Hi Heidi, It's me again, a few hours later. I was reading up on NAP's DGL Licorice and wondered if this might be a good route to take for treating mouth ulcers since it is beneficial for type O's. The products actions and indications states that using DGL as a mouthwash quickened the healing of canker sores. Would I open the capsule, mix with water, gargle, then swallow it? Pat S.

Good catch, Pat ~ that's exactly how you'd use it. Give it two weeks, then let me know what transpires! :-D

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Heidi, I've read a lot of previous post regarding vegetable glycerine, but am unfortunately still confused. As I understand it, vegetable glycerine is an alcohol that actually works to promotes the uptake of stored fat from cells to be converted to glucose and used as an available energy source. Is this correct or have I mixed this up somewhere?

I know it isn't considered a carb because your body does not metabolize it like a carb, but none the less has a breakdown of 5 carbs per teaspoon. Still a little confused, can you help? Thanks. Sarah

It's absolutely correct. That is its action -- and you can see how much more powerful that action is than the 5 carbs. This is one reason why we don't ask people to count carbs -- we emphasize food choices for their real effects in the various blood types & subgroups. Thanks for your note, Sarah! :-D

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Dear Heidi: Every day I learn more and more from your column and the great people out there who love the BTD diet!

I've written before but have a few comments to make and a question. A "Susan" with celiac condition and a B-type wrote in to you recently and she could have been me! My name is also Susan and I'm a B, and years ago after reading about celiac disease, I figured I had it, because of bad eczema and stomach problems. I religiously followed a non-gluten diet--no wheat, etc. and noticed improvement in skin and digestion. However, I think 50% had to do with stress, even though I've been doing meditation practice for over 30 years (!).

Over time it was easy to go back to wheat because of convenience and family, etc. and the eczema returned on my hands. Realizing I needed to do something about it in addition to following the excellent "B" diet, I recently stopped eating gluten flours and amazingly my hands have stopped itching, weeping, cracking, and drying, and for the first time I have OIL on my skin!!

Now I am trying to get my husband to eat less wheat--he is also a B-type, but has suffered all his life from asthma. (as a kid he also had tremendously bad eczema on his whole body).

Question: is there a relationship to eczema, asthma, wheat intolerance and celiac disease? Is there more hope out there and advice?? Some things we have done is we've found that flax oil and olive oil are good to eat, and there is a great bakery in our town in California that bakes wonderful spelt bread that doesn't fall apart! Always checking for your answers eagerly, sincerely, Susan

Susan, that relationship is one of the first, and primary ones, I learned about when I first started this diet. Modern high-protein wheat is strongly implicated with eczema, asthma, and celiac disease -- and other gluten grains come a close second, particularly with celiac.

You're doing an excellent job by meditating, and removing gluten grains, and adding good oils. You may find over time that you can tolerate spelt (still a gluten grain) -- and that may be true of your husband as well, or one or both of you may need to maintain a strict elimination of gluten in the diet. These issues are quite individual, although mediated by blood-type factors.

It is quite likely that his asthma will clear up entirely if he simply eliminates wheat. It's one of the commonest health-improvement results reported on this website.

I wish you all the VERY best, and please do pass on to him what I said about wheat and asthma. The addition of stress-relief practices for him would be valuable extra insurance against that ghastly condition. I know you both will come through shining! :-D

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Hi, Heidi! Sorry for taking so long in getting back with you about that itchy rash and your lamb CLA idea. Long story short, the stupid rash is still present, but much improved. I am now suspicious that it is not really any one specific thing...

I really do think that you were right that I needed the CLA because my nails, cuticles and hangnails are all perfectly fine now and had started to improve within a few days.

I am also somewhat embarassed to admit that I am beginning to be suspicious that whatever is causing this could be more in my head than anything because there seems to be an even bigger pattern than the taking the vitamins/minerals & eating curries that I hadn't noticed earlier. Job stress in a BIG way.

You see, for years I used to go out with my husband to nice restaurants to counter really bad stress...now I can't do that because I am convinced that BTD is the way to go and most restaurant food just isn't right for AB's. If there was some reason I couldn't take the vitamins & minerals and foods especially for me then I couldn't do the diet, well, then, there you have it...my ticket back to the restaurants.

Stress can cause hives, hives is a rash...this is a rash...I will be in to see my ND soon anyway. Thanks for your input. Eagle

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:-) :-) Update: 24 full hours and no stupid rash, even with taking the vitamins/minerals!!! Nails/cuticles still fine!!! :-) Eagle



:-D Yep, you just needed a little extra pre-kick-in time on the CLA. HOO-rah!! Bye, little rashie!! :-P

And I believe the insights you came to are highly perceptive. Your awareness of these issues, bringing them to the forefront of your consciousness as you did, may well have accelerated the healing of the symptom ~ making it no longer necessary ... things work that way! ;-> well done!!

Congratulations, dear! I'm really happy for you. Feels good, doesn't it? :-D

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