On The Diet with Heidi Merritt

I am Type O and have found eliminating wheat and dairy to be the most important improvement in my diet so far. I am concerned, however, about my "fear" of otherwise healthy fruits and vegetables not recomended for my blood type. One example is oranges. I have always enjoyed them and have never experienced any problems, but now am afraid to consume them with any regularity. Why are they not good for me? My confusion is heightened by the knowledge that I know of people who have cured themselves of cancer and other diseases by drinking large quantities of fresh squeezed orange juice as part of a juice fasting program. Can you explain? Thank you. Nancy

What did Nero Wolfe say... "I can avoid folly without backing into fear"? Rather than being afraid to consume them, just consider them food for others -- just as my neighbor might get a headache from a big beef stew, while I can eat it and prosper. They contain polyamines which contribute to bowel toxicity and pathological growth. Oranges are not good for you ~ it's just a fact of nature, like morning and night. But fear and longing go together, do they not? While you feel torn between different strategies, it is difficult to follow any path in confidence.

People have reported miraculous cures for centuries. Sometimes it was the result of prayer. Others have used a variety of protocols that wouldn’t sit well with the type O metabolism – water fasts, one-food diets and "juice cures" among them. It is quite possible that the orange’s polyamine effects were overwhelmed by the vast amounts of other substances in the bushels of vegetables and fruits they consumed in this manner. In some cases, the beginning of a juice cure represented the first time the individual had eaten a fresh plant in years. You can see how her health might then zoom to a (comparatively) high point.

At any rate, the reasons for various foods' status in the blood type diets have been explained at length in Ask Dr. D'Adamo (try the search at the bottom of the page) and largely reside in TYPEbase3. I'm sure you know a few of the reasons already, from reading the books. These plans provide a great variety of healthy foods, and give guidelines to be used daily in order to improve the health of those who use them -- they are not the "grapefruit diet"-type of extreme measures taken at death's door, nor are they structured on a deprivation model. There's plenty to eat for everyone! I hope that reading through this website will let you build up your confidence in this way of living, and soothe your anxieties about foods you miss.

What type of water should one be drinking? Spring water, tap water (usually not good) or distilled water (some say yes, and some say no because it depletes the minerals in your body), so what do you suggest? Julie

The topic is so fraught with learned treatises and combatants of every stripe that I have thrown them all out in favor of the simplest historical approach. What kind of water did we drink when the world was young and Evian didn't come in bottles?

We got fresh water from rivers, streams, springs, simple wells, and glaciers. Juicy plant life was another source of pure water -- doubly important for desert dwellers.

High-mineral-content water, or "Heilwasser," comes from many parts of the world. Depending on its individual profile, it can provide significant assimilable amounts of calcium, potassium, phosphorus and salt as well as trace elements. In the U.S., it is illegal to advertise mineral water as having health benefits... probably the work of pharmaceutical company lobbyists. :-) In Europe, mineral water has a venerable reputation for possessing healing properties.

Yes, you'll hear proponents of every approach, from "drink distilled water only" to "drink mineral water only." The "drink distilled" fans include those who take inert mineral supplements (not a good idea) and even put mineral drops into their distilled water. Hmmm... I conjecture that in a paleolithic life, mineral waters would be treasured for their salty taste and invigorating effect, in all their variety... to the extent of carrying them away in skins, and even inspiring settlements near their sources. Most of the water consumed in a lifetime by anyone travelling outside these areas, however, would be from the aforementioned streams, juicy foods, and springs or glacier-runoff.

For these reasons (back to the present with its cost considerations), I use filtered tap water for steaming food, and spring or mineral water for drinking, soups and the like. Distilled water is not a naturally-occuring substance, so I use it only for specific purposes, and not for drinking water. Primarily, I drink Poland Spring (I like the taste), occasionally San Pellegrino or Apollinaris. Sometimes I have a liter of Gerolsteiner a day... sometimes I go for weeks without it. If I think of it with a gleam in my eye, I drink some. If I'm tired of it, I go back to Poland Spring.

Many centuries before science told people what is good for them, they already knew. I think your most fruitful approach to deciding upon what kind of water to drink is to get as natural a source as possible; use highly-rated mineral waters when you can; and stay away from distilled water and other comestibles not found in nature. :-)

I have been looking for essene bread everywhere. Is their a brand name or a way I can track it down. I've gone to all the healthfood stores around here. I love the diet and feel great! I'd love to try the essene bread. Debbie ~

Sure! Nature's Path makes it, and they have a working website. Use this link, scroll down to "Manna breads" -- that's what they call them -- and click the various kinds to see their ingredient lists. You could also ask your HFS manager to get on the blower and order it for you. It comes frozen, and keeps well in the freezer or fridge. I used to move half the loaf into a baggie in the fridge, and leave the rest in the freeze until I finished the first half.

There are a number of varieties. My favorite is the 100% sprouted rye (still a little sweet, but less so than some of the others). Some have nuts, carrots, raisins, seeds, etc. Some are just sprouted grain, water & salt. Sprouting, or "malting," the grain makes it naturally sweet, and produces a dense, moist, chewy bread. Good hunting to you, and I hope you enjoy it!

Hi Heidi! This is a great way to have you and all of your knowledge available without the message board. Great idea!! On to my question. I have a friend who is being guided by her naturopath to adhere to the B diet. She is finding it very difficult because she is also a vegetarian and is adamant about not eating meat. The restrictions in the B diet correspond to many of her old staples. Any suggestions? Especially for main dishes with enough protein to sustain her. Thanks a million!! Sharon

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You're very kind, Sharon. :-)

I am not surprised she is having difficulty getting enough protein. The B diet rules out a bevy of classic vegetarian protein dishes, which she has probably relied upon for years. Many beans (including soy), nuts and seeds/butters fall into the B avoid bin, making a compliant vegetarian lifestyle quite a challenge. However, she has the discipline to maintain vegetarianism, so she can undoubtedly get over the initial habit-hurdles to succeed with this plan as well.

I don't know if she eats any flesh foods at all (fowl or fish); if she does, then Beneficial fish choices will fill the protein bill nicely. Small hope, I suspect ~ right?

If she is willing to eat unfertilized eggs and high-protein dairy products like cottage, farmer, ricotta and various goat cheeses, we're golden. Fermented dairy foods should be emphasized. Lucky for us, she has never followed the B diet as written, so she won't have that experience to compare to her vegetarian-style B regime. She can continue to feel improvements -- and that's what it's all about on a day-to-day basis, after all.

If she is vegan, my advice-cupboard is looking bare. The benefits she gains as a result of avoiding problematic foods may not be immediately evident... while the healing and energizing qualities of animal foods she refuses to eat will be denied her. Tough row to hoe! So, build meals around:

(1) beans such as kidney, navy, lima, fava, cannellinis ~ these can be baked in a casserole with beneficial vegetables, served cold in salads, or blended into a paste with herbs, lemon and garlic and used as a spread or dip;

(2) sprouted breads like Essene and Ezekiel, as well as millet, oats, spelt and rice -- but try to observe the grain frequency/serving notes in Live Right (avoid starchitarianism);

(3) nuts -- walnuts, almonds, chestnuts -- plain, used as nutbutter, or chopped into cooked rice and vegetable dishes. Nuts can be sprouted, too;

(4) and a daily protein drink using the old Membrane Fluidizer model: flax oil, lecithin, juice and a dollop of nutbutter & scoop of vegan rice protein powder. Peter's "Harmonia" drink powder contains protein and beneficial fruits -- it would be a nice addition to the MFC. Blending in some fermented home-sprouted grain is an option, as well. The original MFC recipe is formulated for a specific purpose, so I'd recommend having the plain version now and again, as well.

There are vegetarian recipes and recipe books all over the place which can be adapted for any blood type. I've had lots of success by just picking out a recipe, changing it around to suit me, and tasting as I go. After a while, substitutions are second nature. A great outlet for creativity!

Sharon, thanks for your note, and your concern for your friend. My best wishes to both of you!

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The closest practioner in our database is a naturopath, Angela Goldstein, ND, in Lake Forest. It's a bit of a trek from you -- about 80 miles north of San Diego, near Laguna Nigel -- but it may be well worth the travel. The next closest would be in Ventura (about 8 miles north of Oxnard) and the next in Solvang, about 25 miles north of Santa Barbara just on the 101.

I hope one of these folks will fill your needs. Do call and interview the office you'd like to visit before travelling there, to get a "feel" for the people who would be involved in your treatment. There are more and more people using Dr. D'Adamo's plans in their practice all the time, and I'm sure not all of them are listed in our database. Try looking in your local phone book and asking nutritionists and health food store employees in your area if they know anyone who uses this system. You might find someone closer to home.

Cheremoya fruit has not been tested for ABO reactivity. Technically, that means it is an "unknown" and can be treated as neutral. That said, if you are facing health challenges it is wise to treat "unknowns" with caution. Don't make them your main food source. :-) An efficient, if risky, way to test an unrated food is to eat a good quantity of it in the evening, a few hours away from other food, and see how you feel. If you notice discomfort, at least you have some evidence that the food is not for you.

Thank you for writing, and good luck!

From South Africa to Sweden, my how the world is shrinking!

Thanks for a wonderful column. I am an O and must still determine secretor status, but am following the non-secretor list due to adverse reactions to almost all grains. I have 2 questions: 1) Your answer in the column regarding shopping for O-nons was very informative BUT my biggest dilemma is what to eat for BREAKFAST, except Essene bread and eggs? Meat & veggies sound unthinkable and I avoid nuts due to their high fat content, to keep my weight down. Meals for the rest of the day pose no problem. 2) In one of my juice books there is a recipe for Rejuvelac, a fermented drink from sprouted wheat seeds and water. It is supposed to have many beneficial enzymes and I was wondering if this would also be as beneficial as the Essene bread, seeing that O's may not have yoghurt. Amanda, South Africa.

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Hi! I´ve read in Ann Wigmores Living Food about somthing called Rejuvelac. It is a drink made from naturally fermented grain and water. I am a 0+ and wonder if Rejuvelac could be of benefit for me. Thanks, Rolf

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Greetings from at least 3000 miles away, friends! My gratitude that you speak English is profound, as I'm afraid my Afrikaans and Swedish leave a great deal to be desired. ;-}

Last things first ~ Rejuvelac: I haven't read Ms. Wigmore's book, but if her recipe calls for 100% sprouted grain and water, fermented without the addition of anything in your "avoid" list, it's absolutely fine. Since it's made fresh at home, I conjecture that it might be beneficial for all types, in fact. (I just received a note from a reader who says there is some concern over bacterial contamination with Rejuvelac, and some spas no longer use it. Proceed with caution....)

And... breakfast for type O: Amanda, if meat and veggies at 7 a.m. sound a little off the beaten path at the moment, how about steak and eggs? Or minced meat and scrambled eggs, with some onions and garlic thrown in? Thin-sliced salmon or other fish, cooked quickly, topped with poached eggs? There is a Spanish dish called a "tortilla," which is a large omelette made with any number of items (onions, peppers, garlic, a little homemade beef or venison sausage perhaps?) baked in an iron pan and served hot, warm or cold.

In my country, it is traditional to eat toast, eggs, bacon or sausage and homefries (pan-cooked potatoes) in the morning. This is easily adapted by using eggs, some leftover meat, fish or fowl, and sweet potatoes or yams. Experiment! Any of these choices might be modified to satisfy your taste for breakfast, and carry you through to the easier meals of the day! Good luck!

Hi, Diane ~ thank you for the compliment! :-)Yes, it does make a difference to Os, and a number of other blood types as well. Here's a question to which, happily, there is a definitive answer!

It started as a regional thing in the southern U.S. to call sweet potatoes "yams," with variations such as "garnet yams," etc. The dual usage has since spread countrywide ~~ and nobody cared, until BTD came along. ;-> In my organic grocer, they complicate the matter by using both terms. It all began with an imported word which canny veg distributors originally used to distinguish the heritage pale-yellow sweet potatoes from the darker-pigmented new-and-improved strain. The word, "nyami," was conveniently heisted from a food item which is botanically and physically quite distinct from the sweet potato. However, rest easy: all those little tubers, be they pale yellow, dark orange, dark red, etc. are sweet potatoes.

In your supermarket, I doubt they have true yams. They have them in mine, because I live in a predominantly Dominican immigrant neighborhood. If you frequent Asian grocers, you'll see species of yam there, too. They all have a dark brown, almost woody-looking, somewhat shiny skin and chalk-white innards. Their size varies from long-sweet-potato to huge -- the bodega a few blocks from me regularly displays torpedo-sized specimens.

The yams of food list and database fame have a dry, hard, starchy flesh, and belong to the Dioscorea family of plants ~ while our HB sweet potatoes (from meek yellow to outright magenta) hail from the Ipomoea clan, with the softer, sweeter qualities we're all familiar with.

Here's a great reference page from the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Have a read, and spread the word! :-D

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The sprouted thing is a bit confusing, no? If the bread you've found is 100% sprouted, and the label confirms it, then it's fine. What the label, or the baker, says is the key to choosing breads in the market.

Essene bread can be baked at home at a low temperature for several hours. You needn't have a Mediterranean climate in order to enjoy Essene bread. "Nature's Path" here in the States are major commercial bakers of Essene bread, which they call "Manna" bread. You can find it online under that name.

That said, however, if I were an O with IBS, I would do my utmost to remove breads and pastries from my diet altogether. Revisit my paleolithic roots in a big way, so to speak. Gluten grains have been too deeply implicated with bowel complaints for me to recommend them to you at this juncture. When all symptoms have subsided, that's the time to very slowly and carefully re-introduce them.

In case you might be interested: my old friend Joachim (type A reported that he and many other people had success in resolving colitis through using the following protocol. Perhaps it will help you?

"Boil white rice in plenty of saltwater until the rice is very soft. As you probably won't be able to buy WILD Blueberries, soak dried wild blueberries in a little warm water (initially boil because you want to rule out any germs) and add the water + Blueberries to the drained rice. Eat this by carefully chewing and drink wild Blueberry tea (2 - 3 tablespoons, boiled in a cup of water, let rest for 10 Min.), also eat a few tablespoons of dried wild blueberries in-between meals, and again chew carefully. Forget the large cultured Blueberries; they are not half as effective as wild ones from colder northern climates like Maine. Alter that with soft white rice and soft-boiled Carrots or Fennel. Remember you are not interested in vitamins etc., just holding food down to absorb nutrients. Minerals should be your first concern, so boil rice and soak blueberries in a high mineral content still mineral water (unfortunately, most mineral waters have low minerals due to the low sodium craze here in the US. French Contrexville, German still Appolinaris or Fachinger would be ideal). Otherwise, introduce mineral substitutes slowly but make sure to follow Dr. D. on this one as well.



Might help, couldn't hurt... see what you think.

Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) is not listed in the Eat Right/Live Right books. It is common in Europe, but that species is not found here in the States. It's in the same polymorphic frying pan as halibut, dabs, and flounder: fine for type Os (there are few meats and fishes we cannot eat), although not recommended for all the other types. Like to read more? Here's a lovely page all about the flatfish: Alwyne Wheeler and the Pleuronectidae.

Soy for type O divides down secretor/nonsecretor lines. Neutral for secretors, no-no for nons. Since IBS is at issue, I'd avoid it for now. thank you so much for writing! :-D

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As someone who grew up on a dairy farm, I feel your pain!! :-} To "dairy products and bread" I would add bacon, ham, POTATOES, pork loin, pork chops, cabbage, PEANUT BUTTER (I know... it's a Yank thing) -- not to mention the orange juice, strawberries, blackberries -- coconuts from Korea smuggled in by my brother -- and homemade pies, cakes and cookies every day. Skipping a decade: it was bagels and cream cheese. Let's pass on!

I guess you and I both know now that these food groups will make us sick and keep us there. How do other type Os do it? Cold turkey with no looking back, in some cases. S-L-O-W-L-Y, one toe into the swimming pool at a time, for others.

Making one's own bread from alternative flours, or finding a local or online source of 100% sprouted grain or quinoa or kamut or rice or rye breads and/or pastas is the easiest intermediate course to take. Many of us make ghee to use instead of butter... it tastes the same! The essential thing to discover, though, is that bread for type Os is at most a temporary sugar rush. To maintain your energy, base your meals around meat, and fill up on squashes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, onions, any sturdy root vegetables on the type O food list. Your body has some adjustments to make from metabolizing a heavy starch supply to comfortably maintaining its balance on a higher protein/vegetable, lower grain diet. Using L-glutamine as a supplement can help get you over the hump. Your energy will return in a week or so without wheat bread and dairy. The anemia should disappear with adequate red meat intake. I would expect the thrush to recede, as well -- it just adores grain and sugar.

Coffee... well, it is a singular substance, not easily replaced. I liked mine with heavy cream. Lovely, isn't it? I've quit coffee several times in my life, and the only good thing I can say about it is, at least I had no withdrawal symptoms. If you do decide to let it go, a good quality green tea has enough theine to ease any discomfort you may experience. Your local health food store may carry a number of coffee substitutes: try them out. No, they're not coffee, but some of them taste darned close to it. I'm not sure what is readily available in NZ, but Roma Kaffree, Teeccino and other roasted barley blends are common here in the States. There is also an herbal blend called Raja's Cup which tastes quite coffee-like to me, if a bit licoricy, and confers health benefits as well. It has high antioxidant activity.

Vicky, we all go through this. You are by no means alone! We look at avoid foods we love and think we'll never get through life without them. We think of gathering places, traditions, favorite outings, holidays, friends, family... so much of it comes down to shared food, and emotional attachments to the anxiety-alleviating habits we have formed. We all do the best we can!

I have great admiration for Registered Nurses, and your note reflected many of the fine qualities I have found in the best ones. You have discovered a health plan that will guide you toward accomplishing your goals. Don't give it up. It is worth tackling. Let us know how you do!

Hey there! I hope this column hits in time for your reunion! :-} Basically, there are only two cuisine-specific items to watch out for ~~ but they're in everything ~~ namely, coconut milk and peanuts.

There's little wheat in the joint, other than the clearly described egg noodles or green onion pancakes -- "saigon pancake," my local place calls them -- and some spots offer a few pork dishes, while some don't. Predominantly, the noodles, roll wraps and dumpling covers are made of rice (although, yeah, it always pays to ask).

Other than that: it's chicken, seafood, beef, raw salads, spicy thin soups and astonishing fresh flavors!I'd be inclined to choose lemongrass/chili sauces over the marvelous red curries (the coconut milk), but once won't kill ya! :-D Basil, peppers, fish sauce, ginger, chives all play their part in Thai delights. You can always have the beef satay (thin skewers of marinated meat) without the peanut sauce... the Pad Thai (lovely fresh-and-dried shrimp/noodle dish) without the peanuts... but hey, I'll look the other way. It's your reunion: Enjoy yourself!

The smallest Thai eatery serves everything from green papaya salad to steamed whole fish, and the menus are quite informative as to their ingredients.

I adore Thai cuisine... and pretty soon you will, too. :-D Have a great time!!

Question:

I have read everything I could find in the question section but could not find any information concerning parasites. Is there a problem with this issue to humans from foods, food handling, food preparation? If so are there foods or herbs to keep our bodies free from infestation? I've been a follower of "The Diet" for as long as the books started coming out in Natural Foods Stores. I'm B, secretor, age 60, female, and use elderberry religiously for balance, plus have started the vitamin/mineral supplements. Thank you for reading this and I'll be looking forward to any information you have on the above questions.



Suggestions:

Hi, Doris!

Parasites that like humans are usually found in flesh foods. While it's wise to keep hands and work areas meticulously clean when preparing raw meat, fowl and fish, our first defense against parasites lies in the immune systems of the animals we eat. A free-ranged, clean-fed and -kept animal is far less likely to have fallen prey to parasites than a sick, medicated and hormone-enhanced one. Yet another good reason to support conscientious farming and ranching, and choose wild fish from reputable fisherman!

I can recommend an interesting pesto sauce which has evidenced anti-parasitic, detoxifying and mercury-chelation properties, here modified for type B secretors: 2 cups fresh cilantro and 2 cups fresh parsley mixed, 1 cup of roasted seeds from butternut or acorn squash, 6 cloves of raw garlic, ½ teaspoon of sea salt and 3/4 cup olive oil – blend ‘er up. Adjust as your taste dictates. Add a few tablespoons of your favorite fresh-grated peccorino Romano or Parmeggiano Reggiano cheese, YOU LUCKY B. :-} This pesto can be used as a sauce for steamed vegetables, meats, or pasta.

While I'm at it: Peter has recommended black cherry juice to reduce polyamines and combat surface bacteria on meats. The presence of certain polyamines is less of a concern for type Bs than the rest of us (oranges are a case in point), but it's still prudent to use natural means to limit polyamine activity in meats. Two tablespoons of black cherry juice per pound of ground meat, or added to a marinade for steaks, will do the trick, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the taste.

Thanks for your message!

Angela writes:







If I'm type TU, what type are my kids? The first thing to understand is that each of us has two blood type genes. Each parent can pass only one of his or her genes to each child; and if we have two different genes -- as in the AB type -- it can be either of those genes.



Second, when we say, "I'm type B," or "He's type AB," we are referring to what geneticists call the phenotype. It's the outward face of the genotype, the full ABO signature (always composed of two genes).



Third, the O gene is recessive to both the A and the B genes. The other way of saying this is, both the A and the B gene are dominant to the O gene. I am "type A" or "type B" whether I carry a second (recessive) O gene or a matching A or B gene.



Fourth, the A and B genes are co-dominant: when both are present, neither is recessive to the other. If both are in the genotype (full profile: A, then both are in the phenotype (blood type A. In similar fashion, if you are type O, we know you have two O genes ~ if you had only one O gene and one A or B gene, the A or B must dominate: you would be type A or type B, respectively, not type O.



This all sounds a little confusing at first, but you'll get the hang of it. Here's how it works in parentage:



Type AB can pass on either an A or a B gene to a particular child -- but not both.



Type O has only an O gene to contribute to a child.



Type A can give an A gene to a child. However, we can't tell a type A person's genotype by knowing their phenotype. The genotype could be A(a)(with only A genes to give to a child) or A(o) (having an O gene available as well).



Type B is in the same relative situation as type A. There could be a recessive O gene lurking in there (Peter calls it "grandma's revenge!") ready to match up with a mate's hidden O gene, to produce a type O individual from two type B parents!



By understanding

(1) that each person contributes one gene to offspring;

(2) that A and B are both dominant to O, and co-dominant with each other; and

(3) that knowing the "phenotype" of an AB or O person lets us know their "genotype," but knowing someone is type A or B gives us only the "public" half of that information -- the second gene is unknown;



will allow you to figure out the possible blood types of offspring if you know the two parents' blood types. With some combinations, there is only one possible result (two type O parents will always produce type O kids). With others, it's possible that Junior could be any one of the four types (a type A mom and type B dad, both with a recessive O gene... see what I mean?). In your original example, it depends on the other parent. Type O? This pairing will produce only type A (A(o)) and B (B(o)) children. Type AB? Could be type As, type Bs and/or type ABs.



The most elegant way to present this information is in graph form (a "Punnett square"), but I hope yakking my way through it has shed some light for you.



:-D

Soy for Bs: The short answer is, no ~ Bs need not absolutely exclude all soy products. Plain soybeans and small amounts of soy flour are allowed for B secretors. Soy milk is neutral for B nonsecretors. However, it's not an ideal food for your type, any more than rye bread is for mine. Since so many soy products are designed to mimic or replace either dairy foods or meats, you'll get far better value for your money (and flavor, for that matter) by choosing the originals.

Angela in Nova Scotia submitted three questions ~ this is the first:



The Fish/Mercury Conundrum: We’ve all heard about the benefits of including fish in our diets. The American Heart Association now recommends two-to-three servings of fish per week. Why? Lean protein, for starters. The big deal, however, is the omega-3 fatty acids abundant in fish, which aid healthy brain and vascular development in babies and confer protection against heart attacks and strokes in adults. They have also shown potent healing properties in connective tissue disorders and cholesterolemia. Omega-3s are not blood-thinners; they are blood de-sticky-fiers. Brand new word, what do you think of it? :-D In other words, type Os need not worry that their natural propensity toward more copious bleeding would be magnified by eating more fish. It is the tendency of platelets to clump or clot, rather than blood plasma-to-cell ratio, which is affected by these EFAs.

Fatty, cold-water fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel and lake trout are the recommended species due to their relatively low tested mercury levels. The FDA’s cutoff point is 1 part per million, 1/10th the levels found in mercury-related disease. Tuna is considered a fence-sitter: the average reading is around .2 ppm methyl mercury. Interested parties disagree as to whether this fairly low level should place tuna in the OK category or the red-flag zone, since it (canned tuna particularly) is such a popular and frequently eaten food in the U.S. The big predators like shark and swordfish can accumulate higher levels, sometimes reaching 1 ppm, and conservative health professionals warn against eating them more than once per month.

Pregnant women in particular should choose wild fish, both freshwater and small saltwater dwellers, over the big oceangoing migrators, because the developing fetus is extremely vulnerable to nervous-system damage from mercury in the diet, air and water – and the older and larger the fish, the higher the mercury can climb. Farmed fish are usually raised under conditions you don’t want to know about, and with feed you wouldn’t even want in your compost. Try your darnedest to get wild catches, and research the environment of your freshwater choices: they pose a concern only if caught near areas of industrial pollution.

The fish recommendations in Peter's books are made with clean, low-mercury specimens in mind. They are based on biochemical properties, rather than potential environmental poisoning. So the best approach is to evaluate your seafood sources. Fish from the eastern seaboard and major rivers of the United States and parts of Central and South America are more likely to push the mercury levels than are those caught off the coasts of less industrialized areas of Canada and Alaska. :-)

Hi, Liz ~~

I’m sure your doctor has assessed your general health & fitness, so I’ll try to address things he or she may not have investigated.

First, take an overview: consider your health/medical history, your age, how long ago you had your kids, how much stress you were under during your divorce and how recently (intense stresses can set your physiology temporarily in a pre-menopause state, even if you are only in your thirties), what changes occurred between the last pregnancies and the current miscarriages, what your total environment (physical, emotional, financial, spiritual) is now compared to before. The key for you may lie in one of these aspects of your life, any one of which can have a surprisingly powerful impact on your body’s willingness to carry a pregnancy to term.

Because you've had two miscarriages, I suspect that your boyfriend may be genotype A(a), rather than A(o), meaning he has no recessive O gene to offer. If so, any child of this union can only be type A -- specifically A(o), the A from the father and the O from you. Plenty of children are born with this configuration, so it is certainly no obstacle to healthy births. As a new element introduced at a time of great change in your life, it may have played a minor role in your unexpected difficulty with carrying a child to term.

There are several columns Peter has written on the subject of pregnancy which may help. If you haven’t seen them, here are the links:

Diet and Pregnancy

Marriage and Blood Type Compatibility

BTD and Conceiving

I don’t know how long or how closely you have been following the type O diet, which for this purpose may be the most important recommendation I can make. Peter’s column on "Marriage and Blood Type Compatibility" suggests that simply following the diet for your type is the most effective general advice we can offer. Even though you could have lived on cheese fries and bacon while sailing through your first three pregnancies, you now may need focused attention on diet, exercise and/or stress relief – again, it will be your project to evaluate which link in this three-element chain may be missing or weak.

If I were in your position, I would use Live Right 4 Your Type according to my secretor status. Our online store carries the saliva secretor test. And look into maca – which has an excellent reputation for balancing hormonal health, increasing energy and improving fertility. Both you and your boyfriend should take it! It’s available through a reputable online supplier, Penn Herb Company, among many others. And my broken record is still playing: exercise is unbelievably effective in relieving stress, energizing the organs and releasing toxins. Avoid the twin evils of procrastination and overzealousness: start where you are, and get where you're going at your own pace!

Good luck, and keep us posted!