Hello, Cheryl! Good question! Barley malt (the sweetener; that’s its common name), is the avoid. Whole barley and sprouted barley or ‘malted barley’ (the whole grains or flours) are neutral for ABs. On product ingredient lists, the sweetener will appear as “barley malt” and the OK stuff will show up as “sprouted barley” or “malted barley,” or the flours made thereof. Sorry for the confusion! :-}

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The best grapeseed oil available is expeller-pressed. If you find an organic brand, please let me know and I’ll publish it here ~ I’ve yet to find either grapeseed or rice bran oil, domestic or imported, from an organic producer, and those are the oils whose high smoke-points make them safer choices for high-heat cooking. Organic wine makers would be the logical place to start to find organic grapeseed oil, but I suspect their output is not yet large enough to support a commercial oil-pressing endeavour. Same for organic rice farms, but check into it for yourself if possible. There’s no ABO rating for grapeseed oil at the moment, so it may be considered neutral for all types for now. A note: if your walnut oil is unrefined (a few high-end companies like Flora offer it), it should be used only in low- or no-heat applications ~ salad dressings, or a drizzle on already-cooked food. Same goes for all nut oils, like macadamia or almond, and seed oils such as safflower or flax. By the way, sesame oil has a smoke-point near that of olive oil (325 F or lower), and is an avoid for ABs, so make me happy and stay away from that one? After all, you’ve got peanut oil, you lucky devil! Even better, look into soy oil ~ it has the highest smoke-point of any oil on your neutral & beneficial list. :-) I’m going on a bit long here, so let me refer you to a basic reference for oil composition and great details: the CYB Edible Oils Site. Enjoy!

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Well, Shani, the more listed avoids you’ve been eating regularly, the more spectacular your progress will be when you get fully on the AB diet! So I want to hear you thank that chicken for how great it makes you feel when you stop eating it. :-D The food lectins for specified items do not change from location to location ~ however, named foods (beans and fish especially) may be confusing due to the U.S. terminology we use, or missing altogether from the lists because of the item’s rarity or general unavailability here in the States. This problem shouldn’t arise as much for you in Canada as it does for folks in – say, China, for example ~ but if you find unlisted foods common in your area, drop me a note and we’ll stumble through it together! I’m batting a pretty high average for fish, and our readers haul me up on the bean issue when I need it. Keep in touch!!

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Oh, drat. This is a complex issue, on which I’m truly not professionally equipped to comment and as well severely prejudiced in favor of abolishing inoculations altogether except in cases of specific and extreme risk. Let me set aside my personal feelings and relate to you what our Blood Type Encyclopedia (page 454) has to say: “Blood group AB has a relatively [compared with the other ABO types] poor ability to generate antibodies against any of the influenza viruses.” So I have to say, if you decide you are at risk, do get that flu shot. If you do so, plan ahead to embark upon a program of taking Probiotic-AB and ARA6 every single day thereafter; the toxins and potential digestive imbalances created by the action of the influenza vaccination should be dealt with immediately for your greatest health and comfort. As my personal opinion only: if you are solidly on the AB diet and in good health right now, get a bottle of ProBerry3 from our store here and take it according to the package directions, every day till Spring is sprung. Include ARA6 to motivate your intestinal health and feed those vital flora and fauna, and eat your beneficials all winter long ~ with special emphasis on hardy greens, turkey, coldwater fish, eggs, oils, yams, and tempeh. Immunity resides in your gut, and we want those wonderful creatures to be happy, happy, happy. If you’re in the U.S., visit www.heallix.com and spring for this expensive but nearly miraculous compound. A little goes a long way, and nothing’s nicer than knowing you’re safe from viral and bacterial infection. Good health and a flu-free winter to you, Karen!

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I'll paraphrase my column from August 12: The coffee status is an update ~ a refinement to the original ratings, based on new research and made possible by further work on secretor and nonsecretor reactions as well as other recent developments in this field. Peter decided that when considering all the new data together, coffee’s known detriments to your type have now been judged to outweigh the benefits – thus, the rating was adjusted. This is still a rather new science, but we expect more additions to the lists than changes from here on in. Thanks for your patience, and take a look at all the marvelous coffee substitutes on the health-food market that you can have & I can’t! Kaffree Roma and Teechino in all its varieties come immediately to mind, along with Raja’s Cup (a potent cup of antioxidants that we ALL can use). Your wide choice of grains means nearly every coffee sub you see will be OK for your type, and don’t forget roasted dandelion root ~ it’s lovely made into a tea that does yeoman service as a coffee-ish drink. Read the labels and pick a tasty one that will help enhance your health!!! _



Hi, Pamela ~ I can’t recommend coral calcium, for reasons I went into in the column on October 22. Your AB diet is “secretly” supporting an ideal acid/alkaline balance in your body, so stick with it. The Phytocal-AB product sold here on this site is the one type of calcium supplement I can wholeheartedly endorse, not only for the care taken in gathering its elements, and the high absorption factor of its ingredients, but most of all for the crafting of the supplement to suit AB biochemistry – including their generally rather low comparative stomach acid levels. A friend of mine credits the addition of Phytocal-AB to his diet for the remission of his intractable prostate cancer ~ I can’t say for certain that this happened as he described it, but it’s worth a mention here if only as an anecdote. I hear a lot of them, and the general trend leads me to believe that any AB concerned about their calcium intake will be well served by the supp Peter made just for YOU.

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Type ABs ~ Want to see more columns about youse guys? WRITE IN!! :-) I’m running mighty low on AB questions! I'm sure there are plenty of ideas you have on topics of interest to those rare birds among us! Gimme ‘em.

:->

Is grapeseed oil acceptable to use on an O Type diet? Dianne

The nice thing about grapeseed oil (and rice bran oil) is the high smoke point. It is better for high-heat cooking than olive oil. However, both products undergo far more processing to extract the oil than olives, nuts and seeds (all higher in oil) and this fact is a concern for whole-food advocates. In terms of ABO reactivity, we have no test results for either of them ~ they may be considered "neutral" until proven otherwise. :-)

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Hi Heidi, This may be more a doc Bron query, but: I am type O on the diet for over a year, do the high protein, high raw version but have recently encountered a strange problem: I now have dark discoloration at the outside corner of each eye, the same as the typical circles under the eyes, which I don't have a problem with. I once read somewhere that discoloration of the skin around the eyes related to kidney or oxygen uptake issues, which I hope isn't happening to me. What could cause/cure this condition? thanks. jc

J, you've taken a shot in the dark by offering me this Q, and I've little other than the same to shoot back: Is this a pinkish-brown or a bluish discoloration? Do you spend most of your waking hours in front of a video monitor? I'd say if it is pinkish rather than blue, it may be cause for adding at least a liter per day of mineral water to your diet as well as some really fresh flax oil or meal. If it is bluish, it may be simply the result of a sharp reduction in your skin fat layer ~ or the result of eyestrain. Bilberry? Cheap and worth a shot! ;->

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Hi, Heidi, I'm not going to give you time to respond to my previous question before asking again because this has been "bugging" me since I got the Blood Type Encyclopedia this summer. I have been an advocate of natural remedies for decades, and was surprised to see how some of them were classified. I am a type B secretor, and have been taking, among others, garlic, hawthorne and bilberry for their supportive effects. I take others, but those three are interesting because they are not listed as being beneficial to type Bs for their usual support (cholesterol, cardiac and eye health respectively). They aren't listed as avoid either, but it makes me wonder if they do any good for a type B, as they are listed with those benefits or as part of the protocols for one or two other blood types such as O or O and A. Herb

Herb, since you have the Encyclopedia, I'd suggest you use your experience and knowledge of your own body's reactions to design your own protocol. Some herbs/supps/compounds work wonders in one type while they're rather limp noodles for others, even though they do no active harm. The issue is bang for the buck. Using the Encyclopedia's recommendations means you can take advantage of this research in order to maximize your results per dollar.

:-)

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I want to suggest that a map location of the dadamo clinic be posted on this site because I live in san diego , CA & I have an appointment at his clinic on dec /11/2002 thanx

I notice that some listed avoid foods make energize me & some beneficial foods sicken me,?what can be determined about that?

the Encyclopedia says Caviar is avoid 4 type(A): ?Is that all species of fish eggs even beneficial fish?-Happy holidays:-)

I forgot to mention that I put a little squeeze of fresh lemon in the hot filtered water with Cortiguard pills. bhop

Bhop, if you go to www.yahoo.com, you'll see a tiny link to "Maps." Just enter the address listed on our site for the clinic, and a map will be created before your very eyes. :-) If any of the beneficial foods give you trouble, put them aside for a month. Test small amounts at that time, and give it another month's break if they still don't sit right. As to the avoids, I must say that whole wheat and sugar energize me, too ~ then they drop me like a rock, all the while urging me to eat more, more, more.... many avoids act as drugs, and although the initial effect may seem positive, they do nothing but harm and entail a withdrawal period which we all face if we're committed to better health. "Caviar" means Beluga, Sevruga and Osetra caviar. Salmon roe is listed separately. Others (unlisted) are unknowns, to be treated as neutrals unless you are trying to resolve a health problem. About the lemon water & cortiguard ~ interesting, thanks!!

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I just started on the blood type diet. I am type O. Under cereals in the book, kasha is listed as neutral. I'm not sure what that is, and have not found it in a store. However, I found a cereal by the name of Kashi at the Whole Foods store. Is that the same thing, or if not, is it still allowable for type O? It does have Whole Hard Red Winter Wheat listed as the first ingredient, and I didn't know if that was different than the whole wheat that is on the Avoid List. (This kashi cereal also contains whole long grain brown rice, honey, evaporated cane juice, whole oats, whole barley, whole triticale, whole rye, whole buckwheat, sesame seeds.) Thanks very much! Joan

Hi, Joan ~ Kasha is ... well, I'll let the folks at AgInnovation News explain it:

"A whole buckwheat seed looks like a tiny black pyramid with a round base. About 16 seeds fit on a thumbnail. The seed's hull is black and fibrous, but not that difficult to crack. Inside lays the light and sweet groat, which some say tastes like honey and nuts. Cracked buckwheat groats are sold as buckwheat grits. Roasted buckwheat groats or grits are known as kasha.

Kashi, on the other hand, is only a company name, and as you so astutely pointed out, the ingredients list is "where it's at" when deciding whether to purchase a product. Good work!! :-)

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thanks again, everyone!! :-D

:-D Well, with all four blood types in your family, my opinion is that if your husband and kids get up in the morning, get dressed, get fed and go about their daily business, you're doing a spectacular job! You've got the basics down cold, and what can I say? Whew! Have a seat for a moment or two, and let's put our heads together on making that job a bit easier.

There are a few basic meals that work for everyone. I compiled these originally for dinner party menu planning, since I don't always know everyone's blood type ~ that situation rarely continues past the appetizer course (:-D) but if I don't get the chance to sneak up behind the "unknown types," yell "SURPRISE!!" and prick their finger, at least I know I haven't fed them avoids. tee hee!

I. Fish/green veg or salad/rice. Bullhead, carp, chub, cod, croaker, cusk, drum, halfmoon fish, mackerel, mahi-mahi, monkfish, mullet, perch of all kinds, pickerel, pike, porgy, red snapper, rosefish, sailfish, salmon, sardines, scrod, shark, smelt, sturgeon, sucker, sunfish, swordfish, tilapia, tuna, weakfish and whitefish are all OK for all types. Many of them are cheap and readily available in most seasons. Cod, mullet, snapper, salmon and others do well with a touch of lemon, butter and salt and a quick jaunt under the broiler. Your daughter & husband will appreciate a bit of OK cheese sprinkled on their half of the filet. Canned Alaskan salmon and sardines are amazingly inexpensive and beneficial for nearly all of us. A "fishloaf" made from mashed canned salmon (with the bones and skin), dried Ezekiel bread crumbs, egg, sea salt and minced onions & green herbs is simple and fast to make. Try the www.foodtv.com site for Mario Batali's recipes for oily fish like sardines and mackerel. The kids will like them, trust me!

II. Turkey/green or orange veg (and/or salad)/rice. Good quality organically-fed birds are more and more commonly found in large supermarkets these days, and year-round. If you buy a 15-pound bird, it can be roasted (unstuffed) very simply on a bed of carrots, celery and onions, and will provide a meat course for 4 for a few days. We carve the turkey immediately after roasting, and make stock from the bones and roasted vegetables. Frozen in pint containers, this is a great base for a quick soup of any kind later on. There's a vast number of veggies which work for all types. Also: ask your butcher for ground dark meat turkey. It makes great burgers for everyone.

III. OSTRICH in a rich stew with vegetables (carrots, celery, turnips or parsnips, cremini or portobello mushrooms, onions, parsley, garlic, kale sauteed separately with onions & salt, and some warm sweet spices like ginger and clove -- you can really stuff the veggies into them this way!!) with some red wine or marsala for richness (the alcohol boils away). If you live in an area of the world where ostrich is inexpensive, by all means make use of it. Just sear the chunked meat in a bit of oil, add the veg and broth, wine if desired, and sea salt, pepper & spices to taste. Cook until the ostrich begins to show a "looser" texture, but not so long that it begins to shred. It does have a flavor reminiscent of venison (a touch liver-y) which virtually disappears after storing the stew in the fridge for a day. At that point it will fool everyone into thinking it's beef. Reassure your son & husband that it's OK!

IV. Two-Pot Stir-Fry: A little olive oil and water in each pan. Onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, curly kale, broccoli, summer or winter squash, ~ asparagus & spinach in the spring ~ In the type O & B pot, put slices of the beef, lamb, liver, venison, turkey, or others, and in the A & AB pot, sizzle up some sliced tofu or tempeh... or turkey.

V. The Spanish Tortilla: It's a huge, thick omelette, primarily made up of vegetables -- onions, garlic, greens, shredded squashes, you name it. Saute it all in a heavy pan with olive oild, cover with beaten egg salted & peppered & herbed (if desired). Scatter some ground meat on one half, some diced tofu or tempeh on the other. Bake it until toasty-gold on top and cooked through. This can be sliced pizza-style and eaten hot, room temperature or cold. Grated cheese is a nice touch for the cheese-eaters. Tomato & sweet or hot pepper fans can have their portions sprinkled accordingly. A fresh salad goes superbly with it.

VI. Little Green Mystery Bundles: Boil a pot of salted water and add whole kale or collard leaves, with the stems snipped off. Leave them for a minute then plunge them into ice water, drain and set out on a pan. For the stuffing, some steamed rice for the hubby & kids, some tofu seasoned with tamari for hubby & son, sliced leftover meat for you & daughter, and any leftover cooked veggies for everyone. A little grated horseradish in each packet, roll up the leaves over the stuffing, secure with a toothpick, pour a cup of broth over the whole thing and bake for 30 minutes at 350 or so. Mark each one with a piece of veg, or different-colored toothpicks, so you'll know which is which! :-)

I know Denise isn't the only head cook of a four-type family out there. Got strategies of your own? Send them in, and we'll publish them for the benefit of all the readers. Denise, I hope these offerings stimulate your creativity and reduce your workload!! You are already doing a superb job of feeding your family. We'll do our best to support you!! My sincerest admiration goes out to you, and congratulations on your devotion to your family's health and well-being. Prosper, my dear!

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Yes, it is perfectly OK to avoid the higher-carb foods for now, and to introduce them very slowly as your body's balance re-asserts itself. Most of the beneficial vegetables in the O diet are dark greens, very low-carb. The pork and dairy products as well as the avoid fats, vegetables and fruits approved under the Atkins plan are contributing to the toxicity (skin healing trouble) and high blood pressure. You will certainly see an improvement if you follow the Live Right 4 Your Type food list, with an emphasis on the beneficial meats, vegetables and fats. You can still have a serving (or two) per day of low-sugar berries -- you need those proanthocyanadins for skin health and antioxidant effects.

I'm sure that if the Atkins plan helped somewhat, this one will work wonders for you. It incorporates all the basic theories behind that system, but protects you from the deleterious effects of pork, bad fats and dairy. Consult the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia for specific protocols to boost your thyroid functioning.

Keep in touch about your progress, and thanks for writing, Sophie! :-)

Darn it, Lee, it bothers me no end to tell someone that a favorite element of their local cuisine is a baddie for their type. Here's Peter's column on Blood Groups, Nitrates and Nitrites. I don't have a definitive answer on whether home-smoked = restaurant-smoked = commercially-packaged smoked. What I can tell you are two things: (1) sodium nitrate and/or potassium nitrate ("saltpeter" to you old-timers) are the real bugaboos, and you will find them listed as additives to some commercial sausage and jerky products (they produce the desired red color). Ask the chefs at your eating places if any sauce they use contains sodium or potassium nitrate -- if they do, donchu eat it. (2) Get a nice whopping dose of vitamin C (acerola cherry or rosehip-based only, please) before heading for a dish of kalua-style food. It will help short-circuit any lurking nitrosamines. Enjoy!!









Not a thing as far as I remember, Ann. I'm sure that if Peter felt salt were an issue to be addressed, he'd a' done it. So, I'd suggest moderate use of good sea salt, drink pure water, add some high-solids mineral water now and again to optimize electrolytes, and not to worry. :-)











Hanna, do the best you can! That's what we all do. Tangerine, plaintain, orange, papaya, mango, honeydew, coconut and banana are the only avoids for type A out of the whole fruit list, so keep an eye peeled for any fresh fruits in your local markets now and again, OK? But the tinned ones are fine! Spelt flour is the closest to wheat for making baked goods, although it has a more delicate gluten than wheat so it tends to require a little more leaven and bake up better with only one rising rather than two. You could mix white flour in with the spelt, and add some oat or soy flour for body. The only avoids in the grain department for type A secretors are teff, wheat germ, wheat bran and whole wheat, so search around and see what kinds of flour you can find and keep experimenting! The Gluten-Free site has thousands of recipes. Check the ingredients against the TYPEbase3 database and go to town! :-)











Kevan, write back and tell me your blood type and I'll do my best to help!











Hi, Melanie! Follow your own diet (assuming you're the Mom?). It will ensure your optimal health and the best supply of milk, along with the usual lovely 'surprise' side-effects -- all good! If you notice that the baby is discomfited when you eat certain foods, just limit them somewhat. Every nursing experience is different, and with attention and responsive effort, Mom gets the hang of the little details soon enough. I always get a bit of a thrill when I hear about nursing mothers following the BTD. What a great way to experience this wonderful thing -- and what a fabulous start for the kidling! :-D







Many thanks for this chance to learn so much and share with all of you ~~ and, ^