The Blood Type Diet Cookbook. Lucy Degremont

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      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 likes fish; pulses (legumes) and lentils; tofu; fermented soya products such as tempeh, miso and natto; nuts and seeds; grains; fruit and of course plenty of vegetables. You should avoid cow’s milk products, although it is okay to eat some goat and sheep products. Here is the general outline of what your diet should look like.

       Seafood

      In the animal realm your best choice of foods comes from the sea. As you will read in the section on health issues for type As, you have a higher risk (along with type AB) of cardiovascular disease than Os and Bs. Fish offers protection from this. You can choose from a large selection of suitable fish but should avoid all shellfish. Make sure you regularly eat fatty fish such as mackerel, sardines, trout, salmon, herring etc. When you eat fish limit the quantity because your digestive makeup doesn’t enable you to digest large amounts. However, you should be able to judge this for yourself once you learn to listen to your body’s needs.

       Meat and Poultry

      Your best choices of protein are determined by the fact that your stomach acid levels tend to be low. In order to properly digest animal protein we need ample amounts of hydrochloric acid. You are therefore better off eating only small amounts of chicken, turkey, guinea fowl and deriving most of your protein from soya products and fish. You may also include eggs in your diet. I have noticed that many of my blood type A patients adopted these choices before knowing about the blood type diet. These are usually patients who are already on the way to better health and have discovered by themselves what foods their body prefers. Eating meat will only clog up your system, make you feel sluggish and heavy, and add weight. Lucy (co-writer of this book) is an A, and knows all about this feeling.

       Legumes, Lentils and Soya Products

      Pulses and lentils are another excellent source of protein for this blood group. They provide a good source of complex carbohydrates and fibre. All of the health benefits attributed to legumes apply to you more than to any other blood type. Legumes contain phytosterols and fibre that have cholesterol-lowering and cancer-protective effects (type As have a higher risk of cancer than some other blood types – this is discussed in greater detail on page 23). In addition, legumes encourage good bowel function, which protects against colon cancer and haemorrhoids. Fibre regulates both blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, thereby offering protection against diabetes.

      Soya beans and other legumes have approximately the same qualities. However, soya beans, and hence soya products, have a higher fat content with plenty of essential fatty acids and also a higher protein content with an excellent amino acid profile. Soya is a good source of lecithin, which has been shown to lower cholesterol levels (As are at higher risk of elevated cholesterol) and help the liver and gall bladder function effectively.

      Soya also contains phytoestrogens that exert both a mild estrogenic and anti-estrogenic effect. In other words these compounds have a balancing effect on the hormonal system.

       Robert

      Blood Type A

       Age 56

      It is often under the recommendation of his wife that a man goes to see a nutritionist. Over the years I have increasingly suffered from digestive difficulties and painful joints. My professional life is intense and stressful but also enjoyable.

      As a type A my food plan excluded meat and dairy. This was not easy but I was able to compensate with fish, which I like. After one month, with the help of some supplements, I regained digestive well-being and experienced a notable reduction in the pain in my joints.

      As for the stress issue, I decided to do an adrenal stress test which revealed that my stress hormones, cortisol and DHEA, were high. I was told that since my DHEA was high, this would protect me for a time against the effects of high cortisol. However, I should avoid remaining in this state for too long as this could lead to tired adrenal glands in the end. To reduce my physiological stress response I take herbs and specific nutrients recommended by the nutritionist.

       Grains

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