# Eat Right 4 Your Type/Blood Type Diet?



## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

I have fibromyalgia, and I've experienced incredible improvements when I've identified and removed food triggers; I'm wondering if this book can help me identify even more triggers and help me experience an even higher level of health. So I got Dr. D'Adamo's book out of the library and I have a lot of questions about it.

I'm quite capable of reading past the author's low fat/high fiber biases; basically ignore the "recomended servings per day/week" and JUST take a look at the food lists (as I know my body and he recomends too little protein and too much fruit and juice, even for the Type O plan.) I can also comfortably ignore his advice to consume soy products as I know that too much soy screws up my cycles.

I have O+ blood, and have lurked on other discussions (on other message boards) about the BTD (blood type diet.) I've noticed that many of the individual foods that don't agree with me (specifically dairy, wheat, and oats) are not recomended for Os. I'm wondering if following the rest of the BTD recomendations for Os would lead to greater health.

But some of the foods Dr. D'Adamo recomends Os avoid are things I eat a lot of. For example, coconut (eeks! How else do I avoid dairy products without resorting to highly processed foods?), coffee (and face the migranes?), cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms, black olives, and avocados (foods I thoroughly enjoy and have become a staple in lowcarb meal planning.)

I'm also confused about the advice to avoid apples and apple cider vinegar (recomended as beneficial sources of malic acid, which helps fibromyalgia) and pickles. I'd heard that naturally fermented foods, such as saurkraut and dill pickles, were beneficial for gut health, so I was trying to include at least one fermented veggie per day. Is this bad for me? Or does Dr. D'Adamo not understand the difference between vinegar-pickled veggies and lacto-fermented veggies?


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## tanyalynn (Jun 5, 2005)

I can't help with the book, but I just ran across a link from a few discussions we're having in the Allergies forum and I thought of you.

This page from Andy Cutler's Amalgam Illness (didn't realize how much was available online)...

http://books.google.com/books?id=ZG9...sult#PPA110,M1

Not sure if you've been in Allergies lately, we've been talking about specific detoxification pathways, chemical pathways the liver uses to get rid of various types of chemicals, and that Cutler says people with fibromyalgia will often feel better if they can increase their methylation pathways. And we're having discussions on how to do this (whoMe is leading the effort). And it mentions that sulfation, another specific detox pathway, is the one that's weak in people who do better on Feingold. So I thought of you.

There are some cliffs notes version of the discussion (it's somewhat disjointed, I admit) here:

http://heal-thyself.ning.com/forum

But you can also just start a thread in Allergies and get pointers to where we've already discussed stuff or the outside links people have found helpful already.


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## kjbrown92 (Dec 13, 2007)

I looked at the book in the fall and it was completely opposite for my kids' food intolerances so I didn't buy into it. Also, if it's because of genetics and where you come from, then how did my family growing up have one of each? My father was A- and my mother was B-, and my brothers and I were AB-, O-, and A-. Everyone would have had to eat something totally different. It just wouldn't have made sense. I also looked at the health issues associated with each blood type, and again, it just didn't match up with anyone I knew. My brother has been on the diet for 2-3 years and thinks it's wonderful. It doesn't hurt to try though. I just couldn't make it work with our food restrictions.


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## countrymom (Aug 27, 2002)

I borrowed if from the library when it 1st came out--hopeful it would ring true--but I found it didn't mesh with what I knew already--so I never gave it much thought again. I'd be interested to know if someone has had luck & benefited from it.


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## CookiePie (Jan 9, 2009)

http://www.earthsave.org/news/bloodtyp.htm


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## o'smom (Nov 20, 2001)

I have the book and I'm also a type O. For me I've found that some of it holds true, some doesn't. I love avocados, for example, and feel totally fine with them - even eating 2 in one sitting - and yet, they're supposedly not good for Os. Anyway, I think your blood type is just one component of your overall nutritional profile - what works for your body is influenced by many different factors. I used the Blood Type book as a bit of a testing guide. I've tried foods on the "good" and the "avoid" to see how my body responds.


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## EnviroBecca (Jun 5, 2002)

I think it's total crap. Sure, different people thrive on different diets, but the idea that it's all determined by blood type is wacky. My brother and I both are O+ and eat very differently. My partner is B+, and he and I have almost the same feel-good and feel-bad foods. I don't fit the book's O profile at all; I barely notice if I eat no meat at all for weeks, and beans and oats give me no trouble.


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## hummingmom (Apr 18, 2008)

I'm also type O, and did feel remarkably happy and energetic when I followed the BTD strictly, which I did -- on and off -- for several years. On the down side, I was hungry most of the time, and couldn't handle sugar very well. In hindsight, I agree that the type O diet (as described in ER4YT) is far too low in fats, especially animal fats. This might be a result of Peter D'Adamo's naturopathic training at Bastyr University; from what I've heard, they're very much into vegetarianism, soy products, and low-fat diets. By the standards of that culture, he was being pretty controversial just by recommending red meat in the first place.

Anyway, his book was the first thing that really helped with my health problems (many years ago), and, for all its limitations, I still think the diet has some value. For instance, the basic type O meal of beef or lamb, sweet potatoes, and Swiss chard or kale, always leaves me feeling great.







I also do well with red peppers, but not with the other nightshades, just as he says. So, if you have access to the book, I'd suggest trying the BTD to see if it has anything to offer you. It isn't particularly expensive, nor does it require any special food preparation techniques (which is a big plus for me, having done raw, NT, SCD, etc.).

To be honest, I'd like to go back on the BTD, but can't bring myself to give up cow's dairy. It seems to be the only thing that helps me to feel full and keep enough weight on. And besides, I just enjoy it too much.







:

BTW, Peter D'Adamo is now promoting a new diet/lifestyle theory, which goes beyond blood type and incorporates other genetic and epigenetic markers. I came across the book recently and skimmed through it. The categories were pretty confusing, and I wasn't convinced overall; it seemed like kind of an arbitrary mishmash of ideas.







The blood type diet is a much simpler concept, and it has quite a long history. His father James actually came up with it, and it's been used clinically for decades. (Interestingly enough, the elder D'Adamo -- who used to stay out of the spotlight -- is now actively promoting his own practice, which includes the BTD.)


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## hummingmom (Apr 18, 2008)

Hmm... I just looked up James D'Adamo on Amazon, and the sample pages from his 1980 book (One Man's Food is Another Man's Poison) say that raw cow's milk is okay for type O! There were some other differences, too. He has a more extensive section on supplements, and he gives instructions for transitioning to the diet gradually, over several months. And I liked his writing style better.

Anyway, I've ordered it -- along with his 1989 book -- and will let you know what he has to say.


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## TopazBlueMama (Nov 23, 2002)

If you are going to look into it, then definately use his new book, the Genotype Diet, which includes his research that involves more than just blood type.


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## hummingmom (Apr 18, 2008)

Based on what Dr. D'Adamo has said, the Genotype Diet isn't supposed to replace the BTD, at least not for everyone. The new diet is more geared toward weight loss and longevity, whereas the old diet is more geared toward resolving health problems. There's a thingamajig here that will recommend one or the other, based on your personal and family health history. There's a good chance that someone with fibromyalgia and known food sensitivities would be advised to stick with the BTD.

It turns out that for $16, you can get the Genotype Diet book mailed to you, and also have two weeks' use of genotypediet.com (which is fee-based). DH thought that this was worth trying, given how much ER4YT helped me in the past, so I'm "in" as of last night. According to the calculator on the web site, I'm a Hunter, which seems to be very similar to plain old type O. DH is also an O, but based on his personality and build, I suspect he's more of a Gatherer type. As soon as I can nab him, he'll be subjected to the tape measure tests.









So far, though, I'm no more impressed with the web site than I was with the book. His lists of recommended "superfoods" contain a lot of very unusual foods that would be impractical for most of us to obtain (rowal, canistel, mamey sapote, sago palm fruit), and the overall plans seem no better, nutritionally speaking than the ones in ER4YT. This piece of advice for Hunters seems particularly wrong-headed:

_"Don't choose foods that: Are high in "bad" fats. Saturated fat (found in whole milk and fatty meats) and trans fats (found in shortening and commercial baked goods) are the "bad" fats that increase inflammation and can cause damage to your arteries._










Never mind that he's equating natural fats (as found in breast milk) with unnatural, man-made ones (as found in Hostess snack cakes), which is ridiculous in itself. What I want to know is, what on earth does he think that "hunters" typically did with the meat they hunted, some of which was very fatty? Does he think they threw the fat away, and then went out and bought a big can of extra-virgin olive oil to cook their stew with?

Too strange...


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## Metasequoia (Jun 7, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *hummingmom* 
I This might be a result of Peter D'Adamo's naturopathic training at Bastyr University; from what I've heard, they're very much into vegetarianism, soy products, and low-fat diets. By the standards of that culture, he was being pretty controversial just by recommending red meat in the first place.

My ND went to Bastyr too & he's a member of the Price-Pottenger Foundation & WAPF.







He's younger than D'Adamo though....

I felt like the Type O section described me fairly well - the recommended foods were fairly spot on - especially the need to avoid wheat products. Pork products are a no-no for Type Os & allergy testing did show that I reacted fairly strongly to them (but I can't stop eating bacon.














Tomatoes, which caused the strongest reaction in allergy testing, were listed as neutral.

But yea, I can overlook the "bad" fats baloney...

I don't know, I don't follow it to a T, obviously since I eat bacon....and loads of raw dairy - but I do think he's on to something.


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## Pinky Tuscadero (Jul 5, 2003)

My cousin, who has been following this diet (for the most part) for several years now, asked what I thought of it, from a TF point of view. I found a review of the book on the WAPF website which seems pretty thorough. It can be found here:
http://westonaprice.org/bookreviews/eat_right.html


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## hummingmom (Apr 18, 2008)

WAPF doesn't necessarily = TF, though. Many of their own recommendations seem to be based on theories and overgeneralizations, like their constant promotion of coconut oil, which hardly seems traditional for those of us whose ancestors didn't live near a coconut grove. I can't tolerate CO even after years of trying, and I know of many other TFers in the same situation. I'm not sure if it's as bad as D'Adamo suggests (he lists it as an "avoid" for nearly everyone), but I don't think it's some kind of universal miracle food, either.

I found it interesting that the reviewer from WAPF, Sally Eauclaire Osborne, cites Adelle Davis and Linda Clark as authorities. While I admire Adelle Davis for her role as a pioneer in the natural foods movement, I think she was wrong about some important things; e.g., she recommended large doses of refined vitamin supplements for all sorts of conditions, and was fond of adding soy flour and wheat germ willy-nilly to her recipes.







It seems as if she tended toward a lightweight reading of the available literature, both alternative and mainstream. Same goes for Linda Clark; her books seem okay as a popular introduction, but not really as an authoritative reference. They might be right about the subject in question (low HCl as a cause of digestive problems), but I don't know why Ms. Osborne chose to cite them in particular, and it kind of makes me take her less seriously.









BTW, Peter D'Adamo has a response to the review; you can read it here.


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## samy23 (Jul 23, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *hummingmom* 
_"Don't choose foods that: Are high in "bad" fats. Saturated fat (found in whole milk and fatty meats) and trans fats (found in shortening and commercial baked goods) are the "bad" fats that increase inflammation and can cause damage to your arteries._

They did used to say too much animal fat was bad for us, so what he says does hold true according to health professionals. Maybe they have changed their mind about it since I read up on it, but a lot of fat in whatever form isn't good for the arteries.

Isn't all we need in the omega 3 and 6 fats?

I've not heard of this Blood Type Diet, sounds strange to me, and would be difficult considering families have different blood types you would have to cook different meals for everyone all the time...geez


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## Ms. B. Sprout (Nov 30, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *samy23* 
They did used to say too much animal fat was bad for us, so what he says does hold true according to health professionals. Maybe they have changed their mind about it since I read up on it, but a lot of fat in whatever form isn't good for the arteries.

Isn't all we need in the omega 3 and 6 fats?

I've not heard of this Blood Type Diet, sounds strange to me, and would be difficult considering families have different blood types you would have to cook different meals for everyone all the time...geez

The thing is, there's a relatively strong case to be made that the professionals have been wrong about fat for a long, long time.

Read this for more info.









ETA: This is another article on this topic that I like -- it describes the situation as an "informational cascade." It's an interesting idea.


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## YinYang (Apr 3, 2006)

I'm slowly incorporating this concept. My stepmother recommended it and swears by it. What I found completely shocking is that for once a major gut instinct of mine has been confirmed (please no screaming







)...
Even though I have been vegan, raw vegan, vegetarian and non my whole life... when I am sick and not feeling well, I CRAVE CRAVE CRAVE steak. A lean piece of medium rare steak will take me from weak and feeble to alert and strong. I've never been able to understand this and up until now everyone did think I was crazy (maybe still) but when I read the hunter concept and saw beef as a 'medicine', it just felt 'right.'

I am going to try it out for awhile and see how it goes. While I have no nutritional concerns now, I'm happy to follow this for awhile and see where it goes. I'm slowly incorporating more beef and halibut in my diet and freely chopping up kale into everything!


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