Eat Right 4 Your Type

I've been reading "Eat Right For Your Type" by Dr. Peter DÁdamo and it has some interesting advice regarding food choices, exercise, and how to deal with stress based on a person's blood type. 


At first, I was like, "Me? A meat eater?" I mean, I'm not vegetarian but I'm certainly not a meat lover either. As I read though, I began to ease up. I do enjoy fish, and all the fish I eat is listed in the allowed or beneficial columns. Something else he stressed was that the meat should be grass-fed and organic but I'm not too concerned about that at this point. 


Then I got to dairy. Minimal to restrictive dairy? I balked. 


Then nuts. Peanut butter acts as a poison to my blood type? WTH? 


And then finally in beverages. Steer clear of coffee and beer. Oh I was reeling by that point. I was fighting this logic. I've been drinking and eating those things for years with no problems! 


I didn't feel like doing the research to validate or refute his claims though. Then I got to the 'Common Questions' portion of the book. Basically, the level of intensity recommended for following this diet is in relation to how you feel. As long as I am not always tired, having indigestion, experiencing insomnia, noticing a lack of concentration, always feeling cold, or experiencing muscle and joint pain then I'm basically okay. Or if I start having medical problems (high cholesterol?). 


At this time, my only real symptom of my current diet is the high cholesterol. So while I will try to incorporate some of these guidelines into my diet, I don't think I'm to a point yet where I need to be strict about it. Should I eat cheese or yogurt every day? No. But I don't think the occasional casserole with cheese or the dish with cream sauce is going to break the bank at this point.


The exercise portion indicated that Type Os benefit from strenuous exercise and use physical exertion to relieve stress. Bingo! 

I copied a chart that someone online put together which hits the highlights of the food portion for Type Os.

Each of the food groups are divided into three categories: Highly beneficial ( food that acts like Medicine), Foods allowed (food that are no harm to the blood type) and Foods not allowed (food that acts like a Poison)

Characteristics of Type O - Best on High Protein Diet
Thrive on intense physical exercise and animal proteins Do not do well with dairy and grain products Hardy digestive tract The leading factor in weight gain for Type Os is the gluten found in wheat germ and whole wheat products. Type O have a tendency to have low levels of thyroid hormone and unstable thyroid functions, which cause metabolic problems and weight gain. Type O have high stomach-acid content, can digest meat easily.
	Comments	Most Beneficial	Food allowed	Food not allowed
Protein	The more stressful your job or demanding your exercise program, the higher the grade of protein you should eat	Beef, Lam, Mutton, Veal, Venison
	Type Os can efficiently digest and metabolize meats		Any meat except for those listed not allowed	Bacon, Ham, Goose, Pork
	Cold-water fish are excellent for Type Os. Many seafoods are also excellent sources of iodine, which regulates the thyroid function.	Cod, herring, Mackerel	Any fish or seafood except for those listed not allowed	Barracuda, Pickled herring, Catfish, Smoked salmon, Caviar, Octopus, Conch
Dairy	Type Os need to severely restrict the use of dairy products and eggs		Butter, Farmer, Feta, Mozzarella, Goat cheese, Soy Milk	All other dairy products and yogurts
Fat	Type Os respond well to oils	Olive Oil, Flaxseed oil	Canola oil, Sesame Oil	Corn oil, Peanut oil, Cottonseed oil, Safflower oil
Nuts	These foods should in no way take the place of high-protein meats, and they are high in fat especially if you are overweight.	Pumpkin seeds, Walnuts	All kinds except those listed not allowed	Brazil, Cashew, Peanut, Pistachios, Poppy Seeds
Beans	Type Os don't utilize beans particularly well. They tend to make muscle tissue slightly less acidic and inhibit the metabolism of other nutrients.	Aduke beans, Azuki beans, Pinto beans, Black-eyed peas	All kinds except those listed not allowed	Beans - copper, kidney, navy, tamarine. Lentils - domestic, green, red.
Grains	Type Os do not tolerate whole wheat products at all.	Essene Bread, Ezekiel Bread	Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat, Rice, Kamut, Kasha, Millet, Rye, Spelt	Corn, Gluten, Graham, Wheat (Bulgur, Durum, Sprouted, white and whole, Germ and Bran) farina, Oat, Seven-grains, or any products such as flour, bread and noodles made with these grain products
Vegetables	These vegetables inhibit the thyroid function for Type Os			Brassica family: Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mustard greens
	These vegetables help blood clot, Type Os lack several clotting fractors and need vitamin K to assist in the process	Kale, collard greens, romaine lettuce, broccoli, spinach
	These vegetables irritate the digestive tract and the high mold count can aggravate Type O hypersensitivity problems.			Alfalfa sprouts, shiitake mushrooms, fermented olives
	These vegetables can cause arthritic conditions in Type Os			Nightshades: eggplant, potatoes
	This vegetable affect the production of insulin, often lead to obesity and diabetes for the Type Os.			Corn
	This fruit agglutinate all blood types but Type Os.		Tomatoes
		Artichoke, Chicory, Dandelion, Garlic, Horseradish, Kale, Leek, Okra, Onions, Parsley, Parsnips, Red Peppers, Sweet potatoes, Pumpkin, seaweed, turnips	All kinds except those listed not allowed	avocado
Fruits	Dark red, blue and purple fruits tend to cause an alkaline reaction the digestive tract, and therefore balance the high acidity of the Type Os digestive tract to reduce ulcers and irritations of the stomach lining.	Plums, prunes, figs
	These fruits contain high mold counts which can aggravate Type Os hypersensitivity problems (allergies)			Melons, cantaloupe, honeydew
	These fruits are high in acid content which may irritate the acidic stomach of Type Os		Grapefruit, most berries	Oranges, tangerines and strawberries, blackberries, Rhubarb
	Fruits are not only an important source of fiber, minerals and vitamins, but they can be an excellent alternative to bread and pasta for Type Os		All kinds except those listed not allowed
	Type Os are extremely sensitive to this fruit.			coconut and coconut-containing products
Spices	Rich source of Iodine to regulate the thyroid gland	Kelp-based seasonings, iodized salt
	Soothing to the digestive tracts of Type Os	Parsley, curry, cayenne pepper
	Irritants to the Type O stomach			White and black pepper, vinegar, capers, cinnamon, Cornstarch, Corn syrup, Nutmeg, Vanilla
Condiments			chocolate, honey, cocao	Ketchup, pickles, mayonnaise, relish
Beverages		Seltzer water, Club soda and tea	Wine	Beer, Coffee, Distilled liquor, Black Tea