The Blood Type Diet Cookbook. Lucy Degremont

      Meat is a good food for you and you digest it well. Your best choices are lamb, mutton, rabbit and venison. In our recipes you will find out how to prepare venison – it is the most natural of all meats because these animals live in the wild. You need to avoid chicken as it contains a damaging lectin for your system. You may eat turkey and pheasant (during the hunting season) as well as beef and veal. Your body also has the necessary enzymes to deal with the fats in these foods so do not worry about eating some saturated fat.

       Seafood

      Fish is another good source of protein for type B, although some are to be avoided – such as anchovy, sea bass and smoked salmon. Make it a point to eat fatty fish (mackerel, sardines, fresh salmon, tuna, herring) that contain beneficial omega-3 oils. Shellfish is definitely not for you because of the presence of lectins that act against your B makeup.

       Milk Products

      When it comes to milk, cheese and yogurt you are the lucky one. You may use dairy products as a source of protein, but if you are prone to respiratory infections or problems with excess mucus formation avoid these foods for some time as they encourage these problems. If your body is not accustomed to dairy products, start slowly. You may need to add the digestive enzyme lactase in capsule form and start with predigested forms of milk products, such as yogurt and kefir.

      As you will see in the section on health issues for your type, your immune system needs special care. Research has shown that yogurt can stimulate different aspects of immunity, enabling your system to fight against bacteria and viruses.

       Marie

      Blood Type B

       Age 43

      For many years I had been carrying around chronic fatigue like a millstone around my neck, despite eating organic food and taking supplements. For two years premenstrual problems have been plaguing me for 4–5 days each month. Since starting the blood type diet some months ago and changing my supplements, I no longer suffer from premenstrual syndrome and my need for daily afternoon naps has almost disappeared.

       Legumes

      With a few notable exceptions, these are another good source of protein for type Bs. You may eat a portion of legumes nearly every day. They are a source of fibre that encourages good bowel function and helps regulate blood sugar levels. Avoid lentils. In addition, soya beans and soya bean products are not really for you. For various reasons they react negatively with your system. I have noticed many of my B patients naturally avoid them.

       Grains

      Grains are a concentrated source of carbohydrate, and type Bs need to watch their consumption of grains and carbohydrates in general. Wheat, corn, buckwheat and rye should be avoided by this blood type. They contain lectins that block insulin activity, thereby disrupting the way sugar is metabolized in the body. Instead of sugar being used for energy it can be stored as fat and cause weight gain. Also, this excess of sugar in the blood can form elevated levels of a type of blood lipids called triglycerides that are also a risk factor for heart disease.

      This doesn’t bar you from eating all grains. Try spelt instead of wheat. This ancient grain can replace wheat in nearly every circumstance: pies, cakes, breads, pasta etc. Rice and oats are also very good for you. You may eat sprouted grains. The best source is Essene bread (also called sprouted wheat bread). Although it is made with wheat, sprouting destroys the lectins that normally should be avoided. For more information on Essene bread see page 10.

       Nuts, Seeds and their Oils

      In our diet we lack one family of oils called omega-3 fatty acids. These are found in walnuts and flaxseeds (linseeds). It is important to regularly incorporate these seeds in your diet. Walnut and flaxseed oils are very prone to rancidity because the omega-3 fatty acids they contain are very fragile and can easily suffer from oxidation. Buy from a reputable manufacturer, keep these oils in the refrigerator and use within six weeks of opening.

      There are quite a lot of commonly eaten nuts and seeds that type Bs need to avoid, mainly because of the agglutinating lectins they contain. Avoid peanuts, cashews, pine nuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. Avoid all oils made with these nuts and seeds including canola, soy and corn. You can enjoy walnuts, linseeds, almonds, brazil nuts, pecans and macadamia nuts. The best cooking oil is olive oil and for salads choose flaxseed, walnut and olive oil.

       Fats and Oils

      Nuts and seeds contain some essential fats, and because these fatty acids are “essential” a deficiency can greatly compromise our health. Up until about 50 years ago nuts and seeds were cold pressed in local mills, where people would regularly buy a fresh supply. Today, refined oils are the norm. These may last a long time in the bottle but they have little of the health-giving qualities of cold pressed oils and can have a detrimental effect on health.

      It would take many, many pages to write about all the health benefits of fats and oils. Suffice it to say that every cell in the body, in order to function properly, needs the right fatty acids. And given that our cells are what make up our tissues, our organs and ultimately our bodies, should we not be giving them the best possible sustenance? If at all possible avoid industry-made oils and use the best quality cold pressed oils you can find – buy from a reputable manufacturer, keep the oil in the refrigerator and use within six weeks of opening. France is walnut country and cold pressed walnut oil can be easily found. I regularly recommend eating walnuts and using walnut oil in salads. Many people use olive oil in salads but it does not contain essential fatty acids.

       Vegetables

      All blood groups benefit from eating plenty of vegetables. Along with fruits, they are the basis of a healthy diet. Ensure they are as fresh as possible and eat them every day for lunch and dinner – raw or cooked, juiced, in salads, in soup – and as a snack. In the recipe section you will read about the tremendous benefits of eating these health-giving plants.

      Green leafy vegetables such as kale, spring cabbage, spring greens (collards), turnip greens and dandelion leaves should be a regular part of your diet as they contain high levels of carotenoids and magnesium. Avoid tomatoes as they contain a lectin that is detrimental to the type B system. Corn should also be avoided.

      Magnesium is a mineral you should be regularly obtaining through your diet. It is needed in high amounts in times of stress. Milk and cheese both contain magnesium, as well as calcium. Kale, however, contains about the same amount of calcium as milk but three times as much magnesium – yet another reason not to overlook those green leafy vegetables.

      As a type B your immune system can be your weak point. Protect yourself against bacterial and viral infections by eating large helpings of vegetables. Garlic, maitake and shiitake mushrooms have been shown to boost immunity and you can also find them in capsule form.

       Fruits

      You may eat just about all fruits available. Vegetables and fruits are similar in their nutrient content and are our best source of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants. Fruits generally have less minerals and a higher sugar content than vegetables. However, the sugar comes in the form of fructose, which raises blood sugar levels much less rapidly than sucrose – the sugar found in table sugar and refined carbohydrates such as white flour. This is an important difference. Fruit can help maintain balanced energy levels, while refined sugars can make them fluctuate wildly.

      If you wish to lose weight eat a piece of fruit 30 minutes before your meals. This practice has been shown to moderate appetite and encourage weight loss. However, if