The Blood Type Diet Cookbook. Lucy Degremont

an illness could assail our body or not. This information does not necessarily mean the illness will develop. It will if the correct conditions are present. It will not if conditions that prevent our genes from expressing that illness are present. Dr Jeffrey S. Bland has written a book about this concept, Genetic Nutritioneering. In a tribute to Dr D’Adamo he says, “It is truly fascinating that medicine is moving from a period of the past one hundred years when disease was considered to be ‘hard wired’ into our genes, to a time when we realize that we can play a role in strengthening our genetic inheritance through our daily living”. The blood type diet does exactly this. “Eat right for your type” and you will strongly reduce your risk of having to deal with the potential health conditions hidden in your genes.

       Digestion

      As you will have read in the previous section, lectins present in the foods you should avoid make their first impact in your digestive system. Digestive complaints such as those associated with irritable bowel syndrome – bloating, gas, pain, spasm, constipation and diarrhoea – are greatly reduced by following the blood type diet, and often disappear. If these complaints persist they are often due to an imbalanced bowel flora. In this case, consider taking a good probiotic supplement. These symptoms can also be caused by the presence of undesirable parasites, bacteria or yeast (candida for example). It may be necessary to check this with your doctor or a reputable diagnostic laboratory if the diet doesn’t lessen or remove your symptoms.

      As previously stated, type Os normally produce enough stomach acid to digest meat. However, if certain conditions occur simultaneously, such as too much stress and eating the wrong foods for your type, your stomach can produce too much acid. You may then suffer from heartburn or stomach ulcers. Following your diet recommendations should clear the condition. If this is not sufficient you may need to try a stress management program and some soothing herbs such as slippery elm, marshmallow or DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice root).

       Weight

      Many of my overweight type O patients have experienced good weight loss results by following the diet and a dynamic exercise program. You needn’t try any of those powders, shakes or pills to lose weight – just eat lean animal protein and plenty of vegetables. Wheat and milk products are largely responsible for weight gain in this blood type. I am living proof of this fact, my blood type being O.

      Another weight loss-promoting habit is to eat a substantial breakfast, a mid-morning snack, a real meal at lunch, a mid-afternoon snack and an early and light dinner. A study has shown that people who ate their last daily meal late in the afternoon, rather than in the evening, lost weight. This was the only change they made in their eating habits.

      Each time you eat make sure you include some form of protein. For breakfast you could have an egg or some fish, as well as some fruit (avoid cereal in any form). For lunch and dinner eat vegetables (cooked and/or raw) with fish, meat or poultry. Snacks should also have some form of protein – try nuts or yogurt (soya or sheep) with fruit. Avoid eating grains and cheese if you wish to lose weight.

      Exercise is very important for this blood type. Vigorous exercise is what you need to get your body burning fat. Type Os have a tendency towards a sluggish metabolism if they do not force themselves through three to four 30-minute sessions of strenuous exercise each week. You will find it gives you a positive outlook on life and enables you to respond better to stress.

       Agathe

      Blood Type O

       Age 9

      I wanted to see a nutritionist because I wanted to lose weight. But mostly I wanted to feel better. In my class nearly everyone weighed 39kg (85lb) and I weighed 10kg (22lb) more. When I saw them I said to myself: “If I could only be like them.”

      I visited a nutritionist with my mother and was given a food list that suited my blood type. When I saw the list I thought I could never do it, but I did it and I felt much better. I had a bowel movement every day, I drank water and I paid attention to what I ate. I felt my tummy was getting smaller and I was less tired. It really helped and I am happy.

       Thyroid

      If you are exercising and following the diet and you still have difficulty losing weight, it is worthwhile checking your thyroid – a weak point for your O system. Hypothyroidism can also be responsible for chronic fatigue, weight gain and difficulty losing weight, depression, low libido, period problems in women, a weak immune system and many more symptoms. Here is an easy test you can do yourself. As soon as you wake up in the morning and before moving about, take your basal metabolic temperature. Place a traditional thermometer (not electronic) in your armpit for 10 minutes, and remain quiet during this time. Follow this procedure at the same time on three consecutive days (menstruating women should do this on days 2, 3 and 4 of their cycle). A temperature below 36.6°C (97.8°F) on three consecutive days most probably indicates low thyroid function.

      Blood tests alone do not always give enough information as to what your thyroid status is. If the blood test indicates low thyroid function, fine. If it is normal according to the lab, then it is necessary to consider your symptoms and your temperature before dismissing low thyroid function. A practitioner who knows about thyroid function would be able to help you determine whether your symptoms point towards low thyroid function. I also recommend Martin Budd’s book Why am I so Tired? He has studied and treated hypothyroid problems for over 20 years.

       Inflammation

      I find that type O patients with joint or muscle pain or any other type of inflammatory condition usually find relief within a few weeks of following the diet. Inflammation is another weak spot in blood type O. This can be largely avoided if you eat the right foods. The culprits are dairy products and grains. I have tested this myself. Many years ago I strained my knee while on a skiing holiday. The resulting pain lasted for several months then disappeared, only to reappear intermittently for no apparent reason. However, since I stopped eating wheat my knee has been fine. If I do make an exception and eat too much dairy produce or grain, then I invariably feel a twinge in my knee again.

       Nathalie

      Blood Type O

       Age 27

      For several months I had been feeling very tired; I also had a persistent tingling feeling in my arms and legs, and my muscles were very weak. A medical examination revealed inflammation in the cervical area of the spinal cord, and I was treated with intravenous cortisol. That took care of the muscular problems. However, I was still very tired, still felt a tingling in my hands and I had a very bad complexion.

      My osteopath recommended that I see a nutritionist. I followed the blood type diet to the letter and within two to three days I felt an improvement. My fatigue, irritability, muscular problems and constipation have now gone. In addition, I have lost the weight I had gained from months of inactivity.

blood type a: general food recommendations

      The hunter-gatherers were forced to migrate when the wild game that was their main food source became scarce. Unfortunately their proficiency at hunting was such that they soon found themselves in the same position in their new lands and they were forced to adapt to new living conditions. A new lifestyle and environment brought with it a new internal environment. Blood type A was born. The new type A man cultivated land and raised animals, and was far more suited to eating the products of his labour – namely grains.

      What you can eat and thrive on today has a lot to do with past conditioning. Of the four blood types, type A is the closest to a vegetarian. Vegetarianism is not recommended for the other three blood groups, due to their inner makeup.

      Your body