I began the BTD yesterday based on advice from a nutritionist / biochemist / sports therapist.  My goal is to lose weight (body fat) and live a healthier lifestyle.

I cut out all the avoid foods and ate only in the highly beneficial / neutral column all day.

Today, I have diarrhea, clumpy stool and about 5 BM so far since waking up 2 hours ago.  I'm curled over on my sofa and can't really move.

I had 1/2 a fruit salad this morning and couldn't finish due to stomach ache & pain.

Is this normal? My nutritionist says it's possible that my system is flushing out the older toxins and junk that's been sitting in my intestines from my previous eating habits.  Is this true?  What are other possibilities?  

Any advice?  Thanks!

Wonderful to have you on board!

Your reaction sounds excellent, though so very uncomfortable.

Please give your body and gastrointestinal system a good rest, have only pure water with a squeeze of lemon juice if you have lemon at home, until you feel really hungry, and be careful to have enough water in order not to get dehydrated.

I expect the difficult initial reactions will soon be over as the body discards enough waste. This way the body prepares itself for the work you are now allowing it to do, start a healing process as soon as possible.

Please let us know how you are doing.

A hearty welcome again, hope you feel better soon,
Yael

Hi!

Thanks for your quick reply.  I'm so relieved that it's normal to be feeling this way.  I thought I may have done something terribly wrong!

Is it okay to drink green tea rather than lemon + water?  I thought the lemon would make an already acidic system even more acidic.

Since I'm in Hong Kong, there's a lot of food written in the book that I don't have access to here.  Quinoa, Essene Bread etc...If I want my first goal to be to lose body fat, how strictly should I follow the BTD?

Thanks again!
Becky

you might want to look into the separation principles or food combining........
in a nut shell: don t eat starches with protein.......veggies can be eaten with both in distinctively....
fruit should be eaten alone, an hour before a meal, or as a snack, 2 hours after a meal.

there s more to this principle, I suggest you google it.

Rome wasn t build in a day, you know?  so be consistent and patient.

perhaps having around 5 mini meals a day, might help your digestion, until things move along nicely.

there are online protocols you might want to look into......

keep asking questions, we re all here to help each other out!
welcome!

try and think more outside the 'grain box'.......O s do poorly on grains in general....

specially if your goal is losing weight........
I would be constantly inflamed if I were to rely on grains for my meal options.

follow the frequency guidelines given of each food group, those are real eye openers!

Quoted from hkbecky

Is it okay to drink green tea rather than lemon + water?  I thought the lemon would make an already acidic system even more acidic.

I don't believe lemon increases system's acidity, contrary to what one may think. You may have just water, but an addition of a few grains of good quality salt is important then. Green tea is fine, but you need a much larger intake of water to remain hydrated.

When you feel better, start with gentle foods, vegetable broth which will strengthen you after this ordeal, then some steamed veggies.

Feel well, and please report...  

Hi Becky!

I'm a newbie too, who has just started on this programme. I'm working on all the AVOIDS to give my system & family, time to adjust. So far I've noticed sleepiness and a general sense of fatigue, but nothing drastic as yours. Poor thing you, hope you feel better soon...

You're in HK-hey, I'm in S'pore ! You can go for steamed stuff, but make sure you stay away from corn starch/flour which SEA cuisine copiously uses! Honey-lemon warm drink usually settles the stomach, but really Becky, if you can focus first on AVOIDS then you'll be better off. Yes, Lola's advice on 'outside the grain box' is excellent too for losing weight.

Do keep us posted!
accidental chef

Quoted from hkbecky

Hi!

Thanks for your quick reply.  I'm so relieved that it's normal to be feeling this way.  I thought I may have done something terribly wrong!

Is it okay to drink green tea rather than lemon + water?  I thought the lemon would make an already acidic system even more acidic.

Since I'm in Hong Kong, there's a lot of food written in the book that I don't have access to here.  Quinoa, Essene Bread etc...If I want my first goal to be to lose body fat, how strictly should I follow the BTD?

Thanks again!
Becky

Welcome to the forum hk becky!

I'd second Lola's suggestions.  Also consider along with the green tea, beef broth.  The beef is beneficial for you, and drinking broth you get the nutrients without taxing you system too much right now.

It's not that your system is "too acidic" or "too alkaline,"  it's that it appears your body is releasing toxins that it's been holding onto for quite some time, in your gut and in your fat tissue.

I know that Dr. D posted recently on the whole "acid/alkaline" by testing saliva and urine theories effectively debunking it.  I just can't find where he posted it.

Wow, thanks for all the support and advice everyone.  I really appreciate it.  I'm pretty much stuck indoors today without much highly beneficial foods and plenty of 'avoids' from before.

Congee (bland overcooked white rice soup) is pretty common in Chinese cuisine.  Usually, when I've got stomach problem that's what my stomach can tolerate.  But I guess it would be more neutral than beneficial.  

How much is a 'mini-meal' like 1/2 portions?  I had some salad about an hour ago and I'm hungry again.  I hate counting calories and that's probably why my nutritionist says I'm not getting enough protein.  I used to cut beef completely out of my diet and replaced it with lots of pork and chicken.  But now, I have to readjust to eating more red meat which I used to avoid.    

Cutting out the noodles (Kimonokat maybe u can relate) is a killer!! How about rice noodles?  

make bone broth with veggies.........
those are full of vital minerals and vitamins that will help you heal!

edit: ooops just read KK s post above!
same channel!!! lol

you can alternate with fish bones , too, from time to time.

I prefer eating starchy veggies as opposed to grains for my carb intake......but we are all individuals and need to tweak our diet accordingly.
KK, is this what you were looking for on the PH issue?

Quoted Text

Dr. D
http://www.dadamo.com/forum/archivec/config.pl?read=123032

There is no science behind it. Testing saliva pH is just as worthless. The actions of mouth bacteria and diet will influence saliva pH more than any metabolic
effects.

or this one?

Quoted Text

Ph issues
Dr. D
http://www.dadamo.com/forum/archive6/config.pl?read=21664

The pH theory was big in naturopathic circles in the 1980's. The most of the ND's who actually did the measurements (rather than just ascribe the characteristics) said it was unworkable.

Is pH a missing link in ER4YT? I don't think so. Too noisy.

Lola, those are the phrases I remember, but I could have sworn it was something Dr. D posted recently on the forum, (same words) and not in archives.

But thank you so much for the links research queen!  I've added his statements to my Dr. D quotes file.

I believe those phrases might have been washed off........

I had them in my files........

Thanks for the tips everyone.  I'm now on day 3 of BTD and things seem to be improving slightly with the bowel movements.

Still a bit sore in the abdomen area and low on energy.

Gonna head out today to have some beef broth and veggies.  In Asia, it's tough to find many items on the list.  

Is there a more comprehensive list which would include, say, Asian cuisine?  Since Asian cuisine fuses a lot of flavours together, I'd need to be extra careful since many soup dishes contain pork bone broth or some other avoids.

Anybody know about : rice noodles or vermicelli?

you might need to make those soup dishes from scratch!

about noodles or such, just make sure they don t contain wheat or other avoids.

Thanks!!

Rice noodles are not avoids as long as the ingredients in them are not avoids.  In order to shop where you are, it will be necessary for you to read ingredients and and in restaurants, ask what the ingredients are.  Don't take it for granted that if it says chicken soup, for example, that it only contains chicken.  

I think a lot of your problems are from the sudden changes.  Maybe you were eating a lot of foods that your body is not accustomed to and not eating all the things your body IS used to.  It's ok to transition more gradually if your digestive system needs it.  Some people go "cold turkey" off all avoids, but others make it step by step as they get used to it.  Just do what you have to and keep moving in the direction of total compliance to your own Blood Type Diet.

Eat lots of vegetables.  Eat a little meat/poultry/fish several times a day if you can.  Eat fresh fruits.  Avoid sugar, wheat, potatoes, pork, and if you want to lose weight . . stay away from other grains also.  Maybe a little rice here and there, but if you include lots of starchy vegetables, you won't suffer from the absence of grains.  Some type O's eat NO grains at all.  Others eat them moderately, but I think most would agree that they slow weight loss to a creeping crawl!

Hi again, I'm on day 4 and the stomach actually got worse yesterday.  I guess you're right about the sudden cold turkey changes.  I thought since I'm eating 'highly beneficial' foods, i can continue to eat steak and sushi despite the diarrhea.  

Big mistake.  It ended up lasting throughout the weekend and only today is it slightly easing up.  Still multiple BM today, and everything that came out was watery and icky.  Made my family members really skeptical about the BTD.  

Should I go see a doc to get rid of the stomach pains & diarrhea?

first you need to rule out any kind of an infection.

perhaps a stool test might help clear the problem, and act accordingly.

You should go to the doctor if you are concerned, and if that is your practice.  Many of us try simple remedies first, so I think only you can make the decision to go to see a doctor or not.

If it were me, I would probably eat lightly, maybe just soups and steamed vegetables with a little ghee, and a cup of green tea, and I would take soothing herbs like slippery elm bark and marshmallow root.  I would try and get more rest for a bit, and if it was troublesome, I might go for PeptoBismol, even though it has coloring in it.  It could coat the digestive tract and allow the gut to stabilize.

Quoted from Victoria

You should go to the doctor if you are concerned, and if that is your practice.  Many of us try simple remedies first, so I think only you can make the decision to go to see a doctor or not.

If it were me, I would probably eat lightly, maybe just soups and steamed vegetables with a little ghee, and a cup of green tea, and I would take soothing herbs like slippery elm bark and marshmallow root.  I would try and get more rest for a bit, and if it was troublesome, I might go for PeptoBismol, even though it has coloring in it.  It could coat the digestive tract and allow the gut to stabilize.

Unfortunately, I've never even heard of (much less know where to purchase in Hong Kong) many of the items you mentioned above except for Green tea which i'm already drinking.  I can't even find Pepto Bismol in Hong Kong.  Only Chinese remedies, of which I'm very skeptical.  

I would like to get rid of the pain asap, since i've got lots of work to do and have already been bed-ridden for most of the weekend.  

The consistent pains must warn you as Lola and Victoria suggested.

Please don't delay and get checked by a physician as soon as possible.

Wishing you a complete recovery soon!

This morning, I woke up and went to the bathroom three times.  Afterwards, I had a green tea and then beef broth rice noodle about an hour or so after waking up.  

Funny thing, I felt better right away.  Tonight, I made my own chicken broth at home. I know it's not a highly beneficial food, but I thought I'd try to ease my way into BTD.  It seems to be working because the pain has subsided and my system seems to be clearing up.  

I added some Chinese White radish and romaine lettuce to the broth to make it slightly more beneficial.  I'm feeling much better now.  I won't eat any avoids, but might incorporate some neutrals in there so that I can slowly adapt. We'll see how long it takes for the results / changes to take effect.  

I hope this is really the end of the unpleasantness! Thanks for the support everyone!

Welcome, Becky!  I'm sorry you are having a rough time of it.  Many of us experience nothing but beneficial consequences of the BTD right away, but there are some who go through a "detox" period.  Also, it could simply be a transitional period because the foods you are eating are so different from how you ate before.

Would you mind posting a typical day's menu for you since you started the BTD?  Perhaps there is something specific that you are eating that is not agreeing with you.  Anyway, hang in there and I'm glad it is getting better.  Hopefully, you are through the worst and it will be smooth, brilliant sailing from here!

P.S.  I second what Victoria said about the crucial importance of reading the small-print ingredients label.  This is important in ANY country.  So often, avoids are snuck into things you would never dream would have them.

Keep us posted, I think you'll have smoother sailing ahead!