Eat 4 your type book question (another one!)

pjlippert

Cathlete
So, I finally had a chance to read through the Eat 4 Your Diet book. I had my blood checked and I'm an A-positive. After reading it, the diet seems really, really different than ANYTHING I've ever tried!

For those of you who followed the prescribed diets, did you find it difficult to change your food choices? Did it take you quite a while to get used to what to eat and what not to eat??

I know a few of you had great results, but I can't find the original thread.

Please tell me more about your experience with it.

Thanks!
Pam
 
Pam- I have been following the diet for the past 11 years. I am B+ non-secretor. It was a very easy adjustment for me (as I had digestive issues and this diet helped insantly). I would never go back to eating any avoids. Once you start eating the right foods, you body will tell you when you ingest avoids. I have my whole family on this diet and have "converted" many of my friends (who used to have chronic health issues). I can't praise it enough!

p.s it is good to start with "Eight Right for Your Type" book, but eventually you should get "Live Right for Your Type" (for this you will need to find out your secretor status). Secretor status makes a big difference in foods you can/can't have.

Best of luck!
 
i disagree with some of the diet

my aunt told me about this diet/lifestyle ys ago.us did a refresher check on the website. i'm type 0, but could pretty easily go vegetarian. i feel healthiest when i load up on produce, whole grains, beans...think super foods. i still eat meat, but i think i feel better on less meat. yet i'm a hunter and gatherer. but the stomach acid is true, my whole preg. had acid reflux.
 
Pam, it was not easy at all. I am B and I have to avoid chicken, wheat :eek:, tomatoes, ..... but just like the other person said I had problems with my digestive system and since I avoid the red flag foods I have NO problems. I eat the same, turkey instead of chicken, oat instead of wheat, .... and one thing I know I will never go back to my old eating habits. My energy grew I mean I have triple energy. I do three Cathe workouts every day 6x a week. This never happened before. I am doing this diet for 8 years now and I highly recommend it. I don't know if this whole diet thing is true. You have to avoid a few thing and replace them with other foods and you will also eat clean because you will not find one ingredient list where you can eat all of them. I can eat cottage cheese but can't buy it from the stores because it has something (I don't remember what) that I have to avoid and so on. You will find clean products but they are more expensive so you will have to work a few months to get used to this diet.

Timea
 
So, I finally had a chance to read through the Eat 4 Your Diet book. I had my blood checked and I'm an A-positive. After reading it, the diet seems really, really different than ANYTHING I've ever tried!

For those of you who followed the prescribed diets, did you find it difficult to change your food choices? Did it take you quite a while to get used to what to eat and what not to eat??

I know a few of you had great results, but I can't find the original thread.

Please tell me more about your experience with it.

Thanks!
Pam

Hi Pam,

I've been following this Diet for quite some time now ( I also follow Eat Clean Diet as well ) and I have never felt better. I used to suffer from Anxiety, Asthma, Muscle Tension, Chest tightness, pounding heart, and really achey back quite often too. Believe it or not, since I have started this diet and have been following it the best I can, I have not taken any of my asthma meds, my anxiety, pounding heart, and muscle soreness are gone ! Most of all I have never felt better. It was too hard for me to follow because number one, I already ate clean and really took a liking to quite a few organic foods. I have to avoid wheat , along with Chicken and Pork, BUT I can have dairy ( that made me happy ) and I can also have Turkey , beef, fish ,rice products and all the fruits and veggies that I can take. If I want any bread of any sort I use Ezekiel and keep it to one slice a day. Worst part of the diet that I discovered is that I have to avoid Ice cream and peanut butter. Believe it or not, I used to eat both of them together :eek: THAT was hard to give up, but well worth it. I basically took a few of the sample diet plans and recipes from the ' Cook Right For Your Type ' book and went from there . I customized my own daily plan making sure I just avoid the foods it tells me too.

Guilty indulgences still include wine and candy,,but hey,,I'm only human right ??
I hope you can benefit from it too !!

Morgs
 
Hi everybody!

Thank you for your feedback. Here are some of the things I find kind of challenging about the diet. As a type A I'm to be vegetarian- no problem at all since I was a strict vegetarian for 15 years. So, the Avoid categories of cheese almost made me cry!! :rolleyes: The oils were no problem. I was thrilled to see my friend Peanut Butter & pumpkin seeds on there. It suggests a lot of fish that either we don't get here in CO or if we do, it is not super fresh tasting.

The other really tough area as the Veggies to avoid-many of which are my favs like capers, chili peppers, olives, peppers of all kinds, sauerkraut and tomatoes. Many of the spices I use are in the Neutral category. Super painful were the Avoids in the misc. bevs... I love plain seltzer water with lemon.

I know I could adjust and will give this a try. I'll re-read the part about the Neutral choices and the recommendations more carefully since I just skimmed through them last time.. I'm a pretty creative cook so that will hopefully make it easier.

I think you all have given me the courage to dive on in and see how I feel once I'm on it! bye-bye my BFF (best food forever) cheese! :(:p

Thanks again!
Pam
 
I'm studying for a masters and just finished my first nutrition class. Our final projects were reviews of consumer diets. I didn't do the Blood Type one, but I saw the presentation.

It was the only diet (that was presented) that had no clinical trials or peer-reviewed research. All of the results were anecdotal.

The major concern presented in the report was potential vitamin deficiencies, especially for type A.

I think that if it helps you eat better, go for it, but maybe do a little vitamin tracking for the first weeks/months to make sure you're covered. You may need to modify a little (like having some dairy). Mypramid.gov is a slightly annoying yet free and comprehensive food tool that gives micronutrient reports.

There was just a report a few days ago that calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart attacks, so you really want to get those nutrients from food if you can.

Good luck with your diet!
 
I have not read the Eat 4 Your Type book, however, I have read Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman and have been inspired by his dietary suggestions.

Dr. Fuhrman backs up his recommendations with extensive studies and promotes a vegetarian, nutrient dense diet for everyone. He did a review of the Eat 4 Your Type diet in his book and was concerned about suggestions for increasing consumption of saturated fats and decreasing consumption of nutrient rich plant food for some blood types. He also did extensive research to attempt to find studies to support the Eat 4 Your Type diet and could not find anything that backed up the claims that Dr. D'Adamo was making.

That being said, it is terrific when someone finds a diet that works for them and produces extra energy and a reduction of symptoms from digestive conditions and allergies, etc. I do wonder, however, if these improvements are the results of avoiding foods that many people are sensitive to, such as wheat, dairy and peanuts, rather than because a person has a specific blood type? For example, although I have no allergies, I find that I have more energy, clearer skin and less "puffiness" when I avoid wheat, dairy and peanut products. (Dairy wreaks havoc with my skin - trust me, my ice cream romance this summer left my face less than pretty! :) )

This is just something to think about. I do think that everyone is different and must find what works best for them.

Corrie
 
I'm all for healthy eating but I just dont understand the "science" behind this book. Blood Type boils down to genetics, what type your mother and father are. Two people can have the exact same blood type and be totally opposite as far as health goes and what's nutritionally sound for each person. Whether it really works or not, I have a hard time putting faith into it b/c it makes no sense to me. I need enlightenment!
 
If you go to dadamo.com you can review all of the science there on the diet. The blood type diet over the last 15 years has morphed into a personalized genetic diet. I have been following the diet for 14 years with my family and I have had great success.

I am 50 years old and I follow the O type diet. My cholesterol is great, my blood pressure is even better. My doctor commented that I have the bones of a 20 year old. I never get sick and my skin looks great. Same thing for my kids and my husband.

Dr. D'adamo has designed a personalized diet software where you answer about 50 questions about your health, parents, siblings etc. The software then gives you a personalized diet based on your health concerns and genetic programming. Whereas the ER4YT was more generic, the SWAMI is very specific. It actually gave me a few cheeses I could eat (don't like cheese, oh well) but my list got expanded quite a bit.

I personally think this way of eating is about 20 years ahead of its time, but now Dr. Oz (who interviewed Dr. D last year) is coming out with his own "genetic" diet. Nothing like copycasts.
 
Hi everybody!


The other really tough area as the Veggies to avoid-many of which are my favs like capers, chili peppers, olives, peppers of all kinds, sauerkraut and tomatoes. Many of the spices I use are in the Neutral category. Super painful were the Avoids in the misc. bevs... I love plain seltzer water with lemon.


Thanks again!
Pam

I'm curious, did the book explain why seltzer with lemon is an avoid?
 
I checked out the website, but could not find anything to help me unless I was willing to shell out money. I am going to look for his books in the library because this thread has piqued my interest.

I just had a few question for those of you who do follow this diet:

I did noticed that there was a lot of supplements etc for sale. Are these required or is it possible to follow the diet with real food?

I guess I am not comfortable with any recommendations that lamb might be a superfood for anybody ;) . Is it possible to be vegetarian even if some of the foods for your type are animal based?

I couldn't find references to scientific studies - can someone point me to this part of the website? I really like to understand the science behind dietary theories.

I am considering going back to school to become a dietician/nutritionist, so this subject is very intriguing...

Thanks
Corrie
 
Supplements are not required. The only thing I buy from the site is the Cal supplement, it is a special calcium that strips estrogen out of the liver and bowel. It is the only one that I have found that works. I just eat food and no other supplements. Many of the people who start the diet are quite ill with cancer, diabetes, liver issues and fibromyalgia, so they take supplements to get better faster.

O's are the protein people. Many of the O's were very sick vegetarians when they found the diet. There are great articles on the site about people who finally realized they needed meat to heal. There are some others who are on limited incomes who can't afford a lot of meat so they do more plant based, but they find it takes longer to lose weight or shake off digestive issues.

I grew up with a hunter farmer family and there are ethical ways to treat animals. I buy only from farmers and ranchers that I know treat their animals ethically.


Here is the link on the science, some of it is heavy but pretty interesting:

http://www.dadamo.com/science.htm
 
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Thank you for pointing me in the right direction on the website. Whew! That is some technical stuff! I would certainly need more education before I could even begin to understand the science behind his theories.

I think I will continue to eat mainly vegetarian, using whole foods - I cannot afford to purchase the many products (software, literature, testing, etc.) that I would need. I also know that I tend to obsess about eating the "right" way. Being stressed that I may be harming myself and loved ones by serving the wrong food would not be good for me mentally. Right now we focus on eating real "food, not too much, mostly plants" and limit food that appears to cause issues.

Thanks again
Corrie
 
No matter which blood type you are, I would stay away from wheat and other processed grains and try to use sprouted grains. I get 1/2 serving per day and I usually use brown rice. I also stay away from dairy. Not too hard as I have always disliked milk or cheese of any type. The wheat was different ( I love wheat based products) It was a big struggle until I was able to understand that I needed to fill up on veggies rather than "white death".

I am supposed to eat 7 cups of veggies a day, fish, fowl and red meat at least 2 times per day. I would suggest you need a form of protein that agrees with you whether it is plant based, fish, fowl or red meat. Starchitarian is definitely not the way to go.

You don't need to spend tons of money. I would get the books from the library. The most important ones are Eat Right and Live Right.

Interesting how you know you would obsess about the diet, my youngest son has been away at camp for 2 weeks and has told me he has a raging case eczema from all of the cereal, pancakes and pizza he has had to eat. I just told him we would spend the next couple of weeks concentrating on getting the right foods in him to clear up his skin. He agreed that no wheat or sugar for a while would be the best thing.

My philosophy on this is none of us is getting out of here alive, but I want to stay healthy for a very long time. So rather than spending the final years of my life in a nursing home shuffling from my room to the dining room, I would like to be vibrant and physical, and this diet and exercise are 2 of the things that will allow me to do so.

Jean
 
Hi Jean -

I totally agree with the wheat/dairy advice. I already avoid these two based on lots of research and personal experience. I have eliminated dairy from my 7 yo daughters diet when she was constantly playing with her nose because it was "itchy" and runny and surprise, surprise - she no longer has this issue. I buy sprouted grain breads as I have found that wheat products do not agree with me and cause my skin to break out (same with dairy).

I also base my diet on green and fiber-rich veggies, limiting my starchy carbs to one or two servings a day. I occasionally will have fish or chicken, however I do not have this every day.

I was reading about the lectins (is that the correct word?) in beans and this is one thing that now concerns me. Jean, do you know if there are any general recommendations regarding legumes in this diet? I consume legumes and nuts/seeds quite frequently and wondering if I may be doing more harm than good.

My goal also is to remain active and healthy in my old age. I started my family relatively late - I am 41 with 7 and 4 year old daughters, and I plan to be able to get down on the ground and wrestle with my grandkids!

I will definitely be looking for the books you have listed - thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions and tell me about your experience with this diet.

Corrie
 
All I can say is it has helped a lot of people me included. All one needs to do is check out the actual studies for low fat, high fat, high protein diets and see the posted literature about how studies show those diets only work about 30% of the time.

This leads me to conclude that Dr. D. is onto something with personalized diets and the personalization starts with blood type then morphs into genotype and single nucleotide polymorphisms.

In my early 30's I thought I should try low fat and ended up being fat, tired and with awful skin. Dr. D. gave me the tools to eat a healthy diet for me. My husband eats a vegetarian diet and is healthy as well. Whenever we eat each others' diets we are sick.

The clinical trials are in the works, it will cost about $1.2 - $2.0 mill to do them and they need to be at arms length.

I keep thinking about the Victorian doctors who did not believe they would cause sepsis in patients by not washing their hands. I believe the doctor who did discover the relationship between filthy doctors hands touching women in labor causing sepsis, was harassed by his peers as they would not accept his ideas. It took many years for doctors to understand the relationship of bacteria and viruses on hands to causing sepsis and death in patients.
 

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