I have a question about the relationship of behavior/personality type, blood type, and supplements for neurochemical balance and stress response. I will use myself as an example.

I am blood type O. However, I fit the description of "Type C Behavior" personality type described in the blood type A section of the LR4YT book better then the "Type A behavior" personality type described in the blood type O section of the book. Using the personality test on the web site I tested as a ISTP. However, I am blood type O from the standpoint I have always believed I feel better when I get regular intense physical exercise.

It appears from the text in the "Emotional Equalizers" sections of the LR4YT book for each blood type that what is recommended in each section is based on the tendency for each blood type to exhibit a particular behavior/personality type, not specifically on blood type. Therefore, the information appears to be more directed at an individuals behavior/personality type versus their blood type. Is this true? Should a person follow the recommendations from the section that best describes their behavior/personality type or just follow recommendations from the section from their blood type?

To be even more specific, which "Emotional Equalizers" section of the LR4YT book concerning adaptogens and neurochemical supplements and which blood type section of the Anti-Stress protocol from the The Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia book should I follow? If I believe I am a "Type C Behavior" person, can I safely use and follow, and should I, the recommendations for blood type A from the two books? Up to this point I have been following the recommendations for blood type Os. I am asking these questions because I am suffering from stress problems, including adrenal fatigue and/or low thyroid function.

Related to this, should I cut back or stop intense physical exercise, which is primarily bike racing? Should I take up Yoga and other exercise forms recommended for blood type As? Background: I am male, 46, 5'10", 146 lbs, type O negative secretor, resting heart rate in the mid to upper 40s', blood pressure in the range of 110/65, an avid racing cyclist as well as enjoy and participate in many other forms of exercise, particularly intense exercise. My weight has been fairly stable for many years, +/- 4 lb range. I have been following the BTD for almost 7 months and even though I basically changed my diet cold turkey I have been improving my compliance as I have learned more, found food sources such as organic range fed beef, etc. I have been under a lot of emotional stress the past few years including chronic sinus problems, divorce involving adolescent children, declining health of elderly parents, job loss, and the biggest problem right now is continuing lengthy unemployment, etc. I appreciate any help and advice you can give me. Thanks! Don

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Hello, Don ~ This is a question many people ask ~ introspective, shy, retiring Type Os... outgoing and/or aggressive Type As.... should they use the blood type stress-handling paradigm, or do they not "fit," somehow?

It's important to remember that Peter's description of the "behavior types" and the blood types is merely an observation that they often, or seem often, to go together --it is not to be taken as predictive of the individual's biochemical response to food and exercise.

Among individuals of any given blood type, we can find examples of every behavior type, and M-B personality type (ISTP, ENFJ, etc.). The recommendations for diet, activity and supplementation are keyed to physiology, so for you, the type O plan is the one to follow.

I am "INFJ," and near your age and size. I require that strenuous exercise, and I feel even better with the addition of meditation. It has been my personal experience, and that of nearly all the reports I've heard from others, that just about everyone benefits from a skilled stress-reduction practice such as the kriyas outlined in Meditation as Medicine by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, or a form of meditation like Transcendental Meditation (tm), which has a multitude of scientific research showing it 'does the job.' ~~ No matter what your blood type.

God, I feel for you, Don -- you've been under a huge and changing emotional burden for years. It's small wonder you're feeling the strain of it all! Yes, adaptogens can help; yes, exercise and meditation will allow your body and mind to bear up better under the load you are carrying; but as Peter once said, the diet cannot do it all. "If your shoes are too small, your feet will still hurt." What these plans do is bolster one's mental, emotional and physical strength so we're better able to GET those bigger shoes, or that new job, or that calmer lifestyle for ourselves.

There's only so much one guy can handle! Is there anything you're dealing with that you can just "SAY NO" to? Establish better boundaries? It's not my province to offer that kind of advice, but it just popped out. If it helps, great -- if not, just ignore me. :-)

What I CAN say with certainty that seven months is a goodly time on the diet, but things grow easier and its effects become stronger as time goes by. I'm celebrating the beginning of my sixth year on this plan, and I have faced some of the issues and asked myself some of the questions you are asking now.

Stick with the O diet, supps, & exercise ~ get plenty of sleep daily ~ and add a deep-reaching meditation practice. This is the "golden road" to well-being, particularly for those of us with long-term weighty matters to attend to.

You'll do beautifully, Don. I know you will. Let me know if there is anything else I can offer! And thank you for writing to me! :-D

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Heidi, I'll be very interested to learn your answer to today's question about fingernails. I have the exact same problem. I'm an O Secretor who supplements with calcium, magnesium, and silica, eat no avoids, lots of red meat, poultry, fish, veggies, and fruit. Yet my nails continue to have vertical ridges in them. I worry for the same reason as your writer that it's an indication of a deficiency in my diet. They have been this way as long as I've been on the diet, a year and a half. Lisa

Hey, Lisa ~~ read on!

Hi Heidi, There are a few problems with Becky's routine. The vertical ridges often come from a flu or infection. Does she use any kind of anti-microbial ... like Polyflora; or elderberry; or heallix? She also might give lecithin a try ... to promote oil secretion. In his book on taking omega-3's like flax oil, Rudin in 'The Omega-3 Phenomenon' warns over and over that too many omega-3's (not balanced properly with omega-6's as in flax oil taken too long) will show a repeat of the original symptoms. [Start only slowly: the minimal is best!] Finally her low minerals show a problem with energy production ... in her case it might mean sluggish healing. The manganese and cobalt are members of the antioxidant dismutases that form in all mitochondria. Besides supplementing these minerals directly (only under supervision), seaweeds are probably her best bet. One of the better helps would probably be an alpha lipoic acid supplement. {It should help to share some of the detoxing that antioxidants do in the mitochondria.} John

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Hi Heidi! Well since you asked, I'm sending in fingernail info. This is a long answer, because I'm lonesome for the old message board! For me, hangnails (stiff little separated ridges on the outside edge of nails) were from B vitamin deficiency. They start to heal when I take 2-4 tablespoons brewer's yeast a day (mixed in my soymilk or smoothies). Personally I need to take 4 tablespoons daily to see a difference (note that you're adding a lot of protein with this much). B vitamin deficiencies have lots of bad effects -- the only ones I know of right off-hand are fatigue, lowered immunities, premature graying of hair, and (I think?) anemia. Vertical ridges on fingernails -- I understand this can happen from zinc deficiency among other things. Most people are zinc deficient. Common signs include feet/shoes that smell (feet shouldn't smell different than rest of body), dry dull & brittle hair, skin immunity weakness (prone to things like athlete's foot, warts, etc.), and trouble digesting meat for an O or other meat-eating blood-type person (zinc is critical to having enough stomach acid for any blood type). Oddly, zinc deficiency can also lead to feelings of having too much stomach acid/heartburn, because the stomach can sort of mis-fire and you get acid when you shouldn't -- the stomach is not supposed to get acidic when there isn't food in it. (Note that omega 3 & 6 fatty acids in the oils also are critical to healthy hair & skin immunities & probably the other things too!) At any rate, if you're zinc deficient you need to take lozenges that dissolve in the mouth, not pills. Zinc pills don't digest well unless you have enough stomach acid, so they don't work if zinc deficient. Also, the body uses more zinc when stressed. However, a person should never take more than 100 mg zinc a day. Above that level, it can temporarily do weird things to your immune system. (All those people popping zinc lozenges for colds ought to be careful!) I think fingernail ridges can also be related to liver toxicity/weakness. I detoxed mine with 1-2 oz parsley juice a day, (tastes better mixed with carrot juice) -- also cilantro, onions, garlic, blueberries, radishes, eggs, fennel seeds, caraway seeds, and the herb milk thistle are good food detoxers. Fingernail ridges & hangnails can no doubt be from other things too, but I don't know them, and zinc & B vit deficiencies are so very common. OK Heidi, thanks for the chance to talk too long! Keep up the great column! (o: Maia

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Re: Becky's problem with fingernails, despite good diet. She may have low stomach acid. An O, I had severe gastroenteritis almost 8 years ago, and my HCl mechanism (while better) is still not normal. At one stage, my fingernails "rippled" so much at the ends they looked pleated! During the worst of this, I didn't absorb calcium supplements well either. All this before going on the diet, but I was drifting that way, since wheat made my poor digestion much worse. Seems unfair, as an O, not to have all that great stomach acid! I still supplement HCl some, but am much better. Elizabeth

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Hi Heidi, A few days ago Becky's question regarding nail health was posted and when I read it my first thought was... Zinc! Elson Haas mentions in his book, "Staying Healthy With Nutrition", Zinc is important in normal growth and development, the maintenance of body tissues, sexual function, the immune system and detoxification of chemicals and metabolic irritants. He also states, "Zinc may also be helpful to general nail health". I'm not saying that Zinc is the answer but it may help. Amber

And here’s one for you, Amber!

Hi Heidi, I find your column very helpful. The other day (20 Nov) I was very intrigued by a question by somebody called Amber. I’m Type O just like her and suffering from exactly the same problems, i.e. I have yellowish skin and tend to get pimples in the face when I eat oils (even beneficial ones like organic extra virgin olive oil or ghee). Blood tests came back normal. I would like to get in contact with her to see if she had any success with the liver/gallbladder flush she wanted to do. I guess you can probably not give me her email address, but it would be great if you could forward my email to her asking her to get in touch with me. Thanks a lot! Thomas

Let me know, dear, and I'll send your addy on to Thomas. Done that flush yet? keep me posted! :-)

And now: the cheese... and hair!

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I read and thoroughly enjoy your column daily! I've noticed a couple of times that people ask about sheep's milk. "Feta" cheese is made with sheep's milk, I believe, if it's the genuine article - and Feta is listed in Typebase as Neutral for A's and O secretors, beneficial for A's and AB's, and avoid for O non-secretors. Hope this helps! Dawn

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On grated cheese for O's: Romano cheese (original Italian) is Romano pecorino, a sheep's milk cheese, while Parmesano is a cow's milk cheese. As an O, I find sheep and goat dairy pretty much o.k.--at least, nothing at all like eating a lot of cow dairy. (Regular U.S. Romano may be made of cow's milk, so check.)

Elizabeth

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Re: Romano Cheese. The authentic variety is ok for O's because, like good feta, it is made from sheep milk. Also, in response to a recent query about hair loss in women: older women DO, I am sorry to say, suffer hair loss for a variety of reasons, primarily genetic, and also as a reaction to hormones, meds, and stress. (I know about this last one, because I was once so tense that my neck and scalp tightened so nuch that no blood was getting to the hair follicles, and my hair fell out. Really.) The good news is that unless the loss is genetic, the hair will regrow, especially with the improved diet and stress-relieving exercise preached on this great website. Fyi and all that, Blessings of a beautiful autumn day, AMN

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~~:-D It is most heartening to see the depth of knowledge and experience so many are willing to share with their BTD fellow-travellers. I've learned a bunch today, and hope you've benefited as well ~~ Becky, write again if you need help sorting any of this out!

~~ Blessings to all, and godspeed on the journey that you are ~~