BR: Martha, could you tell us something about yourself I mean, where you were born, your parents, your childhood, how many brothers and/or sisters, where you lived.

MD: My story is a very "American" story. My mother was Irish and my father was Hungarian, both children of immigrants who came to America for a better life. I was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in New Jersey. There are seven children in my family - six girls and one boy! - and I am the middle child. Life was very active in our household with all those children, as you might imagine. As a child, I loved biking, reading, writing, and I enjoyed a marvelous fantasy life...I was a star reporter, a detective, a teacher, a poet, all within the walls of my bedroom.

BR: Could you tell us about your professional life? Before and after your marriage?

MD: I started out as a secretary at a small ad agency in New York City, and the man I worked for was a magnificent individual. He took me under his wing and taught me the advertising business, and I was promoted to an Account Executive. My love of the printed word took hold and I switched over to the magazine business working as an advertising sales representative. I spent seven years at Esquire, and during that time I received a number of promotions, ultimately becoming the Vice-President/Marketing Director for the company. I left Esquire in 1986 when I moved to Canada after my marriage to Peter. We stayed there briefly, and when we returned to the states, I went over to Conde Nast, a big publishing house, and became the Advertising Director for House and Garden Magazine. From there, I became the publisher on a start up hybrid newspaper/magazine called 7 Days. My job at 7 Days was thrilling, as we were doing very innovative work. I worked with a terrific group of people, and it was enormously challenging and fulfilling to build a fledgling publication. Although we had tremendous acceptance in the market, our owner decided to close the publication after two years. The week after we closed, we received a National Magazine Award for general excellence - I guess you could call that "poetic justice".

This break in work was a natural opportunity to begin our family, and Claudia was born one year later in 1991. I knew I did not want to commute into New York City, and made the decision to create an opportunity for myself in Connecticut which would allow me flexibility. It was at this time that Peter and I developed and launched The Journal of Naturopathic Medicine. Peter was the editor, and I was the publisher. As the magazine grew, it was too much for us to continue doing on our own, and we gave the magazine to the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. We felt that we had created a strong template for the profession, and that it was a good time for them to take over and continue to build it.

Just as this was happening, we started North American Pharmacal. I was the "business side" and Peter was the "technical advisor/formulator". Our first and only product at that time was Ara-6 powder, and we were selling it in bulk as well as in the single units that we have today. The business started in our attic, and it rapidly took over our house. We moved into our first office space in 1996. That same year, Eat Right 4 Your Type was published, and we saw an opportunity to create a line of blood type specific products which supported the Blood Type Diet. The first products were Fucus and Taraxacum as they were simple to formulate and source and now we have over 50 products. Next year, we expect to launch a new line of Pre-Natal vitamins, a line of protein powders, and a woman's specialty formula. Peter's publisher will release Peter's latest work, Eat Right 4 Your Baby in the Spring of 2003. We are just in the process of copyediting the manuscript, and I was privileged to write the introduction. This book is really a "labor of love" as having our children was and continues to be the greatest and most rewarding collaboration Peter and I have ever undertaken.

Office space continues to challenge us as we are growing so rapidly, and I am just in the process of purchasing a building in Norwalk, Connecticut which I hope will be the "worldwide headquarters" for NAP for many years to come.

BR: Mothers are vital factors in the lives of their children. Tell us about your relation with your mother, and you being a mother yourself, of Emily and Claudia. Tell us about the relation with your daughters!

MD: My daughters are two of the greatest joys in my life. For many years, I thought I would not have children as I was very career focused. When the time came to start a family, I was quite nervous. But the moment I saw Claudia's face, my life changed forever. Claudia was born in 1991, and Emily followed in 1994. I learn from my daughters every day, and in each of them I see different aspects of myself. In many ways, this is similar to the relationship I had with my mother. We both had a piece of each other in us, and we grew up together. My mother was a strong woman, who worked very hard to raise her family. She had a wonderful sense of humor, and a deep faith in God. We enjoyed a close relationship, and she loved the time she had with our daughters before her death in 1998.

BR: We know from Peter's interview that you two met in his clinic. What kind of health problems did you experience to visit Peter's clinic? And how compliant are you since then with the BTD.

MD: My major health complaint when I saw Peter was stress - I traveled constantly for work, and I wasn't very focused on taking care of myself. He helped me turn that around and make my health a priority. I would say I am 80 - 90% compliant on the program in general, and when I am feeling stressed or worn out, my compliance goes to 95%-100%.

BR: Martha, you are married to Peter! How did you two meet, and enlighten us about the secret of your happy marriage!

MD: Many people have full and rewarding lives without children. For me, and for Peter as well, we would not be who we are today without our children. As we have raised them, they have raised us. They bring great joy and inspiration to us, along with those moments of total exasperation! Our marriage has been strengthened because of our children, and I believe the secret to this is no secret at all. It is respect - of your partner, of your children, of yourself. If you truly understand and have respect for each other, you leave room for each person's individuality, for their moods, for their self-expression.

BR: Martha, you have a busy life, being a mother, partner, running a busy household, being President of NAP. Are you at home often enough? Do you get criticism from your daughters?

MD: Life is full, and with the company going through a growth stage and with our daughters entering those pre-adolescent and adolescent years, there's a tremendous amount of work and coordinating of schedules. Each week, I put a lot of miles on the car, going from one place to another. I am fortunate that I have flexibility with NAP, so if one of the girls needs something, I can be there for them. Although the weekdays are full, we try very hard to keep weekends easy and family oriented. Just "hanging out" together is one of our favorite things to do.

BR: Being President of NAP is a tremendous job! Please give us an impression of how your average day looks like?

MD: It's funny, but no day is the same, and I try to look at a week's time to make sure I get it all in. I am up early every day, answering emails and managing my correspondence. During the school years, I get the girls together for school and drop them off. I either come back to the house, go to the office, or on Tuesday's and Thursday's go to karate class with Peter. I have weekly staff meetings to keep on top of NAP events, and I have weekly management meetings with German Ramirez, the CFO of NAP, and with Merita Peterson, the Customer Service Director, to make sure all the key aspects of our business are funning smoothly. Through the fall, I'll be heavily involved in the new building renovations and the move into the new space, so this will take a big chunk of my time.

BR: You live a fully occupied life! Is there still time left for your hobbies? And if so, what hobbies do you have?

MD: I have a number of hobbies. At the top of the list is karate, although it really is more than a hobby for me. It has become a very significant part of my life as it integrates a wonderful physical workout with a spiritual and energetic focus that is very grounding. All of us practice it, and we try to schedule some time each week where we can train together. I love reading, particularly good mysteries, wonderful novels and books on Jungian psychology. I love to garden, but I must admit I've been beaten down by the local deer population, so I am limited as to what I can do. We hope next year to fence in some of the property and create a zen-like space with beautiful plant specimens as well as some vegetables.

BR: How well organized is your household? We know already that Peter cleans floors with Swiffers and gets into trouble by doing so!! Do your daughters have tasks at home as well?

MD: Some days we are really well organized, and some days we are not. I am very aware that this reflects my state of affairs, so I try to work very hard to stay on top of this. Peter is a wonderful, active participant in our household as are the girls. As they get older, they get more involved which is terrific. They recently put together a chore list which says who takes out the garbage, who recycles, who's on dish patrol, who feeds which pet...we have 3! Marcel, our 6 year old bichon, Artemis, a 2 year old dwarf rabbit and Sebastian, a 2 year old hamster.

BR: Peter is an A. You are an O! O's stand for rationality, A's for emotionality! Or is there more to it? Please tell us about it!

MD: O's can be irrational, and A's can be emotional although these are general tendencies, each person is an individual with their own personal psychology and dynamic. Peter and I are extremely fortunate that we are in-tune with each other and can sense each other's moods even before they happen. When we are strong, we both can respond supportively to each other. When we are worn out, it's more difficult to do so. That's why we work so hard to keep ourselves grounded and balanced.

BR: What is it like to be married to a (for some years already!) worldwide famous man? And is there an effect of this fame on your daily lives?

MD: The important things to remember are that when we married seventeen years ago, Peter wasn't famous. He was simply his wonderful, brilliant self. And although he has achieved great notoriety in his life, he still is fundamentally the wonderful, brilliant self he was when I married him. He has never suffered from an inflated ego or become to full of himself. In many ways, his fame has made him more humble, as he is acutely aware of the dangers of "false gods". The only change this has made on our daily lives is that we have more to do and a greater sense of responsibility to do it well.

BR: Martha, I want to express my thanks for this open, honest interview giving our readership a full insight in your lives!! It is a gift of character to remain the persons you were many years ago! In Dutch we have an expression for it: 'Alleen sterke benen kunnen de weelde dragen' translated: "Only strong legs can carry the luxury." You both are great people!

BR: Nick, please introduce yourself! Where were you born, your family, how many brothers and sisters you have and where you lived.

NB: Hi Cocky, Here are my vital statistics: B+ NS MN INTP. I was born an only child in Bahrain in the middle east on the 17th July 1956, and lived there until I was shipped off to boarding school in the UK when I was 11. Awali, Bahrain was quite a surreal ‘back to the future’, time-warped little place, - a pre-fabricated fully equipped American town in the middle of the desert, and inhabited largely by about 4000 Brits. The reason for it being there was of course oil, and although it was an American company that ran it, the Royal Navy maintained a base there, so the ruler was very pro-British. After school I had a 3 year stint in Sheffield University before getting my first job selling industrial precious metals in London. Two years later I was stationed in Copenhagen, then four years after that I jumped ship and started my own business. That has continued until this day, but now I have moved to Scotland, and am working in the Natural product industry, which is a welcome return to my roots in regard to my scientific background.

BR: Could you tell us something about your professional life? You are a biochemist. You are in charge of Stacktheme Ltd. in Scotland (European distributor of NAP products). Are there other offices in Europe, or is the Dutch office the only one? What are your professional plans for the future?

NB: One thing you can say about this business is that you can take nothing for granted. Every day presents new challenges and opportunities to a much greater degree than in most professions. As the science has moved forward rapidly over the past few decades, and the internet has spread information to an unprecedented degree, business has boomed. Unfortunately the orthodox health establishment has used its influence to discredit anything deemed to be alternative, and the consequence is that it has been difficult to stand out from a crowd in which there are many charlatans. The BTD is a case in point of course, because in many people’s minds it is still just another fad diet, and many health care professionals hope it will stay that way. This is because rather than embracing it as a major new tool in their arsenal, they see only the threat posed by the undermining of their current understanding. We are planning for a future which will see the Blood type theory becoming accepted as the first avenue of investigation of every serious practitioner’s therapy regime, so we have to prepare for how we are going to facilitate that transition and deal with the consequences. Our business strategy in Europe is to build a central hub for distribution and administration, with local offices providing language and technical back up. So far we have offices in the UK, Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Finland, covering most of Northern Europe. We plan to open up similar representative offices in the Southern European arena over the next couple of years. We will be investing a lot of effort on our new website www.right4EU.com and in company communication infrastructure, as this kind of dispersed organisation demands good links between all personnel. Luckily for us, technology and the politics of the single market are working for us in this venture.

BR: You live a fully occupied life! Is there still time left for your hobbies? And if so, what hobbies do you have?

NB: My hobbies tend to be of the sporting kind, indulging my competitive instincts, as this seems to get me furthest removed from thinking about work. I find that a game of squash, a cycle ride in the countryside or a round of golf does the trick in terms of ‘getting away from it all’. Otherwise you can find me in the kitchen, trying out a new blood type recipe on my long suffering family.

BR: Can you give us a bit of insight into why you started the blood type diet? And how you got started! Gradually or cold-turkey-wise? Tell us how you ran into the Diet and of the consequences for you personally and your family?

NB: It was just after I moved to Scotland in late 1997 that I read a synopsis of the book in a UK nutritional publication. I had been working in the food supplement business for about a year, and had been struck by the fact that the dietary advice offered by health food stores and nutritional practitioners often didn’t work as well as it should, given the power that I knew the products I was dealing with had. Reading the article was one of those ‘aha’ moments that you get when the truth hits you right between the eyes. You can take two steps forward from illness by using high quality supplements, but if you then keep taking three steps back by eating foods that burden your immune system, you don’t improve at all! There are going to be many more ways found about how to tailor health advice to individual need in the future, as the information available from the genome project is ‘mined’, but I doubt any system to be devised will turn out to be as powerful a tool for the practitioner to use as the blood type theory allows. I had personally run through a lot of different alternative healthcare methods over the previous years as I had a serious neurological condition which developed in late 1993, so I had a good understanding by then of what worked for me and what didn’t. What I noticed right away about the diet was that it controlled my blood sugar crashes which seriously aggravated my condition, and also my tendency to bloating and gas. However I had never been overweight, so nothing changed there. I reckon that I was fully on the diet within a couple of months, although travelling is always a major problem, so I use ‘Deflect’ a lot then. The consequences for myself and my family are profound – you might say that we work, eat and sleep the BTD now!

BR: Are there any diseases that tend to run in your family?

NB: On my mothers side there was a definite tendency to Breast cancer, but otherwise nothing particular.

BR: Nick, your family, your wife Eileen, your daughters Sarah and Lucy and your son George, how did they react to your following the diet? Are they ‘in’ as well, or are you a ‘loner’ following the diet?

NB: The family has followed my example with varying degrees of enthusiasm, however we are now all aware that the BTD is the ‘right’ path, but for the kids at least sinning can still sometimes be fun! At home we all eat what is available, and since we only buy items that are compatible with BTD there is no problem with distractions, but away from home is a different situation, then it’s a case of ‘damage limitation’ instead.

BR: How many bloodtypes are there in your family? How do you manage?

NB: Only two luckily, Eileen is an O and the rest of us are all B, which leads me to believe that I am probably homozygous B, and the kids are all heterozygous of course. The diet choices are more similar between these two groups than any other two, so there are few problems buying provisions.

BR: Is Eating Right 4 Your Type easy or difficult in Scotland: when at work, at a restaurant? On the road?

NB: As I mentioned, outside the home is where the problem starts, but as long as I am not away too long I can resist straying, but after a while hunger wins over any other considerations, and you end up just trying to make the least bad choice based on what you have felt in the past. The longer I am on the diet, the more sensitive I am to eating incompatible foods.

BR: Looking at your diet: what was easy to integrate into your basic diet, what still gives you problems?

NB: As a B non-secretor I have the widest choice of foods available, although not so many are beneficial as for a secretor. Nuts, grains and pulses are really the only things that I used to eat that I now avoid and there is no bread in the house any longer, but I don’t really miss these at all. I have a bit of a ‘sweet tooth’ so removing sugar containing foods from the diet is the hardest thing for me, but I have been working on that for many years now anyway!

BR: Do you get support from your Medical Doctor? Could you convince him/her of the positive impact of the blood type diet on your health?

NB: I really don’t know, I havent been under the regular care of an orthodox physician since I took charge of my own healthcare after I lost faith in my own doctor back in 1994, when I first presented with my health problems. He prescribed anti-depressants and referred me to a psychiatrist, even though I had hardly ever needed to visit a doctor for other than minor complaints before then. The MD’s that I have talked to in a professional capacity tend to be either very enthusiastic (rare) or ostrich like (common).

BR: What kind of medication did you take for overcoming your healthproblems? And how is your medication-intake after having started the blood type diet?

NB: I found the best things for my problems are anti-inflammatory in their effect or are glutamate antagonists. Bromelain, cats claw, taurine, kava-kava, lactoferrin are all such examples. These days I get by with just the ‘basic pack’ products and only occasionaly need to ramp up on other specific products.

BR: The country, city, village you live in: Is it a problem or not to find the organic foods you need?

NB: We live in the country so it is a long way to the larger food stores where we can find a good organic selection. However we are lucky enough to live near a large organic farmer who produces all kinds of seasonal fruits and veg, and also has an organic meat mail order business. We get weekly deliveries to our door so we are well supplied.

BR: Are there any other experiences, advice, you have in stock for us, as far as the BTD is concerned, you wish to share with us??

NB: Yes : just do it! It is the single most profound health promoting change you will ever make in your life.

BR: Nick, thank you very much for this open and very informative interview! Our readership (including myself as your Dutch ‘Stack’-Team office-manager!) has now more insight knowledge about the man behind the Stacktheme Company! With you I wish you many more foreign ‘stacks’ on your team! Enjoy working for you in the Netherlands! It’s challenging! Thank you!

TITLE: LIVING THE BLOOD TYPE DIET: An interview with Hayden M. McKaskle

BR: Introduce yourself!

HM: My name is Hayden McKaskle. I am 45 and type A+ but my secretor status is unknown (I suspect secretor). I have been married for 22 years and my wife is O+. We have twin daughters aged 17 and although they have yet to be tested for blood type, I believe them to be A based on information I have read in Blood Relations. I am an executive in the electronics industry. We are all US citizens and although we live in Nashville, Tennessee USA, we lived in the UK for 3 years during the 1990s.

BR: Can you give us a bit of insight into why you started the blood type diet?

HM: I am generally in very good health and have been all my life although I have fought a bit of a weight problem since I was very young. I am 5’10” and my adult weight has fluctuated from around 175 lbs. to as high as 220 lbs. The latter weight was as recent as summer of 2001, just before going on the ER4YT plan. Up until last summer, I did not exercise regularly. Although my blood pressure was not high prior to the diet, I was beginning to see a bit of an upward trend in this area. Blood tests in the last few years did not indicate any issues with cholesterol or other factors. I do not smoke and generally do not drink with the exception of red wine on occasion.

BR: Are there any diseases that tend to run in your family?

HM: My father died at the young age of 52 from a cerebral hemorrhage. He had a series of strokes during the 5 years or so prior to his death. He was a heavy smoker and did not exercise. My mother is in her late 70s and is in generally good health.

BR: How did you find out about the blood type diet? Was it through friends, colleagues, healthpractioners, or other?

HM: My wife told me about it as she heard about it from a friend. I didn’t pay any attention to it at first but my eyes were opened when a Type B friend of hers began to see results. She has MS and within a week or so of going cold turkey, began to see moderation in her symptoms and generally felt much better. My wife and I both began to read ER4YT at the same time. I did not know my own blood type at first and prayed that I would be an O! I was quite sad when I got tested and found out my A status. It was just so radically different than my life long eating habits that I didn’t think I could make even a partial change. Lets face it: I was basically eating like an O with heavy doses of dairy, pork products, and breads.

BR: How did you get started? Was it gradually, or did you opt for the cold-turkey-version?

HM: Being basically an obsessive person, I went completely cold turkey from day one (day after Thanksgiving).

BR: How long did it take to notice change in your body (mentally and physically!). What kind of changes did you experience?

HM: Within a week or two, I began to notice profound differences in my mental state. I seemed to have a clearer head in general, particularly mid mornings and mid afternoons. A typical breakfast prior to the diet would have been a bagel with lots of cream cheese or some commercial cereal with milk. Prior to the diet, lunch would often be a cheeseburger or a deli with heavy amounts of cheese, mayo, etc. Since going on the diet,I no longer have those down periods following such meals or the need for caffeine during related down periods. I have more energy than I have had since my high school days. Weight loss has been steady since day one and my regular exercise has accelerated this loss. As of June 12, I weigh 188 and the trend is continuing.

BR: Was it easy to get started? Or difficult? What was your main purpose to get started?

Healthproblems like losing weight, or what?

HM: I have never had trouble going on diets before or losing weight for that matter. ER4YT was easier than any diet plan I have ever tried because I never felt starved between meals. My energy level seems fairly constant too. My main objective in the beginning was to lose weight and find a steady lifestyle. If I had it to do all over again and knew that I wouldn’t lose weight but would feel as good as I do, I would still go on the plan.

BR: Your family, how did they react to your following the diet?

HM: My wife has been very supportive since the beginning and has followed the O plan since I started the A. She did not need to lose much weight but did lose a bit in the beginning. That has stabilized but the greatest benefit she has seen is in her overall health. She has long suffered from allergies and much of this has been reduced. She feels great! Our children have been supportive and recently expressed interest in following some of the plan. I think it will be harder for teen A types to follow this regime than it is for adults. Our culture is so geared toward unhealthy eating habits.

BR: How many blood types are there in your family? How do you manage?

HM: I am type A, my wife is an O and we suspect our twin daughters are type A. For dinner, I will often grill meat, perhaps steak for my along with Tempeh for me. I have grown to really enjoy Tempeh and have it several times a week. At least once or twice a week, we will all have Salmon, Tuna, or Chicken on or off the grill.

BR: Is Eating Right 4 Your Type easy or difficult when you are at work, at a restaurant?

On the road?

HM: I have started taking lunch to work so that hasn’t really been very hard. Going out for lunch can be harder but many restaurants offer vegetarian dishes or fish. On the road is not hard at all because I plan and take what I need with me.

BR: Looking at your diet: what was easy to integrate into your basic diet, what still gives you problems?

HM: For the first 2 or 3 months, I went totally Beneficial only and this was very restrictive. In the last couple of months, I have started adding Neutrals and this has helped a great deal. I have grown to enjoy all kinds of soy products, especially Tempeh and Soy Milk but these seem to generate excess gas. I could become a complete vegan except I still enjoy salmon too much! One issue I have noted for me is sweets. These really weren’t an issue per se for me prior to the diet, but I find myself wanting them at times now. I wonder if this is related to the dramatic reduction in fat intake since going on the plan. I really have to work on this although having occasional sweets has not hurt my weight loss at all.

BR: Do you get support from your Medical Doctor? Could you convince him/her of the positive impact of theblood type diet on your health?

HM: I have my first appointment and physical (since going on the diet) with him later this month and for the first time, I am actually looking forward to it. He is very open minded for an MD and I look forward to sharing this with him. I have convinced so many lay people of the benefits and one other MD so I feel like my own doctor will likely read the book at least.

BR: What kind or medication did you take for overcoming your healthproblems? And how is your medication-intake after having started the blood type diet?

HM: This is not applicable to me personally as I was not taking any medications. My wife (type O) however, has eliminated Sudafed and greatly reduced her need for Claritin since going on the plan. Her allergies have subsided greatly.

BR: The country, city, village you live in: Is it a problem or not to find the organic foods that you need?

HM: Nashville is a fairly large metro area and there are a number of organic stores near our home. Travel seems to be an issue at times as many areas do not have this convenience. You just have to plan more.

BR: Are there any other experiences you had following this way-of-life, you want to share with us?

HM: A good friend of mine (also an A) started this diet about a month after I did and has seen similar results. We have both become something of evangelists for the plan and recommend it to someone pretty much every day. A number of people have come back to me later and reported positive results. I didn’t pay a lot of attention to the exercise / lifestyle recommendations Dr. D’Adamo makes for As and this has caused some problems for me. As is true to my personality, my exercise regime became more and more strenuous in frequency and weight and in the last couple of months I have developed several stress related injuries. As I rehab these, I am moving toward less impact / strenuous forms that I can live with the rest of my life. I have believed the dietary plan is correct since the beginning. I now believe based on personal experience that Dr. D’Adamo is also right about "living right" in terms of exercise and other life factors. My advice to beginners is to pay attention to the Whole Body concept and not just the food when you start the plan. I would also suggest that you try to eat some Neutrals from the beginning and not just Beneficial foods. My people, including myself, make the mistake of only eating Beneficial foods in the beginning.I think Dr. D’Adamo should next write about Teenagers and the Plan. The benefits of this lifestyle are so great. I can only imagine how much healthier I would be if I could have started this at an early age. Peer pressure is so great at that age and they all eat terribly. My own teen twins are starting to move toward the plan but very, very gradually. It would be great if a book could speak to them in their words and offer a way to get there over time.



BR: I want to thank you, Hayden, for sharing your experiences in this interview! As I am also an A, I recognize the ‘cravings’. I take dried apricots, peanuts and figs in the afternoon. I can then ‘hang on’ till dinnertime!! Regarding the excercising regime I have similar experiences! Now I have finally decided to take yoga lessons next to my moderate fitness practice! Hayden, thank you and no need to say to stay with us in this healthy way-of-life!!

BR: Tell us a little about yourself - your age, blood type, marital status, children, nationality, profession, country in which you live.




DC: My name is Debbie Cardone, I’m forty-six, type O non-secretor. I’m married twenty-five years this September; I have six children, two boys and three girls. I have four grandchildren. I’m German and English. I’m a health coach; I work for Dr. Hoffman a Chiropractor. I live in the USA.



BR: Give us some insight of your health problems. Are there any diseases running in your family?


DC: I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis fifteen years ago. I’ve been in a wheelchair, used a walker and a cane. I’ve had Optic neuritis, Urinary tract infections, IBS, Esophageal spasms; Colitis, Hepatitis, Hypothyroidism, Allergies and I had my Gallbladder out, and a Hysterectomy. My family has a history of Cancer and Diabetes.

BR: How did you find out about the blood type diet (I rather call it way-of-life!) Was it through friends, colleagues, health practitioners, or other?




DC: I was so depressed and tired of being sick, I prayed and went to the library to look up books on eating healthy. I remembered my brother telling me about eating for your blood type for health and weight. So I got the book and started reading.

BR: How did you get started? Was it gradually, or did you opt for the cold-turkey-version?




DC: I started right away eating beef and stopped wheat. I ate all the beneficial foods I could and stayed away from the avoids.

BR: How long did it take to notice change in your body (mentally and physically!). What kind of changes did you experience?


DC: It was a week when I started thinking clearer and had more energy. I felt pretty good. After a month I stopped all medication and felt ten years younger. After four months I went off disability, lost forty pounds, and went back to work. Now I help others to eat right. All our patients are tested for their blood type and we go from there.



BR: Was it easy to get started? Or difficult? What was your main purpose to get started? Health problems like losing weight, or what?


DC: It was pretty easy to get started. I had to learn my food lists and get off sweets. I had to learn to prepare food and plan meals. Not grab anything I could find. It is a way of life a healthy new way. My main purpose was to get healthy stay out of the wheel chair, lose weight and enjoy my family.



BR: Your family; how did they react to your following this Blood type program? Are they supportive, tolerant or negative?


DC: At first they thought it was silly to think a diet would do what my medication and Doctors couldn’t do. Then when they saw me get better and better they started to believe and wanted to be on it also.

BR: How many blood types are there in your family? Is it easy or time consuming to prepare foods, how do you manage?


DC: There are three types in my family. It is now easy for me to prepare meals, I buy my beef, chicken, turkey and fish and put them into Baggies for single portions, so when I want a steak I can pull out one portion of another meat for someone else. I make two veggies and salad. We have our own breads and pastas. I also circled all the foods we can all eat.



BR: Is Eating Right 4 Your Type easy or difficult when you are at work, at a restaurant? On the road? Looking at your diet, what was easy to integrate, what still gives you problems?



DC: I started preparing some foods in advance, so then I can pack what I need. I eat type O bars a lot. I have found some really good restaurants that we can all eat at and I always speak to the cook if I any questions. I’m very careful with seasoning and sauces. On the road I bring my bread and rice crackers. It was easy to eat veggies and meat I love the way I feel when I eat protein. The hard thing is when you go over anyone’s house they always have wheat, hamburger rolls, bread and dinner rolls.



BR: Do you get support from your medical health practitioner? Could you convince him/her of the positive impact of the BTD on your health?


DC: No! I don’t get any support from any of my doctors and one of them fired me as a patient. I’ve been healthy for eleven months no hospital stays and no medication and still they say I’m wrong. I wish I knew of a MD somewhere around here that understands this. I’m grateful for Dr. Hoffman a Chiropractor and very much into nutrition I go to him for most of my needs. I work for him and we use the BTD for our patients.

BR: What kind or medication did you take for overcoming your health problems? And how is your medication-intake after having started the BTD?


DC: I took Avonex (an interferon) injection; I took once a week. I also had to take medication for my stomach and pain. On and off I took medication for depression and water pills for swelling. I haven’t taken any medication since I was on the BTD for a month ten months ago. No hospital stays for steroids, for which I was in every three months for, the last two years before the BTD.



BR: The country, city, village you live in: Is it a problem or not to find the organic /green foods/meats you need? How do you cope with it?



DC: I live in the USA (Cape Canaveral, FL) I can find the food I need at different health food stores. The only problems are traveling and not having what I need in stock. Also a lot of the foods have an ingredient that has an avoid in it. So I go to the managers and let them know what I need and explain the diet. More and more people are getting familiar with it. I also go out and find out information for my patients. This week is where to find Essene bread that’s my mission.

BR: Are there any other experiences you had following this way-of-life, you want to share with us? Now you have the chance!




DC: I have found that if you feed your body with what it needs it works. I’m very grateful to Dr. D’Adamo for all his hard work and research. He’s saving so many lives including mine. One lesson I also have learned doesn’t take anything unless you check if it’s good for your type. Most of the time we are told what is good for a disease or cholesterol or weight. They don’t think about we are all different blood types. It is different for each blood type. I was told evening primrose oil was good for MS, without checking I took it. I didn’t feel so good. Now that I’m now living different I can tell when I have had an avoid



BR: Debbie, quite an impressive story. You came a long way. More proof of how right Dr. D. is and how grateful we all are to have found our healthy way-of-life! Re-integration in professional life, full participation in family-life! Debbie, thank you very much for this wonderful and moving interview!

BR: Tell us a little about yourself - your age, blood type, marital status,children, nationality, profession, country in which you live.

AM: I am a female, aged 31, blood type O non-secretor, I live with myboyfriend in Toronto, Canada. We have no children. My family is all fromGermany. I was the first one to be born here. Currently, I groom dogs fora living but I am also in school taking a Holistic Nutrition course.

BR: Give us some insight of your health problems. Are there any diseases running in your family?

AM: Since childhood I've suffered from depression, constant nasal congestion and a lot of gastrointestinal problems. Gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea. I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome in my late teens. In my twenties I developed hypoglycemia, migraines, constant fatigue ( I would take 2 hour naps almost every day), all chemical smells would make me ill, I had horrible PMS, I was diagnosed with uterine fibroids and wounds on me would take a long time to heal. I had rhinoplasty done three years ago and the skin just healed from that recently. The only family I have is my mother and my grandmother. My grandmother is very ill with many things and my mother also had uterine fibroids.

BR: How did you find out about the blood type diet? Was it through friends, colleagues, health practitioner, or other?

AM: I've been reading about natural approaches to health for a few years now and when Eat Right 4 Your Type came out I bought it, read it and it made complete sense to me. I didn't follow the diet properly but when I took certain things on the avoid list like echinecea and Evening Primrose Oil I had bad reactions.

BR: How did you get started? Was it gradually, or did you opt for the cold-turkey version?

AM: Like I said, at first I didn't follow the diet properly so of course my health did not improve. I kept looking for "the answer" to my health problems and I even went down to the Hippocrates Health Spa for 3 weeks (a living foods resort in Florida). I ate 100% raw for 4 weeks after that, then I was a vegan for another month. Being an O non-secretor, the vegan diet did more harm to my health. I became more depressed and was having anxiety attacks. I finally picked up Live Right 4 Your Type, read the whole thing and have been following the diet properly since May 7, 2002.



BR: How long did it take to notice change in your body (mentally and physically!). What kind of changes did you experience?

AM: After about a week my depression started to lift, my constant gas and bloating were gone and I wasn't needing to take naps daily. After about 3 weeks I noticed that my cravings for wheat, chocolate and corn chips were gone. Also, my nose is not constantly running and congested and the suture wounds from the rhinoplasty are finally healed. It's been a little over 2 months now and I've never felt happier and I've never had so much energy. I went for a 2 hour bike ride last week and I was not tired at all. I loved every minute of it. My hypoglycemia is gone, I don't get headaches anymore, I can handle chemical smells in small doses and my PMS is a lot less severe. My skin in general is also a lot better. My skin used to get very dry and crack even after putting cream on. Now, I don't use any creams or lotions and my skin is quite soft.

BR: Was it easy to get started? Or difficult? What was your main purpose to get started? Health problems like losing weight, or what?

AM: I am very thin and always have been so weight loss was never my intention. I just wanted to be healthy. I found it quite easy to get started mainly because I love eating meat and that is a large part of my recommended diet.

BR: Your family, how did they react to your following this Blood type Program? Are they supportive, tolerant or negative?

AM: My boyfriend is very supportive because he sees a difference in my health. My mother and grandmother don't seem convinced about the program but they are not negative. My mother supports whatever decision I make.



BR: How many blood types are there in your family? Is it easy or time consuming to prepare foods, how do you manage?

AM: My boyfriend does not know what his blood type is (we're working on that) so he just eats what I eat. He enjoys meat and vegetables. He also eats foods that I don't, like wheat. Cooking is easy for me. It's quick and simple. The summer is great because now I can bar-b-que a lot of my

eat.

BR: Is Eating Right 4 Your Type easy or difficult when you are at work, at a restaurant, on the road?

AM: I usually take lunch with me to work and school but if I don't there are restaurants that I get meat and vegetables at. They are not free range or organic but it's better than eating grains. Also, most restaurants will substitute salad for the grain or potato the meal comes with. So no, it is not difficult. On the road is a different story... everything has wheat! So I always try to take snacks with me like fruit or vegetables like carrot sticks.

BR: Looking at your diet: what was easy to integrate into your basic diet, what still gives you problems?

AM: Eating more meat was the easy part. Like I said I love to eat meat. Having very little or no grains is still a problem. I know I feel better when I don't eat grains at all but I still like having manna bread or some rice once in a while. I'm working on this.

BR: Do you get support from your medical health practitioner? Could you convince him/her of the positive impact of the BTD on your health?

AM: I don't really see my doctors anymore. The two that I do see if I need to are very open to other methods. One of them is also a Homeopathic doctor and the other one always hears about my newest program that I'm following and has always been supportive and open to them. I haven't seen either of them since being on the BTD.

BR: What kind of medication did you take for overcoming your health problems? And how is your medication intake after having started the BTD?

AM: I was on Zoloft (antidepressant) for 3 years and went off of it 8 months ago. I don't need it now. Other than that I used to take many pain killers for headaches. I don't need them anymore either. I've tried to stay away from medication for the last few years. I haven't taken anything (not even aspirin) since being on the BTD.

BR: The country, city, village you live in: Is it a problem or not to find the biological/green foods/meats you need? Are there any problems in this field, and how do you cope with it?

AM: Toronto has numerous healthy grocery stores. 95% of the food I buy is organic or free range (meat). It's everywhere and I'm finding the prices to be comparable to conventional stores. We also have organic farmers come into the city on certain days to sell their fruits and vegetables.

BR: Are there any other experiences you had following this way-of-life, you want to share with us? Now you have the chance!

AM: I'm not too familiar with the other blood types and what they should eat and stay away from but being an O non-secretor, I find, is a challenge at first. All sweeteners are avoids, even stevia, so desserts or treats are out. At first it was hard and I felt deprived but after a few weeks I found that eating the right foods made me feel satisfied and I no longer felt that I was missing out on great things. I have had a few "treats" in the last couple of weeks but I actually didn't enjoy them the way I used to. I don't need them anymore. I am so happy that I tried the diet and stuck to it. I've never felt better.

BR: Amber, thank you very much for your story! So many complaints since childhood.You are back in full action again! Thanks to the decision of Dr. Peter D’Adamo to publish his findings (and his father’s of course!) on food and health. No need to tell you to hang on to this way of life! It is the only way to survive.Enjoy your healthy life for long!!