Hello, I recently found out that I'm a non-secretor.  I suppose it makes sense seeing that I've had so many health issues since childhood.  I'm easing into the diet trying not too drive my already OCD mind crazier.  I have had stomach cancer which was treated with chemo.  I have IBS type intestinal problems.  I have immune system issues, skin irritations, I had a hair analysis test done which indicated that I have carbohydrate and sugar intolerances.  I also, have high levels of copper.  I did a stomach endoscapy and my colon was really inflamed.  I cut out gluten a while back and have eliminated corn and dairy.  My doctor has me on a supplemental program to get the copper levels lowered and too get my body nutritionally balanced.  Every now and again, I fall off the wagon and end up eating something that is not good for me.  However, I am quick to get back on track.  The main problem I am having with eating mainly meats and vegetables, is that I get hungry all over again very shortly.  It's like my meals don't stay with me.  I end up craving sugar or starch.  I'm seeing a trend here with type Os being overweight, but I'm far from it.  I can't seem to gain any.  I'm pretty thin.  The Type O Non-secretor diet stresses to eleminate grains period.  If I'm not supposed to eat wheat, rice, corn, etc... how do you get enough starch in the diet?  I don't know, I suppose I'm having a difficult time with this even though I'd say I'm roughly 70-75% (maybe more) compliant.  Mainly, food stresses me out because I feel as if I have to become a detective regarding everything I eat.  Maybe, I'm overthinking this like I do everything.  At 28 years of age, I have my hands full.  

First off, eating avoids will keep those cravings going and going and going.  That being said, have you tested for Candida?  The reason I ask is, candida can swing to both ends of the spectrum with individuals having the symptoms of either having difficulty gaining or losing weight.

If you do have candida, do you also have any silver fillings?  There is a symbiotic relationship between silver (amalgam/mercury) fillings and candida.  You need to address getting your silver fillings removed first before addressing candida.

As far as starch goes, fill out your food plan with beneficial fruits like banana, mango, pineapple, cherries and blueberries.  Other carbs are sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, turnips, parsnips.  These are all vegetables that you can have.

Another thing to consider would be to pick up one of the health series books, and follow the more restricted food guidelines outlined in the books.

Hope this helps Marion.

Thanks for the advice.  No, I don't have any silver fillings.  How do you go about treating candida.  With all of wheat, sugar, and overeating of starchy carbs throughout my life, I would have to have candida.  Also, I've been on more antiboitics than you can imagine over the years.

Regards,
Marion

Quoted from Marion78

Thanks for the advice.  No, I don't have any silver fillings.  How do you go about treating candida.  With all of wheat, sugar, and overeating of starchy carbs throughout my life, I would have to have candida.  Also, I've been on more antiboitics than you can imagine over the years.

Regards,
Marion

Well, determine that you have it by taking the spit test.  

If you have it, then you need to buckle down and try to treat it.

Try to emulate MoDon and Victoria who make a conscious choice not to eat avoids ever.  I'd get either the Cancer or Allergies or Fatigue Health Series book, and follow the guidelines for your nonnie type.  Eliminate Avoids, and the Infrequent Neutrals from your diet.  I'd make even more of an effort to eat only 100% Super Beneficials and Beneficials for at least two weeks, and see what happens.  

Second, I'd consider going on the Yeast & Fungal Support Protocol.

Third, hang out in the Nonnie Clubhouse and learn from other nonnies strategies for getting healthy and staying there.

Welcome, Marion78, I was upset to learn I was a nonnie like you last summer, but I got rid of the non-nonnie foods and things I had no idea were connected to the avoids healed when I stopped the nonnie avoids. Like skin problems, weight gain & bigtime joint pain. You sound like you're on the right track, I bet heavy-duty compliance will lead you to normalizing your weight in the long run.
You're going thru the I-can't-believe-I-have-to-read-every-label phase, but trust me, it gets easier, it really does. At least you're not old enough to need reading glasses for all that tiny print, yet! Give yourself a few months. Think of it this way... the more unprocessed food you buy, the less labels you have to read. Eventually all that info will stick in your head. Also I went thru the trauma of leaving bread behind. It wasn't long before I didn't miss it at all. Now we don't buy any bread except sometimes rice cakes. BTD, and the blessing of knowing you're a nonnie will enable you to leave many of your health troubles behind, and greatly reduce others. I had many nasty health "issues" my whole life, that in these past few months, are no longer an issue. You have lots of O-Nonnie company on this site, and lots of hands willing to hold yours, and shoulders to lean on. These awesome people helped me make the adjustments and kept me laughing. You will love it here, on BTD Island!
PS, When I was 100% compliant, I was on the thin side, but lately I've been "retaining" chocolate. Ahem.
PPS We get to eat more steak than anybody else!! Wheee!!
Oh, yeah, I get hungry, too, after maybe 3 hours, but I usually pack some rare steak or some kind of cooked red meat to snack on. Stops the cravings for carbs cold dead. It's just me, but I never worry about beef going bad in my desk drawer all day. Knock on wood, other meats I wouldn't trust as much. Gotta run. Things to not do, people to avoid...

Thanks alot!  I'll hang in there and keep working on it.  I'm sure I'll have a million qestions along the way.  It's also not out of the question for me to actually visit the D'Adamo clinic at some point.

Regards,
Marion

Oh yeah,  I suppose one of the main problems is that I cannot eliminate eating out all of the time.  Especially, when I'm on tour (I'm a professional lead guitarist).  When I go out on tour with an artist or band, it can get tricky.  I'm gone months at a time.  It's good that I'm not touring much right now.  However, touring will startup again at some point.

Regards,
Marion

Hi Marion,
I am so glad to have found out that I'm a non-secretor.  It has made ALL the difference in my health.  As long as I thought I was a secretor, I was only wishy-washy compliant.  And I continued to have all kinds of IBS, sinus inflammation, growing arthritis, and lets not even mention the breast cancer I had 4 1/2 years ago!  
When I found out that I'm a nonnie, I realized that there is NO room for avoids; not if I want to be healthy and live long.  So I just stopped, cold turkey.  When I experienced the end of IBS, my mind was blown.  My experience of that craving to eat all the time was really my irritated digestive tract needing food in it so that I didn't suffer from the discomfort.  It wasn't true hunger.

Also, just because you might not eat grains does NOT mean you need to eat a low carb diet.  Fresh beneficial fruits, beneficial nuts and starchy vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet for you.  And a little carbonated waters, bubbly spring water, seltzer water, etc. are good for your digestion.  Ghee is very healing for your gut, and a couple of products from the NAP store, such as Intrinsia and ARA6 would be right up your alley.  You can click on the NAP button at the top of this page.

One of the things that my doctor found in my hair analysis is that my adrenal glands are really overtaxed.  In order for them to heal, he doesn't want me exercising too intensely right now.  Light to moderate.  Have any of you heard of this?

Regards,
Marion

Yes, that makes sense, Marion.  And you need to get in bed early enough also.  There's a great book that's in most libraries, called Adrenal Fatigue.  Very informative!

Quoted from Marion78

One of the things that my doctor found in my hair analysis is that my adrenal glands are really overtaxed.

How was he able to determine that from a hair analysis?

Quoted Text

To diagnose these entities, naturopaths use an assortment of nonstandard methods, among which are iridology or iris diagnosis, which holds that the entire body is represented on the iris of the eye ; applied kinesiology, by which an allergy to a food is detected by placing the food particle in one hand of a patient and observing a resulting weakness in the other; hair analysis for alleged toxins and vitamin and mineral deficiencies; electrodiagnosis, which can purportedly detect parasites and other problems by measuring the skin's resistance to a tiny electric current; "live cell analysis"; "pulse" and "tongue" diagnosis; and others."

read the whole article
http://www.dadamo.com/bloggers/ask/archives/00000338.htm

I don't know how he determines that, but I do have the hair analysis chart.  Basically, my calcium/magnesium ratio is way off which he says is an indication of carbohydrate and sugar intolorance. If I eat a meal that is too high in carbs, I crash hard.  No focus, brain fog, depression, fatigue.  The high levels of copper also cause the emotional problems (OCD, depression, anxiety, anger).  The adrenal gland exhaustion also has to heal.  Basically, I have to lower my stress levels (I have always worried and stressed too much).  I have to eliminate sugar.  He doesn't want me eating more than 11-25 grams of carbs per sitting.  He does want me to eat meat and says I can have all the veggies I want.  According to  him, my diet needs to focus on protein, veggies, and healthy fats.  In other words, if I have a sweet potato with a meal, I should only have half and the rest should be veggies.  I can have fruit occasionally.  Again, too much sugar right now.  It's funny because even though he doesn't teach BTDs, the diet he has me on is pretty much what an O non-secretor should be eating.  

Regards,
Marion  

that s great!

That quote was from a Dr. that was trying to slam Naturopaths.

Quoted from lola

read the whole article

I did. What does that have to do with my question to Marion?

So, I guess the main question is that what grains are best for me to eat and how much?  With my chronic intestine and colon issues, should they be eliminated completely?  I cut out wheat/gluten completely.  The only grains I really eat is rice.  What are infrequent neutrals?

Regards,
Marion

infrequent neutrals in the health series books are best avoided....meaning they are not your best option....again, you need to apply this according to your needs.

O nonnies should best forget about grains altogether........there are so many other delicious options to choose from.  
but this take time and effort, as well as trial and error.

Hi Marion,

I'm with you as a nonnie 0 with a tonne of health issues including IBS.  The two main things that have helped me are:
1.  Avoid grains like the plague as in no rice, no amaranth, no quinoa, no grains full stop.
It sounds harsh, but you really don't notice it after a while and you can probably have a rice cake once every blue moon without too many symptoms, but it's best to avoid it.

2.  Go low carb.  As in, I can notice it if I have carrots with my midday salad - it's back to fogginess etc.  The best time for me to have carb heavy food (sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots etc) is at night when I don't need to be switched on.  

In general, I find that I naturally eat fairly high protein, low carb.  I have heaps of salads etc, but always with a good serving of protein - beef, lamb, tuna, salmon, prawns, chicken, turkey.  Along with that I still use a fair bit of medication like Slippery Elm, Bromelain/Quercetin, etc.  

I will work on cutting out even the rice.  I fear that I'll be skin and bones by doing this and cutting my carbs even more.  I am like you in tolerating carbs better at night for some reason.  During the day, it does space me out.  Yesterday, I had too much sugar.  I fell off the wagon and ate icecream.  Today, I've noticed acid reflux and feeling really cranky and spacey.

Regards,
Marion

MoDon, I see that also with my Vegatester, and Peter describes it well *the affair in *voltage*-skin testing  

Dear Marion, I am sorry to hear that about your healthconcerns but I think that you are here on a good place with loads of helping voices Debraaaaaaaa help...help....help.........my roostersis. is also an O nonie and has had amazingly success in her diet; perhaps you might follow her a bit in her food(t)steps
wish you all the best


and for sure it is known that people with adrenal fatigue, or also said burnout syndrome shouldn't exercise too heavy.....if not all goes much quicker and they do get problem in their recoveries because of weakening the adrenal glands instead of getting better.
But mostly to be seen here (my sister is also one of those aspirants ) those people do have a psychological imbalance as well... (serotonin & compulsive behaviour....I guess ).....they are in need to feel themselves (in their bodies and so they are going for more exercise that means more drainings....and it popps up a selfullfilling prophecy .......the snake bites into its own tail .......= repetitions.......(somewhere also to be seen as a selfpunishment behaviour ) ooo please no rotten tomatoes; its' only a recital from the wellknown literature  

Marion, we eat out, (both O's) and usually get steak & green vegs, onions, orange vegs. I feel better after these restaurant visits than I ever used to. Even if it's a fast food place, I use the hamburger bun as a wrapper, and peel it down & toss away as I eat the middle, like an ice cream wrapper. I think of bread as a sort of handle for other food, and had actually been doing it for years before going whole-hog on BTD last year. Always felt bread took up space in my tum that I wanted for meat, meat meat!!!
so eating out shouldn't be too big a problem
other suggestions
steak/eggs for b'fast, w/grapefruit or tomato juice
other meals, meats & greens
the eating on the road issue is doable

Quoted from ISA-MANUELA

MoDon, I see that also with my Vegatester, and Peter describes it well *the affair in *voltage*-skin testing  

See what? I was asking what parameters the doctor was making his adrenal fatigue diagnosis based on using hair analysis?

Quoted from ISA-MANUELA

and for sure it is known that people with adrenal fatigue, or also said burnout syndrome shouldn't exercise too heavy.....if not all goes much quicker and they do get problem in their recoveries because of weakening the adrenal glands instead of getting better.
But mostly to be seen here (my sister is also one of those aspirants ) those people do have a psychological imbalance as well... (serotonin & compulsive behaviour....I guess ).....they are in need to feel themselves (in their bodies and so they are going for more exercise that means more drainings....and it popps up a selfullfilling prophecy .......the snake bites into its own tail .......= repetitions.......(somewhere also to be seen as a selfpunishment behaviour ) ooo please no rotten tomatoes; its' only a recital from the wellknown literature  

Sounds like one-size-fits-all advice to me.  

As a type O intense exercise makes one feel so much better, unless it is contradicted by a health condition such as adrenal fatigue such as I have because of mercury toxicity. I certainly don't consider the intense exercise activities that I love to do as self-punishment behavior. I miss the activities and the friends I did them with. My intense cycling with the local racing group was one of my favorite social activities when I was doing it.

I have known since I was a teenager that I felt better when I got intense exercise.

Don, I think that in hairanalysis you see also that adrenal glands are exhausted, then adequate hormonal imbalances etc....not only toxic overloading with heavy metals.... I guess

and nope not meant one size fits all it depends what was the cause leading to that healthstate......
and about the selfpunishment...there are some charcters which needs to  intensify their feelings for
themselfs by draining themselfs..... it was meant that they are only able to feel themselfs when operating likewise ..... and this is a form of selfpunishment by knowing that in case of adrenal
exhaustion to go over their abilities......I told that to my sister in last august 06....and after 2,5 months she was that exhausted that she was forced to agree what I've told her; but she didn't stopped either..... those types- we cant' do anything for em .........

From my experience you can catch adrenal probs from hair analysis. Years ago when I had my done, my old NP told me I had adrenal probs and put me on the old adrenal supps.
The full name of the book Victoria mentioned is:
Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome by James L Wilson
http://www.alibris.com/search/.....%20Stress%20Syndrome

I also agree w/ the thought on not doing strenuous exercise when you have adrenal fatigue and especially if you have adrenal exhaustion. The book Lights Out:  Sleep, Sugar and Survival by T. S. Wiley
http://www.amazon.com/Lights-Out-Sleep-Sugar-Survival/dp/0671038680

He explains how especially running, spinning classes, a lot of treadmill use, is detrimental to your health during adrenal probs.

Also important, drinking enough water. A good book is Your Bodies Many Cries for Water by  Fereydoon Batmanghelidj
http://www.amazon.com/Your-Bodys-Many-Cries-Water/dp/0962994235

Hope some of that helps  

If you feel more comfortable, you can eat on the low end of your portion/frequency food guidelines in the 'grain/starch category', rather than eliminating grains altogether.

Fill up on dense carbohydrate and starchy vegetables and fruits as outlined in ER, LR, or in Typebase4:
http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/typeindexer.htm

Alia