health-giving plants in the recipe section. Green leafy vegetables such as kale, spring greens (collards), turnip greens and dandelion leaves should be included often as they provide much-needed calcium. Os should avoid potatoes, but you can replace them with sweet potatoes. If you feel leafy vegetables are not filling enough, add a second vegetable such as celeriac, parsnips, kohlrabi, pumpkin, beetroot (beet), carrots, fresh green peas, instead of adding the traditional potato or rice accompaniment. We tend to forget that grains are not the only food that contain carbohydrates; so too do vegetables. And the carbohydrates provided by vegetables are better for you than those derived from grains.
Fruits
Vegetables and fruits are similar in their nutrient content. They are our best source of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants. Fruits generally have a higher sugar content than vegetables. However, this comes in the form of fructose, which raises blood sugar levels much less rapidly than sucrose – the sugar found in table sugar and refined carbohydrates such as white flour. This is an important difference. Fruit can help maintain balanced energy levels, while refined sugars can make them fluctuate wildly.
If you wish to lose weight eat a piece of fruit 30 minutes before your meals. This practice has been shown to moderate appetite and encourage weight loss.
Not all fruits are suitable for Os. You should, for instance, avoid kiwi, oranges, certain melons and coconuts.
Bruno
Blood Type O
Age 37
I am a former high-level racing cyclist. After reaching 30 I began experiencing health problems: my weight began to increase, my digestion became a concern, and I experienced backache. I tried various diets and health recommendations and although I lost weight, I would simply regain it.
Around this time I met Karen, who recommended the blood type diet. Dr D’Adamo’s book was not yet available in France, but just a few months later I discovered it by chance (although I do not believe in pure chance!) and that triggered my seriously following the diet.
I lost 28kg (61lb) in nine months, but to me the most important benefit has been an increased energy level. I am now in wonderful shape and have started racing again. I am scoring excellent results and recently won a race against a team of younger cyclists. If I go off my diet my body is quick to remind me of my misdemeanour. If, for example, I have a cup of coffee before a race I get cramps in my legs.
Nuts, Seeds and their Oils
Nuts and seeds should be a regular part of your diet. They are a source of essential fatty acids, protein and minerals. I consider the most valuable ones to be walnuts and flaxseeds (linseeds). Walnuts contain linolenic acid, a valuable omega-3 fatty acid rare in our modern diets. Eat freshly-cracked walnuts and use walnut oil in salads, but do not cook with it. If you heat it, the valuable fatty acid will be damaged. Flaxseeds are a very valuable seed, much used by practitioners of natural medicine. They contain lignans that are transformed in the gut into substances that have anti-cancer effects and that can regulate hormone levels during the menopause or in cases of premenstrual syndrome. Its essential oil, linolenic acid, has anti-inflammatory effects (type Os have a tendency toward inflammatory conditions) that relieve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, psoriasis, etc. Flaxseeds have also been shown to reduce cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease. They also contain a mucilage that is very effective against constipation.
I recommend that my patients make regular use of walnuts and flaxseeds and their oils. A convenient way of eating flaxseeds is to grind them in an electric coffee grinder (cleaned first, of course!) and sprinkle 1–3 tablespoons on salads or stir through yogurt or apple sauce. Always choose cold pressed oils, as these retain their fatty acids intact. The only cold pressed oil that withstands the heat of cooking is olive oil. Use the other recommended oils for your blood type in salads.
Monika
Blood Type O
Age 53
Before trying the blood type diet I had been suffering from constipation, a white tongue and pain in my arms and legs for 10 years. I had been taking herbal infusions and plant supplements with no significant improvement. On consulting a naturopath I was also advised to include cheese and grains in my daily meals. I followed this regime for several years but my problems persisted.
When I met Karen her first question was: “What is your blood type?” Like many others I was surprised to hear that my blood type could have a bearing on my diet. After giving her my meal plans she said “wheat and milk products are not for you”. These were precisely the foods I included regularly in my meals. I also needed to eat red meat – something that I was previously advised to avoid. I followed the blood type diet and took appropriate supplements. The result? Just two months later I felt a substantial improvement. In addition, my cholesterol level – which was slightly elevated with my previous diet – is now well within the normal range.
Grains
Grains should not be a regular part of your diet, although you do have a certain degree of tolerance for some types of grains. You can eat small amounts of rice, rye, millet, spelt, oats, kamut and buckwheat. Wheat, corn and barley (and for some, oats) can encourage weight gain. They are also very often held responsible for various inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia. However, you can eat sprouted grains as in Essene bread (also called sprouted wheat bread). Although it is made with wheat, the sprouting process destroys the lectins that normally should be avoided. Essene bread is beneficial for all blood types.
what is Essene bread?
The name Essene comes from a Jewish sect that lived in the time of Jesus Christ, and in the same region. The Essenians led a very austere life and believed in the importance of “live” food. They made a special kind of bread from sprouted grains that they baked, or rather dried, in the sun. Today Essene bread is baked in a slow oven. In France, Essene bread is made with sprouted wheat, rye, spelt or kamut. The consistency, appearance and taste bear little resemblance to normal bread. It is moist and slightly sweet. Handle with care because it tends to break. If you wish, you may lightly toast it; in this case it is best cut into thick slices. Among my patients some love this bread and others would much rather do without it. It is highly digestible and works wonders if you are constipated.
Milk Products
Cheese and yogurt made from cow’s milk, and cow’s milk itself, should be avoided. Nevertheless you may eat goat’s and sheep’s cheese (2oz/60g) and yogurt once or twice a week. If you need to lose weight or suffer from any type of inflammatory disease such as asthma, eczema or arthritis, or if you have a tendency to produce mucous in the respiratory tract, avoid dairy products altogether until your condition has improved. You may then find your body is able to tolerate small amounts again.
If you are concerned about not getting enough calcium remember that cows do not drink milk and yet produce milk that is very rich in calcium. Where does it come from? From their vegetarian diet. Here are some foods that are good for your blood type and that contain more calcium, weight for weight, than whole milk: green leafy vegetables (collard leaves, kale, turnip leaves, dandelion greens), figs, almonds, sunflower seeds, kelp, dulse, tofu and watercress. Broccoli, sesame seeds and walnuts also contain good amounts. If you feel you are not getting sufficient
