Hello Heidi. I am back after many months. O+ secretor Diabetic and my husband is A-non-secretor(I think) hypoglycemic (I know).

What a pair we are. I am kicking myself that I have been on the wrong track for a whole year with my husband's diet. I got from a very reputable source, that my in-laws were both O types. So we went ahead and got the secretor test and found out that my husband was a non-secretor.

So I have followed faithfully the O- non-secretor diet until last weekend when I found out his sister said that she was an A-. She even showed me her card.

Can you imagine how I felt wondering if he was really an A and the more we thought about it, it made sense (when we tested him) that he was an A- because I have been running circles around him for months! We were wondering why he wasn't doing better.

So, my question is. Do I have to do the secretor test again for him? For years he has reacted to the foods on that side...corn, potatoes, SUGAR (big time),etc. so I wasn't surprised when he showed up non-secretor. I was curious because they ask your blood type when you do the secretor test. Just hoping to save a few bucks.

I strongly think he is, but I wondered if it was still necessary. We are excited to be on track with his new program and hoping he'll catch up to me real soon! We're still still doing our water. Oh yes...Don't just take someone's word for your blood type. Yikes...I had him on a cancer diet eating all of that meat! Thanks for your help. Nancy

Hi, Nancy! Hey, I'm glad you discovered the reason your husband's condition wasn't improving as you'd expect it to.

Bad news is, he does need another secretor test. The lab's ability to test for free antigen depends upon knowing the ABO type they're looking for -- hence that question on the submission form. He could well be a nonsecretor, but we won't know until he's tested again.

Think of it as a small price to pay for peace of mind ~ once you have the test result, you won't be in doubt.

Thanks for the update, and FULL SPEED AHEAD!! Bless ya, dear! :-D

Hi Heidi, I am having a real hard time trying to find your recipe for soaked, ground flaxseed for breakfast in your previous posts. Would you Pleeeaaase post it again? Thanks for your time! Stephanie

Hallo, Stephanie ~ It's whatever proportion of water you'd like with the quantity of flaxseed you plan to use as either a breakfast main dish or just a little slurp on top of something else. I suggest one tablespoon of whole seed, ground, per 1/4 cup hot water, as a guideline for the slurp (smaller quantity). Try that and see if (1) it yields the quantity you'll use, and (2) if you like that consistency, or prefer something thicker or thinner ~~ and adjust accordingly. enjoy!! :->

Hi Heidi! Thanks so much for the candida answers, and good to see you again!

And since you mentioned it, nope, I haven't been too well to write in, I've been very sick for months now. (Bet you guessed that didn't you -- send me some of that good ol' healing energy OK?)

But I think I'm getting at the heart of it. Apparently candida makes a person unable to fight bacteria effectively. And there's a new kind of antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria (MRSA) springing up in communities world-wide this year -- They're having the most trouble in Houston TX, but it's all over, affecting even young apparently healthy people. It is more aggressive than regular staph, and apparently also moreso than the hospital-acquired MRSA.

If a person has candida overgrowth on skin or elsewhere along with the MRSA, there can be bad recurring infections, and antibiotics would make it much more recurrent. (Maybe other things also contribute to recurrence.) [Yah I know, ;o) I'm just too cautious for the Heallix & likely I'm paying for it, but I'm fighting infections with topical essential oils like oil of oregano & others and it's working well so far, and no doubt I'm hanging in there because of my BTD years! The other people I see with this are much more ill than I am.]

So anyway, if you get anyone with recurring bacterial infections tell them the bacteria info is in the book "The Yeast Syndrome" by Walker & Trowbridge. (And tell them infections seriously drain Vitamin A, which will make the immune system weak, carrot juice is great.)

Candida is probably underlying my rosacea too, the candida would make the skin less able to respond appropriately to normal skin bacteria. I just never focused on candida before!

Your column has been such a help, I'm wishing you appreciation for your info and especially for your parasite pesto recipe. Sounds yeast-lethal too.

(Excited, found out I can afford to have my mercury fillings removed!)

Take care over there Heidi! Sending you a hug! Maia

P.S. for the rosacea, using topical Evening Primrose oil twice daily helped me get off prescription topical anti-inflammatories -- it is a gentle anti-inflammatory and good for people.

PPS, also should have said, for infection-prone people who think they have candida, finding a practitioner would be a good idea -- candida tends to fight back when you first address it, and that is making me more infection-prone.

Maia, this is valuable info ~ thanks again, dear!

I suspect that the solution may be simpler than we think. More on this tomorrow ~ for now, I send you the Light of Lights, and a very big warm {{{hug}}}! :-D

Hey Heidi, my two O friends and one A friend are complaining of grittiness in their NAPH Protein Drinks. They are using blenders. Is there something more that can be done. Thx. CB.

Hi, CB! I haven't noticed any rough texture in the protein powders, but what your friends might do is mix the powder with the liquid they use, and let it sit for 30 minutes before blending with whatever else they add. A little soaking should allow the fiber to soften up. Let me know how this works for them, OK? :-)

Hi Heidi! Are ya missin' me?

I have an O candida question. I see you said mold-free nuts are OK, what about pumpkin seeds? Not sure how to tell if they're mold-free.

Do milk products to avoid include goat cheese? My candida book says it's OK if it's not mold or bacteria-ripened, but I don't know that one either, and the book's 20 years old. Any Heidi-type thoughts would be so appreciated!

I found out an interesting candida thing, post antibiotics -- antibiotics run people out of B vitamins and I took those. But I've been messed up ever since, because my high quality B supplement didn't include much biotin, because biotin-deficiency is supposed to be so rare, unless you've been on antibiotics. And biotin deficiency apparently plays a role in yeast converting to that more invasive mycelial stage. My brewer's yeast doesn't have much biotin either.

And out there on the web, it says one might need lots more biotin than the RDA to make it up, plus sublingual lozenges might be best because of messed up gut bacteria. And, lactobacilli gut bacteria need biotin to be happy and reproduce. So it's a vicious cycle, whoa. Interesting stuff!

Thanks for any ideas on the pumpkin seeds and goat cheese! I am missing them, I see them sitting in my fridge. You take care Heidi! I hope you're well as well as busy! (o:Maia

I missed the heck outta ya, darlin! So nice to hear your shininess again! :-)

My personal test for mold is a big whiff of the food. If my nose tickles, or I sneeze or feel "off" (a little woozy or unbalanced), it has molds that don't like me. Give your punky seeds the whiff test.

Seeds and nuts are easy to deal with: just toast them in a hot pan until they golden-up, or bake them on an oven sheet at 350 F until hot & crispy. Test by eating just one. ;-) Any inner-ear full feeling or tickly throat, sneezing, etc., and there's too much mold inside to be baked-out -- but I'd be surprised if you run into this problem.

Pumpkin seeds or seeds from other squashes should be roasted up right away, tossed with a bit of salt and allowed to cool. Once they've come to room temperature, they should be stored with their salt in a cool, dry place -- preferably a jar with a mesh lid.

Cheesemaking is both a science and an art, meaning there are basic rules which must be followed -- but after that, just about anything goes (and still ends up being sold as cheese). Get in touch with your goat cheese supplier, and mention your health difficulties as a prelude to querying their ingredients and process. The goat cheese in the food lists is the FRESH, light, young, moldless type, but even within these narrow parameters there is a world of variety possible from product to product.

That said ~~ for people with systemic candidiasis, or who are uncertain of their condition and are fighting on numerous fronts & just starting the diet ~ it is well worth the trouble to eliminate any food which presents even a hint of hazard.

You found a bunch of interesting stuff about antibiotics, candida and biotin -- I'd certainly consider a sublingual supp (along with high-quality eggs daily) while you're still clearing out the remainders.

It sounds like you're feeling so good, you got too busy to write in! In that case, I forgive you! Enjoy the Spring, dear heart! :-D

Hi there dear Heidi, I suffered a traction injury to my shoulder while receiving a session of massage therapy. The muslces keep on flaring up and I have no peace from the burn and disability. It has been four months.

Although I have been getting physiotherapy and following the anti-inflammation protocols I cannot get any releif. I do not take aspirin because I am type 0 and have thin blood. Do you have any advice. I am wondering if there is a connection to my hormones as I suspect I have adrenal fatigue. Thank you. Ruth

Hi, Ruth! I gather you are taking quercetin early and often?

I know you've been battling this pain for a long time. I have a suggestion over and above diet which may be the key to relief for you. Dr. John E. Sarno has developed a paradigm for understanding injuries such as yours. Other readers here have written to praise this system, and I've used it successfully myself -- so I suggest the book, The Mindbody Connection. Visit this page for that book, and have a look around the site. It's quite a powerful adjunct to the diet and exercise program you're already following. Give it a look, and let me know what you think, dear! I send you great healing wishes! :-D

Hello, thank you for the opportunity for gaining an answer to a question I've searched long & hard for over the internet. I'm a type O & a new comer to this diet. I have been largely vegetarian since I was 15 (now 25) & recently started to include fish in my diet after learning more about type O's & the common tummy aches experienced after eating grains.

My main health problem is that I've had eczema since I was born, although it is no longer irritable, it is extremely dry all over (I have to moisturize within minutes of stepping out of the shower)It has recently shown improvement - partly due to the change in my foods according to the BTD I think & I'm also taking Chinese medicine.

I cannot find any cases of people with eczema or having overcome eczema as a result of the BTD on this site/internet. In ERFYT Dr D'Adamo is unable to offer any solid proof on this topic with regards to the BTD.

Is there any proof of it being beneficial to someone with eczema? Would eating red meat make a real difference do you think? And finally, I'm a very slim type O & have lost a substantial amount of weight already that I'm uncomfortable with - can you offer any advice? Thank you very much for your time Heidi. Sarah :-)

Hi, Sarah! I don't think Peter was "unable" to offer "proof," but I'm a little hazy on what you are asking us. There are all kinds of criteria for what proof is, personally and situationally. Are you looking for verified lab results? Or personal testimonials with before & after pictures? That information I don't have, and Peter could not release that kind of medical data about his patients without their express permission. If you can be more specific on what you're looking for, it would help me.

Since Eat Right 4 Your Type came out in 1996, the seminal work Live Right 4 Your Type and the Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia were released. There are some suggestions there for you. In particular, it may help you to know that Peter treats eczema as a symptom of food allergy. He suggests daily intake of 100 mg standardized Hawthorn extract, 250 mg Vitamin C, 500 mg quercetin with meals (3x daily), and 500 mg stinging nettle leaf with meals (3x daily) to raise the allergic threshold.

I *can* help you if you're willing to do certain things for only two weeks. The proof would be in your own body, which is the best and most convincing proof I can offer you.

Would eating red meat make a difference? For you, Yes. The skin, the largest organ, is the most in need of appropriate protein foods for its healthy functioning. Adding meat to your diet will make a huge difference in your skin, if it is grassfed meat. That is because types O and B particularly require adequate intake of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) for skin and nerve health. Grain-fed and grain-finished animals carry only a fraction of this vital fat in their muscle tissues that grassfed critters have in abundance.

Lamb (or mutton) and buffalo may be less expensive than 100% grassfed beef where you are -- look around and compare. Neither sheep nor buffalo undergo a fattening (grain-feeding) process, and both are excellent choices for the reason that their meat is high in CLA and very likely to be free of hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and GMO traces from genetically-modified grain feed.

In addition, I'd suggest drinking 1/2 ounce of water per pound of bodyweight daily, with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of gray sea salt in each quart. The skin needs electrolytes like government needs power.

One thing that I've found in hearing the stories of thousands of people: a diagnosis of "eczema" isn't a hard-science conclusion. It can be anything & everything from a symptom of multiple chemical sensitivity, to leaky gut, to high stress levels, to seed allergy. It might be a sign of auto-immune disease, or just a spectacular reaction to tiny avoids (that allergic threshold being too low, again). One lady was at the absolute end of her tether, we were all pulling our hair out trying to figure what was going on with her skin -- guess what, it was the soap she used. ;-D

The key to weight normalization for you is exercise. Build the muscle with strength-focused exercises -- push-ups, sit-ups, heavy (whatever that means for your abilities) weight training, in short, hard doses once or twice every 5 days.

A couple of Qs from personal experience: do you forget to eat? Or, "Just going to get that one last thing done before taking a meal break?" ;-> That "one last thing" has been known to run me along till 8PM on nothing but water & breakfast, at which time it's too late to eat of course, which is No Bueno if you want to retain your muscle mass. Ever happen to you?

Being on the diet means I'm invincible, naturally -- and I naturally may tend in that O-ish way to push my invincible limits like mad on a regular basis, just because there are SO many things to do, and basically because I CAN, until ... I can't anymore. What IS it about Os??? See yourself in any of this?

Do write again, Sarah ~ Tell me what your exercise routine, diet and water intake is like ~~ and check that soap! ;-> I'm sure we can help you achieve your goals. Best wishes! :-D

Hello Heidi: I am an O+ (secretor status unknown) from Spain. My question is: I rely on eggs for my breakfast and usually eat an omelette (3 whites/1 yolk) or 3 hard boiled eggs every morning. Am I doing the right thing? Can I increase my intake? My excercise program (weights and running) is quite tough. By the way, I'm 36. Felix

Hello, Felix! Nice to hear from you!!

Compared to what I eat in the morning, your breakfast is tiny. I don't think I could manage on three eggs until lunchtime -- and I weigh 125 lbs (about 56.7 kilos)!

What I would increase is the meat, vegetable and fat content of your breakfasts. I use ground lamb, onions, garlic, sea salt, olive oil, two large bunches of kale, canned tomatoes, nutritional yeast and spices to make a large batch of a sort of stir-fried stew which I eat most days for breakfast.

This means cooking only once per week, and refrigerating or freezing portions of the stew. And of course, you can substitute other meats, or turkey or dense fish like monkfish or cod, and spice it to your taste. Some hot chilis work nicely. Warm up a bowl of it and top it with an egg or two, and watch your personal best go through the roof. ;->

Breakfast is SUCH an important meal that I'd prefer you do something of this kind. It doesn't require much time to cook per week, and once it's done you have a splendid start to the days going forward.

If this wouldn't work for you, tell me more about your schedule & what you eat now. I'll offer some ideas that may fit your lifestyle a bit better. Thanks for writing! :-)

I started the BTD some time ago, but I guess I got lazy, though I know it made a difference in how I felt. I am considering getting back on it, though I am a bit concerned about the cost of a truly healthy (free-range, blah blah) type O diet. Yikes.

Also, one question - I noticed on one of the blogs, the lady mentioned that she was a vegetarian for a year as a teenager and it wrecked her thyroid. Can this happen?

I was also a veg'n for about 1 year when I was about 17 or something - and sometime later (couple years) I found out my thyroid doesn't work (goiter and everything). It got exponentially worse after my pregnancy - at 200 lbs, I am now 20 lbs heavier than I was when I was 9 months pregnant!! - and 40 lbs heavier than after I gave birth. Evanie

Hi, Evanie ~ Welcome back! Yes ~ for many people a vegetarian diet, especially one that includes daily servings of whole wheat, can do significant damage to the thyroid in record time. Why? Thyroid tissue is a lectin magnet. Particularly for type O nonsecretors, along with Os in general and type Bs, eating 'vegetarian,' which often equates to 'grainatarian,' is truly a severe health risk -- especially during the childhood and teen years.

This isn't a death sentence, though, nor a reason to give up. The body is almost magically able to heal itself once the bad's removed and replaced with the good stuff. BTD'ers in worse situations than yours have resolved their troubles, so why delay? ;->

The O diet is waiting for you, dear! The cost of clean meat is slight compared to the loss of quality of life you've been struggling with. Besides, the poison-free food TASTES so much better, and delivers so many more nutrients per pound, that you'll find you're satisfied with less in no time.

The question now is, no matter what happened before: you have the tools at hand to turn your health around. What will you choose to do? Write back & let me know! :-)

regarding corned beef: When I was in the supermarket the other day, the Columbus company was giving samples of their lunchmeats. I read the label on the corned beef and it was completely without avoids. I think it was basically beef and salt. Gretchen

Sounds like good news for west-coast folk, at least! Gretchen, could you give us a website, or the exact name of the company, so we can check 'em out? Glad you found some good commercial corned beef, and thanks for the tip, dear! :-D

Hello dr. Petter j. D'adamo I was born in North Africa. I am 52 years old. I am white. blood type "O". I don't eat red meat, and d'ont use dairy foods. My questions are:

1) From which kinds of foods, can I get my Proteins and Calcium.

2) Are Oats good for me?

3) I am Menopause period and I have Agoraphobia. What kinds of foods might help me? Thank you. ~ pnina

Greetings, Pnina ~ welcome! I'm not Peter, I'm Heidi, but I'll be glad to answer your questions.

Red meat is the prime Beneficial source of protein for type O. I would suggest that you consider including it in your diet. If you are accustomed to eating fowl and fish, then adding a small portion of red meat every other day should ease your digestive system into processing it with no problem.

Fish and eggs are wonderful protein sources, as is fowl of most kinds.

It's great that you do not eat dairy products. They aren't well-suited for type O, and many of us do not use them at all.

For calcium (and other minerals): seaweeds; broccoli; almonds; sesame seeds, sesame paste (tahini); broth made from the bones of roasted fowl, fish and meat; canned fish that includes the cooked, softened bones; dark leaf greens like kale, collards, chard, parsley, turnip greens, beet greens; black beans; figs.

Oats are Neutral if you are a secretor. If you are a nonsecretor, they are an Avoid. If you are overweight or have inflammation of any kind, it's best not to eat them.

Red meat, fish, green vegetables and plenty of water daily are very good for you during menopause. For anxiety-related disorders like agoraphobia, two things: strenuous exercise at least 3 times weekly, and Rhodiola rosea ("Arctic root"), an herb.

Write again and let me know how you do! :-D

I will try doing the lamb regimine over, this time I will be sure that I only use plain lamb with a drizzle of olive oil when it's done cooking. Thank you for your patience and your explanation to my question. I hope you are having a nice weekend. Eagle

Sounds good, Eagle ~ It's a beautiful weekend here, thanks! and I look forward to your report! :-D

Hello, Heidi, I was surprised to see in your column that corned beef is fine for O's . . . did I read that correctly? I am a non-secretor, and thought that non-secretor avoids are used in the corning process. Sugar is one, plus there is sometimes corn syrup (and other corn products) in corned beef. I have avoided all-beef salami for the same reason. Please advise. Thanx, Heidi, Melissa



Hi, Melissa! Commercial corned beef will be full of avoids, and of course we don't recommend that anyone start eating avoids. What you see on the label RULES. :-)



There are recipes for corned beef which are easily adaptable even to nonsecretor Os. Just drop the ingredients which are to be avoided, or substitute sweeteners like blackstrap molasses for the sugar and lemon juice for the vinegar. Corning is a means of preserving large cuts of meat -- somewhat like the jerking process, it depends upon salt.



So, do take another look at that column and see what you think! Bless you, dear! :-)

As promised, I tried eating lamb for 5 days...and I still get the itchy rash at night if I eat curry or take the vitamins and/or the minerals and it still comes on quicker if I get really warm (too many covers, exercising, dressed in too many layers, etc.).



The nails, cuticles, and hang-nails may have improved some though. Also, I felt better (calmer, more relaxed) when I took the vitamins and minerals during the day, but that nasty rash sorta negated it.



I must tell you though, I may need to try again...my husband knows I am especially fond of lamb sausages and so he bought them instead of plain ground lamb. When he brought it home, we both read the labels and it said that there was nothing in it that was an avoid for me (AB secretor in case you have forgotten)...but it did taste of black pepper and I noticed it had some black olives in the mixture...neither of which were listed on the ingredients list...so who knows what else was in them. A miss-labeling?



Anyway, we had spent all our grocery $$$ so I ate 'em (At least they were really tasty.). It was either that or go ovo-lacto vegetarian until today - Friday (payday). Tonight, I am having PLAIN lamb (shoulder chop - I didn't even marinade it).



Should I try again for another round of lamb (just plain lamb) for another 4 days or give it up? Either way, would you please explain to me what your reason is/was for having me eat the lamb in the first place. Thanks! Eagle



Hey there, Eagle! Well, mislabeling for sure on that sausage - whether inadvertent or intentional, we don't know. Try the next four days with the plain lamb.



The idea is to provide you with a rich source of natural CLA (conjugated linoleic acid): the lamb fat. Grassfed animals have quite a bit of this fatty acid, where grain-fed animals have very little. It can make a big difference in rashes like the ones you've been having. So: four days more, then report! :-D

Hi there, I have been getting really bad cramps, hardly able to breathe or talk, in my transending colon, didn't have one today, thank God. Still not much improvement. I was wondering if I should try and investigate my mercury levels.



I have often wondered as all my teeth are filled, also 2 root treatments. The only thing is I don't think there is a dentist who would work with me on changing things, that I could afford anyway. What would I need to do to get a test done. Janet



Hello, Janet! Are the cramps really in the colon -- could they be uterine cramps? Does the pain go away when gas is passed -- or after a bowel movement? What did you eat 3-5 hours before the cramps came on, do you remember?



With so many fillings (not so uncommon: I'm close behind, with 9 large fillings, one smaller one and 4 crowns), I would not be surprised if your blood tests will show high levels of mercury. The standard procedure is to test for metals and enzymes, to establish what should be done to boost your health in preparation for the removal procedure. Here is an Irish site's page on dental amalgam with good advice.



Look for a dentist who uses the IAOMT standards for amalgam removal. Most of the resources on that page are in the States, but there is a reference in the Links page to "Pams Helpline" - for information on Dental Amalgams, Symptoms, and Chemical Allergies. I suggest using her contacts page to ask for Irish resources on evaluations and mercury-free dentists near you.



There's also a Contact form listed across the top of the Harmonik Ireland page. All you need is information on blood testing, and a list of dentists in your area.



I also found excellent material on the UK Amalgam Page, including a link to UK amalgam-free dentists - I saw one in Kilkenny and one in Dublin listed there. Guess I should search in Iceland, since it's closer to you than either of those! :->



There is also a U.S. toll-free number at the bottom of the Huggins Multidiscipline Alliance page.



Well, that's more and less what you asked for -- I do hope it helps! Keep in touch, Janet, and please let us know what you learn! :-D

Kia Ora from N.Z.

May I ask Angela through your column who in New Zealand is able to confirm secretor status. I notice she is a nonnie and I would very much like to determine my status to improve my health.

And also if I may, another request for information from you Heidi. I had an allergic reaction to the Protein Powder, and am doing as you suggested, put it aside for awhile. I have been on O supplements for a month. After two weeks I developed a fairly constant cough ,no pain non productive, just an irritating cough, which also feels like an allergic reaction. I am feeling a bit stuck.

Ive stopped taking all the supplements except Polyvite and the cough is gradually subsiding. I thought I would gradually introduce the other supplements once the cough has cleared completely, but I am very puzzled that I am reacting to these supplements for my type. Thankyou for all that you do for us. Marni

Hello, Marni! As it happens, Angela did not use a secretor or Lewis test. She researched this site, compared her history and conditions with the research she read, and used other food-testing modalities to double-check what her 'gut' told her she should do. Once she satisfied herself that she would do best on the nonsecretor food lists, she proceeded with the nonnie diet. She, too, found no way of getting her secretor status in New Zealand -- so she did the best she could.

I'd like to revisit that idea with you, too, since Kiwis seem to have no clinical options for determining secretor status. When you wrote a few months ago to ask what to do, I thought it was best to get tested somehow. Now, I think you'll benefit from using whatever you can discover through other methods, such as muscle testing with a reputable practitioner.

I still wonder why there isn't a single lab in NZ doing Lewis testing, at least. Sheesh! What's going on down there?? ;-)

While it's fairly rare to have an untoward reaction to the BTD supplements, there are some among those few are folks who react to just about everything --because of years-long dietary practices leading to leaky gut, a history of surgeries, and sometimes just due to a generally allergy-prone condition (common among Os). As a type O (are you Rh neg?) vegetarian for 30 years, I'm not too surprised that you're one of the sensitive folks. I don't believe things will stay that way! rather, that your healing may progress over a couple of years before your digestive system settles in to a calmer state. You WILL see progress, though, and gradual improvements are often the best kind!

On the diet front, try using only foods which are either beneficial or neutral for both secretor and nonsecretor Os. That is the safest route -- just skip all O avoids. I do suggest that you eliminate grains entirely, since they are the least beneficial foods for you, and the most likely suspects in the allergic load you're carrying. And, of course: remember your two best friends, Exercise and Water. :-)

Hello Heidi In my search for the mixed glandulars that you recommended I was advised to consult the thyroiduk.org website and through their recommendation I have bought the following glandulars for adrenal support -Adreno-lyph Plus - containing 221 mgms of adrenal extract, and also pituitary and parotid extract with vitamins C & B. to be taken for a week or two and then for thyroid support -T Lyph – containing 130 mgms of thyroid extract. (They do have other strengths I think these are the higher doses) From the Nutri Company of New Mills, Buxton, http://www.nutricentre.com.Does this sound OK to you?

But worringly for me, among the list of goitrogenic foods on the thyroiduk website were some beneficial and neutral foods for O’s i.e. cabbage kale almonds walnuts millet. I love walnuts and almonds and kale. What is your advice, do these restrictions apply to O’s I can hardly bear having to cut out even more of foods that I like?Thanks again Chrissie

Hey there, Chrissie ~ Those are indeed high-strength supplements, fancier than I'm used to! ;-) If you can take just one capsule of each daily, I think you'll see a great difference in a week or so.

The foods you mentioned are on every 'goitrogenic' list on the Net, and I wouldn't be dismayed by them. The paradigm underlying these lists is rather different from ours. For instance, do they mention wheat's damaging effects on type O thyroid function? Or how generally sensitive thyroid tissue is to harmful lectins? Or the roles of protein and exercise in boosting your endocrine self-healing? See, that's why you're OUR girl, Chrissie. :-D Evaluate all one-size-fits-all health advice according to the individual-specific material the BTD provides, and you won't go wrong.

Let me know how those supps do for you, and enjoy your nuts and kale! :-)

Hi, Heidi, I had a Dietary Serotype Panel done at the local naturopathic college - I'm a B secretor. Question: what do I do when the test recommendations contradict the books? For example, the test says chicken and wheat are great, the books say no way. Thanks for any light you can shed!...Jebra

Greetings, Jebra!

Everyone is different... but not that different! ;-D We do make certain modifications to the diet in conditions such as cancer, diabetes, true food allergies, and extraordinary physical demands such as pregnancy or athletic training. Some adjustments are permanent -- for instance, if peanuts send you into anaphylactic shock, they're banned & booted off your list, even if you're type A. Other changes are made in order to lighten the stresses while the body heals, and are only temporary adjustments.

However, these are different matters from a food list which contradicts the diet. Live Right 4 Your Type, as amended by the Updates page on this site, is the seminal work - and final authority to date - on these diets. In terms of your diet, the useful information in your serotype panel is your ABO, Rhesus and MN types and Lewis status. They help you refine your personal eating do's and don'ts.

If you'd prefer to see the effects of chicken and wheat in a lab evaluation, how about getting an Indican scale done? You could eliminate the two for two full weeks, and do one test -- then eat chicken and wheat daily for two weeks, and do another test. I'll betcha the next note you send will open with, "Wow!" ;-D Let me know what you learn! ;-)

Heidi, Thanks so much for your column. I have learned a great deal over the past few months by reading your column. I don't know if you realize what a great help you are to other people. I know you have helped me.

I have a question that I wrote you about a month or so ago, but I haven't received a response yet, and I was thinking that maybe it didn't go through. I really need some help.

I have been going to a holistic physician for about a year now. I was diagnosed with celiac disease and taken off of gluten products and others.

This past February I was still continuing to have problems with sinus infections and sore throats at which time an IgG Food Sensitivity Blood Test was done. I found out that I was allergic to other foods such as: almond, banana, green bean, kidney bean, pinto bean, yellow wax bean, brazil nut, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cashew, cauliflower, coconut, corn, egg, eggplant, garlic, lettuce, cow's milk, millet, mushroom, onion, pecan, green pepper, white potato, quinoa, canola, radish, rice, rye, safflower, tomato, walnut, wheat, zucchini.

When I combine these foods with the avoid foods for my blood type (Type , there is hardly anything left for me to eat. This sometimes gets very discouraging. I am presently taking a multi vitamin, probiotic, and digestive enzyme. Is there a supplement that I can take that may prevent me from having a reaction to these foods so I will be able to have more to choose from to eat?

Also I have been having a bad case of dermatitis herpetiformis lately. I found out it was the oatmeal I had been eating. Is there some supplement to take to help with future outbreaks of this? Thanks for your help. Susan

Hello, Susan! I'm sorry I missed your question the first time around.

As a celiac, the very first health supplement on your checklist should be a powerful stress-reduction program. Meditation, T'ai Chi, visualization practice, Holosync, kriyas (a great resource is the book Meditation as Medicine by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa and Cameron Stauth) -- the choice is up to you, but I urge you to explore this most essential element of treating the well-known effects of stored stresses which have contributed to your condition.

Your doctor probably mentioned this to you, but do check your supplements and beverages against the gluten-free list (check this page for resources). Oatmeal is an iffy item for celiacs, as it appears to have a weak form of gluten and some are bothered greatly by it -- you, for example. :-(

There really is nothing I can recommend which will completely protect your sensitive intestinal tract from all harmful foods. One supplement I'd be taking daily at the therapeutic dosage is Deflect-B, and the other is Polyflora-B -- with the addition of ARA6 (larch arabinogalactan). Ultimately, the healing must come from food and lifestyle changes foremost, helped along by a very few supps (the fewer processed foods and drugstore vitamin tablets, the better). See the Stomach Health and Intestinal Health protocols on this site, as well. Vitamin C in significant doses can help your immune system rebuild, and tone down your allergies.

A little good news on that Draconian food list: IgG test results can vary from week to week; they're not the hard evidence of what you should or shouldn't eat that they claim to be. Over time, I've heard a great many reports on comprehensive no-go food lists such as the one you received, and the consensus is that they produce results somewhere between marginally helpful and costly-but-useless.

For one example of success with celiac, see what John had to say in this column from August of 2002. If you are willing, the use of an elimination/provocation diet can allow you to identify for yourself any food which is harmful for you presently. You might start with a middle-ground diet: using lamb and fish as your base proteins, and kale, collards, watercress, squashes and whatever other vegetables line up with both the type B and the IgG lists, then provide plenty of flax & olive oil. These items can make a satisfying temporary diet with the addition of good sea salt, tolerated herbs, and seaweeds used liberally. Next, add sheep/goatsmilk products, watching for trouble. The safest place to start there is with fermented varieties of these foods, like kefir and yogurt. I'd set aside beans, nuts, seeds and grains entirely except for those beneficials which do not cause you trouble.

First of all, though -- the stress-reduction practice.

This is a complex issue, and I'd like to be able to give you some tips which you feel comfortable incorporating into your plan. Could you tell me a little more about ya ~ how long you've been on the B diet, whether you meditate, what your day is like? It would help me formulate a more specifically effective plan for you. Take good care, and write again soon! :-)

Dear heidi, hope things are well with you, I continue to enjoy and gain so much benefit from your column, thank you so much for all your hard work.

Struggling somewhat at present, had major dental work in january plus organizing and hosting my oldest daughters wedding. Had an aha! moment when you linked amalgam with candida in a recent column. Worst candida of my life!

following BTD of course but no fruit for 8 weeks ,plus extra supps as prescribed by my natural health therapist. Well, for an O nonnie you can imagine how I feel not having the few allowable sweet things in my life.

What i'm getting to in this ramble is this - any update on xylitol? Saw it for the first time today in health store- very tempting. Noticed your post for September last had it as not yet on database. Yours in (semi) desparation, Angela

Hey there, Angela!

Tell me more about your dental work ~ did you have amalgam removed, or was more put in? Candida overgrowth can occur as a side-effect of mercury overload. The critters are trying to clean up the damage, you might say.

Does your therapist have you on a mercury-detox plan? If not, I suggest you might want to discuss with her a strategy for eliminating the mercury first, and dealing with the candida once the heavy metal overload has been relieved.

The cravings you're having are a common experience on candida-reduction diets, as we all know so well. Pretty annoying, eh? ;->

Can you obtain vegetable glycerine there in New Zealand? It's a great item for candida sufferers -- you can use it as a sugar substitute (1/2 T veg gly = 1 T sugar), and it actively promotes blood sugar balance.

If glutamine is available there, that's a standard nostrum for the sugar monster. A teaspoon in a glass of water is effective in staving off cravings.

Sweet-tasting foods like sweet potatoes are good to settle cravings, too. Surprisingly, I've found that a tablespoon of nutbutter mixed with a few whole nuts accomplishes the same thing.

While you're going through this process, be sure to get more than enough minerals through your food and supplements, and stroll through the Liver and Metabolic protocols for type O. One or two supplements from each will support your detox work.

Thanks for writing, Angela, and let me know how it goes for you! :-)

Stay tuned, and thank you for your kind "cards & letters!"

:-)

Hello again Heidi. I talked to you awhile back about muscle twitching and magnesium, calcium intake. I eventually had to really alter my diet basically going with something called the Body Ecology Diet plan. This plan was designed to eliminate Candida and other hard to get rid of problems. Anyway I have stuck with my blood type diet(AB+) while doing this. My improvement has been pretty dramatic. (after 6 years of rough times). The only varience from the blood type diet has been the addition of 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar in water daily. I have been really testing this to see how it affected me and I have to say it makes me feel a lot better. Clearer with more energy. What do you think? Is this a grey area for some of us? Thanks for all you do Mike



Hello, Mike! I would say that if you've had improvements from using the AB plan within a more restrictive framework and have added a teaspoon of cider vinegar once daily in water ... and you've had dramatic good results, well, congratulations!!

We're all a bit different. That tiny amount of dilute apple cider vinegar may have given you just the right level of stomach acidity you needed to better assimilate minerals, and to bring your system into better balance. Hooray!

I'm very glad you posted. I hope your message inspires everyone reading to remember that the Blood Type Plans are amazing guidelines to get you as close as possible to your ideal physical state... and that they are not laws, but rather, precepts minimizing confusion and setting us upon a fruitful path we can walk with confidence in our own perceptions, and wisdom in the experiments we undertake.

Thanks, dear! And I'm very happy you've resolved your troubles! :-D

Hello, Heidi! I have a question for you about the AB multivitamins & multiminerals. I have been taking both of them (and the probiotic & the deflect) since February.

Earlier this month, I started breaking out in an itchy, welty(red, raised off the surface of the skin), rash. It only happened at night and so I thought some nasty fleas had decided to move off our pets and into our bedding...a though cleaning did not do any good.

To cut to the chase, the only thing that seemed to make this rash re-occur was if I took the multivitamins or ate something with curry powder so I thought the offending substance with either the fenugreek and/or the turmeric since both are in the multivitamins and both are my curry powder.

I then resumed taking the multimineral because neither are in it. The rash came back. I stopped taking both the multimineral and the multivitamin and eating curry and the rash disappeared.

The reaction happens faster if I get overly warm. I have assumed that I am allergic to something in them and stopped consuming them.

The problem is this: I was taking the vitamins and minerals in the first place because when I do not my cuticles on my fingers get tender & tear easily, then they get hard and then they hurt like heck and start to pull away from the nails themselves and I get tons of hangnails and the skin on my fingers get really dry, but when I was taking the vitamins and minerals my hands were fine.

I do not think that eating fish will do any good as I was eating regular 5oz portions of wild salmon before I ever tried taking the vitamins or minerals. My guess it that I need one or more of the B vitamins, but I'm not sure. If I am correct, I don't know which ones or how much. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you. Eagle

Greetings, Eagle ~ Do this first: have a ground lamb patty (or some small portion of any cut of lamb) for five days in a row, and drizzle it with a bit of olive oil before eating. On the second day, resume the vitamins & minerals. Let me know your results after the five days.

Best wishes, dear! :-D

I'm type O (with green eyes, so probably non-Secretor?), and with a bit of experimenting, I've found that wheat and corn can literally switch on and off what feels like arthritis (joint pain and swelling in about half the major joints of my body -- notably the ones I've abused over the years). I feel great when I'm "being good". At 50, I feel and move better than I have since my early thirties. But I have not been able to detect such strong effects from other "Avoid" foods. So, I wonder if there might be a hierarchy of "badness" among the Avoids, and if that might be fairly consistent for most people within a blood type. Is this a valid assumption, and where might the info be? I don't find it in any of the books or in the typeBase. I mean, how much bad can I be doing myself by having a Mineola tangello every day when they're in season? YUM-alicious! If a credible source were to say that I'm doing such'n'such damage, every bit as bad as the wheat and corn, then I'd give up the Mineolas in a minute... not happily, but I would, honest. :-) Thanks for any pointers or insight, Kevin M.

Hi, Kevin! I believe you've re-submitted your question because you missed the answer which appeared here. Be well, buddy! :-D

Hi, I've just read your book "Eat Right 4 your type" and it struck a few familiar chords in regard to my strange affiliations or otherwise to some specific foods. I am type O, Rh-. However some details are confusing me.

You certainly mention that Leafy green vegetables rich in vitamin K like Kale, Broccoli and Spinach are recommended but in the same paragraph you state that the brassica family are to be avoided. You further list "cabbage - chinese, white, red." as AVOID. Are you saying that green cabbage(Brassica Olearica) is perhaps ok ? Why are brussels Sprouts also to be AVOIDED.

Incidentally I'm Irish and you have just killed one of my abiding couples, Bacon and Cabbage !! If the green cabbage is ok I could perhaps fall back on Corned Beef and Cabbage. Please don't tell me the corning process rules that out also. TonyB

;-D Hello, Tony ~ welcome in!

I commiserate with you on the loss of bacon & cabbage. I myself didn't mind losing the bacon so much, since turkey bacon works pretty well in its stead -- and I didn't eat bacon when I started this diet anyway -- but cabbage is difficult to replace. Not to mention potatoes, which you didn't ~ but if you had, I'd suggest keeping an eye open in the market for "japanese sweet potatoes" or "batata california" (same thing), as they're wonderful substitutes for white potatoes, whether mashed, fried, in chips or crisps. Of course, yellow turnip is a satisfying replacement for mash, as well.

Back to what you DID ask. The book Eat Right 4 Your Type was the initial setting-out of the theories and the preliminary food lists. They've been refined since then. If you can, get hold of Live Right 4 Your Type (2001), and notate it from the "updates page" on the front page of this site. It's a spectacular book, and the central resource for a great deal of detailed information on types, subtypes, and how to feed them. ;-> I think you'll enjoy it!

Briefly: both cabbage and Brussels sprouts are Neutral for O secretors - but still avoids for O nonsecretors. {{no joy for me there.}} Take a peek at the TYPEbase3 online food database (from the pulldown menus above) if you have a question on a food item's status.

However, corned beef is absolutely fine for Os -- with a few general health caveats as follows. I would caution against using saltpetre, but brine and pickling spices (see the spice list in LR4YT for reference) -- even sugar -- are perfectly OK in the corning.

Glad you stopped by! Don't be a stranger. :-)

Hello again, First, I would like to thank Sharon for her advice on the EPSOM salts, I will check it out! Just a quick question! Is it normal that I feel every single little bit of avoid ingredient when it is added to a food that I eat? Soy milk has some carageenan, and it seems to affect my pains on the left side. So I take some deflect before i drink it, and it goes down like a charm! I mix it with egg whites and a banana. What about Ascorbic acid, is this an avoid? It is supposed to be good for us no? Can taking olive oil in salad sort of act like a flush? Because When I take good oils, I feel all the bad coming out of me and it is painfull for a little bit and then, I feel good. Well, happy Blood Type day to all!!! Emily

Hi, Emily ~ It is quite common to react to avoids, even when they're present in tiny amounts. It's best to avoid the carrageenan - there are brands which do not contain it. Look around a bit, you'll find them! Westbrae Natural comes to mind, but see what your local stores carry.

Instead of ascorbic acid, we like to use natural forms of vitamin C like acerola cherry and rose hips.

Olive oils with food don't stimulate a gallbladder flush, because they're tempered by the amount of other material passing throught the digestive tract. That's why we restrict food intake, then use lots of oil and juice, to get the desired effect.

Glad you're feeling well, Emily! It's always nice to hear from you! :-D

If a person is on the candida diet (no sugars, vinegars, or yeasts), does this also include the nutritional yeast? Thanks, Sharon from Alaska

Hey there, Sharon! Nutritional yeast itself is perfectly fine on Candida diets. First, it's not a live yeast (like baker's yeast). Second, Candida albicans is a totally different organism from the baker's yeast and brewers' yeast critters -- it's called 'yeast,' but it's worlds apart. I think nutritional yeast is a very helpful supplement for intestinal dysbiosis, in fact.

Avoiding grains entirely will speed your progress in restoring intestinal flora balance, so you might consider doing so just while you're on the anti-candida program. Very best wishes, dear, and let me know how it works for you! :-)

I know that pork is an avoid food for Blood Tyoe A Non-Secretors, But is JUST the pork casing okay? I found this wonderful sausage that has all okay ingredients for me, but they use pork casings. Thanks, BGL

Hi, Bonnie! I'd say you can chance the pork casing. It's unlikely to contain much of any active substance that would harm you. If you like, you can remove the casing either before or after cooking it, so you're not eating that part. Best wishes! :-)