On The Diet with Heidi Merritt

. Most of these concerns were addressed on the bulletin board in this past year ~~ but since the BB is no longer active, let me review the following items:



1) Page 348 contains instructions which conflict with the type O food lists. The second paragraph under the heading Group O-Specific Lectins should be ignored in favor of the food list values.



2) Page 349 contains instructions which conflict with the type B food lists. The paragraph under the heading Group B-Specific Lectins should be ignored in favor of the food list values.



3) Page 349, regarding type AB: The statement that "Blood group AB should avoid any of the foods that contain lectins capable of reacting with groups A or B" is only a key to understanding many of the type AB food values. It does not mean that ABs should use the A and B food lists instead of the AB food list -- which is based on more than just lectin avoidance, as are all the food lists. The AB food lists contain the specific values to be followed.



4) Page 534, under "Potato, Sweet" is missing the following entry for type A only: "Non-secretor variant: NEUTRAL."



5) Pages 469 and 582: Yucca is recommended to type O in the anti-inflammatory protocol, but is listed as an avoid in the O food list. Both entries are correct.



Yucca is to be avoided for the reasons mentioned in the food list. Concentrated yucca saponins (the supplement recommended as an anti-inflammatory) are used in the dosages indicated for inflammation. These are two separate substances with differing effects: one is the whole food, the other is an extract of specific active compounds.



6) Several people wondered why certain herbs or spices used in cooking which were listed as "avoid" for their types in Eat Right found their way into therapeutic recommendations in the Encyclopedia. Consider these new values -- fenugreek for Bs, for example -- as updates. New techniques, new discoveries and wider research have resulted in the several changes and additions in foods and herbs found in the later books. You can verify the new food values on this site in TYPEbase3® and in our change log for Live Right, here. Other than updates for secretor status noted in Live Right and usages in the Encyclopedia, the herb and spice lists in Eat Right remain substantially unchanged.



Thanks to everyone who dropped me a line with these questions, and feel free to contact me if you have others. I will update this information page if appropriate, and I appreciate your input!

I.

? I thought it may be related to catfish, since it is farm raised and of a similar texture. ~ Bunnie



II.

(a light flakey fish) listed anywhere. Is this neutral, beneficial, or poison for me? ~ Marla





Tilapia is neutral for all types. It’s listed in Live Right 4 Your Type and in the TYPEbase3® food database, linked from the front page of dadamo.com.



.



~~ When using TYPEbase3®, remember to click on the search button... hitting your keyboard's "enter" key will not engage the search. ~~

HAPPY HUNTING!

I have been feeling much better on this diet but ever since I started it, I have been burping alot. Does this mean I am not digesting well. I am o+ and it seems that it is a reaction to the red meat. I'm taking protease to help but I'm still burping alot. -- Holly



Pancreatic enzymes helped me out when I first started the diet. If you eat bread, rice or other grains with your meat, it may be worthwhile to see how you feel after a few meals of meat and vegetables only. Try to chew slowly, and don't drink water or other beverages while you are eating. A calm frame of mind at mealtime, and focusing on your food rather than engaging in animated conversation, will support better digestion.



What are the best digestive enzymes you recommend for Type A? -- Laurie



Gentian (20 drops in a few ounces of water), bromelain (one or two capsules before a meal), or a few slurps of plain pineapple or grapefruit juice. You may also want to review your intake of flesh food, grain, and fats ~~ any one of which, in excess, can truly upset the type A tummy. Small meals taken four to five times throughout the day may also suit you better than larger, more infrequent meals.



There can be a bit of an adjustment period when starting a new diet. The hard-working bacteria in our digestive tracts will be a little put-about by the new arrivals, and will need time to establish a new status-quo. If you are new to this plan, eating simply and paying attention to your signals of hunger or fullness will speed your progress and your digestive comfort. Rest, exercise, and enjoy the changes!

I am sure that blood-type eating assists digestion. I find it hard to believe that it renders other digestive planning of no use. Let us consider a meal of mashed potatoes and meat. If some digestion of protein is to take place in the acid stomach certainly the presence of potato will not help the achievement of the proper acidity. OK---the body will muddle through and get the job done to some extent but if we are trying to optimize digestion why introduce this complication???----even if it is done every day all over the world.

Hi, Ralph! nice to hear from you! If my failing memory serves, you're type B, right?

The nice thing about Peter's blood type books is their emphasis on accessibility to the average person facing this science for the first time. You're right: the meat-and-potatoes (or -rice, or -bread, or -pasta) meal is on every non-vegetarian restaurant's menu worldwide, as well as being the convention for most home cooks.

Not only is this the customary meal plan in well-fed households, it is also a stomach-filling strategy for the poor. Small amounts of expensive meats, fowl or fish can make a satisfying meal if stretched with starch.

You're also perceptive in noting that protein digestion (supported by a more acid digestive environment) is not necessarily aided by the presence of foods which are better assimilated in a slightly more alkaline mix. This seems to vary widely by individual, with some reporting greatly improved digestion through separating starches from flesh foods, some who find that vegetable starch (even from potatoes) -- as opposed to grain starch -- is fine with meats, and others noticing little difference.

Anyone consulting a naturopath versed in ABO lore will come away with a far more specific set of recommendations than a popular health book could provide, naturally. For instance, an Indican test will disclose how efficiently your particular digestive system is doing its job. That's not a test we can perform at home. However, Peter's books clearly mark out the head of the trail, if you will, for the average reader. The journey itself can involve many byways, the choice of which is up to the goals and abilities of each person on the journey.

By following that path, other needed adjustments naturally make themselves known to us. It's been the experience of hundreds I've heard from... including myself.

However, in fairness, I think this calls for a column on classic food-combining this coming week. I hope to enlist the aid of some old friends! Stay tuned!!

Ladies, thank you for voicing the concerns of a great many people! Here's the situation:

Eat Right 4 Your Type and Cook Right 4 Your Type are now most valuable for the explanatory texts and recipes, rather than the food lists. Those lists have been updated too swiftly over the past seven years to keep reissuing updated books -- one of the inescapable facts of life in publishing.

(1) If you know your secretor status, then use Live Right 4 Your Type with an eye on the update page, OR the online database. These are the correct values by secretor status.

(2) If you don't know your secretor status, and don't plan to do so, then use the individual blood-type lists. The "little books" are based upon the current knowledge, designed along secretor lines (who comprise nearly 80% of the population) -- and adjusted somewhat to eliminate the worst avoids for nonsecretors, to be on the safe side. That is why their values do not identically correspond to any of the other books. They are a general-purpose guide, developed because of popular demand, and highly effective in that capacity.

Let me offer some solace: the first five years after the publication of Eat Right saw voluminous new discoveries about ABO-mediated food interactions. The food lists were in a constant and unexpected state of upheaval. Items were being added, consolidated and modified at a stupefying rate. At this latter day, things have settled down considerably! We maintain food value updates on this site in the update page and TYPEbase3®, and will continue to do so. The current rate of change, however, has slowed to sublight speed.

This science is reaching its maturity, and the confidence level in every food value has risen significantly. Future changes will be very few -- more along the lines of specific values for previously unlisted foods. I hope understanding the road we've travelled has helped to restore your confidence, as well!

The green and yellow peppers in the list are bell peppers, as is the "Red" of "Red/Cayenne." They are different items grouped together, not different names for one food. Bell peppers of all kinds are avoids for type A secretors.

2) Do you sell all the products you recommend on the protocals? Can more than one protocal be done at once? Why are they only 4/6/8 weeks long? Are we to repeat them later?

There are multiple herbs/phytosupplements for each protocol, which has its own time span designed to maximize its effectiveness. Some of the protocols have a repeat option with time in between, to let the herbs work to greatest benefit. It's recommended to use only two or three at one time, at most. Better to do them one at a time. North American Pharmacal does not carry all of the herbs and supplements, but virtually all of them can be found with a websearch and/or a trip to your local supp shop.

3) I suffered from depression for 14 years due to a very high stress level over a long period of time. I have made much improvement over the years, and am now finally off the medication. Though I do not feel depressed, I seem to still struggle a great deal with fatigue. I read about the cortisol levels, and wondered what can be done to lower high levels of cortisol if indeed this is what I am battling with.

Yoga, specifically Hatha Yoga, is a potent cortisol reducer. A product called Cortiguard, which you can purchase at our online store, is highly effective as well. The lifestyle recommendations in Live Right 4 Your Type go into the stress reduction part of the blood type plans in detail. There are many dietary aspects in depression and fatigue, and reconsidering the grains in your diet as well as adding essential fatty acids through using flax oil may be the keys to your healing.

4) I know every person is different, but how long should a person give this change in diet toward blood type before deciding if it is an answer for them? My diet has been very clean (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, no dairy or meat) for about 5 years now. I exercise regularly as well.

This is truly a very individual matter. It depends upon where you are in comparison to where you want to be. I would expect to see improvements by following the Live Right plan for your secretor status for a month. If your regular fare has included whole wheat for a number of years, it can take a number of months before the lectin damage can be swept away. However, you should experience more energy in a week or two, as your system accustoms itself to your new diet.

thank you for the note! :-)

also lists partridge, pheasant and quail as avoids ~~ for secretor Type As only. However, others such as squab, grouse, guinea hen and turkey (including wild turkey) are neutral for secretors.

Some fowl are to be avoided due to a high fat content, others because of lectin activity -- more properly, "galectin," or animal- rather than plant-sourced lectins. Chicken, for instance, contains a lectin which reacts only with blood groups having a B antigen: types B and AB.

It is well worth getting your secretor status, either with a saliva test or through Lewis testing, for the Meat and Poultry food group alone: 10 items with an avoid rating for secretors are neutral for nonsecretors, and one entry moves from neutral to beneficial. In any case, the food lists in Live Right are expanded from those in Eat Right. Certainly widens the field for the feathered game fanciers!

First, the bad news: I know of no commercial frozen yogurt that does not contain corn sweeteners and/or lectin-accelerating gums and/or milk from cattle raised with growth hormones and antibiotics. Most of the frozen desserts on the market have one baddie or another. Perhaps some of you type ABs and Bs out there will write in with brand suggestions, including the ingredient list? I’ll post them here if they meet your exacting standards!

Now, the better news: perhaps I could interest you in a great web page with simple recipes for fabulous summer desserts? With nothing more than a freezer and an electric mixer, you can make your own organic goodies, including frozen yogurt, sorbet, mousses, sherbet, Italian ices, even a full-blown ice cream sundae. Doesn’t take long, tastes wonderful, and you’ll know exactly what’s in it.

Here are a couple of tips:

· Substitute pineapple juice with a touch of lemon where orange juice is called for.

· Ripe plantains are nearly identical in taste and texture to bananas, and they’re Neutrals for you.

· Use some vegetable glycerine in place of sugar or honey (which is fine for AB secretors, but not for nons). It has a beneficial effect on blood sugar, and helps create the creaminess accomplished by gums in commercial frozen yogurt and ice cream. You can find it in health food stores, usually in the cosmetics section.

· Yogurt can be added to most of these recipes... and using the yard-long fruit list from Live Right 4 Your Type, you can dream up all kinds of things. You might freeze the yogurt first, and make a fresh, cold sauce of your favorite fruit to top it with.

· You can even go wild and use a dollop of cream cheese (you people have me licking my chops here) in place of the heavy cream in some recipes. Ain't it nice to be AB?

There are recipes for frozen confections made from rice, almond or soy milk scattered here and there in the Message Board Archives and in RECIbase® ~ use the search term “ice,” you’ll find ‘em! Some require little more than a blender and an appetite. Enjoy!

I'm looking for clarification on grain and starch portions. I am type O+ secretor (caucasian). The portions in Live Right say 1-6 per week, each portion being 1/2 cup dry. This may seem straightforward to some, but does that mean I could have up to 9 cups of COOKED rice per week if that's all I had for grains. As well, would 6 portions of oatmeal be 6 cups cooked for the week? I've been avoiding eating these because I wasn't sure of the amount and as well, I was wanting to lose weight and thought that eating rice or oatmeal might deter from that. Would you please enlighten me. Thanks.



Your calculations are correct, if the kind of rice or oatmeal you use cooks up to that amount. Back when I ate oatmeal (*sigh*! Nonsecretor here!) I used Scottish rolled oats that came out around 1 cup cooked to 2/3 cup dry ~ less than the popular commercial brands. Bear in mind that ½ cup of dry white rice, for example, will often produce a larger volume of cooked food than the same volume of dry brown rice. This only means it has absorbed more water, but it can seem like a big difference in portion size when you’re eating it! However, it is the volume of dry food that counts as … the food, for our purposes.

The LR4YT recommendations are based on dry measures as a cook’s convention. It’s certainly less messy and more precise than gauging a quantity of clumpy, moist cooked grain.

As to weight loss, the grain effect varies among type O secretors. Some find that simply eliminating the avoid foods leads to rather swift weight normalization. Others have reported good results only after further limiting their grain and sugar intake. They might halve or quarter the recommended allowances of those foods, or eliminate them altogether. This is your mission: to find out how much grain your body handles well. Remember my broken record: exercise is fully 50% of this plan, so efforts in that direction may enable you to have your weight loss and eat grain, too. ;-)

Frankly, while you’re shedding the fat I’d be happier if you maxxed your meat portions rather than your grain portions. Technically, you are welcome to eat the maximum grain allowance per week, with the caveat that if you are exercising according to the protocols but your weight loss does not proceed at around two pounds per week, you think of lightening up on the grains and increasing vegetables, fruit, and possibly your meat servings, instead. And don’t forget those beneficial fats. Type Os most often eat an abundance of fats and get lean and happy thereby. Grains offer little nutrition that the rest of your diet will not provide, so no worries if you’re presently comfortable without them. When the time comes when your scale is a welcome sight in the morning, you can add them in again if you wish.

Summertime can signal your brain to seek out higher carbohydrate foods, as these were only available during the warm growing seasons when our race was young – and were prized for their neurochemical-stimulating blast of carbs. Sweet fruits, berries, and honey for example – as well as primitive grain. I note this only as an addendum, but summer to fall are biochemically ideal for getting more exercise and eating more high-carb foods. So, be gentle when considering how best to balance grain intake against your weight-loss goals while the days are long. In late fall, crack down to your heart’s delight!

Some comfort: as you go along, keep in mind that while you are losing fat, you can be maintaining or gaining body weight for a while. This is a good thing. Muscle tissue weighs more than fat by volume, and it’s muscle which will change your metabolism for the better, for good. Use a measuring tape instead of that soon-to-be-friendly scale for a couple of months. Your clothes may be falling off you while the scale has budged little. Surprise! Guess which one is the better indicator of fat loss? :-D

With the improvement in health that the blood type diets produce, needed weight loss occurs as a welcome side-effect. Enjoy the process of getting stronger, leaner, and happier. For most of us, it's inevitable!

Thank you for the compliment! And congratulations on having married a guy with your blood type. :-D You'd think that with all the Os around, it would be some sort of default setting that most women would link up with type O men. I've never even gone out with an O, as far as I can figure. Reminds me of my mother saying, "It's as easy to marry a rich man as a poor man." She had to be joking. In any case, pretty funny coming from the woman who married Dad. *L!* Moving on...



The issue with black pepper isn't with the pepper itself. It's specifically with the stuff most people think of (rightly) as black pepper -- that has been ground and poured into a tin or bottle, then stored for months in a warehouse before you ever see it on the shelves. When the protective outer covering of the peppercorn is broken, several species of molds cry out "Hoorah!" and proceed to set up housekeeping on the soft inner pepperparts. Os with a history of allergies, especially to mold, can further stimulate their overactive immune systems with this superannuated storebought ground pepper. Pepper packs given out with fast food, and peppershakers at restaurants, can contain pepper you'd have to carbon date to determine the harvest. That's the reason "black pepper" is listed as avoid in Eat Right 4 Your Type.



However, you can make your husband an even happier man by using a peppergrinder and buying black peppercorns instead of the pre-ground stuff. Freshly ground pepper is neutral for Os, as listed in Live Right 4 Your Type and TYPEbase3®. It will not affect your weight loss program, and he's right: it does taste better when added during the cooking process. Enjoy!

The “Essene” or “Manna” bread referred to in Live Right 4 Your Type is any of the varieties which are baked at a low temperature, contain no leavening, and are made from grain which is 100% sprouted. Examples include the 100% rye Manna bread, as well as the other kinds which may contain sprouted wheat, carrots, raisins, spices, etc. In the classic grains such as wheat, spelt, rye and oats, sprouting does destroy the lectin.

Ezekiel 4:9 bread is a fine product, too, but the various recipes include sprouted lentils or soybeans (which may still contain bean lectins), barley malt (an avoid for O nons, listed as “sprouted barley” on some packages), and sometimes sprouted corn. We’re not sure that sprouted corn is lectin-free. It's likely that Ezekiel breads contain pretty low levels of any deleterious lectins, but we list this product as neutral and ask that everyone read the labels of their particular brand, for safety's sake.

As a side note, the Ezekiel hamburger rolls & hotdog buns currently on the market in my area contain unsprouted wheat flour, so beware. So much for the cookout! :-}

I eat out often. This means I have to ask lots of questions and make compromises. The one thing that is not clear to me when I choose one "avoid" over another is whether potency is a factor. I know that it must be, because a minute quantity of castor bean lectin can kill you.

So, when I have to choose between a hamburger with a sesame seed bun (both "avoids" for or a steak with black pepper (an avoid), how do I know which is worse, the pepper or the sesame seeds and bun? Spices, I know, are often potent for their volume. Is a half-teaspoon of cinnamon worse than one of peanut butter, and how do they compare to eating a whole tomato, a chicken leg or bowl of chili (pinto beans)? Thanks.

PS: Corn: corn syrup, dextrose, popcorn, cornmeal, corn-on-the-cob, are any of these more or less potent?

Depending on how you prefer to make decisions, there are two approaches available:

(1) Live Right 4 Your Type lists the worst avoids in the "Dietary Strategies" paragraphs of each blood-type chapter, under "Avoid Foods that are Type X Red Flags." You mentioned five of the seven for Bs, by the way. Avoids not listed there can be considered less harmful than the handful of "red flag" foods.

or

(2) Turn it around. Most foods are good for you. For the purpose of this discussion, I'll assume you're a secretor. Any restaurant offering steak with pepper will make you a plain steak instead. Same goes for the hamburger on the sesame bun. Truthfully, you never have to make a compromise, or choose between avoids.

Make it easier on yourself. Rather than focusing on which avoid is better than another, act on the principle that avoids aren't food. Hey! Why eat stuff you'll have to pay for twice?? They do tend to manage to sneak in from time to time anyway, with no decision-making necessary on our part. ;-} Look at the effort & energy you're spending on following this food plan! Let it do its work for you. Don't let avoids work your last nerve. They're not the centerpiece of this diet, and they don't deserve the energy.

Some people do this by packing a double "eat-out" list, showing beneficials and avoids. They focus on choosing the beneficials, asking for simple preparations (grilling, steaming, baking) when they eat out. If a food is not on either list, call it neutral and use it for fill-ins. After a while, you'll know your list by heart -- especially if you get into the habit of trying the less common foods among the beneficials and neutrals that restaurants offer more of these days.

For every blood type, there's far more to eat than not to eat. When eating out, the list of "instead of's" is endless, so I'll mention just a few of the basic ones: oil & vinegar instead of commercial salad dressing (you lucky Bs can ask for some freshly-grated parmesan); lamb or rabbit or venison - even goat! - instead of pork; kidney or lima or navy or fava beans instead of pintos; almonds in place of peanuts; juice, not sodas (chock full of chemical sweeteners, the dreaded corn syrup among them). (While you're at it, dig into a baked potato with butter and sour cream, and think of me. :-}) This surely beats haggling with ourselves over stuff that's not good for us in the first place. Better for the mind, better for the body. And a lot more fun, whether you're dining out for business or pleasure.

In sum, the blood type diets are about food that is good for you, not a test of how you withstand deprivation or a way to complicate a central function in life. The most productive decision-making process for BTD'ers is in the realm of establishing what's easily available where you eat, and figuring out how to expand that horizon according to your situation. If approached this way, these diets can free you to spend your energies in productive and enjoyable ways, in good health.

According to Dr. D'Adamo's LECster® database, it is a lectin issue: index Malus officinalis (LECp.Mal.Off.xx.Xxxx) lectin. That's the short answer. The long answer appears somewhat more complicated. On the one hand, they are rather high in sugar content: some varieties being MUCH higher than others (Granny Smith, for instance, is hard and tart ~ what we used to call a "pie apple"). They also have a reputation for alkalinizing the stomach environment (according to Grieve, A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 (written in the 30s)(ISBN 0-14-046-440-9) and others) -- not the thing for O nonsecretors. They do not provide significant amounts of Vitamin A or C in comparison to other fruits, nor can they wow us with their proanthrocyanadins as do blueberries, black cherries, elderberries and dark plums. And that lectin is resistant even to autoclaving (extremely high heat and pressure)... it just keeps on keeping on. Apples do have one thing going for them: pectin, which is rumored to be effective against some cancers, and protective against radiation ailments.

To my knowledge, the apples we buy at the grocery or farm are known as Malus sylvestris, or Malus domesticus. The many common varieties such as Red Delicious, Fuji, Macintosh, Pippin and so forth, are known as "cultivars."

Apples offer little aside from their beauty, their wondrous flavor, their pre-eminence as pie fruit, cider source, and fancy lemonade ingredient, as well as ample pectin (aside from its potential health benefits, Mom used it for jam-making, and laboratories employ it as a culture medium). I still tend to think of the O nonsecretor apple rating as a topic for further research! but even if that's just wishful thinking on my part, feel free to send your apple findings my way. I haven't given up hope yet!

question: Hey! In two different books (Eat Right 4 Your Type), we noticed oatmeal was under "avoid" for Type O, and under "neutral" for Type O in the other book!! Is oatmeal "neutral" or "avoid" for Type O? Also, is sourdough bread okay for Type Os? Thank you so much for writing me back!!! I appreciate it!



answer: Hi! Oatmeal is a fairly innocuous grain, and is positively helpful for most blood types. For type Os, secretor status comes into play. O secretors can eat oats, but should in all respects abide by the portion/frequency tables for grains found in Live Right 4 Your Type. O nonsecretors should avoid oats in any form.



Both sourdough cultures and baker's yeast are OK for all types. However, the other ingredients come into play when deciding if the final product is good for you. Breads made from amaranth, kamut, millet, quinoa, rice, rye, teff or 100% sprouted flour of any kind are fine for all type Os. Secretors have a slightly wider choice. If you are facing health challenges, it is wise to find out your secretor status by Lewis type testing (blood) or saliva testing (kits available through North American Pharmacal).



The place to go to find out a food's updated value is TYPEbase3®, linked here and from the home page, www.dadamo.com. This is where we maintain the authoritative food values list, so if you're wondering whether food XYZ is OK for your type, check TYPEbase3®. Remember to hit the "search" button on that page... hitting your keyboard's "enter" key will not bring up the answer to your query.



more on the nonsecretor equation tomorrow...

Yes, it's tough to find commercial milks and condiments which aren't laden with one no-no or another ~~ if you don't make your own. Nonsecretor Os have the worst time of it in the middle supermarket aisles, but everyone faces this challenge. Following the blood type diets means we end up purchasing more whole foods for preparation at home than we used to... or at least choose very simple dishes and eschew most sauces when eating out or buying prepared food.

Some brands of soy milk, for example, have been reported as having organic ingredients in a soybeans-and-water only formula. However, a recommended national brand can actually vary in ingredients from place to place, and the formula can be changed from time to time without notice. Several people ran into this problem with one brand's Ezekiel 4:9 bread. There are avoid-free varieties among brands of soy milk (Westbrae Natural, last I checked), ketchup (Muir Glen Organic), etc., but not necessarily for nonsecretors -- so it comes down to what the product actually contains when you buy it at your local store. Read every label, even when you've bought the same product before.

This is the main reason why we have milk and condiment recipes in RECIbase and scattered through the archives. A websearch can turn up loads of adaptable recipes, as well. I make salad dressing about twice a month, with fresh organic ingredients, and it takes five minutes and far less money than an off-the-shelf product. It is not complicated to make soy, rice or almond milk in small amounts, to be consumed within a few days. Mustard and mayonnaise are simple and quick to make, and last for weeks. While it can be difficult at first, persistence pays off in the quality of your food and the enjoyment of preparing and eating it. Adapting recipes can become second nature after a while, and a great source of pleasure. You may discover a culinary talent you never suspected! And over time, your collection of tried-and-true recipes will grow, and provide the basis for more experimentation. It's all a matter of getting started. :-)

Hello, dot! The only cactus in the food lists currently is "prickly pear" which covers the entire Opuntia genus of cacti, comprising approximately one dozen different species. Both the fruit and the branches (the fat cactus-y looking "pads," sometimes sold under the name Nopalito) are edible, but all are avoids for type B secretors and nonsecretors. If you find an edible cactus which is not a member of the Opuntia genus, we would consider it "unknown," and therefore neutral for purposes of the BTD ~ but be wary of untoward reactions, OK? :-)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I am type B and would like to know about these foods from India. 1) Black gram (Urad) 2)Pompano and King fish 3) Moringa Oleifera also called as drum sticks 4)Cutlass Bean 5)Red gram 6) gourds like snake gourd, bitter gourd 7) Sorghum 8) cluster beans 9) Colocasia Kindly tell us about these foods. If you don't have the info,can you test these foods? I will appreciate your input. Thanks, Smita

Hello, Smita ~ We have no values for most of the foods you mentioned, meaning they have not been tested. They can be considered "neutral" if you are in good health and do not need to lose weight, but use them very sparingly if you are trying to resolve a heath condition.

Pompano and sorghum can be found in TYPEbase 3® ~ just type in the food name, and remember to hit the search button, not the "enter" key. :-)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the doc says in his eat right 4 your blood type, for B+, don't use club soda. it seems to work for me. any specific reason? thanx. blessings, dennis

Hi, Dennis ~ In the updated books, type B secretors are to avoid it, and it's neutral for B nonsecretors. In the TYPEbase 3® database, club soda is listed. The remarks for B secretors: "Inhibits proper gastric function or blocks assimilation." ;-)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

i am female 60 years old and type b+ blood i was under the impression that i could eat ordinary potatoes ie! white or red etc!in your book page 268 live right for your type that as a non secretor potatoes are an avoid for me please tell me it is an error as i have always eaten potatoes and to my knowledge they have not done me any harm i love them!!!! with thanks MMcC

Hi, Mary! sorry for the shock... The new books are an update & improvement over BTD from 1996, and I wish I could say it's an error, but it is the correct new listing. Good news... tomatoes moved to neutral for you... ? :-)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I am blood type B and my husband is blood type A. Ezekiel bread and Essene bread are on both of our highly beneficial foods. I just looked up the ingredients in these two breads and noticed several ingredients were in these breads that are on our avoid list. Can you please explain why we can eat these breads if there are ingredients, such as barley, kidney beans, pinto beans, lentils, buttermilk, wheat flour, which are foods that we are to avoid. We are adhereing to the diet solutions according to Dr. Peter D'Adamo in his book Eat Right 4 Your Type. JoAnn

Hello, JoAnn ~ It is paramount for all of us to read the labels of products before we buy them, as you have discovered! The Ezekiel 4:9 bread in the food lists refers to a 100% sprouted, yeasted bread with no dairy, whole bean or wheat flour. Food for Life makes a fine one. Essene bread, again, is a 100% sprouted grain bread which may include fruit or nuts, or be only sprouted grain & water. Good hunting!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thanks for all the positive info on vegetable glycerine! Now, how do we convert recipes, i.e., 1/2cup of honey equals how much glycerine? One cup of sugar equals how much glycerine? Happy Holidays to everyone! carolyn(0+)sec

Where can I find vegetable glycerin you spoke about? Can you substitute it for honey? Is it equally acceptable for all blood types? I don't know anything about it. Can you talk about it please. Maddy

if i and my wife are A blood.Does it mean that my children also are A blood.How do i get my childrens bloodgroup?Where do i go? Thank you!! Djani

Greetings, Djani ~ It is possible that your children are type A, but not certain. There is a chance that one or both are type O, if both you and your wife have a recessive O gene. Doctors can order the test for ABO group, but often charge a lot of money for it, or refuse for some reason. If your children were born in hospital, request the information there. It should be in the hospital records, or with the attending physician, and those medical records belong to YOU. :-) Also, the Red Cross in most areas will give you your ABO type if you donate blood. If these options won't work for you, write back and let me know whereabouts in the world you are. I'll go from there.

*

I am wondering if the simple blood test kit that we can purchase in our health shop, which has four circles to which one adds with a sterile pipette some blood, and then matches this up to a number of options to get the blood type could not also be used for testing saliva? Jenny

Hello, Jenny ~ No, testing saliva requires lab equipment. That test on the card is a "blood agglutination" test, and will only give your ABO type. Sorry! :-}

*

Heidi, We are really thankful for your articles.We have had a question come up on one of the discussion lists. Saurkraut is listed as an avoid for O's. Most of the canned saurkraut I've seen uses vinegar, which we know is an avoid unless it is apple cidar vinegar. If saurkraut is made with salt instead in the old German way, is it still an avoid because it is fermented or does the fact that salt is used make it a neutral? Thank you. Sarah

Hi, Sarah ~ Sauerkraut made from cabbage & salt in the traditional German fashion is fine for O secretors! *sigh!* ;-> Enjoy it! :-)

*

Hi Heidi, I'm finally getting used to life without the message board. Anyway, I am 63 years old, Type O+, been on the Diet since August, 2001, and was diagnosed with moderately high blood pressure about 10 years ago; for the last two years have been taking 10 mg of Zestril daily. About 2 months ago, I heard of a study in which blood pressure patients where put on a regimin of one serving of oatmeal daily for 12 weeks. After that time, many were able to reduce their blood pressure medication dosage; if they discontinued the oatmeal regimin, they had to go back to the original dosage. Anyway, I started the regimin, and after only 2 weeks, began getting significantly lower blood pressure readings. After the third week, I cut my Zestril dosage to 5 mg. and the low readings continued. After about another 3 weeks, I cut the dosage to 2.5 mg. and now after 3 more weeks am continuing to get normal readings. I don't know if I will be able to eliminate the medication altogether, but am delighted with the results so far. I have an appointment with my doctor next week and will discuss that possibility. Anyway,I just wanted to pass this on since it seems like a pretty harmless way to lower your blood pressure...especially if you like oatmeal. Phil

Hey, thanks for the report, Phil! I've heard of oatmeal doing nice things for certain people with high cholesterol, but the blood pressure application is something new to me. Even though O secretors are advised to limit their grain intake to one serving six times per week, this sounds like a great thera-food-ic use of grain! Please keep me posted on whether the results persist if you discontinue the daily oatmeal... at any rate, it certainly is a great improvement over meds! thanks again!! :-D

*

Please help...I am interested in the supplement list for blood types, especillay "O" Thank you once again for all your help..it is greatly appreciated. Rose

Hey there, Rose ~ The Food, Beverage and Supplement List for O is available on our site here. Just click into the books section of the Store, you'll find it! :-)

Heidi - I am new to the BTD and am amazed at how wrong I've been eating all my life! I am a type B who lived on chicken, tomatoes, whole wheat, etc... and avoided dairy products because I thought they were bad for me! I have a question about soy - In the doctor's books he recommends the membrane fluidizer cocktail with lecithin. However, all I can find is soy lecithin in the local health food store. Is there any other type? Is it OK to use the soy lecithin if I can't find any other? And is the "hidden" soy in foods something to be avoided at all costs? Soooo many things seem to be made with soy (not to mention wheat!) like mayonnaise, salad dressings, etc. I was elated to be able to eat frozen yogurt but then found soy in that! Please help with an answer! Thank you so much. Carol

Soy lecithin is absolutely fine ~ however, there is a delicate dance between secretor and nonsecretor Bs and the soy foods allowed for each. Do check the TYPEbase 3 database for the latest updates, and compare those values with the ingredient lists of the foods you're interested in. And welcome to our world! :-)

hi, I'm excited about the possibilities of eating for a type O after reading Eat Right 4 Your Type and the booklet Blood Type O, Food Beverage and Supplement Lists. I found discrepancies among several of the food items that changed them from neutral to avoid, or vice versa. I'm now wondering if there is a more recent publication with different information, or how to find out about the most correct information available for type O. My concerns for myself are to increase my energy. I just turned 50 and lead an active life but find myself over the years quite fatigued for no apparent reason and getting worse even though I am of normal weight and get plenty of regular exercise. So I am going to cut out wheat to see how this affects me (I already use soy products), and I will avoid oranges, potatoes and peanuts. Basically everything else I eat is in your neutral category but need clarification on strawberries, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, eggplant, greek olives, barley, cabbage, and kiwi. Thanks for your help, Cindy

Hi, Cindy ~ Go to TYPEbase 3 and enter "sunflower, strawberry, cucumber, eggplant, olive, barley, cabbage, and kiwi" ~ one at a time. You'll find all your answers there. :-) I am certain this plan will accomplish your goals! Keep us posted!

I am type A. I was wondering why peanuts and peanut butter are highly beneficial, but peanut oil is not. Thank you for clarifying this for me. Lynn

Hello, Lynn ~ Here is a column I wrote on peanut oil, and your question is answered in the next-to-last paragraph. Enjoy! :-)

WHAT ARE TYPE O SUPPOSED TO DRINK OTHER THAN WATER?CAN THEY HAVE KOOL-AID? FOR TYPE A- I`M HAVING TROUBLE FINDING 100% RYE BREAD. THEIR ALL MADE WITH WHEAT FLOUR.PLEASE HELP.AND THE GLUTEN-FREE BREAD IS MADE WITH GARBANZO BEANS AN AVOID FOR TYPE A. I`M HAVING TROUBLE FINDING ALFALFA SPROUTS AT TIMES. AND ALL OTHERS ARE CLOVER OR MIXD WITH CLOVER. YOU MENTION RED CLOVER AS AN AVOID FOR TYPE A BUT I WAS WONDERING IF CLOVER IS RED CLOVER? ALSO MY HUSBAND IS AN O TYPE AND LOVES PINTO BEANS (HE`S HISPANIC) IN ONE BOOK IT WAS LISTED AS A BENEFICAL AND ANOTHER AS AVOID. PLEASE EXPLAIN? CONNIE

Let's see: Type Os can drink juice made from beneficial or neutral fruits; juice made from beneficial or neutral vegetables; green tea; red wine; homemade almond or rice milk and any commercial almond, rice or soy milk which contains no avoids (nonsecretors should avoid soy in all forms); broth made from OK ingredients; the list goes on, but I doubt the ingredient list of Kool-Aid will pass muster. Full of corn syrup, isn't it? I'm not sure where you live, but do a web-search for "100% Rye Bread." Many are available online, or you could make a list of the companies you come up with and take it to your local organic grocer or health food store. Clover is clover of all kinds, for our purposes ~ unless the product specifically says "white clover." Pinto beans are one of the few items changed on your husband's food list: it is indeed an avoid. Thanks for writing!! :-)

FOUND CONTRADICTIONS between the various books' food lists?

Here’s the scoop:

* IF YOU DO NOT KNOW YOUR SECRETOR STATUS: The Food, Beverage & Supplement Lists should be used. *

* IF YOU KNOW YOUR SECRETOR STATUS: The food lists in Live Right 4 Your Type and the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia should be used. ALSO check the official change log at http://www.dadamo.com/lr4yter.html for the most recent updates -- at a later date, an update area for other books will be created. *

The TYPEbase 3 database at http://www.dadamo.com/typebase/typebase.cgi contains ALL latest updated food values by secretor status. :-)

On a blood type A diet would tofu dogs and tofu lunchmeats as you would find at the health food stores be beneficial?? donna



Only if all the ingredients are OK for you! :-)

Since several liquid vitamin preps contain aloe vera juice as a base, must I avoid these as a Type B? Anita



Yes ~ any ingestible form of aloe is a no-no, although most people use aloe in topical preparations such as skin and hair-care products with no problem.

Iam blood type B and hypothyroid .I would like to know if USP Armour (porvine ) thyroid pills contradicts with my blood type B? As we already know that pork shouldnt be consumed by any blood type. Tina



Hi, Tina ~ I answered a similar question in a column on 3 October ~ Armour presents no lectin problem for any type. :-)

I would like to order the secretor test but I see it is not available in Canada. I live in midwestern Ontario. is there anyone or another way to get this done? thanks jayne



Hello, Jayne ~ Here is a column that will help! Thanks for your note!!

In Germany, as alternative for wheat allergies the "German wheat" (Dinkel)("epeautre" en Francais) is widely offered in almost all bakeries. It is a primitive form of wheat. I'd like to know if it is acceptable as a wheat ersatz for my blood type O. Thanks. Regards. Claude



Greetings, Claude ~ "Dinkel" and "épeautre" both refer to what we English speakers call "spelt," a healthy alternative to wheat for most people. For Os, it is neutral for secretors and an avoid for nonsecretors ~ if you're unsure of your secretor status but are in good health -- and you don't overdo it by eating spelt every day -- it is fine for you. :-)

If a person is type O can they have vegetable oil? I have read the book and cannot find any information on this. Thank you Theresa



Hi Heidi This is the second time I have requested information and would like to say how helpful the last reply was. I am type O and need to know if I can use the following products: vegetable oil rapeseed oil ( unsure if you have another name for this in the USA. sunflower oil. I would also like to know if Pak Choi is the same as Bok Choy as I am unsure if Pak Choi are Chinese greens which I am not allowed. Many thanks for your help in this. Sue



Hello, ladies! Can't help you with "vegetable oil" because I can't see what the label on your product says. I strongly suspect you will see "corn" in the ingredient list, but just check each ingredient against your food list. Pak Choi, Bak Choi, Bok Choi ~ all are the same item. The Chinese language, which uses ideograms in writing, does not transliterate directly into English letters. The different spellings you may see are the result of each greengrocer writing the name of an item in English letters based upon how it sounds. :-)

Your melange of questions from Scotland: There is a good UK based site which exists to provide translations of foods from BTD lists into British terminology - eg, chickpeas = garbanzos etc., and to list UK stockists for products, and recipes in UK style measurements. It has a link to your site. It also has a message board. It is provided by Tom Greenfield whom youmay remember from yur old message board. The address is: http://groups.msn.com/er4ytUK/_homepage.msnw?pgmarket=en-gb ~ Sarah



Ah, Sarah! Thank you so much for that reminder!! :-D

FOUND CONTRADICTIONS between the various books' food lists?



Here's the scoop:



* IF YOU DO NOT KNOW YOUR SECRETOR STATUS: The Food, Beverage & Supplement Lists should be used. *



* IF YOU KNOW YOUR SECRETOR STATUS: The food lists in Live Right 4 Your Type and the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia should be used. ALSO check the official change log at http://www.dadamo.com/lr4yter.html for the most recent updates -- at a later date, an update area for other books will be created. *



The TYPEbase 3 database at http://www.dadamo.com/typebase/typebase.cgi contains ALL latest updated food values by secretor status. :-)

Thanks, everyone!!!

Dear Heidi: I look forward to reading your column whenever I can. It's always so informative. I just wanted to report that I stopped taking the insulin injections, because I had gained ~20 pounds on it. I've since lost 2 pounds a day, (for the last 3 days,) but I'm also following Eat Right more closely. I'm mostly eating only H.B. foods, and just meats/fish, veggies, and a little nuts. I've also started running again. Yesterday when I woke up, I felt GREAT! I hadn't felt that good in a long time, on or off the insulin. I wish I could program my brain to remember how good I feel after running or aerobics. I'm also taking the recommended supplements ~ once a day. My husband was handed "severance" papers a couple of weeks ago, so I've been trying to be a bit more frugal with the money. Can you tell me what you think is most important for controlling high blood sugar in O secretors? I have the Encyclopedia, and before I bought it, I bought some liquid herbs like dandelion, fenugreek, licorice, and bladderwrack, on clearance at a drugstore that was going out of business. They have glycerine in them, though. Is that ok for O secretors w/high blood sugar? Thank you for your time and help; I look forward to hearing from you. Judy

Great news, Judy! Yes, glycerine is fine for everyone, and is the only sweetener I know of that is actually 'good' for blood sugar levels ~ it boosts sugar metabolism. Sounds like you're having some long-looked-for success, and I'm so happy for you!!

From the looks of your other topics, this can go under: Potpourri AB -Artichokes. In the introductions to fruits and vegetables, Dr. D'Adamo says that artichokes are key in fighting disease for ABs, but in the list they are categorized as Avoid. Which is correct? I am curious because although I have been following this diet for over 3 years, (I overcame chronic fatigue as a senior in high school, lost 15 pounds and don't have gas , and I don't need to eat artichokes, they do come up and I would like to know if it would be best for me to delight in them or deny myself. Thank you for your time. Natalia

Greetings, Natalia! Artichokes are an avoid for ABs ~ the text portion was an inadvertent copy of the type A text. Take a look at the Updates Page, also linked at the bottom of the "Library" section on our main page. And what a wonderful report on your successes! Congratulations, and bless you for having begun this plan at an early age. And thank you for posting your great results!! :-)

In response to Q No. 5 (Body response to Food) 26/9/2002 More Potpouri~. My friend and I use our Chinese method. We observe colour, thinckness and softness of the tongue. I myself also aware on body secretion (smell, amount, and colour, this is my secret, I have not told anyone else; e.g. white sugar and flour makes the underarm and sweating beneath the breast smell sour like vinegar, also tendons are tight). I can also feel my heartbeat. It does show clearly in 5-10 minutes. Sometimes Body temperature is cooler after taken wrong food e.g. vegetable gum/milk. I dont really know the reason but guess that it is related to circulation. Thank you for taking time to read my silly notes. (I always correct my uncomfortable by these tiny observation. I believe everyone can feel their body's fluctaation. Stillness is a bliss and in the long run you can observation deeper and deeper) Didn't visit doctor over the past 20 years except once, to a Chinese doctor for finding out whether he is the "right DR" for my mum who is an AB and good at judging people. She won't take medicine if she doesn't like him) Lily A+

:-) Thanks, Lily! Astute points... and a smart mom! :-D

A lady at the gym where I worked out mentioned your book, so out of curiosity I checked it out of the library. I'm type O and I suffer from fibromyalgia. Since being diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1999, I went from 140 lbs. to 205 lbs. In addition to the pain that I was dealing with my self esteem was very low. It seemed I had tried everything to loose the weight that I had packed on. When I read your book the first thing that jumped out at me was about the wheat. When you mentioned that if a type O will go off of wheat then they will lose weight even if they have failed in other attempts. I said what the heck. Since I'm also African American I also went off of dairy. This was in July, and the weight has just melted off. I haven't been to the gym because of my new promotion my schedule has been off. Even though I haven't been working out, the weight has been falling off. At the beginning of the summer I was wearing a size 16 - 18. I'm now wearing 10's and 12's. I'm wearing jeans again for the first time in 4 years. Others that have seen me have asked what have I done and I tell them about your book. I went to the health food store and found a thyroid supplement that has both kelp and bladder wrack. I'm on an Ultra B-Complex and calcium. I'm going back to the gym this week and I am eager to see how much I continue to lose. Thank you so much for your book. Elizabeth

Marvelous!! Thanks to men and women like you who walk the walk and spread the word, more people every day are saying, "what the heck," and being mighty glad they did. It's great to hear how much you're enjoying life now! Isn't that what it's all about? :-)

Hi Heidi, Me and my two girls have been on the blood type diet for almost 5 years now. Both my girls are AB and i'm an O, and all three of us suffer from a rare illness called Behcets Disease. Being on this diet has lessend our symptoms for sure. I've tested it also, we all went off the diet for a month and we were all very sick and the doctors could not understand why. I explained what I was doing,so they would see the connection. Still didn't work, though. I thank Dr. Adamo and all that help and support his beliefs. Without his knowledge, my family may not be here. Catherine

Catherine, you have made my day. It is so joyful for me to see how these plans can change people's lives for the better. Peter can write a thousand books, you know, yet it is up to the reader to decide whether to make use of what they learn. You decided to do so, for yourself and your girls. You deserve all the credit in the world for committing to healing yourselves, no matter how many "authoritative individuals" couldn't figure it out. Guess you're smarter than they are. Many thanks for sharing your story with me! And please stay in touch!!

that goes for the rest of you, as well! ~:-D