Do You Know Your Type?

You may be thinking- sure I know my type- tall, dark, and handsome or blonde, beautiful and vivacious. Awesome!! But this is not the type I’m referring to. I’m actually referring to your blood type. Many people are surprised they don’t know their blood type but this really isn’t that uncommon. (In our office we do a simple finger stick test to identify blood type). There are four different blood types: O, A, B, and AB. Our red blood cells have antigens (proteins) on them which identify our type. These antigens serve as important security systems to our bodies. Our bodies use these antigens to identify whether a substance in our blood is a friend or foe. It is important to note that offspring do not necessarily have the same blood type as their parents. This is only true in the case of type O blood. If both parents have type O blood all the children will have the same.

Well you may say "what is so important about blood type?" The immune response that our body has to the blood type is a very powerful response. If I was to get a blood transfusion of the wrong type of blood I could die. I have antibodies to the antigens that are not on my blood cells. These antibodies would attack a foreign invader, resulting in a strong reaction by body.

There is a food connection when it comes to our blood type. This connection is another arena of debate amongst doctors. Some say that it is not scientifically solid. My personal opinion is that it is not always 100% accurate, but it absolutely yields change in a significant percentage of situations and should be considered as a simple, inexpensive way to aid in restoring health. I regularly see people lose weight, have more energy, become able to focus again, feel less depressed, and strengthen their immune systems and improve digestion by following the blood type diet.

So how does this work? Foods have proteins on the outsides of them, which are called lectins. These lectins are very sticky. When we eat foods with lectins that are similar to a blood type other then our own, we can experience a lectin/antibody response and get an agglutination reaction similar to that which would result getting a blood transfusion of the wrong blood. These foods are actually difficult for our body to digest. When we eat foods that are contrary to our blood type we actually create unnecessary immune responses in our body that create inflammation and potentially lead to disease.

Each of the blood type diets include 16 different food groups:
• Meats and Poultry
• Seafood
• Dairy and Eggs
• Oils and Fats
• Nuts and Seeds
• Beans and Legumes
• Cereals
• Breads and Muffins
• Grains and Pasta
• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Juices and Fluids
• Spices
• Condiments
• Herbal Teas
• Miscellaneous Beverages

Each of the above categories are divided into 3 sub-categories for each blood type. These sub-categories are:
1. Highly Beneficial – these foods aid the body by giving more than caloric support
2. Neutral- this food is an acceptable food for the body
3. Avoid- this food actually has a negative effect on the body

The most comman blood types are A and O. In the case with both of these types wheat and dairy products are contraindicated. This is a big deal because an individual may be eating a lot of wheat bread and pasta because it is better for them than white. Neither white or wheat is good here because both are from wheat. This is one of the reasons why I tell people that the little things can make a big difference in their body. We have to understand some basic principles and then combine them for our specific body. The most important thing is to be aware of your "avoids" and to avoid them. I find that people can be eating foods that are good for them but may be avoids and this may be working against their quest for health. If you don’t believe this just try an elimination diet for your avoids. Not all at the same time. Pick a food and do not eat it for a couple of weeks. Then, re-introduce it in your diet. If it is not good for you it will be obvious within a couple of days. This could be symptoms in the form of fatigue, headaches, indigestion, joint pain, irritability, inability to concentrate, sinus problems etc. If you just don’t feel as good- you can be pretty sure this food should be avoided.

I suggested a number of days ago that while just one of the principles of the 21 days to health may be helpful there is much more power in the application of all of them. These principles work synergistically together to accomplish a multitude of results on our health journey. This is true with blood type. If a person is having a hard time losing weight, this principle could be an important key to aiding metabolism, aiding normal insulin production, and helping to establish a better hormonal balance.
Make Sure You Know Your Type and Find Out If You Are Eating Foods That Are Good For You!!!

For more information on the specifics of your blood type:
• Go to dadamo.com or
• Visit our office to be typed and we will give you the information on that visit