Over the years I figured out that I've had a constant issue with inflammation in my body. As I learned through my research, inflammation causes a heap of trouble if it remains unchecked. I have tried various supplements with limited success. I can say that my gluten, dairy, and soy free diet has helped but hasn't eliminated the problem.
I recently began researching the Blood Type Diet. I know there is a bit of controversy about this diet, as there seems to be about each and every diet known to man! I know the author believes in evolution and feels the blood types are related to evolution. I am a creationist, but I do believe that adaptation has taken place over the years. For example, Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo, the author of Eat Right for Your Type, believes that Type A blood was the first blood type, then suddenly Type O came on the scene, and Type A basically disappeared for awhile, reappearing many years later when mankind began growing their own foods. He explains this through evolution. However, I believe that even from a creationist viewpoint this could be possible. Type A's thrive on a vegetarian diet and are in need of foods that are as pure as possible. They are sensitive to food additives and chemicals. I could see the first humans being Type A as the Bible clearly demonstrates that Adam and Eve were vegan. I could also see that after the flood the Bible states that God told Noah and his family to eat meat. I can believe that as a result of the flood wiping out vegetation, it would be necessary for humans to eat meat. It is conceivable that at that point perhaps Noah's future generations had some changes, adaptations, to be able to handle their new diet. Perhaps even before the flood, some humans were eating meat as the Word states that mankind was evil and living against God's plan. Perhaps there had already been some adapting taking place, with Type O showing up in the population. Perhaps even Noah and his family were already Type O but were eating vegetarian because Noah was a righteous man and followed God's orders. After the flood, I could see more adaptations and variations coming on the scene by regions, depending on the diets of those regions. I'm sure as some regions developed agriculture and started growing their own foods that Type A blood could have shown up in the population once more. I do believe this kind of adaptation may be supported by science, and the process can be understood this way by creationists, rather than throwing out the baby with the bathwater simply because D'Adamo believes in evolution.
Anyway, this diet was intriguing to me because a lot of foods I have noticed over the years that bother me were on the "Avoid" list for my blood type, Type A. I am extremely sensitive to the effects of foods, additives, and chemicals around me, and I'm fairly good at figuring out which ones bother me. According to D'Adamo, people who have Type A blood are extra sensitive to the very things I have noticed I am sensitive to. I have had friends (skeptics) ask me how I can tell that an additive bothers me or causes inflammation, and all I could really say was that I just could. Maybe it was that I was extra stiff the next day or had stronger pain. Maybe my stomach felt tense, or maybe that particular food just seemed to sit like a rock and not move. I found it relieving to read a book that seemed to know just how my body worked. Needless to say, I decided to try the diet.
My 14-year old daughter decided to try it with me as she also was having issues with digestion, bloating, allergies, fatigue, etc. She was pleasantly surprised to find she also is a Type A, as is my oldest daughter who struggles with digestion and has other issues similar to mine. She also decided to attempt the same journey with this diet.
It has been a month since starting, and I have to say I've noticed a big decrease in my pain levels, to the point that I am no longer taking the natural anti-inflammatory on a daily basis that I was taking multiple times a day. In fact, I think I have only taken that supplement maybe 4 times over the last month. I have also lost a few pounds. When I cheat, and you know I do, I notice a marked increase of pain and inflammation the next day, particularly when I have eaten tomatoes and peppers, and if I cheat too much I start to gain a pound or two back. I had learned in the past that nightshades may cause pain and inflammation for some people, but I never wanted to believe it was the case with me. I like tomato products, peppers, and I love potatoes!
I will say I'm struggling with coming up with varied meals. I haven't been a big meat eater for many years anyway. I noticed years ago that pork and beef were a struggle for me to digest. Giving those up hasn't been an issue. However, this diet isn't that cut and dried. D'Adamo notes that lectins in foods cause a certain reaction in different blood types, and over the years he has figured out which lectins cause problems for which people. Unfortunately, this means that I can't just go vegetarian. I don't even have to go vegetarian, as fish, chicken, and turkey are fine for me to have. However, there are more specifics. For example, I can have tuna, cod, salmon, and sardines (among a long list of fish I can have), but I can't have halibut, flounder, haddock (among another list of seafood) because the specific lectins in those fish cause a negative reaction in my body. It is the same for all types of food, vegetables, fruit, grains, etc. Since I have never been a big fish eater, I haven't really learned how to cook fish. I haven't developed an appreciation for the taste of most fish. Fish is supposed to be absolutely wonderful for my type. I'm trying to like it. Really. I. Am.
Speaking of cooking, all of my recipes contain some ingredients that are on the Avoid (Poison) list for my type. I want to make meatloaf? Great! I can sub ground turkey for the beef, but, wait! I use ketchup and worcestershire sauce in my meatloaf. What do I substitute for those? I want noodles? Ok. How do I make a sauce that doesn't contain tomatoes or peppers? Tacos? Yum! I can sub ground turkey or just beans, but there's all kinds of pepper in the seasoning and tomatoes and peppers in the salsa. UGGH!!
Ok. Before you think this diet is absolutely unworkable and not worth it, I want to say that having pain relief is a huge plus, as is losing the indigestion I have dealt with for my entire life. The possibility of losing weight is a plus, though it may take time as Type A's tend to lose weight more slowly than other types. These improvements I have noticed even as I admit I have not done the greatest job of sticking to this diet. I am positive that if I stuck to it strictly I would lose all kinds of weight, even if I ate a lot of food. My plan (or theory): slowly come up with acceptable recipes that we love, and over time we will inch closer and closer to making this diet a lifestyle.
I haven't even mentioned the improvements my youngest daughter has seen. Her bloated belly has gone to nice and flat. The dark shiners under her eyes have greatly diminished. Her fatigue is gone. She hasn't complained of nausea or stomach pains in the last month! She actually came to me and thanked me for teaching her about this diet, and she has been better than I have about following it. She takes a salad to school every day and has been careful with breakfast and dinner at home.
Now let's talk a bit about another complication. My middle son decided to try things out a little, not 100%. He happens to be a Type O. This blood type thrives on meat! Beef is like medicine to him. Thank God he can also eat chicken, turkey, and fish. Other than the meat aspect, his diet looks similar in that many of the veggies and fruits overlap. However, there are also differences. My oldest daughter and her husband are facing the same issue. She is Type A, and he is Type O. What is the answer to this dilemma? I know! I took several evenings and typed up detailed shopping lists for both blood types. I printed them out and highlighted all the similarities with green. Now to sit down and figure out recipes that I can make that will work for both. It really shouldn't be too difficult to make a separate meat dish, and then make the same sides for everyone. I don't know. What do you think?
My husband thinks he's a type B. He's going to test himself in the next day or so. If he is a Type B, that is going to complicate things. I'm not ready for that. Type B thrives on dairy and has many opposites to the Type A and some to the Type O diet. Type B can't have chicken! Sigh.
Well, I think I'm going to work on mastering the Type A and Type O before I go all out and incorporate Type B. I will be posting some meal ideas and possibly recipes as I go on this adventure, and I'll update you all on how we are doing with this. Honestly, I don't see our youngest daughter and I ever going back to how we ate before. Whether or not we fully adopt this diet plan into our family, will be determined over the coming months, I suppose. This whole subject has given new meaning or added dimension to "Life is in the Blood." I have been thinking about this quite a bit over the last month.
What about you? Have you ever heard of the Blood Type Diet? Have you actually tried following it for any length of time? What is your type?
I recently began researching the Blood Type Diet. I know there is a bit of controversy about this diet, as there seems to be about each and every diet known to man! I know the author believes in evolution and feels the blood types are related to evolution. I am a creationist, but I do believe that adaptation has taken place over the years. For example, Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo, the author of Eat Right for Your Type, believes that Type A blood was the first blood type, then suddenly Type O came on the scene, and Type A basically disappeared for awhile, reappearing many years later when mankind began growing their own foods. He explains this through evolution. However, I believe that even from a creationist viewpoint this could be possible. Type A's thrive on a vegetarian diet and are in need of foods that are as pure as possible. They are sensitive to food additives and chemicals. I could see the first humans being Type A as the Bible clearly demonstrates that Adam and Eve were vegan. I could also see that after the flood the Bible states that God told Noah and his family to eat meat. I can believe that as a result of the flood wiping out vegetation, it would be necessary for humans to eat meat. It is conceivable that at that point perhaps Noah's future generations had some changes, adaptations, to be able to handle their new diet. Perhaps even before the flood, some humans were eating meat as the Word states that mankind was evil and living against God's plan. Perhaps there had already been some adapting taking place, with Type O showing up in the population. Perhaps even Noah and his family were already Type O but were eating vegetarian because Noah was a righteous man and followed God's orders. After the flood, I could see more adaptations and variations coming on the scene by regions, depending on the diets of those regions. I'm sure as some regions developed agriculture and started growing their own foods that Type A blood could have shown up in the population once more. I do believe this kind of adaptation may be supported by science, and the process can be understood this way by creationists, rather than throwing out the baby with the bathwater simply because D'Adamo believes in evolution.
Anyway, this diet was intriguing to me because a lot of foods I have noticed over the years that bother me were on the "Avoid" list for my blood type, Type A. I am extremely sensitive to the effects of foods, additives, and chemicals around me, and I'm fairly good at figuring out which ones bother me. According to D'Adamo, people who have Type A blood are extra sensitive to the very things I have noticed I am sensitive to. I have had friends (skeptics) ask me how I can tell that an additive bothers me or causes inflammation, and all I could really say was that I just could. Maybe it was that I was extra stiff the next day or had stronger pain. Maybe my stomach felt tense, or maybe that particular food just seemed to sit like a rock and not move. I found it relieving to read a book that seemed to know just how my body worked. Needless to say, I decided to try the diet.
My 14-year old daughter decided to try it with me as she also was having issues with digestion, bloating, allergies, fatigue, etc. She was pleasantly surprised to find she also is a Type A, as is my oldest daughter who struggles with digestion and has other issues similar to mine. She also decided to attempt the same journey with this diet.
It has been a month since starting, and I have to say I've noticed a big decrease in my pain levels, to the point that I am no longer taking the natural anti-inflammatory on a daily basis that I was taking multiple times a day. In fact, I think I have only taken that supplement maybe 4 times over the last month. I have also lost a few pounds. When I cheat, and you know I do, I notice a marked increase of pain and inflammation the next day, particularly when I have eaten tomatoes and peppers, and if I cheat too much I start to gain a pound or two back. I had learned in the past that nightshades may cause pain and inflammation for some people, but I never wanted to believe it was the case with me. I like tomato products, peppers, and I love potatoes!
I will say I'm struggling with coming up with varied meals. I haven't been a big meat eater for many years anyway. I noticed years ago that pork and beef were a struggle for me to digest. Giving those up hasn't been an issue. However, this diet isn't that cut and dried. D'Adamo notes that lectins in foods cause a certain reaction in different blood types, and over the years he has figured out which lectins cause problems for which people. Unfortunately, this means that I can't just go vegetarian. I don't even have to go vegetarian, as fish, chicken, and turkey are fine for me to have. However, there are more specifics. For example, I can have tuna, cod, salmon, and sardines (among a long list of fish I can have), but I can't have halibut, flounder, haddock (among another list of seafood) because the specific lectins in those fish cause a negative reaction in my body. It is the same for all types of food, vegetables, fruit, grains, etc. Since I have never been a big fish eater, I haven't really learned how to cook fish. I haven't developed an appreciation for the taste of most fish. Fish is supposed to be absolutely wonderful for my type. I'm trying to like it. Really. I. Am.
Speaking of cooking, all of my recipes contain some ingredients that are on the Avoid (Poison) list for my type. I want to make meatloaf? Great! I can sub ground turkey for the beef, but, wait! I use ketchup and worcestershire sauce in my meatloaf. What do I substitute for those? I want noodles? Ok. How do I make a sauce that doesn't contain tomatoes or peppers? Tacos? Yum! I can sub ground turkey or just beans, but there's all kinds of pepper in the seasoning and tomatoes and peppers in the salsa. UGGH!!
Ok. Before you think this diet is absolutely unworkable and not worth it, I want to say that having pain relief is a huge plus, as is losing the indigestion I have dealt with for my entire life. The possibility of losing weight is a plus, though it may take time as Type A's tend to lose weight more slowly than other types. These improvements I have noticed even as I admit I have not done the greatest job of sticking to this diet. I am positive that if I stuck to it strictly I would lose all kinds of weight, even if I ate a lot of food. My plan (or theory): slowly come up with acceptable recipes that we love, and over time we will inch closer and closer to making this diet a lifestyle.
I haven't even mentioned the improvements my youngest daughter has seen. Her bloated belly has gone to nice and flat. The dark shiners under her eyes have greatly diminished. Her fatigue is gone. She hasn't complained of nausea or stomach pains in the last month! She actually came to me and thanked me for teaching her about this diet, and she has been better than I have about following it. She takes a salad to school every day and has been careful with breakfast and dinner at home.
Now let's talk a bit about another complication. My middle son decided to try things out a little, not 100%. He happens to be a Type O. This blood type thrives on meat! Beef is like medicine to him. Thank God he can also eat chicken, turkey, and fish. Other than the meat aspect, his diet looks similar in that many of the veggies and fruits overlap. However, there are also differences. My oldest daughter and her husband are facing the same issue. She is Type A, and he is Type O. What is the answer to this dilemma? I know! I took several evenings and typed up detailed shopping lists for both blood types. I printed them out and highlighted all the similarities with green. Now to sit down and figure out recipes that I can make that will work for both. It really shouldn't be too difficult to make a separate meat dish, and then make the same sides for everyone. I don't know. What do you think?
My husband thinks he's a type B. He's going to test himself in the next day or so. If he is a Type B, that is going to complicate things. I'm not ready for that. Type B thrives on dairy and has many opposites to the Type A and some to the Type O diet. Type B can't have chicken! Sigh.
Well, I think I'm going to work on mastering the Type A and Type O before I go all out and incorporate Type B. I will be posting some meal ideas and possibly recipes as I go on this adventure, and I'll update you all on how we are doing with this. Honestly, I don't see our youngest daughter and I ever going back to how we ate before. Whether or not we fully adopt this diet plan into our family, will be determined over the coming months, I suppose. This whole subject has given new meaning or added dimension to "Life is in the Blood." I have been thinking about this quite a bit over the last month.
What about you? Have you ever heard of the Blood Type Diet? Have you actually tried following it for any length of time? What is your type?
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