What I'm Loving Now

I guess you can say I am a late bloomer.  Even though the diet program “Eat Right 4 Your Type” by Dr. Peter D’Adamo has been out for more than 15 years, I have just discovered this now.  A friend of mine has been hounding me to check it out and I finally took his advice. 

If you are not familiar with this eating plan, the general focus is as the book title suggests:  you will follow a program for your blood type.  So first of all, you need to know what your blood type is.  Most people don’t.  You can always order a Blood Typing Kit from his website to start.  Your blood type is the key to your biochemical uniqueness.  When you eat right for your type, your body responds the way nature intended.  For example:

• Blood Type O thrives on a lean, high protein diet

• Blood Type A thrives on a primarily vegetarian diet

• Blood Type B thrives on a mixed diet of meat, fish and dairy

• Blood Type AB thrives on a modified vegetarian diet

I purchased the Blood Type B (my type) Food, Beverage and Supplement Pocket Guide to start.  What I like about the supplement is that it is small and you can carry it everywhere with you.  It lists the food in categories and divides them into beneficial, neutral and avoid.  So you get a quick idea as to what you should and should not be eating for your blood type.  I was really surprised to find out I was not eating a healthy diet for ME.  Here’s why:  a chemical reaction occurs between your blood and the foods you eat. We know this because of a factor called “lectins”.  Lectins have agglutinating properties that affect your blood.  Protein lectins that are incompatible with my blood type are found in the following foods and they are, therefore, on my “avoid” list:  chicken (horrors), tomatoes, all soy products, wheat, barley, corn and peanuts.  My “beneficial” foods are:  turkey, salmon, most fruits and veggies, eggs and most dairy products, rice, oats and most nuts.  For me, this was not a drastic hardship – just sort of a food substitution.  I think the greatest “aha” moment was discovering how many supplements and protein/nutrition bars contain soy and/or peanuts!! Take a look at your food labels -- I think you will be equally surprised.  However, soy and peanuts might be "beneficial" foods for your blood type so that would be agreeable for you.

I have been eating this way for just about four weeks now and I love it.  I think the biggest change has been getting off the wheat.  It has made my mind sharper, boosted my mood and has eliminated the bloat.  Eating rice products instead of wheat has probably provided the greatest assist in that area.  It has normalized my blood sugar and I don’t experience the cravings I used to get eating wheat products. 

Even though I look at this as more of an eating plan than a diet, you will most likely lose weight on this program.  Your metabolism will adjust to its normal level and you’ll burn calories more efficiently. Your digestive system will process nutrients properly and reduce water retention.  If you are interested in checking it out, access his website:  http://dadamo.com/ which has all his publications listed along with more extensive information about his program.