The Blood Type Diet Cookbook

What Can I Drink?

Green tea should be your number one choice. Apart from the cancer and cardiovascular protective benefits ascribed to it on page 162, green tea also has immune-stimulating effects that are particularly relevant for the sensitive B immune system. Green tea polyphenols, the active ingredient, have been shown to act in two ways to protect against micro-organisms: they enhance the body’s defence mechanisms and act on the micro-organisms themselves, making them less potent. See the food list on page 45 for other suitable drinks for type Bs.

type b: health issues

Weight and Sugar Metabolism

If you have a weight problem it may be enough for you simply to follow your blood type diet, as the lectins in certain foods can disrupt the way your body deals with sugar. These lectins can have an insulin-like effect on the cells. If the cells are continuously stimulated in this way they will transform sugar into fat and store it, instead of burning it as fuel. Too much insulin-like stimulation creates a condition called insulin resistance in which the cells no longer respond to insulin as they should. Dr D’Adamo has found that the lectins in wheat, corn, buckwheat, lentils, sesame seeds and peanuts have a detrimental effect on blood sugar metabolism in blood type B.

Another strategy that is helpful for type Bs is eating enough protein to balance out your carbohydrate intake. This will enable the two hormones that regulate blood sugar levels – insulin and glucagon – to work in harmony.

Some people are very sensitive to the protein/carbohydrate ratio and would benefit from ensuring this ratio is balanced at every meal and snack. For breakfast you may start out by replacing bread and the usual jam with bread and cheese or bread with a scrambled egg. For lunch and dinner always eat one of your good sources of protein with plenty of vegetables and some grains. Here is a visual tip to help balance protein and carbohydrates. Fill one quarter of the surface of your plate with protein (meat, fish, fowl or eggs) and the rest with mainly vegetables and a little rice or other grain. If you eat legumes at a meal, avoid grains as legumes are half protein and half carbohydrate. I find this way of balancing a meal is useful in helping my patients to balance their blood sugar levels and promote insulin efficiency.

Michel

Blood Type B

Age 54

It is not possible for me to state categorically that my good health and controlled weight are essentially due to the blood type diet; to my general care about what I eat and how, to the few nutrients that complement my diet, or to my good nature. Yet despite long work days, nights that are often too short and a fair amount of urban stress, I feel better than ever and now get through the winter without the usual cold.

What I can say with certainty is that (at least to me, a type B) following the blood type diet has neither become constraining, inconvenient nor cumbersome. I just choose the right thing when I have the choice. Every time I have no better choice at hand, or from time to time when I just feel strongly like it, I derogate without guilt. My guidelines are to be cautious about the foods that form the basis of my diet. Thus no one needs to notice and I don’t feel constrained either. I should even add that the blood type diet makes a quite lively and interesting topic for discussion around the dining table.

Your Immune System needs Support

I have found some of the most resistant bacterial infections in my B patients. As a precaution against any micro-organisms taking hold in your body eat plenty of the foods that have been shown to boost immunity. Vegetables and fruits in general are great for this, as is green tea (see page 161). Garlic is especially good, so add it to your salad dressing every day. Onions have potent antibacterial and antiviral activity – Russian scientists have extensively studied this effect. Chilli peppers, cayenne pepper and horseradish have also been shown to help with infections. And don’t forget, you are in the lucky group that is able to eat yogurt with its immune-stimulating power.

You should also ensure you consume a reasonable amount of fat in your diet and, above all, that you get the right ones. Eat fatty fish such as mackerel, sardines, tuna and salmon; and use flaxseed oil and walnut oil in your salads. They will all provide beneficial omega-3 oils.

blood type ab: general food recommendations (#ulink_5bd81bfa-2ad3-5c1c-a2cc-a36cbe229038)

Unlike the other blood types, AB was not part of the evolutionary process but is the result of the mixing of types A and B. Type AB has been around for only about 1,000 years and makes up a mere five per cent of the population of the planet.

The French psychologist, Leone Bourdel, once described type AB as “the richest of the four temperaments as it possesses the advantages of the other three, but it is also the victim of its incompatibilities and is made of contradictions and incoherence”. In terms of food choices this same pattern shows up. Type AB is complex, sometimes resembling an A, sometimes a B and at other times it resembles its far away blood type ancestor type O.

I have noticed that several of my type AB patients have, on their own, adopted some eating habits that tie in with the findings of the research into blood type eating. They tend to have smaller meals which are easier to digest, they eat meat in reduced quantities, enjoy a good breakfast that includes some form of protein, and stick to regular mealtimes. All these steps ensure type ABs feel better and have more energy.

Meat and Poultry

With regard to digesting meat you resemble type A – your stomach acid tends to be low and digestive enzymes are lacking. Limit yourself to occasionally eating lamb, turkey and rabbit. When it comes to chicken, duck and guinea fowl you resemble type B and should avoid them.

Seafood

If you are not used to eating fish, increasing your intake of this valuable source of protein will significantly improve your diet. The A in you may make you prone to high cholesterol levels and eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids will help prevent and reduce this cardiovascular risk factor. The best fish for you are mackerel, sardines, tuna, herring and salmon (wild if possible). You can also eat fish that are not rich in fatty acids, as these contain other elements that benefit the cardiovascular system. You may eat mussels and scallops but avoid other shellfish.

Soya Products and Legumes

Tofu and tempeh are easily digestible protein sources for you. Legumes and lentils can be enjoyed almost every day, although you must stick to the ones without detrimental lectins. Lentils, broad (fava) beans, cannellini beans, white beans, pinto and northern beans are on your list. They provide a good source of complex carbohydrates and fibre. Legumes contain phytosterols and fibre that have cholesterol-lowering and cancer-protective effects. In addition, legumes encourage good bowel function, which protects against colon cancer and haemorrhoids.

Soya beans and the other legumes have approximately the same qualities. However, soya beans, and hence soya products, have a higher fat content, plenty of essential fatty acids, a higher protein content and an excellent amino acid profile. Soya is a good source of lecithin, which has been shown to lower cholesterol levels and help the liver and gall bladder do their work.

Soya also contains phytoestrogens that exert both a mild estrogenic and anti-estrogenic effect. In other words these compounds have a balancing effect on the hormonal system.

Grains

Cereals, breads and pasta are all made with grains. Type AB have adapted to this food category and you should therefore be able to enjoy them in your daily fare. Just make sure your consumption doesn’t push out the vegetables from your diet. As with all blood types, wheat is to be avoided if you have a weight problem and easy build-up of mucus in the respiratory tract. Vary your grain choices: eat millet, oats, rye, spelt, quinoa, rice and wheat if you can in view of the above considerations. Avoid corn and buckwheat.

If you have blood sugar irregularities in association with weight gain you will need to limit your grain consumption. You may eat sprouted grains as found in Essene bread (also called sprouted wheat bread). Although this is made with wheat, the sprouting process destroys the lectins that should normally be avoided. For more information on Essene bread see page 10.