Today, at 88, I feel so well, with a high energy level and a joy and enthusiasm for life. Giving up some favourite foods – even some fruit and vegetables – has been very worthwhile. It is always so good to hear friends greet me with “You look so well!”
Milk Products
As with blood type O, milk products should only play a small part in your diet. You can, however, have a bit more than type Os. As is the case with all types, signs of excess mucus in the respiratory system should alert you to reducing your consumption. Cow’s milk products are largely to be avoided. Goat’s and sheep’s milk products are better for you. However, nothing in this range of foods can be said to be beneficial. When you read about blood types B and AB you will see that they are the only groups that derive any benefit from milk products.
Vegetables
All blood types benefit from eating plenty of vegetables. They are the basis of a healthy diet. Ensure they are as fresh as possible and eat them every day for lunch and dinner – raw or cooked, juiced, in salads, in soup – and as a snack. You will find information about the tremendous benefits of eating these health-giving plants in the recipe section. As you cannot count on milk products for your calcium, make calcium-rich, green leafy vegetables such as kale, spring greens (collards), turnip greens and dandelion leaves a regular part of your diet.
Avoid tomatoes as they contain a lectin that is detrimental to the type A system. When you make salad dressings, replace the commonly used vinegar with lemon juice. Your sensitive stomach lining will be grateful. Avoid all types of pepper. The best oils for salads are flaxseed, olive and walnut oils. Avoid cotton seed, peanut and corn oil. Give flavour to your dressings with fresh herbs, tamari (Japanese soy sauce) and plenty of garlic. If you have a problem digesting garlic this may mean your liver has difficulty doing its job as a detoxifier. In this case garlic isn’t the problem, your liver is. See a nutritionist or naturopathic doctor to help sort this out.
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 good for you. Oranges are too acidic for your sensitive stomach – many of my type A patients have noticed this on their own. You should also avoid tropical fruits such as bananas, guavas, mangoes, coconuts and papayas.
Marie
Blood Type A
Age 58
The blood type diet appealed to me on an intellectual level. I realised that since childhood I had a very strong attraction and appetite for foods that I should be eating. I was happy to see this is actually being confirmed by a scientific approach to foods. I always had a repulsion for red meat.
If I go off the diet I immediately feel digestive and physical heaviness, abdominal and general bloatedness and it takes my body several days to eliminate the offending food. In the past I would go to seminars on personal development where the food that was served was vegetarian with plenty of wheat in its various forms. Invariably I would return home having put on 3kg. Now I know why.
What Can I Drink?
Water, water, water. Your Body’s Many Cries for Water is a fascinating book written by Dr F. Batmanghelidj about the many signals of thirst that are mistaken for a need for food or medication. With age the body loses the ability to signal to us its need for water, yet many conditions can be relieved just by drinking this life-giving liquid: back pain, headache, joint pain, heartburn, stomach pain, high blood pressure, cholesterol, excess weight and allergies. Water is essential for the most basic chemical reactions in the body to take place: it activates the enzymes, carries nutrients to the cells and waste matter out of the cells. Our bodies are 60 per cent water so it’s hardly surprising that it is so vital.
Dr Batmanghelidj recommends drinking at least 2 litres a day in addition to any other beverages. If you do not feel thirsty it does not mean you do not need water – it means your thirst mechanisms are out of order.
You will also do your body a lot of good by including our Green Tea with Ginger drink in your diet. In one sip you have the beneficial antioxidants of green tea and the digestive properties of the ginger. Read more about the properties of these two plants on pages 161–162.
A glass of red wine a day may help keep your cardiovascular system in good working order. Not just any bottle of red wine, though. French research shows that the older and renowned wines made in the traditional way have more antioxidant activity.
type a: health issues
Digestion
Having good digestion is the first step to good health. For type As to function at their best, they need to take into account their particular digestive characteristics. Type As tend to have low stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) and therefore low digestive enzymes. Eating a meal sets in motion the production of stomach acid that in turn indicates to the digestive system that it should produce digestive enzymes. So if your stomach acid is low your digestive enzymes will also be low. By following the guidance given in the paragraph on protein consumption you will avoid overtaxing your system.
Incomplete digestion leads to toxicity which in turn produces signs of dysfunction that can affect all the systems of the body. Here are just a few symptoms of a toxic body: headaches, eye problems, ear problems, respiratory problems such as excessive mucus formation, frequent need to clear the throat, blood sugar irregularities, muscle/joint aches and pains, skin problems, anxiety and irritability.
Following your blood type diet and avoiding the foods containing the lectins detrimental to your health will maximize digestion and help avoid bloating, flatulence and gripping pains in the stomach.
Weight
If you have a weight problem you need to tackle it differently from type O. You should stick to your diet and avoid meat, making sure you get sufficient protein at each meal in the form of fish, poultry, tofu, eggs and beans. Make the right grain choices, avoid wheat and eat very small amounts of dairy produce – one or two yogurts or pieces of cheese per week (sheep’s or goat’s, not cow’s). Eat plenty of vegetables as always. Remember that weight loss has more to do with food choices than calories.
I have found that stress is an important element in weight problems. Consider doing a test that measures the stress hormones produced by the adrenal glands: cortisol and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone). I have conducted hundreds of adrenal stress tests with my patients and type As definitely have the highest cortisol levels. If this condition is long-standing the patient may already be in a state of adrenal fatigue, which results in low energy levels and difficulty coping with any type of stress.
High cortisol levels can decrease muscle mass and increase blood sugar levels, both of which lead to weight gain – particularly around the waist. If, as an A, you have difficulty losing weight you might want to look into your stress hormone levels. It doesn’t take much for them to skyrocket in your system. Seek out a nutritionist who is familiar with this issue and who can help you with natural substances such as siberian ginseng, vitamin B5, phosphatidylserine, vitamin C and others.