A thoroughgoing POTPOURRI!!

August 7th, 2000 , by admin






Yes, sprouts are fine (and often step up to Beneficial!) if made from beans & pulses ~ but as you probably know, not from root vegetables. Carrot greens are toxic, as are the sprouts of many other roots, corms and tubers. Green veg like broccoli (brocc sprouts, my favorite!) can make great edible sprouts as well. Sprouts are certainly action-packed, and a great fresh food for kitchen gardeners ~~ enjoy!!








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!!!





Posted in On The Diet

Type O Roundup #4! (cuz you ABs are so quiet out there! :-))

August 6th, 2000 , by admin



Hi I'm a type O, in her early twenties. I am wondering if food intolerances or indigestion often cause fainting. I have fainted a couple of times, both when I felt nausea. I have seen doctors but they could give me no concrete answers. The most recent fainting spell was a day ago. I've had terrible pain at the base of my skull since then (I didn't hit me head though)and have found it really hard to function normally (basically I've slept for about 24 hrs!)In the morning before I fainted I felt fine and energetic. I ate a nutrition bar about 10 minutes before I fainted. I checked for avoids and the only one I could see is barley flour (But I used to eat barley as a child and never had major problems). Apparently my Mom faints whenever she drinks coffee. I don't have that particular problem but I'm wondering if something else might be causing it. Also, the doctor checked my blood sugar levels and said that they were fine. Thanks for your help :-) Mikyla



Whoo, that is a worrisome thing to deal with. First, has your doctor been advised about the pain at the base of your skull? That should be checked out immediately. Please do that first, OK?



Remember that the intestinal ganglia, or "gut brain," can react strongly to foods you eat long before they are fully digested. That nutrition bar contained no milk/whey stuff, corn syrup or other corn derivatives at all? rare bird, if so! It sounds like both you and your Mom are highly sensitive to foods that are no good for you ~ and this extreme intolerance was built up over time, so even though barley gave you no trouble when you were a child, it might cause significant trouble now. It also is possible that one or both of you are on the edge of adrenal exhaustion.



The first thing (after getting that head pain thoroughly researched) would be to get your secretor status, either from the saliva test available through this site, or by getting your Lewis (blood) type through a local lab. Once you have your result, get a food diary. Follow the diet 4 your type/secretor status carefully, do the recommended exercise, and write down everything you eat, and any reactions you have. If you experience a fainting spell, eliminate all the foods you had immediately previous to that spell, and go on from there. The exceptions would be red meats, especially lamb (no galectin and very low allergy provocation); beneficial veg, and beneficial fruit. If the last meal you ate before a faint contained one or more of those items, then test those items singly, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, and as soon as possible. You want to make absolutely sure, in the case of foods which are major components of your diet.



Eventually, you should be able to add the eliminated foods in, singly, and see how you do ~ but for now, I'd study the ingredients in that food bar and avoid everything on the label, as a start.



I would also get some 30mg pregnenolone from the supp shop, and take four of them per day. If you are now eating or drinking anything that contains caffeine (except green tea), discontinue it. If your fainting is related to adrenal stress, this will help you rebuild that area.



Mikyla, please drop me a note on how you're doing, OK? take good care, dear!! :-)










Hi Heidi, Thanks for the great site! It's on my daily site-check list & I glean lots of helpful info. I'm a 57 y/o female, O+ non-secretor.My husband & I have been following the diet for a while now but not stringently. We have both seen radical improvements in our health since starting the diet. (At this time I will be stringently following the diet.) We are just starting to use the 4 your type supplements along with the diet. Since we work construction we contact a lot of people with multiple problems related to wrong diets,so everybody gets to hear about the diet and so many of them have begun following it. Some questions: 1. I'm starting to follow the cancer prevention and the chronic illness recovery protocols listed in the encyclopedia. Do I run these protocols concurrently or alternately? 2. Where can I get Tarragon 100 mg. in caps.? I've found everything else on the list. 3. Under the cancer prevention protocol there is a recommendation for typhoid vaccine. What's the connection there? Thanks for your time. I'll be looking forward to your response. Jan



Hi, Jan! I'm glad you're seeing wonderful results, and passing the word along! :-) You can use two protocols concurrently, but I wouldn't do more than two at the same time. Tarragon capsules. Yeah. Hmmm. Tell you what: Buy the dried tarragon in the spice section of your local HFS (organic if at all possible), and grind a bit of it to a powder in a clean coffee grinder or with a mortar & pestle. It's the same thing that would be in the capsules, and 100mg is a very small amount ~ basically, 1/24th of a teaspoon ~ so 1/8th of a teaspoon is equivalent to three of those tarragon capsules. Sprinkle it on your salad! If you can find fresh tarragon (again, organic, pleeze! ;-)), just hang it to dry in your kitchen and take bits of it off to grind up for your daily tarragon powder. The typhoid vaccine recommended is the closest thing we can get to the Springer T/TN vaccine. Another tip: ask your doctor for a pneumovax (pneumococcus vaccine) shot at your next checkup. It is wonderful for boosting immunity to the A-like cancers. [Note Added: Pneumovax is no longer considered effective for this purpose... it still protects against pneumonia, but that's not relevant here! :-}] thanks for writing, Jan, it's good to hear from you! :-)








i HAVE HAD ECZEMA FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS. IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE WITH EACH PASSING YEAR. I STARTED THE BTD DIET 3 WEEKS AGO IN HOPES TO CLEAR UP MY SKIN. I AM TYPE O. CAN ANYONE SHED SOME LIGHT ON THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH THE DIET AND ECZEMA. THANKS. Joyce



I think you will see results soon, Joyce. Eliminating "avoid" grains, getting enough protein from appropriate sources, and including beneficial oils seems to be the common protocol for eczema, and it works well. Give it some time, and keep us posted. I've heard from several people who have been successful in healing their eczema with this plan, and perhaps a few more will write in with their experiences! thanks, dear!








Hi Heidi, It's me again ;-) I was reading about goitrogenic foods on the Internet and comparing them against the type O diet. There are several foods that are listed as goitrogenic and are listed as highly beneficial or neutral for type Os, such as kale, millett, soy (isoflavones), etc. Since I am having some hypothyroid problems, are there any foods that I should additionally avoid or limit consumption of or should I just make sure I am getting plenty of iodine rich foods such as seaweeds to compensate? Also the information I read said that it's thought that the enzymes involved in the formation of goitrogenic materials in plants can be destroyed by cooking, so thorough cooking may minimize goitrogenic potential. Is this true or are there foods listed as highly beneficial or neutral for type Os that I can eat cooked but that I shouldn't eat raw? For instance, I frequently enjoy broccoli/carrot/cabbage coleslaw on my salads. Is the raw broccoli and cabbage OK to eat? Thanks! Don



Hi, Don! Yes, I'd stack up on the seaweeds and I do not believe that small amounts of your homemade coleslaw will harm you. You can, if you like, work from the list of goitrogenic foods and eliminate those that are only neutral for you. There are no hard and fast rules there, but sometimes it helps to *feel* better about one's choices, so that's why I suggest sticking to the beneficials from that list if you find you're more comfortable with them. What I would like to emphasize is a really good stress-relief program, for alleviation of the thyroid difficulties. Try that Meditation as Medicine book I'm always on about! :-) and let me know your thoughts on it! :-)








Hello, I am type "O" positive snd have Hashimotos Thyroiditis. I have been taking Synthroid or Levothyroxine since age 12. I am curruntly taking .88 mg Synthroid daily. As a youth I never noticed any symptoms, but for the past 2 years I have been experiencing discomfort in my neck and lately the pressure seems to cause lightheadedness and I get a little anxious. I am usually a patient and calm person, so this doesn't feel like "me". I get worried because the doctor I see doesn't have an answer, he told me to try malox for possible acid reflux. That didn't help. The specialist I saw last year said it was inflammation and told me to take ibuprofen for 6 weeks. I did that and it may have felt a bit better, but it was no real help. I have no real leads to a cure except this diet as well as prayer, attitude improvements and excercise changes. I am not good at following the diet precisely but I have been trying for the past 4 months. When I am very strict with the diet my sinuses, which are usually slightly stuffy, are clearer that ever, so I know it is working. I have also been diagnosed with slight asthma that occured within the last 6 months and had an allergy blood test that showed a dust allergy. Have you ever known any case like mine and do you have any recommendations for relief for the pressure in my neck. Some days it feels better that others but I can't find a pattern. I am only 27 years old and I don't want to live with this problem for much longer. I am hoping and praying for a complete cure, but will be happy with any improvement. I've read about healix, do you think it would help? Thanks for your time and the care and concern you show in your column. Sincerely, Marian from California



Hi, Marian! Take a peek at what I just wrote to Don, above. I suspect you are a nonsecretor, and I suggest you pick up the book Live Right 4 Your Type and follow the nonsecretor diet and exercise plan very strictly for one month. While you are doing this, see your doctor at the beginning and end of that month, because you may find your synthroid dosages need adjustment. Any chance of finding a naturopath ~ maybe in Oregon, you're not prohibitively far from there? I would like someone with solid professional experience in complementary medicine to advise you, because I get the impression your physician is not as up-to-the-minute with such things as I would like. The O plan, including diet, exercise and stress-relief, WILL make major improvements in your condition! but because you're on synthroid, those dosages need to be monitored and adjusted downward while you improve! and perhaps switched over to Armour, instead? :-) Heallix is good for many things ~ if there is any bacterial or viral involvement, it would certainly help with the short-term neck discomfort, but do pursue the long-term diet plan, and get a copy of the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia for specific supplementation protocols you might follow once you're solidly on the diet. My prayers go out to you, dear! You will surely heal, and every little improvement along the way will make all your troubles and all your efforts to help yourself well worthwhile. Keep in touch! thanks, dear!! :-)








Dear Heidi, I hope you can advise. Last mid-Dec.2001, my front upper gums started to feel funny. Over Christmas I noticed they were shrinking. I got into my dentist after NY and he said they looked fine, actually better or firmer than my last check-up, Aug.2001. Since then they have been receding, they do not bleed but at times they ache. I am a mouth breather at night and find if I eat too much wheat during the day I am stuffy at night. I also have TMJ on my right jaw. I am Type 0+ and have been following blood type diet for about 3 years. I take Quest B complex, at the moment NOW bone calcium (although I have taken Quest calcium and Floradix liquid cal-mag). In the morning I make a shake of Transform (from Greens+)1 Tbsp of flax oil, 1 Tbsp.of molasses. I have read Peter's question about receding gums and took 1 bottle of Coq10. I did the folic acid capsule rinse for a while and then just finished the bottle orally. I usually have about 6 stewed prunes every morning, and I was eating 1/2 grapefruit through the winter most mornings. I find if I eat too many eggs in the week my gums seem to ache. I had the Natural healing Encyclopedia from the library and just reviewed what it said about proper brushing. I think I get enough Vit.c and calcium but worry with not drinking milk any more that maybe I'm not absorbing properly. My mother did have gingivitis in her early 20's and has had dentures for ages. I don't want to go that route, since i've always looked after my teeth. thanks for your help if you can give me any other possible suggestions. (I am thinking about finding another dentist for one!)jayne



Hey there, Jayne ~ don't worry about not drinking milk, as we Os are ill-suited to absorb the calcium in it. You're not missing anything there. Hey, a different dentist might be all you need! :-) In the meantime, this just in:



Hi, Heidi, The blood type diet has been absolutely wonderful for me. I am an O+ secretor. Thought you might want to let the woman from India know that selenium does wonders for teeth and gums. After 3 or 4 years of avoiding wheat, corn, and potatoes and also taking selenium, I have totally reversed my gum problems (at the age of 64!!!!) Keep up your great work. Dorothy



How about that for a timely message? Try supplementing with selenium. Peter's Phytocal-O contains 20 mcg. At high doses (around 800 to 1,000 micrograms per day), selenium can cause tissue damage, so look at all your supps and make sure your total intake per day doesn't go above 200-300 mcg. When your gum troubles are alleviated, slowly reduce the selenium dosages until you have found a good maintenance level for yourself. Thanks for writing, Jayne, and let me know how you do! :-)








Heidi, You referred someone to the LR4YT updates page recently and it states that if you are on Tier One diet that anything listed as avoid in Tier Two can be considered neutral. Tier Two avoids for type O include Goose egg, Whey, Poppy seeds, Plantain, Potatoes, Evening Primrose oil, Tea etc. Does this mean that if I am happy with the Tier One diet I can include these? Keep up the good work. Regards, William.



You bet, William! If you're hale & hearty on the Tier One list, dig right into Tier Two as neutrals. Hey, don't eat them all at one meal, OK? and if you notice any trouble cropping up (like creaky knees from those potatoes), just pop that back off the list. enjoy! and thanks for your encouragement! :-D








on the 'O' diet I noticed some contradicting info in the big book as compared to the paperback, individual 'O' 'Eat Right 4 Your Type' diet book. In the big book, it showed mustard as neutral, strawberries and cinnamon as avoid. While in the small, individual food list it showed mustard as avoid and strawberries and cinnamon as avoid. I know the individual book was printed later. Had the info been reinvestigated and reinterpreted at the later date? Should I go by the later dated small book info or the original big book info? Which is correct?! Also, in the individual, small book on page 28 it showed pumpkin as being a beneficial food and then showed squash, pumpkin as an avoid food. Can you clarify? Do you have any suggestions for an 'O' type like myself for acne treatment. I am 50 years old and still suffer from it since adolescence. I still have oily skin and breakout easily even with cysts. Iodine (seafood, sea salt, etc.) and oil ingestion seem to play a role in outbreaks. Thanks so much, in advance, for your input. wendy



I previously incorrectly submitted my question, so I will now rephrase it, about a contradiction in the encyclopedia which listed for my 'O' type diet that mustard was neutral and strawberries and cinnamon are avoids. While in the small, individual food list which was printed at a later date, it showed mustard as avoid and strawberries and cinnamon as neutral. Which is correct?



Hi, Wendy! About which book to follow: just check the bottom of this page, your answers are there! Note: in the little O-book, both dry mustard (under spices) and prepared mustard (under condiments) are neutrals. On page 31, where the vegetable avoids are, I don't see "squash, pumpkin" -- Does your book say something different? Please let me know, OK? This may be a case where your book is faulty and should be returned for a new one! I hope this helps, and thanks for writing, Wendy! :-)








Hi there I am a vegetarian with a blood type O. I am finding it hard to modify my diet as O's are the meat eaters HELP -- Thanx Estelle



Hi there, Estelle! Take it at your own pace. Start by using all the beneficial foods in the categories you are willing to eat, and avoiding the "avoid" foods. Take a daily dose of coleus forskohlii. Then, give it time and see how things go. Read over the "Newbies" link at the top of the home page (www.dadamo.com). Enter the search term "vegetarian" at the bottom of this page, and read through a column or two of those hits at your leisure. If you find, somewhere down the line, that you are ready to add fish, go ahead and do so. Let the diet come to you, and give yourself space to allow your body to advise you on how to proceed. Drop me a note on your findings, and I hope to hear from you soon! :-)








Dear Heidi, I would like to thank you so much for this column, I read it first thing in the morning everyday!!!it's great, very valuable information for me, I have benefited alot! On October 7/02 your responded to a woman who is TYPE A and would like to lose weight, you suggested a Chicken soup, a smoothie for breakfast and salad dressing recipies. Would these suggested recipies benefit TYPE O, please advise. Thank you once again for all your hard work and valuable information. Rose



Sure would! I'd say turkey, beneficial fish or red meat prepared similarly would be even better for us, but that soup recipe is a good place to start, and using chicken is fine, too! Here's that column for quick reference, and I'm glad you liked it, Rose! and thank you for your sweetness!! ~:-D








My D.O. recommends the blood type diet highly. He believes that for type Os, "saturated fat is our fuel." Do you believe that this is correct? He also says that the high saturated fat content is the main reason to eat red meat, and I wonder if you think he is correct about that also. (It can't be the amino acid content. Does it involve better mineral absorption from red meat?) I know that coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernal oil and cocoa butter are high in saturated fat. Type Os don't do well with coconut, though. Would palm oil, palm kernal oil and/or cocoa butter (chocolate is neutral for Type Os) be good for, or neutral for Type Os? Thanks very much! Laura



Well, you're fortunate in your D.O.! Mind posting his name? :-) Red meat contains lots of beneficial things for type Os, but a high saturated fat content is not foremost among them. On the other hand, a balance of the fats and proteins is probably what makes it so readily digestible for us. One of the great effects of our higher protein diet is its stimulation of our mineral-absorption enzymes.



We don't have a rating for cocoa butter. Palm kernel oil was considered an avoid when this diet first got started, so I'd leave that one there ~ palm oil was discussed in Peter's Ask Dr. D'Adamo column and in one of mine (search either page for the term "palm"), and while the jury's out, I personally will stick with the beneficial and neutral oils that are listed. I hope this info helps, and thank you for writing, Laura! :-)








New type O dieter, following food plan mainly for weight loss. Am following diet to the 'T' EXCEPT for 2 morning cups of coffee with 1/2 & 1/2 added. Would this alone prevent me from losing weight? Expected to see immediate weight loss with this plan. None in 2 1/2 weeks. Thanks Jane



Hey there, Jane! I don't think that amount of coffee and dairy would preclude weight loss, but is it possible your diet proportions are leaning a little heavily on the grain/bean/dairy side and a little light on the meat/veg/fruit/nut/seeds? The portion/frequency tables in LR4YT contain all the info you need. Also, how is the exercise (fully 1/2 of the plan for weight loss) going? Not knowing more, I'm not sure how I can help further ~ so write back with more details, and we'll give it a go! :-)








1. What is the value of knowing whether you are a secretor or not? I can't find out why it would effect my food selections. 2. I am a type O and it says in the BTD to avoid oatmeal, but the recipe book uses it in a Granola recipe which says it is OK for O's? Why? The food list says it is neutral in the condensed booklet and avoid in the ER4YT (or vice versa). What do I do? 3. Barley is neutral in ER4YT, but the booklet, food, bev & Suppl list for Blook Type O (2000) say barley is an avoid? Which do I believe? Thank s for you help with this. Also what do we do about foods that are from other cultures, chinese herbs, etc. How do I know what is beneficial or neutral for O and what is an avoid? Marion



Hello, Marion! Look to the left on this page. You'll see a link called "Knowledge Base." Click on that, and you'll see a list of links ~ choose "Secretors and Nonsecretors." Live Right 4 Your Type has loads of ways in which to benefit from knowing your status, including separate food lists for each type, divided along secretor lines. Ah, oatmeal... ;-) and barley. Use the latest book for food values (look at the next paragraph). You'll run into lots of foods for which we have no listing. They can be considered neutral, unless you are trying to lose weight or resolve a health complaint. thanks for writing, Marion! and I hope you enjoy the diet! :-)









Posted in On The Diet

Type B Roundup ~ #3 !

August 5th, 2000 , by admin



Hello there again Heidi My wife and me have very successfully followed The Diet since May this year. Substantial weightlosses and tons of energy are the results so far. My wife (39 years, B non-secretor) and me (37 years, O secretor) just started IVF treatment in order for her to become pregnant. We need IVF because my wifes Fallopian Tubes are clogged. Our past IVF history is 3 attempts: first - successful - a wonderful boy, second - not pregnant, third - pregnant but aborted after a few weeks. In all three attempts she has produced lots of high quality egg cells which all have been fertilized. In every attemt 2 fertilized egg cells have been put back. Today she took her first shot of Gonal-F. Is there anything special in the way of things to eat/drink/supplements you suggest to take or to avoid? Best regards from Norway ~ Geir



Hey there, Geir ~ I wish I could offer more specific help, but just sticking to her diet and exercise plan is the best thing I can tell her. I've mentioned maca root in the past ~ it's from a South American plant, and does great things for hormonal difficulties of all kinds (and both sexes). If you can get it there, let her take two tablespoons per day in juice or a smoothie. Is she getting plenty of soaked, ground flaxseed? and other good-oil foods? and dark green veg? and beneficial meats & dairy? In a month or so, the new ER4YBaby books should be out, and I may have more recommendations for you then ~ dear Geir, I do wish you both the best of luck, and hope to hear y'all are pregnant soon! :-D








I have been on a high protein and complex carb diet for 3 years. I have been on the blood type diet for 2 months(b+)..I still suffer from a severe drop in energy after meals, especially lunch..Licorice tea is recommended after meals in the book..I have been doing this but I still have very low enegy(could fall asleep anywhere)after lunch..I have eliminated practically all sugars and it still persists do you have any suggestions thank you -- michael



Hi, michael ~ Hey, how's your stress level? The best cure for low energy levels is regular, appropriate exercise ~ it "evens out" everything, and does great work in promoting a healthy metabolism. The reason you're tired after lunch may be you need a better balance of protein, carbs and fat in that meal. Experiment with it ~ see if your usual midday meal is a little carb-heavy or contains no carbs at all. Either one could compromise your get-up-and-go. And do get a tablespoon or two of fats with the meal.



Peter has talked about the benefits of vegetable glycerine as a sweetener (or a medical treatment!) for hypoglycemia, especially for nonsecretors. The great thing about it is, it helps keep the sugar metabolism balancing itself. And I hope you're getting plenty of protein at breakfast ~ it's really needed there, and effects of a small, poor, or no-breakfast can show up immediately after lunch. Let me know how you do, OK? :-)








I am having trouble understand what kind of flour I can have and what I can not have. I am a Type B and I wanted to know if I can have basic white flour that you buy at the store. On the flour package it states that it is wheat flour that is bleach, and whole wheat flour, bulgar wheat and Durum wheat flour is out for B's, but White flour is in my Neutral foods. Please help me know which one is right. Thanks Brandi



Hello, Brandi! Just go to the front page (www.dadamo.com), scroll down the center column, and click on "TYPEbase 3." In the search box, type "wheat" and hit the search button (the enter key does not work on this page). You'll see a list of all the wheat products we have listed, and the updated status for each one. Hope this makes shopping a little easier! :-)










Hi! I read your column almost daily and find it highly informative. My question is regarding the NAP products versus New Chapter's "D'Adamo 4 Your Type" products. Is one to be preferred over the other? I have been using the New Chapter products for my multiple, daily herbs and probiotics (and like them a lot). However, would I expect to get BETTER results from the North American Pharmacal products? By the way I am type B and have been finding the Cortiguard to be most helpful with my generalized anxiety disorder. I have also been using Nitricycle hoping it will help with some brain fog problems. Is this a correct use for this product? Thank you--Wendy



Hi, Wendy! The New Chapter products were great! but the revamped NAP products here are a bit better in a number of ways. They are designed for secretors AND nonsecretors, for one thing. I think Cortiguard is a brilliant compound, and I'm glad you're happy with the results there. Nitricycle should do good things for the brain fog, too. By the way, the types of exercise recommended for Bs, especially those based on the martial arts such as Qigong and Tai Chi, do remarkable things for mental clarity ~ so that's my customary pitch for exercise! Without it, we miss out on the quality of experience it fosters in us... so I hope you can keep a regular schedule of activity going, for all the benefits it confers! :-)










I am type B and am getting very interested in following diet. i had some hair loss plus also weight increase some years ago. do you think that my over consumption of bread pasta rice and potatoes is not helping the situation? also i eat no meat, or fish and very littl e chicken.what do you suggest ??thanks carol



Greetings, carol! Live Right 4 Your Type would be a huge help to you right now, since it contains food lists AND recommended portions and frequencies for each food group. Not to mention all the lifestyle tips & tricks found absolutely nowhere else! Get a start on it, and write back if you have more questions about the diet! One of the most frequent reports I get from people is, "I started this plan to lose weight ~ then, I noticed my hair growing in, and my skin tags disappearing, and my eyesight improving! What's going on??!" ~;-D Sorry! you've got to take the good with the good, with these plans :-) Seriously, carol, I think you'll be pleased with your results ~ some of which you might not even be seeking right now! :-D








I am a B+ blood group member. I'm trying to find a site, or something, which will list the foods that I should avoid. I was told by a former gym instructor of mine some foods to avoid (including wheat and peanuts). When I did this, my body fat reduced, and I felt less bloated, but I want a more complete list. I also want to find out which foods will increase my motabolism (I know that red meat and green vegetables are good for this), and which foods will help with weight training ie, to help put lean mass on. I hope to hear from you soon if you can help. Danny, Australia



Hi, Danny ~ To find all your avoids, use the book Live Right 4 Your Type, then read the Updates Page and make note of those changes in your book. TYPEbase 3 is a great reference for questions on single food items! Red meat and green vegetables for boosting metabolism ~ yes! but not all kinds of red meat and veg are good for you, and that's where the blood type diets make a big difference. To give you a head start: along with wheat and peanuts, corn, chicken and tomatoes are three biggie avoids for Bs. Hope your training is successful! and thanks for writing!! :-)










Hi there! Thank you for having this forum. I'm new to the diet. And am devoted to giving this 100% effort for a few months to see what kind of results I'll have. I'm B+ . 3 years ago, after my 3rd child, I was diagnosed with Hashimotos. I gained 30 lbs. I'm being treated, though right now the levels are unstable. I'm also anemic. I've been anemic most of the last 15 years(I'm a whole 29 years now). I was doing fine this past year, but this summer had extreme blood loss due to a late miscarriage, and the battle commences once again. And then a second miscarriage this October. Recently my brother passed away due to complications with MS, and as a sibling, I'm concerned for myself as well. I want to get my 3 kids typed, but the Dr. isn't receptive to doing it. I figured finding out what my husband is would be simple, his monther is O- but is father is AB+ . I'm hoping this change of eating styles will help me. But am wondering if there is something more I should be doing. Thank you :) Noella





Hey there, Noella ~ The diet will indeed get the healing process moving along for you. First, let's start some blood building by including those beneficial meats and dark green leaf vegetables in your diet every day. They are potent medicine for you! Second, increase your greens intake with some wheat grass or barley grass in a drink or smoothie, daily. Third, get a magnesium supplement and take it daily. Every week, up the dosage. Once you notice your bowels loosening, cut back on the magnesium and keep it at that level for a few months ~ as time goes on, you should be able to get adequate magnesium from the greens and seaweeds on the diet alone. Next, pick up the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia, online here or at your local bookstore. It has specific protocols for Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and I am sure they will help you get off the medications. And order some blood typing kits ~ they're simple to use, highly reliable, and a whole lot cheaper than asking your doctor to do it. The hospital where they were born should have their blood type on their records, so you could look into that option before purchasing the testing kits. Your husband will either turn out type A or type B ~ I hope for the latter, just because cooking's so much easier with at least two of the same type in the house! :-) Hey! 100% effort ALWAYS pays off, so I'm really looking forward to hearing your progress report in a little while! thanks so much for writing, Noella!! :-D











Posted in On The Diet

Type A Roundup ~ #3

August 4th, 2000 , by admin







Hello from a fellow opera singer! I am confused by Dr D'Adamo's words from the FAQ "I am aware that many practitioners use food combining as part of their dietary recommendations. I do not, simply because the blood type diets do specifically what food combining attempts to do non-specifically." This contradicts a passage in the Type A prescription (p. 181 UK edition, LR4YT) where he says: "In addition, be attentive to food combining. You'll digest and metabolise foods more efficiently if you avoid eating starches and proteins at the same meal." I am just starting the diet for the second time. My first attempt was two years ago, and although I was committed and thoroughly enjoyed the diet, I believe I added too many neutral foods, certainly did not use food combining, and failed to lose weight! I developed a severe bout of bronchitis and asthma, which sapped my motivation, and I gave up the diet while travelling. Now I wish I had persevered, having read that results can take anything from 6 months to a year. I am certainly a hardened case, as far as former mistreatment of my body is concerned!! I am now trying the Tier Two Diet with more or less exclusively HB foods. The food-combining question worries me because beans are a natural mis-combination as would be a meal of tofu, vegetables and rice noodles, for example. I have also started a severe chest cold after the first three days of only eating HB foods. Is there any way I could be releasing "toxins"? I FEEL right eating in this way. But I need to be free from respiratory tract infections too!



I have another, more specific question.....I'm living in Switzerland (though from Devon in England) and can't find all the A-friendly beans. There are "Borlotti" beans in their millions, however. Could these be, hopefully, Highly Beneficial, as well as Highly Obtainable?? Thanks! Dawn





Hi there, Dawn ~



Hey, I'm sorry you've had a little setback on the diet ~ don't worry a bit, you can be back on it tomorrow! I definitely believe that what you're going through is mucus release! Get religious about your morning cup of hot water with the juice of half a lemon; it does a great job of getting rid of the gunk, and can get the voice going even in less than optimal circumstances. I'd pack quercetin and green tea on all your trips ~ quercetin staved off more than one major bronchitis episode for me (eat it like candy if you feel something coming on), and green tea not only boosts immunity, but aids in weight loss as well. The classical singer's profession is extraordinarily demanding, but maintaining your voice in peak form through all the travelling and the performance demands will be made FAR easier through a strict adherence to your diet. Just what you wanted to hear for the 1000th time in your life: "discipline," eh? :->



The first thing I'll say about the food combining issue is: because you desire weight loss, stick to the Beneficial foods in the proportions and frequencies outlined in Live Right 4 Your Type. Fill up on bennie veggies and fruits at every opportunity. Rice, buckwheat, oats, rye, sprouted flour products and amaranth should be your only grains ~ and limit them to one serving per day.



From there, food combining (or "food separation") becomes a breeze. Eat fish, fowl, beans, nuts and eggs with vegetables only - no grain. Eat the beneficial grains with vegetables only ~ no high-protein sources. Specifically, string beans can count as a veg, but the other beans (the pulses/legumes normally dried before packaging) should be mentally placed in the high-protein category. Have fruit by itself, as a snack or morning meal. Flax oil, olive oil and walnut oil are the beneficials in the fats category ~ one serving per day. If you use this simple version of food combining, and eat four to six small meals per day instead of two or three big ones, you'll soon see the weight coming off!



I'm sure I don't need to mention the importance of water to a singer, so I'll omit that piece of advice. :-D But one major hazard you face that most folks don't is the eating-late-at-night business. If you are like me, you probably have little appetite during the day, then you relax and eat the house down after the performance ~ at 10:30 or 11:00 at night. Hoo, boy. If you do have this common pattern of eating, it's a hard one to break ~ unless you use that small meals rule, which truly will help enormously. It is very useful to the weight-loss seeker to eat more in the morning, less from noon to six, and little after that time. If you can, have a good breakfast, and snack intermittently as your appetite permits. When you come offstage for the last time in the evening, dig into some fruit salad. It is great for soothing the system, and will fill your need for food without tipping the day's meal proportions too heavily, too close to bedtime.



I hope these tips help, Dawn ~ and I'd love to hear you sing someday! Please keep in touch, OK? :-D








I have been on and off the type A diet for over a year and have experienced many great changes. I have only one majore problem, I can not eat made from soya. I'm 55 and would like to enjoy the benifits of soya with out the bloating and digestive problems. I have experimented with digestive enzymes and only have experienced miner results when I have eaten soya. Could I be allergic to soya or is there something else I could do? Jann



Hello, Jann! Did you try some gentian ~ say, 20 drops in a small glass of warm water before meals? Test this with very small amounts of soy, and do so for a full week. If at the end of that time, you are still experiencing bloating, I'd do the same experiment with other forms of soy, like tempeh or miso ~ again, in very small amounts. In the period of a week or two, you should see your digestion of soy improve to the point where the bloating no longer occurs. If it continues, I'd continue with the diet but eliminate soy for six months, then do the same test again. The A diet has multiple levels of health-enhancing elements, so don't feel you are missing the benefits if it turns out soy is not the food for you! Please write back and let me know how you do with this! :-)








Heidi, I am type A and have emailed you recently. You used my question in your daily letters. It really helped me a lot and gave me great suggestions about The Pain Control book, and I did purchase both of his books. They will help so much I am sure as soon as I can get started using his information. I also told you I had stopped diet cokes. Well, today has been 2 weeks!!!! and not even a sip!! I drink green tea sweetened with stevia. My question is how much green tea is too much, and also how much Ezekiel bread a day is too much if I am trying to lose weight? Are there any of the beneficial foods that I should also limit for optimum weight loss, ot should I just follow the portion guides? For many health reasons, and for many other reasons, I am desperate to lose 50 more pounds. I am 4'11" and now weigh 180. My body fat percent is 42. I have tiny bones, and was a 6 month baby with a twin that did not live. That was 51 years ago and for me to even survive was a miracle. I have fibromyalgia, lupus, bi-polar, hypothyroidism, and had pancreatitis twice in the last year. I have been a very sick puppy! I am determined not to give up. I help manage my mothers health food store, and am RN, but do not nurse anymore. I have access to lots of herbs and supplements, but am trying to be careful about what is safe for lupus, etc. Any extra info you have would be greatly appreciated. I purchased the Cook Right, Live right, Encyclopedia and am ordering the eat right book also. I am very serious about this and am so glad my friend told ms about this diet. Thanks again. Annie



Hi, Annie! Hey, you're doing GREAT with kicking the diet cokes!!! For green tea, I'd say three cups per day is about the limit. In Live Right, you'll see a total grains daily frequency of about once per day ~ and if you can stick to the beneficial foods in every category, while following those portion/frequency guides AND the mild exercise (Especially Yoga!!) recommended, you'll see wonderful results in no time. The Encyclopedia has great information on how to heal from the difficulties you've been through. Hang in there, dear, and be VERY, VERY kind to yourself, OK? I want a big report from you on the First of March. I'll be looking for it! thanks for writing, Annie!! :-D








My husband has blood type A. He loves humus, made with chick peas. I did not find this particular bean in the Eat Right For Your Type book. Can you please tell me if it's good for him? Thank you in advance. Roza



Hello, Roza! It is listed in Eat Right as "beans, garbanzo," and I'm sorry to say it is an avoid for him. When in doubt, remember to check the front page of this website (www.dadamo.com) for the TYPEbase3 link. There, you can search for any single food ~ just hit the "search" button, as the enter key does not work on that page. If you make your own hummus at home, just substitute a neutral or beneficial bean for chickpeas ~ black beans make wonderful hummus! Thanks for writing! :-D








Hello! I have been surching the database for facts about Chronic Fatigue Syndrom and blood type A (A Rh+), without success though (everything concerning CFS seams to relate to blood type B). Do you have any suggestions concerning the diet or vitamin- and mineral supplements? I read in dr D'Adamos book about his idea of a liver disfunction. Have tried several cures for the liver, but without success. For years I have been following the diet for type A, even before reading the book about blood types (with the exception of potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and chickpeas which now are excluded!). I would be very grateful! Best wishes, Ariann



Hello, Ariann ~ I'm sorry you're struggling with CFS! The basic type A diet is the first step. If you can, get your secretor status either through the saliva test available in our online Store here, or through a test for Lewis type (a blood test), which closely correlates with secretor status ~ and use the diet and lifestyle recommendations in Live Right 4 Your Type. One of those recommendations is to use a powerful meditation practice ~ I've talked a lot about Transcendental Meditation, which has reams of research supporting its effectiveness, and I highly recommend the book Meditation as Medicine by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa and Cameron Stauth ~ deep stress relief is a potent healer of CFS. Third, there are protocols for supplementation in the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia ~ designed specifically for each type, with or without secretor status. Please let me know if you need help understanding or following any of this, and I will try my best to make the process easier! Best to you, Ariann! :-)








I am Blood type A. I am also a vegetarian and teach weightlifting classes and yoga. I recently started taking MCT oil for energy which does give me good energy, but I think the source is coconut... Is this still okay to take. Also is avocado okay for type A? Linda



Hi, Linda ~ Avocado is listed in TYPEbase3, but I'm not familiar with MCT oil. Could you tell me more about it? I'd usually suggest using something like black currant seed oil, flaxseed and olive oils for energy instead. Probably quite a bit cheaper in the long run, as well. Sounds like you're in great shape and enjoying your work! thanks for your note, dear!








I am blood type A and following the diet - however I am totally confused about whether or not I can eat bread and if so what kind!! The book says that type A generally does well on cereals and grains and suggests whole grains. However, it does say to avoid plain flour and self raising flour etc and also wholewheat flour - can I therefore eat malted bread or wholemeal bread? There are so many different types of bread around that I get mixed up!! I presume that plain white bread is out of the question but I am confused!!! Can you clarify for me please!!! And also I do not know what durum wheat/flour is? Many thanks Julie



Sure, you can eat bread! You type As do better on grains than without them! (I'm kinda jealous, but I'll get over it. :-)) But the kinds of grain and the portions do count. Plain white bread is not the best for your colon health, and it has little in the way of nutrition. Whole grains are best: RYE is wonderful, as is rice bread, oat, amaranth, and lots of others in the beneficial and neutral categories. Durum wheat is the hard wheat used in most wheat breads, whether wholemeal or plain. Try to limit yourself to one serving of grain per day ~ inclusive of all grain ~ for instance: whatever rice or other whole grain you might have in the day, pasta, and the bread. Do an internet search for bread recipes ~ you'll find them in the thousands. Sourdough bread is a great variety. The MOST important part of the A diet is VEGETABLES, of course, and one of the big challenges is to include more veg and fruit in the meal plan ~ but it certainly makes it easier when limiting oneself to that one serving of grain. I hope this helps!! :-)








Howdy Heidi, I'm another A with arthritis pain. I tried making that marvelous chicken broth with dissolved bones you wrote about. I have a nice broth, but I'm not sure I got bone minerals in it. When I took the chicken out of the oven after 3 hours, all of the joints weren't completely released. Maybe that's where I goofed; I could have left the chicken in for another hour maybe. Except the onions were starting to brown. As it was, even after cooking it in a pot for ages the bones never really got to a crumbly stage. My main question is, assuming I cook the chicken long enough in the over for all the joints to be loose, can I use a pressure cooker for the next step, instead of having a pot on the stove for several hours? love the column, blue



Hi, blue! A small roaster (three to five pounds) takes only about five hours in the broth-making part of the process. I add a bit of lemon juice for the last hour, which dissolves the bones further, but you don't need to do that to get the benefits. The joints don't need to be totally falling off ~ by then, the bird may be overcooked ~ Your broth was perfectly good! For a larger bird, I leave it brewing on the stove for about eight hours. I've never used a pressure cooker for this purpose ~ hmmm, I'd advise using a stock-pot on simmer instead. You can put the bones in the freezer until you're ready to make stock ~ then just leave it on all day, or put it on just before bedtime and let it simmer overnight. Whether you add lemon in the last hour or not, you'll get a marvelous broth that should help with that arthritis! Thanks for your kind words, and keep cooking! :-D











Posted in On The Diet

Type O Roundup ~ #3 ! (and a special note)

August 3rd, 2000 , by admin





Hi Heidi -- On Townsend letter for Doctors and Patients October 2002, there is an anoucement of a new website by George Mateljan, creator of Health Valley Foods: (WWW.whfoods.com) It's called the world healthiest foods website. Check it out. Very useful for folks on the go. Ken

Whoo hoo! Nice place!! Things DO change for the better, eh? thanks for that note, Ken!




I am a O+ who is confused. In Cook Right 4 your type Leeks are recomended as being Highly Benificial for type O's yet in Live Right 4 Your type and web data base Leeks are on the Avoid for type O's. Could you please advise which is correct and why? Thank you and have an awesome day:) Donna

Hey there, Donna! See the bottom of this page ~ it explains which food lists are correct. Also, take a look at the Updates Page! :-)




My husband and I are Blood Type "O", and both are taking medicine for high blood pressure. We also have slightly high cholesterol. I've noted some disparities between the Book "Eat Right 4 Your Type" and the Supplement "List for Blood Type O". Which is correct? (X=Book, Y=Supplement): Barley -- X = Neutral, Y = Avoid Ezekial Bread -- X = Highly Beneficial, Y = Neutral Apple Cider -- X = Avoid, Y = Neutral Apple Cider Vinegar -- X = Avoid, Y = Neutral Pinto Beans -- X = Highly Beneficial, Y = Avoid Sunflower Seeds and Chestnuts -- X= Neutral, Y = Avoid Beer -- X = Neutral, Y = Not Recommended White Wine -- X= Neutral, Y= Avoid Cucumber -- X= Neutral, Y= Avoid Leek -- X= Highly Beneficial, Y = Avoid Eggplant -- X= Avoid, Y = Neutral Brussels Sprouts, all cabbage, cabbage juice and sauerkraut -- X= Avoid, Y = Neutral

I have a degree in foods and nutrition, and I find this concept fascinating. However, there are some things I don't understand about the diet, and would like your assistance. 1. Butter is an animal fat, and high in cholesterol. Why is it neutral? 2. Mozzarella cheese -- The package label indicates the same ingredients and milk type as any other cheese. Yet, Mozzarella cheese is neutral, while the others are to be avoided. Why? 3. Are Soy Yogurt and Soy Ice Cream o.k.? They are not listed in the books. 4. Avocado -- Since it is a vegetable oil, why should it be avoided? Also, Avocado has "good" cholesterol, while butter has saturated fat. This seems paradoxical. 5. Liver is high in cholesterol. Why is this highly beneficial? 6. If white wine is neutral, then why is white balsamic vinegar to be avoided? 7. Can you give an opinion of the characteristics of "Smart Beat" Margerine, Fat Free cheese slices, and Fat Free mayonnaise. Thank you very much for your courtesy and reply. Pauline

Hi, Pauline! welcome! In answer to your first paragraph, please read the paragraphs at the bottom of this page (I'm including them at the end of my columns now, for everyone's reference!). About serum cholesterol: 90% of it is produced in the liver, and only 10% can be traced to cholesterol in the diet. Type O cholesterol rises with wheat ingestion, and falls with animal flesh/fat ingestion -- quite different from the type A response. That's one of the reasons we have four modifiable diet plans ~ folks with varying physiologies can't all prosper on the same diet. On the subject of those commercial products you mentioned, I don't know the ingredients so I can't comment. However, ghee (clarified butter) is an active healer of the digestive tract (for ALL types), tastes and cooks just like butter, and takes only 15 minutes to make. Fresh cheeses from reputable sources will always be healthier choices than any highly-processed item counting for sales on the fat-free craze. I've never heard of white balsamic vinegar... sounds neat, could you tell me more about it?I guess what you're facing is a bit of a paradigm shift! ;-) Many of the seeming-paradoxes can be unwound by a careful read of Live Right 4 Your Type -- and of course, the hundreds of columns written by Peter, Bron & me on this site can be searched or perused for particular questions. Additionally, as a professional you might be especially interested in the Science section of the main page. I hope you and your clients prosper from all the knowledge! thanks for writing! :-)




Hi! I e-mailed you earlier this month with questions concerning certain spices, and discrepencies between BTD and the web page. Unfortunately I have not been answered yet. I was also wondering whether types O and B can have rice bran oil. Thank you. Sara

Dear Sara ~ Please see the bottom of this page. Items not listed in TYPEbase3 may be considered neutral for people with no health difficulties including overweight. I've searched my emails, but have not received one from you. Which address did you send it to? thanks, dear! :-)




Hello Heidi. I read your column almost every day. I hope you can help me. I am a 63-year- old Type O Secretor, and have followed the BTD successfully for several years. I found the elimination of dairy and wheat to be the best thing I have ever done for my health. Several months ago, I developed an itchy, pustular rash that began around my ankles and lower legs and soon covered most of my body. At first I thought it was poison oak that became systemic. It began to clear up, and I thought it was going to go away, but it didn't. I still have it, mostly on my lower legs where it began, and still some on my arms. It comes and goes. Recently I had the doctor do a biopsy on one of the tiny blisters. The results came back consistent with atopic dermatitis (eczema). I have never had allergies to anything I know of or a skin problem of any kind other than some mild adolescent acne many years ago. I am mystified, especially in light of my improved diet and health, and mostly following the diet for my blood type. I take Type O probiotic daily (have for years), ARA 6, Phytocal O, Type O multiple, flaxseed, eat lots of raw fruit and veggies, meat, fish and fish oils, poultry, not many grains. What else should I be doing? Could this problem be diet/food related? The doctor says no, they don't know what causes it, and had no suggestions for me other than keeping the skin well hydrated with topical creams, including cortizone for the itching. She said it could become chronic and that I might have it off and on with flare-ups for years. Help!Nancy

Nancy, you are only the second person I know who's had that exact same problem. She's also type O. She nearly drove herself nuts trying to find the cause, but she did! (and I hope you're about to benefit from her hard work!) By a long series of experiments, she found out that it was the flaxseed causing the horrible rashes and itching. Get this: she never experienced this problem from flax oil -- only from the seed. So, I'd quit the flax immediately and see if your rash disappears. I'm not surprised by your doctor's conclusion that diet would have nothing to do with it. ;-) Let me know what happens, OK?

====================================================

Dear Heidi, Namaste! I'm a 50 year old woman, type O, secretor-type unknown. For 35 years, I've been mostly vegetarian, a few years pure veg, a couple years on fish, alternating. After reading BTD, I understood why I could not stay longer on the veg diet and would become sick, weak and craving fish. I tried the elimination-rotation diet and found many of the Type O Avoids that apply to me. Here's the problem: Five years ago, I moved to India where potatoes are the base of all meals. There is zero animal flesh eaten among the majority of the population. Meals are very low fat except for the dairy from cows or buffalo, and I could not avoid eating every wrong thing for me. Although I have remedied the situation during the last year, so that I can now eat fish fairly regularly, I am very concerned about healing myself. Wrong foods and emotional stress have almost ruined my system. I see myself aging fast. I am mostly sedentary and have become skinny. My teeth have started to abscess (I lost one in June, another is starting to get serious) and when I eat something wrong, not only do I lose focus on my tasks, but I get almost suicidally depressed. I get sick fast and get well slow. In desperation I came on the web to find answers and your website and database are a godsend, especially the updated Type lists so I can check every vegetable and fruit. Each time I have been able to eat fish regularly, my strength and energy becomes so much more vibrant that my body insists to get up and exercise, but one or two wrong foods and I get blown out crying and angry. This is socially dangerous as well as physically unhealthy. People think I am psychotic and between losing my teeth and the depression, I fear for myself. Please, other than dosing up on "my" fish and serious Avoidance of every common staple food here, what can and should I do to heal my teeth and nervous system, FAST? Are there ayurvedic or homeopathic remedies you can recommend, or is there any warning about those medicines? One more note is that although I gladly eat fish (whether ocean or Ganges river), I do Not want to eat land animals. Even here where the animals have no steroids or antibiotics, I see that they are not cared for properly and the slaughter and meat handling is too gross. Thank you so much for your educational and healing service. I have studied and tried "every" diet over the years (the grape cure, mucusless diet, macrobiotics, vegan, fruitarian) and boy was I shocked to find that it's the flesh food makes me healthy!!! Only now do I see how seriously I must follow this regimen... Love & light, eliza Dear Heidi, Namaste! I forgot to add that I am Rh negative. I hope my question wasn't too long or too hard to edit down. and of course I hope it has enough interest to answer! Thank you. I have been studying all the O info on the site. Now I have downloaded a few articles that I can show to people that I have a scientific basis for my weird food trips. They thought I was rejecting potatoes because they are "poor peoples food," and that my claims of emotional affects from food were just selfish and capricious... So thank you and the D'Adamos for the help I have already received! Love & light,

Whoa, eliza ~ you went through the same exact menu of stringent diets that I did! and thoroughly failed on! Hey, sister! :-) You know, you've answered your own questions about how strict you need to be in following the diet that maintains your health. I can explain in brief why your moods go haywire -- it's due to the intestinal ganglia, or "gut brain," being subjected to avoids -- it's not your imagination and you're not going nuts. :-) I'm going to suggest a couple of things for your gums and to help shore up your immune system. Do a search on www.alltheweb.com/advanced for "pregnenolone" with the must-include fields: "adrenal" and "exhaustion." Read up about this supplement, as it may be just what you need in the short term to begin building up your adrenal strength and immunity. The cheapest brand will do -- they're all the same product. Start with 30 mg with breakfast, and increase it each day by 30 mg increments if you don't notice a lightening of mood in a day or two. Folic acid (and plenty of dark green leaf veg) and CoQ10 for the gums/teeth. A proxa-brush or other thorough cleaning system is a good idea. A friend of mine who had similar problems found they cleared up just by using *unwaxed* dental floss after every meal. If you are grinding your teeth when you sleep, see a dentist for a custom-fitted guard you can wear at night. Of course, since you are an Rh-neg O, I'm not well pleased with the absence of meat in your diet. I thoroughly understand your reasons! and I imagine you remain in your area because of overwhelming personal commitments. Just really chow down on all the fish you can get your hands on, OK? And anyone who implies to you that your needs are selfish or capricious should be gently urged to understand that the body's requirements are not matters of emotional content: they are facts, and well-documented ones. I think you've soldiered through admirably, and I hope you'll drop me a note on how you're doing in a week or two! ~:-D




help.i'm getting a bit confused about carbohydrates & starches. i know you can't combine carbohydrate with proteins,but can you mix starch with protein? ie;sweet potato & fish(i'm an o).please could you advise me asap as i can't find any info on this,ta very much & keep up the good work,by the way pot pourris is a good idea as many problems sorted simultaneously, cheers debbie

You can, if you like! :-) It's best not to mix grain with protein, but experiment with starchy veg and see if you experience any trouble -- I don't think you will. Take a look at the "trophology" (food combining) portion of this website. It contains quick guidelines on how to manage food combining, or "food separation." and thanks so much for your kind words, debbie! take care, dear!! :-)




I have ulcerative colitis and am type o I have bought glutamine to take as it seems appropriate at this time however it has acacia init and I wondered if this will be ok or will it have too detrimental effect on the uc Many thanks Chrystene

Greetings, Chrystene! I wouldn't take a supplement containing acacia gum ~ try to find a brand with better ingredients? Have a read here, and also look into the supplement "SEACURE" -- Peter recommends it for colitis in Live Right 4 Your Type. Please let me know how it goes for you! I wish you all the best, Chrystene!




Do you know the effect of using Revival soy for weight loss(.5-1 lb/wk) and treatment of hot flashes? I am a type O Secretor and nursing. My immediate family is basically type O, but my husband is Non-secretor and I am a secretor. How should we work this out with our kids (5)? thanks -- Angel

Hello, Angel! :-) If Revival Soy contains no avoids for your type, then it's fine to take ~ but I am not familiar with its effects on weight loss, and I hope you aren't going over your "bean" allowances by eating it every day... ? Your kids could be either secretors OR nonsecretors, so for now I'd feed them the secretor diet (but watch for reactions to some of the nonsecretor avoids in there -- mainly the soy and grain avoids -- and be prepared to make adjustments for the kid(s) who show those reactions, like constipation/weight gain/digestive distress). It is likely at least one of your kids is a secretor. It's possible they are ALL secretors - that's if you carry two secretor genes -- but if you have a recessive nonsecretor gene, whoo! all bets are off! :-) Well, you married a nonnie, but at least you're both Os! good work, dear! :-D




I have pruchased the blood diet books and followed it faithfully. I am a type O and have gained weight from this diet. What should I do? I do need to tell you that I am 49 and am in menopause. Although I have gained weight, I must admit that this is the best that I have felt for a long time. Pat

Hi, Pat! I am certainly happy you're feeling good!! The key for you will lie in (1) portion control (follow the guidelines in LR4YT; (2) limiting or eliminating grains and dairy (until you achieve your ideal weight again); (3) exercise, exercise, exercise... :-) and (4) hormonal rebalancing -- for which I suggest maca root, a couple of tablespoons every day in a smoothie or stirred into juice. www.pennherb.com is a great place to get it. Another possibility: you many be a nonsecretor, and if you are motivated to get that weight off, it's a good investment to get the saliva secretor test in our Store here, or get the Lewis blood test done, then follow the diet 4Y secretor type! The fact that you're feeling better means you're on the right track! just a little tweak here and there, and I'm sure the weight will start coming off. thanks for writing, Pat! :-)




Dear doctor, I am an O+ and a newbie here! I have no idea if I am a secretor or not. I read something about BTD in my country and on this site and it sounds very interesting! BUT...there are some difficulties! I have been a vegan for about 4 years and a lacto-ovo-vegetarian during the last 2 years. Apparently I did the opposite you recommend for my type! I love pasta and bread (they are delicious and daily fresh where I live!) and I hate red meat as I find it disgusting! I am on a yoga path even if it's more on a spiritual/meditation style rather than strictly physical and my group suggests not to eat meat. it has been very easy for me to follow this suggestion. Since I gave up meat, I had improvement in my body. I stopped having headaches, back pain and colitis. My monthly pain has reduced to little pain. I also hadn't suffer for sinusitis and colds since then even if I couldn't be able to give up smoking (5-6 sigarettes per day)! Besides, I think that I've always been a little bit depressed and in the last months that has got worse due to circustances of my life. Eating animal food seems to enhance this mood, making me feel very sad and sleepy, especially after meal. Now, I ask you why shouldn't I eat food that satisfies my taste and eat food that tastes very bad for me? Isn't the pleasure side important? It's quite difficult for me to buy the right food here as they are not wide-spread. I like soy beans, but how can I be sure that it's not transgenetical, especially the canned type? Last thing: in the last months I suffered for intestine pains and bloating every now and then and for a perioral dermatitis on my face. Do you think it could be related to my nutrition? thanks a lot for your answer and sorry about my English! Melly

Hi there, Melly ~ I'm not the doctor, but I'll do my best to help! and your English is just wonderful! :-)I'll tell you a secret: I love bread and pasta, too -- I just don't eat them -- and I'm also on a spiritual path. Part of my practice is to give thanks to the animals I eat, and do my best to see that they have healthy lives, are treated well and roam freely, and are taken for food in a humane manner. This allows me to take simple pleasure in the gift of food, including vegetables, fruits, etc., and to maintain my health and energy as my God-given physiology requires. An "organic" label guarantees against GMO foods ~ for now, anyway. We are going to see changes, due to the fact that bees and breeze carrying pollens do not stay within man-made field boundaries.Bloating, intestinal pain and perioral dermatitis are common symptoms type Os experience from eating plenty of grains and lacking the right kind of protein for their digestive systems. In fact, it was a skin problem that took me to the acupuncturist who correctly guessed I was a type O vegetarian -- and advised me to change my diet before the problems I couldn't see manifested themselves more powerfully. At any rate, I hope you will follow the diet to the extent you can; that's what we all do, actually! and I wish you the best in all things! :-)




On the O diet, is catsclaw of any use and is it beneficial? Is Ginko Biloba of any use on the O diet and is it beneficial? Thanks for your help! jjoseph

Instead of catsclaw, use quercetin ~ it is a potent anti-inflammatory. Gingko is more effective for types A and B, but Rhodiola rosea and folic acid, along with Indian gooseberry, are great for cognitive enhancement for type Os. :-)




I'm 0 pos. and a non-secretor. Is it possible that non secretor mothers also would show low IgA levels in the colostrum after childbirth. If so would this diminish much of the protection received from breastfeeding? Thanks, Carolyn

That is an excellent question, Carolyn! I have no idea what the answer is, but I'll pass this one on to the experts. I'll see what the consensus is, and I'll post it here in a bit. :-)




I have a friend that has menieres disease and wondered if the blood type diet would help. He is not sure of his type yet so I can't give you that info. Thanks Carol

Dear Carol ~ the blood type diet, along with the recommended exercise and stress-relief suggestions, is the perfect basis for a healthy life. From my reading, diet and supplementation of various kinds have proven effective in treating Meniere's, so I am certain this plan will help your friend. I also suggest an internet search for "Meniere's Disease," where you'll find many self-help and support sites. In particular, magnesium has anecdotal support, and here is a site detailing one sufferer's cure. I would ask that he first get his blood type, and begin the plan -- then use suggestions from other sites as long as they do not take him off the diet. Best of luck to him, dear ~ and thanks for being a good friend! :-)




Hi ^Heidi^, Noticed today that your column was about exercise and Doc Bron's was about longevity. I am about to embark on a program (personal) that is so simple ... like 1 minute/day of peak exercise each day 3 wks out of 4. I have sent you at least one of these links before, but since then it has been revised and its much better to understand: for exercise - http://www.dardikinstitute.org/ ; for brain performance - http://www.0disease.com/0waterheal.html ; for longevity and maximize all mental physical functioning via enhanced breathing - http://www.intellectbreathing.com/lectures/lecture3.en.php . This particular combo ... along with diet strategies - show theoretical great promise. Will let you know how well they work for me! I haven't flipped out yet, I think. These concepts turn normally accepted realities and clearly define them towards specific (basic) roles. Theoretically, they strongly impact on health status ... I'll see. John

Hey John, you wrote this back in September but haven't reported back with your findings! REPORT! LOL! ~;-D I look forward to hearing how you're doing!




Hi, would you be so kind and explain why diet drinks are bad? I take one or 2 diet cokes a day. I'm O blood type and stick to the diet most of the time; no wheat at all, rarely some cream or yoghurt or milkchocolate and a lot of beef and lambs meat, fish, vegetables and salad. Do a lot of physiacl exercise, 51 yrs old, feeling good. I have sometimes an exzema problem: could that be caused by the diet drinks? Thanks! Liesbeth

Greetings, Liesbeth ~~ I'm not sure which sweetener is used in your diet drink. If it is Splenda, please take a look at this column. If it's aspartame (Nutrasweet), just search on the web for the terms aspartame and hazard. You'll find thousands of pages on the horrible effects of this artificial monstrosity. My question: why would you want to use diet drinks? Heck, I can't see risking one's liver in order to save twenty or thirty calories. Personally, I make my soda at home from fruit concentrate and mineral water. If you like things a bit sweeter, use vegetable glycerine ~ which actually does nice things for the metabolism! For your skin, just eliminate grains as best you can, and make sure your intake of good fats from fresh fish and beneficial & neutral oils is adequate for you. Let me know how you do, OK? thanks!! :-D




Do you have any guidance or information concerning blood type diet for type O with Narcolepsy? Deborah

Hello, Deborah ~ As this is a genetic neurological disorder, a specialized supplementation program could no doubt be put together to rebuild neurotransmitter efficiency, and I am sure the diet would help the healing process -- not just the diet, but a regular exercise program as well. I would immediately set up a staggered sleep schedule, with the longest stretch being from 10 or 11 o'clock at night to three or four in the morning -- then an hour awake, then another brief sleep time, either immediately or as a one- or two-hour nap in the late morning/early afternoon. This kind of schedule has remarkable effects on the physiology and mental functions. I'd also strongly recommend the book Meditation as Medicine by Dr. Dharma Singh and Cameron Stauth, for its brief, simple and powerful meditation techniques (and loads of case histories). I hope this gives you pointers as to how to proceed ~ please let me know if I can help further! :-)




I'm blood group O. I enjoy fish, but not meat. Are meat alternatives, like quorn, ok to eat? Gaynor

Hi, Gaynor! Actually, I wrote a column on quorn, which I'll quote here:"Quorn is a commercially manufactured substance, one which is entirely new to the human digestive system and which has a significant record of stimulating allergic response. It is not made from mushrooms, nor any other plant. Rather, it is created by propagating a fungus present in soil in a glucose medium, and forming the resultant goo into edible-looking products. Its manufacturers in Europe have received a government edict to stop advertising it as a mushroom derivative, and health warnings have been issued in several quarters. It has only recently been marketed in North America, and until its safety and some idea of its nutritional value, if any, have been established, I strongly suggest eating real food instead. :->"At any rate, it has none of the benefits of meat for your type. So, load up on those fishies, and please add some fowl in there as well! Best of health to you, dear! :-)




I love bread ... I mean I LUUVVV bread. Obviously, for a type-O this is a problem. There are some ingredients I am trying to validate in order to make my own bread since wheat, corn, potatoes, and milk (contained in one form or another in 95%+ of all prepackaged foods, and 100% of retail bread, i.e., non-healthfood store-bought bread) are containdicated. What is the word on xanthan gum, tapioca starch, and kudzu starch for type-O's? Starch seems to be a big deal and difficult to get around; it's in everything--I mean everything--that I like, and the basic component is either derived from potatoes or corn, so I'm desperately looking for an alternative. Can you help, especially in recommending a type-O-friendly, commercially-available baking powder? ALL2EASY

Well, tapioca is listed in TYPEbase3 ~ but xanthan and kudzu are not yet rated, so technically they're neutral... but I'd go with kudzu instead, since I don't trust unknown gums in the least! For baking powder, just use 2 parts cream of tartar to 1 part baking soda. If I were you, I'd get a good resource on sourdough bread baking, and I'd become an expert doing it with all the alternative flours (and give me the recipes, LOL!)You know, the LUUVVV of bread got me thinking. There seem to be phases people go through on each diet. Say, phase 0 is when you're reading about it but haven't made any changes. Phase 1 is the most difficult (and perhaps exciting) period, where you're trying it out and finding that it seems to be doing some good, but it's a hassle keeping one's food list around and it takes forever to read ALL those labels at the market, and avoiding avoids at parties & so forth. Phase 2 comes into play when we get a little more sophisticated about substitutes, and here's where I think you're at right now. It's when we still haven't fully grokked the differences in food group proportion between what we used to eat and what our diet is trying to move us toward, so we get very skilled at substituting one ingredient for another, while missing some of the "grand plan" of the O diet like that pyramid I posted a few days back. Don't get me wrong: I love bread, too, but if I set myself up as a home bread baker because I love it so much, I'm going to be eating significantly more than the one-to-six servings per week -- yep, per week -- allowed for secretors (and way more than the zero-to-three servings permitted for nonsecretors). That's TOTAL grain servings, by the way. What I'm trying to say is, the diet may not work real well for you as an O if your grain-love leads you off the portion-frequency path. ;-) and I hope you'll take those guidelines as means to move towards Phase 3 ~ where the food items and their frequencies and the proper exercise and stress-relief practices all come together into a lifestyle whole! :-D Well, I sure went on about that one. But you catch me drift, eh? thanks for your Qs, and I wish you all the best in your breadmaking endeavors! ;-)




Hi Heidi Love your column. I've been on the diet since 1997, as a Type O secretor. My failings on it are mainly in eating more brown rice and Ezechial bread than I should. I'm thin and don't want to melt away. Since I started the diet my homocysteine level has gone from OK (7) to of concern (11). I was mostly vegan before starting it. Someone told me to eat less meat. What suggestions do you have for a Type O who needs to lower their homocysteine level? Thanks Cindy

Hi, Cindy ~ It looks like your trouble has little to do with meat-eating ~ in fact, you could use more meat in your diet, specifically organ meats. Try chicken livers to start, then work your way up the food chain. I sound digusting, right? yes, don't deny it ~ as a post-vegetarian like yourself, I'm feeling that old quiver just talking about the food chain. ~~;-D A great means of lowering homocysteine levels is the methylcobalamin supp Peter designed -- Methyl12 Plus. It also contains folic acid, and they work really well together to lower hc levels. Do get plenty of the kale/collard/chard family, the best natural source of folates, and don't let your old friends tip you off the carnivorous carnival, OK? that meat is good for you, as much as you or I might wish it were otherwise. take good care, friend! and keep me posted on how it goes for you. :-)




I'm a type O who loves pumpkin pie. I want to bake individual small souffle cups with just the filling. I'm planning to use Stevia Plus for the sweetener, Omega-3 eggs, but don't know what to substitute for the evaporated milk. Do you know of an ingredient that will not greatly alter the taste and consistancy of the pumpkin filling? Thanks for any help that you can give. Tricia

Hrmmm... How about this one:1 can pumpkin, 3 organic eggs, 1 cup soy (or rice or almond) milk, 1 T blackstrap molasses, 2 T vegetable glycerine, allspice, ginger, cloves, a pinch of fine sea salt and a touch of almond extract. (Mix together and bake in a low oven till set.) I think most people like things sweeter than I do right now, so you might want to up the sweetener part of the recipe a bit. Test it and report back! :-)




How does seltzer water help people with type 0 blood? I thought we weren't supposed to have any carbonated drinks. What is the difference in Club Soda and Seltzer water? The diet is helping me very much and if I can drink the seltzer or club soda that would be a treat. (I added several drops of stevia in it!) I've tried both and the seltzer water really made me go to the bathroom (almost like irritable bowel syndrome with lots of gas). Could you please advise? Thank you, Anna

Hi there, Anna! The fizz is good for us as an appetite supressant before meals. If seltzer or club soda give you difficulty, use a good mineral water instead! My favorite is Geronsteiner, but there are many wonderful brands available, and I recommend the high-solids varieties ~ a great natural source of minerals for us! Try www.mineralwaters.org ~ it's a fabulous world of min waters out there! enjoy!! :-)




I am a type O and have been on the diet for several months. I've been using organic soymilk to replace milk. I recently purchased the Blood Type O Food, Beverage and Supplement Lists handbook at my Health food store and it's brought new information to my attention. It says that i should avoid carrageenan which is present in every soymilk, rice milk, almond milk brand there is. What options do I have? I admit it would be hard for me to give up that dairy alternative. Does there exist a brand without it? Amanda

Greetings, Amanda! WestSoy and... one other brand which has flown my mind right now... do make good-tasting organic soy milk with no additives. Hmmm... WestBrae Natural? might be the other one. By now, I'll bet Eden have a soy-and-water-only variety. Do a search for their websites ~ most of these commercial sites offer ingredient lists. Good luck, I know you'll find a good one!! :-)




Where does soy milk and soy cheese fit into a type O diet? In Dr. D'Adamo's book BTD they are listed in the dairy section as dairy substitutes. Does that mean they can be consumed more than once a day as opposed to other milk products which are marked as 0-1X a week (for Caucasians)? Sue

Hi, Sue ~ good catch! They're listed in dairy for easy reference as substitutes ~ but they fall into the bean category in their allowed portions/frequencies. :-)




Hi Heidi, My wife and I (both type O, probably secretors) have been on the diet for almost 2 months and feel great! More energy and no more early morning sugar crashes. We can't always afford to buy lean, organically fed meats. Is the 90% lean ground beef OK, especially if we drain off the excess fat? Also, the BTD book recommends up to 2 slices of bread per day. Does this include Ezekiel bread, or is more of that OK, since it is listed as a benificial? Some of the sprouted breads I see have sprouted corn as an ingredient. Is this assimilable to type O's? One more question, kind of an odd one. Since butter is a neutral, is cream also neutral? Thank you so much. I enjoy your column! Jerry

Hello, Jerry ~ Well, the Food for Life brand of zeke is fine, and it does contain other sprouted stuff. As for butter: have a peek at this column, it explains why butter's OK but cream ain't! You and your wife are doing a wonderful job of keeping to the diet, so on the organic front, just do your best. As I always say, that's what we all do! and you're seeing great results, so just keep on keepin' on! thanks for writing, Jerry!




Greetings; I have not found this question in the archives but I'm sure it's be pondered and answered innumerable times. I'm an O and enjoy the diet--however, I cannot afford organic animal protein. I'm a poor student. Am I doing more harm than good eating beef & chicken from the local Safeway vs. Wild Oats. I'm a runner and consume meat in plentiful &almost daily amounts. I also eat plenty of fruit & vegies. Anyway, what ya think Dr. D. says about those of us who don't have the income for $9 lb beef? I intend to keep on eatin anyway. thanks 4 ur reply. Ms. A

Hey there, Ms. A ~ gotta say I love your email addy ~ I'm Capricorn, so you can figure out why. Hon, you need your meat, and if you get the chance, please seek out the folks at www.eatwild.com. You may find a local producer who can get you your protein needs at less than one of those shapely arms or legs. As I just said to Jerry, we all do our best on this front. Those of us who can afford it are also pushing the commercial producers to clean up their acts, so there are plenty of folks out there who are voting with their dollars for more organic meats, and everyone will benefit. In the meantime, you eat what you need, girl, and when you're a wealthy professional, you'll have more choices ~ but you are doing far more GOOD than harm by consuming the kinds of food you need to maintain your health. :-D




I live 6 hours north of Toronto Canada in a lovely little town (retired last December). IT is impossible to buy organic meat and next to impossible to buy organic vegetables -- I did grow some in the summer but our growing season is very short so they are all finished now. My question is: is it better to keep away from meat if one cannot buy organic? I eat lamb and chicken often but I do feel good for eating beef. Heidi, only just found your response to my earlier question on GERD (not used to this new board format - LOL) I shall be trying the ginger juice as soon as I can buy some -- shall I use it along with the medication I am on, or drop the medication and try it alone - my Dr. told me at my last visit that if I wanted to I could drop the meds and see what happens. As for stresses/stressors, I don't really have any anymore (except for worrying about our food supply!) as I no longer have to work (YAHOO - it's WONDERFUL!)- maybe I am still working out the remainder of the work induced ones - LOL. Thanks in advance - Sue

LOL! Yep, just read the two responses above on organic vs the "other" meat. Lamb is least likely to be medicined-up, and rabbit is another great choice. Do eat the full range of beneficials, while seeking alternative modes of obtaining the organics. You can use that ginger juice while you're taking the meds, but if you're feeling adventurous I'd take your doctor's permission to heart and go with the juice and the other strategies alone. Congrats on your retired status, you LUCKY woman, and may your peace expand!! ~:-D




THANKS AGAIN, everyone!!!




Posted in On The Diet

Type AB Roundup! #2 !!

August 2nd, 2000 , by admin





I don't live in the United States and many of the foods yu have listed in your books and website are not very common here. I'm type AB and I was hoping if you can help me with some foods typical for our country, but not mentioned on your list. I'd like to know if the following are ok to eat and perhaps one day you could add them on your website or the books because they would surely help many diet followers in Northern parts of Europe and Baltic: Meat: elk, reindeer (similar to moose and caribu, but European kinds) Fish: Baltic herring, there are also many kinds of sweetwater fish, but difficult to explain here and they probably don't even have English names Eggs & dairy: there are many domestic cheese brands, but I'm sure you have no knowledge what they are like :) Oils and fats: rapeseed oil Cereals: Rye (flakes, flour etc.) Bread: Breads made of barley Vegetables: swede I'm especially looking forward the answer about rapeseed oil because it's the most commonly used type of cooking oil here, I'd appreciate if you could answer about that one if there is no time to find answers to the others. Sirpa

Greetings, Sirpa! :-) Ok, let's take your questions in order:

Elk and reindeer: very similar to venison, so provisionally I would value them as avoid for secretor ABs and neutral for nonsecretors.

Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras) is closely related to our Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) and would have the same value as "herring" in the AB food list (neutral for secretors, beneficial for nons). In the case of other fish, do an internet search for the name by which you know that fish, and get the Latin name. Then go to the FDA Fish Name Search page, enter the entire Latin name and see what comes up. If nothing appears, enter just the genus (first) name, and examine the results against TYPEbase 3. I recommend the FDA pages because they list the common names by which we call the fish listed in the food lists.

Cheese? :-D I dunno! Try me! :-D Generally speaking, the fresh, soft, mold-free cheeses are neutral or beneficial for ABs, whether made with cow's milk, or milk from goats or sheep. The cultured dairy products, such as yogurt and kefir, are also good for you lucky folks! :-D

Rapeseed oil? We in North America call it "canola," and that's how it's listed in TYPEbase 3.

Rye (flakes, flour etc.), can be found by searching the database using the term "rye." Same for "barley."

The swede (or "Swedish turnip"), Brassica napobrassica, is what we call the rutabaga ~ it is a yellow-fleshed variety of our "turnip," a purplish-topped or all-white root vegetable.

To find "swede," just look for "rutabaga" in TYPEbase3!

Thanks for your questions, Sirpa ~ I hope these answers helped, dear!! :-)






dear heidi: hope you can help, I follow the diet 4 your blood type, take all suplements, did for 12 weeks the protocol for arthritis for AB, recently I was diagnose with spinal stenosis, a degenerative condition of the spine. Conventional treatments consists of bedrest and controlled physical activity, anti-inflamatory drugs, epidural steroid injections, I would like to know if you can recomend a natural alternative, how much and when to take it. I got the book for medical meditation that you recomend, take extra ara6, omegatentials and today going to acupunture to relieve pain. I wrote to you once on another subject and got a response right away. Dr. d'adamo is very lucky to have you in his staff, you do a wonderfull job, and like the way you write. thank you Luisa

Hello, Luisa! Oh dear, I'm so sorry you're suffering with this. The treatments you listed are indeed the standard allopathic actions, but I believe that if you can dose yourself regularly with quercetin and get a physical therapy program going, the diet and the meditations will let your healing proceed. Unless your pain is severe, do try to avoid the steroid injections especially -- and the quercetin can be taken at high doses without harm, and should do the job (or better) of the anti-inflam drugs. Acupuncture is a great treatment, not only for pain relief, but for re-balancing your energy and musculature. Use only the beneficial foods in the categories that contain beneficials for you -- and have a glass of black cherry juice daily to help dissolve the deposits. Keep up those kriyas! and I'm sending energy your way, dear! Let me know how you do, OK? I'd like to hear your progress!! :-)




Hi! I am a 43 year old AB+, and I am having a wee problem with green tea. It is supposed to be beneficial for ABs, but if I drink it without milk as one is supposed to do, my throat (and mouth to some extent) becomes very dry for several hours afterwards. Adding milk solves the problem, but I am worried that it might neutralise the positive effect of green tea. Can you shed any light on this? My second question concerns bananas; they are on my 'Avoid' list, but I love them and have never noticed any negative effect on my digestion. My first solid food as a baby was mashed banana, and they have always remained an important part of my diet. Could it be that I have become resistant against the banana-lectin, or should I stop eating them anyway? Thanks very much, John.

:-) hi, John ~ some foods just don't announce their "avoidity" to the body, and if it's something we've eaten since childhood, we might not notice some effects we've had all our lives! :-) Do a test for banana: eliminate it for two weeks, then on each successive day, eat two bananas, for one week. See if you are aware of any untoward reactions. For the long term, they should be avoided, but tests of this kind have turned up surprising results, so I suggest doing that "banana trial." About the green tea: how about some rice milk in it? The dryness may be connected to the brand you're using, perhaps? Have you switched around and tried different ones? I do recommend Mr Itaru's wonderful variety that is sold here in the Store, if you're game for a new one. Write back with more comments, please! :-)




In the book "Eat Right 4 your Type" it talk about how Blood type AB lacks stomach acid and how coffee is highly benificial to help in the digestive process. Yet both online and in the pocket guide coffe is listed as AVOID. Could you please tell me which is it. I could understand a typo in listing it in the wrong category but to expand upon it in the narative is another thing. I look forward to your response. Robert

Hi, Robert ~ The new research done between the publication of BTD in 1996 and the later books indicated that coffee did more harm than good for ABs, hence its changed status. Take a read through the Updates Page for more on the new listings. Many foods did undergo a change in status, as this was a brand-new science in 1996 and work has been done to refine the food values. The good news is that we expect little to no change in the current lists now, except to add new items as they are tested. Thanks for your note! :-)




I adopted the blood type diet in April this year,having experienced yet another spring of throat/ear infections and feeling pretty low. It was recommended to me by my husband's niece who told me that several people she knew had benefited from it. I am AB and found that some of the foods I love but had previously thought were bad for my weight control (peanut butter, lamb and porridge)were actually on my list! The hardest thing for me (being british) was giving up the good old cup of tea. However I have been virtually caffeine free for five months now (I have one cup of decafe coffee a day as well as green tea plus cammomile tea in the evening)and I no longer get the headaches that would plague me for 2/3 days and that amount of painkiller would help. My skin has also improved(I have suffered with Acne since pruberty and am now 47). Our close friends were so impressed with my improvement and increased energy levels that one of them has taken this on board (type A)and although I did not think she would be able to adapt to such a major change in her diet, she has, and is losing weight and experiencing increased energy levels. Her husband cannot believe the change and her work colleagues think she is "on something", I feel this diet could well spread big time if only us british could give up on our more traditional eating habits. I am very thankful for that conversation in April this year that started me eating properly. Had we not had a family occasion and all met up I might never have known about "eating right for your blood type." Andrea

Hey, what a great report!! Andrea, thank you so much for taking time to write to us!! Every culture's cuisine has a few stumbling blocks for new BTD'ers, but we persevere! so I'm sure your English compatriots will come round in their own good time as well ~ but it's good to know you're there nudging them along. Thanks again, Andrea! your multiple success story made my day!! :-D







Posted in On The Diet

Type A Roundup! #2 !

July 27th, 2000 , by admin





hi its me again:) I am (A+). my dad is (A+) my mom is (O+). I have tried many times the vegetarian diet & failed. does My (O) ancestry have any influence? brian



Most type As do better with small quantities of fish and fowl in the diet ~ relatively few folks truly thrive on a vegetarian diet. Don't feel you failed! What you did is learn something about your own body's needs, which is what we're all about here! :-D








Hi heidi , Iam type A , and I have read on the Peter.J.D'Adamo's book that it's not good for me to eat meet of beef,pig,mutton .But I am not sure to understand the summary table where we find the number of meet-portions that I can eat by day or week ..Do this mean that I really can eat meet during the week ? Or is it totally inadvisable for me to eat that sort of meet ? I am sorry for my bad english . Thank you for your attention , cordially , philippe .



Bonjour, Philippe! Never worry over your English here, as it's just barely better than my French and moreoever certainly got your question across (which is all that matters! :-)) Yes, you can eat that number of "meat portions" -- because that table includes chicken, turkey, etc. You can have that many portions of the neutral items on that list. Hope that clears it up for you! :-)








I have 2 questions about the type A diet. First, I have a sweet tooth, and I was wondering if it is alright to use Splenda as a sweetener instead of Nutrasweet or Stevia. I have read that Nutrasweet is not good for you, and I have tried Stevia and find that it is bitter. Second, a glass of red wine is reccomended every day. As hard as I try, I just can't drink wine. I can't stand the taste! I do like "Harvey's Bristol Cream" sherry though. Is this a wine product and will I get the same benefits from drinking this instead? Thank you! Karen



Hi there, Karen ~ Rather than splenda, please look into vegetable glycerine. It will fill all your sweetening needs, and it's actually good for you! If you scroll to the bottom of this page, and enter the search term "glycerine," you'll find all the columns I've written on it, along with my rather dim view of splenda. :-) Sherry is a fortified product made from wine and brandy (a distilled liquor), so it's not recommended for As as a daily drink. The herb Hawthorne, however, along with the dark-colored fruits in your diet, will provide plenty of heart-protective substances ~ so don't sweat the wine! thanks, dear! :-)








I'm type A2 and wanted to know what about whey makes it an avoid although other dairy foods like farmer's cheese, feta cheese, goat's milk, mozarella cheese, yogurt and ricotta cheese are neutral. Whey as a protein source seems like it's everywhere, being touted as a great food, so how different is whey protein from the other neutral dairy foods type As can eat? Also, would whey from goat's millk be acceptable for As? Personally, I eat no dairy whatsoever but just wanted to know the rationale behind this as other type A family members have asked me why they can't have whey and I'm clueless.... Thanks Maddy



Hi, Maddy ~ it's nice to hear from you! Whey must be understood in two ways; first, that cheesemaking removes it partially or entirely from the cheese, and second, that as a supplement it is delivered in great quantity. Whey is a very watery substance in nature, and the "whey protein powders" sold as protein supps are highly concentrated forms of it. Some people tolerate the amount of whey in goat's or sheep's milk quite readily, but many do not digest even that amount without trouble ~ and whether something is highly touted makes no difference at all to what truly works in an individual's diet (that might be the first thing I'd mention to family members! ;-D). For A nonsecretors, for example, even cow's milk whey is a "neutral."



There is a subsidiary issue here which is usually forgotten when we discuss supplements and "food products:" the fact is, each person is able to eat only so much in a given day. Our hope is that one's "only so much" be spent upon the best whole foods by blood type. We all are tempted by convenience foods, sometimes to the point where they almost entirely take over the space that whole foods were meant to fill. Know how many times I've overheard someone at the gym say, "Oh, I'm fine cuz I got 300% of my total nutritional needs in my XYZ-brand diet-powder smoothie this morning" ?! In my opinion, there are relatively very few people for whom protein powders truly have a place in the diet. For performance athletes and others daily pushing their physical ability-envelopes, and for whom the time simply isn't there to prepare and eat enough food to keep them going, I first recommend smoothies with plenty of nutbutter, and/or hard-boiled egg, and/or strong meat broth, with the addition of organic nutritional yeast -- second, I OK egg (all types) or soy (A/AB/O secretors, A nons) or whey protein (A nons (marginal)/B/AB) powders, depending upon blood type and secretor status.



Whew! I went on about that one for a bit! ;-> I hope it clarifies our approach for you & your family! :-D








Hi Heidi: I'm an "A" and understand that eating snails (escargo) can help possibly avoid breast cancer. Does this include any type of snails sold commercially or served in restaurants? When buying canned snails in the grocery store, should I look for any particular brand or labelling? Thank you. Lorraine



The Helix pomatia ("Roman," "escargot," or "large Burgundy") snail is a common item in specialty stores and French cuisine, and the basis of the Helix Plus supplement sold in our Store. If you can find them in your regular grocery store, that's great! Any brand will do, just keep a close eye on anything added by various brands, and stick with the brands whose ingredients are good for you. thanks for writing, Lorraine! :-D








Dear Heidi, Your correspondant was asking about secretor test in Canada; I have also wondered about their availability in Australia, but decided to take the empirical way out, and carefully listed all the differences between A Secretor and A non-secretor. Having been assiduously on the A Secretor diet (from the Encyclopedia)for two months, with excellent results to my digestion, after two days on the Non-secretor alternatives I certainly know what I am, and hotfooteded it back to home territory! Best wishes, Jenny



There's a girl after my own heart! LOL! :-> Good job, Jenny, and thanks for illustrating just how powerful one's home science experiments can be! In the end, the first best authority on the best diet is one's own body. a note well appreciated, dear! :-D








A recent study in England suggests that daily consumption of any form of alcohol including red wine can lead to breast cancer. Because I am a type A, I drink 1/2 cup of red wine every evening because the blood type diet said it would be good for my heart, but type A's are suceptible to breast cancer as well. Should I stop the red wine? Carol



Hi, Carol ~ If you are a nonsecretor, I'd say definitely stick with the wine -- if you're a secretor (likely, since around 85% of people are secretors) I would say that you can take it or leave it as you like. A daily dose of hawthorne, along with the rest of the A-secretor diet which is heart-protective in a variety of ways, can certainly cover all of what red wine does. That said, the study you referenced is refuted by others, and I think you'll fare better to ignore most of what appears on the mainstream news! These news items show up in cycles -- first vegetarianism is the doctor's advice, then a high-protein diet, then wine is good, then wine is bad, and so on -- apparently designed to keep people worried and uncertain, and primed for that next "supercure" product! In brief: wine, for you, is a nonissue in my opinion, and whatever you decide will be fine for you! :-D








I am a type A and I am wondering if I can eat Textured Vegetable Protien (TVP). I havnt seen anything about it in any of the reading. thank you Aimee



Hello, Aimee ~ Generally speaking, I have two things to say: first, try not to depend upon a highly-processed product like TVP for your protein. Instead, make whole foods your diet's "backbone." Second, take a careful survey of the product's ingredients for comparison with your food list. If there are no avoids in the mix, it is technically OK to eat, but I'd like to emphasize that "whole foods" thing once again! :-) Choose whole beans, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds first ~ and products like TVP second, OK? :-D








Hi! I would know if home made soy yogourt made with calcium added "soy milk" is O.K. for type A nonsecretor and it's O.K. to eat it each day for breakfast? Thank you for your answer. Christine



Hello, Christine! For nonsecretors, the frequency for bean products is 3-5 servings per week. That yogurt (soy is neutral for nons, but the culturing boosts it a bit) is taking up seven servings of beans in the week! and which might be divided among some other beneficial beans as well. So maybe switch up the yogurt with a lentil or pinto bean paste on toast, or a dollop of miso in warm broth, instead? Nice work on the homemade yogurt, by the way! Want to post a recipe? :-) thanks, Christine!








Hi Heidi I am a A+ and on the diet since 7 August 2002. I lost about 10 kg. I still have a sinus problem and get severe headaches which I presume is because of the sinus. I do not eat any wheat products. What can you suggest? Thanks eurika



Hello, Eurika! First thing in the morning, a nice cup of hot water with the juice of half a lemon added. Eliminate dairy entirely from your diet, as it is the premiere culprit in sinus trouble. The supplements collinsonia canadensis (stoneroot) and quercetin can alleviate the swelling and inflammation. Finally, use Polyflora-A, ARA6 and green tea to speed/detoxify the digestion -- and yoga daily for toning the digestive system and relieving immune system stress. You'll be feeling better in no time! thanks for writing, dear!








Hi Heidi, I am 33 and blood type A who wants to be in good physical shape. Since Yoga and Tai Chi are recommended for type A's, does that mean I do not have to weightlift to have muscle tone, especially into my 60's and 70's? I do not like to weight lift and I was wondering if Yoga or Tai Chi is enough to prevent sarcopenia in the latter years? Also, can I do Power Yoga instead of Hatha Yoga and achieve the same benefits? Bryan



:-) Yes, absolutely! And power yoga, or ashtanga yoga, is quite a workout. After a few months of regular yoga or martial arts practice, you'll have a good idea as to whether you want to add other kinds of exercise in order to be in the shape you want to achieve. Also... see below!








Hi Heidi, What is your take on this new "Hot Yoga" by Bikram. I think that is how you say it. I'm an "A" secretor and my wife is an "O" secretor. Thank you for such an imformative page and we love your multi Q&A pages. Carl



The Yoga for Health and Fitness website contains vast resources on yoga, and I highly recommend it ~ no matter what blood type! I don't have any experience with "hot yoga," but the website noted above does contain some warnings for pregnant women working out at those high temperatures. Give it a read, and you'll soon know more than I do!! thanks for bringing it to my attention, and enjoy that site! :-D











Posted in On The Diet

Type AB Roundup! #1 !

July 26th, 2000 , by admin





HOW important is it for an AB+ blood type to know her secretor/non-secretor status???? Thanks! Bethany

Hello, Bethany! Well, there are a number of foods that change value depending on secretor status. Supplementation guidelines in the Encyclopedia also have notes specific to nonsecretors. It is no more important for one blood type than for another, but getting your secretor result can be of great help if you have health concerns you are trying to resolve. If you're trim, healthy and energetic, and are not a performance sportswoman, then following the "plain vanilla" BTD plan is probably all you will need to do! But if there are intractable health issues of any kind, I always counsel to get that test in order to shorten the healing process! hope this helps you make your decision! :-)




I have looked through your type AB store. I am AB non secretor. I have many minor health problems at age 46. High cholesterol (354 unmedicated) they say it's a heredity type. I have benign essential tremors. Overweight by about 45#s. Joint aches, peri menopausal problems, constant tiredness. I take 40mg zocor daily for cholesterol (the Dr is now trying an herbal approach(Cholestin)for 3 months), inderol 80mg for my tremors, and meridia 15mg (I started taking this to loose weight, but found it helped lower my cholesterol even though I'm not loosing weight) I also take motrin 800mg 2x daily if needed. I've been taking co Q10 and folic acid lately, I heard they were good at counteracting the negetive effects of my cholesterol meds. My mother was also type AB. She developed high cholesterol, high blood pressure, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, breast cancer, then secondary bone cancer. I give you all of this information, because I'm trying to decide what I can safely take, that is listed in the AB type store. Will any of this have an adverse effect with the medication I'm taking? How about an adverse effect with the cholestin? I'm also confused on what wheat products I can eat. Any help would be greatly appriciated. Patti

Dear Patti! Right now, because of what you're going through, I would eliminate wheat altogether and use only the beneficials in your grain list, instead. There are a lot of them! In fact, please stick to beneficials from all groups if possible! Please try, anyway, OK? You will feel so much better on a mostly-beneficial diet!!

If your cholesterol meds have negative side-effects (most do!) please speak to your doctor about using Chinese red yeast rice from the most reputable supplier -- here is their webpage. This is a government-assayed, safe and potent product. Every single person I have spoken to who has used it has experienced a dramatic drop in cholesterol within weeks, and that includes many people who were told they had inherited a genetic predisposition to hypercholesterolemia. To order it, go to the page on that site marked "contact," and call them. The cost is about $90 for a bulk package of about two pounds! An effective dosage is about one teaspoon per day, so the package lasts for about a year.

Finally, do get hold of the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia and follow those protocols. I hope you are following a powerful stress-relief practice ~ the suggestions in Meditation as Medicine by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa and Cameron Stauth can be implemented even if you are bedridden, and they are nothing short of miraculous. Let me know how you are doing, and take good care, dear! :-D




I am 56 year old blood type AB & have been diagnosed with osteoporosis in the hips (-2.69 BMD)& osteopenia of the spine (-1.36 BMD). The doctor has percribed 70 mg. Fosamax 1/per week. While the medicine is known to rebuild bone density, it is cruel on the digestive tract. Is there another natural product that is just as effective? I have been following the Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type for approximately 1 1/2 years and prefer to stay away from man made medicines as much as possible. Thanks in advance for your input! Sandy

Hello, Sandy! YES! I suggest you get away from the fosamax ASAP. The reports of its side-effects and lack of effectiveness are mounting up. What has worked for my friends and acquaintances is daily use of: Cortiguard (available in the Store on this site), Phytocal-AB, weight-bearing exercise, and foods high in calcium. Because the link varies, just go to the Ask Dr. D'Adamo page, scroll to the bottom and enter the search term "calcium." You'll see in the list a post entitled Calcium from Almonds ~ that's the one that has a list of calcium-rich foods. And see my message just above, regarding a stress-relief practice. It is truly amazing how effective it can be for ailments that appear at first glance entirely unrelated to "stress." For your level of osteoporosis, I'd use the Encyclopedia protocols for it as well.

In this case, the natural approach is far more effective than fosamax, and it "first does no harm," which is more than we can say for most drugs on the market.

thank you for writing, Sandy ~ I'm sure you'll see some progress soon. It does take time to reverse these conditions, but slow and steady WILL win the day! Please keep me posted on how you do! :-D











Posted in On The Diet

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