I am a type O (I suspect a secretor, but have not had it tested). I am a bit confused over the status of Soy Sauce. I have checked the labels on several different brands of soy sauce and all of them (so far) contain wheat as an ingredient. Since wheat is an avoid for type O's, I wonder why it is OK in soy sauce??? Thanks for any light you can shed on this.

You're right. Soy sauce that lists wheat as an ingredient is not recommended for type Os. There are many food items in the various blood-type diet books which are products rather than whole foods. These items are present in so many kitchens that it made sense to offer readers the convenience of a rating for them. In every case, it's prudent to read labels when confronted with a product rather than a single, unprocessed food.

The good news is that there are several brands of wheat-free soy sauce. The thing to look for, actually, is either wheat-free organic tamari (San-J makes a widely-available product -- look for the gold label with the red globe) or a product put out by Bragg, called Bragg Liquid Aminos, a non-fermented soybean sauce containing only non-GMO soy extract and water.

Visit your local organic grocer, express your concerns and see if they have suggestions, too. Most well-stocked HFSs have favorite brands of soy and tamari sauce, and perhaps can introduce you to others beyond the ones I mentioned. Ask them to order one of the above if they do not currently carry an acceptable product. That way, you can get what you need and educate at the same time! :-)

I have just read a large portion of the "Eat Right For Your Type Encyclopedia", and I have several questions. I will ask them all, and you can decide how many of them you would like to give time to answering. Thank you!

1) I notice "green, yellow and jalapeno peppers" are on the "avoid" list for type A's. I am assuming these are all hot peppers, and cannot seem to find bell peppers listed in the encyclopedia. Do you know if they are on the "avoid, neutral, or beneficial" list for my type?

The green and yellow peppers in the list are bell peppers, as is the "Red" of "Red/Cayenne." They are different items grouped together, not different names for one food. Bell peppers of all kinds are avoids for type A secretors.

2) Do you sell all the products you recommend on the protocals? Can more than one protocal be done at once? Why are they only 4/6/8 weeks long? Are we to repeat them later?

There are multiple herbs/phytosupplements for each protocol, which has its own time span designed to maximize its effectiveness. Some of the protocols have a repeat option with time in between, to let the herbs work to greatest benefit. It's recommended to use only two or three at one time, at most. Better to do them one at a time. North American Pharmacal does not carry all of the herbs and supplements, but virtually all of them can be found with a websearch and/or a trip to your local supp shop.

3) I suffered from depression for 14 years due to a very high stress level over a long period of time. I have made much improvement over the years, and am now finally off the medication. Though I do not feel depressed, I seem to still struggle a great deal with fatigue. I read about the cortisol levels, and wondered what can be done to lower high levels of cortisol if indeed this is what I am battling with.

Yoga, specifically Hatha Yoga, is a potent cortisol reducer. A product called Cortiguard, which you can purchase at our online store, is highly effective as well. The lifestyle recommendations in Live Right 4 Your Type go into the stress reduction part of the blood type plans in detail. There are many dietary aspects in depression and fatigue, and reconsidering the grains in your diet as well as adding essential fatty acids through using flax oil may be the keys to your healing.

4) I know every person is different, but how long should a person give this change in diet toward blood type before deciding if it is an answer for them? My diet has been very clean (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, no dairy or meat) for about 5 years now. I exercise regularly as well.

This is truly a very individual matter. It depends upon where you are in comparison to where you want to be. I would expect to see improvements by following the Live Right plan for your secretor status for a month. If your regular fare has included whole wheat for a number of years, it can take a number of months before the lectin damage can be swept away. However, you should experience more energy in a week or two, as your system accustoms itself to your new diet.

thank you for the note! :-)

also lists partridge, pheasant and quail as avoids ~~ for secretor Type As only. However, others such as squab, grouse, guinea hen and turkey (including wild turkey) are neutral for secretors.

Some fowl are to be avoided due to a high fat content, others because of lectin activity -- more properly, "galectin," or animal- rather than plant-sourced lectins. Chicken, for instance, contains a lectin which reacts only with blood groups having a B antigen: types B and AB.

It is well worth getting your secretor status, either with a saliva test or through Lewis testing, for the Meat and Poultry food group alone: 10 items with an avoid rating for secretors are neutral for nonsecretors, and one entry moves from neutral to beneficial. In any case, the food lists in Live Right are expanded from those in Eat Right. Certainly widens the field for the feathered game fanciers!