil helps the knees and joints as well, at age 51 years.



Finally am a chef by trade, also a Nursing Aide, which in Australia was a One year course like a first year nurse in the old Registered Nursing system. I walk often, with my wife 5 days per week. Enough of that ! Too much information



My wife wants to slim down but is a worry wart, also type A. I on the other hand have always believed to some extent that the mind controls the body. In other words it is healthier to be overweight and not worry too much about that, then be more the right weight and watching everything. In other words lighten up and have a smile.



With these books however, it seems there are more certainties than not. The great thing to me is that it does not matter about putting on weight if you feel like a binge. It's not healthy maybe and not the writer's purpose but now I know that I can easily lose the weight again. If bad food choices lure you to walk the gangplank of life, and you fall into the murky depths you can still swim to safety. This makes me feel really happy in myself, and strangely keeps me on a steadier course in my diet.



The new food lists in this book are easier to read than the past D'Adamo titles I've read. But I can't believe that I can't find cornflakes etc. The same on your knowlege base, unless I'm trying my Dummy duck methods. I would also like to be sure of white flour and bread, and such things as Vita Brits made by Nabisco. One minute I can't have white flour or bread, the next book I can. I am not going to give up everything but if I have to make breads, etc I can.



Surely America is the home of breakfast cereals, why not list all by blood type or have they threatened to sue you, ie Kellogs etc. Australian fish also are often in different names interstate as well as internationally, eg John Dory.



Some cheese names are lost on me. Is American cheese like processed cheddar in foil put out here by Kraft? I can eat Mozzerella but you say no string cheese, so do you mean that to be shredded Mozzerella or instead shredded cheese such as cheddar



Golden syrup. Is that your ordinary molasses, and our treacle your blackstrap molasses. Mandarines are probably avoid for type A or are they? White flour, ordinary or processed. White bread etc. one book says no the next book says I can. Wholemeal flour and bread as well. They are just the awy Americans say things as opposed to Aussies. Like you say jelly we say jam. I am not going to give up everything but if I have to make breads, etc I can. I just want to be sure if I am on the gangplank or not. Many thanks --Chris



~:-D Hey there, Chris! Welcome to the ... gangplank! ~:-D



We've updated and slimmed down the food lists since the first publication (Eat Right 4 Your Type -- that's why some of the product names you're seeking aren't included in later books. This narrowing-down process is continuing in future books, by the way, as well as in our online database.



There are two reasons why branded products were initially listed. Back in 1996, relatively few people would know what to do when told to find "100% sprouted grain" bread. So, Peter used the Ezekiel and Essene names to provide a beginning reference point on what to look for. Second, most of his readers were accustomed to shopping in the "center aisles," so he included some of the commonest bread and cracker names to make the transition a little easier.



Now that this concept has become more familiar, and there are support groups springing up virtually everywhere, we're in a far better position to upgrade the food lists to show Ingredients Only.



We've also seen various commercial items come & go (like 100% Artichoke Pasta). Other things (like Ezekiel & Essene breads) vary significantly depending on the manufacturer (of which there are now several), and additional ingredients in variations like "date & nut" have also multiplied. There are some other products whose formulations change from time to time -- a cracker that was tested in 1996, for instance, may now include some cornstarch or sunflower oil or other BTD-variable that wasn't there way back when. The string cheese Peter saw everywhere had either vinegar, or corn syrup, or the ominous "natural flavorings." Of course, I've fielded hundreds of questions asking why "their" string cheese, which contains 'mozzarella only,' should be an avoid. Pesky! :->



Talk about too much info, huh? ;-) So, this is all a long way of saying: in order to determine whether the cereal, cracker, bread or ANYTHING else at all is OK for you, compare the ingredients themselves to the food list. Oh -- and if you see a bunch of nearly unpronounceable chemical names on the package, well... if it were me, I'd be backing away at light speed.



I have a suggestion to make, although I know you didn't ask about it. For diabetics of all types, wheat and corn in any form should really and truly be avoided. Refined sugar as well. And most definitely, laboratory creations like 'splenda,' aspartame and saccharine -- avoid 'em like the plague. They have an absolutely lousy reputation in the liver & kidney departments. One non-whole-food that I do recommend is vegetable glycerine, especially for those with sugar metabolism disorders. I've lots of info on it in the archives of this column, and you might try the search form on Ask Dr. D'Adamo & enter "glycerin" -- he has some very interesting comments there.



Your skills as a cook and baker will come in mighty handy. Spelt, amaranth, kamut, buckwheat, rice, rye and the other beneficial and neutral flours can fill the bill for everything from quickbread to pastry. However, do your best to keep to the Live Right 4 Your Type portion/frequency tables for each food group. Grains? About one serving daily as a maximum. Vegetables? perhaps four servings. Fruit, two or three.



Our ordinary molasses looks pretty much the same as the blackstrap molasses -- blackstrap is somewhat darker, and is less processed (more iron and B vitamins). If Mandarines are what we call Mandarine Oranges, they're to be avoided. Anything "orange-like," such as mandarine oranges, tangerines, mineolas, blood oranges, etc. should be avoided



"White flour, ordinary or processed. White bread etc." -- It's the ingredients, rather than the color of the product, that determines its BTD status -- so if it's white WHEAT bread, OR wholemeal wheat bread, again I'd definitely avoid it if I had diabetes. Wheat and corn are pure terror on the metabolism. The body converts them to sugars in a New York minute.



Depending on your secretor status, which you may want to obtain at some point (and we'll help you there, if desired), some forms of wheat and corn may turn neutral again for you -- but we need to get you healthy first! :-)



About John Dory, here's a column in which a type O asked about it. (I found it by going to the bottom of this page and searching for 'dory.') The general rule is, a food not on the list is "unknown," which can be considered neutral IF you're not trying to resolve a health problem OR lose weight. Otherwise, unknowns are best avoided until those conditions are happily in the past.



"American" cheese is another term we're going to have to re-visit. Generally, it means the processed white cheese wrapped in little single-slice portions - and it sure is made by Kraft, among others.



Chris, I hope all this helps you to get the lay of the land... or the set of the plank! :-) (I love that one!) I'd like to encourage you to think of the "give-ups" as "get-rids" in aid of my personal goal to show you how great life can be when you're not shelling out for that medication. Yep! The diet can do it. :-) And please don't be afraid to write again because you think I'm going to respond with another Tolstoyesque tome like this one! :-D I CAN be brief -- it just takes a little diligent effort. :-> OK! Be well, and let me hear from ya!! :-D

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Bonjour Heidi, I've been meaning to ask this question for a while, and finally got to it! Can you explain why apples are an avoid for O nonnies???



It seems that you have mentioned that non-sugary types like Granny Smith were okay to use for the gallbladder flush. But, fruits that are beneficial for us like figs (both fresh and dry) and cherries and bananas seem far more sugary than apples. Is this not true?? If it is not a sugar thing, then what is it?



Reason this comes up now is that I have gained weight since I quit Essene bread with almond butter in June and switched to fresh figs with almond butter for breakfast. Don't know if this could be the reason, or something else. Mind you, I eat 4-8 figs (maybe up to 200 grams), whereas I ate one hefty slice of Essene bread (approx. 100 grams). I don't feel any better or worse - just "fatter!"



Anyhoo, I was looking at a book my French doc wrote, a "caveman" diet, which said that the only fruit one should eat while on the diet is green/yellow apples or pears. (Believe me, I would NOT put his dietary advice above D'Adamo's!) But, for years before switching to the O nonnie diet, apples were about the only fruit I ever ate. There may well be some other reason for the weight gain, but thought I'd check on this fig possibility, and clear up my apple quandry. FYI, sorry to say your September 11 column crashed my computer (Mac), so I missed that one! Oh well... Love from France, Abby



Abby, sheesh, I'm tempted to set up a NO RESPOND list and make you #1. You're always prodding my tender points -- like tiramisu, and pasta in French/Italian restaurants, and dangling those FRESH FIGS just out of my reach, and... now APPLES, my Lord!! Give me strength!!



~;-D



My beloved, my gorgeous, brilliant and memory-enshrined APPLE contains a lectin. As we know, most lectin-endowed foods that are avoids for secretors are neutral for nons. We're let off the hook there due to our relative lack of free antigen in the digestive tract -- those little items don't harm us, whilst secretors cain't eatem. Howsomever that may be, apples are one of the exceptions -- ain't I lucky? (not!) !! cripes. Maybe the orchard's always greener on the other side of the S/NS divide, but APPLES, man! Come on! I have Mystical Visions involving that ancient apple orchard on my childhood farm (which I discovered has been cut down entirely -- when I went home for my Mom's funeral, there it was, a... green, flat field. '':-( Fate echoing a certain ND's dictum?) I stubbornly nurse my agony over this particular "avoid" rating. It's a personal affront! A low blow, don't you agree?? I ... I haven't yet entirely forgiven Peter for that one. What did I ever do to Him? {{sob!}} (lol!)



When I suggested that a very hard, tart apple would be OK for the gallbladder flush, it's because a high-sugar variety would just add insult to injury for the O non. (1) It's a one- or two-day apple juice treatment, every two months and not forever (if repeated), so it's an infrequent 'therapeutic' use of an avoid. (2) The reason apples are used is their high malic acid content. (3) A malic acid supplement can be used instead, along with a mild and low-sugar juice like blueberry (diluted, of course).



Now, to your question on weight gain: My sense is that it's not the fruit, nor the nut butter (although if your fat metabolism is off, you may be having difficulty processing that quantity of vegetable fat -- how much almond butter, total? and how much more through the day, in olive oil, etc.?) -- However, I think it's the lack of meat protein and general size & composition of breakfast - also perhaps a heavier (and later?) dinner than is best for your metabolism? which may be working against your weight loss goal. When one would like to lose weight, consider not only what you eat, but when you eat it, and whether you're thoroughly hydrated throughout the day with a nice little electrolyte like mineral water, lemon water, salted plain water, and how seriously you commit to the other big half of the plan -- vigorous exercise, babe! Am I a broken record, or what? ;-/



We're very special, Abby -- and for that, we pay. ;-> It's OK, it's worth it. Think of where we'd be if we were born to poor seventeenth-century type A folks in the Spanish Estradura, eating chickpeas and wheat and the occasional pig at festival time. You and I wouldn't have lasted out of childhood. We gotsta look at the bright side. :-) There were hard little pears in my old orchard, too. :-)



You, my dear, need a new 'puter. I'll send along the column, sans little U.S. flag. :-)



love to you, dear Abby! :-D

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Just a quick note for Don, and anyone else who is interested, regarding straight Fulvic Acid (sans silver). It is available through 'Reach For Life' internationally You can get it by both retail and internet in Australia, but I don't know about in the US. Check out www.rflproducts.com. They also have some huge and wonderfully technical downloads on Humic & Fulvic Acids that are worth looking at.



Dear Heidi. You often mention the virtues of 'ionized colloidal silver' especially in relation the Heallix. Knowing a little about chemistry, it has confused me why anyone would bother to consume ionized silver as most of it would react immediately with the abundant chloride ions in the stomach or blood to form silver chloride, which is a totally useless compound. This is the same compound you see when Heallix is put in a glass of tap water - the so called test of purity. Thus all the fuss about distilled water. There is a lot of confusion and misinformation when it comes to colloidal silver, and most brands sell the benefits of ionized silver because it is very cheap and easy to make. Producing true colloidal silver is far more complicated and a bit more expensive, but it is probably well worth taking over its cheaper counter parts. People may get more benefits from a true silver colloid and fulvic acid separately, both of which are available. Anyone interested in some reading could check out http://www.silver-colloids.com/Papers/FAQ.html and http://www.purestcolloids.com/ionic.htm Regards, Louke.



Hi there, Louke! Well, actually, I don't talk about ionized colloidal silver. I have often recommended Heallix because of its unique combination of IONIZED ONLY silver and FULVIC ACID. That product has proven remarkably effective for many friends who've dealt unsuccessfully with certain conditions over the years. My continued suggestion of that product for specific purposes is largely based on the successes I've seen.



Now to the why's of it all -- I don't know. One faces significant difficulties getting to the root of the matter, at least on the Net, where 99.9% of the information available on these supps is by no means disinterested. It's coming from someone marketing fulvic acid, or colloidal silver, or ionized silver, or a generator for making the stuff at home, or ... well, you name it, but finding objective sources of info is a daunting little job.



For instance: the colloidal silver marketers claim that ionized silver is what causes argyria. The ionized silver folks say (and Leo initially made this claim, then learned the truth and withdrew it) that only colloidal silver causes argyria. Well, by examining the only two cases readily available, it turns out that argyria (bluish or copper-blue discoloration of the skin) is darned hard to develop, first of all. Second, it seems to appear only through use of (a) CSP, which is colloidal silver PROTEIN, meaning not just ionized OR colloidal silver but specifically a protein/silver compound, or (b) a home-brewed colloidal/ionized silver (with impurities and high levels of all kinds of silver) taken at outlandishly high dosages for significant periods of time. Third, you'll never get it anyway, if you supplement selenium to the point where your blood levels are within the standard healthy range for that element. And fourth, there appears to be an effective antidote for this condition, which was thought to be permanent. Ok, that's it for argyria.



Now, for the fuss: distilled water is used for the same reason that one's advised to take Heallix on an empty stomach. Nearly everyone's tap water contains chlorine. Heallix is not going to stimulate stomach HCL, the chloride compound you mentioned, and an empty stomach needs an HCL-stimulus to get going on secreting the levels of HCL needed for adequate digestion. Remember, too, that the fulvic acid has chelated the ionized silver -- there's something else going on besides just a fulvic acid effect plus a silver effect if any. It also need not pass into the bloodstream to do its work -- we all know that sodium chloride (common table salt, generally speaking) is abundant in the blood. I suspect that the work it does is most concentrated along the digestive tract and especially in the small intestine -- particularly along the ganglia commonly referred to as the "gut brain." And as to whether it's the silver, or the fulvic acid, or the combination, that does the job -- I plain don't know. I very unscientifically just observe that in living beings, the stuff kicks the crap out of an enormous spectrum of physical ailments -- while never doing harm.



Girl, you know a lot more about chemical interactions than I do, that's for sure! Please -- help me out with this one. Tell me why it works. And expand on your suggestion for Don -- Does fulvic acid alone get the same kind of results? Or 'colloidal silver' alone? Cheap, expensive, I don't care. I only want "the best." What's the mechanism of it all?



Thanks for writing, Louke, and I'd be grateful if you can lend a hand with this issue!! Best wishes!!! :-D

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Dear Heidi, just thought I would update you on my progress. At 5'3" I weighed 182 lbs when I started the O- secretor diet approximately 3 years ago and lost 7lbs. When I was tested for the secretor status and found I was a non-secretor I started this diet on 1st June 2003. I am amazed that I have lost another 13lbs making my wieght today 162lbs.



I have tried every diet there is before the blood type diet and never lost a pound. All my other health problems have improved but progress is slow. I am beginning to exercise more often at the gym with my A blood type (non-secretor) husband who has also managed to lose the extra weight, again after failing on other diets over the years.



As I am in the UK I have to stay on the HRT available here which in my case is estradiol patches with progestogen patches. I am eagerly awaiting the relaunch in the UK of crinone/prochieve 4% which is a progesterone and therefore biodentical with our natural hormones. I am on synthetic thyroxine as it is difficult to get anything else in the UK. However, I have been tested for the conversion from t4 to t3 and this seems fine and if I am losing weight I reckon it is probably alright.



My question concerns the use of sea salt in mineral water. My husdand brought me back some "black salt" from a shop selling various ethnic foods. The salt was in the food section but has no information on the label. It smells strongly of sulphur but it did remind me of the natural springs such as at Bath where victorians went to "take the water". Do you think this is likely to be the salt you mentioned? -- Doreen



Oh, Doreen, you are doing such a magnificent job of staying on course with your diet, and I'm just in awe of your patience and single-minded commitment! Because you're getting both reproductive and thyroid HRT, the weight loss has been slow rather than spectacular -- but because you're who you are, nothing is going to stop you from attaining your ideal weight and an optimal state of health.



About your salt question -- there are hundreds of varieties of salt, and the one your husband found is likely to be of great benefit to you. I'd use it, most certainly. The sea salt I talk about is a light grey (not white) stuff harvested from certain areas in mainland Europe, primarily Brittany (Bretagne, in France). I've tasted the salt you mentioned- in a very pricey restaurant that carried perhaps eight kinds of salt, all different colors, one of which was dark red and from a Paleolithic-era stratum of rock in the Sudan. :-) Salt is good. Get enough salt and enough water, and among desert folk you're rich. :-D



By the way, if any UK readers know of a way Doreen might lay hands on some proper progesterone, please write in and let us know. I'll post your notes ASAP.



Doreen, you've come to the right place and I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance. Keep in touch, and keep shining!!! :-D

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Hi, Heidi! I saw Ros's question about reflux in infants and thought I'd share my experience.

I'm a Type A (secretor), and both of my boys are Type A's, too (secretor status unknown--possibly nonnies). Both of my boys developed spit-up troubles, though they were never diagnosed with reflux.

I wasn't BTD-compliant with my first baby, and cow's milk in my diet caused major spit-up episodes and colic every night until I eliminated it. Then, after a few days of waiting for my system to process the last of the problem proteins, no more spitting up--AT ALL! My second baby was sensitive to goat and sheep milks in my diet as well.

A second source of trouble for both boys was the iron-containing multi-vitamin I was told to take. About four days after I stopped taking supplemental iron, no more troubles. I noticed also that I could tell which substance was causing any given spit-up episode: dairy products caused a noisy, burp-like spit-up, while iron caused a gagging, vomit-like spit-up. I remember seeing in BTD that many iron suplements can cause an upset stomach.

If iron turns out to be your bub's trouble but you still definitely need a supplement, something like Floradix might not be so nauseating for the bub. Also, I don't know what commercial baby foods are like in Australia, or whether you're feeding your bub any of these, but here in the States they fortify formula and baby cereals with iron.

Anyway, this is my experience; yours may turn out to be completely different. But I do agree with Heidi that your diet is the first place to look for a culprit. I hope it's relatively easy to track down! Good luck! --Sarah in PA



Thank you so much for pitching in with your experience, Sarah -- I hope ros picks up some helpful tips from your advice. Bless ya, and be well!! :-)

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OK Heidi, I'm laughing because you are just less worried than I am about making people worry! Could you print this then too?...

R.E. the cortisone-related burns on my hands, people ought to know that I used cortisone extensively for a looong time, probably 20+ years. Some strong prescription, much over-the-counter, every night & day. Thought I was taking good care of myself. (Dermatologists said, "eczema is chronic, you need to use cortisone cream.")

My old chiropractor said in his experience, many people who stop cortisone use get an itchy blister reaction, but he'd never seen anything so extensive as my hands. Good nutrition, studying detox nutrients & lightening the load on my immune system through BTD was critical for me in healing -- the immune system is what heals you when you're hurt or sick, it doesn't just fight off germs! (o:Maia

Yes maam! :-D Thanks for the elaboration -- and you know, I think it's what people don't know that DOES hurt them, so the more info, the better. Tx again, dear!! :-D

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Ciao Heidi! Yesterday I sold some raku pottery works of mine in the USA for the first time since I started to perform this Japanese technique and I'm very happy! Hope you'll see some pictures of my works in my interview on the ABO site.

However, I'm writing because I need some support from you. Mid of last August, after being very well with my (O) non-secretor diet, I started to lose lot of hair and have different forms of eczemas on my hands, face and décolleté. At the beginning, I put the blame on the terrible heat (40 degrees at 9 am!!! ) that had plagued my country from June till the end of August, but, after one month without relevant improvements, I now start to feel insecure and depressed.

One week ago, thanks to Cocky van Hesteren 's precious advice, I started to take polyvite 0 (now six caps daily), gotu kola (2 caps daily) while keeping on with maca root to balance my hormones (2 caps daily). I also got one bottle of Heallix, still sealed. This is my daily routine:

5,45 am: I wake up to do a 60-minutes workout (weight/aerobic/tonification)

7.00 am: breakfast with 1 omelets (with cacao and veg glycerin) and a fruit shake (banana, seasonal fruit and nutritional yeast)

from 9.00 to noon: a handful of dried fruits + 1 cup of green tea

12,30: lunch with meat or fish + raw vegetables (carrots, zucchini, red/green/yellow peppers) dressed with extra virgin oil afternoon: some carrots and 1 fruit + 2/3 glasses of raw veg juiced (carrots, celery, beets, ginger, fennel or bananas+ carrots)

20,30 dinner with meat or fish + some raw veg (lettuce or escarole with onions, tomatoes, flaxseed oil and extra virgin oil) and some stewed veg such as string beans or peppers I also drink about 1 liter of water with some lemon juice

At 11,30 time to go to bed!

I'm aware that last summer I spent lot of energies, maybe too much, but I felt so strong and full of adrenaline for the first time in my life that I didn't put too much attention to it. Is there something, in your opinion, I should change in my daily habits? Every time I wash my hair or have a look at my shoulders, I feel miserable and powerless. From every other aspect, I feel great! Thanks a lot, Heidi: your daily column is so precious. Alma (Milan, Italy)

Hello, Alma!

Your artworks are truly gorgeous -- thanks for letting us post them on this site!! :-)

I'd suggest more water -- one liter of mineral water and two of good pure plain water with a squeeze of lemon. Also, you may need some extra B vitamins, and a mineral supplement. Take a tablespoon of flax oil, even though it's a little over the recommended 'normal' limit.

It is a little difficult to make sure that some food you added to your diet may not be causing a skin/hair reaction. Do you recall what you added and subtracted from your foods when you started the nonsecretor diet? Maybe we can work out what is missing or what may be stimulating the skin trouble.

Do try the Heallix on the skin -- if there is any kind of bacterial overgrowth, you'll see it fade pretty quickly.

OK! Take good care, and let me know how this works for you! :-)

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dear heidi wow this secretor stuff is powerful medicine. i woke up in the midddle of the night with a headache after going to bed @ 7:30 toataly wiped out. slept 11 hrs! the next morning i tried to figure out what poisoned me .my energy was still in the toilet. the chicken soup with rice noodles was ok.the self made veg juice with many benificials was ok. however l ate some date pieces and i checked the ingrediants dates,dextrose(?).

heidi i have been avoiding corn products and feeling alot better but this wiped me out(i am sure the GMO content was good and high). finding out that corn and wheat are total avoids has helped my type a health out a lot. thanks for hammering the secretor point home. love your work. bob h A-noni

Good going, Bob!! It's always great to hear how much the fine-tuning results in huge gains in health. Thanks so much for your note -- and keep writing!! :-D

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hi heidi, rebecca posted a note today about breast milk declining at night- i have a tip! 'attachment parenting' is a great way of increasing milk production. she can look it up on the net, but it basically involves keeping the baby close to you as much as possible eg carrying in a sling and even sleeping with you at night. it may develop some bad habits like the bub wont want to sleep by itself BUT it definately works. A friend of mine used the method and had to resort to wearing breast pads again as her milk production was so huge!

now for a bub question. my four and a half month old type A nonny has terrible reflux. we visit the chiro once a month and he has no problem with his valve at the top of his stomach. im told hell grow out of it, but i get worried as sometimes he spews up more than he drinks (it seems) im just starting him on rice cereal and pureed pumpkin to see if that keeps it down. do you have any ideas? i realize this isnt a diet Q but if you can help that'd be great! cheers, ros ps thanks for the ovary cyst info a while back, it was very helpful!

Hello, ros!! Thank you for you tip!

I'm posting your question here so that knowledgeable Moms & others may see it and offer some help for the spit-up problem -- it may possibly be a reaction to something you're eating that isn't agreeing with him through the breast milk? that's about the only clue I'm coming up with here! :-? so, if anyone has some helpful advice for Ros, please write in! :-D

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Hi Heidi! I'm a newbie 0- and have been on the diet for 2 weeks now, and have noticed an increase in energy and a better out-look on life.

My question is I'm taking Vitex for hormone imbalance, but I also have uterine fibroids (within the uterine lining). Since I'm avoiding dairy, wheat, corn and potatoes, will these fibroids shrink? My waistline is shrinking (thank goodness)but one fibroid presses against my bladder and I'm wondering if that will go away, most doctors want to do a hysterectomy, but the vitex is helping in regulating my mensus so I feel a hysterectomy is unwarrented. -- Denise

Hello, Denise! Welcome to the fold!!

In my experience, yes -- eliminating dairy and 'grain avoids' should make an enormous difference with the fibroids. Make sure to strictly avoid coffee as well, as it's been implicated in some instances.

Thanks for writing, and let us know how it goes for you! Do avoid the hysterectomy, and keep working the diet! :-)

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Dear Heidi,This is a request for a URL for the Medlines searches that you do. There are many sites to choose from. Thanks, Karen

Hello, Karen! On the main page, www.dadamo.com, you'll see at the top right a "search" link. Follow it, and you'll see a handy Medline search engine. enjoy! :-)

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Hi Heidi, I also start my day with your column and when on the west coast get to read 2 day's worth of column in one because at 9 pm, west coast time the next day's column comes up. So I start and end with OTD over there. :-)

You wrote to Bcha and mused about the existence of a an eatwildfish.com site. Well, my Type A tug boat friend brought back some Walleye from a Canadian fishing trip. I think in the perch family, yes? I hope it is okay for me because it was exquisite. And I was looking online to see if I could possibly find some fresh that could be delivered to my door and stumbled across FreshFish4U.com Would you take a look and see what you think? I figured if it had a "4" in the title it couldn't be half bad. ;-}

I know the herpes discussions have slowed down but just read in Prevention, Sept. 2002, that applying ice to a cold sore may combat herpes simplex type I by freezing the virus and preventing the blister from forming. No one knows why but experts do know that viruses can't thrive in cold environments. The recommendation said the minute you feel a cold sore coming on (often signaled by a tingling or prickling feeling), wrap an ice cube in a cloth handkerchief, and hold it directly on the sore for 5 mins. in 15 second intervals (15 secs. on, 15 secs. off). Then wait for 15 mins, and repeat. To avoid frostbite on such a small area, do not put the cube directly on the skin, don't press too hard, and never use it from more than 5 mins. at a time. The article didn't mention herpes simplex 2 but who knows? Thanks Heidi for everything. Nina

Hey there, Nina! Your 'walleye,' if it wasn't 'walleye pollock,' was either pike or perch -- so it's either beneficial or neutral for ya. ;-)

The FreshFish4U site seems OK in terms of their processing/packaging/delivery system. However, their salmon is farmed, not wild. I'd take a careful look through each fish they offer (and visit their discussion board, where their authority on the fishies is in residence) to ensure that you know where they're being fished and exactly what yer getting for yer money.

I've heard of the ice-cube trick for herpes -- thanks for the reminder, and for your very kind words! :-D

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Hi Heidi! Coupla notes. For Kylie with the fungal rash, I had extreme fungal rash problems because of the chemical burns on my hands. The best/easiest thing I found to deal with it was Weleda Diaper Care cream, found it at Whole Foods. No kidding, the zinc and essential oils in this are very good at hindering fungus & bacteria, and it's a natural product. Used it to help until I figured out why my immunities weren't enough to fight off the rash, which for me was due to nutritional deficiencies. (Avoiding avoids aside of course.)

For Kylie, conventional doctors aren't able to give you hope in things like this, mostly because they don't study nutrient deficiencies! (Weleda cream might also help that writer with the damp little toes.) In my experience, topical steroids/cortisone creams make fungal rashes worse, because they mess with your immune system. They are like a band-aid solution that lets you along by telling your body to ignore the fungus, which the fungus appreciates. (Actually, even doctors have told me that cortisone cream is counter-indicated when it's a fungal rash.)

... if you're getting blisters when you stop the cortisone cream, it might be a reaction to the cortisone. The burns on my hands were a reaction to long term cortisone cream use, they blistered all over when I stopped using it thanks to my chiro, then the skin burned off. It's been 3 1/2 yrs now and the burning is still mildly there, almost gone. That stuff is powerful, not for long term use, and if doctors are having her plaster herself with it, IMHO they are damn negligent.

In addition hydrocortisone mimics cortisol in the body and in such large doses that would be a strong effect. Plus after you stop using it, takes a while for your adrenals to start producing their own cortisol effectively, so for a while you're over-inflamed, because cortisol is an anti-inflammatory in the body too. So I'll stop now, because it's my lil' soapbox! Maybe just add a little note if you think it's good to, like "P.S., blisters, vesicles & acne-like eruptions can sometimes be a sign of an adverse reaction to topical cortisone/steroid creams. Can find out more if you search for "topical hydrocortisone" & "adverse reactions" on the web."

Looking into a possible zinc deficiency might help; zinc deficiencies impair immunity. (Search on "zinc" in this column and you come up with a lot.) Also B vitamins & fatty acids like in flax oil helped.

Also, zinc might be something Adam with the sweaty hands ought to check out, my old nutritional chiro used to say that's often a zinc deficiency sign. Especially if your feet are kind of smelly too! ;oD Maia, whose feet now smell like roses

Hi, Maia! Glad your tootsies smell wonderful! :-D

Thanks for your very valuable input on these matters -- always wonderful to hear from you! :-D

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Intestinal Gas. Type O+. I have been on the diet for four months. I am experiencing a distended belly. It is full of gas. It does not move out very well. I am not constipated. Any suggestions? Ruth

Hi, Ruth -- can you give me a little more information? How long has the gas been bothering you, and did your activities or diet change around that time if it was a month or more after you began the O diet? Do you take any kind of enzyme (pancreatic enzymes, bromelain, or even fresh pineapple) before heavy protein meals? Were you a vegetarian before you started the diet?

Do any particular foods produce the gas, or is it with anything and everything?

How often do you eat grain, or beans? Do you eat grain with meat or fish, or fruit? Meat with beans? As non-wholistic as it is, the product "Beano" can help with bean digestion -- as can preparing the beans properly with full soak/cook times and the use of kombu in the cooking pot.

:-) I guess that was more questions than answers... pop me a note back, OK? :-)

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Hi, I'm a 21 year old type O, and have been on the diet for 2 years now, I am strictly on beneficial foods and would like to start having bigger muscles, I don't weigh a lot and don't eat very big portions.

Whenever I eat a bigger portion than my fist, my body feels overfull and I get tired. However, I would love to be able to take in more food for when I have big meals at holidays without having my stomach store them as fat like it does every year because it is overful. What can I do?

Also, I would like to know how much fat is in pumpkin seeds, how many grams? What is the best way to cook them so that there is less fat and all the nutrients?

Also, if the blood type foods are so great, (which they are since I have not been sick at all since I started the diet two years ago and lost 40 pounds)how come doctors in hospitals feed their patients hospital food instead of the blood type recommendations, don't they know, they are feeding these people dairy and wheat and potatoes and corn? It is not helping them. It does not make any sense shouldn't doctors know about this? Maybe the patients would not end up with so many heart attacks and cholesterol and diabetes and surgery etc. Why doesn't somebody do something about this? It makes me so angry. Old people are the ones who should follow this as most of them have been eating avoids all their lives. Thank-you, and I hope to hear from you soon! Emily

Hello, Emily! The portion/frequency tables in Live Right 4 Your Type should help you gauge your portion sizes and how much of each food to eat. Generally speaking, the "size of your fist" rule is a good one on which to base the total volume of a single meal.

That said, have you consulted a good chiropractor about the possibility of hiatus hernia? Phone around first, and find a chiro who is familiar with the diaphragm pull-down technique. It's painless and can readjust that condition (if that's what you have).

Eating meat with grains can make a very uncomfortable meal for many people. Try eating meat or fish with vegetables only, and any grain with veg only as well. Flesh foods and grains require quite different digestive environments to be ideally assimilated without trouble -- some folks notice this effect, and some do not, so see if that element may be at work in your discomfort.

Otherwise (for all of us), the key to holiday eating is moderation. Pick small amounts of the foods, and never overstuff. It's funny that most people never seem tempted to overeat beneficial proteins and veg -- it's the avoids that say "more," and "MORE," until a nice big stomach ache / headache / drowsiness /brain fog are the result. ;->

The fat in whole seeds is wonderful for you. Why would you want to reduce it? Fats on our neutral and beneficial lists do NOT make us fat -- it's the grains and other avoids that do it. Fats are essential for most of the functions of your body. Your brain is 90% fats -- all your cells are lined with fat -- if you took that fat away, a warm shower would dissolve you down to your bones. ;-D Pumpkin seeds can be eaten raw, or toasted briefly in the oven at medium heat.

Muscle development is attained through regular exercise. Do two weight-training sessions weekly -- one focused on the upper body, and one on the lower. Use near-maximum weights, heavy enough to work each muscle group to exhaustion with two sets of three to five reps. Allow three days between sessions. Your muscles will grow, dear! Believe me!!

I believe, with you, that institutions such as hospitals and care homes would be doing an enormous service to their clients if they adopted the blood type plans. There are obstacles, however. Look right up to the people who ultimately make the money decisions: they are in the profit business, not the get-these-people-healthy business.

There are also enormous pressures upon institutional cafeterias and kitchens to conform their diet sheets to "board guidelines" set by powerful influences who have other, very different, interests in mind. Additionally, the costs of providing high-quality food rather than that execrable junk they feed sick and elderly people would make their "overhead" in food far higher than the cost of the powdered, frozen, polyamine-riddled garbage they pass off as "food" now. AND, think of this: how many would refuse a perfect meal-4-their-type because they want their shredded wheat and bad coffee and white toast and bacon and gelatin "fruit" cup instead? and what would it be like to be a seriously ill 80-year-old and eating the right foods for the first time -- it's likely that a big intestinal upheaval and other detoxing would start in, and how many health care professionals would know what to do in that situation?

I have hope that some day, sufficient inroads will be made so that there is a significant improvement in institutional feeding plans -- but it will be a long while down the road, and a very difficult accomplishment.

Hope this answers your questions, Emily -- best wishes, and let me know how you do! :-D

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Hey Heidi, I don't yet know my secretor status but I basically follow the nonnie diet becuase of my health problems. I have a few breakfast suggestions - these are my favourite, either mince with tomatoes, tomato paste, capsicum, garlic, onion and sometimes spinach,(this is usually done the night before) or a banana smoothie with water, 2 bananas, carob powder and macadamia or almond nut butter - yum!!! Chantelle

Hi, Chantelle! hey... tasty-looking treats! My beef/lamb extravaganza's similar to your meat breakfast idea. ;-)

By the way, I just wanted to mention that there are places you can get the Lewis test in Australia -- I think I may have written them out for you before -- just let me know if that's an option for you, OK? I wouldn't want you following the wrong diet!!

Take care, dear -- and thanks again for the breakfast tips! :-)

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Hi - I am new to the BTD (O - sec.status unknown). I am an advocate of organic meats, and am curious to know if KANGAROO meat is suitable for O's as this is always an organic meat. If so, would this be a beneficial or neutral meat?

Another question, I have a 7 month old baby girl (also an O) and I am breastfeeding and introducing solids according to her blood type. My milk supply at night is very low and she needs some supplementing with a formula milk. All the soy based milk formulas contain CORN SYRUP SOLIDS. Is there an alternative? It seems to me, either the standard Milk based formulas or this soy formula which also has AVOID substances in it? A big dilemma for a new mum trying to do the best thing for her bub. I have tried expressing my milk manually to keep the supply up but late at night it just ain't there! Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. From Rebecca (SA) - THe land down under

Kangaroo's most likely beneficial, but it hasn't been tested -- so technically, it's an unknown. If you're in good health and of OK weight, it may be considered neutral for ya.

There are some herbs that increase milk production: borage (flowers and leaves), hops (the green flower), motherwort and anise seed. You can make infusions of any of them, and drink them freely. The anise seed goes well to flavor any of the other three.

As a supplement to nursing, find out if the products Nutramigen or Pregestimil are available there. Ask your midwife or doctor. They are pre-digested protein products, and far better for your type O baby than dairy or soy. Since she's already starting on a little solid food, and will continue getting some breast milk from you, one of those formulas are pretty good fill-ins.

Glad you're doing so well with your little one! She's getting a magnificent start in life!! Take good care, Rebecca, and write when you can! :-D

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H'lo, In a seminar earlier this year strength coach Charles Poliquin discussed the BTD diet and how he uses it for his athletes. However, he said a majority of them are type O's.

I'm a 35 yr old male weightlifter and have tried many things (nutrition wise) with little success, so hoping maybe this is the place to look for help. High protein diets are a must for weightlifters like myself, however,I have searched the site and cannot find info on what should be used for Type A+ weight trainers. I know soy is a protein recommended, but due to its estrogenic properties, I tend to avoid it.

I'm hoping you can help me with this as I've tried contacting coach Poliquin, but didn't get any info. Thank you, Ron

Welcome Ron!

First, understand how fortunate you are. ;-D You can build nicely with far less protein food than necessary for the typical type O to develop and maintain the muscle. Type As are lucky in that way!

The key for you is twofold: the right *kinds" of protein in the proper portion sizes and frequencies, and the appropriate *kind* of training schedule for your unique physiology.

Soy should be used in conjunction with all the other bean, seed and nut proteins on your diet -- not overemphasized, but not cast aside. Fish, chicken, turkey and the other A-ok flesh proteins get in there too. Soy is actually not estrogenic for your purposes, and if you'd like to hear the words of the master on that topic, just go to the Ask Dr. D'Adamo column and use soy as the search term in form at the bottom. He wouldn't be recommending soy if it would adversely affect men (or women, for that matter) in any way. But remember that too much of anything is... too much. ;-)

Balance is very important. I suggest you pick up Live Right 4 Your Type and get your secretor status. You'll want all the information you can use to maximize the results of your efforts. That book also includes important updates on portions, frequencies and food values. Choose the highest-nutrient vegetables (the beneficials), because you'll want the utmost benefit from everything you put in your mouth. Adjust all portion sizes to reflect your weight and activity level -- the ones given are based on a moderately active 150-pound person. You might add 50% to each portion, and add one portion daily of a soy or egg-based protein powder shake that includes blended whole fruit and nut butter. Another snack could be carrot/celery juice with a shot of wheatgrass or barley grass.

Designing the right training schedule for you means managing your cortisol levels. Cortisol is something type As produce rather readily and constantly, and have a hard time excreting. Cortisol is a "tear-down" influence in your body. Include activities and supplements to increase your cortisol excretion, and you'll boost your ability to "build up."

So, train hard for three days (or two days) weekly -- then do some yoga and calming, light exercise on the other days. Yoga reduces cortisol like nobody's business. I know it sounds pretty weird to recommend yoga to a weightlifter, right? Believe me, once you feel and see the difference that a half hour of yoga three times per week does, you'll never look back. One of the simplest yoga techniques is one you can do just about anywhere, and it's remarkably effective in a very short amount of time. It's called Alternate Nostril Breathing (or "altnosey" as I fondly call it).

Another fantastic aid to your progress is the Cortiguard product sold here. It, too, is highly effective -- you can definitely feel the difference, and it will show in muscle mass as well.

I'm glad you stopped by, and I hope these tips are helpful! Please write again with any questions you may have -- :-)

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Hello Heidi! My A-Non husband and I(AB-Sec) have been on the BTD diet for about a year and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your column for about 9 months and am so grateful for the daily encouragement because otherwise it would often feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle alone.

If only I would devote as much time to actual menu and meal preparation as I do to researching the diet! We have yet to accomplish eating the entire amount of foods our pyramids suggest for even one whole week.

It will be a long time before I am healthy enough to consider pregnancy, (severe asthma & allergies for the last 15 years of my adult life) but I still couldn't resist reading ER4YBaby. There were some particularily AB contradictions I wanted to bring to your attention. Perhaps a new errata page needs to be (or already is?) started. Page 237 Day 1 suggests Braised SHITAKE Mushrooms. Page 238 Day 3:Toasted Tamari PUMKIN SEEDS. Page 241 Day 10: SESAME Broccoli. Page 245 under Vitamin A: CHICKEN livers, Page 284 #3. should say "Seven-Day Super AB Diet" and page 293 under Zinc sources....LIMA beans and finally Vitamin B6 says to eat BLACK-EYED PEAS? Any AB alternatives that might be good substitute sources for those nutrients that you might offer or steer me in the right direction in finding would be wonderful. Also, please connect me with the non-secretor list/group.

Your incredible dedication to helping us all in finding ways to help ourselves remains a highlight in my day and I know I am not alone! Thank you. Marianne



Thank you for those notes, Marianne, and for your very kind words!! I'll put your errata into my file for the authors and an online reference page here. The nonnies group is primarily for nonsecretor recipe exchange -- if that's your interest, please let me know and I'll send a note to request an invitation for you.

About those allergies and so forth -- tell me more? anything I might help with there? If you'd like, send me more details on your diet, exercise, supplements, and what allergic reactions you're having... maybe I can come up with a helpful suggestion or two. It needn't be an uphill battle, and I hope that with a full year of the diet under your belt, we might quickly pinpoint and resolve those persistent persnickety issues!

Thanks again for your note, dear -- do write again! :-)

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Hello, I'm Anna from Italy; I bought the book 'Eat right 4 your type' and the last week I started to follow your diet suggestions. But I've some questions about foods that I can eat. My blood group is ORH negative; I'd like to know if I can eat this nourishments: 1) chickpea flour 2) leaver beer; if I can't eat it, I'd like to know which type of leaver I can use to cook spelt bread (i.e. leaver powder). 3) water-soluble barley 4) is the kidney a beneficial food as the liver or not? 5) I must take the contraceptive pill for two months; this will disturb the diet? 6) I was born in Northem Italy (Genoa); is the Italian heritage considered caucasian? Many thanks! Anna

Hi, Anna! Chickpea = "garbanzo bean" -- it is Neutral for type O secretors and Avoid for type O nonsecretors.

Not sure what leaver beer is. By leaver powder, I think you mean "baking powder" -- it's OK if there is no maize or corn in it. We use fresh or dry "yeast" for baking breads -- that's OK for everyone.

Barley grain is Avoid for Os. Barley 'grass' (powdered or fresh) is very good for you.

Kidney is good (neutral), but not quite as good as liver. ;-)

The contraceptive pill may slow down your weight loss (if that is why you are following the diet) and is not recommended for type O for other health reasons.

If you are of Italian heritage, you are considered Caucasian.



Thank you for visiting our site, and for your questions! :-)

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Hi Heidi I don't do the dairy except the eggs. Pork only a small amount and since Peter's books very little at that. But I am still unclear on what Pork does/has that is bad. Nitrites etc. yes, but the actual meat like Pork Tenderlon or Pork Chops???? I would expect that my ancestors hunted and ate wild boar so.... I look in Live Right again and could not find anything. I loaned out Eat Right. Jeff

Hi, Jeff!

There's a column page I wrote back in July of last year, which I'll link here with its title: Rye Bread, Butter and Pork -- Yum!. The first couple of paragraphs explain that old Pork thing, and contain a link to Peter's column on the subject of pork.

The wild boar our ancestors ate may or may not have carried the various impediments to healthy eating that the domesticated pig breeds do -- as yet, modern boar is unrated, so it's an unknown for now. Do bear in mind that our ancestors ate a whole lot of things they weren't necessarily well-adapted to. That's where Peter's system is head and shoulders above the various paleolithic diet designs which suggest one ancestral food plan for everyone with that ancestry. The BTD works by acknowledging and working with the many varieties of physiology we exhibit, and offering custom-fitted plans for each. enjoy!

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