The Blood-Type-Diet (4-Your-Type-Diet)
The Blood-Type-Diet
(4-Your-Type-Diet)Over the years of subjecting my body to high nutritional demands from doing month long backpack trips, and experimenting with diets addressing pre-trip, during, and post trip recovery needs, I had drawn some conclusions. Upon looking over the 4-Your-Type-Diet I saw some correlation with my findings. After reading the science behind this diet, I can see that we are not all the same, meaning one's blood type genetics at a cellular level dictates what foods are absorb, rejected, or act as irritants.
Like most people in the USA, I am of blood type "A". Being that the case the diet calls for is a 99.9% vegetarian (0.1% eggs) diet, no wheat, and a select few dairy items. For those of a different blood type some meat is to be incorporated.
My results within the first 3 weeks were amazing. I was feeling like I did in my late teens, more energetic and less stressed. My perception was that the energy that I had been using to coup with stress was now channeled towards productivity. My bicycle workouts felt more enjoyable and I saw lowered heart rates by 8-10 beats per minute depending on the intensity.
It is not an all or nothing diet. I did not make the full vegetarian plunge in the first month, but had chicken, turkey, or salmon as part of one meal per day. The high priority vegetables and supplements made a great difference.
The first book I recommend is "LIVE RIGHT 4 YOUR TYPE" by Dr. Peter D'Adamo. It presents the science behind the diet, and health related issues and goes into the diets for each blood type. If this diet appeals and you want to get started, I'd recommend getting the pocket book for your blood type entitled "Blood Type '_'(your type) Food , Beverage, and Supplement Lists" by Dr. Peter D'Adamo which is in a nutshell guide on what to primarily focus on. For grocery shopping and eating out there are food lists per blood type on wallet cards. In matters of treatment and prevention of health problems, the "Eat Right 4 Your Type Blood Type Encyclopedia" has a valuable chapter named "Blood Group Protocols"(2nd Edition or later if out). Reportedly the 4-Your-Type-Diet Web site will soon post an up to date revision of this chapter.
Nutrional Supplements
At the top of my list are these for blood type A:
Floradix Iron + Herbs Liquid
Producted by Floraheath is the most rapidly absorbed B-Complex Vitamin I've come across.
Chamomile liquid extract
greatly reduces the feeling of stress
Green tea liquid extract or tea drink
balances brain chemistry for ease of thinking and feeling less stressed
Flaxseed Oil high in Lignan
great source of fatty acids omega-3. Increases my brain activity enabling me to read twice as fast, and is a necessity on a total vegetarian diet for without it my ability to concentrate fades by midday. I take 3 tablespoons once a day. Do shake vigorously bottle each time or lignan will end up as paste at the bottom.
Bromelain (Pineapple emzymes)
helps with digestion of proteins
Quercetin
Anti-oxident
Foods
Corn Pasta
Nothing comes close for a long sustained energy fuel for me (blood type "A"). My energy level starts to rise before I even finish a bowl. What about its taste? It matters a lot on how you cook and season it. In comparison to wheat pasta, it sticks together easily while boiling, therefore it is essential to have a high water to pasta ratio and that the pasta is added once a rapid boiling is reached. Cook time for best texture is about double. Seasoning with salt helps. The Elbow noodle cooks faster then the spaghetti form. Both can be found in health food stores in bulk or pre-package.
Good Fat - Medium-Chain-Trigycerides
Fat is the primary fuel burned during low to medium intensity cardiovascular activity. Daily I take 1 tablespoon of fat and on multi-day hikes about 5 ounces.
Good Fat sources:
Twin Lab has a product called Human Machine Oil - MCT Fuel
Nuts
Recommended Reading:
Chris Carmichael's Food For Fitness.
Serious Cycling 2nd Edition, by Edmund R. Burke, PhD Publisher- Human Kinetics
