I have been "on the diet" for almost three years and have had much success with it. After only 6 weeks on the diet GERD disappeared and so did many other ailments. Recently, however, GERD seems to be rearing its ugly head again. It is not as bad as it was and happens infrequently but, nevertheless, it happens. I have not re-introduced any "avoids" into my diet - in fact I have weaned myself away from white wine now and only drink the occasional glass of red. Would you have any suggestions as to what could be the reason for GERD to reappear? I hate the thought of having to go back on medication. Thanks - Sue

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GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease) is a condition in which acidic stomach contents flowing up the esophagus from the stomach, usually resulting in the burning sensations of "heartburn." The effects on the esophagus can be very harsh, setting the stage for the development of even more serious health problems.

I. An ancient Chinese medicine treatment is often effective against GERD:

Use a juicer to extract a couple of teaspoons of juice from fresh ginger root. The quantity of root will vary -- just use enough to get that much, which is enough for one day.

Take 1/2 teaspoon on an empty stomach, in the morning and 1/2 hour before lunch and dinner. It is very potent stuff, and burns a bit going down. Don't worry, you'll probably even get to like the sensation in time! and it won't do you any harm.

After a week or so, up the dosage until you're taking a full teaspoon at a time. While it does not address the cause (most likely a combination of stored stresses and inappropriate diet) this simple home treatment alone has chased GERD away for good in many people. You don't have to make the juice every day, so once you've tried it for a day or two, you can juice up a few cups of it to store, covered in the fridge, for a month. It keeps just fine that way.

II. Do you have hiatus hernia? I did -- and my chiropractor was able to alleviate it by actually reaching in under my diaphragm and pulling the stomach down. This technique, too, does not address the causes of HH (large meals, lifelong stresses, poor and irritating grain-heavy diet), but it can remove the effects temporarily while your diet and stress-relief practices do the rest. HH is often present in people with GERD.

In brief, I'd suggest you start the ginger juice, discuss with your chiropractor the technique I mentioned above if HH is involved, and begin following a powerful stress-reduction practice of your choice.

I hope you're feeling better soon, and please keep in touch!

I'm trying to find recipe's for Essene Bread and Ezekial Bread. Where could I find these?? Thanks -- Lyn

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In hopes that you're a practiced bread baker, Lyn, I'll offer here the basic procedures for making these breads. Neither is as specific as we'd like, but that's the nature of this beast. The vagaries of grain and climate will affect the final product... you'll have to feel your way along as you go.

The first, for Essene bread, was kindly posted on the old message boards in 1997. The second is my interpretation and compilation of directions for making Ezekiel bread which I've gleaned from commercial bakers, home cooks, websites, and intuition. I look forward to your comments and results!



Essene Bread

Posted by Brian on November 22, 1997 at 11:30:09:

In the past, some ER4YT "newbies" have questioned what Essene Bread is or where to buy it. Perhaps it not not available in all areas. In any event, here is our offering for making this special treat at home:

1. Sprout 2 cups of wheat until the sprouts are only 1/2 inch or shorter. If they grow longer than that, the final loaf will be too "green". It usually takes 24 to 48 hours for the sprouts to reach 1/2 inch in length.

2. Grind the sprouted wheat. We use an old fashioned hand-cranked meat grinder. You will end up with a rubbery glob.

3. Form into an oval shaped loaf and bake in a shallow dish at 250 to 275 degrees (F) for about 1.5 to 2 hours, until browned.

4. Cool, keep refrigerated, and slice with a wet, serrated knife. The finished bread has a pleasantly sweet flavor. Some like to top a slice with cheese and make a real meal of it.

Note: You can add whatever extra ingredients are appropriate for the blood types in your household (chopped dates, raisins, salt, honey, grated carrots, whatever). You can also substitute rye grain for wheat, if you prefer. Be creative. Hope this helps. Make it at home and save lots of money (most health food stores sell Essene Bread for a healthy sum). Manna Bread is a heavy sweet bread, and adding the extra ingredients would give you something similar.

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Ezekiel 4:9 Bread

"Take thou also unto thee wheat and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches [spelt] and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof." Ezekiel 4:9

The Ezekiel bread noted in the blood type diet books, like the Essene bread, is made from 100% sprouted grain. Unlike the Essene (or "manna") recipe, however, the sprouted grains (and beans) used in Ezekiel bread must be dried before grinding them into flour. This is a pretty tricky process, and you'll probably need a dehydrator with a fan in order to accomplish it without mold setting in on the sprouts.

Put 1/2 cup each of the wheat, barley, beans (pick a bean from your OK list), lentils, millet and spelt in separate sprouting containers -- large jars with screened tops. When each item shows a tiny sprout (1/16-1/8" in length), place that batch on one of the dehydrator screens and start drying. They're done when you can crush them and find no lingering moisture; the time involved will vary between ingredients and between batches. :->

Use a flour mill to grind the mixed sprouts. Now you're ready to begin the bread recipe (or ready to strangle me, or both. :-) Is that store-bought Ezekiel looking more attractive by the moment? :-D) Additionally, you may have to experiment with leavening ingredients, as sprouted grain loses much of the gluten that allows the bread to develop elasticity and body.

Here is a good one from the Mormon recipe site:

1.) Measure the following into a large bowl:

4 cups lukewarm water

1 cup honey

1/4 cup oil

2 Tablespoons yeast

Set aside for 3-5 minutes to allow yeast to grow.

2.) Add to yeast mixture:

2 teaspoons salt

Fresh milled flour (about 9 cups) from above mixture of grains

3.) Stir or knead until well kneaded. This is a batter type bread and will not form into a smooth ball.

4.) Pour dough into 2 large loaf pans (10x5x3), or 3 medium loaf pans, or 2 9x13 brownie pans.

5.) Let rise in a warm place about an hour, or until the dough is almost to the top of the pan. If it rises too much, it will overflow the pan while baking.

6.) Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes for loaf pans, and 35-40 minutes for brownie pans.

Good Luck!

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Thanks for asking!

Jerky's not just for type O. It can be made from red meat, fowl, fish, even snake... even alligator meat makes tasty jerky.

I understand you’re a busy person, so I hope I won’t discourage you from making jerky when I say: the key to success is experience. You don’t really need a fancy dehydrator or even an oven. If your climate is dry, breezy and warm, a clothesline will do. But technique is paramount, since the basic idea is to preserve meat through drying and/or salting for a projected period of time – and every cut of meat is different.

It can be made with complicated marinades, or nothing more than fine sea salt. Most people associate jerky with thin strips of meat, but pound-sized chunks can be used, too. With strips, you can tell it’s done when it will bend and crack a bit, but not break. The larger hunks of meat are prepared to the point where they no longer drip or sweat, but it’s a little more difficult for the novice to determine when they’re really ready for storage.

Here’s a quick recipe for two pounds of lean red meat or turkey, cut into ¼” strips. Just double all the ingredients if you want a bigger batch:

Mix together 2 minced cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of salt, a tablespoon of ginger powder, ¼ teaspoon of cayenne and ½ teaspoon of fresh-ground black pepper. Type As & ABs: you can substitute one teaspoon of cumin for the cayenne and pepper, reduce the salt to one tablespoon, and add 1/2 cup of wheat-free tamari. Put the meat into a glass or ceramic container, distribute the spice preparation over all sides of the meat, cover and put it in the fridge overnight.

In the morning, drain any liquid that has seeped out. Line the bottom of your oven with some protective covering (like aluminum foil) and arrange the meat strips flat across the oven racks. Each strip should be supported by at least two wires of the rack; you don’t want the sides of the strips to touch as they hang there. Set the oven to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and leave the door just cracked open. Use an oven thermometer to monitor the actual temperature, and adjust it so that it remains around 140 degrees Fahrenheit for six to eight hours. Start testing the jerky after six hours – it should, as I mentioned, bend with some cracking when it’s done.

There is a wonderful little book which explains and elaborates upon the basic techniques of the manufacture of all kinds of jerky and pemmican, and I recommend it to anyone who would like a solid grounding in the subject. It’s called, surprisingly enough, Jerky, written by A.D. Livingston and published by The Lyons Press. No matter whether you just want a snack to take to work, plan to store large quantities of game meat for survival and kitchen recipes, or are hoping to find a use for the nutria you’re eradicating from your pond, this book has what you're looking for.

Enjoy!!!

I have been following the blood type way of life for just a few short months and feel amazing results. My blood type is B+. I have recently been experiencing a shortness of breath or more acuratly, I feel as though I cannot get a deep breath. After using stress relieving visualization and deep breathing I am able to regain my breath.

I do have a bit of a sinus infection that has been lingering and I was wondering if they are associated. Do you have any recommendations? Are there possibly any herbal remedies I should consider? ~ Jennifer

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Hi Heidi, love the column. I have a thorny problem: I'm a type B (don't know secretor status) who's been suffering from horrible, chronic allergy problems and asthma that have progressively worsened since I turned 21 (21 years ago!). I've run the gamut of tests and treatments in those years, even had sinus surgery, and have also tried just about every diet "cure" I could find, including macrobiotic (imagine how well that went for me!), vegan, etc., etc.

This spring, I finally found my way to a homeopathic MD who recommends the BTD series of books, and I've been following the B diet pretty closely for about three months. Also, on her recommendation, using a homeopathic remedy (argentum nitricum) and several supplements -- reacted magnesium, "histaplex" (quercetin, bromelain, and something else), "lipistatin", and essential fatty acids (started out on EPO and a blend of DHA, GLA, and EPA, have JUST switched to fish body oils only).

Trouble is, after all this time, I'm seeing little to no improvement in the allergy/asthma condition. In the last couple of weeks, I've gotten discouraged by my constantly itchy, inflamed eyelids, heavy sinus congestion, and occasional asthma flare-ups, and I went to see her again yesterday for a checkup. She's surprised, too, that the allergy trouble hasn't gone away. So she switched the fatty acid supps, recommended regular (twice daily) use of the neti pot, and I went out and got some thyme/licorice tea. On the website, I see lots of stuff about allergies and sinusitis for Types A and O, but little for B. Have you seen this kind of thing before? Any advice? ~ Amy

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These two questions arrived on the same day, and have interesting parallels. Jennifer found that her breathing difficulties responded to visualization, and now seeks herbal remedies to treat a lingering sinus infection. Amy has run a long course of dietary, herbal, surgical and homeopathic treatments, but is still working very hard to find effective means of combatting her persistent allergies, congestion and asthma.

I'll respond to these rather complex issues as briefly as possible (for me, that is... I'm brevity-challenged by nature, so grab a comfy chair and a cool drink! :-}).

First, a big pat on the back for you: type Bs are the most susceptible to sinus problems triggered by allergies, and can have the worst time eradicating them once they've settled in. I want you both to go look in the mirror and say, "I'm doing a GREAT job handling these difficulties, and I'm going to SUCCEED in getting rid of them!" :-D

Jennifer: check out that neti pot, it can make a big difference. Use warm water with just a bit of sea salt added. More below.

Amy: Jennifer's visualization and breathing techniques worked, meaning that stress played a major role in her health problems (sadly, that's true for the majority of people). Bs get such great results from visualization and meditation that I'd put these strategies at the very top of your list. I can't speak to the homeopathics you're taking, but I'm not a homeopath and it sounds like you have a knowledgeable and responsive practictioner.

You're both following the B diet, thereby greatly reducing your exposure to , that can be avoided or minimized while you're healing.

The concept here is not that any one element has "caused" your difficulties. Nor am I suggesting you'll end up living in a bubble so as to escape each and every possible one of these "causes." Your body will do the healing as soon as it feels there is no "state of emergency" it must respond to first.

Allergies and their results arise when your total stress load is greater than you personally, biologically, are capable of handling. They start resolving when you get the stress volume back down below the flood line.

If the 'load' is primarily dietary, the correct diet can work "miracles." If it is primarily environmental (constant exposure to powerful EMF fields, radioactivity, molds, poor water, poisons of all kinds -- a professional ship painter who lives near a power plant, for instance) then changing jobs and/or moving, generally clearing the personal environment can do the trick on their own. If long-term psychological stresses are involved -- and this can be the case even if we don't "feel stressed" -- then meditation, visualization, yoga, chanting, or any one of many other focused stress-relief practices may be all that is needed.

For most of us, it's some combination of these factors that leads to declining health. The best approach in every case is to cover all the bases. Did I mention exercise? Whoops! Bs can benefit substantially through an exercise program that is varied, offers some intellectual challenge, and can be done in a group and/or alone. Does martial arts come to mind? good! An occasional pick-up volleyball game, ocean swimming, figure skating, dancing. Pick and choose. You want to engage the muscles without leaving the mind behind -- it's that balance thing again. ;-)

Hans Selye's The Stress of Life is the classic work on the relationship between stored stresses in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and health problems of a startling variety. Well worth its cheap price at one of the online used-book sellers, especially if you're wondering how the heck I'm linking meditation with relief from sinusitis! And I can't leave out my ubiquitous plug for Meditation as Medicine by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa and Cameron Stauth. Folks, this book is worth its weight in gold-pressed Latinum for most people, and probably more for Bs. I'll spare you the testimonials, and just say that it is science, narrative, revelation, discussion, technique instruction and love, all in one.

Couple of supplement notes:

Probiotics act to normalize your immune response, meaning they can crank it up or soothe it down as needed. Naturally, I'm going to suggest using the blood-type specific probiotics available on this site. Your gut is the center of your body's digestive and immune functions, so there's nothing HB'er than beneficial intestinal critters!! If you only could take one supp, it should be this one.

To avert bacterial sinusitis, and especially if it has already progressed to that stage, use elderberry concentrate or Proberry 3 (also available on this site).

Turmeric and quercetin are both excellent anti-inflammatories, and have no known overdose. Amy, perhaps you'd benefit by taking Q at a higher dosage than what's in your combo compound.

Finally, there are specific protocols and advice for Bs with sinusitis and allergies in the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia.

Well, that's me being brief -- not by the length of what I've written, but by how long it MIGHT have been, you see. :->

Jennifer and Amy, thank you for writing, and please let me know your progress!

Hi Heidi...



Can you stand one more question about a discrepancy between two Eat Right books???



Sure! :-D



In the original Eat Right book Linden is an avoid for Type B. In the Encyclopedia, Linden is listed as an anti-inflammatory and nerve health agent.



I take a naturopathic tincture for high blood pressure. Before ER, it contained linden - along with rowolfia and hawthorne. We eliminated the linden after ER, but I was wondering if we should put it back in now? Has the status changed?? Thanks ~~ Linda



The Encyclopedia's entries on linden are correct. New research since Eat Right was published in 1996 has been extensive, resulting in updated values and recommended usages for a number of items.



If your homeopath or naturopath suggests you add linden back into the mix, there's no ABO-specific reason not to do so.



The antistress protocol Peter recommends for type Bs with hypertension includes the use of visualization. I note it here just as a reminder that directed visualization has been shown to exert powerful influence on an unexpectedly wide variety of ailments. Bs in general seem to have a special knack for it and appear to receive greater benefits from it than others do. I'd also like to suggest the book Meditation as Medicine by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa and Cameron Stauth, for the several brief "medical meditations" and other information specific to hypertension. These practices can produce results in astonishing proportion to the small amount of time required to perform them.



Good luck, good health and keep in touch!