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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
Networking, flower flour, grains, discrepancies and critics... :-DNovember 22nd, 2000 , by admin
less of secretor status) interested in networking with other nonnies. I have discovered that the fine tuning makes all the difference - in either direction. When you are on it, Wow! and when you are off the mark, Wow! Recipes, products, tips, ideas, suggestions, websites, commiserating, etc. I have many nonnies in the family - O, A and AB. I realize we get so much of this from you, but you are just one nonnie (albeit an amazing one) and maybe we could lessen your load. And of course we would report our interesting tidbits to you to pass on. Just a thought. Blessings, Nina
Nina, you are most welcome. Great observations on the importance of following those frequency tables, by the way!! Certainly, I'll be glad to offer your email address to anyone who'd like to network with y'all. Folks, just let me know!! thanks again, Nina!! :-D
Heidi, can you possibly comment on Dr. Mercola's 1999 negative information regarding soy? As a type A, everytime I see something this negative, I wonder if PDA is aware of research like this. It is very disturbing to keep eating it while reading stuff like this. Thanks in advance. Maddy
Hi, Maddy! I'm sorry that old stuff upset you! In the future, just do a search on Ask Dr. D. ~~ he's answered every criticism I've seen, some of which are years old (like this one). For anything regarding "soy controversy," just enter the search term "soy" in the Ask Dr. D. search field. You'll find EVERYTHING there. And... here's something to get you started. Thanks for writing, dear!! :-D
Dear Heidi, I have no complaints on this sunny Easter Sunday, just a short question. Last friday my friends gave me a bread baking machine for my graduation (Thanks!). So yesterday I bought some flour, yeast, etc. to bake my first bread. I came across some flour mixtures that contain lupine. Is that something I can have as an A? Greetings, Marieke ps: When I have more time I'll send you a list of all the mistakes I think are in the Dutch 'food, bevs and suppls list', OK? Marieke
Hello, Marieke! Lupinus nootkatensis, the beautiful Lupine plant, grows wild in the Pacific Northwest in this country. I've seen lots of it, but wasn't aware it's a food plant -- nor that it is native here, and naturalized in Scotland. So, I trotted off to do a little research. Surprised me to learn that (1) it's a legume! Apparently, the seeds and root are edible, but must be leached and cooked to remove the alkaloids. The flour, made from the root, has all kinds of minerals and protein. I found no reference in LECster® and since it is a legume (notorious for high lectin content), I'd rather not say "if unknown, treat as neutral, etc." Another one for the "test next" list! :-) Sure, send on the Dutch notes, and I will pass them along. Thank you for your note, dear!! :-D
I so much enjoy reading your column daily as well as "catching up" since I'm relatively new. I'm an A (I think - am I the only person ever to have trouble getting results from the home blood type kit?)-secretor status unknown. I have been on the BTD now for about 3 weeks and learning a lot. I began drinking soy milk and even added a tofu to a stirfry. However, the night of the tofu, I noticed I became awfully gassy and bloated - much like a beached whale I actually thought it was due to eating a grapefruit daily plus having the juice. However, a friend mentioned her inability to eat soy due to the above symptons which made me think, so I discontinued soy and guess what - the bloating is gone. I am back to using skim milk with my cereal since I've never had a problem with that. I have not had much of a weight loss but I am going to take my measurements because I think there is activity there. It isn't like I have tons of weight to shed but since I am very short and small framed, every pound shows big time and I do want to get rid of about 15#. I try to eat as much as I can but there is no way I can eat all that is recommended so what I am doing is trying to make sure I get in every catagory per week with balance. My question is in regard to grains versus breads versus cereals. I don't know where pancakes (approved ing.) falls. I also made the walnut granola and I'm not totally sure how to place that. Very good, by the way I also want to make a "white sauce" using the spelt flour and milk and I'm not sure what to do with that either. One other question. I purchased the LR4YBT and the food and beverage supplement. In the book it says a bread portion is 1 slice but in the food and beverage it says 2 slices are a portion. Which should I use?
Oops! What I wanted to question was the grain portion and not the bread. The Live Right and Food & Beverage suppliment say 1 Cup dry but the Eat Right says 1/2 Cup. I'm thinking that's just a typo? The other thing that I forgot to question is what I can take in perhaps a tea for sleep. My sleep pattern goes wacky most of the time with a short interval of good, all night sleep in there to keep my sanity. Most often I go to sleep and then wake up after about 3-4 hours. It seems like my whole body gets very tightly strung the longer I lay there so I get up and go into the living room to read for a couple of hours before going back and trying it again. Several years ago I tried taking Velarian root in pill form but didn't really feel it did much of anything. Any suggestions on this? Thanks Heidi - what would we beginners do without you? Sandy
Hi, Sandy! The soy trouble you're having is common among people who are not accustomed to eating it. Try adding in a little at a time. This gives your body the opportunity to wake up and begin producing the appropriate digestive enzymes for the beans. MUCH better than that skim milk. ;-)
The grain portions in Live Right are correct -- and they cover all grain that you eat, including the flour in pancakes, sauces, etc. Feel free to scale back the portions so that they are in balance with the proportionate size of your vegetable portions. In other words, just reduce the size by whatever percentage you're lopping off the other categories. :-)
The best thing for re-setting sleep schedules is a combination of Methyl12 Plus (active B12) first thing in the morning (and a walk in the sun) and Cortiguard in the late afternoon/early evening. Try this for two weeks ~ I think you'll be very pleased with the results!
thanks for your note, Sandy!! :-D
My question is one of those one book says one thing... questions that I can't resolve -- I emailed it to the address for LR4YT errata about a week ago. Here's the text of the email I sent to LR4YT errata: Everyone: I was wondering about some inconsistencies in rice and rye products for Type A Secretor (I've not looked at the other types) between LR4YT and BTD/Encyclopedia(and TypeBase): I did searches on "rice" and "rye" on the errata page, and didn't find these: LR4YT: Rice cakes/flour -- Tier 1 BENEFICIAL (secretor) Rice cream of/bran/all forms/milk/wild -- General Nutritional Supplementation NEUTRAL (secretor) Rye flour -- Tier 1 BENEFICIAL (secretor) Rye (100% rye bread) -- General Nutritional Supplementation NEUTRAL ER4YT Encyclopedia and TypeBase: Rice (all listings) -- NEUTRAL Rye (all listings) -- BENEFICIAL Thanks for listening! Dorothy
Hi, Dorothy ~ see below... :-) Sorry! I'm going to try to get this shipshape in the next week! thanks for writing in about it!! :-}
Dear Heidi, Quick question. My friend Miranda read your column and spotted my list of A nonny neutrals I was so pleased to get back. She asked me about plantains because in TypeBase 3 they are listed as an avoid for Type A with no mention of non-secretors. LR4YT says neutral for A nonny for plantains. Miranda is always looking out for me. Are they yea or nay for an A nonny? The Cuban in me is eagerly awaiting your reply. I so appreciate the time and energy you give. Mil gracias, Nina
Well, stap me and sink me. Plantains, eh? Me with an A non in the house, and I never noticed that error in the database?? (probably cuz I love them but can't have them so don't buy them. ;-D) Yeesh. Yes, they're neutral for A nons. Please tell Miranda she's just become my friend, too!
*Sigh.* That database should match my master food list precisely. The bloody thing seems to have jiggled around here and there several times since we uploaded it – never found out why exactly, but this time I'll make sure of it. Plantains, of all things.
Fine, dear. You've just set my week's work for me. I'm going to check every last item, and make sure (again) that they're all set straight & narrow in their little slots, or else. ;-) THANK YOU, and please have Miranda give it all the squinty look on or about the 12th.
Viva la Cubana!! Enjoy your plantains, lucky girl!!! :-D
All types, all kinds of Qs, reports, tips & tricks! :-)November 21st, 2000 , by admin
dear heidi, in your reply to Inez today re ginseng'i was interested to know what you would use instead of ginseng.i take a ginseng supplement by biocare & feel it has given me energy but if there is something better i can take for my poor o nonnie body i would be very interested. also i have been buying vegetable glycerine 500 ml from health leads uk £7.95 plus p&p but would like to buy it in bulk in uk but try as i might i can't seem to find any,any clues? i tried to find blueberry concentrate too but no luck.i've only seen blueberry jam & the two i've tasted are so sweet you can't taste the blueberries!yuk! i am still struggling with avoids potatoes are my worst demon(esp.chips i don't make them for myself but pinch my hubbies) but if we go to a restaurant only occasionally these days i sometimes eat chips.i always get annoyed with myself afterwards but don't know how to stop myself.i drink water before i go,i've eaten vegetables before i go because restaurants are notorious for not giving enough vegetables here in uk even if i ask for double portion its a joke as i thought my body was asking for more complex carb helppp!also as i get candida i have found nettle tea & urtica drops(stinging nettle)extremely good.i cant seem to get hold of red yeast rice or confirm its good for o nonnies with candida.all your advice is greatly appreciated as you are too. i was saddened to hear of the loss of your mum and send you my deepest condolences,much love debbie
Hi there, debbie! If ginseng works for you, then certainly keep using it. All the other recommendations I'd make are in the Enclyclopedia, so check through it for ideas if you like.
Did the UK message board I suggested to you help with any of your locating-things questions? That's where I'd look for the help, as they're wonderful folks and have solid experience with finding BTD foods & supps in the UK.
:-) about eating those chips, I think when you feel motivated to stop, you will. unfortunately, there are no magic pills we can take to make us stop indulging -- only we can do that, if we really want to. :-) Red yeast rice does not affect candida, and I would try to locate it with the help of your UK compatriots there on the BTD-UK board. Take good care, dear, and thank you for your kind wishes!
Heidi, It's Rose, again, the one with the legs swelling. Still the same, I cut out flax seeds, but not the walnuts and kamut yet, I will soon, promise. I finally found acerola cherry Vitamin C from "NOW" , one of the supplement suggestions you made was Vitamin A, I thought Vit. A was an avoid for TYPE O? Please explain. Since I have stopped taking flaxseeds, I am having difficulty having daily and proper bowel movements. I drink at enough water for my weight, as you suggested, I eat green veggies every day, broccoli and swiss chard. As for fruit, it's wild blueberries (frozen), raspberries (frozen), banana's, plums and papaya. I eat canned salmon every day for lunch, dinner is either chicken or sole fish. I drink about 3 glasses of water before I go to bed and 4 glasses first thing in the morning. I also drink one glass of "Gerolstein" daily, I like this brand the most. I occationally eat dried figs and raisins (organic)with no help to get the bowels going...do you have any suggestions? Thanks again for all you help, I appreciate it! Rose
Hi, Rose! Well, if eliminating flaxseed had no effect on the legs swelling, then add it back in again! :-) I'd also try upping the raw salad intake, and using a vegetable juicer. There's definitely something not "letting go" in there, eh? Can you add any red meat to the chicken & fish?
Vitamin A was once cautiously listed as an avoid for Os because while it is useful in certain situations, it shouldn't be part of a regular daily multivitamin. It still should not be taken indiscriminately or indefinitely. However, for you it may be of help. You'll see it listed in the Encyclopedia protocols for As, ABs, Os and nonsecretors generally.
Let me know when you've had a chance to trial-eliminate the other foods, OK? take care, dear, and thanks for the reports! :-D
Hi Heidi, Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into answering our questions, you are a God send. I have a question regarding fish. I am a female, Type O secretor and recently tried to add more fish to my diet. However, I ended up with food poisoning and my Naturopath told me I got it from fish. She told me to avoid eating fish (and chicken) because it is difficult to find fish that is not contaminated and that I would be better off just sticking to beef, lamb and other meats that are better controlled for contaminants. So now I am scared to death to eat fish but I know the oils are very healthy for me. This may sound like a strange question but is there a way to determine how clean a piece fish is? Should it come from a certain region of the world or be a certain type of fish? Any suggestions you could give me would be greatly appreciated as I would like to eventually be able to eat fish again. Thank you so much Heidi. Best regards, Joan
Hello, Joan! You most likely got a bad batch of farmed fish. If desired, you could take a very low dosage of fish oils instead, if the fish available in your area is of dubious quality. There are certainly "safe" species such as wild Atlantic and Pacific salmon, and many ocean fish caught in deep water far offshore. I'm a nonsecretor, and I've never had a bad experience with any fish of any kind -- unless you count my first trout-fishing trip when I was nine: my friend caught a 13-incher and mine only measured 11". :-D However, ranged organically-fed and nonmedicated poultry and cattle are quite safe for your use, so there's no reason not to choose from any or all of them.
Hope you're feeling better and stronger soon, and ready to try again! :-D
Heidi, I love your column and I've had great success on the diet (2 years running). I feel great when I stick to the right foods for my type (O-), yet I feel like I could still lose a few pounds. I've tried going the route of calorie counting, but I've noticed a large gap when comparing my calorie needs on a calorie calculator with those implied in the serving suggestions listed in ERFYT (the calculator says I need 2250 calories per day to achieve my optimum BMI, the ERFYT servings come out to about 1400 calories per day). I do exercise daily using 5bx, and I cannot seem to lose weight at the 2250 calorie range. Am I in danger of loosing muscle mass if I go with the fewer calories suggested by DR D? How do I fight the feelings of hunger? charlie
Hello, Charlie! I really do shy away from calorie-counting, because it has become so evident in my experience that it's "what kind" of calories rather than "how many" which makes all the difference in the world to fat loss, muscle gain and health.
I'd like to recommend to you the updated portion/frequency tables in Live Right or the Blood Type O Food, Beverage & Supplement Lists. If you happen to be a nonsecretor, your Rh neg status means you should have two servings of red meat and one of fish every day of the week. Eggs nearly every day as well -- they're good sources of DHA, to help build that muscle. A handful of nuts or seeds daily. From there, we move to the vegetable and fruit categories, which are the real "pyramid base" of the diet. Grains, beans, dairy and sweeteners are unnecessary for you, so if you'd like to optimize your progress (and divert a little cash toward more beneficial foods), just leave them aside for the time being. As you can see, there is plenty of food on offer in the week, and most of us don't manage to fill out all the portions on everything!
To build muscle more quickly (thereby raising your metabolic set-point and enabling a quicker fat loss), you might try the superslow exercise system, or two intense, controlled weight-lifting workouts per week.
Meet hunger with meat, squash, and green vegetables, with a bit of added oil. A steak grilled to rare or med rare & sliced thin will store nicely in the fridge and it is TASTY even grabbed right out and eaten cold! (in fact, I did that this morning. ;-)). Try the new proportions of foods, Charlie, and see how it goes for you -- write in with a report when you can!! :-D
Hi, Heidi. Thanks again for your wonderful resource! I thought I saw in the last few weeks, either in your column or Dr. Bron's, a comment that bromelain absorbed scar tissue. Can you confirm this? I have a lot of internal scar tissue, due to radiation therapy a decade ago, and would love to find a way to reduce it. Lisa
Hey there, Lisa! The place where you saw that comment is Peter's Ask Dr. D. page on PEYRONIE'S DISEASE. The statement and references are all there, just review them for comparison with your condition. If you try the quercetin, let me know how it works for you, OK? :-D
Another vegetable glycerine question: If a baking recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, may one substitute exactly 1 cup of vegetable glycerine? Thanks so much for helping all of us! carolyn
Readers have had good results using 1/2 cup of veg gly where 1 cup of sugar would be used. So, whatever the quantity of sugar required, just use 1/2 as much veg gly as sugar. :-D
Regarding the search for Black Walnuts: It may not be worth your while. They're beneficial for me, too (, but this is what I recall about them from my childhood in a walnut orchard (now known as Silicon Valley). Black walnuts are supposedly very bitter and used mainly as the root system for English Walnuts which are grafted onto them. The orchards near me had rough black "pedistals" with smooth grey trunks above. Sometimes shoots from the lower part would come up and produce Black Walnuts. These would make good shot for a cannon. I never was able to open one as a kid without smashing it to bits. Maybe it's "sour grapes" but I wouldn't waste too much gas trying to find them!
:-D When I was a kid, my Dad was pretty deft at opening them without destroying the nut. We covered them with a mixture of corn and maple syrup, sealed them in a canning jar and left them for a few months. Quite tasty, I thought! :-D
Just read [April 11's] column and thanks Heidi and Alyson! I have explored just about EVERYTHING really. This clinical depression (Dr. says it's "low grade") has plagued me for at least 10 years. At first I was so pleased the medication (prozac at the time) worked, I didn't do much exploring, I just accepted feeling alive and finally feeling happy. However, just over two years ago I had what the Dr. described as a "major depression" and severe stress (due to a high stress job and major "political" problems at work) - I was off work for 3 months. During this time I saw a counsellor and all kinds of stuff about my childhood and my first (alchoholic) marriage came out -- it helped. 6 months after returning to work (to a different job), still exhausted from this ordeal, my husband (of 12 years) and I retired and moved to this wonderful part of the country. So, now I am happy, have no stress to speak of (except for getting ready for vacations - LOL!) have made lots of new friends, volunteer at the local hospital, sing in a choir and keep very busy. This is why I ask - why is it when I stop taking the medication (zoloft) and even though I may step up on the exercise - slowly the depression returns - it's not a BAD depression, just enough to know it's there. As for my husband, he has to be the best - I am very happy with him - he is my best friend and I cannot imagine life without him. Of course, he IS a man and has his faults as do I, but we live together VERY well. When I lived close to Toronto, the depression was worse in the winter (SAD) and I took steps to cope with it. Since moving North SAD is not a problem. Yes, we do get very cold winters, but most days it is sunny, with a brilliant blue sky that is never seen in Toronto (because of pollution) - I get outside quite a lot in the winter -- and am outdoors most of the time in the summer. So, there's a little background -- it's a mystery to me as to why I would still have this depression thing lurking in the background. Oh and I also have a wonderful daughter who graduated as a Vet and worked for a while but has gone back to school and is doing a Phd -- studying epidemics - maybe she'll find a cure for SARS - LOL. She also has suffered with depression, as did my Mum and Dad - maybe it really is genetic?? I do appreciate all the suggestions and comments from other readers and will try the meditation when I return from vacation, but for now I will just have to accept that I need the medication. love sue P.S. the cold is finally gone Heidi and I am back on the treadmill and doing the weights and feeling a lot better -- thanks for the encouragement. sue
Sue, you are a DOLL for taking the time to share all this with us.
It does sound to me as if there is a persistent, genetic, slight insufficiency of one of the neurotransmitters. Low brain catecholamines? gosh darn it. It always bugs me when some condition continues to plague someone, despite best efforts!!! So let me just review here the particulars from the Encyclopedia which I think would apply -- forgive me if this is old hat!
Avoid kava-kava and MAO inhibitors (including St. John's Wort). Use wild oat extract (all types), active B12, blessed thistle, NADH, and phosphatidylserine (those 4 for type O).
Right now, I'd be thrilled just to find out that a steady supplementation regimen could replace the zoloft.
And how was that vacation? thanks again for your message, dear!! :-D
Heidi, I was wondering whether you and others have found the Lifestyle Strategies in LR4YT -- such as "a clear plan ... to avoid impulsivity" (p.124) for O's -- to be helpful. As always, muy grateful, Alyson
For myself, I can say that those strategies are inspired and highly useful. Hey, O-Folk ~~ write in & let Alyson have your experiences & opinions, too!!
More tips for kids' meals ~ and herbs, nuts, seeds, sweeteners, surgery, and healing ~November 20th, 2000 , by admin
For O's who like peanut butter sandwiches: a little more sophisticated, but in the same ballpark is the almond butter sandwich (almond butter comes in crunchy if that's your preference), with Morello Cherry Preserves (Bread and Circus has a good one, just cherries) or guava paste. A great portable lunch: gooey, crunchy, sweet and savory, delicious. For children, almond butter alone may not make it, but as an alternative "peanut butter and jelly sandwich" this can work. Elizabeth
The most widely used herb for helping with milk flow while nursing, is fenugreek. But for B blood types it is an avoid. What can I use instead to help with milk flow? De Anna
Fenugreek is used in four different Encyclopedia protocols for type Bs. It was once listed as an avoid, but the recent research shows it is most helpful for your type -- so use it with confidence. :-)
Hey there, Heidi! Thanks for the quick response. Concerning seeds for Bs, would seeds from winter squash be considered okay (i am slightly wary since pumpkin and pumpkin seeds are avoids, at least for secretors)? Also, the seeds from various herbs/spices (more specifically dill, fennel (what a utilitarian plant fennel is!), cumin, coriander, and so on (i suspect mustard seeds would be beneficial for us Bs as most of the brassicae are), even fenugreek?). Thanks again for your feedback and continued support! matt.
Winter squash seeds are fine, and make a GREAT pumpkin seed substitute. Both the leaf and the seed of listed herbs have the values noted, unless listed separately and with differing values (cilantro and coriander, for instance, have separate listings although they have the same food values). Fenugreek... see the reply to De Anna, above! :-D
Thanks for answering so fast! I'm still curious about the goat yogurt, though. What value does it have? Caroline
Cow's milk, and yogurt, are both avoids for all Os. Since goat's milk is also an avoid for Os, I'd consider the goat's milk yogurt an avoid as well... hope this helps! :-)
Hello, Heidi. I'm a B secretor with a question on skin care. Does it matter, depending on blood type, what lotions you should use for dry skin or sun block? Thank you for your help. Todd
Hi, Todd! For topically-applied products, do try to get clean, pure stuff -- but it doesn't matter if they contain avoids. When thinking sunblock, think simple ingredients, let the eyes get some sun (to signal the body's own defenses), and use antioxidants internally. They are more effective than the external application of sun-protectants. Of course, be sure not to overdo, OK? A little sun goes a long way... :-D
I've been reading what you've written about pregnenolone as a precursor to other hormones. Would it be helpful to a perimenepausal woman like me to avoid HRT? Rachel
I think it might help you, and it would be worthwhile for you to get a full hormone testing panel from a naturopath or other holistic health practitioner, to pinpoint exactly where your needs lie. A good ND can set you up with a protocol of plant-based and other supplemental hormone stimulators / adjuncts / precursors, to fit perfectly with your physiology. :-D
Hi Heidi, I have problems with hyperinsulinemia, am B+, unknown secretor status and have been on the diet for two weeks. I tried a modified Atkins diet for 2 weeks before that and lost about 9 pounds, but felt lousy the entire time. I avoid sugar and all refined carbohydrates and refined foods. I have a lot of weight to lose, but mostly I want to feel better and have more energy. I am still having problems with being tired all the time, but I think it is because my body is still getting adjusted to life without high-fructose corn syrup.
I was addicted to soft drinks, mostly Coke and drank 3-4 cans a day. It is interesting to me that corn is a food that helps Bs gain weight and I was feasting on high-fructose corn syrup everyday. No wonder I gained weight. Not to mention the fact that carbonated beverages are also an avoid substance for me.
I am an acupuncturist and herbalist and have been using the BTD with many of my patients, particularly those with auto-immune disorders with great success. So, I decided to try it myself. Please tell me that I will start to feel better soon. I am eating mostly meats, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits and dairy. The only avoids I haven't eliminated are the oils in bottled salad dressings, a bit of blue cheese (my fave) and some soy-protein isolate in an occasional meal replacement bar. I try to eat mostly beneficials but out of convience, I do eat a lot of neutrals. I have a few questions.
There are a few foods that I haven't been able to find in any of the lists: Malitol, soy-protein isolate. I also have a question about tamari. On the lists, soy sauce is an avoid food for Bs, but tamari is listed as neutral. How can this be? Tamari is just a type of soy sauce that is usually made without wheat. It still has soy in it. Is it somehow missing the lectin? And lastly, Black walnuts are considered beneficial, and English walunts are considered neutral. How does one tell the difference? At Whole Foods they are labeled - Walnuts. I have loved reading the letters to you and your responses. They are inspirational and help me with my patients as well as myself. Thank you in advance. Sincerely, Tracy S
Tracy, thank you so much for writing! I admire you for coming round here with your questions -- so many professionals would rather not know, rather than appear to not know Everything! You must be a very fine healer.
First: YES, you will most certainly feel better soon. The corn is a nasty thing to detox. The neutrals and those very few avoids aren't holding back your progress at all, you're starting out gently and that approach will always show steady results.
We have no rating for malitol. It is one of the sugar alcohols. It's produced from dextrose, which is a corn product, but should contain no lectin after processing. My beloved vegetable glycerine is also a sugar alcohol ("glycerol"), which is made from palm or coconut oil instead -- once again, no lectins there once the glycerol is produced. So I'd say proceed with caution, but malitol's unlikely to harm you.
The difference between the "soy sauce" and the "tamari" in the lists is that the soy sauce item is meant to cover those cheapest varieties which are not fermented, but contain some soy protein, caramel color, corn sweetener, etc. "Tamari" (which has been amended to "Tamari, wheat-free" in the database) should be a fully-fermented product, with no wheat or corn derivatives (and hopefully organic! :-)). This is the process which makes it neutral for you.
Black walnuts are uncommon in markets. If you could see them in the shell (blackish-green, and nearly impenetrable! a portable nuclear device would be handy for opening them) you'd immediately notice the difference between them and the delicately pearly-tan wrinkly-shelled English walnut. All the bagged HFS walnuts I've ever seen are English walnuts -- that's the common one.
I am so pleased you and your patients enjoy the column -- please write again if I can help in any way! :-D
Heidi, its Yelena again, the one who has been fighting constipation all this time. Today I was diagnosed with "large leiomyoma vs. leiomyosarcoma of stomach". I am going to have a stomach surgery, and I am going to use 4 protocols at the same time: surgery recovery protocol, chemotherapy adjunct protocol, chronic illness protocol, cancer prevention protocol I would like to know if the protocols are compatible and if I should take all the supplements from each protocol? If some supplements are missing, is it still going to work to some degree? Thanks for helping me during this hard time, - Yelena
Yes, Yelena, the supplements will work well, even if you cannot find some of them, and they will work if you use all those protocols at the same time. I wish you all the best in your surgery and recovery, and my prayers go out to you! Please check in as soon as you feel a little better!! :-)
Hi, I'm an AB nonsecretor. I have an unreal sweet tooth, and when I look at all of the sweetners in my avoids catagory, it seems there are no sweetners to be had. What do I put on my pancakes, french toast, toast? How do I sweeten any desserts I might make? Tea, lemonade? Even rice syrup is an avoid. Suggestions? Thanks, Patti
Hey there, Patti ~~ well, we do want to gently wean you away from all the sweets! ;-)
Welcome to the nonsecretor world of almost no sweeteners at all. ;-} You AB nons and we O nons have a lot to commiserate over there. Our lists are almost identical in that category.
However, I have a solution (literally). First, get hold of some vegetable glycerine (use the search term "glycerine" at the bottom of this page, and look for the "All About Veg Gly" column, if you need some references). Next, look in your health food store's spice section for 'Frontier' brand extracts. They're made with the item itself, organic alcohol, and water. You could add any flavor you like to the veg gly (which is very similar in consistency to maple syrup) for your pancakes, french toast and toast (you're using only OK flours for all that stuff -- please say yes? and only 4-6 grain servings per week, right?). Veg gly works wonderfully in baking, tea, lemonade (although I preferred my one-lemon-to-6-granny-smith-apples (juiced together) lemonade), etc. Try it and see what you think! There is some sweetness in nonsecretor-land after all! :-D thanks for writing, dear!
Hello Heidi Thank you again (and again) for your hard work, patience, and diligence in answering all our questions. I read the postings every morning after email and before the news. My question is about vegetable glycerin. I tried it ages ago when you first recommended it but back then I was still having coffee in the morning (decaf at least.) I think it tastes awful in coffee. Now that I've switched over to green tea (again) I find it very agreeable. What I wanted to find out is how this stuff actually works. I did a search and got a couple dozen hits in the past columns, but never found one that explained the science or rationale explaining why it's better than stevia or honey or fructose. Is there a fact sheet somewhere? I don't see it in the type base either. Several friends have asked me about it and I can't give a decent answer. But I can tell you it does seem to help decrease my sugar cravings, at least in the mornings (but not on Easter!) And it seems like my weight isn't so labile when I use it. I'm peri-menopausal and my metabolism is taking a nap. I think the vegetable glycerin might be helping with that as well. Thanks again for all the caring and concern. Diane
Hi there, Diane -- For what you're seeking, I do not have a fact sheet made up. I will say one thing: there is no sugar in it. That is the main reason why it is superior (especially for nonsecretors, and anyone struggling with sugar cravings and blood sugar imbalances).
However, here is a link to "an" answer to why we like to recommend it:
All About Veg Gly! Hope this helps, dear!! :-D
I am a Type O and noticed that cauliflower, cabbage and brussel sprouts are not allowed to eat because they will inhibit thyroid functions. These three vegetables belong to the Brassica family but broccoli and kale also belongs to the same family as well. Why is that they are permitted? I am a bit confused. Thanks. Diana
Hi, Diana -- Different members of the Brassica family affect different types differently. Did I say "different" enough times in that sentence? :-) The little cabbage-y looking guys appear to have more powerful and focused effects, and cauliflower is included because it offers so little of value to balance its potential goitrogenic influence. That said, some people do best without kale & collards as well, but that is on an individual level, and not determined by blood type.
Thanks for your Q, Diana!
Hi, I am an 0 Secretor who likes to makes smoothies with almonds milk, but the only brand of almond milk I have ever seen is Pacific Foods, and it is filled with the bad stuff (carragenan and gums and stuff). Do you know of any other brand, especially one without the avoids? Sara
I think avoid-free almond milk is the most difficult to find among the various milk subs. I make my own, with organic almonds and filtered water. I pour boiling water over a cup of almonds, leave them for a few hours, then remove the skins. Then, I pop them into the blender with about 4 cups of water, blend blend blend, and strain. A little veg gly, pinch of sea salt, helps the flavor emerge nicely. It doesn't keep long, only a few days, but is worth the trouble to make.... and... hey readers, got any recommendations for OK commercial almond milk brands? Write 'em in!! :-D thanks for your note, Sara!!
Plenty of recipes, personal reports and tips & tricks!! :-DNovember 19th, 2000 , by admin
Type O, secretor. Is buckwheat considered a wheat product or a grain? Health food store says it's the later, wanted your input for type O's. Thanks alot. Jenny
Hello, Jenny ~~ Buckwheat is listed in the "grain" category. It's one of the grasses, and is not related to "wheat." :-)
Hi Heidi! Thanks for your response to my earlier question concerning food types. I have two questions for you. I'm a type B+ (sec u/k) and was wondering if seeds from neutral and beneficial fruits/vegetables share the same value -- i seem to recall reading that there was something about seeds that wasn't so great for Bs. I remember you addressed this question before, but couldn't find it in the archives very easily (too many titles of potpurri!). Also, are the spices listed inclusive of seeds (when ambiguity exists, that is)? (E.g. is "dill" meant as "dill weed" or "dill weed/seed" and so on.) Secondly, the sacrificial polysaccharides (larch arabinogalactan, laminaria, ...) are the same for every blood type. Does this mean that they will block the action of all lectins, good and bad? Thanks for all your hard work and support! matt.
Hi there, Matt ~~ All those sacrificial polysaccharides are lectin-specific. They provide handy "decoys" to lure the lectins away from the tissues otherwise their target.
Technically, if a seed or nut is not listed, it can be considered neutral if you have no desire for weight loss or other health issues to be resolved. You may be remembering the observation in the various ER books that Bs have a lot of avoids in the seeds & nuts category. Is there a particular vegetable whose seed you're wondering about? just drop me another note, OK? :-D
Dear Heidi, I have a question about type Os and goat products. Goat cheese is indicated as fine for type Os, but goat milk isn't- why is that? Also, goat yogurt isn't mentioned- do you know what value that is? One of the recommendations for type Os is that they supplement with calcium, but goat cheese is supposed to be rich in calcium, so I was wondering why the supplements would be necessary. Thanks a lot! Caroline
Hi, Caroline ~~ Os do not process calcium from dairy too well. It is not a good source of calcium for us. Goat cheese is the curd -- goat milk also contains the whey. That's why goat milk is not recommended. Many foods contain high levels of calcium -- try the Ask Dr. D. column, go to the bottom and search for "almond" -- you'll find the list there. If the food is neutral or beneficial for Os, it would be a great way to supplement. High-solids mineral water and bone broth also provide significant dietary calcium. Hope this helps, dear! :-D
Heidi, not to take sides on the MMR vaccination issue - just to add a bit of knowledge for making informed decisions. Some 30% of boys and men who become infected with the mumps will develop orchitis, an inflammation of the testicles that can lead to sterility. Immunization against mumps is the only way to prevent mumps-associated orchitis. It is a terrible conundrum - to vaccinate or not, but both sides of the issue should be considered. Of course, the best solution would be to develop a completely safe vaccine. Kim
Thanks, Kim -- indeed, something to be considered. And I, too, would far prefer a safe vaccine! :-D
Hi Heidi! Quick note for pregnant Roz: there's a marine algae source DHA supplement in most HFS trademarked as "Neuromins" I believe. (My pregnant friend's chiro gave her this.) Many different brands carry it, so it's not hard to find. Thanks for letting me add. --M.K.
Hey, Ros, howzabout that? thanks so much, M.K.!! :-D
Dear Heidi, Thank you so much for your response. I have since given up the coffee and cream and my joint pain has vanished! My skin is finally clearing. I am sticking closely to the diet and am seeing wonderful results. My rheumatologist said I have reactive arthritis as a result of a bacterial infection a long time ago. Now, apparently, certain foods trigger my body to attack its own joints - funnily enough all the foods on the O non secretor diet! It is very hard to do this stringent diet - but hopefully with time, I will be able to introduce more fruits and natural sugars - even those right now trigger my skin to break out. I have a different idea altogether. I think I have a leaky gut (Dr D'Adamo thinks this is the problem) due to so many antibiotics in the past. Are there any herbs I can take for this? I take the O Polyflora. Also with this high protein diet, i am really suffering from constipation - any ideas that are grain free and low in sugar to help things along!? I am taking a lot of magnesium and two polyflora first thing in the morning and evening. I am drinking 9 glasses of water a day. Thanks so much Suz
Dear Heidi, I forgot to add that I have been doing TM meditation for a number of years now - but recently I have not been doing it twice a day. I had no idea that meditation was able to heal the physical body. I do feel incredibly relaxed afterwards and that is primarily why I do it. You really think that this helps heal one's gut? Suz
Hi, Suz -- are you OK with flax? If so, try a tablespoon in the morning (or evening, it's up to you), ground up and mixed with water. Let it sit and "gel up" for 15-20 minutes. Very tasty.
Arthritis / autoimmune disease / leaky gut / stored stresses are strongly linked together. Powerful meditation practices can remove the cause (the hormonal configuration which prompts the body to attack its own tissues) as well as strengthen the immune system, so that intestinal micro-organisms are brought into balance. By using this tool to balance your endocrine system, and avoiding damaging foods, the body is strengthened and its burdens are lessened. I don't know of one herb to take for the leaky gut -- I do suggest using the Encyclopedia protocols, and keep taking PolyFlora-O (as well as ARA6).
Hey! Congratulations on the exit of the joint pain! See, it works!! just keep at it, you're on the best possible road now. Take good care, dear, and keep writing. :-D
Hi Heidi Having recently bought BTD, my daughter and I are only just starting the diet (after 2yrs on Atkins), so nothing to report yet! In the meantime, perhaps you wouldn't mind giving me some info on Mode of Inheritance of ABs - I have searched your huge website but cannot seem to locate anything relevant. From ER4YT I see that ABs obtain an A from one parent and a B from the other but the specifics aren't stated, eg. do the parents have to be AA and BB (perhaps explaining the AB rarity)? What is an AB capable of producing? Also, are AB- females the exception to Landsteiner's discovery (Page 358) "...that these women were carrying a different blood type than their babies, who took their blood type from the father" - my own case showing only the Rh+ being inherited from the father: OO+ x AB- producing three BO+ daughters. Lynn
Hi, Lynn ~~ Each parent needs only one A or one B gene -- in other words, the parents of a type AB child can be Ao + Bo, Aa + Bo, Ao + Bb, Aa + Bb, AB + Bo, AB + Bb, AB + Ao, or AB + Aa.... whew, they're a lot of them, but so few ABs!! :-D The child of an AB parent will inherit either an A or a B gene from that parent. If the other parent is type O, then the child will be A or B (since the O gene is recessive to both A and . If the other parent is a B, an A or an AB, the child might be type B, type A, or AB, depending on which gene is contributed from the second parent, and upon whether the A or B parent has a recessive O gene.... is this now totally incomprehensible? :-} sorry!! No, the Rhesus factor is a separate blood type from the ABO group, so it's quite possible to get only the O gene and the Rhesus factor from one parent -- Rhesus is also two genes, with positive dominant to negative, and with the possibility that an Rh positive person is carrying a recessive neg gene.
I do hope I at least answered your Q ~~ if not, please write again!! :-D
Hi Heidi, I get so much joy, info and fun out of your column. I am feelng more energetic with the Maca, switching off oatmeal every other morning, liver support protocol and yoga at home. (A2, Rh neg, nonny) Thank you. I am responding to several readers that you responded to on 28 April 2003. First to Suzanna, O nonny, who is missing treats but feels better with no grain and low sugar. I wanted to add another beneficial veggie treat along with Heidi's recommended sweet potato one. And as a side bar, I find that organic sweet potatoes are incredibly sweet. Add some butter and it is definitely a treat. This next one is one my daughter loves. Get canned pumpkin, Libby's brand only. Seems to be the best. And scoop out of can, add vegetable glycerine to taste and a bit of nutmeg or allspice depending on your taste. Warm it up or just dig right in. This is for Cindi's friend with ringing in the ears. My sister, (O nonny) had this also. But she was told it was "all in her head" - which usually means they don't know what it is. When she learned about the O diet (even before she knew her secretor status) and stopped eating wheat and cut back on grains, lo and behold the ringing went away. The wheat was causing inflammation all the way up, as inflammation tends to do, to the eustachian tubes. My sis also took Fucus Plus and DGL Licorice which helped tremendously. Cindi's friend's problem might not be so simply addressed but it certainly may be worth a couple of weeks of cutting out wheat and maybe all grains and starches to find out, instead of an operation to cut her hearing. Here is a salad dressing recipe to add to Judy's "stable" of recipes. It seems to be a big hit (except with O nonnies and Bs) and is very simple to make and keep. 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1 tbsp. Braggs (liquid aminos) or to taste a little less than 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil Shake in a salad dressing container or jar with lid to shake so oil emulsifies and it stays blended. And thanks to Mark for the soy sauce substitute recipe. \ And a note of encouragement to Elaine and a couple of small tips about binges for all Os who are reading. Dr. D'Adamo says in Live Right, "When you crave a pleasure-releasing substance (sugar, alcohol, tobacco, narcotics), do something physical." "If you start to crave wheat, eat some protein: the craving will usually go away." I feel that everyone who reads the column adds to the well wishes for each person and as a whole. Good stuff. Thanks again. Nina
Marvelous!!! thanks SO much, Nina!! :-D
Hi Heidi, I'm writing to pass along the pumpkin cookie recipe as requested. You probably won't believe it, but I was munching on one as I read today's questions. I took a recipe I've used for years and changed ingredients to make it O friendly. 1/2 c. butter (changed from shortening) 1 1/2 c. sugar (I have used part veg. glycerine/part sugar, or all veg gly with good results. I went by what another reader suggested, using half as much veg gly as regular sugar. Also, since I haven't had veg gly, I've just used less sugar - maybe 1 c.) 2 eggs 1 c. (generous) pumpkin 1 t. vanilla 1/2 t. sea salt 1 t. baking powder (I know cornstarch is an ingredient, but it's such a small amount and I didn't know a substitute. . .) 1 t. soda 1 t. cinnamon 1/2 t. ground allspice 1 1/4 c. spelt flour (I have used the more expensive white spelt flour, which is great, but also had good results with the whole spelt flour) 1 1/4 c. quick oats 1 c. walnuts (I don't like walnuts, so I grind mine in a blender until they are almost a paste and add them that way so I don't notice them 1 c. choc chips Mix in order given and drop onto cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. If they spread out too much while baking, they might need a bit more flour. I freeze these and they taste fine a week or a month later.
Having been on the diet for 8 months, and gone from size 18 to 6, many people comment on my weight loss. I tell them all about the BTD. It has really become easier for me and feels natural, like now I wouldn't want to eat things I used to eat all the time. I'm even getting used to being out to eat with my husband and watching him eat the rolls or bread that come with the meal . . . My husband and one of my children are type B, the other 4 children are O's.
My husband follows the diet for the most part, but the kids(ages 10 - 20) aren't interested. I don't want to force them, and at this point I don't even talk about it, just try to suggest foods that are beneficial and make food that is good for everyone as many nights as possible. Some successful meals are beef stew (with lots of onions, carrots, and turnips instead of potatoes), turkey pot pie (onions, carrots, peas, and turnips again, and white spelt crust). My kids don't like fish, but love fish sticks and so I've made my own out of cod dipped in egg and ezekiel bread crumbs and fried in olive oil - they loved them. Some meals, though, are old favorites that are easy for me and loved by them like spaghetti or tacos and I just eat some steak and veggies.
Some things I make like macaroni and cheese or turkey enchiladas are good for B's, but the O's eat them anyway. I don't buy any corn or pork products, so they have to buy their own if they want them. It's hard for me to see my O's eat a peanut butter sandwich and glass of milk. On the other hand, my B daughter makes her own refried beans with a drained & rinsed can of kidney beans and mexican seasoning mixed in the blender. Put on a flour tortilla with cheese, it's a fine snack for her, but then the O's decide to join her . . . Sorry this has gone on so long. Thanks for all your answers, and other's comments - they give me encouragement and ideas to try. MFN
MFN, wow! thanks VERY much for the recipes, and the account of family life!! It sounds like everything's going along beautifully there.
I do have two little suggestions (you probably know these already, but just in case....) ~
Rice pasta is virtually indistinguishable from wheat pasta once cooked. My type A-non guy likes pasta now & again, so that's what his spaghetti gets made with. It's even neutral for O nonsecretors ~~ hoorah! ;-)
I started making fresh tortillas for him, mostly because they're SO simple, easy and fast -- and they taste wonderful, and keep nicely in a plastic bag in the fridge. You do (sort of) need a gas stove.
They're just flour, salt & water. I use kamut, but white spelt would do perfectly.
This recipe makes four six-inch OR two 12-inch tortillas (or wraps)
1 cup spelt flour, 1/4 + cup water, 1/4 tsp salt
Mix the salt and the flour together. Sprinkle the water in gradually and start stirring the flour around. When it's mostly lumps and very little flour, gather it up and knead it for 30 seconds or so, until the dough begins to develop a bit of gluten and seems to want to "hang together." Divide the dough into two or four pieces, and let it rest for five minutes.
Put a nonstick or well-seasoned iron frying pan on medium-high heat. Roll out the pieces with a rolling pin (no extra flour, water or oil). Pick them up & turn them as you roll them. Don't stack them once they're rolled out -- they'll stick together. :-) Put one in the hot pan for maybe 7 seconds, just till it starts turning "solid," then flip it. Let it go another 5 or 6 seconds, then put it directly on the fire, set to medium/low -- I use the back burner, and move it around on the flame with tongs. It will poof up -- I flip it quickly, move it around again to "poof" the whole thing, then flip it once more, move it around, and it's done. Once you've done one, you'll see how quick and simple they are! Took longer to explain it than it does to do it! :-D While one's on the flame, I have the next one in the pan. Anyway, I can have them done in less time than it would take to go to the store & pick up the ready-made wheat ones. cheaper & tastier, too! :-D
Thanks so much for writing, MFN ~~ I really enjoyed your message!! :-D
Hi.. today my mom came with your book to my house.. I couldnt resist it and I sit down and read it at least all my blood type section. It seems so natural and so true.. I wanted to start inmediatly. But, I encounter one sad fact: I dont know which race I suppose to attached to. Im hispanic and in your book, you only talk about caucasiccal, black and asia races. but not about hispanic. I dont believe it would be appropiate to just "pick" one race.. Can you please tell me what to do? since I would love to start ASAP. Ho! im a O Blood type, dont know if im a secretor or non secretor yet. Hope you will answer me.. Im very interested in gettin started. Thanks in advance!! Alma
Hi, Alma! Hispanic is generally "caucasian." Some Latinas use the African or Asian list, if their heritage is primarily one of those -- but if yours is neither one, and you are of European descent, then the best one to use is Caucasian.
Welcome to our little world, and thanks for writing! :-D
An All-A ExtrAvAgAnzA ~ and a satisfied customer of Carolyn at NAP! :-DNovember 18th, 2000 , by admin
Regarding oils for Type A secretors: if I follow the recommendation in LR4YT, it looks like I'd use about 1 Tbls a day of oil. I use this amount of oil per MEAL, currently. Dropping down to the recommended amount of oil sounds like rendering most meals unpalatable. I was thinking Peter must be figuring we're getting dietary fat from other sources, such as minimal dairy, nuts/seeds, etc. Then I see on p. 233 of LR4YT that fats can constitute 22% of an A's daily intake. How will this happen if I'm consuming only up to 1 tsp of added oil per meal? I realize these are only guidelines, and that there's a range on either side of the recommendations within which I can experiment, but "1 T/day" and "22% of daily intake is fat" seem pretty wide apart. I assume that this is to include any oil we consume in salad dressings, prepared foods, etc. Would you confirm this is not a typo? Are Type A people really eating this little oil and staying with it over the long haul? Related to this, is there a test I can get to measure the amount of intestinal alkaline phosphatase enzyme I actually have? It's the enzyme which breaks down fats and is supposed to be low in Type A's. Thanks very much. Claire
Hello, Claire ~ Most As find recipes for salad dressings, sauces, marinades and such (in the RECIbase database, for instance, linked on the homepage) which use less or no added oils. Yes, Peter figures that the foods such as beans, avocado, nuts, seeds, poultry, and fish do contain fats and that 22% is a good estimate of the percentage of total dietary fat recommended for As (including a bit of added oil). "1 T/day" is the portion from the "oils" category.
The standard physician blood panel, often used as a baseline indicator for a new patient, tests levels of thyroid hormones, lipids, glucose, minerals, liver enzymes, and red & white blood cells against a reference range. Among the results is the serum alkaline phosphatase level, which relates somewhat to intestinal AP. Bear in mind that the reference levels vary, even with two different individuals using the same lab -- and that, for example, while I tested at 57 u/l in my last check, my type A non guy tested at 66. However, I experience no trouble from an extra teaspoon or two of oil, while the same amount has given him diarrhea. ;-) just a word to the wise! :-D thanks for writing, and hope you're doing well.
A recent column piqued my curiosity. Up til now, I had thought there were only 2 kinds of pumpkin - cow pumpkins, which aren't that great for eating, but good for Halloween carving! And pie pumpkins, obviously good to eat. Someone mentioned Kabocha pumpkin as a green warty skinned pumpkin - I had never heard of it, nor have I seen it in my local health food store or grocery store. Are there other varieties of pumpkins out there? Are they available in the northeast (US)? And how seasonal are they? Seems I only see pumpkins being sold in September and October! I'm kind of weak on my beneficial vegetables and can't seem to get away from my favorite (butternut squash, which we can still get into spring). I would like to experiment with pumpkins if I can find them! Cathy
Hi, Cathy ~ yes, there are pumpkin species galore, most of the "new" edible ones being varieties imported from Japan and later grown among the boutique food producers. I suggest asking your local produce specialist about them, and see what might be available in your area. Or browse through a big vegetable seed catalog -- they often have far more choices than any HFS! :-) enjoy!!
hi heidi, a couple of Q's re the baby book. it says cod liver oil is neutral, and doc bron mentioned it the other day with regard to smarter babies. i trotted of to my HFS to buy some and they refused to sell it to me due to the high vit A content. they said its way too toxic. instead they reccomended fish oil ( not from the liver) as a means of getting DHA's. does it have too much vit A for preg ladies? also, the book says its Ok to drink type A tea, but i have previously emailed NAP with the question and they said avoid type A tea while preg. im confused. i really like the tea, can i drink it? thanks for your time. roz xoxx
Hi, Ros ~ Sheesh, I see why you're confused. About the tea, I'd just write back to NAP, explain that the Baby Book says the tea's OK, and ask if there is any ingredient which is no-go for pregnant As. When you wrote the last time, they probably told you not to use it out of an abundance of caution -- and they wouldn't have had the Baby Book information at that time, so they'd want to be extra-safe about it.
About the Doc Bron article: the body of it is an abstract from a general study. Look at the bottom, where he wrote: "I give my pregnant patients a plant based DHA source that has very little or no Vit A." He's referring to an algae-based or flax-based product, both of which contain higher DHA to EPA (eicosapentanoic acid) proportions -- that's important, because the two seem to compete with each other. Fish oils contain higher EPA to DHA proportions, and they do contain vitamin A (only animal sources do, the plant sources have precursors which we have to digest in order to manufacture the A).
I don't know the name of the product Doc Bron uses, and it may be something only practitioners can obtain, so I'd use a bunch of seaweed and add flax oil daily. And ask your local supp shop if they have a high-DHA product that will meet your standards. Hey, hope you're reading this, although you must be about 30 seconds away from delivery, sweetie!! I'm EAGERLY awaiting the report from you, dear!! :-D
I am 61 years old, A- and have been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes a month ago. My diet is as follows: Breakfast: I pkg instant Oatmeal (Raisin, Date & Walnuts; Cinnamon & Spice, Regular or Raisin & Spice) made w/1% milk. Sometimes I add more raisins or banana to it. Lunch: Salad (iceburg, cucumbers, zuccini, squashes, carrots, brocolli & cauliflower), canned Chicken (chicken breast meat, water, salt), Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing. A fresh fruit cup of bananas, pear, apple, red grapes (occasionally canned pinapple in it's own juice). Dinner: Bumble Bee Pink Salmon, sauted w/onions, tomato sauce, olive oil, capers, green olives, garlic, zuccini, summer & butternut squashes, pumpkin & adobo seasoning. Or occasionally, a roasted chicken from Sam's Club. Desert: 2 scoops of Hood Low-fat, Sugar-free Vanilla ice-cream w/2 tbsp of Zorbee Sugar-free Chocolate Syrup. Occasionally, Sugar free cakes, pies & cookies from Stop & Shop. I've been eating this way for the past month, since my diagnosis. My sugar has gone from 500+ to 70 - 250 lately (w/a one time dip in the 40's). I would like to know how I can prevent my sugar from soaring in the night and waking hours from 140 - 175. What am I still doing wrong? My daughter also pointed out to me that the sugar-free sweets I've been eating are made with aspartame, guar gum, carrageenan, etc. and are not good for me. The diet I was given by my physician was the typical ADA diet and I can't see how that can help me. I was referred back to this diet by my daughter and came from a very bad eating habit of sweets, sweets, sweets. How can I curb my sweet-tooth, before it gets the best of me? I'm presently on Glyburide 2.5mg (1 tab in the AM) & Metoprolol 50mg (half tab 2x's a day). I would like to eventually be off of these. ANY suggestions will be MOST helpful. Is Dr. D'Adamo still accepting patients? Carmen
Hello, Carmen! You need vibrant liver health to overcome your diabetes -- so the "sugar-free" products, pies, cookies and the dairy (milk and ice cream) are working against you. The artificial sweeteners and dairy lectins in those products put tremendous strain on the liver.
Dr. D'Adamo's clinic accepts new patients, so that is one option for you. In the meantime, I suggest two things: use fruit concentrate or vegetable glycerine to sweeten foods you make at home, and begin following the type A diet as outlined in Live Right 4 Your Type. There will be an adjustment period, but it will pass, and you'll wonder how you ever ate any other way! We're here to support you, too! So just pick up the book and get started, and I promise you that you'll be healing in no time! thanks for writing, Carmen, and please keep in touch regularly!! :-D
Hello Heidi! In continuation of the vegetable glycerin conversation, I would like to know if the source of the glycerin matters. For instance, I work in Whole Foods Market, and the brand we carry (www.frontiercoop.com) is derived from palm kernels. I went to the site mentioned in an earlier posting (www.azurestandard.com) and theirs is derived from coconuts. Since coconuts and their byproducts are an avoid for almost everyone should one try and find a glycerin not obtained from an avoid? Thanks in advance! Miranda
Ah! Yes, a question which has plagued many of our readers! So, here's the Veg Gly Reference Page for your consideration! enjoy!! :-D
Hi Heidi, I received my secretor results: Type A non secretor. So that brings up the question: how careful do I have to be about corn, e.g., must I entirely avoid citric acid, which I think is usually made from corn; since I avoid vinegar, I buy olives, etc. preserved with citric acid. Not that I eat very much of the stuff, but again, how careful do I have to be?
I have many food allergies, including to soy, egg, and dairy. I am also on a gluten-free diet. Also, while I have not tested positive for allergy to non-gluten grains, I find I do better if I keep grains to a minimum (I get lower respiratory symptoms from them). I also feel I need quite a bit of animal protein, although I do also eat beans and nuts/seeds. Do you think it would be OK to increase my animal protein to more frequent (or larger) servings than are listed for A's?
Also, any ideas on how I can gain weight? If I am prone to candida, do I need to limit fruit or other foods that normally would be on the A diet? I eat sugar and fermented foods only extremely rarely, so that is not a problem. I often read in your column about the advisability of keeping cortisol levels down. I have adrenal insufficiency and am taking a partial replacement dose of 15mg hydrocortisone. However, I also tend toward anxiety and getting stressed. If your recommendations for things like yoga are for calming, I know I need that. But I also need to keep my cortisol levels up. Any thoughts? I am interested in taking Seacure but I have heard that it is not good to use seaweed when there is an autoimmune disorder. I have autoimmune thyroid (Hashimoto's). Do you know of others with this who have used the Seacure?
Just saw today that my first set of questions is posted. Thanks for all the great input. On the subject of pollutants in fish, that was very helpful info on methylmurcury. However, it's not just mercury in fish, but my understanding that especially fresh-water fish from polluted rivers and lakes can be very high in PCB's and other such contaminants. Well, I guess it is all a question of balance.........We certainly do not live in a perfect world! Anyway, Thanks again for your cheery notes every day on this site. Health to you. Joan
Hey, Joan ~~ congratulations on your secretor status, and welcome to the Wild Nonnie World! ;-)
Yes, do avoid corn in all its forms. See if you can find olives in brine? I know my local ethnic grocers carry them.
It's no surprise you need a bit more animal protein than the A secretor camp, especially if you're not eating eggs at the moment. Your list recommends up to five servings of fish and three of meat/poultry per week, so five fish, two lamb and a turkey should do nicely.
However, if there is one grain you're OK with, I'd eat a small serving of it daily (perhaps 1/4 cup of organic whole oatmeal in the morning). You're a non, but you're a type A non, and the single serving of whole grain will work FOR you in the protein-need and energy departments. Sounds paradoxical -- but try it for two weeks. Whole amaranth is also a good choice, if that's more appealing to you. It will do good things for your intestinal health, which will in turn help you gain healthy muscle tissue. And fresh fruit will NOT exacerbate the candida. You're taking PolyFlora A and ARA6, right? Premiere products for healthy intestinal populations!
Yoga and Cortiguard help your body secrete cortisol at the right times, and diminish it at the right times. Steroid drugs eventually do a great deal more harm than good, and they are not adaptogens anyway. If you have much of your adrenal tissue still intact, the harmless precursor, pregnenolone, can let your body begin producing its own proper levels of adrenal hormones, without steroid damage and side-effects.
In hyperthyroid conditions, iodine-containing foods are discouraged. Your condition is hypothyroid, and through careful management of your gut health and the use of natural products such as inexpensive glandular + B compounds and pregnenolone, you can certainly restore your thyroid to normal functioning.
Yes, in a polluted world, it's even more important to stay strong and calm, to aid the immune system in responding properly and relaxing promptly. ;-) The FDA-regulated and inspected fish at reputable fishmongers will have very low levels of PCB contaminants -- that's something which is checked constantly in commercially-available freshwater fish. So let that one be a minor issue for you, and let me know what you think of these suggestions, OK? thanks, Joan, always nice to hear from you! :-D
I am a Type A and own the book "Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type". I would like to know how to maintain a healthy PH level on the Type A diet. I have read alot of material on ph levels and find that the foods recommended conflict with the type A diet. ie: shrimp, potato,oranges and many other fruits just to mention a few items. I appreciate what ever information you can provide me. Thanks. Kathy
The healthy pH levels for each type are designed into the diet. When "used as directed" with a wide variety of foods from the recommended list, it does the job for you.
Here is a column to look at, in which I talked a bit about this topic. There are "low" pH foods which are good for you as an A, and "high" pH foods which would do you harm, so we don't use the acid/alkaline system separately and directly when choosing foods. It is the body's pH which matters, so that an "acidic" fruit such as grapefruit is rendered alkaline during digestion -- and different types thrive with different pH levels. I hope this helps, dear! Do write again if you're still wondering about anything at all! :-D
Dear Heidi, How are you? It has been awhile since I last sent an E-Mail to you. As mentioned previously; my blood type/Rh factor is "A" Positive, A1/A2 status is A1, "MN" type is "MN", and secretor status is DOUBLE LEWIS NEGATIVE. (Per telephone call to Dr. D'Adamo's office, April 2nd, I have been told to use the "Secretor" column in LR4YT book, because my "saliva" specimen reads as "Secretor", from Great Smokie Laboratories in Asheville NC. Also, I was told to really go easy on the wheat, corn, and sugar - to use as minimally as possible). I am mentioning this to you for this reason: The lady who took the time to check this out with the medical staff at Dr. D'Adamo's office was EXTREMELY polite, helpful, and decent to talk with, when I was inquiring further about my "secretor status". Her name is CAROLYN. I just wanted you to know, so that CAROLYN would get the rightful recognition she deserves. Also, please let your readers know how decent a person CAROLYN is when dealing with callers. Thank you very much! Heidi, God bless you and your family; God bless the U.S.A.! Marshal - Wichita, Kansas
Hey there, Marshal! I'm doing just fine!!
Thanks so much for offering your experiences to others -- it's most helpful to hear from rare types like you! and it is WONDERFULLY KIND of you to write in your praise for Carolyn! I hope she sees this -- a big public pat on the back to you, dear! Great service doesn't go unnoticed!! thanks again, to ALL!!
A Many-Type Splendor !November 17th, 2000 , by admin
I am type O+., 65, have oseoarthritus with very painful knees, pain in muscles and joints, back, legs, hits, etc. I quit taking PrimPro recently. I have also some acid reflux ocassionally and have been told years ago that acid in mouth was eating away at tooth enamel. Besides EAT RIGHT, I have been reading about coraL calcium and the PH balance of blood. 1. What is reccommended to replace the Hormone? 2. Is it necessary to know if you are a secretor or non secretor? Please explain what these terms mean. 3. To determine the blood PH, the coral calcium book says to use litmus paper and test saliva. Would secretor/non-secretor influence the accuracy of this type of test? 4. Are there kits for testing the PH of Blood this way? 5. It also said meats were acid forming foods....wouldn't eating meats make your Blood PH more out of balance and acidic? 6. One poster said something about a "little O" book which said Oats were neutral while the big book said Avoid......Where does one get the more-up-to-date "little O" book? Thanks, Shirley
Hi, Shirley! Well, let's take your questions in reverse order.
6. The title of the "little O book" is: Blood Type O Food, Beverage and Supplement Lists -- it's in the Store here, as well as bookstores, health food shops and pharmacy chains (Rite Aid is one). There is one book for each type, a very thin (100 pages or so) paperback book, which outlines the basics of the diet and gives food lists which are secretor NON-specific. The food values do not exactly follow either the secretor or nonsecretor values. In other words, they are designed for people with no interest in pursuing further type testing, but who just want a bare-bones instruction book small enough to be taken along when shopping.
5, 4 and 3. We don't recommend or use pH testing in this plan. Take a look at a column I wrote a while back, which includes information on coral calcium. To reduce the general acidity of your system, use the O diet and focus on the basic food groups: vegetables & fruit. Additionally, you may find that eating grains and meats in separate meals will make them easier to digest. Vegetables would be eaten with either the grain or meat meals, and fruit would be eaten alone. It's quite effective for many people ~ give it a try! :-)
2. The modifications for secretor status are available for your use, in Live Right 4 Your Type and the food values in the TYPEbase 3 database. If you'd like to use them, you'd need to find out your secretor status. If not, you can follow the revised basic food lists in the Blood Type O Food, Beverage and Supplement Lists. To learn more about secretors & nonsecretors, Here's the link!
I do suggest that anyone who is dealing with one or more serious health conditions, or who is a performance athlete, or who simply wishes to take full advantage of the secretor-specific plans for optimum health -- and who is willing and able to get the test done -- should do so! It's certainly not a requirement; it's just one way to take advantage of all the work Peter has made public. Something for everyone! :-)
1. While awaiting your appointment with a skilled naturopath, homeopath or other health practitioner, the only thing I'd try is two tablespoons of maca powder per day (mixed in juice or rice/almond milk, or added to a smoothie). Hormones are a highly individual and complex business. To obtain the desired effects of a drug by using plant-based compounds requires testing and expert advice. For instance, you may experience symptoms indicating that you are low in estrogen, or in progesterone. However, an expert will be able to guide you along and find out that, perhaps, it is a pregnenolone deficiency for example which is leading to the symptoms described... or perhaps you are hypothyroid, and having many symptoms which if viewed superficially would mislead you into treating the wrong cause. ;-) So get good hands-on help, and let me know how you do! :-D
Heidi...not a question, but a comment. I wrote you several weeks ago complaining of a rash. You wrote back telling me of another Type O woman who determined it was flaxseed. I quit taking it immediately, and wrote you about the resolution to my rash...about a week. I thought I should write you again to let you know the rash went away, only to return about day 10. It is now less intense, mostly an itchy pustule or two, sometimes a tiny cluster, mostly around ankles and knees, sometimes on elbows. Roughly symmetrical. Itches and goes away in a day or two, only to pop out somewhere else. Is worse in the evening. Not interfering with sleep or causing great distress. Just aware that my immune system is not functioning at its best. Have become a little fearful of all seeds and nuts, including pumpkin and walnuts, otherwise am trying to stick to mostly beneficials. Just thought I should give you this update to be perfectly fair to your growing database and experience with people on the BTD. I am learning that these things may be more complex than the removal of one offending substance. Makes me more appreciative of why the cause and cure of allergies and skin disorders can be illusive and not always so easy to ascertain. Thank you. Nancy
That's good to know, Nancy! I really appreciate your keeping us updated. It looks like you isolated 'part' of the cause, since eliminating flaxseed got rid of the rash for a period of time. If you're motivated to do so, start keeping a food diary. See if removing all nuts and seeds from your diet (and ensuring absolute purity & freshness in any oils you eat) has good results on the rash. Also, you might consider doing the gallbladder flush described at Julia Chang's liver health pages. If your system is clearing lingering toxicity, the flush can speed that process beautifully. I've done it several times, and the Vernal Equinox on the 20th upcoming would be a proper time to start it. Read all about it on Julia's site, and feel free to post with questions. Take care, dear, and keep writing!! :-D
Hi heidi, Two quick questions: 1. I need a recipe that my girls will eat that is similar to ranch dressing. I've looked in recipe base and in ER recipes but nothing is close. Any ideas? (for Type O) 2. Who has been on the Blood Type Diet the longest? Dr. Dadamo? and has he/she had great health from it? thanks, jayne
Hey there, Jayne! Well, I'm going to assume your girls are secretors (easier for me that way! ;-)) Ranch is based on mayonnaise and buttermilk. No problem.
First, make your own mayonnaise from organic ingredients! Here's a quick recipe, adapted from one "katie" posted on the old BB in 2001:
1 whole egg
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 tsp. fresh-ground pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup olive oil
Break egg into blender jar or processor bowl. Add mustard, salt, pepper and lemon juice or vinegar. Blend 30 seconds until foamy (or process 2-3 seconds). Gradually add oil a few drops at a time until about 1/2 C. has been added. When mayo has thickened, you can add remaining oil more quickly. If it becomes too thick, add a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar. Correct seasonings.
2 cloves garlic (fresh or roasted)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup soy yogurt, thinned with 1/8+ cup water
2 T minced parsley
2 T minced chives
1 scallion, trimmed, sliced thin
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Fresh-ground pepper
Mash the garlic and salt to a paste with a mortar & pestle or a heavy spoon or knife. Then whisk everything together. If it's too thick, thin it with a bit of water.
Let me know what you all think! :-)
As to who's been on the diet longest, that would be difficult to say. Peter, perhaps ~ maybe his Dad, who knows? (I prefer to think it was my maternal grandfather, who by all accounts maintained a paleolithic diet we Os would be proud to claim our own! ;-D) Peter is certainly in great health, and so was my granddad till he got bored in his second century and bid us goodbye.
I have been on the diet for almost 4 years now. I am fairly compliant and for the last couple of months very compliant because acid reflux returned. I am so tired for no apparent reason I am taking: Fem Balance, Imm Calm, Deflect, Phytocal and O Multi's. I rarely eat grains and when I do it is usually rice - bread (even Spelt has become a thing of the past as I think it may be the acid reflux culprit). I ache quite badly in the morning until I have MADE myself exercise which I do faithfully -- 45 minutes walking at 4 - 4.2 mph everyday except Sunday. I also weight train 3 times a week (for my menopausal bones) and I do leg exercises. I don't work (early retired) so it's not stress related.
The aching in the morning seems to have gotten worse since I quit the hormone replacement therepy last November. I go to bed, usually between 9.30 and 10.30 and wake around 7 - yes I do sleep, only waking maybe once in the night and falling back to sleep. Do you have any idea what could be causing this (other than winter blahs? -- yes I do get out -- go snowmobiling!) or any suggestions on how to "pep" myself up. Oh, I eat lots of meat protein - beef about 4 or 5 times a week. thanks in advance - love your column! keep up the good work - wish I were as knowledgeable as you! Tell Peter you are worth at least $250,000 a year!! Sue p.s. the only liquids I drink are water (4 - 8 oz glass a day) green tea (5 cups a day) and red wine - a 6 oz glass a day. Sue
P.S.: Since my post I have come down with the worst head cold I have had in four years, so I am thinking that the tiredness was the onset of this. I am so upset that this cold has taken such a hold -- the first one since being on the diet - oh dear, does this mean this is one more thing that is going to reoccur -I feel like the diet has stopped working for me - I have been eating mostly beneficials since the cold started but have actually had to resort to taking a sinus over the counter drug -- a first in nearly four years...I am praying that I don't end up with bronchitis - if THAT returns you will hear me screaming from where you are - reassurance PLEASE and thanks!! sue
Hey there, Sue! Wow, girl, you sound like me when I used to get the sinusitis-proceeding-to-bronchitis fun stuff -- three or four times a year. Remember that you are likely to feel VERY depressed simply because that's how your gut biochemistry is signalling your brain at the moment. Don't worry! One cold in five years is OK! The diet hasn't stopped working for you, you're just experiencing that horrible "down" feeling caused by the infection. It really and truly acts like a depressant drug.
Now: even in the bad old (pre-ER) days, I found that eating quercetin like candy could head off the bronchitis. I'd up that water intake to the equivalent in ounces of half your weight in pounds. Eight 8-oz glasses, each with a tiny pinch of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Slug 'em down! And see if you can't reduce the green tea intake just a bit -- try to keep it to three cups per day. I am theorizing that the amount of theine may be stimulating you too much, so you're tired the next day. Vary it with Sip Right or hot homemade broth with some cayenne, cumin, nutritional yeast, salt and garlic powder. And how about O-8? In a juicer, combine three carrots, two very ripe tomatoes (or use canned tomatoes with a dash of the juice), one stalk of celery, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 of a beet, three fresh pearl onions or 1/4 of a red onion, 1/4 clove of garlic, and about a golf-ball sized bunch of parsley. If you're sick, just make 4 times the batch (saves dividing all the stuff) and drink it all day. Shake it up with a scant dash of cayenne pepper, if you like.
It's too late for this particular cold, but you might consider keeping a bottle of Heallix on hand. Take a tablespoon (mixed as directed on the bottle) at the first sign of trouble. Miraculous stuff 4 all types and a great number of health problems! Also, start soaking some organic rose hips in some water overnight -- blend, strain & drink daily. You may need more vitamin C -- especially with the LONG winter we're just coming out of.
Let me know if your energy perks up once this cold is history! If not, we can look into other possibilities ~~
thanks for writing, dear. Don't be a stranger, OK? pop me a note on how you're doing! OH! and thank you for your very generous compliment! :-D I'll pass that note to Peter without delay. :-D
Hello, Nandinia! Candida can be difficult to resolve, but you are on the right track with your diet -- you just need some supplemental help. Taking more antibiotic drugs will only do harm and put you back where you were at the beginning. Are you taking PolyFlora-O (the probiotic)? That's the first thing to do, immediately. Second, get hold of the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia and begin the Candida protocols.
You have a wonderful approach to your health, and I know you will succeed in this!! Your body is already beginning to heal -- as your immune system strengthens, your entire health will change for the better. the beginning is the hardest part, when the gut organisms begin re-establishing balance and there is significant die-off and toxicity from the overgrown candida critters. Just start those protocols, and let me know how it's going with you. It will work! Keep striving and shining! thanks for writing, dear!! :-D
I followed this diet for several months now and it works great. I have also read the exercise profile / advice that the book offers. I am a type A and is actively involved in a rough, competitive sport (ice hockey). I know that the plan advises against type A involved in strenuos activities, but... I have invested years of work into improving my game and the sport definitely benefitted my physical well-being and confidence level. It is definitely hard, I cant agrue with that. However, I cannot imagine quitting the game I love so much. Is there an alternative for me? Should I emphasize certain foods that will sustain my energy better? Vito
Hey, Vito! Hockey player, eh? Whoo!! ;-D
Type As can pursue any sport they want to do! The key for you and all competitive A-athletes is to regulate cortisol. You do it in three ways: follow the diet according to the portion/frequency tables found in both Live Right 4 Your Type and the
With a schedule of hard training for a sport, try to ensure that your off-time is spent in calming, peaceful activities. A walk through the park, listening to low-key music, reading a funny book, spending time with quiet friends, playing with a cat or dog. Whatever it is for you, make time for those things that settle you down. Doing this will give you a centered frame of mind, and believe it or not, improve your game!
Enjoy, Vito ~ best of luck with your endeavors ~ and thanks for writing!! :-D
Heidi, WOW!!!! thanks so much for your detailed response to my previous questions. And thank you for the references, especially for Molto Mario's recipes. (I like the food network anyways, so should have fun searching and trying new recipes.) I do have one area that I need clarification on. (Its a numbers thing again...) Portions and frequencies of Grains. In the eat right book, the grains were broken down into 3 different categories, and it seemed like a large amount to be eaten in a week. (not that I thought that was a bad thing!!) Now I am noticing that in Live right, those categories have been condensed into a single category, with 7-9 servings/week for A's? Now I fear I have been eating too many portions! Bread is easy; I count one slice as one portion. For brown rice and oatmeal, how much is a portion? in a previous response you said what could be held in two hands cupped together; for my hands that would be a little bit more than a cup. Do you mean dry or cooked grain? In the book, a portion is one cup dry. Usually when you cook the grain, the volume roughly doubles; on this basis a portion would be 2 cups. Now I don't eat 2 cups of rice at a whack, that would be two filling. But if say over the last week I ate 6 slices of Ezekial bread, and 6 cups cooked oatmeal or rice (ie 3cups dry) would that count up to 9 portions for the week? One more thing; a friend who is in a food coop gave me a small bag of Amaranth (dry). Tiny tiny! Any suggestions on how to prepare amaranth? I was going to try steaming it like I do rice, with a tad of olive oil. cathy
Aw, Cathy, gosh darn it -- you're determined to corner me into the numbers!! My weak suit, dear! :-D
I'd say that since we're all different sizes with different activity levels and varying desire for weight loss, etc., the suggestions for grain portions in LR may be a little too precise. Two slices of bread could be one portion for you, or it may be too much. If the rice is the main ingredient in a dish, it could be one cup (cooked) as the portion -- whatever you'd normally eat at one sitting. If it is a small part of the whole dish, half a cup (cooked) would count as your portion. Yes, you can divide up those portions over a number of days if you prefer the mathematical route, but I think the diet will work best for you if you think of having one serving (of the size you'd eat) of whole grains each day, and adding an extra on a day or two in the week. A teaspoon of flour added to a sauce is something I wouldn't count, but you might do so if it's happier in your plan that way. To give you an example: for my type A man, a portion of bread is two slices, or one big Ezekiel hamburger bun -- but a portion of Scottish oats is 1/4 cup dry, because it's very chewy and filling. You lucky type As have a metabolism well suited to a paucity of food, and you may find you do beautifully on very small portions, perhaps eaten at four or five meals in the day rather than three.
I like to cook whole amaranth in broth. Heat diced onions in a little olive oil and a bit of broth, on medium high until the onions are soft. Add the amaranth, a touch of sea salt, enough broth to just cover, bring to a light boil then take it down to simmer till done. Add a bit of chopped fresh herbs, maybe just parsley, at the end. Sprinkle a few toasted pignoli nuts on it, and you have a very tasty dish. Experiment with it ~ it has a great flavor, and can be adapted to all kinds of uses with a variation in veg & spices used.
Hope this helps, Cathy! It's difficult for me to pinpoint exact quantities for people, but I'm sure you'll work out a system that works perfectly for you! and thanks for your note! :-D
Hi, Heidi! I have a question regarding 'forms' of foods. I understand that processing may concentrate or dilute lectins or other components that can cause a food to change status, but would it be improper to assume that (for the most part) if one form of a food is an avoid (or beneficial), then the other forms should be considered likewise (to a lesser degree)? More specifically, as a type B (secretor unknown, suspect non-secretor based on family and personal history but am not assuming anything ), black/white pepper are considered avoid, but peppercorns are neutral. Should i avoid black and white peppercorns, or all peppercorns, or none? It's a similar situation with rice -- rice bran, rice flour, puffed rice, rice milk, are all beneficial, but rice is neutral. Since the beneficial status is conferred for an agglutinin by TypeBase3, it would seem that rice is perhaps a little better than a neutral, if not possibly beneficial? Thanks for your feedback! matt.
Hi there, Matt! It's commercial ground pepper that is the avoid. Freshly- ground pepper is fine, whether black, white or pink. ;-) Cream of rice and rice bread are neutral, but plain whole-grain rice is Beneficial -- along with puffed rice and bran and so on. I see that we have to correct the database on this count, as you'll see from the Updates Page. If you search for the term "rice," you'll see it was missing from the published version of LR, and should be designated Beneficial. I'll see what I can do to rectify that little problem!
Thanks for writing, Matt, you gave me a good heads-up! Take care, and write again, OK? :-D
dear hiedi, here is a question for AB secretors, it may sound silly but it is important for me. Let me list you all the suplements that I take. 4 your type basics pack, Ara6, Harmonia, bromelain, quercetin and Methyl-12 plus and Proberry3. In the last letter I told you I was diagnose with lumbar stenosis and you recomended quercetin. I would appreciate if you tell me how to take the suplements, how much and in what order, I told you it may sound stupid, but you have being so nice allways, that I take courage and ask anyway. god bless you, Luisa
Luisa, I hope you always feel free to write! I ran across an old quote the other day -- something like, "ask a question and feel like a fool for five minutes; fail to ask the question, and be a fool forever." So there! :-D
This is what I'd do: take 3 Methyl Plus first thing in the morning, alone, followed by a teaspoon of ProBerry3. The bromelain and quercetin can be taken before meals, at the dosage on the bottle. The items in the Basics pack should be taken according to the "therapeutic" level: PolyVite, Phytocal and Deflect can be taken with or after meals; PolyFlora, alone (without food), an hour before sleeping. I'd mix a tablespoon of ARA6 and a teaspoon of Harmonia into a jar, fill with some juice of your choice, and shake it up. You can drink this any time in the day -- maybe as a mid-afternoon snack?
Please keep me posted on your progress, Luisa ~ I look forward to hearing from you! take care, dear ~~ :-D