Just finished todays column on Flushing. Thank you for the lightness that you bring to such an important subject.

Having been responsible for the engineering and construction of many large chemical, plants I know how important it is to keep the drains and plumbing clear and in good working order. If we were as careful about our bodies and what we put into them as we are about our cars etc., we would all be a lot better off.

At age 76, I tried my first flush with no obvious results; will give it another try in a couple of months. The diet has done remarkable things for me. Chloresterol and lipids all normal, energy at a high level and enjoying fruit and veggie shakes now that we have a Vita-Mix; wonderful machine.

Also, still touting the bennies of the diet to those who will listen. My best testimony is my own personal life filled with strenuous activities like racquetball and good health.

I don't write much but am a conscientious reader and appreciate the support you give others. Their support and sharing combined with your cheer, knowledge and humor, is a blessing to me. Mega thanks, Conrad

Hey there, Conrad! A timely reminder on keeping the physiological machinery running clean -- thanks, dear! ;-)

I won't be surprised if you, an outrageously healthy type O, find that the second gallbladder flush produces little or nothing. It sounds as if the diet and exercise plan may have been more than sufficient to support your liver and gallbladder in excellent working order ~ and the open & energetic approach you take to living is in itself a powerful invigorating influence upon organ function.

Wishing you more of the same, dear! It's always a pleasure to hear from you! :-D

Hello Heidi,

Like Jim, I am an A+ secretor who follows the bloodtype diet quite conscientiously, yet I experienced long-term troubles with flatulence.

In my case, I found that the food category seeming to produce my worst problems with gas was one that I LEAST expected as the cause: grains. Once I eliminated all the grains which are derived from the grass family of plants I noticed a considerable improvement in my digestion. The two BENEFICIAL grains for Type-A, amaranth and buckwheat, don't give me trouble, but it should be noted that both of these foods are not "true" grains. Interestingly enough, (BENEFICIAL) legumes that are usually blamed for producing gas won't cause me the classic symptoms, as long as I still refrain from grains, and the soluble fiber in lentils and beans really help to keep me regular.

I've also learned that judicious amounts of extra virgin olive oil included with my meals not only accentuates the flavors but also aids digestion as well.

I realize this next suggestion is contrary to the prevailing wisdom on good eating habits, but I've discovered that in my particular case I do better taking foods in only two or three substantial meals separated by about six hours (and finishing my last meal some six hours before bedtime) RATHER than dining on several smaller portions at shorter intervals throughout the day. My Type-A digestion just seems to have its own long-cycle process that doesn't appreciate interruptions by any sort of snacking between meals and, when I ignore this principle I almost always pay the price in flatulence.

Finally, I've noticed that even when I am on my best dietary behavior my digestive well-being can be completely sabotaged by my Type-A susceptibility to emotional stress! Consequently I try to stay as calm as possible... Hope these ideas might help my fellow "A". ~ Mark

P.S. Another few thoughts for Jim, A+ Secretor: If he hasn't already done so, he may wish to avail himself of the Type-A specific probiotic formula, offered by North American Pharmacal on this website. It's my hunch that A-Types, because of our "over-tolerant" immune systems, tend to have more difficulty establishing and maintaining the proper bacterial balance in our intestinal tracts, even after we've begun to "Eat Right for Our Type". It's the bacteria, after all, that produce the gas, and the wrong varieties in our gut cause the most trouble.

I commend Jim for following the liver/gall bladder cleansing flushes and he's probably brimming with health in that respect!

One additional remedy he might consider pursuing is an herbal formula to eliminate parasites, such as the program outlined in Hulda Clark's book "The Cure for all Diseases", or the pre-packaged combinations found in natural food stores.

I'm not hinting that there are big nasty beasties wiggling around in our insides (such is rarely the case) but I imagine it could be fairly easy to pick up unwelcome microbial guests along the way and, I've found that these formulas can be a gentle though effective method for good internal housekeeping. Best regards...

Greetings, Mark ~ lovely to hear from you!

Your notes on probiotics and eliminating certain grains are well worth looking into.

I was especially struck by your experience with meal timing. It makes excellent sense to me, and perhaps Jim will experiment with fewer & more substantial meals to see if his situation improves. Certainly, allowing time for a meal's complete digestion before having another would mitigate against both flatulence and constipation.

Meal restructuring, grain tinkering, and Polyflora-A seem like great starting points from what Jim's reported so far... read on! and thank you so much for your insights! :-D

Heidi, Please tell Jim Garland about taking vitamin C to tolerance to relieve his constipation problems, at least until he figures out what is going on. It works! Theresa

Theresa's got a good one there, Jim ~ The technique generally is to start with one or two grams of Vitamin C (I prefer esterified C with bioflavanoids, or 100% acerola cherry C) and add one gram daily until the stools get runny. Back off on the dosage just enough to restore shape to the stools ~ and sort of 'ride herd' on the daily dose to maintain regular elimination. It's a stopgap procedure for you while you're working on the cause of the problem (which is unlikely to be vitamin C deficiency. ;-)).

Thanks for that one, Theresa! :-D

Hi Heidi! How exciting to see my post on your wonderful collumn!

To answer your questions I am 6'2, 182lbs. I have been following the diet for about 6 months. Before that My diet was typical fast food garbage for about 11 months. Before that I blood type dieted for about 6 months. This time I'm on the train for good. The reason I hopped off last time was because I moved and was BROKE. Doing well now though.

I used to be a lot stricter with the calories... I don't weigh food or anything just kind of a general guideline.

During the off the blood type diet time I was almost constantly taking antibiotics and drinking in excess a lot(just turned 21) wich I expect destroyed my intestinal flora. I use a variety of probiotics now but none of them have the biffida strain the good doc reccomends.

A 2 day sample diet would be as follows:

8 am-1/8 cup peanuts, 1/8 cup walnuts, 2 cups coffee w/1 Tbsp black strap mollasses mixed in, small piece of ginger root, 1/2 cup oatmeal, and a grapefruit.

10am- 10 ounces lemon water.

11 am- Half a package whitewave tofu w/benneficial seasonings. 10 carrot sticks. Handful of spinach leaves. An apple.

1pm 10 ounces lemon water.

2 pm- Other half of tofu block seasoned- 10 carrot sticks, handful of spinach, 2 dried apricots, 2 dried prunes.

4pm- 10 oz lemon water

5 pm- 1 cup yogurt wixed w/1 cup blueberries, 2 slices ezekiel bread

7pm 10 oz lemon water

8pm salmon fillet w/olive oil and seasonings, broccoli, med sized onion sauteed, glass of red wine.

10pm bowl of amaranth or buckwheat flakes with soy milk and cinnamon more blueberries

11:30 pm a glass or two of wine.

next day probably close to the same thing... swap the tofu with tempeh, the salmon with pollack, the bluberries w/ cranberries, the prunes w/dried figs, the ezekiel braed w/mana bread... you get the idea. I don't drink wine everyday but just about. 1-4 good sized glasses.

I also only eat fish about 3 times a week and yogurt about once or twice. the other days I just won't have any animal products. I take supplements throughout the day including milk thistle, ecchinachea, ginseng w/royal jelly blend, green tea extract, multi vitamin, chondroitin w/glucosamine, MSM, and a probiotic or two. I take the reccomended doses, usually with meals. Sorry this was so long... any other q's let me know...and... THANX!!!!!!!!

On a different note. I heard Dr. Bron mention Holosync in one of his collumns. I then saw you post their address on yours. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I was VERY skeptical... I ordered it after listening to the demo many times, e-mailing them, and learning all I could... I broke down and took a chance... (I was experiencing some anxiety at the time...)

I have been using it for approx. 6 weeks now... every day... I have never been so peaceful and happy with myself and who I am. Of course the BTD is a major contributor there. But in response to people wondering if it's right for them I'd say A's and AB's would benefit a lot. O's and B's only if you have some issues... Anyway... Thank you for a truly inspirational and enlightening collumn!! Much love! Jim ---

Hey there, Jim! Great rundown on your diet, well done!

I have several suggestions:

First, it would help to boost the high-magnesium vegetables (chards, kale, collards, other dark leafy greens -- you'll find them in the beneficials). Since you're eating tofu daily, your magnesium needs may rise in proportion to that high-calcium food.

I'd also switch off between tofu and tempeh, along with other *whole* beans -- other As who've done so found their digestive efficiency much improved.

The second thing that occurred to me is that in the three hours before bedtime, the high-protein (like salmon) food is often included, along with a sizable portion of grain, soy milk and fruit, with a nightcap of wine. The timing and food combinations of these late meals may well be a factor in that pesky gas & constipation. I'd switch the salmon to lunch (11am or 2pm meal) and have an all-vegetable meal in the evening (at least three hours before sleep). That last meal would be a great place to stuff in the leafy greens, broccoli... perhaps a big stir-fry on top of a green salad, but in any case I'd use only vegetables -- no fruit/grain combinations -- and moving the most protein-heavy meal to the middle of the day will boost energy and take digestive advantage of that physically active time.

Finally, take a peek at Mark's and Theresa's notes above. It looks like you've already gone with amaranth and buckwheat, along with some oatmeal ~ but do consider the blood type probiotic, Polyflora-A, and comb through the other excellent suggestions to see if any bells start ringing.

I'm really pleased that the Holosync system has proven so valuable for you! It is always wonderful to hear the reports people write about stress-relief techniques -- they're life-changing indeed. Enjoy it!

You're doing a tremendous job following the A secretor plan, and I can just tell that with a little tweak here & there, you'll be a very happy camper! However, I order you to Keep in Touch with anything you'd like to yak about! and of course, we wanna hear that the main problem's solved !! :-D