Is your diet failing you? You might not need to eat less food. According to this book that was published 25 years ago, you might just need to eat different food. And by different I mean you can't eat turtle anymore.
If you're thinking about grilling up a good turtle burger this week I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, you're gonna have to rethink that. If you have either Type A, Type B, Type AB or Type O blood ... you shouldn't eat turtle. So that's everyone it would seem.
I bring you this information straight out of the the book Eat Right for Your (blood) Type, the diet book for people who found the "You Can't Eat Groundhog" diet a bit too mainstream.
Eating right for your blood type is the theory that your blood type is basically your body's food and what you eat should be based on what type of blood you have.
You're feeding your blood, which then feeds your body. So you should eat right for your blood type.
It's similar to eating like a Vampire, but in reverse.
I heard about the theory from a friend up at my community garden who pegged me as a Type O blood type, based on the fact that I think the perfect time to stop sweating and digging dirt at the garden is when I pass out.
This was just the kind of crazy, insane "you can eat all the bacon you want" propaganda diets I live to disprove of. I couldn't wait to get the book and laugh my way through it.
I ordered the book online a few days after my friend told me about, got an online Blood typing kit so I could see what blood type I was and then I started reading. (You can read about buying and using an at home blood type kit here)
According to my home test, my blood type is B-, but I still wanted to confirm it so I booked an appointment to give blood so they could confirm my suspicions. If you haven't read my blood donation story you need to STOP reading this post and go read that one where I donated blood. It went exactly as expected, if you expected that I nearly messed my pants.
I decided to read the book before I got my blood type confirmed. Just to see what sort of ridiculous things they claimed.
It actually kind of made sense. I was falling for this mumbo jumbo. A little bit.
I've always thought that people should just eat everything in moderation, like they used to in the olden days. This book shares a similar mentality on harkening back to the olden days, only the author brings the olden days back to the beginning of humans; as opposed to say, when Laura Ingalls thought the greatest treat in the world was finding an orange in her Christmas stocking. Silly Laura didn't know Terry's Chocolate Oranges were soon to be invented.
The basic premise is that blood types have evolved over time and our blood type dictates our general physical predispositions and how we should eat. Let's take type A for example.
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Blood type A people are delicate. They're the loungers and relaxers of the world because they're easily agitated by stress. And that's how their body performs the best. Their body actually thrives on their laziness, anything too physical or stressful is too much for their delicate little constitutions. So you blood Type As aren't just lazy, you're scientifically lazy, which lends a certain authority to your binge watching of Netflix shows.
That at least is my summation of Blood type A.
The book describes when in history each blood type originated and how it influences who you are.
Table of Contents
Characteristics of Each Blood Type
Type O
The original blood type from when we were Neanderthals, so people with that blood type are naturally workhorses (cause being a workhorse was crucial to survival) who are strong, lean and whose bodies and minds thrive on vigorous exercise. There were no grains or dairy so grains and dairy aren't tolerated well by Type O. They do best with lots of meat and high protein. And big sticks to match their big foreheads.
Type A
The next blood type to evolve. Once the people of 40,000 BC killed all the animals around them they had to start migrating and changing their diet. By 25,000 BC people were learning to eat less meat because it was less available plus they were developing agricultural practices; growing grain. A tolerance for grain is born with a lowering tolerance for meat. Type A people are not vigorous exercisers because they'd learned to set up a home and stay put. Plus they weren't running around like lunatics, jumping on the backs of wooly mammoths trying to stab them to death with a stick. They have a naturally high stress hormone so Type As benefit from non vigorous daily stress reducing exercises like Yoga or Tai Chi. Type A people do best with a vegetarian diet or lots of vegetables with some fish. No meat.
Type B
Represents the next evolution of humans as they spread even further around the world to colder areas like the Himalayas. Type Bs do best with vigorous exercise that also incorporates the mind. Sports that combine mental and physical agility like golf, tennis or rock climbing. They're the luckiest of all the eaters because they do well eating just about anything but should be cautious of too much chicken, wheat or corn because they can cause weight gain in Type Bs because of the protein Lectin. Type B is the only type that can tolerate dairy. Bring on the cheese platter.
Type AB
The newest of all blood types, only developing a thousand years ago. It's the rare result of a mingling of Type A and Type B, mainly I think, if I understand this correctly, to a group of barbarians pilfering and taking over collapsing civilizations. Yup. If you're an AB you come from "mingled" stock. Type AB do well with a combination of stress relieving exercises like yoga and vigorous and mind challenging ones like tennis. Type AB people do best with a varied diet of almost everything. Lucky socks.
Eat Right for Your Blood Type makes a very clear point of letting you know that turtle is on the avoid list for all blood types, so the next time you're in Singapore or visit a restaurant in 1810, avoid the turtle soup.
It also gives a bunch of examples where eating right for your blood type has transformed the lives of many people's health and weight. It lists all the foods you should eat, all the foods you shouldn't and the foods you can eat in moderation. There are menus, exercise guidelines, and even a list of natural remedies for common ailments, although the natural remedies aren't always that common. I rarely find myself stumbling onto a thatch of Bladderwrack when I have heartburn for instance. I mean, really ... very rarely.
Even though I'm definitely a workhorse, I love my cheese so I very much want to be declared a type B when I took my test at home (and had confirmed with when I donated blood. Apparently type Bs get to eat all the cheese they want. AB would be fine as well, but that's the rarest of all blood types so maybe that wouldn't be very good if one day I accidentally stabbed myself all over while tenderizing meat and needed blood.
Both the home blood test kid I bought and the blood donation centre declared me a type B-. Only 2% of the population has B- blood. I'm blushing. That makes me feel very, very special. And very, very hungry for cheese.
If you want to buy the book (it truly is interesting and shockingly possibly plausible) click here.
If you don't care about the eating right for your blood type but really want to make something out of cheese now, click here.
Maria
I have a holistic Dr I see. He’s a chiropractor and studied internal medicine and everything you can imagine. He said it’s crap lol. He’s caught all my issues that other Drs were not able to so I tend to believe him but hey, whatever works for ya. what’s funny is my blood type is O positive and I’m not anything like cavemen/women.
Claudia S Gutierrez
I am B+ and i do really believe that chicken is putting weight on me. I'm not supper fond of red meat, I love lamb and turkey. I was an avid bike rider until i was hit by a truck. It is said the chicken for B+ can cause stroke. How lovely.
Marion
I am a Type B and am dairy intolerant so there goes the theory that only B's can eat cheese.
Vicky
A+ here. I could hook an I.V. of milk up to my arm and it would only make me feel even better. I read something else science shows which is that people who have Scandinavian backgrounds can have dairy cuz Scandinavians started milk-drinking culture 12,000 years ago. I think my Swedish DNA trumps blood type. And vegetables? Yuck. I would kill myself rather than be vegetarian. BTW, I am not overweight and I don't get sick.
Jacquie Carr
I'm O negative but I'm not giving cheese up. Ever ever.
Warren
This is absolute nonsense! This was a big fad about 15 years ago and was shown to be completely bogus. Im embarrassed for you that you even had the nerve to write about this idiocy. From now on I will take everything you write with a grain of salt
Addie
I am type A+ and I LOVE a good steak!!!!.....it ain't gonna change either. I do naturally eat a lot of vegetables...right next to my steak. LOVE LOVE LOVE tri-tip right off the BBQ!!!!
Teddee Grace
I had this book once and gave it away because I'm Type A and I love my meat. Meat was my first word. My Mom documented it in my baby book. I grew up on a farm so, even though we were poor, we had meat, lots of it, mostly beef and pork, some chicken. I still love, as my brother is apt to opine, my "pig meat." And, yes, I fight my weight but I can control it if I only eat lean meat and green veggies. I also love cheese, but have found that I do better if I limit the amount of dairy products I consume, another thing I grew up eating. My Dad had Type O blood and seems to have fitted the profile. Maybe, even though I ended up with Mom's Type A, I inherited some Type O traits. I'm not sorry I gave the book away.
canadamsel
A+ here... I actually bought - or was given this book to review - when it was first published. There's no way I'm heading the vegetarian route. And as I approach 70, I've finally accepted my body just as it is, and no longer try to maintain a size 6 or 8.
Bruce C
Interesting description of type B, as i am B+ and eat anything i want, including dairy. I drink lots of milk, even with dinner. (this use to gross out my kids for some reason)
Being from New Orleans, i love meat, seafood and turtle soup, it's one of my favorites and had no idea is was bad for you!?
I also love to exercise and do 5 ish times per week. I really love games or sports that include both the mind and body. So this brief description wins again.
I may have to get this book, thanks for sharing!
Beth B
I'm Type B- as well (yeah for being in the rare group), and love me some cheese...so I'm glad that works out. Also love rigorous exercise and strategy games... Maybe there is something to this...hmmm....
Kristy
I’m type A+ (blushing for the grade), vegetarian for 16 years (old AF but never really liked meat) & yoga is the only exercise that makes me feel good. Spot on! Go book! Go Karen! Go me!
Laura
I’m also type B-, and I gave birth to two B- kids, so there are my spare kidneys should I ever need one. ;)
I am also celiac, so no wheat there. It sounds kind of interesting, from a purely Why The Hell Not? standpoint.
Pamela
I have no idea what my blood type is but I’m sure my Hematologist who’s treating me for some kind of “thick” blood after a blood clot went to my lung and put me in the hospital 2 years ago has it written down on the back of a Costco mailer next to her wooden herb dryer.
I may need to call her and find out so I can avoid mango beet pie without upsetting the delicate balance of the universe.
I’d never eat a turtle. Never.
I tried the all bacon diet and it was great for three days and then I wanted tomatoes, bread, lettuce and mayonnaise on the side. No carbs makes me really super mean.
I’ll get back to you after I find out what I’m supposed to eat according to my blood type.
Desmond F Bellamy
I'm O+ and I have been a vegan for over twenty years. I think this book was just desperate attempt by the big meat corporations to get a bunch of people with a common blood type to eat their products. The "science" is laughable.
Pat
Exactly. Also vegan.
Pat
Oops! Meant to add A+ blood type.
Lisa KT
I am an AB+ blood type. So I try not to do anything that would require me needing blood, as it is one of the rarest blood types. But the blood banks hound me to give all the time because it is difficult to find. I blame my parents. I was thinking of getting this book.
Britt
While AB is a rare blood type, consider yourself lucky! AB+ is the “universal recipient,” meaning you can take any other type of blood. I have O-, which is the “universal donor.” Any other blood type can take my blood, but I can only receive O- blood if I were to need it.
Nancy Blue Moon
Had a group therapist years ago pushing this crap at us...that and Tapping...she was obviously a bit wacko so I just got the hell out of there!
Barb
Wow. You’re lucky she didn’t chase after you with a crystal.
Sheryl
"I think the perfect time to stop sweating and digging dirt at the garden is when I pass out." Me too, but I'm type A. The rest of the type A seems accurate for me, but I recommend eating something, and then asking yourself how it made you feel. I love pizza, but it doesn't make me feel good after I eat it, like a salad does.
Beth
So I should be a vegetarian who practices yoga? No wonder I'm fat! 😀
Christine
You and me both Beth. There is no way on this earth I cannot eat meat!!