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Qs of all kinds, from As, Bs & Os! :-)January 4th, 2001 , by admin
Dear Heidi, a nutritionist recommended I start the Blood Group diet. I'm an O type. I've recently been diagnosed as having an ulcer and also have the bacterial bug in my stomach too - my doctor gave me 3 types of antibiotics which made be really ill and I had to stop taking them after 2 days. After returning to my GP he said I should have finished the course even though I felt so ill. I've had a series of illnesses including Pelvic Inflammatory Infections , Cystitis and have also recently been diagnosed with Endomentriosis. I don't really want to take any more antibiotics as over the last 6 months I have almost been taking them non-stop for one thing or another. In the first book (the eat right diet) Dr D'Adamo talked about Bladderwrack and a Liquorice preparation - would this help in getting rid of any bug that may be left in my stomach without taking further antibiotics? From the Endoscopy I had done the consultant said my current ulcer was found to be healing. I'd really appreciate any help. thx Josie.
Josie, you're absolutely on the right track to use bladderwrack and DGL (that's the licorice supp) for the H. pylori and to heal your stomach. The probiotic, PolyFlora-O available here in the Store is an essential item for you.
There are four pages on cystitis in the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia, including protocols for the various blood types and related reading. I also suggest you order a saliva test from the Store here in order to determine your secretor status, as it sounds to me as if you are a nonnie.
If you have Interstitial Cystitis, I'd like to direct you to something I came across recently. It is one woman's story of how she got rid of it, and since IC is so ill understood in the medical community, and she did a long course of research before finding help, it may be of immediate interest to you. Here's the link.
I hope you commit to following your diet and exercise plan -- it's the greatest healer of all, and the best insurance policy for the future. Avoidance of wheat, dairy and coffee along with using those beneficial oils should remove the causes of the endometriosis and begin to resolve it. It will take some time, but this is the eminently sensible route to take, and you will be healthy again in far less time than it took to develop these conditions! Take care, Josie, and welcome to the BTD! :-D
Dear Heidi, thanks for answering Yelena's questions about following the protocols to fight stomach cancer. She had a surgery, and is recuperating now. Half of her stomach had to be removed along with the gallbladder and a small piece of the pancreas. She is on the chemotherapy. 1) Cancer Prevention protocol has Coriolis Versicolor Mushroom, which is toxic. Maybe she can use the Cancer Prevention, but without Coriolus for now? 2) Any suggestions on where to get all this stuff for protocols. Most health/organic/herbals stores do not have everything. I am having trouble finding Bupleurim Chinense in a pure form in capsules. It is always mixed with milk thistle, which is not good for her blood type (. Same with Rehmannia Root and White Atractylodes. Coriolis Mushroom is also a rarity. Thanks for your help, -Ilya
Hello, Ilya! I'm glad Yelena is past the worst now. If you cannot find those specific supplements in an acceptable form, the others will work just fine for her. First, she should be strictly on her diet -- second, use ARA6, a food-based vitamin C (like acerola cherry powder), the Harmonia drink from this Store, and the items which *are* available to you from the four different protocols (cancer prevention, chemotherapy adjunct, chronic illness recovery, and surgery recovery). No need to use every item in those protocols. Also, if I were she, I'd order several bottles of Heallix and take it according to the instructions on the bottle.
Please convey my heartfelt wishes for her swift recovery, Ilya! We are all thinking of her, and hoping she will be well in short order! :-D
Hi Heidi, I'm really enjoying reading your column daily, and looking back over past ones. Thanks also to the lady who wrote in about my not being ready for lamb yet. When I said that, what I was really meaning was that I haven't eaten meat since on my honeymoon 13 years ago - however, when I did eat meat, lamb was my favorite! You were a vegetarian at one time, right? What did you say to folks when you started eating meat again? I've been preaching vegetarianism for a long time, and telling our 4 year old that we don't eat dead animals (except fish). Not quite sure what to say to friends and family if I start eating meat again, especially since my husband (an A) probably shouldn't. Thanks! Ann
Hi, Ann! Well, you're in a pickle -- especially with the 4-year-old. ;-)
What did I tell people? I was in much your situation, having opened my mouth to all and sundry on the horrors of every aspect of meat-eating. When I leapt right into the BTD, there was a minor stir in my circle, to say the least. There's no escaping this, so facing up to it as volubly as I'd broadcast my former views was the only option. It pretty much came down to three different responses (depending on the interested party) to those wondering about my overnight transformation from fasting Ehretist to carnivore extraordinaire.
(1) The ones who really wanted an in-depth explanation got the full story of my acne & hair loss problems, visit to the acupuncturist, reactions to reading BTD, the basic concept of ABO relating to activity, digestion and disease, etc., and an excited initial report on how I felt. After a few weeks, the comparison between my old passport photo and the "new me" was enough to convince the smart folks that maybe I wasn't nuts after all. The tough ones to face were those who had pooh-pooh'ed my dietary gymnastics from the start. To them I'd say, "You're right, I was a doof. However, let's talk about beneficial polysaccharides...." ;-)
(2) To die-hard vegan buddies, I would say: "I worked it for fifteen years, but it didn't work for me. If in all that time I never managed to 'do it right,' then I'm just too stupid to be vegan."
(3) Confused store owners & shop clerks who looked aghast at my shopping cart got, "I changed my mind. I want to live." -- and a mad cackle accompanied by a swift exit. LOL!
Not sure #'s 2 and 3 will help you, but some brief version of #1 might. For the little one, "Mommy found out she needs these kinds of foods because of her blood type" should suffice. That can segue into what Daddy needs, and what kiddie needs. "We are natural creatures, made (like all animals) to eat certain things, and sometimes we make mistakes about food because of what we believe, rather than what we really physically need. We all learn new things every day, even Mommy, and this is a new thing that is very good and very important."
Yes, you'll have to eat a little crow over your new choices, it's probably unavoidable. But think how good that lamb will taste afterward! ;-D Things will work out beautifully, I'm sure. It'll just take some time, and an acquiescence to a few feathers in your teeth until everyone's settled down with the New You. One does experience a little loss of credibility in situations like this, but the long-term prospects are very, very bright. Keep in touch, dear, and let us know how it all unfolds. ;-D
Hi Heidi! I just read in today's 5/10 OTD response to Angie, an O, your suggestion to add a 1/2 tsp. of grey sea salt per gallon of water. It's the first time I've seen you suggest grey sea salt, (versus white?) - I've always read your suggestion just to add a pinch of sea salt to water. Is grey always prefered, or was that for her specifically? What about iodide versus non? What is your recommendation for me, a type B+ secretor, in terms of the best salt to add for maximum absorption, and the time-lapse around meals? I have been trying to wait an hour and a half after eating, and I'm having trouble drinking enough in a day, if I wait that long, before I know I need to stop cause I'm hungry and going to have something again soon. Is it necessary to wait even before and after ingesting tea, coffee, or juice? Thanks for your help! Love, Lizza
Hi, Lizza! Gray sea salt is always preferred for everything, as it is the kind that has all those wonderful trace minerals in it. It's not an "iodized" salt per se, but contains a natural balance of trace elements. You can have your water before, during and after your coffee or tea or juice, no need to wait. Remember that 1/2 your body weight in ounces is plenty for you, and you can divide it into, say, four quantities so that you have a single large glass to "glug down" if you like, upon rising, between three meals, and a couple of hours after dinner. I hope this helps, Lizza, and thanks for your note, dear! :-D
Thanks for answering my previous questions. I am a Type A, Secretor and adhere to a diet that contains 90.5% beneficials, 9.5% neutrals, and 0.0% avoids. That diet has been quite successful as my BMI has dropped from 35.0 to its current value of 22.7 in a little over one year and my health has been excellent. My questions are on taking Deflect. It is my understanding that a major effect of Deflect is to provide sacrificial sugars to bind and remove dietary lectins. However, my diet with 90.5% beneficials, contains many lectins which are good for Type A's and very few that are bad. Would continuing to take Deflect in this case be counterproductive? I currently take a maintenance dose of one capsule per day, before I go to bed, with the rationale that it will scavenge any stray lectins and/or be of benefit in other ways. I am apprehensive about taking it with regular meals, though, because they contain mostly good lectins. Is Deflect able to distinguish between good and bad lectins? Al
Hello, Al ~~ The sacrificial sugars are lectin-specific, so no need to worry that they would grab the peanut or soy lectins, for example. However, your regimen has worked so well for you that I would leave it just as is -- no need to take the Deflect with meals. It will continue to do good things for you. ;-)
I'm SO happy to hear your great BMI report, and that you're enjoying excellent health. Great to hear from you, and please feel free to write again, Al! :-D
Hi Heidi, Quick question about your flax seed recipe. Is it alright to follow your recipe to drink with water after soaking if I have not ground up the flaxseeds and just chew as I go? I don't have any intestinal/digestive issues just want to keep some old toxins moving right along. Also I add golden flax seeds to many of dishes both hot and cold. Is there a difference between the golden and the darker? (A2 nonny) Also just got flax bran and am going to use it for my O nonny sister where I would normally use oat bran. Will let you know. Have you had any experience with it? Thank you!! Nina
Hi, Nina ~ The benefit of grinding *then* soaking is the gel which forms from the flax innards. It's certainly fine to do what you're doing.
Gold flax apparently works better for some people who are sensitive to brown flax seeds. I'm not sure what the active elements are which differ between the two types, but results are what count. It is more expensive, so if that is a concern and no adverse reactions to brown flax are noticed, I'd stick with the brown kind. The hulls or bran of flax are fine for all blood types! ;-) thanks for writing, Nina, and I'm glad you're enjoying your "nonnie email project." :-D
Hi Heidi Everyone appears to loose weight on their correct diet plan but I have the opposite problen.Two years ago I dropped 26lbs because of illness and I would like to regain it.Is it possible the B plan would help me back to my normal weight. Looking forward to hearing from you. Brid
[she's in dublin]
Hallo, Brid! Yes, absolutely. These plans have three parts: diet, exercise and stress-relief. Following them in all respects will bring weight gain or weight loss, depending upon the body's needs. The whole idea is "balancing the physiology." This brings healing of illness, as well.
I hope you decide to embark upon the B plan, and I extend a very warm welcome to you, dear! Write in whenever the mood strikes, and best wishes to you! :-D
Hello again Heidi, All's well with the A type diet for this Aussie, and having lots of interesting conversations with people about their own food, and finding in particular that the blood group relates closely to their preferred activity level (ie guess which blood group my friends are who like getting hot and sweaty!).Today's question on your page about blood groups and fashionable diet plans resonates with me, as I have also seen that connection since first reading ERFYT. What would be interesting to study would be the connection between cultural food plans and predominant blood types, also longevity and blood group food adherence. Anyway,today I want to mention your references to water.I couldn't find it by researching on your page.I've just read the book called I think, "Your body's many cries for water" and although the author does not seem to value food highly (we can't all be perfect!) he does argue well for copious amounts of water in the diet.I used to think that thirst was the signal for drinking, but now discover that it is one of the later signs of dehydration! Anyway, I tried to drink one and a half litres per day, but find that a struggle, so compromise with one litre per day, but also of course using a lot of extra water in soups, hot and cold flavoured drinks. I think I saw you mention four litres one day, and wondered if you meant that to include all sources of water including coffee, cooking etc.I think I would explode if I drank 4 litres of pure water. Cheerio, have a happy day. Jenny
Hey there, Jenny! Nice to hear from you! and good ideas on research projects. ;-)
I use four liters as a quantity that will "do the job" for just about anyone, but strictly speaking, it should be the amount in ounces which is one-half your bodyweight in pounds. 128 pounds? 64 ounces (approx. two liters) of water, each with a pinch of good (gray) sea salt. 256 pounds? 128 ounces (one gallon, approx. four liters). Just adjust accordingly. I sometimes drink more than a gallon in a day, for hard exercise in hot weather, for example. So do feel free to adjust the quantities, but try to take in the minimum (1 ounce salted water for every 2 pounds of bodyweight) daily -- water alone, mind you! tea & juice & soups don't count. ;-) thanks for your note, my dear! ;-D
Heidi, I'm concerned about my very low ferritin level. I'm type A2, secretor (don't know more than that). My ferritin level was just checked and it's a 12....very low. I take sublingual B12, 5 mg every day....but I was wondering if I could be in need of something like grass fed beef or some other food that will raise the level to at least normal. I've been off beef for 25 years and I'm wondering if this is the reason. Allergic to eggs and cheese so I have no clue how any foods from type A diet could raise my ferritin level. My iron level was 135, so I don't think it's as abnormally low as the ferritin and I think this is the first time I have had ferritin levels checked. I'm age 60. Any clues here about what to eat to raise this level? Maddy
Hello, Maddy! About the iron, my understanding is that the normal adult range is 30 - 170 mcg/dl -- but the numbers do vary from country to country (and lab to lab for that matter). what does your lab report say about the ranges?
I'd certainly not add red meat for you, but there are other strategies which would be far more effective.
For low ferritin (less than 43 µg/L for women) with hemoglobin in the low to high ranges, usually, an iron malate or iron citrate supplement would be recommended. I'd suggest including a variety of iron-rich foods, taken with vitamin C (which enhances absorption). Think of food combinations, as well: fish added to a meal of black beans doubles the absorption of the iron in the beans. Add fish to meals of legumes, dark leafy greens (cooked) and grains, and have a couple of tablespoons of blackstrap molasses daily. Have your ferritin levels checked again in six months. If the improvement is insufficient, then I'd definitely begin an iron supplement under the supervision of a knowledgeable nutrition counselor. Good health to you, Maddy, and please keep me posted on your situation, OK? :-D
Hi Heidi, Please help! A friend and I are considering purchasing a distilled water system for our homes. Before spending thousands of dollars could you tell us if this system is more beneficial than others. Both of homes have reverse osmosis systems. The water in our reverse osmosis systems has been tested and still show some degree of bacteria whereas, the distilled system does not. We know the distilled system however, extracts all minerals which can be beneficial. Could you please give us your thoughts as to which system you recommend. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your knowledge and for your wonderful column. Anne
Hi, Anne! Please bear in mind that I'm not very knowledgable about water systems. I live in a NYC apartment and wouldn't drink the tap water in a fit -- not because of the water itself (which is excellent), but because of the ancient distribution system through which it travels many miles before it reaches me, including the 80-year-old pipes in my own building. No good. So I use spring water for drinking & filtered water for cooking. If only I could get a shower filter that would fit on the antiquated bathroom fixture, I could even stop bathing in chemicals. :-(
In your situation, I'd simply not use the distilled water for drinking. For everything else (except watering plants or animals) it would be perfectly fine. You can purchase liquid minerals to drop into your drinking water, but that procedure may turn into a bit of a bore. If the cost of regular delivery of good spring water, added to the cost of the distilled system, would be prohibitive, I'd look closely into the source of the contamination and see what pressure might be brought to bear at the source of the bacteria before spending good money on bad water. Are you in farm country, or is there some other source of the baddies?
Anyway, I can't offer a solution, but that's how I'd approach the problem. Good luck, dear, and please let me know what transpires there! It's a shame we can't even get clean water without major expenditure these days, eh?? :-D
HI, I have adenomyosis and I would like to know what I can, to get rid of it, the physicians have told me my only alternative is a hysterectomy. Sincerely, Angelien
Hi, Angelien ~~ The physicians have told you wrong. Could you write back with your blood type (I'm not sure if you're the same Angelien who wrote previously?), age, any trauma to the uterus, and what your normal diet & exercise regimen is? thanks, dear! Surgery is a WAY last resort -- I'm sure we can put our heads together on this and come up with a cure for you. Take care, and write soon! :-D
Water... Fish... Calcium... Synthroid... Seed Boy ... and Indian-food loving Os ! :-DJanuary 3rd, 2001 , by admin
Okay, Heidi. Throw me a lifeline! I'm drowning in a sea of confusion about this issue of water, water everywhere....and what to drink? Here's my thinking: Tap water is a no-no because of chemicals/additives, bad plumbing, etc. Bottled spring water is a good choice for everyday drinking. Mineral water, because of it's high mineral content, is preferred if doing saunas, strenuous physical acitivity, etc. that rapidly depletes minerals from the body. Where do the "purified" waters, ie. home filtration systems and "fill your own gallon jugs at the local grocery store" fit in? If cost is a factor, these are a lot less expensive than bottled spring water for drinking and cooking, but are they the next best thing to spring water or are they closer to distilled water? DO THEY NEED THE ADDITION OF GREY SEA SALT? If so, is 1/2 tsp./gal about right? As always, your input is greatly appreciated. Joyce
Hi, Joyce! Mineral water is a good thing to have, even daily, whether you are engaging in rapid-mineral-depletion activities or not. Both filtered waters and regular spring water (which contains only trace minerals, but is an excellent natural water source if it's certified as uncontaminated) can be helped with a pinch of mineral-rich gray sea salt 1/2 teaspoon per gallon is fine! hope this helps clear it all up, dear!! :-D
Heidi, I'm going to take Dorothy's suggestion and use Floradix to try and raise my very low ferrritin levels, although I've been doing what you suggested with the fish, beans, vitamin C and molasses. Won't be tested again for awhile. Also now I have another problem. Although I eat no eggs, cheese, meat or saturated fats, my HDL is 90 but my LDL is 177. My overall ratio is good, but my total cholesterol is way too high. I've been a semi vegetarian eating fish, fruits, veggies, beans, seeds, nuts, soy, chicken, turkey and hardly any grains. What on earth is left to do? I've read about red rice yeast. Is that a safe supplement to take for lowering the LDL? (type A2+) Any other suggestions? (My doctor just did a genetic test on me to see if my high cholesterol is inherited..but even it if is, I have to lower it) Also, what is wrong with drinking distilled water? We have very imbalanced well water that needs a lot of softening or else it leaves a thick, white hard ring of minerals around the plumbing... We bypassed our drinking water so it's coming straight from the well and not going through the softener, but it's ultra hard in minerals. Is that a good thing? I thought the sea minerals were better and felt it might be healthier to drink distilled water and supplement with minerals like Phytocal. I'm confused. Maddy
Hey there, Maddy ~~ Red yeast rice is superb for lowering cholesterol. Again, I heartily recommend the product available at this site!. Flax oil and/or flax seed is well known for modulating HDL/LDL levels -- are you OK with it, and are you taking it? In addition, if I were you I'd include gingko and hawthorn on a daily basis, as heart protectives while you're bringing your lipid levels to their optimal state. How are the triglycerides, by the way?
About your water, I'd get an assay from your local authority on the mineral content and contaminant levels. This is usually done by some permutation of the county water department -- you'll be able to find the right division by thumbing through the government section of your phone book. Then compare those levels with a high-solids, well-balanced mineral water like Gerolsteiner (you can find that info on www.mineralwaters.org). Who knows, you might have the equivalent of free Gerolsteiner coming out of your tap! Whoo!! ;-)
Heidi, Good Morning from the high desert! This is not a question just a couple of pssible helps. I noticed a comment about 'beans and gas' some time back. You may already be aware of this but thought I would Mention KOMBU a sea veg. from Eden foods when added to beans while cooking them (RAW)can cut down on the gas and the amount of time they take to cook. Also a great way to get extra nutrients.
About the question of distilled water; I ran across a web sight with that topic the other day. It is throgh GOOGLE and the topic DISTILLED WATER. There are several interesting research papers on the health hazards of drinking disitlled water.
One last comment; I too am an O+ and use to "Preach" vegetarianism, infact I thought it was the ONLY way all humans should approach their meals. I read Peter's 1st book and decided it was NOT for me back in 1997. Since then I have made some great changes in my approach to 'diet' and education of the puplic; as I am a Certified Nutrtionist and former health food store owner. I even attened the first conference in Tempe. So to the point a couple of quotes that I found may help in what I say to others about my NEW education level and Lifestyle plan "What I learned after I knew it all~is the most important." and "The beliefs which have lead you to where you are today, are not the same as those which will lead you to where you wish to go." Gee, at one time we thought Earth was flat! Thanks for your time and I appreciate the way you present and communicate to all in your column. Blessings, Beverly
Hello, Beverly ~~ Wish I could see what you see from your window right now! :-) Good reminder on kombu. In my macrobiotic days, I bought it in bulk. A piece went in the bottom of every pan in which beans were to be cooked.
That's a gem for all you folks out there who feel frustrated when people who are ill think they MUST already be "eating healthy" because they're doing what the FDA and the magazine "dieticians" have been telling them to do for years. MANY THANKS for your note, Beverly, and warmest congratulations on being someone who's committed to open-hearted learning and providing the absolute best possible care for your clients. Bless you, dear! :-D
hi heidi, re the flouride issue, just a couple of weeks ago, here in oz, one of the big news reports was that kids are getting rotten teeth more frequently and more serverly now, and the reason?...... not more junk food or snacks, oh no, its because they are drinking too much bottled water!!!!! they reckon that the bottled water doesnt contain the necessary fluoride so their teeth are rotting!!!! a bit unbelievable eh? just thought id pass it on!!! ros
!!!!!!! Maddening, aren't they? If the market for fluoride "softens" in one direction (sales of fluoridated toothpaste are down), they just work it harder in another direction ("authoritative reports" (scare jobs)). SIGH!! Thanks, ros!! :-D
Hi Heidi, I'm Type O and I want to know if fish sauce (used in Asian dishes) is ok. I would also like to know, what is the difference between the peppers - chilli pepper, pepper(yellow, green, jalapeno) and pepper(red,cayenne). Thanks for your time. Chantelle
MMMMMmmm, I love fish sauce! "Nuoc mam" is what I think the Vietnamese call it, and the Thai version is "nam pla."
Read the label carefully -- you may need a translator on some of them! ;-) and go on a product-by-product basis. Remember that not everything you find on the market, specifically in tiny mom & pop shops in Asian market areas, will fully disclose or describe all the ingredients. Some cheaper fish sauces contain caramel and water, so if you're a nonsecretor, that's off limits.
Now for the really bad news (for me, anyway): Technically, fish sauce is OK only for A nonsecretors and O secretors.... unfortunately!! That's because it's traditionally (and currently -- ALWAYS, in fact, to my knowledge) made from anchovies. SIGH!!! You see, they pack anchovies (sometimes other fish as well) & salt into big barrels and leave them to ferment for months. They occasionally drain off some of the liquid from a spigot at the bottom, which they add to the top. After about six months, it's "done" and the liquid is collected and bottled -- and you've got nuoc mam!
There are three grades of fish sauce -- the first draining (the "best," very clear -- designated "nhi") the second, and the third. The highest quality is said to be made 100% from anchovies, and is labeled "ca com." Are you now experiencing information overload? :-)
I do hold out some vague and probably slim hope that fermentation of anchovy by this method renders its galectin harmless to me. But I ain't counting on it. :-(
"Chili pepper" refers generally to the chiles (hot peppers), which vary stupendously in size, color, and taste but are generally far smaller than the sweet peppers. They are the very, very hotties.
"Pepper (yellow, green)" and "pepper (red)" refer to bell peppers (or "sweet peppers"). We should also say, "(orange, purple, etc.)," since although the red bell pepper is the ripe version of the green, there have been many hybrids developed which when ripe are yellow or orange or pink or purple or nearly black ... you get the idea. They're all the baseball-to-softball-sized peppers with thick green stems and three to six "sections" which you can see on the outside by the clefts running from the stem-end to the bottom.
Jalapenos are a moderately-to-viciously hot pepper, varying between individual plants and at least two several varieties. The two I've seen are either oval, dark green with thick smooth flesh, between one & three inches long -- or thin-fleshed, pale green, long & tubular with a pointy end and bends, wrinkles & turns, and between two and five inches long.
"Cayenne pepper" refers to the dried, powdered tiny hot pepper of the same name, which preparation we find here in every supermarket spice rack.
For your further reading pleasure, here's a site with good photos of several common varieties. Under "Hot Capsicum," the dark green one cut in half is one of the jalapenos I mentioned. They don't get into much detail on which pic is what, so if you'd like more in-depth info, here's a site for that. Enjoy!!
In the book you write that group O people should take coleus forskohli if they don't eat meat. Please give me some adress where can I buy coleus forskohli> Thank you - ph
Hi there! Doing a search with your favorite web search engine (alltheweb.com, google.com, or another) for "Coleus forskohlii" specifying French sites only should give you several places where you can purchase it. Here is one I found on a quick search: Alban Muller botanicals. If you still have difficulty finding it, let me know and I'll try to help! thanks for writing!! :-D
Hi Again Heidi Thanks for all your time and attention. You must have a huge following! I'm really glad you mentioned Coffee as something that can cause inflammation because although I'd given it up, I still had an occasional cup of decaf. Sometimes one per afternoon. After four days of no coffee, my morning tissue use reduced about 90%! And a week later when I tried a cup, I got all stuffed up that night. Are there any other things I can eliminate that will help reduce my kleenex addiction? I'm an O secretor and am generally about 80% compliant. I don't sweat the small stuff. For example, at home I only use Tamari but if I eat sushi at a restaurant, I don't worry about the Tbsp. or so of soy sauce I consume. That's the only wheat I ever eat. Same for salad dressing. At home I never get any with corn syrup/vinegar/etc, but when I eat out, I enjoy just enough dressing to make the salad edible. I'm already taking the Nettle and Quercetin. I tried the Collinsonia but I seemed to feel worse when I took that. (But might have been fighting that long flu that went around last winter?) Any other tips you might have would be very much appreciated. Diane p.s. the vegetable glycerine seems to really help! My rice and sugar consumption is way down and I haven't had chocolate since Easter! Hooray for "On the Diet" -- Diane
~~:-D Hooray for Diane! ~~:-D
Collinsonia canadensis is good for chronic swelling of sinus tissues, including hemorrhoids, but unless you're having sinus headaches and so forth, it probably won't do much for you.
What I'm curious about is whether there's a food substance that's triggering a little extra immune response (in the form of mucus) or if it may be environmental, or if this is just part of processing the old released toxins through your system. Are you getting solid regular exercise? If not, I'd go in that direction first. It's truly wonderful for working the organs and speeding up toxic release. Otherwise, I'd start taking Deflect at the low dose on the bottle. If neither has any effect on the mucus, please let me know, OK? You're a sweetie, Diane -- hope these tips help! :-)
Hi Heidi, I can't seem to find this answer anywhere. It's a general diet question. I'm an O and am following the program pretty strictly with mostly beneficial foods and a some neutrals. I feel great. There are a couple of foods on the avoid list that I tend to keep in. I stay away from the major no-nos like wheat and dairy. But it's been hard to give up black tea and when dining out I have the occasional baked potato. Am I counteracting the positive by having a few negatives? Thanks Christina
Hey there, Christina. An avoid doesn't cancel out a beneficial. It just does what it does, while the beneficial does what IT does. ;-) They're separate issues for the most part. I think you're doing a marvelous job!! As time goes on, you may find you're happier choosing alternatives to the occasional black tea and potato, but I think it's important to give yourself time and space to decide that on your own. How you feel right now is the single most important proof that you're doing the right things for yourself! Do enjoy it, and just go along in comfort! Thanks for your message!! :-D
Hi Heidi- I'm puzzled by how I feel, and I am hoping you can help me try to figure things out I am a 38 year old O-, (waiting for the results on the secretor test, but I am guessing I am a non-secretor). I have Hashimotos Thyroiditis which I've had since I was 12 or so, but officially diagnosed and treated at age 26 after years of suffering. I take Synthroid 137, (Synthroid was the only option that was presented to me, although I know now that I have other options) and I also fortify myself with supplements: NAP's Pre-Natals & Probiotic, Co-Enzyme B-Complex, Chromium, Wobenzyme & Vitamin C. I exercise everyday, stretching, yoga, treadmill, walking and I am very conscientious about the food I eat since my body seems to be highly sensitive (sensitive to touch, smells, reacts strongly to bad foods, etc).
I make sure I eat HB proteins and foods, eat veggies and stay away from all grains, with brown rice as the only one I can digest and do OK with. I've been on this path for almost four years, getting gradually more stringent with each food reaction. With all that effort I still can't seem to find a healthy balanced feeling. I often have headaches, sometimes escalating into a migraine. I feel achy in my neck, hands, feet, wrists, ankles and in other points throughout my body. I have stuffiness in my head and nose, dry eyes and a general drained feeling. This feeling is most pronounced in the morning, sometimes clearing later in the day and sometimes not. Sometimes it even comes on later in the day. My body seems to gets blocked and it manifest itself with aches and pains finding some relief when I massage my feet, hands, neck and other points, resulting in, oddly enough, air burps and improvement. My temperature in the morning runs from 97.5 to 98.3 and in the evening can drop to 96.7 or so. My husband an AB+ (also a Hashimotos sufferer) and I have been trying to get pregnant without much luck. We did have a pregnancy that ended up not being successful and even though all our tests are fine and the plumbing is working we haven't been able to conceive again. So, I am perplexed. I've recently been to an acupuncturist and had a wonderful relaxed feeling after the first session, but no relief after the second session. I've ordered the NAP deflect thinking that it might assist my body in getting rid of whatever is going on. What else can I do and what could possibly be going on with me? Susan
Hi there, Susan! Has your doctor done a recent full thyroid profile on you? I'm thinking that either you're experiencing side-effects from this drug, you need the dosage adjusted, or it was the wrong drug for you to begin with. I've been told that once on Synthroid, going to a natural glandular "isn't possible," but I think this is anecdotal, and finding a replacement that works is certainly worthy of investigation on your part. You shouldn't be having these problems.
The second thing that concerns me is that your doctor has not already offered you some other product instead of Synthroid, which has had so many complaints that the FDA was to withdraw its approval unless the makers made changes to the drug and made a new request for approval. They didn't even bother to do so! If I were you, I would make the health of you and your husband the priority, and wait on starting a family until you have accomplished those goals. Pregnancy and baby-rearing are incredibly intense demands to place upon a mom who isn't well.
Bear in mind that as an O-, you can make antibodies to your husband's A, B and Rh Positive genetic material. In addition, if it turns out you're a secretor, your reproductive tract is lined with O antigens which may not feel awfully happy about those "alien invaders." ;-) This is NOT to say you can't have children together!! :-) It's just that you may have a more difficult time conceiving, and if you do become pregnant, you should definitely have the rhesus immunoglobulin shot at 26 weeks at the latest, to prevent formation of anti-RH+ antibodies which could harm the babe. Do discuss that with your doctor and make sure they follow up at the appropriate time.
Susan, please let me know what your doc says about Synthroid, and if he gives you a FULL thyroid panel, what the levels and lab reference ranges are. I wouldn't suggest you change your diet at all, nor do I think taking more supps will help. Please do keep me posted, OK? Very best to you and your husband, dear!! :-D
Hi Heidi, I apologize for the rather rude sounding calcium email. Yes I have been giving my blood type. I'll give it again though. It's A+ Secretor. Thank you Nina for the input. I haven't been eating any nightshade vegetables and it hasn't made any difference in my pain. My arthritis is brought on by a congenital hip displacement deformity. I probably always was lacking the cartiladge...
In case you're wondering, Heidi, where it says about calcium for arthritis, you neglected to check the "Blood Type A Food, Beverage and Supplement Lists" Page 66. I knew I had read it and I went home to look it up and I was racking my brains trying to remember which book it's in. I have all of them. I finally as my last resort, checked the small booklet and it was in there.
I mentioned that it doesn't matter what kind of calcium supplement I take. I've tried them all. Phosphate isn't too bad though.It's in Ovaltine and I drink some of that every day and I get no headache.
I have not tried Dr. D'Adamo's calcium yet. I'm leery. Usually, carbonate is the worst like he mentions in his book. I took Lactate in pill form and it lasted the longest before it triggered the headache. My question is: He mentions that A blood type's best absorbed calcium is "Lactate". He offers the kelp-calcium formulation in the A store though. Does he recommend that for A blood types as well? Do you ever actually ask him the answer if a question "stumps" you? Not trying to be rude again, I was just wondering. I'm not disappointed in his approach to health as a whole. I think you misunderstood. I found no other health professional explained my intolerances and tolerances and even my emotional state and ability to take on projects, stress levels, etc. so incredibly accurate! I have been trying to adhere to the A blood type diet plan. I was only disappointed in his prescribing calcium for arthritis. Have a Great Day, Diana
Hello, Diana! Oh, I didn't think you were rude. It did sound as if you were rather angry and quite unhappy, though. Yes, I have your blood type in mind -- I didn't think I asked for it again, but thank you kindly just the same!
Yes, I checked the four major books and the website, but not the Type A "little book." Thank you for the note -- I see it on page 66. While there are degenerative processes involved in some cases of arthritis which do involve the bone and will benefit from calcium supplementation -- as I mentioned in my previous answer -- I'll still pass this note on to Peter for his review.
I'm glad to hear it was not Phytocal-A that you had a reaction to -- I think this is the "kelp-calcium formulation" you are asking about? Calcium lactate is suggested to As as the most assimilable of the forms one can usually find in one's regular old neighborhood supp shop. Phytocal is a specialty product (which we didn't have when Eat Right was published) and far superior in that respect. There are four versions of Phytocal, one for each ABO type, so yes -- Phytocal-A would be the one he'd suggest if you wish to take a calcium supplement.
Forgive me if this is more information than you requested, but I noticed you're having Ovaltine every day? Just for your reference, all the sales sites I found had the following ingredients listed: Barley Malt Extract, Skim Milk, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Whey, Glucose Syrup, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Eggs, Salt, Vanillin, Vitamins and Minerals. The milk, whey, sugars, hydrogenated oils, commercial eggs, artificial flavors & vitamins & minerals may not be doing you good service in your quest for better health.
I also noticed on the Pure Food.Org newsletter that Ovaltine was DNA tested and found to contain genetically-modified ingredients, even though the manufacturer doesn't list that fact on their label.
So I hope this is helpful, dear -- take good care of YOU! :-)
Hi, Heide!!! It,s me Bcha (Brazilian O+).You are probably tired of hearing how wonderful you are!! Well, I'm sorry but I must say: YOU ARE THE BEST!! You make people feel secure and keep going on their target!! Thank you VERY MUCH! I bought the Veg Gly but there is no sign about how much calories per tsp. I am over my weight and I need to go back and run as I used to. However I love eat...Oh! God...hehehehe!! I used to loose weight very fast but it's kind of hard now... I saw a fat diet pills on a health Store and I wonder if I could use a supplement with the ingredients: Garcinia Fruit(cambogia), Green Tea leaf, Coleus Root, Tumeric rhizome, Elder berry, Yohimbe bark,Bitter orange peel, Gymnema leaf, Bladderwarck fronds, Ginger rhizome Supercritical CO2 Extr.(zingiber off). Thanks for your attention! Bcha.
hey there, Bcha! you are very, very kind! ;-}
You know what I'm going to say though... Rather than spend money on weight-loss supplements (which usually do little or nothing except raise your blood pressure & resting heart rate), first please just start out with a little exercise every day and work gradually to increase it. If you do this for a month and still the fat isn't budging, write again and I'll suggest other things to do, OK? ;-)
For everything I know about vegetable glycerine, just go to the bottom of this page and type in "glycerine" and hit the search button. The "All about veg gly" column is a good place to start in that list. I don't think much of calorie-counting -- it's a reductionist thing that says a calorie from one kind of food is equivalent to a calorie from any other kind of food -- and we know that's way off the mark when looking at weight loss strategies for different blood groups. How does a steak of 800 calories help me lose weight, but the equivalent number from wheat would do the opposite? SO, my best advice is to not count on calorie-counting. ;-) Write again, dear, and thanks again for your friendly encouragement! :-D
Hi Heidi! It's your "seedy" B again, this time with a question about food intolerances and the definition of a "varied diet." One source suggested that no food should be eaten two days in a row. My question is what your view is -- i am trying to get that kind of variation, but, for many foods, the best i can strive for is a weekly alternation (of eliminations or additions). I understand the premise of the claim (though am not totally convinced). If you know of any resources about [this kind of food] intolerance/sensitivity, those would also be greatly appreciated, as most sources i have found concentrate on allergies and the specific lactose/gluten/etc. intolerances. Thank you so much for your feedback! matt, seed boy.
greetings, seed boy ~~ ;-D
A varied diet is great. Bs have a fabulous variety in foods, and I encourage you to explore them all in a creative and enjoyable way.
We've found that just being "pretty much" on the BTD has worked marvels for people who had tried everything else without success. That's one of the beautiful things about this plan: it's powerful while it's flexible while it's simple -- we're not weighed down with calorie counting or old-style food rotation or other restrictions that other plans use on everyone.
Like you, I'm not convinced that micromanaging one's food item frequency is the way to go, and I totally agree that the resources you'll find are very restrictive therapeutic protocols designed "one size fits all" to handle stubborn illnesses. I don't have a definition of a varied diet, per se ~~ but if you stick to your beneficials & neutrals and keep the portion/frequency tables as rough guidelines in the back of your mind, and just have fun with trying new foods now and again, I think you'll find EVERYTHING will fall into place for you.
You seem like a funny, intelligent person with a lot on the ball, who's trying to do the absolute best for himself. I applaud ALL that!! If I were you (yeah, I know, I'm not -- I can't even have strawberries, for Heaven's sake! LOL!) I would turn my energies to adapting exotic recipes for my use, and visiting some ethnic market every week with my new recipes in hand, finding cool ingredients to use in them. That's my gut feeling here: out with the alt-elimination-diet sites and in with the COOKBOOKS! cookbooks are fun. When someone's as well-grounded in the BTD as you are, having fun is what it's all about. A mind having fun is sending happy messages to all the body's 72 trillion cells, who respond back with their own tiny, joyous grins. Hoo-Rah!! :-D
And if this was all totally opaque and useless to your purposes, write again and I'll straighten up! :-D
Dear Heidi, I have a question about my boyfriend, David, a type o+ (not sure about secretor). Well, he is always complaining about his weight and how tired he is...he is kind of heavy around the middle, and feels better when he exercises, but doesn't always have the energy to do so. He is very interested in following the diet but if someone puts food in front of him, even if it is bad for type o, he will eat it, because he just loves to eat.
So I try to keep good things in the house for him...at home his diet mainly consists of:soy milk, he has rye crackers(no wheat), ezekeil bread, makes lots of rice/rice pasta, tons of sardines, salmon, apples, romaine lettuce and spinach, lots of tomatoes, onions, garlic, broccoli and olive oil. He really loves all these foods, especially fish. I can no longer buy cheese or milk without hiding it because he will consume all of it before I can even taste any.
Today we ate at an Indian restaurant (I'm type B so it's better for me I guess). As soon as we got home he said he felt like he was drugged and had to sleep for about 3 hours. I was fine. He believes salt was the culprit, but I think wheat, dairy, and lentils. These energy slumps happen to him all the time--except when he really sticks to the diet.
It is amazing to see how terrible his mood can be when he strays from the diet! He does not pay attention enough to notice the difference but I do. When he is on track, there are bad days, but he is usually more happy optimistic, and AWAKE! Do you have any suggestions for something he could be eating or taking every day (despite occasional cheating when he eats out) that will help his weight and energy level to even out? Or is it really just a matter of being 100% compliant? We are trying to eat at home more to avoid temptations. Is what he is eating at home a good diet or should he add more variety? (he stays away from red meat, but perhaps he should have it) Also, are type o's particularly salt-sensitive? One more thing, would rice milk be better than soy milk for him? (incase he's a non-sec) Thank you so much for your time! Jennie and David
Aw loosen up, Jennie -- Maybe it *was* just the salt! LOL!!
*sigh.* He sounds like me! If I still went to Indian restaurants, I'd probably be eating all my favorites and making lame excuses like that too, upon falling asleep an hour later. ;-D And cheese is a MIGHTY temptation! I could just sit and eat a pound of it, with a spoon. :-} To answer your question -- Heck no, we're the least salt-sensitive of all the types! :-D
The good news is the bad news... or at least that's how I expect he'll see it ... and here's what I mean. He responds beautifully to the diet, which means that's all he needs to do in terms of food. Fish is great, yes, but it's time to tippy-toe into that red meat jungle as well. Make him a little meat loaf with shredded vegetables as filler, and a little tomato sauce over it -- or a stir-fry with broccoli, onions, garlic & beef. Nice way to start. And if he forces himself to go out and exercise a couple of times per week, just "at his level," nothing over the top, his energy will soar and he will definitely start becoming aware of the difference.
The only supp I'd suggest is Deflect-O (in the Store here). It will help loads with those little slips like garlic nan, chapatis, aloo paratha, poori, daal, lassi, papadam, samosa, pakora.... need I go on? :-D Thanks so much for stopping in here, Jennie! I wish you two all the best ~~ I think he's very fortunate that you love him!! :-D
Notes for Rachel, Ann, Patti ~ babies, protocols, corn research & turkey soup!January 2nd, 2001 , by admin
I am new to all this but have noticed an apparent contradiction in the Type O diet. O's must avoid ground black and white pepper, yet several of the recipes in BTD specify large amounts of black pepper-e.g 1.5 tsp in Kifta, 1 tsp in Baked Fish. Similarly, Vanilla Essence is listed as an AVOID, yet 1tsp is listed for Carob Chip Cookies& Maple Walnut Granola. Is there a listing for all errors, corrections or recent findings somewhere, please? Many thanks Sue
Hi, Sue! Welcome!! Os must indeed avoid commercial ground black pepper, as it is likely to have a high mold content. However, whole black peppercorns used in a pepper grinder are fine! A tiny bit of vanilla extract will not do much harm, but a nut extract such as almond, walnut or hazelnut is preferred for type O.
You have a keen eye for avoids in recipes, which is a definite advantage. We are advised to check ALL recipes, ALL ingredients of all products, no matter where we find them. Good work, Sue!! and do write again! :-D
Hi Heidi, I was enjoying one of my favorite treats when I read Patti's AB n/s lament re: limited sweets (5/1). So here's my recipe: Chocolate Velvet Pudding: 2 12oz pkgs of silken Tofu (I use one "firm" and one "soft"), 1/2c unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4c maple syrup (or veg. glycerin + maple extract), 1.5 TBS molasses, 1 TBS vanilla. Blend until smooth and creamy. Spoon into dishes. Enjoy right away, or refrigerate for later. Just having a small 1/4c of this satisfies my need for a treat. (Actually, sometimes, I just get a spoonful from the fridge and continue on my way.) And it's from the bean category! Adjust sweeteners to personal preference. (I once ran out of maple syrup and used molasses only, it was great.) If we go to a friend's house for dinner, I bring my own dessert. Donna in CA
Donna, that sounds absolutely wonderful! ;-) Now if only I could figure out how to make tofu from black beans or pintos... *sigh!* Thanks for the offering, dear, and have a lovely!! :-D
Hi Heidi - I've done a search but didn't find it, so if this is a repeat question please forgive me! I am a B non-secretor. I have a 17 month old who is a type O. She was having trouble with ear infections, but when I took her off of all dairy and wheat, it really seems to have helped. My question is: should I assume she is a secretor and follow that diet for her? I didn't know if secretor status could possibly be hereditary? I ask this because I have been using spelt flour whenever baking, and I just realized that if she is a non-secretor, it would be an avoid for her. One more question while I have you! Is there an age limit for the protocols in the Encyclopedia? If her ear infections continue, I was looking at the immunity protocol, but I would be a little nervous about giving her herbs, etc. at such a young age. Thanks! Lisa
Hello, Lisa! Good question. Secretor status is hereditary, indeed. The only way we'd know which one she is right now is if we knew that her Dad is a nonsecretor. Then we'd be 99.99% certain that she is a nonsecretor, also. If you don't have that information, then the safest way to proceed is to avoid both the nonsecretor AND secretor avoids, and give her only the foods that are at least neutral for both.
For now, the diet should work just fine to keep her healthy, and I wouldn't start with herbals and supplements for her. There's no specific age limit for using the protocols, but since she's done well with simple dietary adjustments, that's the route I'd go. If she gets no wheat and no dairy, I think you'll find she'll have no further ear infections at all. Thanks for writing, Lisa, and I wish you and her the very best of health!! :-D
Since I read your column every day, I have a few questions: 1. If chocolate is a neutral, and sugar is neutral (except for non-secretors), why should we look for substitutes - such as the vegetable glycerin? 2. Does following the diet preclude a need for digestive enzymes (that the HFS suggested to me.) 3. Has Peter every done a study on the reason some people do well on certain types of diets? Such as - friends that do well on the Atkins diet or Sugar Busters Diet tend to be type O. Or a couple on the Carbohydrate Addicts diet - the wife (type O), did very well, the husband (type A) failed miserably? People who do well on Weight Watchers may tend to be type A? These are very isolated, broad assumptions on my part - just wondered if anyone else has noticed a trend? 4. Someone recently wrote about exercise for a protruding gut. There is a yoga pose I was taught recently. My instructor said that often our organs prolapse, and there is a "smile" underneath our belly button. The pose is to lay on the floor with leg flat on the floor, and that foot propped firmly against a door frame. Hold the other leg at a 90 degree angle with your hands behind your knees - head elevated. (Don't stretch the elevated leg - just raise it). Hold the pose for 60 seconds on each side. This should firm up these internal organs and put them back in place. I feel like I have this organ problem from too many years of being constipated from wheat and corn. It's an easy excercise and I hope to see some results. (Maybe someone else knows the name for this pose.) Amber
Hello, Amber! Thanks for the yoga suggestion!
Vegetable glycerine is not a necessity for O secretors. I suggest it to nonsecretors, for the most part. It's also extremely helpful with sugar cravings and weight loss. And digestive enzymes are recommended only if one has digestive difficulty with certain new foods.
:-D I don't know of an official study per se, but Os would naturally do better on a high-animal-protein diet than As would do -- and wouldn't thrive at all on a grain-heavy diet, whereas most type As and ABs could do better on it at least for a time. It just seems like common sense to me, having been with this plan for so long. The nice thing about it is, the BTD brings it all together for everyone... while addressing issues the other plans don't even take into account. ;-) thanks for writing in, dear! :-D
Heidi thank you again and again Some good things to report from this end and then one question. I now have confirmed that I am indeed an A+ blood type. So far I've lost 4# and some inches - for me that's good. I purchased the Cook Right book this weekend and look forward to using some recipes to spice things up for us. Speaking of food, perhaps one reason the weight was so slow is because I had been using WAY too much of the bread/grain/cereals. I had it in my mind that I could consume more than I should & being a carb. lover, this seemed like heaven. Alas, this week I'll eat the correct amounts. You have given out the receipe for the wonder working chicken soup/broth. Since my husband is a B and chicken is an avoid for him, does this have the same miracle properties if we use turkey? Bless you for your work and caring Sandy
AH! Thanks for reporting in, Sandy! It's great news that you've found an area of your diet to adjust, and that you're seeing steady results now! Congratulations, dear!! :-D
Yes, you can make the "miracle" broth from turkey instead -- and it's just as good! If I don't make broth right away, I save the bones of birds & beasts in a heavy plastic bag in the freezer. A mix will do just as well as one single type of bones, and the freezing process doesn't hurt anything at all. Enjoy, and keep writing, Sandy! :-D
Heidi, a reader asked if the Mayans used lime to make corn safer to eat. Corn contains niacin, but too much corn can cause a niacin (vitamin B-3)deficiency,
known as pellagra. Corn processed in a solution of lime (used to make certain kinds of tortillas) can help to increase niacin absorption. Niacin is necessary for healthy skin tissue, the nervous system, tongue health, the digestive system and blood circulation, low cholesterol levels and low blood pressure. Too much niacin from supplements can cause skin rashes, liver damage and peptic ulcers.
Lots of foods besides corn contain niacin, and of course, vitamin capsules contain B-3. Sounds like the Mayans understood the lime/corn/niacin connection, but didn't fully understand the other problems corn can cause. Kim
Quite true!! Thanks for that information, Kim -- you are very sweet to take time to post it here! much appreciated!! :-D
Hi Heidi, a suggestion for Ann who couldn't get the lamb from the shopping cart to the cash register--I have found that buying a whole leg of lamb and having the butcher cut it into 3/4 inch steaks and then grilling them or broiling them is an easy and tasty way to eat lamb, not to mention money saving. The extra steaks I freeze in a single layer on a baking pan till frozen, then pop them into a freezer container so I can have individual servings. The leg of lamb is less fatty and the flavor is better in my opinion. Also, I have found ground lamb which I make into burger sized patties. I brown them and then make a brown gravy (all O.K. ingredients) with mushrooms and onions, and a splash of red wine and they are delicious. My kids even like them. Suzanna
Hey there, Suzanna ~~ Your sage advice reminds me that when I first began the O diet, there was NO WAY I was going to face down a big bloody steak. I steeled myself and bought ground meat, and made stir-fries with lots of vegetables. It took a significant psychological adjustment just to face that meal ;-> so I do completely understand what people go through in this regard.
Folks, don't hesitate to get out there and find a responsive and responsible butcher. Sometimes they're hiding in plain sight. They might be sitting on a stool behind the door in the meat section of your supermarket, wondering if ANYONE will ever ring that tiny bell on the counter and ask them to do anything. They're lonely! Chat them up, get to know them! I say this because you'll learn a lot, and they'll be a great resource and a very good friend to your health and your budget. You don't have to just take what's sitting out in the "meat boat," you can get any cut of meat ground, deboned, filleted, tied, fixed any way you like it. Not to mention advice on how (and how long) to cook something, if you're not familiar with it. And don't forget special orders! :-D You never know when you might have a hankering for grilled sleeve-boned quail, or a crown roast for Christmas.
I spent at least a year going back to my old neighborhood butcher (1 1/2 hours round trip on the subway) because I hadn't bestirred myself to see what was right around the corner from me. Well, when I finally woke up, there he was, waiting for me: Bob, a genius and a love and a man who effortlessly produces whatever I want or need -- right around that corner. A thoroughly good fellow, by the way, and someone whom I now call my friend. He's even a classic car fan! HEY! You can't beat that! ~:-D
OK, enough gushing over my butcher. But be advised, a Bob (or Roberta)-the-butcher may be waiting for you ... and closer than you think. ;->
I have to say that I deeply, deeply appreciate your posting those ideas here for Ann, Suzanna, and this goes for everyone who reaches out to help with others' difficulties. Such a gracious gift~ It just makes me VERY happy, 'nuff said! :-D
Dear Heidi, Thanks for being a wonderful resource and support. Love your column! I am writing in response To Rachel. I am a 58 year old, O negative, secretor NN. When I gave up all grains and starches (I was only eating acceptable ones for the last three years but more than twice than the recommended servings per week) I went through a similar withdrawl to Rachel. On the fifth day it was extremely bad. I literally had the shakes, severe anxiety and terrible tiredness. I tested whether it was truly the grains by eating some rice and the symptoms immediately were gone. I continued without grains and starches over the next five weeks during which my lethargy and anxiety slowly diappeared. It was hard to think and to function. I used exercise and acupuncture to ease the symptoms. I am about to start the metabolism protocol so will let you how it goes. My acupuncturist later told me that the fifth day is often the worst in withdrawl. The results have been amazing. My life-long anxiety, compulsive eating, and the dark circles around my eyes disappeared. I lost bloat and weight which have been most apparent in my shoe size and my face. People tell me I look much younger, "brighter," and healthier. I have also lost a recent tendency to incontinence. Rachel, you can do it. It's worth it!!! Karen
WHOO-HOO!!! Karen, that's a MARVELOUS report, and I thank you SO MUCH for sharing it with all of us!
It's very useful advice you're offering to Rachel, as there are many of us who experience these kinds of withdrawal symptoms and feel utterly confused as to what may be causing them. Sometimes the only way to the sunshine is through the darkness. I've found that the worse the withdrawal symptoms are, the more vital it is to eliminate the food(s) one is trying to eliminate. Just get through it however you can, so that you don't have to face that process ever again!
Karen, I look forward to hearing how the metabolism protocols work for you -- Congratulations on your learning, and your progress! Do keep in touch, and thanks again!! ~:-D
A rather massive P O T P O U R R I !! :-DNovember 27th, 2000 , by admin
Dear Heidi, Thanks for your comments on my problem with not losing weight. For the last five days I have cut out grain completely from my diet (from one portion of acceptable grain per day) and have been managing 3 litres of water a day. Haven't managed to eat meat for breakfast yet, but I have also cut out another cup of black tea so I now only have one, first thing in the morning. But, I feel terrible! Tired, achey, headache, listless, miserable and my legs feel like jelly just climbing the stairs so exercise is out. I thought I might be coming down with something, but I'm not getting any worse or better and I don't have a temperature (at 97.6 my temperature is low). And my weight is still the same. Could this reaction be detoxification? If so, is there anything I can do about it? As we are on a low income I cannot afford many supps - I have already overspent on purchasing a secretor status test and some Polyflora. Could it be something else? I'm only just about hanging on in there, so I hope you can help. Many, many thanks for your kind generosity, you are a star! Rachel (O+ secretor status unknown as yet)
Hello, Rachel! The headaches and listlessness may be a reaction to the reduction in your black tea consumption. You may want to bite the bullet and get rid of all caffeine in your diet, since if these are withdrawal reactions you'll have them every time you cut back a bit on caffeine -- and it's no worse to get it over with all at once & be done with it. You can test this by taking a couple of analgesics which contain caffeine, such as the ones listed here. If your symptoms are magically gone, then I would consider using the site linked above as a reference on which to model your caffeine elimination.
Second, there will be some metabolic readjustment when grains are removed, but five days is a bit long for them to continue unchanged. I suspect from the tiredness, sluggish weight loss rate and low temperature that you have some low-level thyroid issues to be resolved. Tomorrow morning, start the simple thyroid self-test -- instructions here. If you find your basal temp is low, let me know and I'll help you find inexpensive ways of boosting your thyroid function. Do hang in there, dear!! I know you can do it! The hard stuff's basically done now, so ONWARD and UPWARD only!! :-D
Hello, I am a type B, I don't know if I am a sec. or non.sec yet. I cannot seem to shake these chronic sinus infections. I have tried the colinsea root recommended inthe pill form, to no avail. Anyother suggestions? I think my hearing may be becoming impacted. Anyone? Jacky
Hi, Jacky! Collinsonia canadensis can help to reduce swelling in the tissues, but if you have chronic infections, your immune system is in need of a boost. Knowing no more, I'd suggest PolyFlora-B and ARA6 (available in the Store here), as well as quercetin for the inflammation, and Heallix as a harmless and potent all-round anti-microbial.
Would you please write back and tell me what your average daily or weekly diet is, and what supps or meds you take? I will do my best to help! Take good care, and do write again! :-D
Hi Heidi, I had some trouble with the maca powder, your advice was to take it during the day instead of on a full stomach at night. So, I took it with some juice and ARA6 on an empty stomach around noon and about 1 hour later my stomach was cramping up bad and I had to throw up. I was out shopping and the cramp got intolerable; driven to a public restroom! ugh. I also got very red and flushed. The first time I took the stuff I was jacked. It was like..is this really me? the same person with all this cheeriness and energy? since then everytime I take the stuff I'm hurting. Question 1: Have you heard of people having bad reactions to maca? Now I have a bad case of candida...and I will spare you and the readers all the details. Question 2: What is the fastest way to clear my body of this goo/crud/slime/ick? I eagerly await your reply. Thank you!!!! Emme
Emme! I have heard of people who could not find a small enough dosage, because any amount wired them up. However, you're the first to report the severe digestive trouble -- I probably don't need to say this, but please stop taking it! :-0 And (everyone), please don't ever continue with any food or supp which produces strong negative reactions.
Did you find the stress-relief part of the earlier column of any help?
Your candida may have flared because of the effects of the vomiting and diarrhea. It should settle down with a return to your usual diet, and the use of PolyFlora & ARA6. However, if it persists, DO use the Encylopedia candidiasis protocols. GOSH, I'm truly sorry you had such a rotten time of it with the maca, Emme! Please keep me posted, OK??? :-)
Dear Heidi, I have been on the diet for about 2 years and have seen great results. I try to tell others about it and I have a question so I can try to explain this to a friend. She is a type O. For type O, aloe vera is an avoid. She had a lot of digestive problems and had then tried aloe vera and it really has helped her clear those problems, she has been using it for several years now with great results and she can not see how it can be bad for her. Could you explain in a little more depth why it is an avoid and what exactly it does to the body that is bad. It has helped her so much that I am having a hard time trying to get her to avoid it. Thanks for all your good work. Connie
Hi, Connie! Aloe leaf pulp contains at least two lectins, "Aloctin" I and II, which are significant hemagglutanins, or "blood cell agglutinators." There are plenty of other food substances which can resolve type O digestive problems without the lectin challenges aloe presents.
The last study Peter quoted on these lectins was: Akev N, Can A. Separation and some properties of Aloe vera L. leaf pulp lectins. Phytother Res 1999 Sep;13(6):489-93, so if your friend is interested in reading further, she might try to get a copy of that journal. Hope this helps, dear, and keep up the good work! :-D
Hello again Heidi. Many thanks to you and everyone elso for giving me advice on coping with cold sores. It's taken me a while to get through it all. I shall take extra lysine and have been taking Polyvite O for a year anyway. Would like to take more coleus Forskohlii though. Any UK sources, anyone? I am still confused though about avoiding high lysine nuts while taking a lysine supplement. Which are the best nuts for me to eat on a regular basis then? As I have to eat quite a lot I need my energy from good sources. The cold sores certainly do erupt when I'm under stress, but, like most Os, I prefer to run rather than meditate! I did try meditation years ago, and it made me panic, but I shall try an old breathing exercise again. Thanks for all your energetic work! Gwyneth
Hello, Gwyneth! If you take the lysine supp, there is no need to avoid the nuts (that was Peter's original advice, so that you do not unnecessarily limit your nuts/seeds intake). Just experiment to find the dosage that will balance the amount of lysine in your diet.
When you say meditation made you panic, if you mean *during* the meditation, that is a common sign of 'unstressing' -- and may mean you can benefit tremendously by the practice! A visit with your instructor would be in order, as they are well trained in all such happenstances. Best wishes, dear, and if folks write in with UK sources of Coleus forskohlii, I'll pass the info on! :-D
Hi Heidi, I just started the last 2 months to follow the "A" blood type diet. I am a secretor and A+. I can eat pretty much all foods on the plan except when I switched to Soy milk and was eating tempeh and tofu, my arthritis in my hips flared up worse with pain and stiffness. I stopped the soy and the pain subsided. I also had been eating relatively low carb, not really low, but when I tried to switch to a vegitarian diet, I'd have terrible indigestion that only mint and papaya (avoid) could help. So I stopped the wheat because I need to lose 30 pounds.
My digestion is better but I also lowered my carbs and started eating eggs for breakfast instead of cereal and I only have some rice with dinner at times.(I don't eat potatoes, tomatoes or eggplant now, and hardly any vinegar) Don't get me wrong, I am a true "A". I love vegitables, grains and fruits.. and I really don't like meat at all. Right now, I'm down to Salmon, chicken, eggs, turkey and cornish hen. I know that A's don't have great digestion but I can't live like this always taking something for it. Have you had A's with this same problem? Is it just that I'm adjusting to the A plan and the indigestion will eventually go away? I was vegetarian about 10 years ago and I had indigestion then, and went back to eating meat.
I'm 46 years old. Is it just old age setting in? PS: I'm VERY sensitive (typical A) to things and I tried Bromeline and it gave me a migraine.(Flax oil, calcium/ magnesium/ potassium supplements all give me migraine too)I bet Dr. D'Adamo will scratch his head on this one! Thank you! Diana
Hi, Diana! There's no need to be a vegetarian in order to follow the A plan. And, a vegetarian diet need not be a grain-based diet. Type As can have WONDERFUL digestion, and should have, once they've adjusted to this plan from what they were doing before. I hope I understood you correctly: the salmon, etc. are your protein sources, but you do eat the veggies as well?
Your food sensitivities will diminish over time, and I strongly suggest taking up a meditation or yoga practice, even just alternate nostril breathing, to help your immune system balance itself and start settling down. Also, using a plain quercetin supplement (if you tolerate it) at 500 mg three or four times daily will help accomplish the same thing.
Have you tried whole pineapple as a digestive, instead of the bromelain supp? How about gentian? These will not reduce the joint pain you related to soy consumption, so I'd address the arthritis directly with whole foods and simple supps. Nuts, seeds, avocado, and fish are excellent foods for that purpose, as is the quercetin mentioned above (it is a wonderful anti-inflammatory). A broth made from a few vegetables like carrots, onions, garlic and celery with the bones of turkey, chicken or fish (simmered for at least a few hours) is great for the joints and skin.
If it's old age setting in, then you and I both are seniors already and I'm pretty sure I haven't even made it to middle age .... which means you haven't, either! :-) Please give these suggestions a try, and let me know how you go along... I'll be expecting a lot of "youth" to show up as time passes!! :-D
Hey Heidi. Thank you so much for being there for us. As I'm putting a lot of effort (and money!) in this project, I'm very grateful to be able to put my questions to you when in doubt. My doubts today is caused by Judys narrative of her routine, which include "with meal-supplements" and "between meal-supplements". I'm aware that the data on suggested dose at the NAP site add that i.g. Deflect and Quercetin should me taken with largest meal/s, but most of the products have no other indication of when and how than the once/twice daily information. And Judys routine doesn't seem to fit the NAP suggestion, as she lists Quercetin as a "between meal-supplement". So my question really is, whether this is a learning-by-doing proces for each person, or whether there is any general suggestions on "the when and how" of supplements when nothing is suggested on the NAP site? Nina
Hi, Nina! Quercetin can be taken with meals OR apart from food, and yep! it's a learning-by-doing process, or learning-by-doing-and-listening-to-others process in my case. When there are no specific when-to-take instructions on a NAP product, it means the supp is effective no matter when or with what it's taken. I hope this helps describe the situation, Nina ~ thanks, as always, for posting your offerings & concerns! :-D
Dear Heidi, It's me again. In browsing through the website, I came across two things which brought up questions. I hope they're not too technical---I wouldn't want you to spend ALL your time doing research In one of Dr. D'Adamo's articles, he quotes one of his critics as saying "Also (regarding lectins), there is evidence that enzymes such as intestinal transglutaminase, secreted in response to certain lectins, repair lectin-induced damages to the microvilli and gut epithelium." This got me to thinking (not necessarily linearly!): If non-secretors don't secrete blood type antigens in their digestive tract, then would a test for celiac disease that measures anti-transglutaminase antibodies not be valid for a non-secretor? Would tests for any kind of antibodies that rely on stool or saliva still be valid for non-secretors? In the discussion of secretors and non-secretors: "Aspects of physiology such as the relative activity of an enzyme called intestinal alkaline phosphatase; propensities toward clotting, reliability of some tumor markers...[have predictable trends in secretors and non-secretors]". Do you know if it is secretors or non-secretors in whom tumor markers are more or less reliable? And where can I find out more about this? This is very relevant for me because I have had cancer and I am a non-secretor (A). Thanks so much. Joan
Hello, Joan! First, IT enzyme is not an ABO antibody as far as I know. It's a healing response we all have. If you have huge amounts being secreted, that's probably what the celiac test is looking for, as well as the level of gut defenses mobilized against the candida organism. If there's a BIG army on the move, the most likely reason is a BIG army on the 'other side.' Nature is economical that way. ;-)
IAP production varies from individual to individual, and there are ABO and secretor status associations, as well as stimulus provided by protein ingestion. Blood clotting factor as well as viscosity vary by ABO type, as do the reliability of tumor markers.
Hope that helps! and thanks for writing, Joan!! :-D
Hi again Heidi, I wrote to you last week about my 4 year old AB- with gluten intolerance. He's off the pumpernickel and back on the rice bread. I don't like the incorrect food combining aspect of the fruit juice sweetened bread but am trying to relax on that a bit. Food combing has worked so well for me in the past when I had IBS that I really think it's useful – but perhaps more so when you are trying to overcome an illness. Getting a 4 year old to eat lots of steamed veggies is quite a challenge!
This question I have is about me (B+). I'm trying to move slowly towards a B diet, but have a few obstacles – I'm still nursing my 5 month old son, so cannot have beans (way too gassy), although have managed to re-introduce goat cheese into my diet without any negative effects (a few months ago I tried it and he got really congested). I've got some yogurt in the fridge to try tonight (I used to hate it as a child - wonder if it'll be different?), and even had some lamb in my shopping cart yesterday for about 30 seconds until I put it back (I'm not quite ready for that yet!). My problem is that I used to use grains, avocados and nuts to fill me up and keep my weight up, but now those pounds are slipping away too quickly and I'm nearly at my pre-pregnancy weight (110). I want to delay introducing solids to my baby for another few months but need more body fat to do that. Where should I be getting extra fat/calories from? I had an ear infection from cottage cheese during my pregnancy, so I'm really wary of too much diary (it was incredibly painful!) but perhaps extra goat cheese would be ok. Thanks for any help. Ann
Hi there, Ann! I hope you've been reading this column daily, as we've heard from a couple of folks whose experience with weight maintenance while nursing indicates you're best off eating as much of the beneficial foods as you can.
However, going the grain & beans route is way less than optimal for you. It's not calories you need, it is protein, minerals, fats, vitamins and pure water. The sprouted breads, and oats, millet, rice & spelt can be eaten as well, but try not to let them push the protein quotient down. OK, you couldn't face the lamb... that's OK! If you don't have tasty recipes for goat & rabbit & lamb which whet your appetite at all, then please get at least the daily portions of beef, buffalo, and turkey. How about the fishes? Of course, add oils, ghee, and walnut butter at will, and if cheeses give you trouble, do try the yogurt and other cultured products instead. Mushrooms, parsnips, sweet potatoes, yams, homemade bone broth and plenty of dark leafy greens and fruit can help keep the protein and mineral supply high, and allow your body to meet the demands of nursing.
Ann, you're doing such a wonderful job raising your baby this way... I truly admire you! Please let me know if there's anything more I can help with, and keep us posted, OK? :-D
Hi Heidi, I'm back with a few more questioans. I'm a Type A non-secretor. I read in the "Encyclopedia" that Vitamin A is good for elderly A's. What about for middle-aged (I'm 55) but with chronic illness (bad case of longstanding chronic fatigue, adrenal insufficiency, hypo- and autoimune thyroid, numerous allergies, etc)? Aside from all the other things I could (and do) take for these conditions, I've been told by more than one of my health practitioners that Vitamin A (the kind from fish oil, not dry) is a potent anti-viral, and when I have a cold or flu, to take 100,000 units for 3 days, then 50,000 for as long as symptoms last (yes, those numbers are written correctly). What do you think? And what about 10,000 daily for maintenance dose? Deflect has pineapple in it, which I'm allergic to. Is there something I can take (besides Quercetin, which my gut has never liked) that will do the same thing? On January 28, you wrote that the only beneficial grain for Type A non-secretors is amaranth. Yet the Typebase lists rye as beneficial for all A's. Which is right? Thanks so much for your cheery and encouraging posts, which I read every day. Joan
Peter does not include such high vitamin A dosages in his protocol for immune enhancement, for instance -- which is meant to be used for one week. If you do take 100,000 units for a few days, then 50,000 for some time, I'd suggest you be under a doctor's care while doing so. Also, use Carlson's fish oils only, to avoid any potential contaminant toxicity issues. As far as taking 10,000 units daily indefinitely, I think that would be fine as long as you take a one-week break every month. And I reiterate that I'd check with a medical professional on all this (naturally!) to confirm. ;-)
Gentian is a digestive stimulant, so see if it works for you without the untoward reactions you experience from pineapple. Quercetin is not a "digestive" -- Have you tried the hypoallergenic bromelain product NAP designed?
Sorry about the TYPEbase situation -- I'm working on that right now. I quoted from the original database, which concurs with Live Right 4 Your Type including all updates. Amaranth is indeed the only beneficial A-non grain.
;-) The TYPEbase lists will be corrected -- and thanks!! :-D
Dear Heidi, Thank you for answering my question. Having looked at your advice, I do have a couple of questions regarding the diet for my baby (the one with psoriasis). Is wheat free the same as gluten free? In my baby's case, it is only wheat but not gluten, right? Also when you say olive oil or flaxeed oil is beneficial to her intestinal healing, do you mean cooking her food with the oil or she actually drinks the oil? Can I give her some cod liver oil or fish oil instead? My husband and I truly believes diet will help our daughter but you see it's usually my mother-in-law who takes care of my baby most of the time especially when I go to work during the day. It is difficult for me to ask her do this and do that without having her to be on our side first. As a Chinese, we don't usually put olive oil or flaxeed oil direct into our mouth. It is more common to drink cod liver oil especially for kids. Any suggestions?
1) If I were to eliminate wheat and dairy out of her daily diet, can you possibly suggest a sample daily menu for me as a reference? 2) I read in Live Right For Your Type that bitter melon (under Fruit section) is not allowed, why is that and may I ask what bitter melon is? I thought it is vegetable instead of fruit. 3) The list of vegetables and fruits you listed in all books are already very exhaustive, but I am sure there are still a long list out there. How in the future can I tell what to eat and what not to? Many thanks for you help. Diana
Hi, Diana! The best approach for her would be grain-free altogether. If you cannot avoid giving her grain, let it be whole rice, steamed or otherwise cooked thoroughly. Just pick and choose from the meats, fish, greens/vegetables, nuts and fruit in the beneficial list, and fill in with the neutral list as necessary, in order to make a meal plan for her. She will miss absolutely nothing -- no necessary nutrients -- if you remove dairy and grains from her diet! ;-)
Fish oils are usually not recommended for type O because our blood is thin as it is, and fish oils can thin it further, with a risk of bleeding problems. The flax oil or olive oil is just her "medicine" for now, and either rice bran oil or olive oil can be used for cooking, rather than corn or "vegetable" or peanut oils -- the latter are not good for her. Bitter melon? Click on this link for a picture and description. It's an avoid for everyone, because of its potent lectins. If you find foods you cannot identify, they are generally considered "neutral" for persons in good health -- you will find as time goes on that some "unknown" foods can be linked to "known" items, with knowledge & practice. In the meantime, please feel free to write in with questions, and I will do my best to help! I hope your baby is doing better now! :-D
Dear Heidi, I am an A+ Secretor. Can you please tell me or direct me to the info on HOW one discovers whether they are A1 or A2 or MM, MN? I had my type done by the Dr. and the only info I got back was A+. Thanks. Diana
Hello, Diana ~~ the SouthWest Medical College laboratories do this test. It's part of a full serotype panel, including ABO type, A subtype, Rhesus type, MM/MN. For more information, call them at 602/ 970-0000. :-D
Hi, Heidi, I haven't written in lately, but,I look forward to your column every morning...Happy first anniversary. Re: Tinnitus and Alyson's comment today about adjusting to the "annoying sound." I have had tinnitis for about 10 years now and have adjusted to it. I hardly pay attention to it anymore. That's, of course, after spending a lot of time and money being tested for all kinds of scary senarios, and attempting to get rid of it via trial and error with diet and various "pills." philcan
Hey, Phil! Thanks for the birthday wishes! ;-)
Well, sometimes it's tincture of time that does it... and yes, there's a point beyond which we can become inured to things, and carry on feeling quite normal and content, for the most part. I appreciate your note, and please write more often, eh? :-D
Hello Heidi, I've recently started to eat in accordance with my O type and so far so good, though I'm only two weeks into it. My inspiration is that I sneeze and create bucketloads of mucous, as well as itchy sinuses, eyes and ears, yet allergy testing shows I'm not allergic to anything. I've been unsuccessful at determining what foods I'm reacting to - so I'm feeling relieved that someone (albeit a book!) is telling me what to do! I've also had asthma since my early 20s - I'm now 45. My question is about flouride - my symptoms began about the time I moved into town and started drinking treated water. Do you have any information on how it afects us? While I have your ear, us Aussies are great tea drinkers, especially me! I drink a local tea with no tannic acid and minimal caffeine (Madura it's called) - Is this unwise? Thankyou for your column, With love, Cindy.
Hi, Cindy!! Welcome!!! YES, we type Os are keenly sensitive to fluoride, and we're the most common ones to be diagnosed with fluoridosis. Do get a good water purification system which removes fluoride, or find a source of spring or well water that's tested well below the average limits! By the way, tea contains fluoride as well. Betcha didn't expect to stop by for the first time and get all this bad news, eh? :-( Better safe (and disappointed) now than sorry later is what I say. How about some roasted dandelion root, or herbal tea, or even a good organic green tea instead?? :-) Well, I hope I didn't chase you off, Cindy -- please write again and let me know, OK? :-D
Scanning your columns has provided me with answers to most of my questions leaving only one. In BTD licorice tea is listed as beneficial for type B's and licorice root tea is listed as neutral. While shopping for licorice tea I've found that what is advertised as licorice tea is really licorice root tea. Is there a difference between licorice tea and licorice root tea? If so, can you recommend a seller of bona fide licorice tea? Thanks. Paul
Hmmmm.... Not sure what the discrepancy is there, as there's only one listing for licorice under teas. Plain licorice root tea is fine for Bs -- just keep an eye on your blood pressure if you drink it regularly. Raw licorice preparations can raise blood pressure. There is a DGL form of licorice available for health purposes, which has the pressure-raising element removed. Hope this clears up the confusion, Paul, and thanks SO much for writing!! :-D
LR4YT in Spanish... Mercury Toxicity... Moose 4 ABs... a Recipe... and a reader's Site 4 Healing! :-)November 26th, 2000 , by admin
Is Live Right 4 Your Type available in Spanish? My daughter's Mother-in-law is here from Ecuador suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, etc. American doctors are going to gradually take her off all meds to see what happens. (My daugher negotiated that much). The MIL is 0+ and eats terribly, so my daugher has put her on a strict regime, but if the MIL could read some things herself, it might help our case. Thanks much! Carolyn
Yes, Live Right 4 Your Type is published in Spanish. The publisher's name and address: Javier Vergara // Paseo Colon 221, 6 Piso / Buenos Aires 1399 / Argentina. Good luck, Carolyn! I'm sure she will show improvements, especially since your daughter seems committed to seeing it through with her. Take care, and thank you for writing! :-D
In response to Abby from France regarding mercury toxicity: I too am an O- non, and was diagnosed as mercury toxic 1 year ago (I ate canned tuna every day for 20 years). I, too have been on the O type diet for about 20 years, and had my amalgams removed 5 years ago. I, too have had the experience that virtually none of the conventional remedies or supplements work, and most produce opposite results- a classic symptoms of mercury toxicity.
Over the last year, I have undertaken an intensive study of mercury toxicity, with the following conclusions. First, the detox process may take several years to fully resolve all symptoms. Second, one should not eat fish during detox. If you want to use fish oil for Omega 3 support, I recommend only the Carlson brand, which is tested for mercury content. I also do not take any ocean derived product except sea salt - no algae, chlorella, fucus, kelp, etc., all of which can be loaded with mercury (unfortunately, this eliminates most BTD O supplements). Finally, the detox procedure I have settled upon after much experimentation is oral DMPS (Dimaval in Europe). I take 100mg to 300 mg per day 3 days per week. I would avoid IV DMPS. I find DMPS works much better thwn DMSA. My research shows that EDTA does nothing for mercury (it is best suited for lead and arterial plaque). I also supplement the DMPS with NDF (9 drops twice/day), a nanocloidal micronized suspension of cilantro and chlorella, where the chlorella has been selected and tested to be mercury free (see www.healthydetox.org).
I have had no luck with conventional cilantro, alpha lipoic acid, or N-acetyl cysteine, all of which are weak chelators. Some reference sources: the book "Amalgam Illness" by Andy Cutler is quite good (see www.noamalgam.com). DAMS (Dental Amalgam Mercury Syndrome) is a great organization to join, and their newsletter is very informative (see www.dams.cc). It is very important to monitor symptoms during chelation - if you try to speed up the process, you can redistribute mercury to other parts of the body, worsening the condition. It is interesting to note that some practitioners believe that probiotics and digestive enzymes are contraindicated with mercury toxicity, and I have fould they worsen the symptoms. The good news is that chelation therapy does eventually work. Good luck. RM (aka Armchair Nutritionist).
With in-depth assistance like this, no luck needed! :-D I truly appreciate your generous help here, RM ~~ thank you, sincerely. And please do post more on this topic ~~ I'm sure many people would be interested in your findings and experience, and it's a subject on which we have little guidance available on this site. Take care, and it's great to hear from you! ;-)
Please help me, I live in Alaska and our main food is Moose meat. I am AB+ and I want to know if moose is OK for me to eat. I have not been able to find out about this on any resources. Thank you! Rebecca
Hey there, Rebecca ~ Well, moose is unlisted, therefore technically it is an "unknown." As long as (1) you are in good health, (2) you are not seeking weight loss, and (3) you eat it only in the portions and frequencies listed for the AB meat category in Live Right 4 Your Type, then I suspect it will not do you much harm. However, please bear in mind that beef, buffalo, venison are all avoids for secretor ABs; the moose is closely related to deer -- but a HUGE deer, you might say -- the largest North American land mammal, in fact. It's not an ideal meat source for you, so how about some of that wild Salmon instead? ;-) Or some rabbit? mountain goat?? :-D Just exercise your best judgment, and see if there's a way to vary that meat diet a bit. Best wishes, Rebecca! :-D
Hi Heidi, I checked on the teething biscuits I mentioned which are treats in a snap for AB nonnies with sweet teeth. The "natural flavor" in the Earth's Best organic wheat free is NOT derived from corn. She said natural flavors are propietary and if there was a specific allergen she would let me know. Natural flavors are insidious and I wish the health food companies would boycott them. That is my little vent for the day. Here is a homemade recipe with all natural flavors that are not propietary.
1/2 cup buttter or ghee
2 hard boiled eggs
1/8 - 1/4 cup of vegetable glycerine
1 cup spelt or kamut flour
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (for O nonnies use Frontier Almond Extract)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 2. Hard boil the eggs and separate the yolks. Cream the butter/ghee and hard boiled yolks. Give cooked egg whites to the cat. Beat in the glycerine, extract, and the flour. Mix thoroughly. Don't worry if there are little chunks of eggs. Arrange by generous teaspoonful on ungreased cookie sheets. 3. Bake 8-10 mins until lightly browned. Moist and chewy. YUM! You can even eat the cookie dough with no risk of salmonella because the eggs are cooked. Fun for the kids. It's no yolk! Also good to taset before cooking to see if it needs more glycerine.
Happy 1st Birthday to you and OTD!! And many more.... Nina
~:-D many thanks, Nina, for the recipe, the research, and the birthday wishes! I confess that I passed my first birthday some time ago, but OTD thanks you very kindly!! :-D
Hi Heidi! That letter I wrote you on rosacea, don't print it! It was too long. And I kept finding new info related to B vitamins, so I just dumped it all on a quick webpage, link below. (Not for profit, if there are ads it's because it's a free site!) So now it's a letter on rosacea, with info on allergies, asthma, inflammation, wrinkles, depression, healing, and for Rose with the leg swelling/constipation. The B vits/brewer's yeast is giving me a lot more energy, can you tell?!? I have been running around my aptmt singing the Frito Bandito song, the guy below thinks I'm a lunatic. In addition to writing long letters. Is interesting discovery, BTD won't give you enough energy if you're doing things to your food that kill the B vitamins! Is also why your meditation/stress stuff is important, stress also depletes B vitamins among others. But there are other nutrients that affect energy too, so this isn't the answer to everything even though I make it sound that way, is just one place to look at. Hope this helps, Maia (Link below)
Aw, shoot! I was so looking forward to printing it, I thought it was great!! OK, so everyone, take a look at Maia's page ~ pretty cool, and I hope you all enjoy it... I did!! :-D
Readers Write: O VegetarianNovember 25th, 2000 , by admin
Sometimes people write to me with suggestions, or share strategies they've found useful, so I'd like to put them up here at least once per month. Here's one from this week:
As another type O who has struggled, and finally accepted the nature of nature--we feed and are fed by each other--I might add to Velda, who is still working with alternative possibilities, that eggs (which can be bought unfertilized), together with the many sheep and goat cheeses that exist, and lots of flax oil/seed, can go a long way. The wider the range of foods I eat (other than fish/meat) the better I feel without them. I don't know how she has approached "the diet," but I have found that looking beyond "standard American diet minus what you can't eat" helps enormously. There is a huge range of foods that work, and many ethnic recipes. Finding the beans you can eat and taking them seriously helps me, as does almond butter/Ezekial Bread. But in the end, I need occasional fish and meat to stay healthy and at my balanced weight. ~ elizabeth
Thanks, elizabeth!
More P O T P O U R R I ~November 24th, 2000 , by admin
How is a green olive different from a spanish olive??? Doug
i just started the program yesterday. how long will it take before i see results in my blood pressure and how long before i will start losing weight and how much per week will i lose. i roade exercise bike for 21 minutes this morning. what types of exercise should i be doing. is biking and walking okay and what about toning stretches. betty
hi - i've been told i may have candida overgrowth and have been recommended to take caprylic acid (amongst other steps.) As an O I'm not sure if this supplement is a problem as it is derived from coconuts. Can you tell me? I'd be enormously grateful as I can't find the info anywhere! thanks sue.
Is it ok for type A's to use black pepper if it's freshly ground? Olympia
I have a follow up to your "Soy Sauce... with wheat?" answer. Is the Bragg Liquid Aminos product OK for type B? I wasn't sure since the ABO diet for Bs shows some soy foods as avoid. Thanks! Don
Cesca, Sarah, Cindy, Don, Sydney, CB & Nicole! :-DNovember 23rd, 2000 , by admin
A note to Cesca ~~ Thanks so much for your offer of the Healing Mineral Broth recipe ~~ but your email address is incomplete. Could you post again with a correct address, and I'll get right back to you? I'm sure everyone would love to see the recipe!! Thanks so much!!
Hi, Heidi! I was just going to ask a quick question, but it's turning into a (long!) progress report! Darn, huh? At any rate, I have mixed news, but I think things will start improving again soon.
I took your suggestion of taking a Cortiguard at about 4:00 pm in order to shift my circadian rhythm to something resembling normal, and it's been working really well. I don't feel like the Cortiguard is sedating me, but rather like it is *allowing* me to get sleepy at bedtime (instead of wired by high cortisol levels). I don't even *want* to stay up until 2:00 am anymore--I get really tired and grumpy if motherhood keeps me up until midnight! Wow! I also started taking three Methyl-12s first thing in the morning and going outside immediately (at least when the sun is out) and that seems to be helping as well, although my inner ear often takes a short vacation in the mid-morning hours and I get a bit dizzy. I occasionally take one Methyl-12 at bedtime, but not often since I *do* feel quite sedated all night if I take it (and I have to wake up to nurse my baby and use the bathroom) and yet I find that I get that awful "overslept" feeling after less than eight hours of sleep. On the plus side, though, my baby sleeps more soundly, too, if I take the Methyl-12 before bed! So, sleep issues are coming along nicely, but food issues are sticky.
I am eating the maximum allowances (man-sized) of poultry, fish, nuts, dairy, and grains, and I try to eat six servings of vegetables and three to four servings of fruit a day. I eat beans and soyfoods at least once a day (and often twice--and I *think* the gassiness is improving, albeit slowly), and I make sure I get at least 100 grams of protein a day. (And Dr. D thought that was a bit much for a Type A secretor when I asked him about it at his Baby Book talk.) But I'm RAVENOUS!!! All the time!! And hypoglycemic! I feel like all I do is cook, eat, feed the kids, and wash dishes all day long (and I don't even have a dishwasher!).
I know I have a bit of wiggle room in the egg and cheese departments (and there *is* a yummy Caesar salad dressing I could make...), but WHAT'S UP WITH THIS?? Could I need more fat? I'm eating more than one tablespoon per day as it is. I do have one major clue, but things weren't perfect even before this: about six weeks ago, I remembered spelt. I used it to make a chicken pot pie, and then another one a couple of weeks later, and then I had some leftover zucchini and made a quick bread, and then it was my birthday and I made some rolls and a yummy cake, and then we went to the pediatrician who said that the baby's rash was eczema and don't worry because it wasn't caused by anything in my diet, and then I realized that my acne had come back along with the baby's rash and that my hypoglycemia had been especially hair-trigger for the past month or so, and then I remembered that the last time I stepped on a scale my weight had been up by about a pound for the first time in forever.... Looks like I overdosed on spelt, which probably has a lot to do with it. Do wheat/spelt lectins stay in the system an especially long time? I'm still getting new zits.
But like I say, my hypoglycemia had never completely gone away in the first place. Oh, and I've switched to decaf green tea and rooibos tea sweetened with vegetable glycerine (no more migraines, either!). So, what can I eat more of? Nuts would be good--PB&J on Ezekiel bread is yummy and fills me up for an hour or so (better than fish, which fills me up for about 20 minutes!).
And could supporting my adrenals help with both stress and hunger issues? Which brings me to my latest question: what's your advice on taking pregnenolone during lactation? The bottle I saw at the HFS said "Do not use if pregnant or lactating," but I never know whether that is a standard disclaimer or not, and I don't have a doctor to ask. (If I asked my quote-unquote primary physician, he would almost certainly say not to fool around with unproven alternative remedies.) If pregnenolone really and truly isn't recommended during lactation, what would you suggest for adrenal support?
Before you ask, I have been having an impossible time trying to find a consistent time to practice yoga and meditation (and practice is what I need, since I'm not already intimately familiar with either), what with cooking and eating and cleaning up and chasing two kids. Any suggestions would be welcome.
Well, I suppose that should be all for now--the baby's asleep on my lap, my toddler just woke up, and I'm STARVED!!! --Sarah in PA :-)
~~:-D Sarah, just on the slim chance that you haven't yet succumbed to starvation and are still with us, I'm going to plunge right in with some suggestions. You can sense my bravado in all this, being a woman who was not only the baby of the family, but in one sense an only child as well, and who has never had children or cared for them. My experience with what you are dealing with is right around the level of my formal medical education: ZIP. OK, that's it for the disclaimer! ;-)
It's not uncommon to have hypoglycemic symptoms with the amount of "attentive activity" you are engaged in during every moment of your waking life right now, which activity began when your now-toddler was born and has continued through the demands of another pregnancy and the challenge of delivering your new baby into the world. It's possible you're an A2 with a greater general need for protein, but it seems far more likely your metabolism is on high-burn due to the constant work and watchfulness involved in your present situation.
I'd like you to try a food combining plan. Starch, protein, fat in every meal. Fish with parsnips; chicken or turkey with yellow turnips; beans with rice (or amaranth polenta) and onions; all with a dollop of olive oil or ghee. Try kamut instead of spelt for those pot pies and breads -- if I can eat it without mishap, I think you will do, too. Deflect-A is great to have on hand if you have a reaction to gluten flours. I also suggest some vegetable juice daily: carrot/celery/parsley/garlic, and for a lovely treat, green lemonade: 1/4 lemon juiced with rind along with four to six tart green apples (depending on how lemony you like your lemonade). The idea is to provide loads of vitamins and minerals in a soothing form.
Do you notice the dizziness mostly when you stand up after sitting or lying down (if you do ever sit or lie down! ;-)) If so, that's more likely adrenal than a reaction to the B12. I will research the issue of whether excess pregnenolone appears in breast milk, but for the moment, here's something you can do in lieu of the formal yoga and meditation practice: alternate nostril breathing. Do it while nursing, or before sleeping, or anytime you can sit or lie quietly. I'll give the right-handed version, so if you're a lefty, just reverse the instructions. Place your thumb on your right nostril and breathe out through your left, then breathe in. Block your left nostril with your pinky, and breathe out through the right nostril, then breathe in. Repeat. Breathe in a relaxed, moderate manner throughout -- no need to utterly fill up or exhaust the air. Just proceed calmly, with eyes closed if possible.
One more tiny idea: is it at all possible to take a nap while the toddler takes a nap? or is that the time when you rush around getting all sorts of things done? ;-) If the three of you could settle in for a snooze together, it would help balance your endocrine system.
I'm very pleased the Cortiguard is doing its work, and that the migraines are gone! Hoorah!! :-D So pick and choose from the above -- I sincerely hope this is helpful, and I am so grateful for your wonderful reports! I'm sure others are, as well! thanks, Sarah!!!
I'm O and new to the blood type diet - looking forward to increased health. What do yo know about reactions to flouride in the drinking water? cindy
Greetings, Cindy ~~ glad you found us!
If you look to the left of this column, you'll see a link for "Ask Dr. D'Adamo." Click there, and scroll to the search form at the bottom of the page. Use the search term "fluoride." There are two articles he wrote on this topic, well worth reading. Type Os are especially susceptible to fluoridosis, so while everyone should beware of it, we should be particularly careful to use pure water for drinking and bathing. Thanks for writing, and WELCOME!! :-D
Hi Heidi, In your response to Angel you wrote "According to your hunger, increase the portion size. The frequencies should remain the same, since they're what constitute the structure of the diet." However, I have noticed that several times you have recommended adding nut butters to an Os diet for extra calories, such as mixed up in a shake. The recommended frequency for nuts and seeds for a Caucasian O secretor is 2-5 times per week. I frequently eat dry roasted pumpkin seeds, walnuts, almond butter, tahini, almonds, and flax seed meal. I also occasionally will have some sesame seeds and pecans. I find the nuts and seeds to be a handy, convenient, and enjoyable snack. As a very physically active ectomorph O that has never had a fat or weight problem (except keeping it on) do you think it is OK if I eat more (sometimes a lot more) then the recommended maximum of 5 servings per week of nuts and seeds? I haven't kept exact count lately, but I think that the Nuts and Seeds category is the only category that I consistently fail to stay in or close to the recommended frequency range on a regular basis. Thanks, Don
Hi, Don! In your case, given your activity level and general sensitivity to your own food needs, I'd say you can increase the amount of nuts & seeds (as well as the meat protein allowance), as long as the veg & fruit categories are nudged upward a touch as well. The guidelines are designed to be re-designed according to experience and results! so keep doing that, and it's always a pleasure to hear from you!! (and I still owe you an email, YEESH...) :-}
Hi Heidi, I am new to the blood type community so I have not gotten my blood type taken yet. But I will know soon. In the meantime I have a question about Herpes. I get reoccurences of the virus on my lip, they usually come from sitting in the sun or being sick. I have had it since I was a child and I was curious if you could recommend a treatment that would work regardless of blood type? I know Lysine is supposed to work well-do you agree? Thanks so much!!! Sydney
Hello, Sydney! Just go to the bottom of this column, hit "list all topices," and read the ones for the past week. We've had an ongoing discussion on the subject, which I'm sure will help! Take care, dear -- a warm welcome to you! And please do write again with any questions or experiences you'd like to share!! :-D
Please pass my email address to NINA. I am an A+ NS Lewis (a-b-) NN. Thanks for your help Heidi. also would you please ask Peter where he gets his licorice gel, I tried contacting the company he mentioned, but information had no listing. Thx. CB.
Will do, CB! I did get your previous request for info, but was unsuccessful. Also, Steven Halbert's website offers licrogel -- here's the specific page where it's listed. If you need anything more, please let me know -- and thanks for writing, dear!! :-D
Hello Heidi! Hope you are doing well. Two things, I just wanted to say that I am really impressed with your knowledge and your ability to add some humor to the blood type world. I really enjoy reading your column. But what I was wondering is if you have any other B nonsecretors out there who would like to email me? I would love to meet others so we can compare notes. I know so many A's, but no B's, especially not non seceretors. THANKS!! Nicole
OK, folks ~~ all you B nonsecretors out there, let me know if you'd like to get connected with others! And, many thanks for the offer, Nicole ~~ it's remarkable what people sharing and working together can accomplish!! Bless you! :-D