Hi, thanks for answering my last question. just want to clarify what I think I read that taking deflect, my case for a type O, aids in cleaning up the joints after years of eating wheat products. Both of my thumb knuckles are large and indicate to me when I've gone off my eating -- they become inflamed and are red. So will taking deflect eventually return the thumb joints to normal size, near normal, or no change at all? I only take deflect if I eat food with avoid lectins. Otherwise I take glucosamine sulfate if the joints are bothering me. Thanks again, ruth

Hi there, Ruth! Both Deflect and Quercetin/Bromelain are very soothing and healing for inflammatory conditions like arthritis.

If you keep eating the avoids, however, you'll have to keep cleaning up the damage. It's strongly recommended to avoid the avoids, and take the Deflect and the quercetin & bromelain to get your situation improved. And taking the glucosamine sulfate daily will speed that healing as well -- it's not just a pain reliever, it actively supports tissue healing!

Best wishes to you, Ruth -- write again if the spirit moves you! :-)

heidi the juicer to get that does wheatgrass too. http://www.greenpower.com drinking 20oz of water per is not advisable - it's wasted colonic "experts" suggest 8 oz at a time with the exception of > thomas

Hey there, Thomas -- it looks like your post got cut off, maybe because of the ">" mark.

The water IF mineralized/"alkalinized" with salt and or lemon juice is directed more into the colon and less directly to the kidneys. I suggest people drink moderate portions of the full amount throughout the day -- still, if someone simply cannot do that, then four or five larger portions is better than *not* drinking it, in my experience.

Hey, and thanks for that greenpower juicer site -- looks like a great product! and I'm wearing out my old one pretty thoroughly. It'll be time for a new one soon. thanks again!! :-)

Hi Heidi, I i am a type O and I was introduced to the blood type diet when i was relatively young (about 8 or 10 yrs old) it helped me greatly with getting rid of excessive mucus and when i followed it to a "t" i was very healthy and never got even as much as a sniffle. I was told by the doctor at the time to avoid garlic, onions, and all spices (but herbs were alright).

As i got older i stopped the diet, became vegetarian, and had all sorts of problems. Now I am convinced that the blood type diet is good for me, but i have a HUGE problem. I have found that although onions, garlic are beneficial to type O, I am highly intolerant of them. The doctor was right, although I have no idea how he knew that. Whenever i eat garlic, onions or spices my stomach gets very irritated and it feels like there is a rock just sitting there. This feeling will last for hours, if not days, depending on how much of it i eat. Sometimes it also causes my pulse to race.

The answer to this of course is not to eat it, but as a type O trying to eat veggies and meat i find that just about EVERYTHING has onions and garlic in it. No wonder i hated meat for so long and desperately wanted to be a vegetarian, it wasnt the meat making me sick, it was the seasonings.

I am a student and i find it hard to cook for myself all the time. I want to follow the BTD more closely but find it next to impossible to find foods that are complient with the type O diet AND that do not contain garlic or onions. Going out with friends is a nightmare, because they dont really understand my diet requirements and because finding food that does not make me sick is next to impossible- every cuisine has garlic or onions- Italian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Indian- even most of the type O recipes in the BTD book have onions and garlic.

I think this problem may be hereditary, because although my father never looked into the roots of his stomach problems, he always had the same complaints that i now have. My Mom's side of the family seems to be fine. To complicate matters even more, i have unstable blood-sugar, so if i eat sweet foods(which i often resort to, since they generally do not have onions and garlic) i get even hungrier. Even fruits, which i love, will send me into a blood-sugar related frenzy! Often i eat low-carb nutrtion bars when i have no time to cook, but these also leave me feeling hungry.

Help! I am so confused that i dont know what to eat anymore. Even if I wanted to, I can't give up because everything seems to make me sick! Needing help. - Michou

Hello, Michou! Hey, I'm sorry you had to "learn the hard way" about your particular sensitivities! Right now is the most difficult time of your "eating life" -- you have little time or space in which to cook, and your schedule is heavy with all the studies. So at least take heart that it will be easier when you're out of school, and that won't be too long.

Hey, what was that VERY WISE doctor's name, & whereabouts in the world is (or was) he? I'd like to send him at least a psychic smile for the wonderful skills and art he practiced with you!

When eating out, it's not too difficult to order stuff with oil & salt rather than garlic and onion added. Meat, fish, poultry, etc. -- ask for plain broiled, roasted, baked, or sauteed -- with vegetables, no garlic & onion.

Most type Os are sugar intolerant, since genetically we come from a time when even grains were virtually unknown. Processed sugar is a whammy to our systems. While many Os do tolerate it to some degree, we're missing absolutely nothing by using vegetable glycerine instead of sugar -- it actively helps the problem, and tastes pretty sugar-neutral.

Your trouble with fruit may resolve if you stick to on-the-unripe-side pears, crisp apples and fresh blueberries. Test the various fruits, and see what you learn. Does banana give you the same trouble? You can safely limit fruits in the winter months, and stock up on veg instead. It's what our ancestors did as well. ;-) Use them seasonally.

The problem with low-carb nutrition bars is that they frequently contain avoids for your type. Check the labels carefully. They're probably just an expensive way to get a sugar lull, for you, unfortunately.

Try these tips for a while. Use the Live Right 4 Your Type book to guide you in portions and frequencies, avoid the foods you know are trouble for you, and get your secretor test done.

It was really nice to hear from you! Be well, and let me know how things go for you! I'm here to help!! :-)

Heidi, I missed something regarding the reason for salt and lemon being added to water. What exactly was the purpose for this protocol? I've searched the previous posts and can't find the beginning of the discussion. Could you please repeat it. Thanks. Maddy

Purpose? Ah -- it's right here in this column, Maddy! enjoy!

In response to Paige's year round' allergies statement on 10/3, sometimes a non-nutritional approach also helps greatly. I have two Ionic Breezes, by Sharper Image, and I who am an A+ secretor, has allergies and especially during the winter to dust and I'll get a sinus infection in February and again in May from the pollen. Since I've had the Ionic Breeze, I haven't had a sinus infection in over a year. I keep one in my bedroom and one in the living room. Diana

Good point, Diana -- the diet removes a whole huge chunk of that "allergic load," but an air cleaner can be useful, too -- especially with very sensitive folks living in rather "challenging" areas. Thanks for the tip! :-)

Here is a Type O receipe if you are interested. I get to missing old comfort food like pancakes. This is an alternate pancake receipe that is very low on grain and high in vegetable. I call it "squashcakes". Squash are now in season and this is a pancake made with squash. It is really very good. Just think potatoe pancake but use spagetti squash instead. Spagetti sqash ( well cooked) feels like potatoe and tastes bland like potatoe but just a little bit sweet in contrast to the other squash varieties that are intensely sweet.

Take a quarter piece of stringy spagetti squash and add an egg and just a bit of rice flour. Fry it on an oiled pan just like you would a regular pancake. Top with some jam ( because this is a treat) and you will find yourself enjoying a tender delicate pancake that rivals the old traditional. I cannot get enough of them. -- Ruth

Sounds great, Ruth!! thank you! ~:-D Hey, if you have a moment, please visit RECIbase on the main page (www.dadamo.com) and post your recipe there -- much easier to find later on! thanks again, dear!! :-D

Hi Heidi, many thanks for your advise ! My dad is currently taking omega-3 and flaxseed oil capsules (4 of each per day), is the intake sufficient to aid healing? As for the secretor test kit and Deflect-B, are these available in Singapore? Teresa (Dad with psoriasis and eczema)

Hello, Teresa! Yes, that amount is sufficient to supplement his type B diet.

Deflect-B is available by mailorder -- Ask the folks at www.stacktheme.com what your procedure would be. The saliva test, I think, must be done closer to where it's being developed. However, look into getting the Lewis type (blood test) from a local laboratory, clinic or physician. If you're allowed to go direct to a testing lab, as people are in many countries, that's the least expensive and quickest way to get the results. Let me know when he receives them -- they should be in a form as follows: Le [a+ or a-] [b+ or b-].

If anyone in Singapore or Malaysia can advise Teresa on a good testing laboratory there, please write in!

thanks for your note, Teresa, and please keep me updated with your dad's progress! :-)

Hi Heidi. I have to tell you and your readers about my reaction to Triphala. Triphala is an avuyvedic compound that is recommended for Type O in the Doc Dadamos Detox protocol. My reaction was not only positive it is remarkable!

Here is the story: I had been always thought that I had good bowel management because I ate lots of fiber in vegetables, did colonics, and took those Soil Organims by Primal Defence, and Magnesium Oxide for occasional clearing. I did not consider myself to be constipated and all these aids produced good bowel elimination.

Yet despite a full elimination I was immediately bothered by a fast return of gas that would not move, cramps, bloating. I wondered if I had irritable bowel syndrome or something. I started to do the Detox Protocol but had not included Triphala. For some reason I had it in my head that herbs are not very effective. Yesterday I received Triphala and I took a dose last night. The reaction is almost unexplainable.

During the night I was aware of a sense of wholesome sedation that was new to me. In the morning I had a bowel movement as expected because Triphala is used for bowel cleansing but what is remarkable is that after the elimination my whole body wanted to giggle. I laughed and laughed. I felt so good. It is just unexplainable.

I have been feeling bad for so long that I know when I am feeling different and this compound made me feel different. Just so much fun. And I researched it on the web today and found other people say that it has made them feel good in an unexplainable way. Now to be clear, I am not qualified and this is not advice nor is it a recommendation. I am just sharing stories if that is Ok. Ruth, Type O.

Well hey there, Ruth!! That's great news -- I'm so pleased Triphala is working so beautifully for you!

Cheers!!! :-D

Hi Heidi, Has any research been done on blood type in dogs and diet? I am asking because my 6 1/2 year old lab is starting to get arthritis. I wonder if some ingredients in the dog food is causing this. Thanks, Loretta

Hello, fellow animal lover.

Here is the Holistic Veterinary Site I know & trust. Dogs are designed to eat BARF .... uh, that's an acronym for Bones And Raw Food. ;-) Follow the advice on this site, and your beautiful labrador will be bouncing around in no time. GREAT dogs. :-D

Animal blood types key for different characteristics than ours. The locations and products of the blood group genes in animals determine the particular characteristics they affect. For us, digestive environment is closely keyed to blood type, as well as secretor status. However, for dogs & cats (and the rest), it isn't. There's no such thing as a cat or dog who will prosper on a vegetarian diet, for example: it is cruelty to withhold meats and fish from these carnivores.

Anyway, yes! Loretta, it's something in your dog's feed. Probably the grain. But do read through that site I linked -- it will give you tons of valuable information! and I wish your wonderful companion the VERY best of health -- and you, too, of course!! :-D

Hi Heidi, I just wanted to respond to Chantelle's post on 10/2/03 about the "dry eyes" that seem to come and go. I had the same problem for a long time and was using preservative-free gtts. 3-4x through the night when I would wake up and was unable to even open my eyes because they were so dry. The eye Dr. could offer no remedy except gtts.

When I had my secretor status checked (0-nonnie) and became more compliant with the LYRT diet, the problem stopped.

I know that for me, the condition re-occurs when I eat grains or have a high sugar intake, particularly when I eat LOTS of raisins which I love!!!!! Now I rarely have to use any eye gtts. Just thought I'd pass this along.

Another note: related to high sugar intake whether as fruit or grains/baked goods.....As an RN with 25 years experience in long term care and home care, as well as with my Mom and occasionally myself, I've found that a most of the urinary frequency and "dribbling" of urine stops when those foods are drastically reduced or eliminated from the diet. This,of course, is predicated on the supposition that there's no other medical condition causing the problem and even then, changing the diet will almost always reduce the occurance of the problem.

This is not just a problem for "older" women. We all live such a hectic lifestyle that we grab whatever we can and eat it on the run, hoping that that "multi-vitamin" will make up for all the poor nutritional intake....Now that I'm close to 60, I see that I could have avoided a lot of problems if I had known about the BTD & secretor status....The good thing is...it's never too late to start!...... As always, thanks for all your time and effort answering all our many questions! Jan

Hey there, Jan! what a wonderful testimonial! and thank you MOST kindly for offering the insights your professional experience has indicated in these ailments! Bless you, and keep shining!!! :-D

Hi I think this board is great, and I have been following it for months now. The diet has helped me tremendously. I was wondering if I could ask if this would be a logical way of determining my secretor status, without the use of the test. I have rosacea and I notice that certain foods tend to aggravate it, and certain foods don't. I am type O, and I notice that I can eat quite a bit of mozarella cheese and it doesn't aggravate my face at all, unlike other dairy products. I also notice that nutmeg flares my face alot, like I get pimples. Based on the fact that mozarella is a neutral food for O secretors, and that nutmeg is an avoid food for secretors, would this logically mean that I am a secretor? Thanks Raymond

Hi there, Raymond! :-) Well, what I *can* be sure of is you shouldn't be eating nutmeg. ;-)

If you go diligently through the food list, and test each one that has a different status between secretors and nonsecretors, you will gain a great deal of knowledge. If you're interested in doing that, please send me a list now & again of the foods you've tested and the results you've had. I think it's a very worthwhile project!!

Of course, by the time you've tested all of them, I hazard a guess that you'll have spent quite a bit more money and time than the saliva test would have taken -- but I encourage you to go ahead anyway if you would like to do so. Let me know! and thanks very much for writing! :-)

I am a B-ve secretor who after completing a stringent detox elimination diet over 10 weeks have shown a non-lactose intolerance to milk and cheese but not yoghurt, cream or butter. Also olive oil, parsley,garlic,walnuts and bi-carb soda showed marked sensitivities. Should I eliminate these on the blood type diet as they are supposed to be beneficial? Kathryn

Hello, Kathryn! Tell me, what form of testing was used to determine those intolerances and sensitivities? And did you have the tests done again in two weeks, with a different practitioner, just to verify the results? That's what I'd do before marking any beneficials as avoids -- unless I myself could specifically associate a given reaction (immediate mucus or sneezing) with a particular food.

Let me know, OK? and by the way, welcome!! :-)

Heidi, All is well with the diet from an overall health standpoint. I have a question, my stylist noticed a weird build up in my hair. She used a clarifying shampoo to get rid of it but afterward my hair was very hard and grainy.

She said something weird was going on with my hair and it seemed like the texture has changed. Could this be due to the diet and the fact that I am detoxing? I started taking prenatal vitamins about 2 weeks ago and my Vitamin A intake has been greatly reduced. (Other vitamins exceeded 10,000 IU) I have been on the diet since August so it seems like it would have shown up before now. Any ideas? Dawn

Hi, Dawn! I wonder if the shampoo she used stripped your hair somewhat. As to the weird build-up, it sounds more like an accumulation of hair products than an actual change in the hair cuticle. Do you color, perm or curl your hair? use any of those heat-activated thingys? Do let me know, I'm curious about this one! thanks!! :-D

Hi Heidi: A couple of months ago, you gave me a few suggestions about detoxing and juicing for blood type A. I feel lots better. My digestion and elimination have been working lots better. I still haven't lost a lot of weight (I think my metabolism has slowed down) but I have been sticking to the A diet and have loss some inches. One pressing issue that I want to work on, though, is getting pregnant. My husband (type A) and I were both diagnosed with fertility problems. My problem seems to be blocked fallopian tubes (the OB said that I had a lot of white mucus in there about 3 years ago) and my husband has a low sperm count (which over the years has improved with detoxing and following the BTD but no record numbers). Do you have any suggestions that you might offer to us? I've been considering a Naturopath. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Alicia

Hello, Alicia! I'd suggest you both stick strictly to your diets, and take a cup of warm lemon water each morning. I'd also take Deflect-A at the higher range, daily. There is a cause of the mucus build-up in your fallopian tubes, and these strategies along with yoga and juicing, and plenty of water with a squeeze of lemon daily, will allow your bodies to rid themselves of whatever irritants or old toxins are stimulating the mucus.

I'd also suggest that both of you take maca root daily -- one or two tablespoons each, in some vegetable juice if desired. It has a great reputation for boosting reproductive health in both sexes.

Do remember that it took many years to develop the problems -- but it will take FAR less time to resolve them!! but it does require some patience, to ensure a healthy and happy baby and a strong and healthy mom!!

Keep me posted! :-)

Hi Heidi: It is that time of year when flu shots are being advertised. Can you comment on whether they are recommended or not? I am a type B. Also, I read recently that a component in some antibacterial products such as hand soap and some shampoos can cause thyroid problems. Do you know if this is true? Thanks! Joyce

Flu shots for Bs? well, I certainly wouldn't do it. There are too many reasons not to, and too much evidence that they're unnecessary and rarely designed for "this year's strain" of any given virus. Type Bs especially, with their proclivity for hosting slow-growing viruses, would be well advised to refrain from getting these types of injections.

I would supplement daily with ProBerry liquid, and use Heallix at any sign of an approaching cold or flu. Of course, sticking to the diet is very important in times of heightened stress (of which the winter's temperature drop is one).

Antibacterial products are harmful to the environment, and help foster the appearance of new and "improved" resistant bacteria. But the thyroid issue is one I'm not familiar with -- could you pop me a reference? thanks, Joyce! be well, my dear!! -- and stay cozy! :-)

I was going to list my chiro/nutritionist, who has become increasingly BTD-friendly, in your registry. She just gave me a type O diet list, modified to fit a program to get over a bladder infection (very low carb, lots of green vegies and the O proteins, no grains, starches, nuts, no fruit except lemon, lime and grapefruit for now) and improve sleep by healing the adrenals (absolutely no caffeine, even chocolate and green tea, for the duration of the program). I went to the registry but found that it now requires a specific certification.

Still, it's nice to find practitioners who track with the BTD! After those "eat lots of whole grains, tofu, yogurt and honey" diets that were foisted off for so long!

If a person is temproarily following a very low-carb diet for health reasons, is vegie gly like a carb? I'm not sure if it acts that way. Also, any special tips on defeating bladder infections? I will see the protocol in the encyclopedia, but any other recommendations are welcome too! Cyndi

Hi, Cyndi! Your chiro/nutritionist sounds wonderful, and I look forward to hearing your results of the diet sheet she designed for you! I hope she'll make it to the 2005 IfHI conference!!

Go ahead and discuss vegetable glycerine with your practitioner. It's glycerol, pure & simple -- and it does have wonderful effects on sugar metabolism. It certainly doesn't affect the system the way grains or sugars do, but since she's doing such a great job with your protocols, I'd let her decide whether it fits her plans for you. She'll be familiar with it, I'm sure.

Other than the Encyclopedia protocols, regular high water intake (with that lemon and/or salt in each serving) and perhaps Heallix, there's nothing more I'd suggest -- and I'd run any of them by your chiro/nutr before using them. And a big 10-4 HOO-rah that you're in such good hands, Cyndi! Can't wait to hear how things go for you! :-D

hi heidi, i am due to go back into hospital in november & am dreading the big 'A'(antibiotics).i have a problem with keeping candida down at the best of times.i wondered if i had a right to refuse antibiotics or whether i was setting myself up for more trouble by not taking them in hospital what with all those lergies creeping around.i dont know what to do for the best,

i will have to start getting my family to bring food into me again.i intend to take some supplements in with me as they're bound to give me antibiotics as par for the course and i already suffer with candida that i struggle to contain any suggestions,advice & tips greatly appreciated,thanks debs o n/s

Hello, debs! Sheesh, I'm sorry to hear you have to go back into the hospital. What is the procedure? what are they operating on you for?

The one thing I'd certainly do is keep taking PolyFlora-O, at the highest dosage, and Heallix, the same. Right through, each day, and certainly for two weeks after you get out of the hospital.

Very best wishes, dear, and please let me know how you're doing, OK? I'm thinking of you! :-)

Dear Heidi, This is a request for your wisdom with NAP supplements. 1)Have been using Respiratone wtih amazing results for my lungs. The one down side is that something in it (the bronchial dilator herbs?) acts as a strong stimulant. I then have trouble falling asleep. Is it advisable to take half a capsule? 2)I am committed to taking Deflect O and ARA but find that even a small amount of ARA causes bloating. Even the ARA in the Deflect-O has an impact. I can only handle one Deflect-O at a time. Any suggestions? Thanks, KarenO

Hello, Karen! I'd take one capsule of Respiratone first thing in the morning. Have you tried that, and do you still have trouble sleeping? Do you have no trouble when you stop taking it?

If ARA is causing bloating, there is something in your system which isn't quite balanced properly. Does PolyFlora-O have the same effect? (it contains half the amount of larch) -- I'd consider using n-acetyl glucosamine, along with seaweeds daily, instead of Deflect if nothing else helps you with the bloating. Not knowing what you may eat on a given day, it's a little difficult for me to pinpoint an alternate cause at this distance. ;-} Try these alternate strategies, give it a week or so, and see how you do.

You might also take a break from anything containing larch for one month, then try it again. Often, these issues resolve themselves with time and a little change of pace or intake. Do let me know, OK? be well, dear!! :-D

Thank you for your extensive work on BTD. My husband and I are just starting our new eating plan. I am a Type A, 56 years old, having only been menopausal for the last year. I have just started FEM HRT 5 mg. 3 months ago for hot flashes but am concerned after reading about chemical estrogen and type A's inclination toward cancer. My question is: my bone scan last month showed 25% bone loss so my GYN has prescribed my staying on the HRT /or switching to FOSAMAX..... Is there an alternative in the natural worlds of BTD instead of taking the aforementioned to replenish bone calcium?

I am 117 pounds, been diet-watchful all of my life, as well as exercise active. I do weight workouts and lite aerobics and walk briskly on a regular basis. Also ..... are Pecan Nuts an AVOID food for Type A's ? Am looking forward to you repy, thanks so much for the great work you all are doing. Julianne {west palm beach}

Welcome, Julianne!

Yes, there are alternatives to hormone replacement therapy drugs. There is an entire protocol in the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia for menopausal symptoms.

The type A diet itself, along with the recommended yoga practice, is premiere for keeping your system balanced and cancer-free on their own.

Fosamax is something I wish no one would ever take. Here is a column I wrote in April which I think you will find extremely useful for your purposes.

Pecans are neutral for As -- if you have any Qs about food values, just go right to the www.dadamo.com main page, and use the TYPEbase3 database.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and please visit again with any questions or notes you'd like to share! :-D

Dear Heidi,I too, like Lori, have been on a high protein/low carb if any carbs program for several months. I find I can lose about 10 pounds, then I go into a lull and then I go off and add more foods and then back to high protein and basically no carbs, and once again I can start to lose, but it is very, very slow. I guess I was hoping you could help me get on the right track. I am in one of those lulls right now.

I am O blood type, waiting on secretor status. I am very unconfident in adding fruits and vegs, even salads because that is the first thing to throw me out of ketosis, and I put on weight almost overnight. I have concentrated on meats and chicken for some time now. I have added the water with lemon and salt to my intake. It used to only be caffeine sugar free diet Pepsi!!! I am hooked on the water now.

I don’t know why I am so reticent in sticking my neck out further, because I so want to lose this belly of mine. I have to date lost about 30 pounds the high protein way. I take Advocare supplements and work out regularly on a weight program and also aerobic exercise in and out of classes. I have learned to love exercise and can really relate to the type O needing strenuous exercise for stress release and for others to even be able to live with me!!!

I am now taking Deflect O and bladderwrack. I have done an Advocare cleanse once and am currently on it again to see if I can budge a few more pounds. It can be quite disconcerting when one behaves themselves in the manner of what they consume and seemingly get no where. Do you have any words of wisdom to help me carry on or words of advice to add or delete from my routine? I have had my blood work done pretty well monthly and watching so nothing gets too far out of whack with being in ketosis. To a layperson such as myself, not much it in the high or low range, and has pretty much stayed the same in most areas. I am hoping once I lose this extra weight I can be on the type o diet sensibly and living this way from now on. Wow if I only knew years ago what I know now, I would not have this excess weight to deal with. I really appreciate your column and all you do for us in trying to better our lifestyles. God bless you, Ruth.

Hi, Ruth! Tell me, what's in the "advocare" supplements? It would help to know, since some or all of them may be holding back your progress.

You need the fiber and plant sugars from vegetables in order to have a healthy intestinal tract. We all need about four to five servings of vegetables daily. To subsist on meat only is to ask for trouble later on, I'm sorry to say. The only way the Eskimos and other indigenous peoples in extreme climates retain their health is that they eat ALL of the meat and fish from the animals they take for food. Liver, brains, everything, and a great quantity of fat and stomach contents (no polar bear liver, though. ;-)).

Also, how much do you weigh now? In your previous message to me, you said you were 5'6" and between 113 and 117 pounds, and did not need to lose weight. So I'm a little confused -- could you fill me in there? thanks, dear!

Hi Heidi, A while ago I wrote in about my poor fingernails which were peeling and flaking as soon as they got to the white stage (where the white area meets the quick), but the rest of the nails were fine, cuticles and nail beds. I wanted to let you know what healed them in case anyone else is having similar problems. I began taking Silica made from Horsetail (NOW brand) three months ago (two tablets a day with a meal) but the fix didn't show up until the end of the second bottle. I'm almost finished with the third bottle and my nails are SO strong! And growing fast! What a HUGE difference. Thanks for everyones advice! Drea (A secretor)

Hey Drea, thank YOU for posting this! VERY helpful, and I hope everyone with fingernail trouble will give your suggestion a go! :-D

Greetings. You are nice, an under-appreciated virtue.

Going through your archives I find wonderful receipes from readers (and you, too.) ground turkey with greens or kale with montmorency cherries are two examples. I was wondering if you could suggest to all readers that if they submit a great idea for a recipe that they spend a few more minutes and enter it in recipe base. So FEW greens ideas in there. Usually the recipes are submitted to the column simply because the recipe base was lacking in that area. Just a thought and frankly, a much easier search!

Questions both general and O secrretor: I can't afford a good juicer so my pulp ends up dry in a container. Should I add a blob or two back to the juicer or has the pulp lost all value after juicing?

If following tier one strictly would the oil used in a quick chard, collard, or onion saute count as one of the 4-8 servings of oil per week allowed? If so, it would put quite a crimp in salad dressing, flax oil, etc. Or is steam, steam, steam the only answer?

Honest and true, I've tried searching this site and the net and still do not have a clear picture of what chicory is. For years I've eaten curly endive as I was told in my youth that it was chicory. Does it have another name? Even in HFS produce departments, I have never seen anything identified as chicory but it is rated as more beneficial than escarole, kale and broccoli so I want to find it. What about the "bullet" shaped white with green tips we call Belgian endive around here?

I've read one study by a woman doctor in SanFrancisco that most of the fish that we coincidentally mention as type O tier one were more contaminated with mercury than smaller size fish. Having undergone serious mercury removal procedures from which I am still "detoxing" I don't want to add to the problem, but I should eat fish (love it) and want to use tier one if possible. (and, yep, I just read about your recommendation for Heallix and ordered it.)

Would a tilia type vac. sealer that comes with bottle stoppers allow one to keep the olive oil on the shelf and out of the frig?

Is carob truly beneficial and I should find ways to incorporate it or is it just a good choice if I need the flavor?

Does green tea, Harmonia or carrot powder, etc. made with water count against the 30 minute before or two hour after rule for water? Can it count in the total water for the day? Too many questions, but????? Thanks. Barbara

You're very kind, Barbara -- thank you! ;-) And thanks for the suggestion to enter recipes in RECIbase -- I'll add to Barbara's encouragement to do so! :-}

If the pulp is dry, the juicer has done a very good job of extracting the juice. I save vegetable pulp in the freezer, and add it to soups & stews, meatloaf, whatever would benefit from some nice vegging-up.

The oil used for saute doesn't all stick to the food -- so try to gauge how much is actually eaten, and figure the portion/frequency count accordingly. I really find that the more time on the diet, the less I fuss with absolutely exact measurements of tiny amounts. The diet is a great guideline -- better than any other on the planet -- and a little more of this or less of that in a single day is not the issue. The guideline is used to form habits, at which point you've already done yourself a world of good.

Here's a wonderful site with many pictures of common foods: Cook's Thesaurus. Use their search function to find chicory, endive (Belgian is what we mean by "endive" in the food lists), etc. -- this is such a great reference! Chicory, or curly green endive, is the vegetable referred to in the lists -- and it can be used either as a salad green or in cooked dishes. Great stuff! The roots can be roasted and ground to make a coffee substitute, and an extract of the root is a sweetener. enjoy!

The question about fish, in fact about all foods, is whether we continue to eat beneficials even though the entire biosphere is severely polluted. Yes, exercise caution and get to know where your food comes from as best you can. Then, acknowledge that you need to eat, just as you need to breathe, and that being gentle with yourself in terms of your expectations of perfection will lengthen your life and increase the joy of each moment. :-)

I'm not familiar with the tilia vacuum sealer. Olive oil keeps beautifully for several weeks if kept away from heat and direct sunlight. As far as I know, carob is truly beneficial. If you don't care for it, though, there's no need to include it.

Carrot powder? hmmm.... what's that? As long as you're not drinking a large quantity of whatever the liquid is, it's ok to have it within 1/2 hour of eating. Sipping is fine; glugging will dilute the digestive secretions. When you mention 'the water for the day,' I think you mean the pure water with squeeze of lemon and/or pinch of salt -- yes, that is separate from other beverages. In fact, many folks find they drop the other beverages in its favor! :-)

Hope this helps, and thanks so much for your questions! Very valuable!! :-)

Hi Heidi, Its Lisya (o-non sec.)again, since the last time I wrote you some things are moveing in the right direction and some not yet. if you remember I was registering every food I was consuming to see if I would be wiser.

My problems were bloating, weight up and down, difficult elimination, bad skin full of pimples. all this as a result of long intake of antibiotics for chronical bladder infection. I thought to send it to you for the ones who might have similar problems. (Sorry mr.Don it is again an O female, terrible for you)

registering foods showed that even beneficial fruits did not agree and were coasing bloating but especially when mixing them. For exampel if I would eat a banana it was okey. But if I would drink a fruit shake made of banana and mango or pineapple it would result in bloating and gas! neutrals like rice or nuts were also causing difficulties in elimination.

I felt better when I was eating smaller meals then regular and stopped eating the full evening meal, instead, small portion of steamed vegetable only. So I decided to eat no grains at all (as you adviced as well). Stopped eating nuts beside wallnuts.as a fruit only a banana. I also noticed that cooked or steamd veg. worked better than raw ones(?)meybe because it was more easy to digest with a mal functioning digestion system.

along this staps I was taking basic pack O, and low dosis brewers yeast and beneficial oils like almond, walnut, and every now and than mixing some flaxseed oil. To support my liver I took taraxacum, for general health some bladderwrack and extra zink 15mg, vit A as recomended in the protocols, Vit C1000mg voor my bladder.

Drinking 2,5-3 liters water with (sea-salt) a day. My elimination and bloating became even much better after the water intake with the pinch of sea salt (? why, I would not know) Even though only 3 times of oil intake was recomended for 0-non. I used it more often edding extra fish to my menu.

After antibiotics intake, my skin started to dry and became dull and started slowley to be covered with pimples first on my forehead and than all over. Now (after few months)My skin is becoming normal again but I am not there yet. I still have tiny pimples around my chin area and lower although much less than before. I am still taking brewers yeast. I stopped with the rest for a while as I am fed up taking pills every day.

The vertical lines on my finger nails are not going away somehow (eating broth and everything...) another effect of the antibiotics was that I started to have my migrens back with a short menstruation cycle. which means hormonal disbalans. After stopping the antibiotics the migrain disappeard but came every now and than back a very light version of it though (it comes always with the menstruation) So the sub total is that there is a progress but I am not back to normal yet.

One friend commented a While ago that it was not possible that antibiotics could cause so many troubles at onece. Well what I think is that rather than at onece it was more of chain reaction it started with one and slowely became more. First distroying flora, bad digestion and this can lead to deficiency, deficiency could meand inbalance in many functions and so on.

I want to underline for the sceptical among you that before the antibiotics I had no one of those problems beside urinary tract infection. After antibiotics I have still the infection and other problems!

Well dear Heidi, Now I need some support how to go on. I am taking Heallix (1 month)the maximum dosis and pitty enough I do not see any change with my skin or the infection. I am stil taking brewers yeast and bladderwrack. I stopped with other supp. I am a bit tired of taking them.

I thought my be my skin condition is originating from a hormonal disbalance (if heallix is not helping)because my cycle is not as regular as it use to be. I thought meybe I should try fem balance. I could also use skin health protocol but if the problem is a hormonal one would it also help? Treating the origin of the problem should be the way I thought but I do not know the origin.

I red also skin problems could be caused by zink, vitB2, B6 and vitA deficiency as wel, but how can I have deficiency while I am taking them in as a supp. So I thought It must be something else.

I am not concerned about my skinhealth as a esthetical point but rather as a sign of mal functioning somewhere in my system. My infection is there as well despite all the protocols, Heallix and strict diet. What exactly is causing this, is the qestion all the time in my mind, I can not find the answer I do not have the tools for it but my doctors also do not. I really dont know what to do. In the mean time I am taking the Healix.

By the way my friend is feeling much better with her joint pain etc. Few last remarks, last time you wrote me that I could take together with the brewers yeast some lechitine(white little bulbs under my eyes) but the only one available is soya lechitine, is it still ok for me?

In todays column someone was asking about the 'moons'of the finger nails. I dont know any thing about it but I would like to tell that I had no moons and after four-five mounths that I have started the BTD four of my finger nails got the moons one after another, I sent it as a question to dadamo but never got a reaction. Dear Heidi thanks a lot, love, Lisya

Hello, Lisya! Thank you VERY much for that update!

You have made good progress -- I know it's slow, but it is difficult to undo the damage that antibiotics do. I suggest that for your hormonal imbalance (and your skin) and bloating, the gallbladder flush should be done - then repeated after a month or two. If after that second flush your digestion and skin are not completely normal, then add the FemBalance.

For your fingernails -- have you tried the horsetail herb? It is rich in silica, which your body may be deficient in.

The migraine headaches were connected with toxicity -- as you continue to clear out the old damage, the headaches should cease altogether. Try not to ingest anything at all with caffeine around that time of the month -- no coffee, chocolate, or any kind of pill that contains caffeine for example. Soy lecithin is perfectly fine for you to use - it is neutral for everyone.

Right now, I'd like that urinary tract infection GONE. I'll bet you would, too! Go ahead and use the AntiBacterial and Urinary Tract Health protocols for type O -- you have not tried them yet, correct? and read the Cystitis section of the Encyclopedia thoroughly -- you may find there some clue as to why the infection is lingering. Do continue with the Heallix -- and I hope you have the type O probiotic, as it is very helpful in re-establishing the good flora and fauna in the intestinal tract -- this affects the urinary tract, too, as the Encyclopedia explains. The brewer's yeast will help, too -- so just the probiotic, the brewer's yeast and Heallix, and the protocols above if you decide to use them.

You're working very hard at this, Lisya -- and I know that the results will repay you many times over!! Bless you, and keep writing!! :-)

Dear Heidi, I wonder if you would be help me. I have two health problems that are being "difficult" to eliminate: Low morning basal temperature, and a subclinical "malaise". I am type O.

The history is that my health was assaulted over the last twenty years with vegetarianism and non stop anxiety that prevented me from sleeping and drove me non stop during the day with perfectionism and trying to "prove" myself to the world; I took on too many responsibilities, working myself through the night regularly; surrounded myself with energy robbers and judgemental people, including selecting two husbands neither of whom really cared about me; I was a vegetarian because I wanted to be "good" and moral by not harming animals.

Five years ago I broke down and that compelled me onto a journey of change. Five months ago I began the Type O diet. My health did a U turn within one week. I began to build muscle. I went on the anti stress protocol and got control of my anxiety. Not surpisingly I have adrenal fatigue. My DHEA levels read at 45. They should be at 150. I am taking Dr. Wilsons Adrenal Rebuilder which is adrenal cortical extract and other glandular extracts. Although these are derived from porcine sources I do not know of a bovine source for adrenal glandulars that I can trust to contain the cortical extract and the thyroid glandulars that he has carefully crafted into his product. I do take "Deflect" with it though. Your comments on this would be precious.

I also I have been charting my temperature throughout the day because I learned from Dr. Rind's website ( which I found because a previous poster to this message board gave that helpful reference) that temperature fluctuation indicates how well or how poorly the adrenals are funtioning. I then did the metabolic enhancement protocol and my average daytime body temperature has gone up without becoming unsteady. Is that not wonderful!

However, my early morning basal temperature is still low and unsteady. Oral temperature hovers rolls back and forth between 97.5 and 98.2. Mostly it is low. This indicates to me a hypothyroid. I do not have a weight problem. I am 5'6 and I weigh between 113 and 117. I have done three gallbladder flushes. I eliminated about 35 stones the first time and no more appeared on the last two flushes.

The main concerns for me are 1. the unsteady and low basal temperature in the morning and 2. a feeling like I have the "Flu" except that I have no reaction to the flu such as fever or mucus. I feel like there is a deep lurking "malaise" that my body just cannot kick. This makes sense if I consider that my immune system has been compromised by impaired adrenal and thyroid function. My question is what to do?

I would try Heallix except that I still have amalgam fillings. I do not want to chelate while amalgams are present because my body is not able to excrete the mercury: it maintains an equilibrium because of the chronic dosing of mercury I get from the amalgams and therefore instead of elimination a chelation would just move the mercury out of tissues and redeposit it doing further damage in the process.

I am not at all trained in health care so please, dear reader do not take this as advice or a recommendation. I am going to get my secretor status determined. I also have bought some quercetin, some acerola cherry powder extract, and some pro berry. I am doing the detox protocol including triphala. I am going to do the anti inflammation protocol using astragalus and kutki. I have also purchased some gotu kola for the adrenals. I also have been reading Don Miguel Ruiz's book The Four Agreements which teaches one how to attain a healthy love of self. Any suggestions from you would be welcome. Ruth.

Wow! Welcome, Ruth! I think you're doing a stunning job of putting your life back together!

Low adrenal function can indeed masquerade as a flu or other whole-body infection. Before going ahead with the anti-inflammation protocol, you may want to consider using pregnenolone. This page is an excellent review and analysis of the ways in which pregnenolone can help you rebuild your adrenal strength without taking DHEA as a supplement. Pregnenolone is a precursor to the other hormones. One of its effects is precisely the dispelling of the malaise you mentioned. It should also boost your thyroid function.

Bear in mind that most thyroid enhancement supps are porcine -- you don't have a lot of choice there. Deflect works on lectins, but it does not protect us directly from contrary ABO reactions and viral material -- pork does not contain a lectin (technically, "galectin"), but it does present those other problems. However, the amount in a glandular extract is TINY, highly processed, and I would not worry about it at all. I would, though, use the axillary temperature rather than the oral one, and take the average of those numbers over a week or ten days. It's normal for this temperature to fluctuate slightly from day to day, especially near the menses.

What is your sleep schedule like? do you go to sleep easily when you're tired, and wake refreshed? Meditation practices such as TM® are well-documented techniques to give the body a very deep form of rest, and to tone and balance the endocrine system. While meditation is most often mentioned in relation to types A, B and AB, a great many type Os also benefit profoundly from it. (Like me. ;-))

Do include nutritional yeast daily, and organ meats whenever possible, as we Os need lots of B vitamins.

It seems you are well on the way to solving every difficulty on your own! I hope these notes are of use to you, and if others write with suggestions, I'll post those as well. Thank you for joining the BTD corner ~ you're very welcome here! please do write again! :-D

Dear Heidi Sometime ago I wrote to ask you about how to help an A type to cure his prostate problem - frequent urination and unble to hold back his urine. He has followed the protocol of using saw palmetto for 3 months. He also took nettle leave tea although nettle root would have been better but we could not get them. Also included was a handful of pumpkin seeds blended together with an apple and some green veg as a drink few times a week.

Mircle do happen. He no longer need to have the urge to urinate so frequently and was able to hold on for a longer time than usual. It is all in the 3 months protocol recommended by you and the Encyclopeadia.

I really must thank you and Dr D'Adamo for the great work done. It is not easy to get people to understand how powerful blood diet is but now I am able to tell my friends that there is real evidence. As for me, I had incorporated the diet for my AB type for quite a year already and coupled with some Taebo exercises, I have lost alot of inches although my weight has not dropped drastically. Could be due to muscle built up. But I look great and feel great. To anyone who still hestitate about Blood Diet, please do consider it. It can really help in life. Shirl

Hey, Shirl -- what wonderful news!! I'm SO happy for your Dad, and for you!

Stick right in there and keep doing what you're doing -- if you look great and feel great, I don't know what to add!!

:-D

Fantastic update! I'll look forward to the next one -- bless you both, my dear! :-D

I found this Spirulina article in the Navy compass "Ask the Dietitian column"

"Spirulina is an algae of the family Oscillatoriacea. It is characterized by a pretty blue-green color & is generally sold in powder,liquid or tablet at HFS. 2 types of commercially sold algae, 1 is cultivated in Mexico the other in Thailand & California. HFS do not generally differentiate them.

Mexico & Africa uses it for food & it was introduced into the U.S. as the superfood of the future. Spirulina is advertized to contain 50-75% protein,Vitamin A, E, B-12, minerals,trace elements. health food gurus claims that it aids dieters, with Phenylalanine, an amino acid that supposedly suppresses appetite & further claim that it is an effectiv treatment for diabetes, stress, ulcers, glaucoma, hair loss.

Tests show that spirulina is very high in amino acids, & slightly low in sulfurous amino acids. the form of vitamin B-12 in spirulina has no activity in humans. Spirulina contains moderate amounts of Vitamin A, B, E, & minerals.

There is no solid evidence that blue-green algae is a miracle medicine, effectiv in treating medical conditions, or that Phenylalanine suppresses appetite. Spirulina costs about 9 cents per ounce compared to 3/4 cent for animal protien. The bottom line is that protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins & minerals are available from a variety of common foods at a fraction of the cost of spirulina blue-green algae. it is a fashionable, expensive additive to trendy health food products." -- brian

thanks, brian -- interesting article. :-)

Hi Heidi, Well I did the gallbladder flush and gor rid of a few gallstones(are they supposed to be that small). I did a vegie juice fast for a day, took epsom salts and then the olive oil and lemon juice at fifteen minute intervals and then I went straight to bed. The only problem was that at six in the morning, I woke up feeling really sick in the stomach and within five minutes I was vomiting it up. It has kind of put me off doing it again, unless you can suggest something that will stop the vomiting - did this happen with you or is it just me and if so why would that happen. I didn't expect any stones would come out after that, but some did luckily. Anyway that all for now. Chantelle

Hello, Chantelle! Yes, nausea of some kind is pretty common -- remember that this procedure is recommended for folks with difficulty digesting fats. That difficulty will often produce nausea to varying degrees, and vomiting is not unheard of (although not experienced by the majority) on the first try.

However, since you did release some stones, you know it worked for you. After all, the oil was moving along all through the night. Please do NOT be discouraged!! The next time you do it, it will be much easier. :-) When you go to sleep, lie on your right side with your right leg bent and pulled as close to your chest as is comfortably possible.

If you feel at all anxious, or want to discuss details for any reason, do give Julia a call at her number listed on her site. She has many years in-depth experience with the flush, and can advise you very dependably.

Congratulations, by the way!! I think you did JUST fine, and I know you'll experience the benefits and will have a much easier time of it on your next flush. Thanks SO much for the update, Chantelle! :-)

Heidi- Hey girl, thanks for the info on my sons ADD problem, i've been using the Soy lecithin in the MFC and it appears to be helping. How long will it take to see real results?

My next question is for a friend of mine who has just started following the BTD. She is an A and the rest of her family are B's. They currently drink a ton of iced tea throughout the day, (Green tea) and she use to use Sucunat until she found out it was an avoid for one of them. She uses a cup of it too by the way. A big no no I told her, but that's just me. Anyways, she is now looking for an alternative that will be neutral or beneficial to both blood types. Could you give any suggestions that would not break the bank. I suggested Veg gly, but it's too pricy for the amount that she uses. Any suggestions? Thank you for all you do. Sandie

Hey there, Sandie ~~ Keep up the MFC, and his healing will proceed at the speed his body dictates. Everyone is different in that regard -- but you can see now that you're doing the right thing! I'm truly pleased to hear he is showing improvements!

For your friend: the best approach is to drink no more than 3 cups of green tea daily, by the way! ;-} The four sweeteners which are OK for ALL As & Bs regardless of secretor status are: honey, maple syrup, vegetable glycerine and molasses. Since she finds veg gly too expensive, and since maple syrup and molasses both have rather stronger distinctive flavors, I'd suggest honey. It's a lovely sweetener for iced green tea. Just put a bit in there whille the tea's hot, and mix well to dissolve the honey before pouring the tea over ice.

Very warm regards to you & your family and friends, Sandie! :-D

Hi, My Name Is Dawn. I am 36 y.o. female, type O+. I have many questions about doing this diet properly. I have some health concerns as well.

I have hepatitis c, though they say i will never be sick from it, as it is very minute in my blood. as a result,

i do suffer myalgias in my legs at times, am tired a lot, and have trouble with medications and vitamins building up in my liver, causing problems.

I am constantly fighting yeast, which i treat with yogurt (Both vaginally and orally), a food not allowed on my list, and a acidophillus w/bifidus supplement daily.

I also take certain supplements which i need to know if are ok on this diet. Such as L-glutamine and chromium, as i have low blood sugar to boot.

I suffer From terrible blinding Migraine headaches as well, that keep me from straying to far from home. The only medication that works for the blinding is cafergot, which they tell me can cause gang-green if used too much.

I am also (Surgically / 8 years ago) going thru the change of life. I have emotional ups and downs that range from extreme anxiety to depression that lasts for months on end. I CANNOT tolerate Black Cohosh found in many phyto estrogen cocktails, bout i seem to feel better with soy. I also CAnnot do Msm, i get a whopping headache the likes of which make me want to chop my own head off. So the question of hormone balance is a real issue for me, as i do not take hrt or phyto estrogens.Progesterone sent me into a psychosis as well, i had a very bad reaction to depo prevera, which ultimately caused the hysterectomy, as i bled for a solid year.

I really need some advice to help me tailor this diet to work for me and not against me. Supplement listing would be a huge start, as well as any advice you could offer about my own specific related disorders and how to combat them on this diet. Thank you in advance for your time and attention to this matter.

P.S. Is it ok for me a type O to eat organic sprouted flax bread ? I just got off the atkins diet, and i felt terrible without bread and carbs. I have been fighting 2 flu bugs, and i wasn't getting better without adequate fruit and vegetables which are high in fiber and vit c. I lost 15 lbs in 3 days, and learned that i cannot do meat without bread and vegetables. not enough variety in the diet. No i am not a vegetarian, i have always been both high protien and high carb eater in case my comment left you wondering. Please help. Thank you. Dawn

Greetings, Dawn -- welcome! I'm very glad you found us!!

Cafergot (ergotamine tartrate and caffeine) is a dangerous drug. Gangrene is only one of the potential side effects. Both ergotamine and caffeine are vasoconstrictors -- that is why they endanger the blood supply to your extremities, and why this drug is very detrimental to your health long before you experience the symptoms of gangrene.

Of course, migraine is not a disease caused by deficiency of ergotamine and caffeine! Migraine has causes. The only way to free yourself from this torture is to learn what the causes are, and remove them.

The diet and exercise plan for type O as written in Live Right 4 Your Type will eliminate many of the toxic foods which are implicated in migraine (and the rest of your health difficulties).

The reason cafergot works for anyone is primarily the caffeine content. Every painkiller that works for migraine contains caffeine. If you are committed to resolving migraine, please read this site: Caffeine / Migraine Pages. There is a great deal of information on that page, which is the FAQ for his site. If you'd like to read more, click the "Hypothesis" and "Prevent headache" links at the top of that page. Once ALL the caffeine is out of your diet (and that site explains how to do it), and your diet is freed of toxins, your migraines will be a thing of the past.

Candida: As you have seen, the strategies you've been using for the yeast are not working. They're merely alleviating the symptoms as long as you keep using the yogurt and acidophilus and douching. This is a difficult problem to clear up, but it can be done.

First, you will need to follow your O diet very strictly -- and I suggest eliminating grains and processed sugar, but substitute sweet winter squashes and other starchy vegetables for the grain foods and vegetable glycerine for sugar. You will never go hungry! the squashes are filling and very satisfying. Forget carb-counting and calorie-counting -- they are beside the point, trust me! ;-) -- use the portion/frequency tables in Live Right to determine how much of which food group you will eat daily. Both the fruit and the vegetable tables should say "daily" rather than "weekly" -- just mark that in your book. If you'd like some of that sprouted flax bread, it counts as a nut/seed serving rather than a grain serving if it is 100% flax -- is it?

As soon as you can, please send for the Saliva Secretor Test. It will let you customize your diet further.

Instead of acidophilus and yogurt, use PolyFlora-O which is a professional strength probiotic. Also, I suggest ARA6 which feeds the beneficial bacteria (enabling them to put down the candida to normal levels) and which supplies valuable fiber for bowel health.

Before I give specific recommendations for targeting and eliminating the candida, could you tell me -- do you have any amalgam fillings in your teeth? "Silver" amalgam? If you have a lot of them, the candida is actually performing a helpful job -- they're rushing around cleaning up the mercury leaching from the fillings. Candida only grows so strong when the immune system is weakened, meaning that your intestinal flora and fauna are far out of balance and need help.

L-glutamine and chromium are OK for you, for now, Try a little vegetable glycerine for the sugar cravings -- it actively promotes balanced sugar metabolism, especially for nonsecretors (which I expect we'll find out you are).

Also, dear Dawn ~ could you let me know what other medications and supplements, vitamins, herbs, whatever that you're taking now? it will help us see what is really going on in your body now, and provide a basis for designing the best plan for you to go forward with.

Hang in there, and rest assured you came to the right place! I look forward to hearing from you soon!! :-D

First of all, I am new to this whole thing and appreciate all the information I have found on this site!

I am 36 with lots of allergies and asthma and also have lovely panic attacks for which I am taking meds for. I am hoping that this way of eating will help my overall health and also help me shed a few pounds. I am also a full time working mom of 4 kids under 10!

I love to cook and I am trying to prepare things ahead of time for my lunches and dinners, but it would be really nice if there were a list of commercial products out there that are blood type friendly that I could use to "whip up" a quick meal.

I am lucky enough to have a Whole Foods Market nearby, but I find that most of the items I pick up have avoid items in them.(I am a type A+).

Is there a place - or could there be a place - where we can list prepackaged foods that we find are ok to buy for our blood type? For example, there is a corn chip called "Have A Corn Chips" that are made with corn, soybean oil, soy sauce and lime.......sounds like a perfect snack for an "A". It would be so nice to be able to post that somewhere so another "A" can go look for that product at their local store. I just know it would be so much easier for me to shop if I already knew what brands I was looking for....know what I mean?

Any suggestions for asthma or panic attacks would be greatly appreciated too! Thanks so much for everything. Allison

Hi, Allison! A very warm welcome to you!

The diet itself, as written in Live Right 4 Your Type, will greatly help your allergies, asthma and panic attacks, as well as weight loss. Just get firmly onto it, and watch the portion/frequency tables.

I strongly suggest getting hold of some Cortiguard, a product specially designed to reduce your cortisol levels. Cortisol is implicated in many problems, but panic attacks and overweight are two main ones you'd like resolved. Second, YOGA is magnificent for reducing cortisol. Even a few minutes of Alternate Nostril Breathing will make a very noticeable difference in the way you feel.

While we'd love to host a page full of OK products, we've found that product formulations can be changed by the manufacturer at any given time. Everyone still has to read the ingredients of every product -- it's just a fact of life, and I'm pleased you are doing so already! :-) As long as the product contains no avoids, it is fine to consume. However, you may want to stick to organic products only if corn is included: corn is one of the foods most likely to contain genetically modified organisms unless it is labelled ORGANIC. ;-)

Once you're familiar with your "stable" of products you normally buy, then it's just a quick check of the ingredient label each time before purchasing, and you're done.

You have a very busy life with all those kiddles, and I know that making the adjustments is at first a little daunting. However, it becomes second nature after a while, and I'm sure this plan will do great things for you AND your young family! Thank you so much for writing, and please do write again! :-D

Type O Non Secretor Lamb is neutral but Mutton is beneficial? Why or is only on correct? Jeff

Hey there, Jeff! If you have any food value questions, you can find your answer in a flash: just go to the TYPEbase3 database in the middle of the main page (www.dadamo.com), enter your query, and remember to hit the "search database" button to engage the search. Best wishes! :-D

Yam and Potato (Sweet) These two listings have different indications for Type A and O. I am an O - non secreter and I expect that they are nuetral for me, but whenever I see listings which I expect should be the same but aren't, it raises a question. Let me know. As I find these I will keep informing you unless you tell me to stop. Jeff

Hello, Jeff -- The listings in the book are correct. These are two different plants.

Go to the search field at the bottom of this page, and search for "yam" (without the quotation marks). Scroll to the bottom of the list of links. Five from the last, you'll see one called "Who's Who on Sweet Potatoes and Yams." Hope it helps!! :-)

Intestinal Gas. This is further to my previous post and your response for which I thank you. I have been on the diet for five months now. I had been a vegetarian since I was 16 and I am now 40. I have always had a bloating problem. For a while after I began the diet the bloating went away. I have not changed my activities or diet around the time that it returned. I do not take enzymes currently. I do yes eat beans but only the fresh green string beans which I steam. Tonight I ate green beans and had powerful gas and bloating. Could gas be produced from eating beans within 3 hours of consumption or is something else producing this. Thank you kindly for your responses. Ruth

Hello, Ruth! See Maia's detailed post in the October 5 column. Best wishes!! :-D

Heidi: Have you ever heard of pineapple increasing photosensitivity? I seem to remember reading it somewhere, sometime. On a different, but slightly related matter, I'm still experiencing the red dots just on the front of my thighs. Tried eliminating all of my regulars and they're still there! Was thinking maybe I was drinking too much pineapple juice. I was getting little sores in my lower inside lip (much as I do when I overindulge in pineapple - just the fruit). Those have gone away when I stopped drinking it, but the leg bumps continue. Any thoughts? Carolyn

Hi, Carolyn -- No, I haven't heard of any correlation between photosensitivity and pineapple intake. I have read (and experienced) that pineapple does not produce that mouth reaction if the core is removed before eating or juicing. Try that, see what you learn.

About the skin manifestation: How are you doing on the B vitamins, and grass-fed animal products? I saw a 'seemingly miraculous' difference in a woman's skin just two days after she stopped eating grain-fattened beef, and substituted lamb instead. Try that and see how you do. Also, are you taking any supps at all in excess of the recommended dosage?

Do come back with an update when you can! Very best wishes to you, dear! :-)

If type "O" don't tolerate wheat, why can eat unleavened bread? Thank you. ornella

Hi, Ornella!! Whether the bread is leavened or not makes no difference -- the wheat must be 100% sprouted. That makes ALL the difference. :-D

Hi Heidi, I am Ferruccio, Thanks for your long and complete email. I noticed that you know Italian, very good ! I would like to ask a clarification: So the best book is Live right 4YT, because I tought the Encyclopedia book was the latest. Farro or kamut seitan is then ok for me ? Some people told me that is gluten and not supposed to be good for my type. But is from farro. then should be ok, please confirm.

Brewer's yeast in flakes to use as a substitue of cheese is ok, the same some people say yeast are not good.

I noticed that you suggest, salmon but I think is not good with people like me with tendency to have higher colesterol because of a hypothiroidism ( taking thyroxine) The same applies to soy products, very beneficial to A type but I am not sure to hypo thyroid patients on thyroxine. Flaxeed oil, I have been taking a daily tablespoon but I am not sure if is ok for cholesterol problematic people like me, I noticed in my last blood check up that cholesterol and tryglicerides where on the above average side, I am not sure if due to to much carbo or too much oil ( flax seed and olive oil) I should also take flaxseed seeds on the top of the oil. Why flaxseed oil/seeds are so good ? Is really soy products ( especially tofu and tempeh) not recommended for thyroid patients on thyroxine ? Thanks for your kindness and reply Ciao Ferruccio

Hello, Ferruccio! It's important to understand that "people" do not examine these issues scientifically and with individual blood types in mind. Most of them have very little knowledge, and could not even answer your questions if they were asked. :-( they get their health information from "what everyone thinks."

Salmon is beneficial -- fish oils and FLAX OIL can LOWER your "bad" cholesterol and also improve your HDL/LDL ratio.

High serum cholesterol is NOT caused by eating high-cholesterol food. 90% of your cholesterol is produced In The Liver. Eating right 4 Your Type will heal the liver and allow the rest of the tissues to heal -- and will mean a lower average serum cholesterol reading.

People get confused between "yeast" (Candida albicans) and "brewer's or nutritional yeast" (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The two have NOTHING in common! :-D

Good whole grain that is Beneficial for you is GOOD for you -- in the recommended portions and frequencies listed in Live Right. Soy products are also good for you, in the recommended frequencies and portions in Live Right. To read more about this, go to the "Contact On the Diet" link at the top of this page, then read the SOY section of the Ask a Question FAQ. I hope this helps, my dear! Take GOOD care!! :-D

Hello Heidi, Thanks HEAPS for helping me out with my breastfeeding friend's questions about increasing breast milk production. It's such a blessing to be able to access you so easily.

Here's another from the same A+ mom with B twin 2 month old girls: "....New challenge, thrush. Both girls have it. That explains the sore nipples. I thought that it was overuse. I was curious what Dr. D and Heidi has to say about it. The books seem to differ on the significance. Our ped prescribed diflucan for the girls & lipitor for me. But the label on the lipitor says not to be ingested, if swallowed call poison control. I'm not sure about putting it on my nipples. Cleaning them well enough for the girls to nurse will probably cause bleeding....." Any suggestions or insights, Heidi? She's been very good about sticking to her A diet. Again, thanks for your assistance! Mary

Dearest Mary! Hello, dear! what a good friend you are!

Oh -- umm.... diflucan.. and lipitor?? YIKES. You know I'm not a doctor, but Oh, please none of those things.

Use grapefruit seed extract instead. A few drops in water to clean her nipples, and several drops daily internally for her (see the package directions). Even a drop in water for the little ones. It should clear up the thrush pretty quickly. She needs the PolyFlora-A to keep her intestinal health (and immunity) optimal while she's feeding those littles. And she should not be taking lipitor while pregnant (or EVER, gosh darn it!) -- if her cholesterol levels are indeed high enough to warrant concern, then Chinese Red Yeast Rice is the answer.

Thanks for letting me know that she's firmly on her diet, Mary -- give me another quick report on the thrush, etc., when you can. You're SUCH a good friend, honestly! take good care, dear! :-)

I would also like to say that I have been following your column for the last couple of months and appreciate the daily encouragement.

FYI, I am a AB+ Non-sceretor. I have been trying to follow the diet for 2-3 months with generally positive results. I have experienced significantly reduced digestive problems and headaches, and near total relief from life long sinus problems which were always attributed to allergies. I have also lost some weight.

I seem to have plateaued for the time being and am working through what I expect is detoxing. I am also a single parent with two AB children (both girls) one +, one -, secretor status' unknown at this time. I am trying to migrate them to better eating habits since both corn and chicken have been staples all of their lives. The biggest challenges I face are my own cooking abilities and my youngests heartaches about giving up chicken which was one of our old staples. It doesn't help that she hears from others that chicken is good for her because it's low-fat and she rebels against fish. Jeff

Hello, Jeff! You're doing a great job with your own diet, and in taking care of your girls.

If your youngest daughter tells you what she heard from others (about chicken being good for her, for example), that's an opportunity to teach her about how to evaluate information she receives. :-) That lesson, just like the BTD, will stand her in very good stead over the years.

Bless you for being such a great Dad -- please keep me posted on how it goes for you & your family! :-D

My question concerns soya. I have read all Peters work he has on soya and how invaluable it is for blood groupA. However, I have recently read a lot of material on the internet from various sites that have made me vary concerned about this food. The information suggests the soya bean is not complete in amino acids and contains trypsin which inhibits protein digestion and that the phytates inhibit the absorption of certain minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium and zinc. It also suggests that cooking doesnt get rid of all the phytic acid necessary to make it properly digestible.

I have a problem with protein digestion and have seriously wondered if it is to do with the soya I eat. I only eat tempeh and soya milk and occasionally tofu, no yoghurt or cheese. I am confused as to the best way forward. The articles also suggest to be wary of genisten and diadzen because of the eostrogenic qualities and the possible link to some cancers. I dont know whether you will be able to throw any light on this subject.

Some of the articles did suggest if you eat soya it should only be the fermented kind. How does that relate to the power sprouts? I wonder if you can give me some idea as to the daily recommendation in grams of how much soya I should eat. Many thanks for your wisdom and knowledge, this way of eating has helped me so much.

I am still not there yet so to speak and it has taken me a long time to get the thinking right with this, but I do feel much better and believe me I have trailed around for the past five years constantly searching for the right path to follow. I just wish I had known about this way of living years ago and it is a way of life for me not just a diet, I would be a richer person today in financial terms. Thanks Heidi, sorry its long, hope you dont mind, Val, from wet and cold England!

Hey there, Val! When you click the link on this page that says "Contact On The Diet," you see an Ask A Question FAQ. Try that page now, and scroll down looking for "soy." Just follow the directions -- Peter has written extensively on this subject.

enjoy! :-D

Hello Heidi!!! First I would like to say patricia that I also love Butternut and always had a hard time take the skin out. Then a friend of mine told me to put into the microwave for some minutes and then take the skin out. I don't like to use the microwave, too. So What I have done is cut the butternut in some pieces with the skin and steam in those "chinese bambu pans" (I hope you understand what I am trying to say...hehehe!!). It's much easier to peel.

However, I want to know from you Heide if it is a good idea or not. don't you recomend to use the oven? What about steam?

Hello, Bcha! Putting the squash in the oven with the skin on, or steaming the chunks, is just fine. However, it's a very good idea to avoid using the microwave for anything except brief (1 1/2 minutes or less) "reheating."

thanks for your squash cooking tips! :-D

Bonjour Heidi! I saw the note today with the progesterone cream tip for the woman in the UK. I have another tip for her (sorry, don't remember her name...). If she can make a trip to France, she can buy natural progesterone caplets (which can be used vaginally or orally). They come in 200mg and 100mg strengths. The name is "Utrogestan", and they contain natural, micronised progesterone suspended in oil (which I understand is necessary to be effective when taked orally and away from food).

Personally, I never had much success with progesterone cream, and what I used was from possibly the best source (Women's International Pharmacy in prescription dosages). But, hey, it might work wonders for her... The Utrogestan is a prescription item in France.....but I've never encountered a pharmacy in France that would not sell prescription items without a doctor's prescription - antibiotics, sleeping pills, whatever you want.....just show them the money! Heidi, mon amie, I send you love from France, Abby

By the way, does anyone know if Calphalon pans (anodized aluminum) are dangerous??? I have a small fortune invested in them, and have used them for years.....but recently stopped using them in favor of stainless steel or cast iron pans. Maybe this is not necessary??? Anyway, thanks again Ryan, and perhaps you know about cooking pans???? You're right as usual Heidi, this Ryan is some guy!!! a bientot, Abby

Thanks for the tips on obtaining progesterone in France, Abby! :-)

Seasoned iron, glass or lead-free ceramic cookware are the safest ones I'm aware of. I'm posting your question here so that folks knowledgeable about the relative safety or hazards of anodized aluminum, etc., might reply.

Also, I recall that on the archived message boards, Joachim offered a number of professional insights regarding the plastics used in nonstick pans. Take a stroll through the archives and search for his username -- well worth the time spent reading!! :-D

Hi Heidi! Notes for Janice with the veggie bloating & slow weight loss...

my understanding is that broccoli especially ferments in the GI tract very easily, and creates gas if it doesn't move through at a good pace. The things that help digestion may help -- fiber, water, enough fatty acids/oils, no magnesium deficiency, enough B vitamins (brewer's yeast), & proper protein digestion. Poorly digested protein moves like glue, which can happen because of not enough enzymes (can supplement til adjust) or not enough stomach acid, among others. Low stomach acid can happen because of zinc deficiency, salt (chloride) deficiency, or a history of not eating meat.

For low acid, seasoning the meat with squeezed lemon can help adjust, or HCl tablets may be OK for some people, or I used to put 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a bit of water & drink it before each meal.

Once you're up to par on zinc etc, can wean off. (Of course keep in mind any stomach trouble, I had none.)

Poorly digested protein means dark, dense stool or putty-like stool. Get the protein digestion right and life is quickly much happier, if that is the cause of trouble.

I am suspicious of protein intake because of the slow weight loss. One poached egg at breakfast is only about 6 g protein. Don't know Janice's type, but as a 5'6 1/2" O-type I need at least 100g daily. I'm not yet physically active, and a person doing lots of cardio/weights might need more protein.

Plus if protein isn't digesting right, people don't absorb as much. Protein deficiency in my experience made weight loss impossible -- I was overweight because I was starving for protein. Body metabolism slows, body hangs onto fat, simulates hypothyroid state. Hope this helps! (o:Maia

Maia, how can I say "thank you" again? I feel inadequate to express my gratitude. This is invaluable information -- not only for Janice, but for everyone who seeks to understand these phenomena.

I'm endlessly grateful for your eloquent sharing of your significant knowledge in such matters (earned by hard effort and other costs) and I'm so very pleased and blessed by your continued contributions here.

... in other words, THANKS AGAIN, YOU ANGEL! :-D

Hi Heidi, I did the iodine test like you recommended , twice, and both times the spot disappeared within a few hours, so I have added the iodized salt to my diet. I also bought some kelp today.

In the meantime, I had my dr. appointment, another set of blood work, and the results were that the tsh dropped a point after the iodine added to the diet for 1 week. ( went from 6.5 to 5.5) Of course the dr. suggested that I go on synthroid, but I refused and suggested that since the tsh went down that much in 1 week that I continue for a while longer and see what happens.

My only symptoms are that I do get cold easy, and I'm wondering if the pains in neck and hands could have been from low thyroid, though they are so much better from the diet changes.

My question for you is: do I need to give up the green tea? I have read that it contains fluoride which competes with iodine. I have been drinking it for the antioxidents and the allergies, but I'm laying off for now until I find out further.

Also I'm considering using Deflect, as maybe some lectins are hanging around the thyroid?? I'm reading up on the gallbladder and liver flush and gearing up for that too. The dr. was really no help, and seemed doubtful that I would be able to get the tsh in normal range without synthroid. He said that food remedies are anecdotal and he gives me 8 weeks and then recheck. I plan to be back to normal by then. Thanks for all your help. You're the greatest!! Suzanna (

Hey there, Suzanna! All I can say to your doctor is "Anecdote THIS, buddy!" sorry, it just really browns me off to hear of "doctors" accepting money for that kind of advice. I mean, your TSH drops one whole point and all he can say is "Take my drug anyway, OK?" That's someone I wouldn't trust myself to meet in a dark alley, let alone in a well-lit place where the urge to trounce him would be overwhelming. {sigh} sorry, just my adrenaline pumping up there. The feeling of helplessness is CERTAINlY an incentive to violence. ;-> You woudn't (or maybe you would) believe how much of this "licensed behaviour" I hear about constantly. GRRRR!! and now ... I'll just relax and ponder the wisdom of the Serenity Prayer! ;-)

You're doing just splendidly with the thyroid issue now. You were very low in iodine. As I mentioned, the "iodine test" is both a diagnostic and a treatment. Keep it up just as you're doing, and do not worry about the green tea. For more info there, do a search for "Ryan" in this column, and read the topmost two posts.

Deflect is an excellent idea, even if you're not currently eating avoids. It will speed the process of undoing old damage.

The liver flush will be quite an eye-opener for you, I'm sure. Let me know if you have any questions before starting it. I feel it will speed your progress along in ways you can't even imagine right now. Yay! :-)

Those pains and susceptibility to cold are indeed classic signs of low thyroid function. The BTD does wonders in that area, and over time will do the job entirely. My notes here are given in order to boost clearing of various organs, thereby enhancing the effects of the diet and shortening the healing time-span.

Won't it be nice when the day comes, and not long from now, when you can tell your doctor your own "ANECDOTE" of how you HEALED YOURSELF!? please don't tell me that man's name, I don't trust myself to behave properly. ;-> You be well, dear, and write with anything that arises. love to you! :-D

Hi Heidi. I'm an O Secretor and have been following the diet now for about a year and a half. My friends would call me a healthnut long before I began this lifestyle. But, this lifestyle realy has finetuned everything and changed it all remarkably and so much for the better. My health continues to improve.

I had always exercised.. mostly weights and very fast walking.. but since Jan 2003, I've added running to my diet.. and now I run quite bit. I can't believe how this works so well. The difference is quite remarkable.

I learn so much from your column.

I have a few questions: exercise plays such an important role in my lifetsyle. If I have to be away from exercise for a few weeks but will return evntually full force, is there a way to mitigate any damage done?

2) I have a rough scaly patch on my right thumb that peels and bleeds easily and never heals. It's weird.. because every other area of my body including my skin seems healthy to the max and has improved with this lifestyle.. things heal quicker than ever.. but this is like a peeling patch.. that bleeds easily and never heals (I had it off and on before starting with this diet). Also my fingernail seems to always have dirt under the nail.. (sorry to be gross). It doesn't spread or anything. It is just confined to that area. It can be very painful. I am thinking it might be some kind of a fungal thing?? Any info? This is in such contract to all else going on with my health and skin is very healthy otherwise.

3) The way I do the diet is: I eat only from the beneficial and neutral foods.. never cheating by ingesting any of the avoids. I don't really like to go out to eat anymore as I'd rather eat organic yeslist foods at home as it makes me feel so well!! Making picnics has become my treat! I make sure to eat a good deal of the beneficial foods. I never go off it for any reason.

The only thing I allow myself off the plan is two cups of organic coffee in the morning.. How bad is this? I don't think that coffee presents a lectin-based problem for the O's, correct? I don't drink coffee at any other time (so, I do not mix it with food). When I have it on the empty stomach in the morning.. it seems to do no harm to me. I'm just wondering how bad do you think this is??

4) The further I go on this healing process... I think the deeper the healing goes. Sometimes I'll have symptoms of clearing out. Are there any articles on other people's experiences with healing as the process continues when they get symptoms far along into their regime as their healing is getting deeper?

I have more questions but I'll stop there.. thanks.. Candace

Hey there, Candace ~~ If you're in some situation where you can't exercise strenuously for a couple of weeks, just maintain some strength with the 5BX Fitness Plan" That link is to a site which is somewhat less easy to navigate than the old one I used to recommend (which is gone). However, this exercise program takes only 11 minutes total, and is great for travellers and folks with very tight schedules. Requires nothing other than space to lie down in. GREAT program.

For your scaly thumb, get a bottle of Heallix and begin taking it internally and applying it nightly before you sleep. It should clear it up within one week.

Coffee has several effects on type O: it increases stomach acid (of which we already have plenty); it inactivates our intestinal alkaline phosphatase, necessary for (a) optimal fat digestion and (b) optimal calcium absorption; and it messes with our adrenaline output (it can keep us on edge and a little prone to frustration and upset, even though we may not recognize the effect at the time). It's up to you whether you feel it's OK to continue with it or not -- but do keep these proven effects in mind. Calcium assimilation especially is a fundamental issue for one's entire health.

Your experiences with healing "bumps" are quite common! As time goes on, and the proper diet and activities are engaged in, the body takes opportunities at its own determined schedule to do little housecleaning jobs.

I'll gladly post any experiences others have with this particular function -- write in, folks! But Candace, I'm quite familiar with it and it's nothing to fear. It's to be welcomed. THANKS so much for writing, and I look forward to hearing the rest of your questions! :-D

Hi Heidi, This note is for Janice who was wanting to find out her secretor status.

In Ontario we can get our Lewis testing done under OHIP so there is no direct cost to her. This is not the saliva test but will give her a pretty accurate indication of her status.

This is what I did. Go to your doctor and request to have the Lewis testing done. The doctor may not be aware of it so maybe bring some information on it i.e. a printout from this site.

Take the requisition you get to a hospital lab (MDS labs did not know what I was talking about) and they will be able to do it there.

Your doctor will probably have to request the results (so if you are waiting and waiting to hear the results please ask your doctor's office to call the lab who can fax it to him or her and you will then probably have to interpret the results yourself as to whether you are a secretor or non-secretor by what he receives).

Whichever route you take I hope you can find out your secretor status. I found out I am a non-secretor and this information has made all the difference though my meal preparation is more challenging now. Sharon

thank you, Sharon! much appreciated!! It's a pleasure to hear these services are readily available in Canada now! :-D

Hi, Heidi!! Today is my 6th day after flush. I did exactly the way Julia Chang put on her site: 2 days apple juice with cold pressed extra virgin olive oil w/lemon only on the second day before bed time. I felt nausea as she said is normal and every thing elsse.

However, I did not notice anything coming out. I actually was constipaded during that days. Until now I have not introduced meat in my meals. I have being eating a lot of DARK greens. Fruits: as plums, Artchoke, carrot, and celery (water along the day).

I came back eating (after 3rd day) ginger, a little bit of sweet potato and yesterday night prunes. What was my surprise when she told me that ginger should not been taken att all!!

I felt good during those fasting (apples) days. I felt calm, relaxed and not hungry. Is that a good sign?

Well, it seems that my liver is very congestionated. So, Julia told me to go back to Chinese Bitter for 2 more weeks and repeat the flush without stop taking Chinese Bitter.

I have to tell you that I also bought Polyflora-O. I am going to receive that on Monday (probably).

There's one very interesting fact that I notice. I have had a really painfull feeling from the top of my back in direction to my shoulder. I beleive I have some general problems with my tendons because it is always realated to that (shin splint in my right leg, my hands when typing, and now my shoulder!!!) What do you think? Is that a sign that my liver is bad, or not?

Water with lemon and salt is part of my day life (however, I have not find Epsom salt to buy). Last thing: I found gold flax seed. What's the difference between this one and the dark one? Heidi, thank you very much for your attention. I am getting better, and I am persistent. I will get it resolved!! Thanks you!! Bcha



Bcha, you will be surprised when I say, this is WONDERFUL news!! Because of your results, you have gained a great deal of knowledge that we would not have obtained otherwise.

That new shoulder pain is exactly indicative of liver congestion. Now we understand much more clearly why your hormones have been so much in imbalance. There are a multitude of little "unrelated-looking" problems which are now coming into focus. Hoorah!

Trust in Julia's advice to you absolutely. She has immense experience with this procedure, and will guide you perfectly. For instance, I have never heard from anyone who did not have a significant elimination after the flush. But as you see, she is well familiar with this outcome. Just keep up with it as she advises, and you will see a very great change in your health entirely.

Gold flax is a variety which some people find is more effective than brown flax, with less allergenic stimulus for example. However, it's more expensive. If brown flax works as well as gold for you, stick with the brown. :-)

Your persistence and great energy will pay off magnificently! I am very happy for you!! You have SO much to look forward to -- both you and your husband!

bless you, Bcha -- just go straight on with a happy heart as you are doing now!

:-D

Hi Heidi, I just wanted to say that I admire you for all the wonderful work you do on this site. Truly you have helped thousands and I know they are very grateful too.

I just had a question about Deflect B and heallix. Oh and I'm type B, don't know my secreter status but I ordered it last week. I just wanted to know how effective heallix really is and if it truly would be fine for me to take since I'm only 18. I'm not in bad health or anything its just that I continue to get colds during the winter season especially during soccer season and I thought that heallix might help prevent this, but I just wanted to make sure it is 100% safe.

If it is safe when should I take it when I feel a cold coming on and how much. Also, when I'm out with my friends a lot I am pressured to eat avoids and sometimes I give in, I was wondering if Deflect B would help me hault the harmful avoids acting on my system and if I do eat an avoid on one occasion when should I take the Deflect and at what dose. -- Ashley

Hello, Ashley! How lovely you've come to this plan so young! :-) You'll never regret it. It will mean an enormous enhancement to your health, and if you have children, the benefits to them will be impossible to quantify. Congratulations for being such a smart cookie! :-)

Deflect is designed to "lure away" lectins in foods which are bad for your health. However, foods and practices which are harmful for reasons OTHER than lectins (there are a number of them, too) won't be affected by Deflect. So do take it, and I suggest taking it at the regular dosage listed on the bottle. But also strive to follow your B diet closely. You'll learn more as you go along.

Instead of Heallix, I suggest ProBerry3 liquid (sold in the Store here). Again, take it at the dosage recommended on the bottle. You can certainly add Heallix if you like -- it's quite safe, and its dosages are printed on that bottle as well -- but ProBerry3 is tailor-made for keeping those viruses at bay. And it tastes GREAT!

Heallix would be a good thing for you to keep on hand in case you do feel a nasty coming on. In that case, use it at the therapeutic dose, as directed on the label. In other words, just consider it a medicine in your medicine chest.

Thanks SO much for writing, Ashley -- keep in touch! :-D

Hi Heidi Thanks for responding to me. I had a partial hyst. I kept my ovaries. The bladder surgery was called a TVT I think, it was like a little thing they inserted after the hyst. to pull my bladder back up where it was supposed to be so that when I run, sneeze etc. I don't go to the bathroom.



I live in Ontario Canada so I don't know where to go to get tested.



I really don't eat alot of grains. I buy exekiel bread, have not been able to find that other one, can't think of the name. I have a poached egg and toast for break. I eat sweet potatoes for dinner once in a while and eat ryveta/wasa crisps for lunch. Thats really the only grains I'm having at all.



I try to eat protein at every meal and I eat fruit in between with a bit of moz. cheese. I'm really sticking to it quite strictly and have cut out sugar and processed foods almost totally. I use rice milk or soya milk in my tea and have cut out alcohol except for the occassional glass of wine or beer. I do 2 spinning classes a week and a combo of cardio/weights 3 times a week and also do a 20 min. pilates tape at home 3 times a week.



That is why I'm finding it so frustrating. I'm not on any medications from the surgery. I take kelp and bladderwrack daily. I'm trying not to get discouraged but its been 2 months now and nothing. Also everytime I eat green vegetables I get horrible stomach aches and gas. If I eat broccoli it just about kills me, same with green beans, so I've been sticking to salad with a bit of olive oil and rice vinegar with a bit of sea salt. I drink at least 2 litres of water a day, sometimes with a bit of lemon. Janice



Hi, Janice! You said you put on 10 pounds prior & after surgery. for a total of 20 pounds? or only 10 altogether? If I knew your height/age/current weight, it would help in determining how to proceed. I don't have to publish any information you'd rather kept private. :-)



I was also wondering -- with the exercise, you should be building muscle (which as you know weighs more than the equal volume of fat). Are your clothes looser -- have you tried measuring your waist, hips and top-of-each-thigh, then comparing with the next week's results?



There are a couple of areas you might consider tweaking a bit.



One is grains. Many people are simply not designed to eat grain daily, and you may be one of them. If you're a nonsecretor, soy is an avoid as well. Sweet potato and other beneficial or neutral root veg are fine for you -- they do not metabolize in the same way that grains do, so they belong to a totally different digestive category for purposes of the diet.



Have you experimented with having "dinner for breakfast, and breakfast for dinner"? and kept to the portion/frequency tables for secretors?



It appears that you're not producing some of the digestive enzymes necessary for adequate assimilation of crucifers (broccoli) or even the immature legumes present in green beans. You mentioned tea -- could you tell me what kind of tea? For the legumes, a plant enzyme product containing amylase should help -- or something like "beano" which helps break down the oligosaccharides in beans. My system, too, is quite intolerant of legumes for the most part. Even peas leave me queasy. However, for the sulphur veg like broccoli, I'm a bit at a loss. ANY READERS HAVE INPUT ON THIS ISSUE? There may be an enzyme, either single or in combination, which will alleviate your stomach pains & gas trouble with broccoli and other greens -- I just haven't found it. If you've used organic broccoli, and if the same pains persist, just eliminate them for now as you're doing.



Oh -- and tell me how you cook the broccoli, and how 'well done' it is?



However, I want you to know that this problem can be a clue for figuring out the rest of the trouble. We should thank it, and keep searching. It may be that we'll find a calcium deficiency, a magnesium deficiency, or some other mineral needed for correct digestion of rich greens.



If you're interested in getting your secretor status, send an email to Francoise at sherbrooke@abovie.com. She's been facilitating secretor tests for Canadians for years now. OR -- SEE BELOW! ;-D



OK, so I hope this has been of some little help at least! and we'll see what we come up with for the veg issue. Janice, I'm absolutely sure this diet will work for you! And your body has taken this opportunity to tell us more about what it needs. We will certainly benefit from that information. Hang in there, don't give up -- and keep writing! :-)

Let me add my mega dittos to all the well deserved praise you receive. I have been daily monitoring the website and have been busy "preaching/extolling" the beneits of the BTD. One dear friend has Parkinson'sDisease. My search of the website does not show me any references to this illness. Could you or Dr. D write about Parkinsons and the effect of the BTD. Also, my friend's wife said that the Parkinsons seemed to be leading into Ahlzeimers; both very dreadful. Many, many thanks, Conrad



Hello, Conrad!



for your friend: B Vitamins!!! First thing in the morning, 1-3000 mcg of active B12 (methylcobalamin -- we have a capsule form here, Methyl B12Plus. Get a good brand of nutritional yeast such as KAL brand, and take two to three tablespoons daily in smoothies, soups, spread on buttered toast or veg, any way he's willing to take it.



Also, phosphatidyl serine to replace what is being depleted from the brain tissues. It must be taken at a rather high dosage -- follow the package label. One or two tablespoons of lecithin in a smoothie every day. Folic acid, 400-500 mcg daily. These are some basic ideas, not knowing anything at all about him otherwise.



I hope he is not taking Reglan for heartburn. A common side effect is the development of Parkinson's.



Now -- tell me more about your friend. ABO group, Rhesus type, usual diet, any medications or supps he takes, his age, weight, and general disposition. I don't want to sound like a doctor here (and I remind everyone once again that I am not a doctor), but the more info you give me, the more pieces I'll have to the puzzle.



Bless you, Conrad -- you're a good friend! :-D

By the way I am the acupuncturist who wrote in earlier about her addiction to the soft drink, Coke with high fructose corn syrup. As a B-type, secretor, I found it humorous that I had a hard time losing weight while drinking those. As I have quit, I switched to Diet Coke, knowing that I shouldn't be drinking soda anyway as a B, not to mention the toxicity of aspartame. I was wondering if sparkling mineral water that has that fizziness that I love so much would be alright? Are Perrier and Pellegrino okay for Bs? Thanks again for being such a compassionate force for health. Tracy S.



Hi there, Tracy! you are VERY kind, dear! ;-)



Yeah, it's amazing how ... shall we say, "effective!" corn syrup is! ;->



Carbonated beverages are neutral for B nonsecretors and avoids for B secretors. That said, there is a significant difference between commercially-applied carbonatin and and the naturally-occurring fizz in mineral waters.



Definitely try some of the mineral water -- flavor it with a bit of sweetener and a shot of black cherry concentrate! A touch of Harmonia green drink shaken up with ice, mineral water and some dark berry concentrate gets a little Dr. Pepper thing going -- I think you'll like it very much! Just a touch of stevia, vegetable glycerine, honey, maple syrup, or rice syrup will do the trick. enjoy, and thanks for your note! :-D

Hi Heidi My secretor test came back non-secretor. That explains why I like Garlic and Avocado's so much. On the TYPEbase page for Pineapple and Pineapple Juice, there are two listings Pineapple says for Type O is nuetral and Pineapple Juice says Beneficial. It appears Type AB and O are switched for Pineapple. Can you confirm that? Hope you are well.



I forgot to say before that I am an *O* non secretor. I have just learned that soy is now out of my diet. Can you explain why? Also a small insistency is that olives are out but olive oil is still good? Can you provide more detail? Thanks Jeff



Hello, Jeff! Well, welcome to the Nonnie Niche! You have lots of company. ;-)



Yes, those pineapple/ juice ratings are correct. Soy drops to Avoid for O nonsecretors because of the way the soy lectin ("SBA") acts upon our particular strengths & weaknesses. It has none of the protective effects it exhibits in type A secretors, mostly due to the fact that we have built-in protections for those ailments. It is also rather disruptive to our digestion, since we are far less able to provide the secretion environment in which it's best assimilated.



Olive oil is good -- olive flesh is not. ;-) Once the oil is pressed out, the stuff that is irritating to us is left behind in the flesh. This question is closely analogous to the perennial type A wonderment at peanuts being beneficial and peanut oil being an avoid. Quite a learning process, eh? :-)



As you may know, our Nina hosts a discussion group for nonsecretors, as a forum in which to share recipes, tips, tricks and chat. If you'd like to join, just let me know and I'll wing your addy to her and request an invitation for you. and again, welcome to the clan! :-D

Hello Heide, I want to ask you about H. Pylori. I read about H. Pylori infection on the internet. I had been experiencing symptoms of who knows what? I asked my HMO physician to test me for it and sure enough, I didn't have "acid reflux", or an ulcer. I had a H. Pylori infection. Who knows how many years I had it? I took the 14-day protocal to get rid of it. All that tetracycline, etc. threw my system all out of balance. Now here is my question. I read that H. Pylori thrives in a low acid environment. I am Type A. Of course when I've discussed BTD with my HMO physician he is quick to say he doesn't believe in it. Please tell me anything you can about what foods are good for keeping H. Pylori manageable or away. Thank you for your wonderful daily writings. Spirah



Greetings, Spirah! welcome in!!



First, follow your type A diet as outlined in Live Right 4 Your Type. The more closely you can get to 100% beneficial foods each day, the better you will feel and the faster you'll kick that bacterium out. Second, take the supplement bladderwrack, daily. It is great for luring H. pylori away from your delicate tissues. Third, use Heallix at the therapeutic dosage. It will help undo the damage that those antibiotics wrought on you -- and will accomplish the same thing they try to do, but without harm. Fourth, get hold of PolyFlora-A and its friend, ARA6, and take them every day.



You can certainly resolve this problem without drugs, and come out healthier than ever. You're going to be fine!



Spirah, please keep in touch and let me know how you are doing, OK? I'll be watching for your next note! :-D

Hi This message is to alert Canadian message board readers that they can now get their secretor status tested in Canada. I attempted to purchase the secretor status test through The Blood Type Store (this website), but was alarmed to find that the total cost was $147 CDN.



I did a websearch to find an alternative, and located Blood-Link Inc. (www.blood-link.com), a LRFYT compliant testing centre in Burlington Ont. The contact there is Deborah Parker (djparker@blood-link.com). The testing is actually done out of a lab in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Total cost $94 (CDN); secretor status positive (priceless).



Just another note about chlorine to tack on... my naturopath recommended a product called Chlorum 6X made by Dolisos. She suggested that I take it just before swimming, and 3 X in the 24 hours subsequent to swimming. Seems to ward off the immune system effects. This product should be easy to order from any store selling homeopathic products. The brand is not critical as any equivalent solution will do the trick. Cheers, Nadine.



WHOO-HOO!!! Nadine, WHAT great news about the saliva test in Canada!! VERY EXCITING!!



I thank you VERY kindly for that, and also for the tip on the Chlorum homeopathic. Very best wishes, dear!! :-D

Help, Help Heidi, sorry to be writing again so soon especially when I havent got a reply to my other questions yet but here goes. I have started the yeast protocol as my facial rash had flared up again with the anti-fungal cream I am using so thought I would try the yeast protocol now as my face was bad anyway and I thought it may help it get better. HOW WRONG WAS I. I really need some urgent advice on what to do,

I woke this morning with my eyes very swollen up and a terrible rash all over my face. It is especially bad around my mouth and chin area. It is red and crusted with yellow sticky discharge and dry and tight and flaking off aswell.

Is this a die-off reaction to the yeast protocol, should I take an oral antifungal as well? I am taking 6 POLYFLORA a day to try and help and have cut the caprylic acid to one tablet twice a day. I am beside myself, I look like a monster and wont leave the house but am going out of town to stay with relatives in a week with my baby but I dont want to go looking like this. Please can you offer some advice urgently, I know you are busy and have other questions but I dont think I can wait the week that it normally takes for a reply. thankyou kylie

Hey there, Kylie!

Listen, for now just use your cream, and continue with PolyFlora and Deflect. Drink those 9 or 10 glasses of water daily with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of sea salt.

The skin results you are getting indicate you do have a serious systemic candida problem -- and they also show that the candida protocol is very effective for you. What you'll want to do is to schedule the candida protocol at a time when you'll be able to control how quickly the process occurs, and will be able to weather the worst of it without having to leave home and go visiting. So, discontinue the protocol for now.

Remember the naturopaths telling you about die-off? That's what's happening with your skin. Now, the ingredients of that cream look good. It will make you far more comfortable in the short run. However, it is influencing the infection to stay inside -- in other words, it's 'pushing it back inside' -- it can't address the causes (the diet and protocols will do that). But that cream is FAR BETTER than the steroidal creams you were using before -- they're also part of the reason you're having such a violent "clear out" through your skin. The steroidal creams need to be detoxed-out now as well.

Of course, we need to work from the inside out in order to rid you of it entirely! so take heart, and figure out when you can devote a block of time (four to six weeks) to focusing very strictly on the diet and the candida regimen.

Do you have any metal fillings in your teeth? Silver amalgam fillings? Please let me know.

Also, are you getting some yoga, gentle stretching, or light exercise? It will greatly help speed your elimination (and help your skin immediately), and we need to get the bowels moving well in preparation for the candida program. OK?

Just hang in there -- it will all be resolved, and you'll never have to go through it all again once it's firmly under control and your healthy balance is restored.

OK! So stick very closely to your diet, drink that water, get some calming exercise, and take the Deflect and PolyFlora. Try a very warm bath with Epsom salts -- it's good for soothing and drawing out poisons. Bless you, dear! I'll hold the other questions for you until we get through this phase, OK? write again soon!! :-D

I am Type A Secretor. I love your column and I appreciate all you do. I have all the books except the baby one. I will soon be 75 years old and husband will soon be 80, he is Type O and very healthy. I quit smoking almost 7 years ago and have had problems with weight gain ever since. First, 20, 30 and now 40 lbs. up. Otherwise, I am healthy. Caroline Farris

Thanks for your kindness, Caroline! Type As do very well with weight loss if they get plenty of water daily (the more you force yourself to drink, the more often you may find you really are thirsty but never knew it before!) and eat four to six small meals daily -- with one or two of those just simple raw salads.

I'm very pleased to hear you're doing well, and I'd like to hear how the weight loss goes! blessings!! :-D

Hi Heidi, Love to have you as a sounding board for any and all. :-) Wanted to run one by you. Tried out the Coffee Flavor by Frontier. Ingredients are: Glycerin, water and natural flavors. Wrote to the website [I am learning after the carob chip incident ;-)] and here is the reply. "Coffee flavor does not contain caffeine. Ingredients are: Glycerin, water and natural flavors. Respectfully, Franco Bucci I added it to a Chocolate Pudding recipe, from OTD, made with tofu. So good!

But just to make sure I wrote to Frontier and asked them about the "natural flavors". How can food be propietary?!! Here is the answer I got: > So from what I gleaned, the "flavors" which are in glycerin and not an alcohol base are okay for all of us, given flavors are suitable, and that the extracts with the alcohol are only okay for A secretors because of the corn in the grain alcohol. So do you think okay for the ABs and Os and B nonnies? Thanks Heidi. Big hug, Nina

HAY-lo, Nina -- Sounds fine to me... only thing is, the answer about "natural flavors" didn't post. Try again without the << marks? Yep, the "proprietary flavors" thing can be a nuisance when trying to ferret out hidden avoids! but they have indeed formulated these compounds, and have the right to protect them from industrial espionage. LOL! I'm laughing because I've been on the phone with some of these folks, and they start thinking I'm trying to steal their secret recipes, or (Could you tell me WHO I can buy it from if not from you?) muscle in on their retail client list! LOL!!

Anyway, I've got round the proprietary issue by explaining I'm highly allergic to corn, wheat, their oils, and certain other oils. Then I list those items for them and ask them to guarantee to me that their product does not contain them. That usually gets communication going on the right basis.

thanks, dear! and that chocolate tofu creation sounds delectable! enjoy!! :-D

Hello there. I have a question regarding cooking of vegetables. I always steam our vegetables in aluminium foil parcels in the oven, but I'm wondering if the vegetables will be contaminated by the foil, and would appreciate your comments.. Many thanks for all your help. Cynthia

Hi, Cynthia! Yes, your concern about aluminum is a valid one! Look for "parchment paper" instead of aluminum foil. It's something professional chefs have used for a very long time. It's basically waxed paper without the wax, and it's great for steam-cooking veg, fish, you name it. Reynolds makes parchment paper - look for the long blue carton! Lay the parcels on a cookie sheet (or sheet of heavy aluminum foil ;->) and they'll do nicely. thanks for your note, dear! :-D

Me...AGAIN! Just a couple of quick questions. With respect to the water issue, I should have asked this before, but just how much is a pinch of salt or a squeeze of lemon? I mean, do you know approx. how much of either per liter (or quart or whatever) of water? I'd really like a more specific guideline. Thanx! The bone soup...is it necessary to use roasted bones? I make lots of soup broths by buying raw soup bones (beef leg bones with a bit of meat on them and full of marrow) or inexpensive chicken parts (wings) as well as any chicken carcass I have saved. I usually just toss in some leafy celery, a couple of carrots, onion and some dried herbs (parsley, oregano, basil, salt etc.) then simmer it for about 8-10 hours. Then I use my pressure canner to preserve it (my freezer is just too full!) Is this OK? Should I add anything else or do anything differently to maximize the benefits? Is beef better for me vs chicken or turkey? (I'm O nonnie) I've read about people using seaweed in the broth, how much and what kind is best for me? I'm not real big on seaweed, does it flavour the broth much? (ie. make it 'fishy') I know you've gone over this before, but when searching the archives for 'broth' or 'bone' or 'soup' there are a ton of columns to go through! I had another question too...About supplements. Could you recommend a couple for me (I'm already taking Heallix). I don't want more than 2 or 3 as too many pills makes life too complicated and I simply can't afford a lot. In case you don't remember, my health problems are: -overweight -chronic fatigue -chronic depression -chronic mild candida -chronic heartburn (probably will resolve on it's own just with the diet) -chronic joint and muscle pain (possible fibromyalgia) -insomnia and sleep apnea -chronic mild constipation (again, diet will probably resolve) -chronic year-round environmental allergies-mostly sinus symptoms; congestion, post-nasal drip etc. If you have any thoughts on what would be the best 2 or 3 supps to help with my healing, I'd appreciate it. I'm sure I've forgotten to ask something and will be bugging you again soon! ;P Thanx again Heidi for everything you do! Cheers, Paige

Hi, Paige! I'll see if I can sort this for you. To a litre or quart, one pinch is one rounded 16th of a teaspoon. One squeeze is 1/6th of the juice in an average-sized lemon -- you'd get three squeezes per lemon half.

Roasted bones are a bit better, since the roasting opens the "pores" of the bone a bit. It also improves the flavor of the broth when using chicken odds & ends -- the roasted boiled wing imparts a bit more rich flavor than the plain boiled wing. However, the difference is SO minor that using raw bones is fine. OH! and don't forget to include chicken feet and cockscombs -- high in hyaluronic acid. Do a websearch on that one if you're not familiar with it -- lots to learn!

In your situation, if I could use three supps they would be: quercetin (to kick the allergies); Deflect-O to help with depression and joint/muscle pain; and PolyFlora-O to provide a healthy center (the gut). And I'd make exercise my first priority in every day.

Best wishes, Paige! Take good care, dear!! :-D

Heidi, Thanks for anwsering my questions for my friend, Jean concerning her Syndrome X diagnosis.

To answer your questions, yes, she does have the secretor test, but she has not mailed it in yet. Her doctor said that oatmeal is ok for her to eat. She has been eating it the past few months since I first contacted you about her condition.

I would be more than happy to tell you the name of the holistic doctor that both of us and many others have been going to. Her name is Dr. Lynda S. Hamner in Ruston, Louisiana. She is a medical doctor who has gone into this field. She is wonderful! I have been going to her for about a year now for my allergies and shoulder surgeries this past year. I cannot tell you how much better I feel following the blood type diet and the additional foods she has told me not to eat.

I recommend her highly to anyone whenever I can. Her address is 823 W. California Avenue, Ruston, Louisiana 71270. Her phone is (318) 251-2330. Susan

Great news, Susan! I'm so happy for both of you that you have a WONDERFUL doctor, and I'm really pleased with Jean's progress. Do keep sending me updates about her when you have the chance! and MANY thanks for posting your doctor's info -- I hope it will be a great help to others as well. Bless you, and keep shining, dear!! :-D

Hello Heidi, About Vegetable glycerine: Can you use this as a sugar replacement in baked goods? Thank you -- Ruth

Hi, Ruth! You sure can. Use 1/2 cup of veg gly to replace 1 cup of sugar. Works quite well. :-D

For Valerie regarding circles under eyes: Just wanted to let you know that the life-long dark circles under my eyes went away after a change in diet! As an 0+ secretor I had eliminated wheat when I started the Blood Type Diet five years ago. When I eliminated all grains and starches last March the dark circles went away miraculously. If you decide to try this approach, give it month or more for the results to show. Good luck! Karen O

Hey there, Karen -- I've heard nearly that identical report from several people. Thanks for your input here!! :-D

Hi Heidi, my dad (type B, secretor status unknown) was diagnosed with Psoriasis and Eczema about 3 months ago. He is now keen to try the B diet. How should he start ? He is currently staying away from chicken, corn and peanuts. Teresa

Hello, Teresa ~~ that's great news about your dad's interest in the diet!

I suggest that he follow the secretor diet in Live Right 4 Your Type, but that he get his secretor status checked as soon as possible.

Eating lamb as well as the oilier, cold-water fishes will provide him with a great number of fatty acids that are crucial to his healing. He'll do best by limiting his grain intake to the minimum frequency recommended in Live Right. Another tip is the "1/2 ounce of pure water per pound of body weight, daily, with a squeeze of lemon in each quart." His skin and connective tissues need lots of water to help him eliminate the old irritating stuff lingering there. Deflect-B would be very helpful as well!

You're a great daughter, Teresa!! Let me know how he's doing in a few weeks, and pop back with any questions that arise. Best wishes to you both!! :-D

Re: BTD diet - where can I find information about meat and cheese analogs available in health food stores in relations to the blood types? TIA Kindrick

Hi, Kindrick! welcome!!

For any of those quirky health-food "substitutes," just compare the ingredient list of the product to your food list. Pop me a note with anything you can't decipher, and I'll try to help. Good health to you! :-D

Hi, Heidi, here's a question for ya. What is a good cooking oil for Type Bs (I'm a secretor) to use, either in baking or stir fry? All the common ones except olive oil seem to be avoids for us, and I read recently where olive oil tends to become a trans fat when heated. Oh joy. I've never seen almond oil except in massage preparations (and it of course would lend a taste, not necessarily bad, to everything it was used in!). I tried a search for "cooking oil" but got such a slew of results I gave up trying to go through them. Thanks for your help! Herb

Hey there, Herb! Well, extra-virgin olive oil tends to begin to break down (smoke) at around 340 degrees Fahrenheit. However, if it's mixed with other liquids (as in a baked item - liquids are released by the heat, or a stir-fry where the veg gives up some liquid), that heat can be 350 or more. Classic Italian chefs even use it for deep-frying, up to 375 degrees. I don't know about using it that way! and the nut oils I use are cold-pressed and rather delicate, as well.

For high-heat applications I can offer only the two "unknowns," grapeseed oil and rice bran oil. I use them to season my iron pans (in a 400 degree oven) and they do the trick quite nicely. Try them and see how they work for you! The difficulty is finding an organic version of either one -- Spectrum has a decent grapeseed oil, but it's not certified organic. You can imagine that a company will find it fussy and difficult to find enough grapeseeds from certified organic vinyards to make more than a couple bottles per month. :-( but I'm still holding out hope. Anyhoo, that's what we got! I hope it's helpful, Herb! :-}

Hi Heidi, I just went out and bought myself the stuff I need to do the gallbladder flush, so I should be doing it in a few days. Instead of apple juice though I will be making my own concoction of vegetable juices that are good for the liver. Which will be beet, beet greens, carrots, ginger, radish and pumpkin. Ther reason I'm not drinking apple juice is because I'm not sure I paricularly want to drink something all day that is possibly an avoid, particularly when my dry eyes are like a yo-yo and keep getting better then worse, then better, worse etc. and I'm not quite sure why. (they are better overall though). I read that one of the ingredients - radishes is particularly good for the treatment of gallstones. I will keep you posted on the results of the flush. Bye for now. Chantelle

OK! Thanks for the update, and I'll look forward to the full report! Best wishes, dear!! :-D

Hi Heidi, I have a question about juicers. You recommended I get one many moons ago and am finally making the plunge. My question is that I want to juice those lovely dark green leafies and want a juicer that can handle it. Any recommendations? I am concerned about the smaller ones and gunking up the works. I feel so good eating those things that I want to get more of them in.

And our nonnie group helped me find a way to eat dandelion greens and truly relish them. I feel so good when I eat dandelion greens. It is a raspberry dressing by Suzanna, B nonnie. I put 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 of lemon, couple of shakes of mustard powder, sea salt, and a tsp. of raspberry fruit spread (from Trader Joe's - has no added sugar). So good over dandelion greens, onions and toasted pumpkin seeds. Thank you Heidi for your wisdom, wit and 6th sense. :-) Nina

;-> Hey there, Nina! Any regular vegetable juicer will handle the dark greens just fine. (Remember to mix any green juices at least 1/2 and 1/2 with sweet mild stuff like carrot/celery -- the greens are POWERFUL. ;-)).

However, if you want to juice wheat grass, barley grass, that sort of thing, you'll need either a special attachment (if your juicer accommodates one) or a separate little appliance especially for the grasses. Take a look at what your local juicing joint uses, for an idea of what to look for.

and that dressing sounds spectacular! I think my type A would especially adore it ~ thanks, my dear!! :-D

Dear Heidi, Further to my earlier letters on soy yoghurt, here's a bit of a follow-up.....

1. SOY YOGHURT-- I previously made it very scientifically with boiled then cooled soy milk, set at blood temperature for 6 hours BUT I left it overnight by mistake one day, and found it was still of a good texture, just sourer.

So now my recommendation is 6-12 hours depending on how sour you want it. ALSO as it comes in sealed, reasonably sterile boxes, I now simply warm the required amount of soy milk to blood temperature rather than boiling and cooling it. Saves time and effort.

I noticed that Jamie Oliver (The Naked Chef) placed a whole tub of yoghurt in a dish of blood temperature milk and placed it in the fridge overnight!! Radical! (but untested by me).

2. SOY CHEESE-- Using any level of the yoghurt (anywhere between 6-12 hours) you will get correspondingly different tastes of overnight dripped "cream", "cottage cheese" or panir. I have added salt to one batch making a very satisfactory fetta style spread, and also have made a tasty dip by adding chopped things to the basic mixture before commencing the drip process through muslin or kitchen paper x 3(eg finely chopped chives, parsley, onion, coloured peppers, according to blood type). Jenny

Wow! thanks so much for sharing your kitchen research, Jenny! This stuff sounds great for the blood types who do well on soy.

and... I'm a fan of Jamie Oliver, too. We tape all kinds of food-related shows, and his is a lot of fun. Ya alright, mate? cheers!! ;-> thanks again, Jenny! :-D

By the way, I finally got brave enough (well, felt awful enough) to do my research and select a naturopath, and I'm very happy with him! He doesn't use the BTD in his practice, but he is familiar with it, and I CAREFULLY watched his body language when I told him I follow the Type A diet and saw no negative reaction. Of course, the remedies he uses aren't blood-type specific, but I don't think they have all that many avoids for A's, either--and I'm not assertive enough (yet) to make a pest of myself over compliance issues. That may come later, though, since this doctor definitely agrees that each patient responds differently to foods and remedies. I certainly don't feel in my gut like any of the remedies I'm currently taking is doing me harm. It was pure serendipity that I discovered this doctor and his clinic--I followed a link to his website (www.chronicfatigue.org) because my hobby is learning everything I can about health and wellness, but I didn't think I would have a personal epiphany!

I never considered myself a victim of CFS because I'm not bedridden, but now I have learned that a more accurate name for the condition is Functional Adrenal Insufficiency and that there are more possible manifestations than just being in bed with swollen glands all the time. I know that Type A's are more susceptible to this condition and that the Type A lifestyle goes a long way toward alleviating it, but I have had CFS literally my entire life (born 8-10 weeks early, kept in the hospital for 30 days, and then raised by an overprotective father and grandmother and an aloof, dismissive mother), so I am in favor of a more targeted and aggressive approach, and RIGHT NOW! The doctor has me taking pregnenolone, a multi-glandular product, melatonin, and phosphatidyl serine, and he says that since my basal temperature is low (about 97.3) he'll probably add Armour thyroid to the mix once my circadian rhythm is more balanced. The only remedy I don't think is working is the phosphatidyl serine (for difficulty falling and staying asleep), but I also don't think it's harming me; I think Cortiguard might work better, but the doctor isn't familiar with Boerhaavia and can't guide me to an effective dose that is safe while I'm still nursing. After the baby weans, I intend to bring that issue up again! Anyway, that's what's up with me lately. No questions this time, so I guess there's really no need to publish this! Thanks for listening! --Sarah in PA

Hey! I sure do want to publish it ~ I'm so thrilled that you've got a fine doctor helping you out now!! :-)

For the insomnia, I do hope he can devise the proper dosage of Cortiguard for you. And perhaps some active B12 in the morning and/or evening?

It's just wonderful news that you've got good care now!! Please do write in whenever you like, with questions or just great news like that! ;-D VERY best wishes to you & the little, Sarah! :-D

I am having a technical problem with the Welcome Center Knowledge Base. Module V (Subject Index of all 'Ask Dr. D'Adamo' questions). Whenever I make a selection from the index, I am taken to the 'Ask Dr. D'Adamo' web page and the statement indicating that he is not currently accepting new questions. How do I get to see the topics from the index? Thanks for your help.

Hi, Linda! Because of the way the column filenames change from time to time, I can't actually fix that problem.

However, there are two ways to work around it so that you can find the info you need.

Start on that Module V page. Copy the name of the link you want to follow (start at either side of the link name, hold left mouse button down while highlighting the entire name, then hit Ctrl-C). Open any of those links in a new browser window (right-click on the link and choose "open in new window"). You're now in the Ask Dr. D. column page. Scroll down and click the "list previous topics" button. Now, hit Ctrl-F to bring up a search screen, and hit Ctrl-V to insert the link title you copied. Hit the Enter key, or the Search button on that screen. You'll find a link you can follow to the current location of the article you wanted to read. Hit Alt-Tab to go back to the Module V page.

Alternately, you can use the search form on the Ask Dr. D. page (right below the "list previous topics" button) to enter a one-word term from the titles on the Module V page.

It takes much longer to explain than to do! :-) I hope this helps -- and thank you for your interest!! :-)

Heidi, I find it impossible to go from the storeside of the web page to the green page with the pretty moth, unless I type in the www address for it. An example is: starting from the storeside of the web page there is no way to get to As I See It. Would it be possible to add a way from the storeside to the green page? Thanks! Luana

:-) Hi, Luana ~ If you're coming first to dadamo.com, then clicking the store link, you can also just "alt-left arrow" ... or right click the mouse and choose "back" ... or hit the "back" button if it's set to show on your browser menu.

It would be nice to have a link from the store going back to the main page, though -- we'll see what we can do! thanks for your note! :-)

Hello Heidi, Hindi name for Spelt? Really could use this one! We've been able to identify some of the foods. Since so many people use the East Indian Foods, we sure would appreciate any info that anyone might have. Here's some of what we've come up with: Garbanzo bean / Chick Pea = Besan/Chana/Kabli Chana/Safed Chana/ Boondi/Pakora/Dhokla Kidney bean - Rajma Lima bean - Sem Black-eyed pea – Lobiya / Chowla Green bean - Barbatti Lentil (domestic, green, red)Arhar / Toovar / Toor / Masoor Tamarind bean - Imli Coconut / Coconut milk - Nariyal Fig – Angeer Mango / mango juiceAam / Amchoor / Kacha Aam Papaya / Papaya juice - Papita Plantain – Kacha Kela Apricot - Khumani Pineapple / Pineapple juice - Ananas Prune / Prune juice – Aloo Bokhara Corn / Corn Flour - Makkai Wheat (bran, germ, whole wheat) - Atta Flour/Dalia/Gehun/Seviya (wheat) Wheat (semolina flour products)- Sooji Buckwheat – Kotu or Phaphra Atta Turmeric - Haldi Cashew / Cashew butter - Kaju Pistachio - Pista Peanut / Peanut butter - Moongfalli Walnut (black / English) - Akhroot Bitter Melon - Karela Cabbage (Chinese / red / white) - BandhgobhiCaper *T2 Eggplant - Baigan *T2 Pepper (cayenne / green / yellow / jalapeno)- Hari Mirch/Simla Mirch Potato (white / red / blue / yellow) - Aloo Tomato / Tomato juice - Tamatar Yams - Jamikand / Shakarkand Beet leaves - Chukandar Broccoli – Hari Gobhi Carrots / Carrot juice - Gajar Okra - Bhindi Pumpkin - Kaddu Spinach / Spinach juice Palak / Sag / Sak Turnips - Shalgam Mung Bean / Green Gram (Whole, split, washed, unwashed)- Moong / Chilke Moong Urad (Whole, split, washed, unwashed)- Chilke Urad / Sabat Urad / Urad ~ Susan

Hello, Susan! I couldn't find the Hindi name for spelt (perhaps it's not a common crop there?) but I'll post your message here so that others might reply if they know. The only resource I have for Indian languages is this one with some common food terms in three languages, but spelt isn't listed there.

Thanks very much for offering the research you've done already! GREAT! :-D

Hi Heidi, Many thanks for your informational, witty and kind remarks! I am wondering if my A-positive blood type means that I am a secretor; in other words, are a positive Rh factor and "secretor" status synonymous? Thanks so much! Petunia

Hello, Petunia ~~ thanks for the boost! :-) Rhesus type does not correlate with secretor status -- it's an entirely separate system. Have a look at this page: Secretors and Nonsecretors ~~ it explains it all! Take good care, dear, and keep smiling! :-D

Hi Heidi, This is Alia writing to you again. To refresh your memory...my blood type information is as follows: Type A positive secretor. I have not written to you since this past summer as I have been busy with work and finishing my Ph.D. I do miss reading your column on a regular basis; however, I know that I can count on you to provide me with solid advice when I have questions/concerns regarding the blood type diet.

Today, I have a question concerning the food classification of two seaweeds. The two seaweeds I am referring to are 1) kombu and 2) locust bean gum. The first is found in many of Eden Foods organic products and their soymilk. The latter is found in an organic soy yogurt at the health food section of my grocery store that I am interested in purchasing. None of Peter's books indicate these food items and they are not classified in the food registry. Again, my question is: "Can I treat these items as 'neutral' since they are not listed?" Thank you in advance your your input. -Alia

Hey there, Alia! I hope your studies are going splendidly!!

Kombu is included in the item "seaweed" in the vegetable list. It's neutral for you. Locust bean gum is actually a product made from the ground seeds of the locust bean tree (also known as CAROB, Ceratonia siliqua). It, too, is likely neutral for you -- but I'm hesitating here because so many of the gum additives have untoward effects. So proceed with caution. Technically, it's an "unknown" at this time, so treat as a neutral if you're in excellent health & at your ideal weight.

Best wishes, dear -- keep in touch when you can! :-D

Hi HEidi, A while ago I wrote to you about L-Theanine and also about fat on the abdomen...I haven't seen a reply but may have missed it...if you haven't responded, would you be able to...the L-Theanine is suppsed to help concentration etc., and I need all the help I can get now that I am back in school!! I am sooo busy and need all the energy I can get also. Thanks a million in advance....by the way I think the new web site sounds marvelous darling, simply marvelous (said in a strong English accent!) love sue



Hi, Sue! I went to the bottom of this page, entered the search term "theanine," and came up with the column where I answered your question -- here it is! ;->



enjoy your school times! and thanks for the vote!! :-D

Hi there, Heidi. I've been so enjoying the nonnie list with Nina. It has been a very helpful addition for me. It is so helpful having the two of you putting things into everyday language and experience.



She suggested I write to you as I am trying to understand the supplements Dr. D has provided, wondering if I would benefit from some of them. I am hypothyroid (Hashimoto's) and need to lose weight; my blood pressure is on the low side.



Although I don't have any other symptoms, I know that until I am able to control those insulin levels and reduce my weight, I cannot begin to consider myself healthy. I would also like to get my thyroid back to normal if that's possible.



What can you tell me about the supplements and how/when they might be appropriate for me.I do have a good doctor and run my questions past him, but know that I need to do my homework, too. thanks. Donna (A+ nonnie)



Hi, Donna -- Did you see the column I put up recently that explained the iodine test? Do a search for "iodine," and pick the column closest to the top of your search results. That is the first thing I'd do.



Second, Deflect-A and PolyFlora-A, along with PolyVite-A, would certainly help boost your digestive and metabolic efficiency. Just hit the "search" button at the top of this page and read about each of them. You can print those pages to take to your doctor, for discussion.

Hi Heidi, What do you know about noni Juice? What is its blood type compatibility? If noni juice has not been tested, do you think the doctors will be testing this soon? Thanks. Carol



Hello, Carol -- Noni fruit is listed in the Encyclopedia as an anti-inflammatory agent and antioxidant. It's suggested only for type A (blood-building and cancer prevetion protocols) and type O (pulmonary support protocol). :-)

Hello Heidi, I'm actually writing for a friend, "A" secretor mother of 8 week old "B" twins. I bought her Eat Right 4 Your Baby, and Nina's advice added to the book has almost completely cured one of the baby girls who was suffering from GERD, and she's so much more peaceful and able to sleep much more as well.



Now the mother is trying to keep her breast milk production up, which has also improved, but it's an ongoing process.



Her question to me, which I'm passing on to you, is the following: "I was reading the book you bought me...noticed something that I'm perplexed about. In the appendix with the recommendations for the first year, I noticed that B's should avoid Fenugreek. That's the herb that is most recommended to increase milk production. And I have been drinking F-tea everyday, about 32 ozs. a day. So what is the priority? Milk production or the avoid?"



So Heidi, does the book omit information that belongs in an errata, or is it okay for her to take the fenugreek tea? If not, will the other herbs you listed in an earlier column be okay for her as a A mother with B babies, and will they help as much as the fenugreek? Thanks so much! Best, Mary



Hey there, Mary! Since she is type A, let her know that type B avoids do not apply to her even though her babies are type B. Fenugreek is perfectly OK for her. Hope this helps! and I'm very happy that her littles are doing well! :-D

Greetings, Tyoe O secretor. Thanks for your patience with seemingly inane questions.



Love your salt lemon water ideas and need 10-8oz. glasses by your calculations for my weight. sigh. If I shouldn't drink for half hour before a meal and 2 or so hours after and I have a snack mid afternoon, should I just glug til I burst during those small windows of opportunity? or drink a ton at bedtime and visit the loo all night? set the alarm extra early for drinking time?



I KNOW I need my water and want to get it all in the right way. Also, I want to use beneficial herb tea, Harmonia etc. Does that count as water? food? Yikes! How can I get it all in?



And finally. Anyone know of an organic brand of soy or rice cheese that does not contain avoids? Both are mentioned frequently on line and in the books. I have yet to find a single brand that doesn't contain at least one or more of the following: soy oil, carrageenan, guar gum, corn starch, casein and other things that I think are avoids.



I don't want to eat it often but some of the recipes sound so yummy and call for cheese. I think I'd be better off with a non dairy rather than feta or mozarella, but don't want to veer too far. I do have plain, unsweeted organic soy milk, but have never found a plain rice milk without at least one avoid.



Can I make a cheese out of soy milk somehow? And if there is a brand of acceptable soy or rice cheese, what frequency do I follow. dairy, grain or legume? Thanks much! BarbaraL type O sec



Greetings, Barbara! I'd think of dividing it into four 20-ounce "water servings." A twenty-ounce glass is pretty big, but it doesn't have to go down all at once. Drink half, wait 15 minutes, drink the other half. Or drink most of it, then sip on the rest. So, one in the morning upon arising -- then two during the day, whenever your eating schedule dictates (perhaps one 1/2 hour after lunch, then one 1/2 hour before dinner)-- then one a couple hours after dinner. It makes a big difference! :-) As you lose weight, remember your water "allotment" will reduce. :-) Tea and other drinks are good, but try to get the full amount of salt/lemon water in addition.



And I'm posting this here to request tips from the readers on your cheese Qs! Thanks for writing, Barbara! :-)

I have a few questions. I have started the heallix, but my teeth seemed to have gone a little dark in colour. Do you think I am taking too much? maximum dose. I am only 115 lbs in weight and 5ft tall.



Can you take heallix on a regular basis, or use as a maintence dose over a long period? Or should you use it as and when needed?



I eat sheeps cheese and goats cheese. Do they contain casein? This is an avoid for As and what about the whey in these items?



Last question I promise! What do you suggest for exhausted adrenal glands for a post-menopausal woman besides cortiguard. Is macca root suitable for As and can you take it for ever?!! Thanks a lot for a wonderful column. Dont leave us. Val A Secretor Rhesus negative.



Hello, Val! For the adrenals, consider pregnenolone. Just do a search for it in this column -- you'll find several good references as well as specifics on how to take it. Maca root is fine to take indefinitely -- it's a "food," even though you're ingesting it in powdered form.



I doubt that Heallix is affecting your tooth color, but pop over to Leo's site at www.heallix.com and ask what he thinks on that one. All the other instructions on use of the product are there as well.



The "whey" and "casein" to avoid are the additives -- so unless your cheeses show these as separate ingredients on the ingredient list, and as long as all the other ingredients are A-OK, then those cheeses are fine for you.



Thanks for your kindness, Val ~ be well!! :-)

Hi Heidi, A couple of questions and a quick update for you.



1. My Dad of 81 years (B+) recently got a bad chest infection. He is not really BTD complient but having said that his choice of foods have usually been suitable for him. Also he has been a heavy smoker all his life.



Recently I was talking to him about Heallix and he suggested that he'd like to give it a go. After a couple of days of taking it he was feeling a bit worse in that it was killing his infection but because his body is so weak that he wasn't able to clear out the bad stuff as quick as it was killing it. Other family members decided he go to the GP which he did and came back wth antibiotics and steroids. When he's finished these tabs he wants to go back on the Heallix which he felt was doing him better.



Apart from drinking plenty of water, is there anything else that he could take to help his system clear out?



2. My wife (32 A+) has had 2 operations within the past 15 months to have cysts removed from her overies. The latter one we think due to her Gynae doctor giving her 'clomid' to help with fertility treatment. Her A+ diet is not great but she is trying to improve it. Is it a good idea for her to use the NAP 'FEM Balance' formula with the fertility protocol given for type A in the BTD encyclopedia?



Things have being going well for me with the diet. My racing has continued to improve during the summer over the 10 mile and half marathon distances. Also I've been so amazed with the diet during the pat nearly 2 years that I'm starting back to college at the end of this month part time to study Naturopathy. Regards and thanks and keep up the great work, James (O- secretor)



Hello there, James! For your Dad, at least get him to take Deflect-B, at the therapeutic dosage. It will help to "divert" some avoids he's eating, as well as aid his body in the clear-out. ;-) Also, the supplement Respiratone can help him with the chest problems!



I'd definitely say it is a very good idea for your wife to use the FEM Balance formula! Of course, her best friend in this regard is strict adherence to her secretor-keyed diet AND A-designed stress relief practice. I'd suggest Deflect-A to her as well. Like in your Dad's situation, she needs some help scouring up & eliminating the bad stuff.



That's GREAT news about your racing results, and I'm just thrilled you're begining naturopathic studies!!! I wish you EVERY success in your endeavors, dear! Do keep me posted!! :-D

hi.i am just starting on the b.g.d.i am A.B.

firstly.can the fish be canned fish.

secondly. how about soy meat substitute

and last but not least how many calories should i be having in order to lose weight, thank you, great site, very interesting, i am going to give the diet a try. looking forward to your answere, thanks, beverley

Hi, Beverley! Welcome to our site!!

We prefer that everyone use fresh fish whenever possible, but canned fish is OK for those times you can't find fresh fish.

There are many, many soy-based "meat substitute" products. Check every ingredient against your food list -- that's what we do with all commercial products.

One of the many nice things about this diet is NO counting calories. You can do so if you really want to, but we suggest using the portion/frequency tables in Live Right 4 Your Type or the Blood Type AB Food, Beverage & Supplement Lists (the "little book"). Just avoiding the avoids and using as many beneficials as possible in your daily diet will make a significant difference in your weight. Remember to drink plenty of pure water, and add a squeeze of lemon when you can.

Do write again with any questions that may come up -- and once again, welcome! :-D

Hi. I've been following the type O diet for several months, mainly for overweight and high cholesterol, but for overall health too. I feel so much better when I eat this way, I can't imagine ever going back.

However, I have been having some pain in one hip joint. I've never used caffiene, take 1000 mg. calcium a day (elemental like the book says), walk 3 miles 4-5 days a week, and drink lots of water. A friend suggested Wobenzym which hasn't helped. I'm 55 years old and take 10 mg of Lexapro a day. Can you make any suggestions? Thanks so much. Sincerely, Georgia

Hello, Georgia! Nice to hear from you!! It sounds like you're having some "clean-up" in the hip joint.

I'd suggest (1) making homemade broth (follow this link and then this one for the basic recipe and comments), (2) using Phytocal-O to supplement food-based calcium and other trace elements, and (3) taking Deflect-O to help the joint do its clear-out work.

Let me know how you get along, and thanks for writing!! :-D

Heidi: What is your opinion of using the fingernails to gauge a person's overall health or indicator of health problems? I have heard that the presence or lack of "moons" in your fingernails may indicate certain health situations. If so, is there any differences among the blood types? Just curious! Joyce

Hey there, Joyce! I haven't made a study of diagnosis based on the fingernails, and Peter doesn't mention it in any of his books or on the site -- so while it's probably one of the "items" naturopaths look at, I don't have further info you might use in self-diagnosis by that method. Interesting, though! If you learn more, please do pass it along! thanks for your note, dear! :-)

Dear Heidi, Sorry its Val here again from England. I wrote to you yesterday but forget to ask this question.

Anyway, Do you possibly know why people get dark circles around their eyes? I have looked at several sights and they all say different things. I cant work out whether it is to do with digestion or exhausted adrenals or thyroid.

I have had them for a long time now, well since I hit the menopause, around five years ago. They are very slowly going but I get fed up sometimes with having to put makeup on to disguise. Any suggestions?

I follow the diet to the letter. I take the basic pack and now heallix. I have also been told I have an imbalanced liver, which basically means pathways of detoxification dont work in tandem, some of the time and also I have been told by some dark circles relate to liver, kidney spleen, what a lot of problems, sometimes I feel they are insurmountable.

Sorry for all these questions. I do enjoy the diet and have learnt so much and had so much help from others including blood type practioners in England but I know they wont mind my saying I feel stuck at the moment. I dont know whether you will be able to help.

I had two major bowel operations when I was 17, I am now 55 I have never had any problems until my hormones packed up, typical isnt it, women and hormones again!!!! I dont want to go into details about the operations, safe to say I have never needed any more surgery since that date. Thanks for listening. You really do offer a valuable service. I wont write again for a year!!!! Valerie

Hi, Val! Hey, never apologize for writing.... where would this column be without questions? :-) Every time someone gathers up the gumption to ask about something, twenty other people benefit from reading about it! :->

I'd definitely suggest a gallbladder flush. You're a regular reader, so you've seen my notes on Julia Chang's Liver & Gallbladder Health Pages. Stop by, and get stuck into it, read it all, then read it again.

Even "minimal" health problems like annoying dark circles can become heavy burdens over time -- and yes, they often indicate underlying problems. But HEY!! These things are NOT insurmountable, not at all! And the gallbladder flush is one of those wonderful, simple practices which can sort out a number of troubles for someone in your situation. Don't be discouraged!!! Get reading, and search this column for "gallbladder" to find everything I've already put up for your reference.

Very best wishes, Val -- hang in there, you're definitely on the right track! :-D

Hi Heidi, I am a B blood type and I was wondering if you have heard of a new sweetener called xylitol? Many health food stores have been selling it and recently some holistic practitioners have been advocating it. Have you heard anything about it and any guesses on who it might be an avoid for? Thanks a million! Nicole

Hi there, Nicole ~~ Sorry to say, we've no info on xylitol here. It's unrated at present, so if you are in optimal health and have no desire for weight loss, you can treat it as "neutral." Otherwise, it's to be considered an avoid. Vegetable glycerine and blackstrap molasses are fine sweeteners for everyone. :-) thanks for your note! :-)

The book I bought (Eat Right 4 Your Type) just has the foods listed that are benificial, neutral and avoids. It does not list portion sizes. Are there portions sizes that are supposed to be adhered to? Sandra

Greetings, Sandra! The portion sizes and frequency for each food group can be found in the "little books" -- look for the tiny pocket-sized book entitled Blood Group (x - whichever blood type you are) Food, Beverage & Supplement Lists. They also contain the more recent updates, so you'll see a few changes. The portion and frequency tables are VERY useful in designing a diet with the ideal balance for you! :-)

It is tedious to read through all the messages that are irrelevant to my blood type. I'm type A and most of the messages are for type O. Can't each type have their own board? The type O messages are, pardon me, mostly unimportant and boring. Good board overall and informative, especially the alternate nostril breathing. It seems that most of the messages are for females. I'm male and I'd like male responses. I just wanted you know these things, not to complain. Thank you. Don

Hello, Don ~ welcome!

Actually, this isn't a message board per se ~ it's a question & answer feature to help people who are endeavoring to follow the blood type diet. I offer assistance to whoever writes in -- and there have been thousands of questions answered here, for all types.

A very great many of those are for type A ~ but I do understand that you may not have the time necessary to read through the archives going back to May of 2002, nor the inclination to read answers given to other blood types (or the other sex). However, you may want to reconsider the latter, as many of the tips and advice given to someone of one blood group apply to everyone else as well, whether male or female.

Since you'd like to discuss matters with male type As only, you might be very interested in joining the Premium Content site Peter is planning. Since there would be actual message boards for each blood group, you could survey the type A board only. There, all you'd need to do is determine which participants were male, and you'd be all set!

Another feature you'd find attractive is the potential for regularly scheduled chats with experts on the team. Dr. Handwerger is male, but type AB, so that wouldn't work so well for you, but Peter is male and type A! Bingo!

Be well, and I hope you'll get involved with the new "channel" when it's up & running.

:-D

Yep, looks like we may be hosting a new web on dadamo.com: the Premium Content area. There'd be a number of blood type- and interest-specific message boards, but wait! There's more! :-D The features contemplated for this new space are many and fairly eye-opening for an old BB hand like me.

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

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.

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!

Hi. This is an addendum to your response to Karen's query (Sept. 18, 2003) about her O non-secretor friend who experiences immune system symptoms associated with swimming.

I have been swimming for 20+ years, and have noticed that when I swim in chlorinated pools I frequently experience inflammatory syptoms or just swollen lymph nodes. I do just as you suggested -- pop quercetin.

An alternative is to look for ozonated pools. During the 11 months a year I swim in an ozonated pool, I have no such symptoms. When they close the ozone pool for maintenance, the negative symptoms resurface. As a note of interest, there are no new chlorinated public pools being built in Canada. This is a subtle acknowledgement of the toxicity of chlorine. Cheers, Nadine.

Good tip, Nadine!! Thanks very much -- and good on Canada, eh? even if they're only 'quietly' making those changes. ;-)

Hi Heidi, I love your column and read it faithfully daily. I am an AB non-secretor and keep reading about a list for non-secretors. How do I get on it? I have been investigating diets and natural health boosters for most of my adult life and I think that LR is the one for me. I have been on program for about 2 months and have greatly increased my energy level. (I have previously suffered from chronic fatigue). I started taking Helix Plus and ARA along with other supplements recommended for my type and have just gotten Heallix. Hopefully, this will be the answer to a healthy old age. Carol

Hey there, Carol! A very warm welcome to you!!

Sounds like the diet is doing really nice things for you already -- please do keep in touch as you go along, and I'll put you on the list for an invite to the Nonnies group. :-)

Dear Heidi, Thanks for this tremendous resource on eating right. I have a question about my daughter's health. She is blood type O, 14 and anaemic. It is hardly surprising that she is anaemic as she has recently started her period, which is heavy and she is an very picky eater who won't touch red meat or dark green veg, which I know are rich in iron. I suspect part of her pickiness is my fault - I come from a family that has within it members who are anorexic and food-bingers, so although I have always tried to encourage her to eat healthily, I have never pushed her, because the background to the eating disorders in my family is a mother who was very rigid in what her children could and could not eat - no sweets, pudding only on Sunday, no white bread, no junk food etc. Great in theory, but it has done some damage in my family. Consequently, as you can imagine, I have been quite wary about imposing such rigid guidelines upon my own children concerning food. I have tried my daughter with a 'good' iron supplement (Iron EAP-2 from BioCare, a very good brand of vitamin) but it makes her constipated. My question is, are there any iron supplements availabe that do not cause constipation that I could buy for her? Thank you in advance for any advice you might offer, Stella.

Hi, Stella! Food is a powerful emotional issue, and the key for "food-parenting" is to stay active in the wide area between soul-destroying authoritarianism and total hands-off abandon. Rigid guidelines are not so much what's needed. What works well is to serve certain kinds of foods that are nutritious and well-prepared, and to enjoy the food itself.

Someday, your daughter will either decide to start eating what her body needs, or she will suffer increasingly ill health. The earlier she gets this kind of encouragment, the easier it will be for her, especially with the menstrual difficulties she has already. In time I'm sure you'll find a way to live and eat this diet joyfully. Fun is always attractive, where rules & regulations are not. :-)

Most iron supplements are difficult to assimilate, and constipation from them is common. Try the Floradix iron supps. This page at Flora Health has a list containing those items. See if they're available in a local HFS or through one of the retailers on the Flora site.

My very best to you & your girl, Stella! :-D

I am a type 0 and have recently purchased some Sprouted Wheat Essene Bread (recommended as highly beneficial) because the gluten is destoyed in the sprouting process.However the packaging states "contains gluten". The ingredients read as follows: Bio Dynamic Certified Wheat Sprouted with filtered Water Cooking aid : Sunflower Oil (Trace) I am concerned that this may not be highly beneficial. Could you please confirm that this product is in fact wheat free and that the gluten has been destroyed in it's sprouting process? Otherwise, could you please recommend what I should be looking for? Regards, Mimi

Greetings, Mimi! "Food for Life" makes the "essene" bread that was tested, but it's wise to check the ingredients of ANY food to make sure it's what ya think it is.

Sprouting does not destroy all the gluten. It does destroy the lectin. Two different things. :-) So, while 100% sprouted grain is ABO-OK for all types, anyone who is celiac (gluten-intolerant) has a more restricted diet, which is outlined carefully at many websites specializing in information of use to celiacs.

One other note: in any case, sunflower oil is an avoid for all type Os. I hope this clears up the confusion for you -- and thanks so much for writing!! :-)

hello! just a few days ago i was introduced to the er4yt/btd plan, and i am so glad because there are plenty of things that i am finding that i have been eating my whole life that are doing absolutly nothing good for me (even some things that i thought were so good for me!!).

there was a question posed to the effect of my question, but i did not get the answer that i was looking to find. therefor, my question is this: what are the effects on a fetus, or more so on an offspring, of a different blood type than the mother? will the developing fetus' blood, assuming it is of a different type than the mother's, be 'harmed' by antigens that are 'okay' for the mother? (like i say, this program is totally new to me, so bear with me if i leave something out that should help my question make sense!) thank you so much for any information...andrea, idaho

Hi, Andrea! Welcome!!

I don't think you were asking about this particularly, but I thought I'd take the opportunity :-) to reiterate that the diet for the mother should be the one for HER blood type. The fetus is not affected by the foods directly, but IS affected by any toxins in the blood stream. So, Mom should eat for Mom's blood type, not Junior's.

Now, about blood interactions between fetus and mom:

(1) The main concern is not ABO type, but Rhesus type. If the baby's father is Rhesus positive, but the mother is Rhesus negative, Mom must get a shot from her doctor at least by 27 weeks (or so) into the pregnancy. This is necessary in order to prevent a situation where (a) the child has the Rhesus positive like Dad, and (b) its tissues are "rejected" by the mother, which can cause significant injury to the kid. And it ONLY applies in the combination Mom is Rhesus Neg and Dad is Rhesus Pos. :-) Ask your doctor -- nearly all of them are versed in this very common issue.

(2) There is some evidence of increased risk of type 1 diabetes in type A children of type O mothers. Again, this can happen only if the fetus is somehow exposed to the blood-type antibodies of the mother (placental tear, for instance). It certainly doesn't happen with every birth, but it is a risk.

I hope I answered the question you were asking, andrea -- and I'm crossing my fingers that your mind's eased a little bit, too. :-) Don't be a stranger! write anytime you get the urge. :-D

Hi Heidi! I got your reply back today and I am so very happy that you answered me back THANK YOU!!! I have been drinking a lemon/cucumber water that I buy at my health food store and I love it!!! Do you think I should still be taking the bladderwrack, kelp and maganese?

The first week of hunting season has been very hectic and for the last 72 hours I have had about 9 hours sleep so I have been getting just a little sluggish!! I know that a lot of weight problems begin with the mind and I am trying to start there as well.

We had a pretty big problem rear its ugly head yesterday and needless to say that when I finally did eat, it had wheat and potatoes to it. Your advice on the amount of water seems like a lot, but I do understand where you are coming from and I will make sure to get rolling on that.

Like I said before, I am 31 and after hunting season I am planning on going to college. I have never gone and it is a little scary but at least my husband (so far) is supporting it, my other family members on the other hand, we won't talk about!!! So I believe that is a way to a clearer thinking mind. Of course I have always been a bit of a worrier when it comes to what my family and husband think, but I believe that once I get into the swing of things at school, I might not worry so much.

Thank you again for all your help and I will keep you updated as much as I can but with being in camp, it is hard to do. Your advice will always be on my mind and I will get the "medicine" you suggested. Thank you for giving me a ray of hope on a bad day. Your Friend in Montana Jennifer Jo

Good going, Jennifer Jo!

I'd be a little careful with the lemon/cucumber water... cucumber is one of the few foods that changed status between Eat Right and Live Right. It's an avoid for Os now. :-} Tell ya what: if you use another rind, like watermelon rind, it will give a nice cucumber taste without the cuke problem. Take a plain bottle of good pure water, give it a squeeze of lemon and stick a piece of watermelon rind in it. Or have your HFS juice some up for you, if they have a juicer there. It's really good. Otherwise.... I hate to say this, but stick to the lemon-only water, OK? :-}

You stick in there, and I know you're going to do just fine. Write whenever a question pops up -- or just to get some support! We'll leave the light on for you! ~:-)

Hi, I am a type B and have accute GOUT. My first attack was in 1994 and now I think it has been an accumulation of good food and drinks that has caused this. I am really concern now that I get it almost everymonth.

After reading Eat Right 4 Your Type, I really want to change the way that I consume my food. I have quit eating chicken, seafood, and all of the food to avoid. I started eating beef and eggs again and ended up feeling some gout pain starting to move into my body. Some of the beneficial food that I can eat (lamb or mutton, cheese or egg) can seriously instigate my gout. Can I get a diet that can help me eat right for this illness? By the way, it is very difficult for me to get some of the healthy foods in the book because I living in SouthEast Asia. Any advice? Thanks Gregory

Dear Gregory! Welcome to our little corner of the Netiverse!

Your gout took a long time to develop -- I realize it is exquisitely painful, but it will take a little time to resolve. Keep patient, and continue to follow the diet -- you are on the right path. The good news is that it will take much less time to resolve than it took to develop! And yes, we can help!

First of all, can you find black cherries or black cherry juice? Two tablespoons, taken before each meal, is a very powerful treatment for gout.

Have a cup of warm water with a squeeze of lemon juice every morning on awakening.

For grain, eat only rice -- no other.

Have plenty of fish! Onions and garlic are very good for you. -- and be careful of sauces and liquor that may contain corn or corn products. Whenever I visited Indonesia on business, everyone plopped big bottles of Hennessy XO in the middle of every lunch and dinner table. ;-) very bad!! It's hard to change habits, but try good plum wine or other acceptable beverage instead of heavy drinks (in moderation). Watch out for pork, too, and all the "avoid" oils.

Load your plate with green vegetables, whenever you can make them part of your meal (often, I hope). You will be seeing improvements very soon, and it will not be long before you will never have to dread another gout attack. Thank you for writing, Gregory, and please write again with any questions or requests!! :-)

Dear Heidi, I'm writing on behalf of an O nonsecretor who has been on the diet for about six weeks. He is taking Live Right for Your Blood Type very seriously. He also has Costochonritis or Tseitze's Syndrom. Swimming is his exercise of choice. Sadly, the crawl exacerbates his symptoms of inflammation and pain which move to different places each time he swims. Allopathic doctors have no suggestions. Before suggesting supplements, I wanted to check with you. Thanks, Karen

Hello, Karen! Thank you for writing to me about your friend.

I would ask him to pop a quercetin supplement like candy. Little handfuls whenever he thinks of it. It is magnificent as an anti-inflammatory, there is no known overdose, and it will begin to give him some comfort fairly quickly. 500 mg capsules -- get a nice big bottle or two, and have him take 5 or 6 several times daily.

Second, make sure he has abundant dietary sources of EFAs. A nice mix of fish, flax, nut oils, and a daily serving of grass-fed beef, buffalo or lamb for CLA. These are all anti-inflammatory, and will help his immune system to settle down and allow healing to begin.

Third, he needs WATER. Explain the "1/2 ounce per pound of bodyweight, with squeeze of lemon AND pinch of good gray sea salt in each quart" principle to him.

Fourth and finally, I will send you the manual on the Emotional Freedom Technique. It sounds rather grand and intimidating, but it's actually just "tapping and mumbling." Because his symptoms move around in his body, I sense that this is a situation where he would greatly benefit from this particular simple little practice. It allows the neural system to refocus itself in a healing direction. It is remarkable -- and requires nothing more than a few minutes of quiet.

Bless you for your work in the world, Karen -- be well, my dear! :-)

What do you recommend for children when it comes to a multi-vitamin and/or supplement? We are all A's in our family with kids ages 12, 10, & 5. We try to avoid the avoids on our diet, but school lunches can be a challenge! Is Peter working on a children's line of products? Thanks for your help. Arlen

Hi, Arlen! All the vitamins sold on this site are in divided doses -- for instance, two capsules, two times daily is the recommended adult dosage. So, one capsule once daily (or twice for the 10- and 12-year-olds) would be great for your kids.

Hey, by the way -- congratulations on accomplishing a one-blood-type family!! Good Work! ~;-D

Heidi, I just wanted to say that I feel you are doing a lot of good. With your sensible, stable, encouraging advice you are steering a many people away from harsh and harmful measures (yes, including some medical and psychiatric recommendations that are not really proven to assist people and do have down sides that are not always advertised or disclosed) and toward methods that are relatively easy to enact, and which put people in a stronger position to take control of their own health.

You are a perfect proponent of Dr. D's knowledge, and you add your own wisdom, store of information, intelligence and upbeat approach. Further, you are not dogmatic or authoritarian; you are frank when you don't know something, as well as forthright when you do. You put the individual in a position to "do something about it" instead of struggling along confused, if that has been the case. You no doubt know you are appreciated, but it can't hurt to hear it again! Cyndi

Howdy! What a sweet thing to do, Cyndi. You are VERY kind, and I thank you most sincerely! {blush!} ~:-}

Quick note for Cassandra who wrote to me today -- my reply was returned as "undeliverable" because your username on "neteze" is unknown. Weird, eh? ;-> Try me from a different email account, and we'll see if we can get that reply through to you.

Hi Heidi, You asked for a rundown of my diet and exercise in regard to my recent blood work. I am more concerned about my thyroid than the cholestrol, since I found out that my HDL and LDL ratios were very good.

I wake up and have my MFC with added MSM powder, sometimes I add a scoop of whey protein powder. A little later I have breakfast which is usually something scrambled together in a skillet with an egg and some sort of greens,a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan, perhaps some leftover meat, homemade turkey sausage, or maybe a little colby cheese melted on top. Some days I have 1 slice of Ezekiel toast with it. ( that skillet with 1 Tb. olive oil is shared with my 2 girls )

Lunch is usually a big salad with sliced turkey, or fish , or a leftover meat, with a cup of green tea. Sometimes I make a pot of soup instead with homemade broth and lots of veggies and some ground turkey or beef.

For dinner I roast, grill, or broil my meat and make a salad and a cooked vegetable or two. Sometimes I make a brown rice pilaf or millet. I go grain free at least 2 days per week and on those days I usually eat a sweet potatoe or squash. On my grain days I have the Ezekiel toast or oatmeal for breakfast, and occasionally the rice at dinner. I drink a second cup of green tea around 4:00 pm just before cooking dinner. Usually have a fruit, somedays with yogurt or cheese, or a grain free muffin.

About once per week I make a dessert with some spelt flour and sweetened with veg. glyc. or honey,(usually brownies, zucchini cake, or cookies) and about twice per month I make homemade icecream with cream, milk, veg. glyc. and a flavor like chocolate or vanilla.

I use butter and olive oil in cooking, seasoning. I make all my salad dressings with olive oil and balsalmic or wine vinegar, or lemon juice. I use sea salt, which I just realized is not iodized, which makes me wonder if all I need is a little iodized salt in my diet??

If I haven't bored you to death yet, here's my exercise routine: In summer, after breakfast I head over to the gym and walk 2 miles on the treadmill at about 4MPH, increasing the incline every 2 min. for about 12-16 min, then decrease till I get to 2 mi. I alternate this with the elyptical machine which I do for about 25 min. I also add in a stepper machine for about 10 min. 1 or 2 times a week. After the aerobics I do some resistance training for about 15 min. , alternating days for upper body and lower body. Then I go home and work in the garden, clean house, walk the dog, run kids here and there, wash the car.

When school starts my routine changes to an afternoon workout, and I am a little more sedentary in the morning as I homeschool and I'm teaching the girls, so I don't get to the gym till around 1:00 or 2:00, but do the same workout routine. This is usually the same Mon. to Sat. , and on Sunday afternoon my husband and I take the dog for a 2 mile walk, 1 mile uphill, 1 mi. downhill. I do stretching when I wake up and before bed, mostly for my neck, which continues to get better day by day.

I have lost some weight since the nonsec. diet changes, from 124# down to about 115. (thyroid problems, usually you gain weight, right).

Thanks for you time with this. I don't relish the thought of seeing a MD on this, I doubt they will know anything about correcting a thyroid with anything but medication! In the past 3 years I have "cured" myself from allergies, heart palpitations, hypoglycemia, arthritis, neck pains, panic attacks , so what's a little thyroid problem?? Thanks Heidi.

p.s.: Cheddar cheese is avoid for B nonsecretor, and goat cheese is o.k., so what about goat cheddar? I've seen it around in the stores, but don't know which way to go with it. Suzanna (B non)

Hi, Suzanna! Sounds like a lovely diet, and an energetic lifestyle.

When you listed your TSH level as 6500, I hope you meant 6.5? It is indeed high, yet your lipids profile is good (228 is not a bad total cholesterol level for your type, although I'd prefer it were somewhat lower -- a gallbladder flush would help there) and the T3 and T4 readings were good, right? Total T4 between 4.5 and 12.5 / free T4 .7 to 2.0 / T3 80 to 220?

What I'm truly puzzled by is the apparent lack of any symptoms at all. The weight loss (yep, hypo would make weight more difficult to lose) appears entirely due to the nonsecretor adjustments made in your diet, along with all that hoppin' around! I mean... you're a very busy person with a young family, doing the cooking and everything else around the house, taking care of the garden and other outside work, doing your exercise workouts, and in the fall you do not put your feet up and ship the kids off to school -- you're doing the schooling yourself. Well, I'm certainly not bored reading all this! I'm exhausted!! ~;-D

Here's a question for you: How do you feel? The linked checklist is a compendium of three different sources' lists of symptoms of hypothyroidism. These symptoms (along with the early a.m. basal temperature test) can reveal low thyroid function even where thyroid hormone levels are well within lab normal ranges. The opposite appears true for you: no symptoms, just high TSH. So take a stroll through that checklist and let me know if anything pops out for you there -- and do the basal temp test for a week and note those readings.

For now, adding the gray sea salt (the least refined, with the most minerals) as well as some bladderwrack, won't hurt. First, though, find out if you need the extra iodine in your diet. Pick up a tiny bottle of iodine at the drugstore. Iodine ONLY, not mercurochrome. Paint a spot the size of a quarter on your inner thigh. If it stays visible for 24 hours, you are unlikely to be iodine-deficient. If it disappears in less than 24 hours, then start using the sea salt and seaweeds (you can paint another iodine-quarter in a different place and see what happens. This odd little procedure is both a test and a way to increase your iodine intake -- the dot disappears primarily from absorption. :->). Either way, I'd be inclined to check your B vitamin intake -- nutritional yeast in the broth, or a good supplement taken daily if you don't do so now.

Oh - the goat cheddar? It's unlisted, and I wouldn't venture an opinion on it because the cheeses have markedly different effects depending on processing. I'd leave it alone, for now.

OK - so let me know the results of the a.m. temp test; whether any of the official hypo symptoms in the checklist ring bells for you; and please confirm that TSH level from your lab report. Fussy, ain't I? ;-> well... your situation doesn't lend itself to easy interpretation, but once we have just a little more info, I think it will all fall into place. thanks, dear!! lemme hear from ya! :-D

I am a O+ secretor. I am having constipation for a long time and wanted to know how to recover from it by following the ERFYT. elaine

Hello, Elaine! Plenty of green vegetables, raw and lightly steamed, along with the proper amounts of protein foods, good oil, and perhaps a daily serving of two tablespoons of fresh-ground flaxseed soaked for 10 minutes in a little water.

Water with a squeeze of lemon or a pinch of good sea salt, taken daily at the quantity of 1/2 ounce of water per pound you weigh daily, is wonderful for every organ of your body. If you weigh, for instance, 180 pounds, you'd want to use 90 ounces of water (roughly three quarts). Sounds like a lot, but in a few days' time you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.

Thanks for your note, and please write again with any questions that arise! :-)

Hey Heidi! Found some new interesting info on your flax seed snack, detox, and why the bowl of oatmeal a day would lower cholesterol too! At a recent lecture, info was presented that the liver makes bile which contains cholesterol & toxins, & it's released into the gallbladder/digestive tract to help digestion. And, importantly, the efficient body re-absorbs about 90% of the bile to re-use it. But the body wasn't designed to deal with today's toxin load, so toxins can get more and more concentrated in the bile.

So eating the right kind of fiber (like the oatmeal or flaxseeds) is helpful to detoxing, by absorbing & binding the bile -- the bile passes through instead of being re-absorbed into the body. Takes cholesterol & toxins with it, then your body makes more bile.

Have to note an individual difference -- I can't eat the ground flaxseeds soaked in water, that has me too much the opposite of constipated -- I just sprinkle ground flaxseeds on my food, dry. Anyway, this was just too interesting not to pass on! I can't give you any sources to verify this though. Take care, Maia

Yep! Sounds just right!! Thanks for illuminating the process, dear!!

:-D

Dear Heidi, I'm an O nonnie and since March have been following your diet. I am a great fan of your column.

I have a history of endomentriosis and a duodenal ulcer. I have been taking medication for endo (synarel and premarin) and four and half months into using this started suffering from violent headaches, migraines, teeth, eyes and ears hurting. My consultant told me to immediately stop taking the medication - this was about 6 weeks ago.

A week ago I started getting pelvic pain and thought my body was once again battling with the return of endo. I've since found out I'm pregnant which I'm absolutely thrilled about.

My question is that I'm wary of continuing to eliminate foods and people keep saying I should really start eating ALL foods for the health of my baby - I really don't know what to do for the best - can you advise me? Also am I safe in continuing to take Polyflora O and Phytocal? (I am already taking folic acid and iron daily). Really look forward to hearing from you. Josie.

Hi there, Josie!! "People" are often the worst enemy of your health -- especially when you're pregnant. Everyone has a very firm opinion, and they suddenly feel extraordinarily free to "share" them with you the minute you mention having a baby. This is unfortunate, because pregnancy involves hormonal changes that are trying enough as it is without having to fend off "helpful" advice from friends, family and other self-appointed experts on the subject.

Try to evaluate the quality of their sources of information -- how dependable is it, and how likely is it that the info is outdated? Is it from their parents? grandparents? their medical doctors? their nutritionists? what they see in the newspapers and read in magazines? popular AMA-approved books dating from before the Flood? ;-)

Pregnancy doesn't mean one should go off the diet. On the contrary, a higher compliance than usual is a good idea. It sounds like the people who are offering advice to you aren't familiar with the diet's benefits. Logically, it's simple: you wouldn't say that eating wheat would be good for your body, for instance? If it is not good for you, how can it be good for you when the significant demands of pregnancy are upon you? and how can it be good for your growing child if you're eating avoids? This applies to any avoid food. And I truly hope no one is putting you into a struggle situation to eat what you've found is healthy for you. You have plenty to deal with now without a tense situation over food. ;-)

The supplements you mentioned are safe for you -- and I suggest using Eat Right 4 Your Baby as a reference guide for your pregnancy. Continue to follow your nonsecretor diet -- make only those changes that are noted as 'pregnancy avoids' and get the extras in as suggested. I wish you all the best, dear! Keep in touch!! :-D

A while ago, I was able to find and print a list of foods for the A married to O couple showing which food were benefical to both of us. Is that no longer availible? Or am I just looking in the wrong places. I lost my copy and would like to have this handy guide. Thank you! Tammy

Hi there, Tammy -- How long ago was this... were there lists by type only, or was secretor status mentioned? Wherever you found the lists, it is likely they are long outdated now.

If you & your spouse don't know your secretor status, the best way to proceed is to make up a list for yourselves using the "little books" as reference. Just pick up the Blood Type O Food, Beverage & Supplement Lists and the one for type A. They're handy pocket-sized pamphlets with the basic food values included. See my notes at the bottom of this page for a brief run-down of the various books and their currency.

thanks for writing, Tammy! :-)

Hello, This message is for all of you that have mercury amalgam in their mouth : I just had my last mercury amalgam removed on Sept 10 and I read a lot on this subject. Take care, Francoise

1- Kill off candida might be a bad idea for persons with amalgam fillings

Quote by Robert B. Johnson, DMD, ND, MT.

"Many times when the heavy metals are removed and chelated from the body, yeast drops significantly. It is now understood that the body is able to use yeast to combine with heavy metals to render them inactive. Less damage to your health is done with high levels of yeast than heavy metals so it is thought that the body uses higher levels of yeast to protect itself from dangerous toxins." The source of the theory came from Dietrich Klinghardt, MD. He said that the body prefers candida to heavy metal and that the candida attaches to mercury. If this is so, then too-vigorous efforts to kill off candida might be a bad idea for persons with amalgam fillings. Better to remove the fillings and wait until symptoms of heavy metal poisoning are gone and then attack the candida.

2- Be extra cautious to rest the following days after removal and here is why :

Bjorkman-L. Sandborgh-Englund-G. Ekstrand-J.

TOXICOLOGY AND APPLIED PHARMACOLOGY.1997 May. 144(1). P 156-62.

Abstract:

The toxicological consequences of exposure to mercury (Hg) from dental amalgam fillings is a matter of debate in several countries. The purpose of this study was to obtain data on Hg concentrations in saliva and feces before and after removal of dental amalgam fillings. In addition Hg concentrations in urine, blood, and plasma were determined. Ten subjects had all amalgam fillings removed at one dental session. Before removal, the median Hg concentration in feces was more than 10 times higher than in samples from an amalgam free reference group consisting of 10 individuals (2.7 vs 0.23 mumol Hg/kg dry weight, p < 0.001). A considerable increase of the Hg concentration in feces 2 days after amalgam removal (median 280 mumol Hg/kg dry weight) was followed by a significant decrease. Sixty days after removal the median Hg concentration was still slightly higher than in samples from the reference group. In plasma, the median Hg concentration was 4 nmol/liter at baseline. Two days after removal the median Hg concentration in plasma was increased to 5 nmol/liter and declined subsequently to 1.3 nmol/liter by Day 60. In saliva, there was an exponential decline in the Hg concentration during the first 2 weeks after amalgam removal (t 1/2 = 1.8 days). It was concluded that amalgam fillings are a significant source of Hg in saliva and feces. Hg levels in all media decrease considerably after amalgam removal. The uptake of amalgam mercury in the GI tract in conjunction with removal of amalgam fillings seems to be low.

-- Francoise

Francoise, thank you very, very much for posting these abstracts. Excellent advice and easy to understand and implement. And, I think, very encouraging on the "how long does it take" front.

Congratulations on the End of Amalgam for you! You must feel wonderful!!

Again, my thanks! and drop me a note now & again -- I've missed you! :-D

Aloha Heidi, I wanted to give a progress report on that thyroid condition. I tested again after about one month on the protocals and instead of being 97.3 it was 97.0, hmm! So I reread about thyroid in the encyclopedia and being a "A Secretor" it is unusual to be hypo. What Peter says in there is that it could be my cortisol levels that could be causing my basal temp. to be low. This is possible considering what I've been through in the last month or so.

So I am now taking cortiguard and I am trying some more relaxing exercises during the week. That is my down fall, I like intense workouts most of the time and being a "A" I've been needing to tone it down some. Also I have been eating more fish, seaweed and iodized salt for my thyroid. Since I live here in Hawaii, I should be eating more sushi anyway. :-) Please send me any other suggestions you have to lower my cortisal levels and improve my thyroid. I sent Cocky my story too. Mahalo Nui Loa, Carl

Hey there, Carl! I noted on page 423 that group A "has been shown to have more hypothyroidism." Peter explained that type A may not be as prominently represented as those research results indicate, due to cortisol's hypothyroid mimicking effect -- but that shouldn't lead us to think the opposite (that it would be unusual for type A to be hypothyroid). Your early a.m. basal temperature indicates you are a bit hypo (is that a syringe someone chomped on? ;-D), which can be the case no matter the blood group.

You indicated some major stressors in your life recently? That's often when low thyroid indicators can become noticeable. I hope everything's OK, friend!!!

Back in May, you mentioned upping your rice-sourced B complex vits intake to one cap daily, to help your skin. B vitamins are used extensively by the liver and the thyroid gland... along with all their other nifty jobs around the body. They're water soluble, so we excrete what we don't need. When under extra stress, we can use a booster of Bs to help our organs maintain their stasis. So, as a nutritional 'pop' for you, I'd double the B intake daily -- and use some good nutritional yeast in whatever way fits yer menu.

A meditation and/or yoga practice would be the two other very best things to add to what you're doing now (which I think is great -- keep at it!). (I know what you old marathoners are like, it sure is difficult to move more toward an A-type regimen -- but it's SO WORTH IT!!!) Be blessed and spread the joy around, Carl -- and let us hear from Julie too, OK? :-D

p.s. -- I'm really looking forward to seeing your story in Cocky's "Blood Relations" column! Way to go!! :-D

Thankyou so much for answering my question on leaky gut and candida and outlining steps for me to take with food etc.. It is the first time in six years of searching that someone has actually given me some hope. Doctors say they can do nothing and offer me more steroids and hydrocortisone cream to plaster on my rashes.

Sorry but I do have one more question regarding the yeast protocol you suggested. I have been given so called anti-candida products by a naturopath in the past and it has resulted in me being covered in horrendous hives and rashes from head to toe for weeks on end. They tell me it is just the die-off effect of the candida dying but in the end after a month of this and being very depressed about the way i look I give up and use the steroid cream.

Will following the protocol give me this horrible die off effect and if so how long should it last? I have been feeling really good on the diet for a couple of days now but last night I had a handful of dried apricots, figs, cranberries and prunes. My skin had been slightly better and I came out in hives on my neck and my eyes have puffed up and the rash on my face is worse again.

Do you think the sugar in the fruit have flared the candida up again? I have been told the candida feeds on sugar? Should I avoid fruit etc... until the protocol is finished? Sorry for so many questions but I am really looking forward to beating this and getting better, it has been a long and depressing journey looking for help. Kylie

Hello, Kylie! We ARE the Hope Center, and with good reason!! ~:-)

The dried fruit may have contained sweeteners, molds, preservatives, or something else to which you reacted. For now, stick to one or two servings daily of fresh fruit only.

Eradicating the yeast through diet and some supps like grapefruit seed extract won't produce the massive die-off that Diflucan and other "yeast cures" cause. In addition, since the re-balancing will be slower and proceed naturally, your intestinal population will not be shocked to death and need rebuilding. That's excellent news for your all-round health.

I think you're showing in your skin the great stresses you've been under -- you just had a baby, and I hope you're getting large quantities of dark leafy greens daily and taking a folic acid supplement to begin replacing the depletion that occurred during your pregnancy. You need a good serving of fish every other day, bean-based proteins daily, and whatever other vegetable protein sources (such as nuts and seeds) you can tolerate.

A solid commitment to yoga or meditation will do you a world of good!! Yoga, even a simple practice of alternate nostril breathing (search for the term "altnosey" below to learn more) has a profound cortisol-lowering effect. In your case: Stress = elevated cortisol = skin rashes and anxiety.

I see already that there are good things happening for you now that you're on the diet! Just stick with it, include the beneficial foods and other items mentioned above, and know that we're pulling for you! Take good care, dear, and keep writing! :-D

Hello my name is Adam and my blood type is A. I am writing because I have this chronic problem of sweaty hands. I know that sounds weird but I am not talking about a little bit of sweat, they are always wet.

The only time they are dry is if I am not wearing socks and/or closed shoes. If I wear sandals my hands are dry. I have gone to many holistic practitioners who all seem to know just what the problem is but for some reason nothing ever works.

I should tell you that I have Crohns disease and fibromyalgia. I am not sure if that could be affecting my hands somehow, maybe it is a detox reaction? I was wondering if you have any suggestions? Thanks so much! Adam

Hey there, Adam! Welcome to our site!

It's possible that you're experiencing a condition called hyperhydrosis. It is a stress disease, most often found in young people, and usually resolves itself in a few years. You've had somewhat more to contend with, so the condition is persisting.

Since you have Crohns and fibro, your physiology is laboring under an enormous load of stressors. Have you started the type A diet? Is there any assistance there we could offer? If you do not practice meditation and/or yoga regularly, it should be the number one item on your health to-do list. Please write again and tell me more -- the sweaty hands will resolve along with all the other problems once your body is relieved of the burdens and given the foods and environment it needs in order to build strength again.

Best wishes, Adam, and please do keep in touch! :-D

Hey Heidi!! Talk about gettin a royal butt chewin on the nightshades, but I think you scared the desire right out of me. :0)

I have yet another question....... Hope you can help. My son is 12 and his blood type is B. He has ADD and I absolutely refuse to put him on drugs to treat this. I have been giving him a natural substance of amino acids, ginkgo biloba, B Complex and a multi vitamin. I've changed his diet, have been following the BTD and have seen lil improvement. It's a new school year and I want this one to be good. Do you have any other suggestions as to what I can do? Please, anything would be appreciated. Thank you, Sandie

hey, Sandie! ;-} Gunny has quite a motivational and inspirational effect on me, too! I love him so much, I bought the talking doll so I could reach over and get a hit of the old straight stuff whenever I need it!! ~:-D

About your boy: how closely can you monitor what he eats when he's out of the house? That will be the make-or-break on whether he makes good progress. ADD kids are remarkably sensitive to very small amounts of 'avoids 4 their types.' They most commonly have leaky gut syndrome by the time ADD shows up, which means any little bit of poison-food hops happily right into the bloodstream.

He definitely needs ALL wheat, corn and sugar out of his diet, first of all. Second, dark leaf greens in the veg every day, and a daily folic acid supplement. Fish oils can be of use, too -- although fresh fish should be on the menu regularly as well. An easy way to pump the EFAs (essential fatty acids) into him in an easily-stored and tasty form is the Omegasentials flaxmeal (proprietary) combination product, which unhappily is difficult to find without running the whole gamut of the MLM hocus-pocus.

He will GREATLY benefit from having the MFC (membrane fluidizer cocktail) in the morning: it's 8 ounces of fruit juice with a tablespoon of lecithin and a tablespoon of FRESH flax oil. Let the mix soak for a few minutes, shake, let sit, and shake again to allow the lecithin to dissolve fully. Guava, pineapple, red grapefruit or watermelon juice (fresh) work beautifully -- and a mix of juices is fine, too. Whatever he finds tasty. ;-)

Any chance the school or some local organization offers beginning martial arts for kids? This is something that would be so wonderful for him, physically and mentally. The kind of balance, self-control and strength these practices impart can serve him lifelong.

Well, see what you think of all that & drop me a line on how he gets along. I really want an update, OK? ... remember... Gunny's still right here, he hasn't gone anywhere... and HE'S WAITING FOR THE UPDATE, TOO!! ~~;-D

Hi Heidi. I wrote to you earlier this summer. I'm happy to say I'm finally losing some of my baby-weight thanks to the type O diet. It took a while to start coming off, but once I really cut the grains, dairy and also started watching total calories, it's coming off pretty easily!

I *love* all the veggies I've been eating too! The daily power walks with my son also help a lot!

My question is this: my son is 5.5 months old, and we're just beginning to start a few solids. He's a type A-. My husband (who is A+) had a number of food allergies when he was a kid. I really want to help my son get off to a good start and avoid food allergies if possible.

Is it good or bad for a baby to follow the BTD? Will he get all the nutrients he needs, and could the BTD help him avoid allergies later in life? I'm also wondering about calcium if we avoid cow's milk, which I know is not good for Type As. He has done fine so far with rice cereal and we're just starting some veggies and fruit. My husband has a history of sinus troubles and too much phlegm, which I understand is typical of type A's. His troubles have improved since avoiding dairy and wheat. Thank you for any advice. Alice

Hey there, Alice! Great news on your weight loss -- I'm SO very pleased you're doing well!! (this is only the beginning.... :-D)

It is definitely the best thing for humans of all ages to follow their blood type recommendations. You'll not only have an allergy-free kid (if emotional and environmental stressors as well as dietary ones are handled properly), you'll have a kid who misses out on all the ear infections and sinus problems and intestinal disorders that are rampant these days. He'll have a healthy start, and will never have to undo the addictions and damaging sicknesses that bad childhood diets create for so many people.

The baby will do GREAT on the right foods for his type, both physically and emotionally. The one book you truly need right now is Eat Right 4 Your Baby! It's a treat. There are guidelines on weaning, what kinds of foods to introduce and when, along with wonderful recipes for homemade baby foods designed to work as written and be easily adaptable for any food or circumstance. Many plant foods have significant amounts of calcium, and most of them are perfect for your type A baby! This is a book I wouldn't be without if I were raising a kiddle!

Suggest the warm lemon water to your husband. Half a cup of warm water and a good squeeze of lemon juice, first thing in the morning (or anytime). It has a rather amazing way of making the mucus disappear. ;-)

Thanks for writing, Alice ~~ and please keep me posted! :-)

Hey, Heidi!! Your site is like a newspaper...We can't start the day before read the news!! I am so glad I found you!!! God bless you!!

Well, I have being taking the chinese Bitter for 10 days now - during the morning and Coptis during the night. Julia told me to take both because I haven't have my period for about 4/5 months. I am also taking GLA(not CLA)and Tribulus - the last one was described from my wholistic Doctor to help with my period issue before I started with chinese/coptis. That's all I have being taking for now.

As you know I am preparing my self for the Gal.flush and hopefully be free from some issues in my body after that(constipation, bad digestion, fungus in my foot nail, shin splint, and lack of my period). I don't think that I told you this before but me and my husband are thinking about have a baby and I want to prepare my self and my health before we start trying. I am also buying meat from a farm that you suggested from www.eatwild.com site. Beef, chicken, eggs, turkey and lamb it's so much better!! Thank you!! However I have to tell you that I LOVE fish and I still go for fish whenever I can.... hehehehe!!

After one week taking Chinese Bitter and Coptis I realized that I have had acne in my face. They are painfull and hard. Most of them in my chin, but also close to my nose and jaw.

Well, here it's what I want to hear from you: Do you think that I should do something different from now to prepare my self for the flush or it is ok? What about get pregnant? I was thinking right after "clean my body" maybe in November. Are those acnes a reaction of chinese bitter/coptis because they are balancing my hormones? Is that ok? Can it get worst and worst? I also would you like to ask you to put me on Nina nonnies O list. I don't know my secretor status but I believe this list is good for anyone, right? Thank you VERY MUCH!!! Note: Did you know that tomato seeds in rich in calcium?? Bcha.

Allo Bcha!! :-D The eatwild site is a great resource, isn't it? I'm very happy you're enjoying the difference!! :-) We really need some "eatwildfish" sites... I know there are a couple in Alaska -- anyone have some tips for us fish lovers?

OK! Every trustworthy expert I'm familiar with advises at least one full year of vibrant health before attempting to conceive. Many say "two." It's for your good, it's for the baby's good. If there are lingering issues, deficiencies or imbalances of any kind, they will bloom up like mad during and after the pregnancy. Babies are naturally extremely demanding upon your system, before and after parturition -- they will grab up a great deal of what you may not have in abundance to give, and the joyful events of being pregnant, giving birth, and nursing are also major life events that can knock you way off balance (literally and figuratively) if your foundation of health is not firmly established before conceiving.

Now, about the flush? You're doing beautifully, and the acne is appearing in an area of the face that tells us you may wish to clear your bowels thoroughly before the flush (to speed the removal of toxins). Drink at least three liters of room-temperature water & lemon & pinch-of-sea-salt each day for one week, and use that clay if you have some left over. Do some running if possible (in a relatively peaceful place, with REALLY padded running shoes and on surfaces that are designed to 'give' - no concrete!), and relax into your breathing and your 'form.' Let your breath work your liver and colon.

You can certainly go ahead with the flush in a week's time. Your skin WILL get better, so do trust in that fact, and keep going with your plans including the coptis. just as you are doing. Is your husband going to do the flush, too? Keep me updated on how it goes for you both, OK? If you have any last minute questions, I'll be sure to get them up in a hurry!

love ya, dear -- keep that energy flowing!! :-D

Dear Heidi, Re Emma's comments on osteoporosis on 5 Sept., I thought you'd be interested in a glimpse I got of a walker on TV the other day who was using two plastic drink bottles (1 pint, or 600 ml) filled with water, as hand weights whilst walking. Obviously you would take a swig of water every now and again, and perhaps would turn home again when the water had run out! Cheers, Jenny

:-D thanks, Jenny, that's a fine alternative to pricey weights!! I always suggest that weights be carried in a backpack or fanny pack rather than in the hands or around the ankles -- much better for the joints, and leaves the hands & arms free to balance the movement of the body properly. So, wrapping those bottles in towels and strapping them into a pack or along the waist would do nicely to add weight -- and keep the water cool! :-D

Greetings Ms Heidi - I have purchased my Champion Juicer and have started vegetable juicing - at work, I bring some juice along and sip it throughout the day - a great way of getting in your veggies.

In my juicing book and searching the internet I am getting information like this about spinach - Never cook spinach - eat it raw or juiced. Oxalic acid is destroyed when heat transforms it into oxalic acid crystals that are harmful to the kidneys. It also binds to iron making it unabsorbable. Spinach is important due to its chlorophyll content and also supplies an abundance of nutrients such as oxalic acid, beneficial in the cleansing and healing of the intestinal tract.

Raw spinach juice, mixed with other vegetable juices, turns the mixture brown. Although it may look unsightly, it is a beautiful sight to the cells of the body. My question is - do you have any concerns about eatting cooked spinach? Catherine

Hello there, Catherine!! To tell you the truth, I gave up trying to figure out spinach sometime in 1978. Between hearing "don't eat it raw cuz the oxalic acid binds all the calcium" and "don't eat it cooked or you'll get stones," I stopped eating it altogether. When I embarked upon the BTD, I said to myself: "Self, this food is BENEFICIAL, so EAT IT." And I do -- (1) seasonally only, only the very fresh young leaves (which means about one month in the year in my region) and (2) cooked or raw or juiced as the spirit moves me. This works for both As and Os, whether secretor or nonsecretor. Beet greens do the same magic for Bs and ABs (beneficial for everyone, too!).

I am ecstatic that you're enjoying your veg juices, and I heartily encourage everyone to get a few shots of this stuff at least now & again -- it's a potent form of Nature's goodies!

Thanks, Catherine!! :-D

Hey Heidi, greetings from St. Louis!

This is more testimony than question. I'm really glad to see you've been recommending the 5 Tibetan Rites recently. I'm a type B secretor and have been practicing those for just under 2 years (anniversary comes at the end of September 2003). I find them to be a great basic routine to strengthen the body, and I actually found that I could perform them better and with more energy after I started the BTD (I had been doing them about 9 months at that time)!

The rites also add confidence. I had performed hatha yoga for years and found the rites a good time-saving replacement. I also practice qi gong and makko ho (a Japanese stretching routine) and find them a great combination for stress reduction and clarity. -- Herb

Herb! How the heck are ya? hey, hon: Quit Lurkin and Start Perkin! we need to hear a lot more from you!! ~;-D (Even just a little note saying "not for publication, but Hi and I'm doing fine" would be nice!!) ;->

Thank you kindly for that testimonial on the Five Tibetan Rites". I do them occasionally as well, and find they have remarkable effects on one's sense of both 'center' and 'expansiveness.' Great for those who are experiencing any diminution of eyesight, sense of balance, or limited motion.

It occurs to me (very belatedly!) that some folks may think this is some kind of religious thing. "Rites" and all. Whoops! Please, take a look at the page I linked above. It is a series of movements -- dat's all. If you look at the main page of that site, www.alchemilla.com you'll see the link for the Five Tibetan Rites in the center section, about halfway down the page, under "Lotus Medical Qigong." This is good stuff, everybody! (and ESPECIALLY you Bs!), so 'get stuck into it' as our friends in Oz say, and eat it up YUM.

OK, another admission: Robin Murphy, ND is attractive to me because of my lengthy studies in alchemy when I was a child. Yep, I've probably now blown it, as 99% of my readers are going to get a psychic rash at the very mention of such a thing, for about 3,430,291 reasons. But doncha worry about it -- the 5 Tibetan Rites are not at all related to alchemy. unless....

All right, Herb, see what happens when you pop me a note so infrequently? I babble! Be well, my dear, but don't be a stranger. VERY best wishes, and thanks again!! ~:-D

Dear Heidi,



In response to some of the confusion that has arisen as a result of the "tea-fluoride controversy," I thought that I would weigh in. In his new book, Eat Right for Your Baby, Dr. D'Adamo stresses the importance of avoiding green tea during pregnancy and breastfeeding. He notes the negative effects of caffeine, one of which is that it increases fluoride absorption.1 Additionally, children should continue to avoid all caffeinated products (which inevitably contain fluoride), as the potential negative impact of increased fluoride is greatest during this period of growth and development.2 Dr. D'Adamo recommends 1-3 cups of green tea daily in all of his books, a dose which I would consider to be prudent for the vast majority of adults. Abby's 5 may be pushing it.



One note regarding the Medline studies on fluorosis and tea: most of them are done on "brick tea," which is refuse tea, steamed or mixed with fat, etc., and pressed into the form of bricks, quite unlike the green tea you find in this country. One study on fluoride and aluminium concentrations of tea plants and tea products from Sichuan Province, China, found that the fluoride (F) and aluminium (Al) concentrations of four commercial brands of brick teas were significantly higher than those of 11 brands of green teas. Analysis of raw materials of brick tea indicated that old leaves were the major contributors to the high F and Al contents contained in brick tea.3 This leads me to the conclusion that green tea harvested sooner would be safer, and white tea (the tea leaf bud before it blooms) might be safest of all. I have switched about half of my tea consumption to white tea for the added reason that some research indicates it contains the highest levels of beneficial antioxidants.4



For those who are still not convinced, both calcium and magnesium form insoluble complexes with fluoride and are capable of significantly decreasing fluoride absorption when present in the same meal.5 Conversely, a diet low in chloride (salt) has been found to increase fluoride retention by reducing urinary excretion of fluoride.6 I also found an interesting study that showed fluoride will be less bioavailable for an individual ingesting a high protein diet than for an individual fed a low protein diet.7



The relevance of these factors to the knowledgeable Type O is clear: although more susceptible to fluorosis than other types,8 Type O's can minimize their risk of fluorosis by eating enough mineral-rich foods, getting enough salt, and eating enough high-quality protein— all provided for by the Type O Diet. Avoiding the fluoride in toothpaste and other dental products, and drinking and cooking with purified water as per Dr. D'Adamo's advice will also go a long way toward prevention.



In closing, I offer a humble reminder to all those who doubt Dr. D'Adamo's consideration of these issues before making his recommendations: remember why we adopted this lifestyle in the first place. The Blood Type Diet is the individualized diet and lifestyle program most supported in the scientific literature. Equally, if not more importantly, it works!



In wellness,



Ryan



1.) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8046107&dopt=Abstract



2.) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10614901&dopt=Abstract



3.) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12867178&dopt=Abstract



4.) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11448643&dopt=Abstract



5.) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8062161&dopt=Abstract



6.) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3958808&dopt=Abstract



7.) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3694285&dopt=Abstract



8.) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11530516&dopt=Abstract

Heidi,



I wanted to briefly fill you in on the Coconut Oil/Metabolism issue, but I'm not sure how much of this you want to pass on to the column (feel free).



Virgin Coconut Oil has recently been touted for metabolic enhancement.1 The beneficial effects of Medium Chain Triglyceride (MCT) Oil (primarily C8 & C10 and a few C6 & C12 fatty acids)2 are established in the literature,3 but many people are taking that to mean that we should increase consumption of Coconut Oil, which in addition moderate amounts of C8 & C10 also contains large amounts of C12 and moderate amounts of C14, C16, & C18, a position which I believe is not nearly as well-supported. MCT Oil is an ultrapurified form of fractionated coconut oil that has undergone a steam purification process which strips out all the long chain fatty acids (LCFA's) that Dr. D'Adamo spoke negatively of in his column on coconut oil.4 There are many articles on the web extolling the benefits of MCT Oil for those living a low-carb lifestyle as a quickly-utilized, non-lipogenic, caloric source. I'm not sure how Dr. D'Adamo would feel about it because it's not a completely "natural" product, but from what I understand of the purification process, I don't think that it would be harmful to those wanting to try it. There are even some naturally butter-flavored forms available.5 It should not be used for frying (who fries anymore anyway?!) or heated above 320ºF.6



Be well,



Ryan



1.) http://www.coconut-info.com/hypothyroidism_and_virgin_coconut_oil.htm



2.) http://www.meadjohnson.com/products/hcp-adult-med/mctoil.html



3.) http://www.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/132/3/329



4.) http://www.dadamo.com/ask/ask2.pl?20030216.txt



5.) http://store.yahoo.com/vitaglo/keto454.html



6.) http://www.kicgroup.com/c8c10tg.htm

May this day be one of peace for you and those you love.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~





For Kate: The US "distilled" water is available in the UK as "purified" water from your local chemist. The high street stores like Boots usually don't carry it. It comes in five litre containers. Question for Heidi: Since there don't seem to be small containers of purified water, how does one clean out bottles of mineral water so that one can use the purified water with Heallix on the road? Thanks, Karen



Hi, Karen! Thanks very much for the tip on purified water!



Your mineral water bottles should be rinsed thoroughly with plain hot water, and left to dry completely. They're then ready to carry the purified ('distilled') water. Just like a glass one might take the Heallix in, there is no need to employ special cleaning techniques for the carrying bottles. Thanks again, dear! :-)

Hi Heidi. I've been enjoying your column a lot! Me and my mother eat a lot of soup especially in winter (I love it). We used to buy those big chunky soup bones (beef) at the store (before starting the BTD) which is added to the water and the rest of the veggies etc in cooking the soup. The bones are then removed when the soup is ready. There is absolutely no fat or meat on these bones. They are sometimes referred to as soup marrow bones. Can we still use these bones in our soups seeing that we are both A's and should avoid red meat (which we totally avoid). I've read a lot in your column about making homemade stock and the goodness that is cooked out of chicken and fish bones for the stock. Should I maybe not return to this very old recipe or habbit (grandparents and their parents) of adding these marrow bones to soups? eurika



Sure, eurika! You can use beef bones for your stock. There's no lectin (or 'galectin') in beef, so making broth with them is perfectly fine. A tip: roasting them before putting them in the water will make a tastier soup. ;-) Enjoy, dear! :-D

Heidi, I've been trying to add more fish to my diet-I'm not real fussy on fish. I know that fresh is best, but what I've been doing is going to the market the day of or after the fresh fish arrives, buying 2-3 peices and freezing it at home. I have a really good quality vacuum sealer, so I package each portion in its own vacuum sealed bag (I do this with all meat).



It's not always easy to find really fresh bene fish and it's much easier to have it on hand in single portions than to go to the market each time I want to prepare it. Does it make a difference that I buy the fish fresh and then freeze it? Add to that the vacuum sealing and is it OK to freeze it? (I suppose it's better than no fish at all) Just checking. Cheers, Paige



Paige, that's what I do recommend as a fine way to keep good fish on hand. Just make sure the fish you purchase is fresh, not flash frozen then thawed -- the best option is to view the whole fish first. Its eyes should be clear and bright, and its gills bright red. The fishmonger can clean and filet it for you -- take the head & bones as well! they can go right in the freezer too, to wait for enough to make stock! thanks, dear!! :-D

Hi Heidi, I am an AB secretor. I have not had a cold or flu in seven years since I finally became completly compliant on the food plan. (I used to get yearly bouts of bronchitis--my dad had been a smoker and I was too, for about 10 years, so I was in that environment for quite some time) My husband is an AB as well--thus food preparation is a dream for me.



My first question is one that I asked in 2000 on the old bulletin board when the smoke from the fires in Montana was so oppressive. It was suggested that I use slippery elm, squash, carrots, mushy soups, etc. All of that is incorporated into our diet. I am wondering if you have any other suggestions? We had been able to open the doors and windows during the past week and had a few days of fresh air--but the smoke is back today and although we are not ill--we have some congestion and raspiness.



My second question is about our sons. They are both O (adopted Native American). We began BTD after they left for college and my attempts to indoctrinate them to the O diet have not been very successful despite the fact that I often send them parts of your columns. The oldest one is in graduate school and had to spend a week and a half with us recently because of the extreme smoke in the University town.



He finally went to a doctor here and was diagnosed with sinusitis and an ear infection. He has reacted negatively to antibiotics in the past (to the point that he needed shots of some type to overcome the side effects of the initial medication). So, he was given an antibiotic that cost $134 for 28 pills and $76 for the doctor's visit. He has no insurance during the summer months. He did not react negatively to the antibiotic--finished it yesterday. Did react strongly to the psuedoephedrine in the decongestant.



He is back in school this week and the smoke over there is building up again. The youngest one is also living in that town and has some eye irritation--but no major smoke problems. Any suggestions on what I can recommend to the oldest one ? Sandy



Hello, Sandy! Lord, I'm sorry you're getting smoked out there in those fires.



Your boys should be taking Deflect and PolyFlora on a daily basis, to help mend some of the damage they're doing with their diets. It directly relates to how well they will withstand additional irritants like the smoke. Also, consider getting them a supply of Heallix -- far less costly than antibiotics (which destroy the intestinal health) and doctor's visits, and is actually GOOD for them! It heals without harming.



For all of you, I'd lay in a stock of Respiratone, and a separate supplement of NAC (N-acetyl cysteine). Both Deflect and Respiratone contain NAC, but in your particular situation you could use a booster.



Let me know if there's anything else I can help with -- and it's really good to hear from you! I'm very happy that you and your husband are sailing along with the diet -- two ABs, lucky indeed!! I remember what it was like to have bronchitis several times every year -- fantastic feeling to be rid of it, eh? :-)

I am an O type and have serious problems with weight gain. No matter what I do, I gain. I have no support from my family and they all just shake their heads and say they can't believe I won't do anything about my weight problem.



My sister is 5'10 and can eat just about anything and it doesn't affect her. Her blood type is B. She can lift a finger and lose 10 pounds from that exercise alone. I am 5'8 1/2" and weigh 235lbs. I have an extremely high stress job and lifestyle. I work in a business that isn't supported by the local community (Nothing bad, just very narrow minded people) or by my own family, I just follow my husband around to help him and keep things going on a smooth keel. I have been shot at and have been called all types of foul names and been threatened for just trying to keep our business.



We just recently moved and during that tme, I was constantly busy and eating small amounts of food, not splurging or anything or missing meals. I gained 15 to 20 pounds from that move. I am active all the time (until lately) and I have been following the BTD a lot better than ever and nothing seems to happen.



Breakfast is the hardest meal because we like bacon and toast and such. I have been eating rice cereal with skim milk. (Soy milk does not like me) I have been eating a turkey sandwich with Mozarella cheese and mayo and mustard on homemade spelt bread. I have cut back on the potatoes to almost nothing as well as corn and corn byproducts. I have a pepsi once in a great while, or if my husband opens a can, I just want a sip.



We live in an area where it is extremly hard to get fresh vegies and especially fresh fruit. I grew up on Meat and Potatoes and really never had a weight problem until I started my junior year of high school. (I am 31 years young)



I am extremely scared that the weight gain is never going to stop, because it hasn't so far. I take Calcium Citrate supplements as well as Nutrient 950 (without iron) that I get from my Natropath. I also take 1000mcg chewable B12 with 100 mcg Folic Acid. I also take a Maganese supplement as well as 500 to 1000 mg of Vitamin C. These are not supplied by a doctor but I make sure they do not have any fillers. I have also been on Bladderwrack and kelp for the last 2 months.



I was feeling really good for a while and more upbeat but the last few weeks have been spent in a daze, like I am completey in a fog and constantly tired. I want to exercise, but I have no Umph!! I am planning on going to college in January (again, not supported by my family) and have lost my immunization records so on the 25 of last month, I got a MMR shot. Can't go to school without it.



Our business is a seasonal one and it starts in full swing in a couple of days. (This will be the last year I have to cook for the business) My day consits of getting up at 2:30AM, cooking breakfast for 10 to 12 people, doing the dishes and keeping things cleaned, running the office work and than having an evening meal ready by 3:30PM and doing it all over again. This will last until the end of November. I am constantly busy but I just don't have the get up and go and I am so SICK AND TIRED OF LOOKING LIKE I DO AND FEELING SO BAD!!!!! I have been getting very much down in the dumps about this and it is stretching every nerve I have got to the very end.



My head tells me that I am a good person, but my eyes show me why I am not taken seriously by my clients and my family and it is even starting to have an effect on my husbands view of me. I don't want to be super skinny, I just want to fit into nice clothes and not be pointed at and be happy with myself. I am getting a little too depressed over this.



I had been on DeproPravera for birth control and Paxil for anti depressant. The doctor knew I had a problem with the weight but negelected to tell me that the Depro is a serious contributor to weight gain and when coupled with Paxil, it gets bad.



I am no longer on any form of birth control. The only reason I was on the Paxil was to make my family happy. I am an outspoken person and I tell them how I feel and they couldn't handle it. I stayed on it for 3 months and took myself off of it. They said there were no side affects or withdrawl symptoms, and they lied.



I am sorry to go on and on about this, and I am not kidding, you are my last hope. I spent $400 on tests to find out that the Dr.s couldn't figure out why I gain weight. The Dr looked at me and told me she knew that sugars and such were my problem. The bloodwork came back with low levels of blood sugar, the platelette count was very low as well as the calcium. (I had been taking over the counter calcium, but it was giving me kidney stones, OUCH!!!!) My Colestarol was way below normal as well. My blood pressure is excellent. We did the allergy food test and the only major allergy was brewers yeast and on a scale of 1 to 4 with 4 being the worst, it was a 3.



I am tired of being the blunt of all jokes and being the disappointment of my family. I want to be a healthy weight of 170 or so. Believe it or not, that is a good spot for me. I don't want to do surgery, because I think in my case, it really wouldn't help and I am not a rich person. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE HELP ME!!!!! I don't a miracle and lose tons of weight RIGHT NOW (even though that would be nice because I know that way is just a quick fix and I want a solution, not a fix. I will be in and out of the office a lot now, but I will be checking my emails and your site for help. Please let me know what I need to do, I am scared for my life. Jennifer Jo. Montana



Hey, Jennifer Jo -- you can set back now and let that fear go, because you're going to be just fine. I'll give you a few simple ideas that should work well for you -- nothing too difficult, because your life is extremely demanding and I want to help without adding to your load.



I just want to make absolutely sure that you are type O. If you got your type from a blood bank, a doctor's blood test, or the home typing kit we sell here, then I trust it. If not, please order the home typing test here.



That daily schedule of yours is a whopper. No wonder you feel wrung out and low-energy. The adrenal glands are avid users of B vitamins. You do need a good source of those, and if you are truly allergic to brewer's yeast, then try to get some calf's liver a few times per week, and don't skimp on eggs. Lecithin also has significant amounts of Bs. That Nutrient 950 product your naturopath gave you is excellent -- keep going with it. Also, try supplementing first thing in the morning with pregnenolone. Just start at a low dosage and add to it gradually if you see some improvement in your energy. Vitamin Shop has a good price on TriMedica's 30 mg capsules -- start with one, and add one each week for a total of four daily in a month's time. Talk to your naturopath about this -- he or she would be able to help you in more detail as to whether you're likely to benefit from it, and how to manage the dosing.



Water. Here is a golden piece of advice: drink 1/2 ounce of water every day per each pound you weigh. In other words, divide your weight by 2 and that's the number of ounces you need. Aim for one gallon daily. Measure them out into quart bottles, and put a good squeeze of lemon or a pinch of salt into each one. If you can order some gray sea salt, that's the best one to use -- the Grain & Salt Society has a great sea salt that I wouldn't be without. Keep one of those bottles with you at all times. When you feel hungry, drink a good whack of that water, and wait 15 minutes before eating. Water prepared this way is astoundingly effective in raising moods and normalizing body functions. It's a potent weight-loss tool.



For breakfast (the MOST important meal of the day): save aside meat and vegetables from dinner - heat it up when you make the group's breakfast. Cook an egg or two (in olive oil if possible) and dump it on top -- there's breakfast, and it's so good you'll get "addicted" to it. ;-)



Fill up on very simple foods like this. Make sure you never go hungry. Keep some jerky on hand, and carry that and water with you wherever you go. At first, the only hard thing will be staying away from grains, milk and sugar absolutely. Do your darnedest to get through the adjustment period - a few weeks is all. If you slip up? Smile, forget it and do your best the next day. You don't need or want any of those foods, and while you're trying to lose the weight they're just slowing everything down for you. You won't have to be without them forever. ;-)



The one vegetable you will need every day is dark leaf greens. Kale, collards, chard, spinach. That will take care of your platelet count, give you food-based calcium AND provide folates which will improve your brain function -- you'll start feeling better, and have more energy. Broccoli is a good, common one, too. Onions and carrots, along with squashes, will do great things for you -- they have a kind of sugar combination that will brighten your feelings and increase your energy, and they won't make you feel shaky or gain weight. I'm talking about cooked veg here for the most part, because you can make up a batch of them and put them in the fridge, then scoop some out to go with your meat or as a between-meal snack. But, if you can get some salads now and again, that's a good thing too. Do whatever is easiest for you right now.



As much as you hate being 200+ pounds, it may explain things a little to remember that our minds are powerful influences on our health. Fat is an insulator against a hostile environment. I know that's true from hearing it and reading about it, but I also know it from personal experience. When I began to believe that I am NOT vulnerable to harm of some kind from others (including unwanted advances -- or devastating family opinions) -- and when I began to believe that I can think and take care of myself no matter what -- then it was a natural step to seriously begin shedding the fat that in the back of my mind was doing me a kind of service. When I weighed 190, I was BIG AND STRONG, and I was harsh with myself and others. Nobody messed with me. I 'needed' the size then, or so I thought. I stopped needing it, and if any of that's like what's at work with you, you'll stop needing it too.



You are living in a mighty hostile environment, one you may find unbearable right now. Remember that you are not chained for life there. Your personal freedom to choose what you will do with your life is worth everything to you, it's the single most important thing for living beings. No one can make any claim on you that conflicts with that principle, and I mean NO ONE. The only way they can keep hold of you (and hurt you enough to make you want some extra insulation) is if you agree on some level to let them do it. Take heart!!



hope it doesn't sound like I'm yelling at ya. ;-} I just want to convey that others have been in a similar position, and I feel strongly that you're well endowed with the POWER to do this little weight loss thing. :-}



By the way, I think we can promise that the weight loss won't stop when you reach 170. ;-) so the only note I'd like to add is that you might start a "clothes fund" now in preparation for the time when yours will be falling right off you. :-D



Now, keep writing whenever you can, Jennifer Jo -- I want to hear from you. !! Don't be a stranger! :-)

Dear Heidi, After being on the program 4 years, I still have questions. The HB fruits for A's like blueberries etc. are all heavily sprayed. Should one take their chances with sprayed fruit or only eat organic fruit in season. The frozen organic fruit has problems of its own with polyamines, but I have resorted to eating it instead of the pesticides. Same goes for veggies. What is the best answer here. The value of HB's versus organic? Some of these vegetables like Kale are hard to get locally that are organic. Marilyn



Hello, dear! Questions mean you're thinking and working your plan, every day. The longer we keep doing that, the better! There are a couple of issues here vís-a-vís fruit. Here I go out on a limb: if your ancestry can be traced pretty much to one area of the world, use that climate as your guide to seasonal consumption of fruit. In the case of type A cancer survivors like yourself, it is ALWAYS preferable to eat frozen fruit or vegetables over eating pesticide-polluted food. On the other hand, rather than fish or meat frozen by flash-freezing, it is preferable to use canned wild fish and free-range meat products. HB v. organic? Same answer. Don't eat pesticides. "Organic" means you won't be eating genetically-modified foods, either, which are No Good for anybody. Choose the cleanest food you can find, and scour your locality for local growers and farmers' markets. :-)



My mother & I are currently starting the Cook Right 4 Your Type diet and at the moment seem to be doing OK. My mother likes to have a tipple of Australian sherry which has a small amount of Brandy in now & again. She's Blood Type AB and wondered if she could still have her 'tipple' By the way, we've only been doing this diet 2 weeks & already we've found that we have more energy and we've both lost a couple of pounds. We thought we were eating correctly anyway, but having read Eat 4 Your Type, we were shocked to find that we'd probably been eating too much chicken and for me, been Blood Type B, too many Ryvitas! Hope you can help and I look forward to hearing from you. Lorraine



One of my missions in life is to never get in the way of anyone's tipple. :-) I wouldn't worry a bit about the occasional consumption of a favorite cocktail. I ask you: how much time are we vouchsafed upon this earth? Can't tell you how many of my correspondents enjoy their particular nip well into their 90s and 100s. You're on the good road with your diet now. Be sure to check into the TYPEbase3 database now and again for the latest food values. Enjoy!!



My wife is a type AB and I need to know what food groups that she should avoid and what food groups that she should eat more off. She has been trying to loose weight for years and has very little success. Sam



Sam, I suggest getting the Food & Supplement Lists from this site. We don't have them online as such, but if you have a question about a specific food, just consult the TYPEbase3 database. You'll have great success!



I am an A and getting good results though I suspect will get better as I get more stringent. Where is chickpea classified? It is a common bean here in Australia - Thanks, Kerri-Emerald



Kerri, chickpea is noted as "garbanzo bean" in BTD. In Live Right, we've used both terms. It's an avoid for everyone except O secretors, so try black beans or black-eyed peas instead. :-)



a friend told me that he had lost allot of weight and i asked him how and he gave me your web address, but i dont understand how it works or what it consists of. i would like further infomation about it. thank you bobby



Bobby, just go out to your local bookstore and look for the Food & Supplement Lists for your & your wife's type. They're available right here on this site, too -- just see the links to the left. It will give you both a new lease on life!



I am AB-, take thyroxin (had a total thyroidectomy but it has re-grown) and asthma preventative medication, am lactose intolerant, have arthritis and take Celebrex, and am on an immunology program for allergies (sinusitus). From what I read about my blood type it would appear my body is not behaving typically as AB-ve. What foods should I avoid apart from dairy foods? Thank you for reading this question. Regards Diana



Other than dairy foods, there is no other particular food to add to your AB avoid list for the time being, with the possible exception of all wheat products. If you eliminate all grains and dairy for a month then add them singly, one per day, you should be able to pinpoint anything which flares your allergies, increases mucus, or exacerbates joint pain. Have you considered taking Deflect-AB? The drugs may well be getting in the way of your healing, but seek out a trustworthy practitioner if you decide to discontinue them. Our practitioner database, on our homepage, has a current listing. Once your diet is on target for a few months, you may find your lactose intolerance (and grain sensitivity, if present) slowly alleviates. And congratulations on regrowing your thyroid, that's quite an accomplishment!!! Although your doctors may be a tad nonplussed, you won't regret it. :-)



Heidi, I need a personal reply regarding the jerky recipe you posted. Is it really 2 Tbs. of salt and 1 Tbs. of ginger powder, or should it be tsp. instead? I want to make some tomorrow. Thank you for your time! I DO enjoy your column. Mary Dee



Hi, Mary Dee ~ Yep, tablespoons. Sorry you waited over a month for your answer! Sheesh, I apologize... well... I'll just work harder and do better next time! (hope that meat's still good!) :-}



I am a type A non-secretor. Is it true that I can eat tomatos without worry? Also, what about sheeps milk cheese. There are many of these on the Irish market tho' I know I can only eat a little cheese. I know about Feta but these are more "cheddery". Also, what is suitable as a higher protein breakfast in order to loose weight? Thank you. Tina, from Ireland.



Folks, Tina takes the prize for patience. She first posted questions in May (without reply, MEA CULPA), and during the interim she sought out and found the secretor test, and discovered she's a nonsecretor. Good going, girl! And... Thanks for not blasting me about the delay in this answer! :-} Yes, tomatoes are perfectly fine for you -- my type A man was greatly relieved to get his nonsecretor status, believe me, tomatoes were a big part of the celebration. Feta should not be cheddary at all, it's white, crumbly, dense and salty. In general, monitor your own reactions to unlisted cheeses: if you start clearing your throat after eating it, or notice a white-coated tongue in the morning, that particular cheese isn't good for you. To lose weight, eat your nice big Irish breakfast in the morning, but no pork -- use anything else for sausage, maybe turkey, chicken, lamb or wild game. Not sure what to substitute for blood puddings, but use your evident imagination to find a good alternative. :-D Don't forget those lovely fresh eggs, fill up! Have a good dinner and a small supper. Drink lots of that beautiful Irish water between meals. Get out and walk, do yoga, socialize within your comfort levels, engage in any activity which makes you feel peaceful and happy. Your weight will normalize.



People! If you find your question wasn't answered, or you can't make out what the heck I'm talking about when I DO answer your question, write again! We'll get it sorted out, never fear! And thanks to ALL who write. This is how we all learn, me most of all. Blessings, and enjoy your day!