First I'd like to say that the er4yt, lr4yt, and the cr4yt books are wonderful. I have found wonderful success in getting my family healthy again, and keeping them there.



BUT-- Can you PLEASE bring an end to an on-going argument between my husband (o secretor) and myself (a non-secretor)? It is my understanding that in lr4yt, Dr. D'Adamo explains that the type O should seek out organic, lean, red meat. I am insistant on this, however, my husband seems to think that eating the meat (is it really meat anymore?) from the grocery store is fine, and better than not eating meat at all. I STRONGLY disagree. What is your opinion? Erin

Our thanks for the compliments! I'm pleased to hear that you and your family are prospering on the BTD.



Now ~ with great trepidation, I tiptoe into your domestic disagreement. :-)



Your husband has a point: if his only choice is between eating meat from the grocery store and eating no meat at all, I'd say go ahead and eat it -- but just enough to cover his minimum requirements. Eating fish instead is a decent option, but given half the chance I'd start into a longwinded recommendation of wild (meaning non-farmed) fish -- so we'd end up in the same issue, different species. :-> Is eating meat from the grocery store fine? well, no, I can't say it is.



Deep breath, and here I go. Supermarket meat starts out as animals kept in torturous conditions. Because of crowding and poor care, they are medicated with antibiotics in hopes of keeping them just healthy enough to pass inspection. In addition, they are dosed with growth hormones so that they may attain great size in the shortest amount of time (to reduce the total expense between birth and slaughter, and increase the number of sales per year). I hope your husband wouldn't want to be part of that particular food chain, nor vote with his dollars for a business that engages in such cruel practices.



All those hormones and antibiotics and chemical preservatives end up on your plate and eventually in the water supply and the ground. They wreak havoc with our endocrine systems, stimulate unnatural growth (as in cancer), and propagate antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria which cause stubborn diseases and debilitate our environment's natural microbial balance. The newest calamity is the use of genetically-modified feed, and not only because these "new" life forms are eventually ingested by the meat eater. It is a threat to the integrity of crops over the entire world. How can organic crops be protected against ... the wind? How can we 'fence off' insects who visit a GMO field, and head for the organic plants a couple of miles away? It's about as hopeless as designating a peeing section in a swimming pool.



There's a lot more to say, but I guess I've ranted long enough on this one. :-}



My hope is that you & your husband will find a way to primarily use unmedicated, organically-fed (or grass-fed) free-ranged animals -- not only for your health, but for the planet. Take a look at www.eatwild.com, see if there are conscientious farmers and ranchers near you or within mailorder distance. By eliminating the middleman you get better meat for less money -- and the savings mount if you buy in bulk for freezing or with a group of like-minded friends. Even you type A or AB or B lacto-ovo vegetarians out there, please visit eatwild ~ you might find a nearby farmer who can supply you with eggs and milk of the very best quality.



Erin, I do hope this is helpful. Good luck, dear! It sounds like you're doing a wonderful job!!



and ... break the news to him gently, OK? ;-)