Readers may recall that I posted a message from "Tamara" last month. She said she was organizing a BTD event in Central Park, NYC.

It turns out she is organizing an Anne Louise Gittleman event -- the author who, let us say, borrowed freely from Peter's work without permission, and went downhill from there.

Thanks to Catherine and Paul who alerted the entire dadamo.com crew, I dug a bit into what "Tamara" was planning. On further questioning, she admitted her connection with Gittleman, and showed she knew little about Peter's books -- in fact, could not even spell his name. {OK - saying it may be a bit difficult for newbies, but spelling it...? C'mon, it's just like the patriarch's in Battlestar Galactica, with a D' in front. ;->}

This past Saturday, I received another proposed post from "Tamara," cheery as ever, inviting us all to a blood type diet picnic in Central Park.

Now that you know the scoop, any locals who itch to do a spot of party-crashing can send me a note, and I'll reply back-channel. I'm not here to spoil anyone's fun. ;-D

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Dear Heidi, Hi! I'm aware that you recommend Acerola vitamin C, but I have read that calcium ascorbate is the preferred form of vitamin C. Calcium ascorbate is a natural form of vitamin C. Calcium ascorbate is not acid, therefore, more people can take larger amounts without acid upset or diarrhea. Equally important is that calcium ascorbate replenishes the calcium that is excreted in the urine due to the chelating properties of vitamin C. Also vitamin C is never stored in cells in the form of ascorbic acid. Everyone has some calcium ascorbate in their body. Why not start with calcium ascorbate in the first place?. Thanks for your time and effort! RoseZ

Hello, Rose! We suggest whole-food-based vitamin forms, such as acerola cherry and rose hip concentrate, whenever possible -- since they are ideal for maximum assimilation, and the body readily digests the foods to use where and as it needs to do.

The plant-concentrate substances such as these contain co-factors, bioflavanoids, and trace elements which are stripped from the manufactured single-nutrient products.

If anyone finds these acerola/rose hip preparations acidic, simply take them with Phytocal and enjoy the increased assimilation boost of calcium plus C. :-)

Hope it helps, dear! :-D

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how's it going heidi. things are going great for me out here at scnm. i am almost done with 4th quarter, and learning a lot (and teaching many about blood type science). i look forward to seeing you at the ifhi conference next year.

recently, new chapter started disclosing the presence of corn maltodextrin in almost all of their products. it turns out they have been using it all along, but not disclosing it. this means even the old btd multis would have had it (it is used as a flow agent both in the spraying process--for nutrient products, and with herbs as well).

was peter aware of this? and if so, does he cosider it significant enough to avoid the products? hope all is well with you. cric

Hey! My favorite Silver Cowboy!! Great to hear from you! :-)

On the New Chapter bizness... eeeeek. I most seriously doubt Peter knew about it during the time he still endorsed their BTD line of products. My memory is hazy on this, but somewhere I think he stated publicly that the association of NAP and NC was ending due to difficulties in quality control, formula control, something of that nature. If he indeed discovered the corn issue at that time, that would fit the picture.

I'm ever so pleased to hear you're enjoying your student & teacher roles... very exciting to imagine you as an accredited naturopath, and it seems only yesterday you were making your first post on the old BB! Very warmest wishes to ya, and keep shining!! :-D

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Hi Heidi, I'm a newbie on this column, and I must compliment you...I can't believe how much you know about the BTD, nutrition, and health in general.

This question will be an easy one for you... I'm an O+ Secretor, for almost 3 years now. But I recently became aware that I eat too much in the "grain" category. So I made myself a check-off chart to keep me in line for a bit, and now I'm wondering... What category should I check-off when I have my O-friendly Protein Blend? Is it "grains?"

Thanks for all the practical and specific advice you give--I learned a lot while reading through past columns! -TamaraZ

Hello, Tamara ~ thank you, and welcome to BTD Corner!

It counts as protein primarily. You might say it is 1/2 serving in the protein section -- it is 20 grams (per 2 scoops) of protein refined from rice, as well as egg whites, so as a rough estimate, 1/2 portion in the "general protein category" would do.

The carbohydrates listed on the label are not all digested as carbs, as much of it is in the form of fiber. Best to say 1/2 of one serving of protein, and leave it at that.

Thanks again, and I hope this helps! :-D

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I live in Australia and have been following the O type diet for about 4 months on advice from a naturopath. I have some questions after reading previous topics.

1. Is vegetable glycerin good for me and is it a sweetener?

2. Is nutritional yeast beneficial & what is it?

3. I thought vanilla was an avoid for type O but you say it is ok in a previous topic about chocolate. Also is cocoa butter ok?

4. I have found Portabella mushrooms in my local supermarket are they the same as Portobello?

5. Is cider vinegar an avoid for me?

6.In a previous topic you say farmer cheese is similar to cottage cheese. Does that mean it is ok to eat cottage cheese? Awaiting your reply! ~ Alison

Hi, Alison!

Vegetable glycerine is good for anyone as a sweetener. It can be substituted for sugar on a 1:2 basis -- it is quite sweet, so use only 1/2 the quantity of veg gly that you would normally use of sugar. And limit the quantity you eat to 1/4 cup of veg gly, absolute maximum, per day. :-)

Nutritional yeast is primarily dried saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, with added vitamins, minerals and amino acids. It certainly is good for us, but the exact rating can be found in our TYPEbase3 database also linked at the bottom of this page and from the pulldown Support menu up above.

Chocolate itself is fine, as is cocoa butter. Check all ingredients against the TYPEbase3 values, though. That goes for cottage cheese as well. :->

Portobello, portabella, all spellings happily accepted! Yes, they're all the same thing. :-)

Cider vinegar is an avoid if you are a nonsecretor -- learn more about secretors and nonsecretors by clicking "Contact Heidi" at the top of this page, and reading through the FAQ.

Welcome, Alison, and enjoy roaming around the site... treasures await you!

:-D

Heidi: Thanks for tips on "fall repair". I'm wondering if you have any other food suggestions besides the broth you recommended. I live in a very hot climate and the last thing I feel like doing in the summer is cooking or eating broth or stew. Also, my tastes are on the simple, even bland side.

I've been eating either salmon or cod every lunch and dinner this week and loading up on veggies and olive oil. I've got celiac so I avoid grains alltogether. Also, I tend to be "acidic" and even more so when I supplement with Vit C, but I think I get a lot naturally in my diet.

I'm using a topical form of the hyaluronic acid you recommended. My skin is very fair so my scars tend to turn purple when they heal (even when I block them from the sun). carolyn

Hey there, Carolyn ~ Making the broth only involves perhaps 15 minutes of 'slaving over that hot stove,' and the rest it does itself. Once cool, you can make chilled soup from it -- blend it up with steamed beets or greens, with cooked turnip, for example, to make a puree, then chill. Ummm... but I guess that does involve more cooking.

Come to think of it, the foods you need most to heal better do require time over that stove -- so if that's out, I'd suggest getting hold of an ingestable hyaluronic acid supp and a food-sourced or buffered vitamin C (most of them are not acidic when digested), along with A, D and (yep), E while you're healing.

The repair of injured tissue requires supplementary amounts of those vitamins, additional minerals (remember the seaweeds), and hopefully some collagens and additional proteins -- so I hope you'll get plenty of the above internally, which is where it counts! :-)

Let me know how it goes, and thanks for writing! :-)

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Hi, Heidi! I've discovered enzymes! I had lower body radiation ten years ago, so my digestion is sluggish. Plus I'm an O secretor. I've taken bladderwrack for awhile and decided to try enzymes to improve my digestion. It's a great addition for me. But I'm wondering whether I can take them indefinitely without causing any trouble? Thanks! So glad you're here! Lisa

Hi, Lisa! What kind of enzymes are you taking? Pancreatin? Mixed stuff? Let me know what your product's ingredients are, and I'll be much better equipped to know whether long-term (or at-all) is OK. :-)

I usually mention enzymes in the context of readying the digestive engine for new fuel. Enzymes are helpful when, for example, an O is coming from a vegetarian regimen, or an A is facing bean dishes for the first time. ;-> They're a stopgap to aid the system while it acclimates to the new foods, and generally wouldn't be needed long term unless surgical or other traumatic destruction of some part of the digestive tract had occurred.

What's more likely to help in your situation is an effective probiotic. Are ya taking one?

Write back, dear! and best wishes!! :-)

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Dear Heidi, Greetings once again from South Africa.

Thanks so much for your column - the BTD has changed my life and I so enjoy your witty comments and advice!

Two questions please: 1) What is Farmers Cheese - it is a neutral for O Secretors and 2) Could I have the name of a supplier in SA that stocks Dr D's blood type supplements?

Keep up the good work and many thanks, or in my language, "Hou vol met die goeie werk en baie dankie"! Kind regards, Amanda

Hello, Amanda ~ you're very kind, thank you for all that praise and encouragement!

Farmer's cheese is best described as cottage cheese without the whey (the watery portion). It is a light, thick, fresh cow's milk product with a very mild taste. It's quite similar to panir, or paneer, the Indian fresh milk cheese. By setting cottage cheese in a cheesecloth-covered sieve, over a bowl, pressing it down a bit, and leaving it in the refrigerator overnight, you can have something quite akin to farmer's cheese in the morning. ;-)

I do wish we had a NAP distributor in South Africa, as there are so many BTD enthusiasts there. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a distributor, do send a note to German Ramirez, and discuss what's involved. I think there is a significant untapped market there, from the cards & letters I receive!

Bless you, and keep in touch! :-D

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I have now found a way (hopefully it will keep working) to get at yur back-list again without crashing my internet explorer. This means I have jsut read your column of 18 June.

I feel for the poor parents whose son survived a terrible accident while drunk. I wanted to say, al-anon offers an excellent source of support to those who are troubled by the drinking of a loved one. most communities have a group going.

I also wanted to pass on, my mercury free holistic dentist told me that alcohol helps the body to detox mercury. This was in the context of why alcoholism is so high in the dentistry profession. So maybe one thing that could contribute to help a person stop drinking would be to have amalgam fillings replaced. Much love, Sarah XXX

Oh! Glad you've got the 'previous' link working for you now!

Thank you for passing on the advice from your holistic dentist -- fascinating association, although I wonder if there is any corroborating research?

I'm so happy to hear from you, and grateful for your kind help!! :-)

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good morning, male late 30's type B.Was bit on the hand by a dog cm puncture on palm 2 stitches small puncture on back of hand-they perscribed anti-life pills-will counter with typeB probiotics-any advice to help with the healing?hehe finger typing-ouch-thanks in advance, Randy

Randy, what did you do to that poor dog that he bit you? ~;-D

See yesterday's column, first entry -- just go to the bottom of this page and "List previous," and select the first one at the top. ~~ and remember, lamb is a great healer for you, as is the Membrane Fluidizer. Best wishes for your swift healing and de-ouchifying! :-)

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Heidi I was surprised that my question regarding tetanus vaccines and bad reactions generated quite a few responses. It was fascinating to read one woman's tragic account of her brother developing kidney disease possibly as a result of a tetanus vaccine. That really gives me pause, of course, since I had nephritis. If the tetanus vaccine can cause kidney disease (never heard of this before), I wonder what the mechanism for this is. I wonder if those of us who've had "bad reactions" to tetanus vaccines had subclinical symptoms of kidney damage or malfunction, instead of the radical damage that the woman's brother experienced. I'll search the various sites listed in some of the posts to see what I can find, but, as other posters reported, it's difficult to get clear information about problems associated with adverse reactions to vaccines of any kind. Thanks again to you and to others who responded with information about their experiences. I welcome any other information that readers of your column can add! Kathryn

I am very glad you've found valuable information here, Kathryn! Keep searching around, and you'll find a great deal of worthwhile reading material on the subject. Very best wishes, dear! :-)

Heidi: Help! I wiped out on a dirt trail yesterday while running (tripped on a rock). No broken bones, but lots of abrasions and bumps and sore everything!!

Is there anything I can do to speed up the healing process? None of my cuts are deep, but I scar very easily and don't want my legs and elbows to look like I've been through war (which is what they currently do).

I've avoided taking any pain meds to avoid bruising and even stopped quercitin thinking it would thin my blood as well. I'm using topical arnica in Traumeel. Eating lots of leafy greens, broccoli, spinach, tomato, red bell pepper and asparagus. Salmon twice a day.

Anything else I can do to prevent the scars and speed the healing? thanks! Carolyn

Ack! Carolyn, what have I told you about not falling down? ~~;-D

Broth does nice things in this circumstance. Roast up a chicken, turkey or game bird, remove the meat for eating, and throw the bones & innards into a large pot with a quartered onion, a few chopped carrots and celery stalks, and a bundle of herbs. Boil, skim the first foam off, then simmer for a few hours (or overnight). Season to taste and drink it warm, adding whatever you like to make a soup if desired. Cayenne, cumin, dulse, sea salt for example.

Seaweeds, vitamin E, and minerals are great foods to help heal bruises and cuts. Eat plentifully of the vitamin C foods and add an acerola cherry or rose hip supp -- pop them like candy while you're still sore & cut up.

Last, Heallix taken internally and dribbled on topically; and a hyaluronic acid supplement taken internally, wil provide lots of skin-restorative elements to aid you in healing without scars.

I very much sympathize, dear!! Things have changed since I started the O diet years ago, yet still I absolutely dread cuts because of how slowly the healing process always was. It used to take me months just to see a tiny shaving nick fade away. By the way, the quercetin is GOOD for reducing inflammation, but it's fine to proceed without it. Best hopes for a speedy and complete heal-up for you! :-D

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Heidi, I have been reading the responses about the tetanus shot and wanted to share an experience that happened to older brother (he died at the age of 38 nine years ago).

When my brother was 4 years old, my parents said that he fell and hit is head on the corner of a table and had to have stitches. He also was advised by the doctor to have a tetanus shot. Soon after that he developed kidney disease.

There is no accurate information that the tetanus shot caused his kidney disease, but the doctors seem to think it is the probable cause because he developed the disease shortly after having the shot.

He spent his life in and out of the hospital for health problems due to kidney disease. When he was in college he was able to get off of dialysis and receive a kidney transplant. He kept the kidney for many years, but died a few years ago from lymphoma in his bloodstream due to the medicine he had to take to keep from rejecting the kidney.

The lymphoma also caused his blood to clot causing a stroke. My brother's blood type was A.

Again, I don't know if the tetanus shot cause his kidney disease, but the evidence seems to point toward it. Just wanted to share this with you. Susan

Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss, Susan. What a terrible thing for your brother, and your whole family. Thank you for telling us his story... I hope it will give pause to anyone weighing this issue. This is another in a long line of horrors which I cannot but lay at the feet of the thoughtless innoculation practices of 'modern medicine.' Bless you, and thank you again for writing! :-}

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Heidi, I'm writing you, because I could not find a way to ask the writers of the Natural Medicine Update, why the word "doctor" always appears as "tor". Possibly you would pass this on to the powers that be? Thanks a bunch. Donna (O- Sec)

Hi, Donna! Just send a note to Peter through his blog ~ I think he will know whom to pass your message to. Thanks, dear! :-)

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Dear Heidi, Remember about a year ago I told you that I had placed a notice in the organic veg.shop to invite BTD people to meet with me for general conversation and support? Well, nothing came of that, perhaps it was too impersonal.

In the meantime however, I have joined a barter group (labour exchange trading system), and have offered blood type conversations as one of my contributions, and low and behold, it is a winner! I have met 3 interested peole already in quite a short time, and had lots of fun and support in browsing through the BTD books and website together.

On another topic, there has been news in Australia of the debate about fetal cord blood banks for private and general use.

What has always puzzled me is why the blood is not drained back into the newborn baby before the cord is cut to give all that extra protection from the beginning. Maybe there is a medical reason? It couldn't be just that it would take an extra few minutes in the labout ward?

Hope someone can help out with this. All best wishes, Jenny (A2) Melbourne

Hello, Jenny! My midwife friends are more inclined toward 'lotus birth,' meaning allowing the placenta and cord to do what they will do without clamping or cutting. It's purely my opinion that hospital personnel would clamp & cut in order to have immediate control of the baby. That approach (now old-fashioned), included sweeping the child away from the mother and into its own little cubicle where it could be vaccinated, blood typed, circumcised, "observed," etc. Immediate cord cutting would also enable them to do blood draws, tests & such on the cord and placenta as well.

As to the fetal blood bank business, it sounds like yet more fishy public-funded interference in a profound human function, to me. The idea of healthy women routinely going to hospital for their births is ever so odd, even quite sad, to my mind. That said, beliefs and their attendant fears are powerful ~ so each of us may have strong feelings on that point, which should be honored.

If I were planning to have a child, I'd aim for a water birth ["aim" paints a rather funny picture in this context! :-D], and I'd thoroughly research the pros and cons of the handling of the umbilical cord. Next task would be finding a midwife who was experienced and comfortable with my preferences. There is some interesting reading on this topic in an English midwifery online group ~ it's a bit dated (2002), but covers a number of real-life situations. Have a look: Cutting the Umbilical Cord -- Midwifery Archives. Plenty of other natural-birth resources about the Net as well.

I'm really pleased your new barter group has produced some BTD buddies for you! I wondered what had happened with your efforts to find others interested in this paradigm, and it's good to hear you have contact with a group now. It will grow! ;-> Thank you for stopping by, Jenny! :-D

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Ostrich is okay for all blood types so I'm happy to have found Fossil Farms Ostrich http://www.fossilfarms.com/ at Fuddruckers Restaurants http://www.fuddruckers.com/ . Fuddruckers is family oriented. The bad news is that there are no side items to go along with the ostrich burger. And they cook it "medium" or better. But, when one is "on the go" and needs protein...it is an option. Lynne

Good to know, and thanks for the note, Lynne! :-D

Hi Heidi, I have a burning question about sports training and racing nutrition for endurance athletes.



Okay, long preamble: I am a type O secretor female who trains about 11 hours a week for triathlon with races about 6 hours long.



I have found that a home-made gel with organic brown syrup, honey, cherry juice concentrate with white tea works well for training and racing. I also add some probiotics, B-vitamins and a tiny amount of licorice extract to the mixture.



I used to train and race with cherry juice and bananas but found that they simply had too long a G.I. Plus recent research from McMaster University confirmed what I suspected. Male athletes can store a reasonable but limited amount of glycogen but female athletes are very limited in their ability to store glycogen. As a result, women are ill-served by a high-carb diet and should instead eat lots of sugary substances while training and racing.



My problem is that I am very prone to candida (lots of childhood antibiotics etc etc) and even though I have followed the BTD very closely for at least 4 years, I still get candida when exposed to moulds. I recently spent several weeks in a very musty place in Europe (couldn't be helped) and the problem has recurred.



My question (finally!) is will the gel syrup (with probiotics) aid and abett the yeast if only used while training intensely (e.g. a three hour bike ride followed by a half hour run)? And if so, can you suggest a work-around?



My feeling is that before the recurrance of candida, my body could cope with the training gel because the system is so hot under those conditions and the sugars are being utilized immediately. I am very BTD compliant the rest of the time. Any other training/racing tips are much appreciated. Cheers, Nadine.



Hallo, Nadine!



I'm not sure your candida refluorescence is due to the mold exposure. Rather, I think your immune sentinels went to work on the molds, leaving certain aspects unprotected in the interim. One big strong immune system can only do so much at one time. In that scenario, it is likely that a combination of travel foods with the stresses of travel, and the additional challenge of the moldy environment, added up to a candida insurgency.



A thought: for the sugars in your mix to be metabolized, whether immediately or after, they still first must hit the old digestive tract tissue. That process starts in the mouth. My personal theory is that your candida/training food issue must be resolved on the level of immune vibrancy. Lend an ear:



For one full week of training (not leading up to a race, but in training sessions after a meet or at least 4 weeks before), substitute vegetable glycerine for the rice syrup and the honey: 1/2 the volume of veg gly that you used in rice syrup/honey. Reduce this amount by 1/2 again, and fill that volume with fresh pineapple juice. And add a teaspoon of acerola or solid rose-hip concentrate C. Hot work in hot weather likes hot-climate fruit -- and pineapple and cherry are very 'fast' sugars, where the banana requires significant work to process the starch element, so may not have produced the desired effects. Veg gly is slower, but may surprise you in the endurance department.



In addition to the probiotics you add to your mix, take PolyFlora-O at the therapeutic level until the candida has acquiesced to "the Village" again, and for two months afterward. Then, continue at the lower dosage. Also take PhytoCal-O at the therapeutic level all during your racing season, and do the doctored water technique (squeeze of lemon and/or pinch of sea salt) for 1/2 the water you consume daily. Your mineral loss during steady training and eventing periods is stupendous compared to those of us who just walk around!



Finally, tell me that you sleep early and wake refreshed .... and that you REST and LAZE AROUND on a regular basis. ;-> C'mon, tell me! ;-D I don't want to hear that you do a little light mountain-climbing to relax! Your schedule matches the hunter-gatherer who expended tremendous physical resources chasing down game. In her spare time between hunts, believe me, she had blissfully NOTHING to do... and to take full advantage of the patterns of that inherited physiology, so should you.



Give me some feedback on how these suggestions work for you. And enjoy the summer competition season, darlin'! Burn 'em up!! :-D

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Here is a reader question/answer on tetanus in Mothering Magazine that just came out:







The treatment for a previously unvaccinated person is given along with information about the other ingredients of the tetanus vaccination. ~ Lynne



Hey, this is great stuff, Lynne. I've often wondered how I got away with traipsing around the farm and environs for the first nine years of my life, getting the occasional cut and even stepping on a rusty nail or two, and coming away with not a single tetanus infection (or parasite). My mother and father were both raised by their grandparents in rural or small town areas, and (homemade) soap & water, along with iodine and 'cleavers,' were the medicines they depended upon for injuries. The horses, cattle and kids got pretty much the same treatments. :-)



Funny how modern naturopathic medicine is populated with such old-fashioned remedies of one sort and another. Maybe it's because great naturopaths are so devoted to truth-in-healing, they keep using what works best - despite the loss of all those Greek cruises they might have been treated to for promoting a pharmaceutical alternative.



Much appreciated, Lynne! And how's the StarBoy doing? Probably taller than me now... :-D

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From two type A secretors (one Rh+, one neg):



You wanted feedback on Tetnus reactions. I'm an A+ Secretor and my reaction to a Tetnus shot is just a very sore arm at the sight of injection for a few days. No fever or flu like symptoms were experienced Diana

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~



Comment: I had a swollen, sore arm from a tetanus shot but I tend to have the same reaction with other shots. Maybe a tendency to hate shots stems from the time I was 6 months old and had shots everyday for a week for strep throat.



I learned about that years later and realized it might explain the phobia to any shots or venipunctures I've had all my life. (A neg, sec) Lillie



Good to hear from you, ladies! You two seem to have had a similar reaction, which is the usual low-grade one most people report.



From the notes I've received, it appears that individuals respond quite differently to the tetanus vaccine... and that those variations do not correlate to specific blood group factors. For all I know, the vaccines themselves may vary from place to place as well -- and there's a great deal more to be taken into consideration when choosing whether to get that shot.



Read on! and thank you both for writing!! :-)

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Heidi, you asked for folks to send in their experience with the tetanus vaccine: "Thank you for your report of the tetanus reaction. I spoke to an A and a couple of type Bs over the weekend, and the Bs both said they had a little raised swelling from it that went away in a day, the end -- and the A described just about what you experienced. Hmmm.... I'd love to hear from others on this, as there's probably some clear cause for the differences!"



Well, as you know, I'm Type O, and let me tell ya, the last time I had to go to the hospital was back about four years ago when I had 2nd-degree burns, and as shocky, in pain, and freaked out as I was, I fought them tooth and nail to avoid a tetanus shot!!!!



They finally ended up putting a big ole band around my wrist stating "ALLERGIC to tetanus!". I said, well, I don't know if I am technically allergic, and they said, well, either that band is on my wrist or I'm getting a shot. The band stayed on my wrist *lol*!



The reason I resisted so hard? In the past, I have experienced very bad reactions to tetanus shots. The local area of the shot itself swells up to a fare-thee-well and is very sore and painful. Meanwhile, back at the inn, I get a high fever (like 104 degrees), my mouth completely dries out, and I become extremely thirsty. I am also weak and exhausted. This continues for a few days.



So, mark this O down as having a strong reaction of the unpleasant variety to tetanus vaccine! If I really needed one, I'd get one, but I sure do fight 'em when they try to give me one just for the fun of it *lol*! --Edna O+ non



Hallo! I couldn't forget that horrendous episode of the burn you had... we all felt SO TERRIBLE over it! It's hard to hear that someone you care about is suffering, especially when there's demmed little we could do except flood you with suggestions and get-well wishes. :-}



You're an O+ non, as am I, and yet our reactions to tetvac are completely different. As I was saying to Diana and Lillie, there are other factors at work somewhere. Sure enough, Suzanna (below) wrote in with a pretty thoroughgoing resume of the problems.



Remember the pre-LR4YT days when I used to say, "Oh, just have a LITTLE spelt, the book SAYS spelt's OK for us," and you kept saying, "No way, it's a kind of wheat, I ain't touching it!!" ? ;-}



Keep listening to that body-sense, about food & vaccines & everything else!



Thank you so much for writing in! ...and getta loada dis:

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I just went to your site to look up anything on Tetanus as the American consulat is insisting that my daughter-in-law (B+ NS - history of allergies to pollens, dust, mold animals etc.) and SHE IS 6 MONTHS PREGNANT, had a tetanus/diptheria shot.



I reccommend that your readers go to the internet and look up vaccine toxicity or pertussis or tenpenny koren (in a google search) and read up on this.



A recent study came out and showed that autistic children had live measles growing in their gut and their spinal fluid. My daughter (A+ NS) had a very bad reaction to the MMR her senior year of high school, swollen hands and joints, couldn't hold pencil, paintbrush (she's an artist) couldn't type, sleeping 3-4 hours per day after school.



Finally got her on an antigen infused collostrum extract (collostrum is not the same- doesn't work that well) and she finally got decent results but never has been quite the same with energy level. Several of her other senior friends had a bad reaction also.



Summer of 1998 in TN as the state had new rule to require a second MMR). MMR is a 3 live virus vaccine - measles, mumps and rubella. DPT is a 3 live bacteria (diptheria, pertussis and Tetanus) and the Pertussis has an affinity for the neuro system.



90+% of the reactions are not being reported as parents don't know there is a site at the CDC for vaccine damage of children reporting.



Doctors are not acknowledging the correlation to DPT (Pertussis is the worst) to convulsions, febrile seizures, high fever, high pitched cry, brain damage and these children should never be vaccinated again. But they're sent in for the 4th and 5th and doctors saying "Oh this is just normal."



I've been reading an incredible book "A Shot in the Dark" all about the dangers of the Pertusis. Kids by the millions are being vaccinated with the viarcella vaccine (chicken pox) and now they're working on a shingles vaccine as these teenagers/adults are now getting shinles in large numbers.



Let your kids get the chicken pox. My NS O- son, age 11, is more vaccinated than anyone else of my five kids and has problems sitting still, and focussing, follwoing through on tasks. When the book above was written they didn't have terms like ADD and ADHD but use the term "minimal brain damage."



In listening to Dr. Tenpenny's video (osteopath) she did 4000+ hours of research on vaccines and read hundreds of studies. Doctors are not reading them. They read the introduction and conclusion and miss all of the information that the drug studies are leaving out.



All the vaccines were tested 1) only on healthy children. The 14 children that reacted poorly were discounted from the study becasue it was just "coincidence" reaction and had nothing to do with the SAFE VACCINES.



Also all these vaccines were tested on children over 14 months. The DPT is given at 2 mo, 4 mo, 6 mo +. (5 of them). The greatest peak of crib death is at two months. The CDC is trying to say there is no correlation to crib death and DPT. They are insane. If you don't think the CDC and NIH are in bed with Merck and others(manufacturers)wake up!!!!!



Vaccines also have preservatives (thimerosol also spelled MERCURY) which they were supposed to have removed but not all are, because they were at unnacceptable levels.



I was able to get a note from my doctor stating that my son should be exempted from further vaccines because of a history of allergies and a bad reaction in a family member.



I also had this done for my daughter in Utah just based on personal beliefs. If you are Jehovah Witness you can do it based on religious beliefs. If there was an outbreak of MMR there, she would not be able to attend school.



The "benefits" of the vaccine do not outweigh the risks. Vaccines are giving us millions of "minimally brain damaged children", 500% increase in autistic children in the last 10 years. Schools are being inundated with special needs programs and with the studing that I have done I have to agree with the MD's and PhD's that much of it most definitely correlates with vaccination.



Vaccines also have: mercury, unacceptable levels in 2 month old babies.



Very good books on vaccines are available from Koren Publications, 2026 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, 1-800-537-3001. Vaccination, The Medical Assault on the Immune System by Dr.Scheibner is: $26.00 or if ordering two or more, $24.50 each. Vaccination, Social Violence and Criminality by Dr. Coulter is $14.95. A Shot in the Dark by Fisher and Coulter is $9.95. Please add $4.50 shipping and handling per total order.



My statement is: Be cautious with vaccines. Especially they are finding children with milk allergies and pertussis should not have it. Reacting badly and it increases the child's risk to allergies later in life. I've probably written way more than I needed to. My personal feeling is that non-secretors should not be vaccinated, considering that it was my non-secretor O and A that reacted poorly. Suzanne



Suzanne... Umm... I think you wrote just the right amount! :-) Thank you!!



I hope Kathryn is reading all this, and will follow up with more research before getting that booster... just so she can make an informed choice for herself.



A while back, someone sent me the following article from Dr. Mercola's site, containing detailed information on points you mentioned -- here it is, for your further review:

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CDC still allows Mercury in Infant Flu Shots



Unbelieveable!! -- CDC Still Allows Mercury in Infant Flu Shots



This fall, hundreds of thousands of infants and toddlers may be exposed to a mercury-filled preservative from flu shots that had been nearly eliminated from other children's vaccines due to health reasons. Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that until there was proof of harmful side effects from this vaccination, they felt it was unnecessary to recommend parents and doctors to seek a mercury-free version of the vaccine.



The CDC's decision was made despite pleas from concerned parents and resistance from the government that issued recent federal warnings about the exposure to mercury and had it removed from other childhood vaccines.



Research showed that if warnings of the dangers of the vaccine were issued to parents, there would be a big demand for mercury-free vaccines, which would possibly limit the supplies.



Many parent groups expressed that the CDC's decision to not advise parents and doctors against the vaccine stands as a violation of the principle, which requires doctors to take the actions necessary to minimize the risk of harm. While many parents and physicians opposed the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, which includes 57,000 physicians, supported the CDC's decision.



A Florida state representative stated he planned to introduce a bill that would ban thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative, in childhood vaccines and another physician referred to the CDC's decision as medical malpractice.



Los Angeles Times -- April 2, 2004

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* The ingredients and contaminants in vaccines and why they're

detrimental to your health














Mercury in Childhood Vaccines: What Did the Government Know?



Childhood Vaccines Exceed Federal Guidelines for Mercury



Childhood Vaccine Safety Studies are Largely 'Inadequate'



Childhood Vaccine May Protect Against Smallpox



Childhood Vaccines Exceed Federal Guidelines for Mercury



Vaccines and Neurological Damage

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Re. tetanus shots. Back in WW 2 days, army gave us lots of shots with those big, blunt needles (not like todays pin pricks) often 2 or 3 in each arm simultaneously and then drilled us. I suppose the theory was to circulate the vaccines and keep us busy so that we wouldn't think about them.



I never had any problems nor later in life since it seems to be common practice for MD's to give tetanus as a preventitive. I am O-sec, age 77.



Continue to try to spread the good news about the BTD. Saturday showed avoid list I carry to a friend who lit up like a hi-voltage lite bulb. She, also being an "O", exclaimed, "I'm allergic to 14 of the 16 items on your list." Amazing, ain't it??



She offered me info on another diet. I told her I wasn't interested because the BTD offers me everything that I need plus all the scientific evidence which supports and backs up the BTD plus all the help on the web site, etc, etc, etc,.



Faithfully read your articles and am continually grateful to you, Dr. D. and the others for sharing your knowledge, experience and concern for our good health.



God Bless you all. Conrad



Dear Conrad! When my Dad was in the Navy, he saw a lot of sailors with one almost-useless arm for a week after one of those injections. They'd just cover it up and try to bustle around as normal, cuz the treatment for 'problems' onboard ship was expected to be (and often was) worse that the problem itself. ;->



It's good to hear you never had a severe reaction to whatever they were distributing in those horse-needles. But then, you're a toughie!! :-D And a great-hearted ambassador for this way of life, by the way. Thank you, dear!



My gratitude to everyone who wrote to share their knowledge and experiences.... and blessings all around! :-D

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Heidi: In addition to asking a question, I wanted to share my horrible tetanus experience. Last summer I fell while running and had a freak puncture wound on my forearm - so deep you could see the bone.

The tetanus shot and the subsequent horrible feeling of having the flu for three days was far worse than the fall or the wound. I felt feverish and generally awful I guess until my body processed the shot. Another athlete friend of mine had a similar negative experience when she had to have a tetanus shot after crashing on her bicycle. I'm o+ for what it's worth.

Now my question: I've recently been eating two or three baked sweet potatos (plain or with some olive oil) at night a couple of hours after my high protein dinner. They are very satisfying and a good bread sub for me, but I'm finding that the next day I feel swollen and rather bloated all over. They also tend to constipate me a bit. Any thoughts? Thanks, Carolyn

Hi, Carolyn! I think that the effects of the sweet potatoes may be due to the quantity eaten and the late time of day, rather than they themselves, but try a different type (perhaps garnet yams, or Japanese sweet potato (also called batata California here), and eat just one rather than two or three. Let me know how that works for you.

Thank you for your report of the tetanus reaction. I spoke to an A and a couple of type Bs over the weekend, and the Bs both said they had a little raised swelling from it that went away in a day, the end -- and the A described just about what you experienced. Hmmm.... I'd love to hear from others on this, as there's probably some clear cause for the differences!

Thank you for writing!! :-D

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PRIVATE QUESTION from Tom ~



Dear Tom ~ Have your Dad combine food groups at his meals. Have a little protein, some grain food and some good fat at each meal, along with at least one serving of cooked vegetables.

For breakfast, this might mean organic eggs with one piece of spelt toast and butter, and a small dish of warmed cooked carrots. Or oatmeal with a dab of walnut butter on top, with a glass of vegetable juice... or a rice cake topped with a bit of leftover meat or stew, topped with some mozzarella and broiled for just 30 seconds or so, to melt the cheese.

Lamb & vegetable stew with steamed rice... fish with potatoes & broccoli ... you get the drift! ;-)

Apples, pears, and peppermint tea can also help tone his digestive tract.

It would be best not to eat or drink anything ice-cold. Cool is OK, but closer to room temp than freezer temp is the way to go.

His body is wise, in that it wants to rid itself of the toxic byproducts of his treatment as quickly as possible. The odd thing is that he may actually be constipated. The food group combination technique above should not contribute to that problem, if it's present, but can settle his system a bit while he is being treated and healing. I think he'll find it satisfying and soothing.

The most important thing would be to utterly avoid the avoids, which you are helping him to do. And take a look through the Cancer Prevention and Immune Enhancement protocols in the links at the top of this page.

It's great he's a gym rat! That habit will stand him in very good stead in overcoming the disease and healing. Do let me know how he gets along, and I wish him the very best!! :-D

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Hi Heidi, I have two questions.

First, is there any association between Type Os and bad reactions to tetanus vaccines? I'm several years overdue for one, but the last time I had a tetanus booster in 1991, my arm where the injection was given became very swollen and inflammed to the point where my husband had to help me get shirts on and off for several days. I'm frankly afraid to have another vaccine, but worry about tetanus, which is known to live in the soil in the area where I live (Pacific Northwest).

Second, I had kidney disease, nephritis, as a child and wonder if by eating the Type O diet I may be setting myself up for kidney problems due to the emphasis on animal proteins?

Thank you so much for your work helping so many people around the world! Kathryn

Hello, Kathryn! Nephritis can be a complement-mediated disease, and for this reason I suggest you definitely stick to the O diet, and consume the recommended number of portions in the vegetable and fruit categories daily.

The recommendations one sometimes hears that people with kidney trouble of all kinds must reduce or eliminate red meats is outdated advice... but it still circulates. Red meat is a healing powerhouse for you, not least because it's your building material for healthy organs -- kidneys, too.

For extra protection (and peace of mind), plenty of water each day -- and the UDA-Plus supplement sold in the Store here.

As to the tetanus booster: I haven't seen any blood-type specific information on this particular vaccine. Neither has anyone written to me about it, but I can tell you about my own experience getting my first and only tetanus shot in 1991, when I needed a finger stitched up.

The emergency nurse approached as I was standing in the receiving area after I was done, just chatting with the resident who'd done the stitching. She told me to come in and sit down and that the shot was very painful, etc. I really wanted to finish my conversation and ease on out of there, so I just said "naw, just stick me now, I'll be fine, honest."

I had no untoward reaction to it at all. The muscle was a tiny bit sore, but no inflammation, no swelling. I have a feeling there are other factors underlying the different reactions various people have to tetanus shots. I'd like to learn more about this!

Whether the composition of tetanus vaccines varies by locale, or there are known interactions of the vaccine with physiological parameters other than blood type, or some immune systems "just" react more strongly to it than others... I dunno!

If I had that kind of reaction but wanted the booster anyway, I'd take 500mg of quercetin three times daily for a week before, and a week after, the shot. It should calm the immune response, and limit local inflammation.

Hope it helps, dear... best wishes! :-D

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! :-)

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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

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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

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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!

ALLEZ BTD!!!

~:-D

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Dear Heidi, Hi! Thanks for your reply.

I don't have access to a good source of fresh wild fish, reasonably priced. All the fish in my area seem to be either farm raised or else very expensive. I don't usually like canned fish because I'm allergic to metal. I also worry about polluted fish. I don't want to mail order fish in the hot weather and I'm hardly ever home.

Dr.D'Adamo writes "include regular portions of richly oiled cold-water fish. Fish oils can help counter inflammatory conditions and strengthen immunity. Avoid pickled fish."

In a different authored book I read that, "the brain's needs are further complicated by it's inability to use some forms of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet. Some organ systems can incorporate the shorter, 18 chain omega-3 precursor, called alpha-linolenic acid found in green leafy vegetables, flaxseed, canola oil, and walnuts. But the human brain has an absolute requirement for the longer chain omega-3 fatty acids: EPA and DHA, both found primarily in fish oil. The studies have been somewhat mixed , but it appears that adult humans cannot convert enough ALA to EPA and then to DHA. Thus some nutritional scientists believe we must consume the fish and fish oil-derived long-chain omega-3s directly for optimal brain health."

Hopefully this answers your question. Thanks again for all your help! RoseZ

Hi, Rose! I agree completely with your (excellent) sources on the oils from fatty fishes! I gather from this that you want to take the supplement you mentioned for general health -- i.e., inflammation control and brain function?

I do still suggest, though, that it's a good idea to research the source and ingredients of products you might consider for this purpose, before buying them. "Marine lipid concentrate," etc... we want to make sure they're not selling you soylent green made from members of the armed forces! LOL, but you see how a generalized term can cover a multitude of meanings, particularly in marketing. ;-> Just be safe, sweetie! :-D

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Heidi, Cellulitis and cellulite are 2 totally different things. I believe that cellulitis is an inflamation (potentially dangerous) of cells. My dad's Dr. initially thought that that's what he had a few years ago when his leg was swollen and red. It turned out to be symptom of congestive heart failure. It's definitely not the same thing as cellulite. Jane

. . . . . . . . . .

Cellulitis is an infection - article here.

I've had two friends who had this type of infection, one friend had a strep infection at the site. This can be a very serious condition. Since AB's have a very "friendly" immune system, I would highly recommend Dr. D'Adamo's protocols in addition to recommendations from her doctor. Lynne

Oh LORDY, thank you, ladies. I'm surprised you'd even speak to me after I made a gaffe like that one.

MENACHEM! I am humbly sorry for this enormity. Often in the course of writing this column, I must translate/interpolate some terms in the messages I receive, based on my sense that the writer is making a stab at English medical terminology but falling just a tad aside from the mark. Because of your beautiful name, I made the incorrect assumption that your English was perhaps under par -- hence my great blundering boo-boo. The "itis" in cellulitis should have yelled "inflammation" to me... but if it did, I didn't hear it. :-}

You can see, however, that my readership is sharp as pins and keeps a good eye on me! :-)

Now, as to what you can use internally for inflammation: quercetin comes immediately to mind: 300-500mg taken twice daily. It is something akin to a panacea for inflammation. There are other things you can do, but to target the cause of your condition, I'd like to know more about you.

Tell me more about your diet, your health history, what kind of exercise you're able to do, and how long you've been dealing with these symptoms. I have a feeling we can clear this up pretty quickly if you'll kindly write again with those details! :-D

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I would like to start a social group for type O's in the New York City area. I would like to have type O diet potluck picnics in the parks, maybe have other events....speakers, dinners at restaurants...etc...

Can I announce this on your website somewhere? Or otherwise somehow put me in touch with other type O's on the blood type diet in the New York City area? Or is there already a group like this? Thank you so much.

. . . . . . . . . .

I've decided to be more generous and have a social potluck picnic for all the blood types, not only type O's.

I am tenatively choosing Sunday, July 11 at 1:00 pm in Central Park, New York City.

I still have to pick a nice meeting place in Central Park. I will make a sign that says "Eat Right 4 Your Type"

Pleae help me publicize this. I will pick a location soon and let you know. I don't know anybody who practices the blood type diet. Most of my friends scoff at it. Thank you Tamara

Hey, Tamara -- What a wonderful idea! Good for you, for taking charge and getting it done!

No, we don't already have a group ... and I think you'll get quite a response, this is a very big city with lots of lonely BTD'ers!

Once you settle on your location and commit to the date, I'll ask Peter to put an announcement up on the homepage, and I'll highlight it here as well.

I truly commend you for organizing an event like this. It's an inspiration, and I encourage ALL YOU NYC READERS (you KNOW who you are!) to keep an eye out for the announcement! :-D

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Dear Heidi, Hi! As an O nonsecretor, I know I can't have CLO but can I have fish oil? The ingredients on the bottle read marine lipid conc., lime flavor, and natural mixed tocepherols. Thanks for your help. RoseZ

Hi there, Rose! I think the best thing to do would be to call the manufacturer and ask a few questions. For instance, what fish is used and how is it processed? Is the 'lime flavor' a synthetic flavoring, or is it concentrated lime juice? ... organic? and what is the source for the 'natural mixed tocopherols?' Food, or a chem lab? In other words, how processed is this ingredient?

Yeah, I know, I'm a stickler. ;->

I'm wondering if there a specific reason why you feel this supplement may benefit you? I ask because supp products come and go, market-driven (read, Great Public Relations Firm Work!) rather than health-driven. I'd like to save you some disappointment (and money) if I can. so drop me a line, eh? :-D

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Hi! I'm type AB. My doctor tells me that I have cellulitis in my leg.What can I use internally or externally? Thank you Menachem

Hello, Menachem! Very nice to hear from one of the rarest (A type ~ welcome!

Cellulite, if that is what your doctor said you have, is easily resolved through following the diet, observing the exercise recommendations, and drinking plenty of water daily. I often suggest 1/2 ounce of water per pound of body weight, consumed daily, with a pinch of gray sea salt and/or a squeeze of lemon juice, to speed weight loss, improve elimination of toxins, and revitalize skin tone. And for other things as well. :-)

So, tell me more about yourself, and if your doctor said something different... like phlebitis, or anything else... let me know and I'm sure we can help.

Thank you for writing! :-)

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I can't find porcini mushrooms in any list. I have many recipes calling for that particular mushroom.

I also don't understand why unbleached flour is a problem for AB. They are allowed whole wheat flour and white flour products (both neutral). Both unbleached and white flour have been striped of the bran and wheat germ (which are present in the whole wheat). A questionable bleaching process is then applied to make the flour white. Mary A Husband AB Daughter AB Son ???

Hello, Mary! I agree with you about unbleached flour, and I don't believe it will be a problem for your ABs. I do encourage you to look to the many wonderful wheat alternatives in your baking, though. Secretly (or not), I've also lobbied for getting buttermilk upgraded for type ABs. That may be pure ignorance and stubbornness, but I hope someday I'll have an answer I understand on that one. ;-}

Now, to porcini mushrooms ("little pigs" -- what a great name for them, that's just what they look like!) -- yes, they're not rated, but feel free to treat them as unknowns (neutrals in this case)... as long as they are wild, or not cultivated in questionable materials. In other words, as long as they're not being propagated in poisonous chemical-infused dung. Get me drift? I suspect they will turn out Neutral for everyone, when they're tested.

You have a neat household there, Mary -- I'd get the little boy tested, though, just to make sure he's not type B. That's possible, if you carry a recessive O gene. You come here for the good news, right? ~;-D

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Hi Mom,

It rarely happens but sometimes there is a very deep 'yes'. It happened to me with Peter's insights ... especially about lectins.

Now, once again I feel this deep 'yes' when I read the article about this UK couple and their unique farming strategies at

kindredspirit.

They, (like Peter) are not perfect but help us heal towards a greater sanity.

Hope this will help people build and not flit from one diet to another. Just imagine btd with THIS ..... phenominal! Still here, John

Lovely stuff ~ thanks for passing it along, dear! :-D

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Hi Heidi, I know you are real busy these days, but I have had this strange problem for some time, and its getting worse.

I don't want to eat.

Its not that I don't get hungry or have no appetite. I just don't want to eat.

So far it hasn't gotten so bad that I don't eat, but I'm down to childhood comfort food, and its getting worse. I guess if I go out to eat with friends its ok, but at home its all I can do to get myself to eat a little.

My diet almost consistenly: Breakfast - juice and coffee; Lunch - rice with yorgurt and sometimes some potato chips (usually with avoid oil). Dinner - cheese (allowed 'stinky' cheeses from Whole Foods - currently drunken goat cheese) and rice crackers or more rice and yoghurt or just a glass of milk. Sometimes I snack on string cheese and/or juice (both allowed ingredients) at points during the day.

I usually walk 20-30 minutes/day for exercise, and I have an 'aqua yoga' class on Wednesdays.

I meditate using tapes - currently a 40 min program 2x/day.

This eating is an odd concern because I want to lose weight (I'm about 40 lbs overweight) but I know that not eating enough reduces metabolism. It is starting to affect my mood and concentration also. Any thoughts? --Shima (Type B secretor) (June 2)

. . . . .

My eating problem is getting worse. I really try, but I have missed meals now.

Although I am still getting to work, and meeting my responsibilities, exercising, meditating, my mood is really becoming affected now. I cry almost every night, even though I can still make to work more or less on time the next day, and meet friends from time to time and stuff.

And eating is still really hard.

I am starting to have some flatulence problems, even though I hardly eat anything.

I don't really know what's wrong with me and what to do. Maybe I just eat too much rice and coffee. Maybe I just need to snap out of it. Please help me. --Shima (June 11)

Hello, dear Shima! Flatulence can arise even if one is eating nearly nothing at all, so long as what little IS eaten is off-balance from the requirements of your blood type.

Ask yourself, then answer: "Why do I not deserve to eat?"

Last October, you had about 30 pounds to lose. It sounds as if you may have gained weight by sticking to starches, milk and cheese, and avoiding all beneficial vegetables and meats.

I recall that your mother is an ethical vegetarian.

Again ... ask yourself, then answer: "If I refuse to eat, will mother relent and let me eat what I want?"

Tomatoes come to mind because they are not allowed on the B secretor diet.

The cascading emotional effects you are experiencing are the result of the lack of adequate proteins and proper fats, as well as missing minerals -- particularly magnesium and sulphur from green vegetables. If you continue to turn away from food, you can create a controlled descent into physiological depression.

On the other hand, if you sit down and reason all this out, taking into account your physical needs for certain foods and the end result you face if you continue in your current actions, I believe you will come to a very clear truth for yourself.

I hope you don't mind my suggestion of questions -- they are what I would ask myself, were I in your situation.

You are in full control! Please let me know what you learn ... I think it will feel good to write it down and send it in. If you like, it need not be published - just let me know in that case. Warmest good wishes to you, dear! :-)

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Hello Heidi, I e mailed this reply to you last week but I may have done it incorrectly. I appreciate your advice immensely & have found your thorough knowledge on this site so very helpful. Apologies for seeming hazy, just confused.

In ERFYT Peter clearly explains the links between certain diseases & blood types but stated that there was ‘little blood type specific information available on skin disorders’ & I have been unable to find any written experiences on the internet of anyone making a link.

I realise my book is obviously a little dated now. Thank you very much for the herbal extract & vitamin recommendations.

After much consideration I’ve decided to give eating red meat a go as I feel so positive about the other life changes I have made so far on the BTD. The more I read on this website, the happier & more confident I feel about the changes I’m making.

I have had eczema since I was born. I omitted meat from my diet when I was 15 & stopped consuming dairy aged 18. In January this year I started seeing a Chinese doctor who introduced me to the blood type diet.

I have since been taking a mixture of Chinese herbs X3 daily. I also took wheat & sugar out of my diet. Caffeine has never really featured in my diet anyway apart from green tea.

I have always enjoyed exercise, particularly cardio. I go to the gym X4 a week & split my sessions into 30 mins each of cardio & weights (I have only recently added weights properly). I adore running, but as I have lost so much weight recently I’m being careful not to run too much.

My problem is also that I’ve lost weight from my backside & bust (sadly) & I’m not sure what weight training could help this situation ?

My Chinese doctor has diagnosed me as having a damp spleen & of being to cold inside & has advised me to eat foods & herbs that are physiologically warming, to avoid nuts completely, eat small amounts of brown rice & quinoa, eat warm soups & stews, eat small amounts of cooked fruit & of course to increase my protein intake.

I am actually really careful to make a hot flask of veg & fish soup every day & take it to work & find omitting sugar & wheat no problem.

My eczema is unfortunately irritated by garlic, onion, ginger, peppers, tomatoes & citric fruits (so I couldn’t use lemon unfortunately). My C. D. said that I have a problem digesting sulphur – which he says is why the aforementioned foods pose a problem.

I am confused about the liquid intake recommendations. Before I started the T.C.M. I used to drink at least a liter of water daily + jasmine & green teas. My C.D. advised me to minimize my liquid intake & sip liquids slowly, stating that too much water would aggravate my already damp spleen. I am also aware that to maximize digestion one should try to drink at least 30 mins before a meal & not within 2 hours after which I find difficult to maintain, as I’m trying to eat more to gain weight & drink the right amount of water, & take my X3 Chinese medicine daily!

I do lead a really busy lifestyle. I’m currently working in Japan as a teacher. My working day starts at 1pm and finishes at 9.30pm. I speak next to no Japanese and am spending a lot of time translating all the highly beneficial foods into Japanese. I am a little unsure what certain veges are in English e.g. collard greens, beet greens & Swiss chard?

There are however, many green veges & a wonderful supply of different fish that aren’t available in the West – but I’m not sure if they would be beneficial for me and so unsure whether or not to risk them?

Please excuse my lengthy reply. Thanks for your time, SarahR

Hello, Sarah!

Your TCM diagnosis sounds remarkably similar to mine, years ago. "Dampness" will disappear with time as you follow the protein recommendations - congratulations for making that decision! There is no special need for you to follow my water recommendations, as you have more specific rX from your doctor which will meet your needs.

As a runner myself, I sympathize with the bust & butt reduction! :-D Working steadily with weight training targeted upon the gluteus and pectoral muscles (all of them) will do you very nicely. Exercise cannot increase breast size, since the breasts are mostly fat & glands... but it can build the muscles under and around the breasts, as well as contributing to a taut and vibrant skin tone. I think you'll be happy with the results.

Instead of garlic, onion, peppers... use horseradish, salt and whatever spices you tolerate. Feel free to stay away from the foods proscribed by your TCM, as you may be a type O who does best on a more stringently 'paleo' diet -- eat plenty of greens, and be a little lavish with good oils & fats, along with your proteins.

For pictures and descriptions of collards, chards and greens of all kinds, visit the marvelous Green Veg page at Cook's Thesaurus. Beet greens are the red-stalked beet-top leaves. Collards are big, light green, flat, rather thick (but smooth) leaves - they can grow as large as a small umbrella! - not sure you've find them in Japan, though. Chard is also called 'silverbeet,' and is tenderer than kale or collards -- more like spinach in the cooking. Swiss chard, like white chard, has thick stems and veins, but they're red rather than white or green as in white chard. Just keep in mind that the greens you find in Japan may be quite different, and we have no translations at the moment, but greens in general are GREAT for you and the main natural food of the hunter-gatherer. :-)

The simplest approach to fish is to make a list of your avoids from the fish list -- there aren't all that many. Then, use the US FDA Seafood Search to familiarize yourself with some of the Asian and Latin names of your avoids, and the appearance of them if that site has a picture. Then go back to Cook's Thesaurus for any pix missing from the FDA list. You'll soon have a very solid idea of what you might steer away from, and what is very likely OK for you on the other hand.

What a marvelous career you have, living in Japan and teaching English! I have more than one friend doing the same, and it is a very fine position you have in this day and age for multiple reasons, in my opinion. :-) ENJOY it all, and VERY best wishes, dear! :-D

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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

. . . . . .

:-) :-) 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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Mouth Ulcers?

I'm sure interested in the recent topic about mouth ulcers since I've had one on my left side since before February of this year.

I tried the Yeast/Fungus protocol for a month but it's still there. It feels soft but becomes hard and pointed like a pimple when there is the slightest bit of vinegar in my food. I had been using a squeeze of lemon in my daily water but decided to take a break thinking it could be contributing to it. It's still there, no larger, no smaller.

I am puzzled. I am about 90% compliant on the type O, non-secretor diet. I have 4 amalgam fillings left to replace. No plans for the 3 gold fillings I've had for 25 years. Are these safe?

I feel very healthy and take daily 4 Phytocal, 2 Polyvite, 2 PolyFlora, 3 Catechol, 2 Taraxacum, 1 Live Cell, 3 Proberry Caps and almost have my menopausal hormones balanced.

I started taking 2 Quercetin Plus a day but it hasn't seemed to affect the mouth ulcer. I am very faithful at taking Deflect O with the 10% non-compliant foods I struggle with when eating out.

My recent blood test showed my potassium high at 5.5, normal range is 3.5-5.3. I was eating 1 banana a day but now am down to 4 a week. I look forward to any postings on your column that might be answers to this problem. Thank you Heidi for everything you do, you're the best! Pat S.

Hello, Pat ~ you're doing a wonderful job of everything! Mouth ulcers tend to crop up either in states of high acidity, or in response to yeast overgrowth (due to low immunity).

As an experiment, try rinsing at night with a little baking soda (1 tsp) in a small glass of water. Don't swallow it ~ spit it out and rinse with plain water. Do this for three days and let me know if you notice a difference in that anomaly. Also, what kind of toothpaste/mouthwash do you use? On that point, read on... :-)

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Hi Heidi, This is regarding the question about mouth ulcers.

I am generally very healthy but am prone to the mouth ulcers.I find that it has to do with acidity.

Coffee,acidic wine,too much lemon or lime,will cause them.

Since I am an old competitive weight lifter,my body probably tends to lean toward being acidic from the exercise,plus the higher protein intake...

Also,I find that things like toothpaste with sodium laurel sulfate will give me mouth sores.

If I eat alkaline fruit and vegatables and brush my teeth with "Peelu" tooth paste or baking soda,drink green tea instead of coffee,and semi dry wines,I have no problem...Hope that helps...John

Perfectly to the point, John! This is IT in a nutshell for type O with mouth ulcers, where low immunity is not an issue. Thanks! :-D

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Hello Heidi, I have an intriguing question (I think).

My daughter, 20 Yrs, A, nonnie, has an interesting twitch that persists. It is the muscle around her left eye, at the edge of the orbit or eye socket that forms a circle under her eye and around to her eyebrow. It will twitch at different spots along that curve......and feels somewhat like the nerves are "firing off" if you know what I mean. It is not constantly twitching but remains on and off present daily.

She is VERY true to the A Nonnie diet and has been for over a year. It seems it must be a deficiency of some kind in the nutrients needed for the nervous system or the muscular system. We were wondering what your take might be on this one? Best wishes for a great summer! Meredith in CA (A nonnie,too)

Hi, Meredith!

Have her get hold of Methyl B12 Plus -- take two capsules in the morning with water, away from other supps, before breakfast. Do this for one week, and tell me if the twitching disappears. If it does not, add 1/2 scoop (2 tablespoons) of KAL or other good nutritional yeast (no avoids in the formulation) to a shake or smoothie in the afternoon -- again, one week and let me know the result.

The twitch you described is 99% certainly caused by B vitamin deficiency. I'd try the Methyl B12 first, since that is the most likely candidate -- type A's comparatively low intrinsic factor means they can easily run into a B12 deficiency. Write again when she's had a chance to supplement. If there is a low-mineral issue, a pinch of gray sea salt in a quart of water daily may be all she needs -- but let's revisit that issue if the B vits don't do the trick. I believe they will. Best wishes to you both! :-D

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Dear Heidi, please a wise advice for me on beans ( I am nearly 43 years old, A rh + secretor).

I am celiac so I should be 100% compliant on no wheat in Italy and you can imagin how easy it is ( pane pasta pizza) !

The main beans with a sensitive colon (a little too fast eliminating ) which should be ? I seem tolerate borlotti, broad, cannellini beans and red lentils without peel.

I eat two or three portions of fowl, four times fish and three times tofu every week and two glasses of organic soy milk or Yoghutkefir with Lithotamnium calcareum every day and plenty of fruit and veggies (till fifteen years ago I ate half veggies for my gut health, now I can tolerate better fiber), with a lot of allowed cereals (rice, corn, oat, amaranth and quinoa).

My sister 41 years old, A rh + , took antibiotics for a canalar tooth treatment quite late, has candida every time with antibiotics in these last years and she will have extracted at least three wisdom teeth in the next weeks and a lot of little fillings to prevent cavities on her damaged dental enamel. Common amalgam filling could worsen her candida fighting skill, already lowering, and Hg in it is toxic. However in Pubmed many physicians publish not encouraging data on alternatives to amalgam and on the enormous number of fillings ( more than 300) that are needed to reach danger levels with Hg.

They say in a paper that people bad reacting to amalgam are lower in Selenium. May this mineral ( together with Polyflora A ) be a good idea for my sister and perhaps for non secretors, as the easy candida and inflamation of my sister make me guess she is ?

I always find reading you a real and useful pleasure !

I give here three recipe to use veggies, for the people that don't like the alone.

Spinach, Asparagus or Red Chicory risotto; put the Spinach washed and ready to cook or frozen in a pan with some chopped onion or leek, a portion of veggie for espresso cup of starchy rice every person (I use Italin rice like Vialone nano, Arborio, Carnaroli) some oil or ghee, and your choice of broth or broth substitute three cup of liquid pro cup of rice and cook with light boil till the rice is done (15-20 minutes). Season with pepper, tamari, Parmesan or Romano and a little more ghee if you like and if it is ABO compliant.

A variant with a lot arugula thinly chopped poured in at the end instead of spinach, asparagus and red chicory. Thaks a lot from Maria Giovanna Fiorentino

Maria Giovanna, it's lovely to hear from you!

We have no rating for borlotti beans, but as to the rest you mentioned, lentils would be the most soothing to your system, as they form a light, soft mass in the digestive tract. Have you tried aduki, the Japanese small dark red bean? And using kombu (just a piece perhaps 12cm long) in the bottom of the pot when cooking beans makes digestion easier in most people. Kombu seaweed is another Japanese product, which can be found in Asian markets.

I wonder if the coral calcium in your Kefir may irritate your stomach at all? That would be one thing to experiment with. Also, could the daily soymilk intake may be reduced in favor of vegetable juices, fruit juice, green tea and water? Many type As find they benefit from reduced use of unfermented soy (such as the milk) -- perhaps you could limit it to one glass daily, or five per week? If you find it helps your digestion to reduce it, fine -- otherwise, it's OK to have that amount as far as the diet is concerned. And one serving daily of grain, two on two days in the week, is perfect for you.

Your diet looks great!

For your sister -- I would not rely on PubMed physicians if they advise using amalgam, because they can be very conservative in their profession, and I hope her dentist will use compatible materials other than amalgam. It makes no sense to me to add mercury into the body, especially when her immune system is already under challenge. As little as .5 gram of mercury could kill all the fish in a lake, yet the average person has 5 grams in their fillings.

A little extra selenium, and PolyFlora-A, would be great for her. Staying away from pharmaceutical antibiotics is one important thing she can do to enhance her entire health profile, and a holitic dentist is another.

And thank you for your quick risotto and greens recipe ~ it sounds terrific. As a note for those who have trouble finding the classic short-grain rice varieties you mentioned, I've found that other kinds of whole rice will also make respectable risotto (as long as we are not cooking for an Italian nonna! :->).

Bless you, and let me know how you and your sister do! :-D

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Hi Heidi, Hope you are well.

I am a contact lens wearer who wears lenses for quite a long time every day.

The capillaries are quite swollen in my eyes & I was told by the optician to cut down on my wear.

I went from 11 hours a day to 3 hours a day but after two weeks the capillaries have still not gone down. They have now prescribed silicon lenses but these may not work either.

Is there anything else I can be doing to help this situation as I am an active sporty person & can't wear glasses during some activities. I am an O+ Sec. Thanks in anticipation. Best wishes Helen

Hi, Helen! Doing pretty well here ~ steeling myself for the summer's first blast of NYC heat this week. Name of the Game: exercise EARLY, or else it's INSIDE. :-}

I have several suggestions for you.

(1) Additional vitamin K in supplementary form, in addition to upping your daily intake of dark leaf greens.

(2) Herbs:

Stoneroot (Collinsonia canadensis) in tincture or standardized extract capsule form, according to the package directions -- which may take up to a month to show effects, although I'd expect to see improvement in two weeks.

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica), horse chestnut (Equisetum arvense), and butchers broom (Ruscus aesculatus) -- either separately in tincture form (HerbPharm makes those) or in combination (the product alternately known as Celluvar or Varicel, made by PhytoPharmica, is a good example). In the UK you may not find those brands, but I'm sure you can find the single herb preparations. Have a peek at the Celluvar label, here for dosage tips.

Last, quercetin, 500mg twice daily. (And as an active woman, I hope you're including plenty of food-based Vitamin C in your daily schedule ~ solid rose hip extract or acerola cherry supp.)

The purpose of this herb/vitamin regimen is to tone up your blood thickness, strengthen the capillaries, and reduce inflammation.

As your condition improves, you can taper off the K supp and the herbs but maintain your greens intake and pop a quercetin now and again. By the way, a friend of mine uses Frequency Toric lenses by Cooper, which are "45% methafilcon, 55% water" -- 30-day disposable lenses, very light and soft.

Do stay in touch, I'd like to hear that your eyes are back to normal soon!

:-D

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hi heidi, you have mentioned flax seeds the last couple of days. do the flax seeds have to be ground or can they be eaten whole? thanks. kathy

Hello, Kathy ~ For the breakfast recipe, and the plain flax+water, they're ground. I use an electric coffee grinder and a clean, soft brush to remove all the powdered flax. :-)

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Greetings from downunda again dear Heidi, I think my last question may have got lost.

On 2nd May I stopped taking the protein powder which I was reacting to and continued taking the supplements. I have since had a persistent cough, not painful and non-productive, vary like an allergic response. I am really disappointed not to be making the progress that I had hoped for. In fact seemingly a bit of a reversal. Through an allergy test I have determined that I was reacting to the rice in the protein powder. I see that there is no rice in the supplements yet I cough so much, worse at night. Any suggestions or possible explanation would be really appreciated.

And, there was another New Zealander who wrote in, I have forgotten her name now, who knew her secretor status and I would love to know where she went to get that test, as i think that is my next step for further progress and where i live no one does it. I understood that the Lewis test does not have 100% accuracy. Many thanks for all your help Heidi. marni

Hi, Marni ~ If you type your name into the search form below, you'll find the post where I answered the question (on 29 May). It's at the top of the links. I hope this will help, dear!! :-)

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Dear Heidi, A colleague has been following the blood type O diet carefully for five months (secretor status unknown). He is feeling good but has numerous mouth ulcers. This is a request for advice from anyone on how he should deal with these mouth ulcers. Thanks, Karen O

Karen, can you tell us more? Did the ulcers appear when he added (or subtracted) anything, or did he have them before he began the diet?

Has he had cancer, autoimmune disease, or immune system problems generally?

Does he have solid intake of B vitamins, minerals, and water daily? Does he smoke or drink heavily?

Please let me know what you can learn from him, and I invite everyone to send in any experiences they've had with this condition ~ we'll put our heads together and get him on the right track! :-D

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Hi Heidi! Stephanie asked for the flax breakfast recipe today. I don't know what date it's from, but here's a great one I got from your column a while back:

On breakfasts for those who don't like breakfast (especially the young), I have had good luck grinding 2T flax seed with 1-2T walnuts in a "dedicated" coffee grinder. There are typically some slightly larger walnut pieces in the result. While I am doing that, I pour a bit of boiling water on a large handful of currants (could be raisins or dried cherries or blueberries), then dump in the ground meal, add a pinch of salt, a bit more boiling water if needed, and stir. It is practically instant, and tastes like oatmeal cookie porridge (even though no oats are present). The fruit can vary, but lightly-hydrated dried fruit makes the results more "cookie like."

You can also sprinkle a pinch of brown sugar over the whole thing, add ghee, whatever, but the basic is pretty good, and I believe works for both O's and A's. Cheers! Lois

Thank you for that, Lois! :-D Perhaps that's just what Stephanie was looking for ~ much appreciated! :-)

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Hi, thank you for your prompt answer the other day. I had previously sent about 3 questions but I mustn't have sent them right. I am still struggling with this candida, it is amazing how many of your questions are candida related at the moment.

Anytime I have done the diet before it has improved after 6 weeks but I'm am still not very good. I have increased the GSE to 2x3 times a day to see if that will help.

I think I will cut out bananas even though they are a beneficial fruit, I have a worry that they are too sweet. My normal diet would include, poached eggs, grilled grapefruit and recently a mince burger for breakfast. For lunch I would have meat and veg (parsnip, carrots, broccoli, cabbage or spinach if I can get it) tea, maybe the same as lunch or veg soup or salad. I add linseed, almonds, walnuts, olive oil etc.

My tongue is still coated and tired drained & sore muscles & joint symptoms persist. Since doing the candida diet I have been getting spots on my face. Also I get constipated and my stools float (only since starting diet). I have been drinking the water.

Is there anything else you could suggest, I feel quite dissappointed that those critters are still having a ball in there after all this effort. I wish everyone well who is fighting candida it really is a curse, so debilitating and so difficult to know if you are getting anywhere or not. Thanks for info on mercury fillings in Ireland, I will look into it when I get a bit better. Thanks for your help. Janet

Oh, I feel for you dear, it's a difficult road with candida. You're doing a marvelous job with it -- perseverence is key.

The other possible helpers I could suggest would be any herbs you can obtain from the Yeast and Immune System protocols (in the pulldown menu under Support at the top of this page).

I beleive you're accomplishing great things. The strictness with which you're approaching your diet is essential to getting candida back into control, and when you can tackle the amalgam issue, I believe you'll have a great upsurge in vitality. Just keep in touch, and I'll pass on anything of value that comes up. Bless you, Janet -- stick with it just as you're doing! :-D

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For Maia ~~ an excerpt from the feature article in this month's The Sun magazine ~ online in .pdf format.

I meant to post this link yesterday. The reason I offer it may not be readily apparent, but I hope you enjoy it dear! :-)