Dear Heidi You kindly suggested that I get back to you when my amalgam removal is complete, well it is 98%.... all that is remaining is a crown that has a metal post and probably some mercury in the root but I must wait till September for this final work to be completed because extractions need to heal etc.

I was beginning to pick up I think (I had been taking the glandulars for adrenal and thyroid support for a couple of weeks) but am presently recovering from the recent extensive dental treatment that has knocked me out somewhat, although the symptoms are not very candida-like as I am continuing with maximum compliance to the diet eating as much beneficial as possible.

I have no grains or fruit with the exception of cherry and pomegranate juice. (Ps. the veg. glycerine is manna from heaven), and am drinking copious amounts of water etc and taking psyllium and slippery elm, polyflora, anti-oxidants & colloidal minerals.

Have you any further suggestions to help with the clean up? Forever grateful for your help, dedication and sound knowledge, Amazing work. Chrissie

Hi, Chrissie! Your current practices sound great to me, although psyllium really shouldn't be used by type O. Substitute fresh-ground flaxseed instead.

If you'd like to put the pedal to the metal, add a daily couple tablespoons of cilantro pumpkin-seed pesto. I make it with two large handfuls of cilantro leaves, a handful of fresh spinach or arugula leaves, a handful of toasted pumpkin seeds (in the shell), three or four peeled garlic cloves, a half-teaspoon of sea salt, and organic extra-virgin olive oil (between 1/4 and 3/4 cup). Toss everything including 1/4 cup of the oil in a blender, and press/scrape it down until it comes together. Add oil if needed, and whizz it up into a fluffy green paste.

It's truly wonderful on plain grilled breast of chicken or turkey, or on grilled fish or lamb, as a base for salad dressing (add more oil and some lemon juice to thin it)... go wild! :-)

Can type 0 have chocolate? Julie

You bet I can! {{I mean, We can!}} :-)

Couple of caveats, though: organic chocolate is far superior to pesticided stuff, both digestively and societally. Check labels carefully for avoids -- such as milk products and corn sweeteners.

The only truly OK chocolate for us is organic, and with as few ingredients as possible.

If you are a secretor, you're fortunate that there are so many chocolate preparations available containing only organic cocoa pods, lecithin, sugar and vanilla (not vanillin, an artificial flavor). Sunspire organic chocolate chips come to mind, but just stroll through your organic grocer's candy line and you'll find OK goodies.

For nonsecretors, sugar and vanilla are out, therefore making chocolate at home is in. ;-) Shiloh Farms makes organic cocoa powder, many producers offer organic bitter (or baker's) chocolate (just melt and sweeten, and shape or use as desired), and a host of companies make vegetable glycerine -- AzureStandard for one good source.

And Julie, if you ever want to find a value for some other food, just go to TYPEbase3 -- the link is in the box at the bottom of this page. thanks for writing! :-D

Dear Heidi I have more or less following the Blood Type Diet for the past 3-4 years on the advice of a Nutritionist. I am O Rhs+.

The reason I say 'more or less' is that I have a lot of food allergies some of which are to 'beneficial' foods and I also had problems with my kidneys a few years back which meant that I couldn't eat the recommended levels of protein for my type as it triggered symptoms.

To begin with when I was on the BTD I lost a fair amount of weight, which wasn't my intention as I was never overweight.

At the time I was living in a polluted city (London) which was causing all sorts of health problems including asthma-like symptoms, fatigue, confusion, sinus congestion. I moved out of the city a year and a half ago into a much less polluted location but I still suffer with pollution-related symptoms so I am planning to move to a coastal area in the near future.

Anyway, when I moved out of London I began to eat more grains (rice mainly as it is the only one I can really tolerate) as I had been feeling very faint due to low blood sugar. I had completely eliminated grains whilst in London due to suspected candida and bloating when eating them. I now eat rice flakes every day for breakfast and a small portion of rice at one or sometimes both of my other main meals during the day.

The rest of my diet consists of fruit, vegetables, fish, meat ('O' BTD compatible as a rule.)The problem I have at the moment is water retention. Is this likely to be due to poor kidney function, perhaps related to pollution or could it be too much rice in my diet?

I am afraid that if I cut down on the carbs I will be back with low blood sugar which I find very unpleasant.

I eat plenty of bananas, swede, parsnips, squash and other carb-rich vegetables but they don't seem to stabilise my blood sugar completely.

I have difficulties digesting nuts (except ground almonds) and pulses and soy doesn't really go down well either.

I go jogging 1-2 times a week and have found it very beneficial in building muscle and increasing energy levels but the water retention thing is bugging me as I feel 'wobbly' around the middle despite being fairly muscular. Can you offer any advice? MarieL

Hello, Marie! Yes, the water retention can easily be due to your grain intake. I suggest replacing the rice and most of the starchy veg with dark greens, and adding a mineral supplement like Phytocal-O. You're getting plenty of potassium from the bananas, but you need other mineral-rich foods (dark leafies, seaweeds) to balance it.

First thing in the morning, in between meals, and last thing at night: have a big glass of water with a pinch of gray sea salt and a squeeze of lemon. Drink lots of plain water whenever you can, away from meals.

And if you're in SwampSeason where you are, like we are now in NYC, a little water bloat is common (as expected, I have a touch of it as we speak). Additional water, extra antioxidants & minerals, and adding one workout to your once- or twice-weekly session all keep the puffies to a minimum in the low-pressure, high-humidity & heat months.

To help your blood sugar woes, have a tablespoon of vegetable glycerine in the morning with your first glass of water. If you feel woozy later in the day, take a tablespoon of nutbutter with a few whole nuts. It works!

Good luck, and let me know how you do with this! :-D

Hi Heidi, I have been following the BTD for about 4 years. I am a Type O. Not sure of secretor status. Last year I kinda slipped back into eating starches and gained some weight.

To lose the weight I did the Atkins Diet strictly for a year. I didn't realize when I was on the BTD what it really did for my body until recently.

I am 5 ft 6 in. and weigh 150 lbs. I am very muscularly built and "large boned." When I was on the Atkins I got down to 135. The thing is I would splurge major and then go back to the strict eating habit.

I am tired of not eating fruit and veggies. I can forgo the sweets and processed foods, but I like my fruits & veggies.

I am very conscious about my weight and am afraid that if I don't eat few carbs I will gain lots of weight.

I also don't do very well with calorie counting or portion control.

I take supplements for my BT including the Type O Protein. I just want to be healthy.

I have read all the outcomes and have the BTD and LR4YT books, but I just can't convince myself I won't gain anymore weight and become obese.

Are there any suggestions you can give me that might help? I follow the diet probably 90 - 95%.

Another question is, can I eat too much Flaxseed? I eat it regularly, but I read somewhere that if you eat Flaxseed too regularly, your colon can become dependant on it and reduce its benefits.

Also, why are Bananas so beneficial if they are so full of sugar? Thank you for your time. Dana

Hello there, Dana! It's just as well you're not comfortable with calorie counting and portion control. We don't need to weigh our food and consult calorie charts -- we just follow the general ideas of the diet and it works simply for us (because of the complexity of the calculations made to design it).

The Atkins induction diet isn't meant to be a long-term plan. Even for groups O and B, (1) a diet heavy in pork plus ALL dairy is harmful, and (2) a vegetable-based diet is optimum for nearly all of us. Without the fiber, vitamins, minerals and organic water which veg & fruit supply us, the urge to binge is a never far away.

I suggest you stick to the plain old O secretor plan, with loads of vegetables (LOTS of greens, both of the salad and cooking variety), meats, fish, seeds and oils. Feel free to have a piece of fresh fruit now and again (pineapple, blueberries, peaches, cherries, WATERMELON!), and don't bother with the grains or the beans.

Flaxseed does not create a peristaltic dependency -- laxatives containing chemical stimulants do. Bananas are rich in potassium, something we benefit from, and we're well suited to digest and assimilate their natural sugars without trouble.

Second, exercise such as speedwalking, running, hill-climbing, aerobics, even a solid twenty minutes on a fast treadmill daily, will slim you down and make you feel terrific.

Finally, that water thing I'm ever harping upon. Electrolytes are the body's electric conduits. Energize yourself by getting a whole lot of water, and especially in summer weather it's good to use a squeeze of lemon or lime and/or a pinch of sea salt in each quart. This alone performs miracles of 'disappearing' any fat you'd like to bid farewell.

Trust me, girl, you will never be obese if you follow this plan. In fact, if you don't lose at least five pounds in the next month by doing what I suggested, please send me a pointed kick in the patoot, which I pledge to publish here in full living color for all to see.

OK! July 19th, I'll be looking for your report! The countdown begins NOW!