My Diet Challenge

Since visiting the ND last week, I have been trying to implement the changes to my diet and lifestyle that she recommended, along with much prayer for God's wisdom and blessing.

Basically, my ND believes that a person's blood type has a great deal to do with what that person should or should not be eating, and that the way to better health is to eat foods compatible with your blood type. Can you guess what blood type I am?

Type A.

Bet you didn't see that one coming! HA!! (There's also a theory that blood type has a lot to do with personality, and that blood type A's tend also to be personality type A's. Uptight, time-concious, controlling, ambitious....no comments from the peanut gallery please.)

It also turns out that blood type A's tend to thrive on a vegetarian diet. I don't like to put "vegetarian" and "diet" in the same sentence, but I just did. Vegetarian, I am not. Meat-dairy-bread-chocolate-atarian, yes. Vegetarian, no. So you can see what kind of difficulty I'm beginning to have, especially since my husband and son happen to live in the same house with me. Don't worry, I wouldn't have it any other way, but it does make life difficult for me at mealtimes!

If Josh had his way, we'd be eating red meat at every meal, maybe with chicken once a week for variety. If Noah had his way, we'd alternate between Macaroni & Cheese (the blue-box variety) and Pizza, no vegetables.

Here's what I'm supposed to eat:


  • Green leafy vegetables, lots and lots.

  • Any other vegetables except potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers (there are a few others on the "avoid" list, but these are the ones that affect me the most)

  • Tons of fruit, except bananas, honeydew, and oranges

  • Grains, normal ones and weird ones alike, but I'm supposed to avoid wheat or white flour.

  • Nuts and seeds (few exceptions)

  • Beans and legumes (few exceptions)

  • I can have chicken or fish, but it's preferable not to.

  • Dairy products if they've been fermented, like yogurt, kefir, mozzarella cheese

  • And this is the best part! Dark chocolate is on the "neutral" list, meaning I can have it! The bright spot in all of this, I assure you. :)

There really are many more foods included on the "do" list than the "don't" list, but my problem is that the foods that fall into the "avoid" category have up until now been the staples of our diet: beef, pork, bacon, milk, cheeses, English muffins, "normal" cereals, breads, pastas, cookies, milk chocolate, etc.


And as I said before, I have two other (picky) people to consider who are not on this diet. That's where this gets challenging.


Well, that, and fighting off my cookie cravings. But that's another post...


Suggestions welcome, and prayers needed!

Comments

Rebecca's Reflections said…
Praying for you as you adjust to a new way of eating.
April 1, 2011 at 4:17 PM
Ruth said…
I looked online to see what I'm supposed to eat considering I have type O blood. I actually could give up meat rather easily although my hubby wouldn't want to give it up, but anyhow with type O you're supposed to eat LOTS of meat. Go figure. I wouldn't want to give up tomatoes though (if I was trying to follow your list).
April 2, 2011 at 1:37 PM
Carrie said…
I found this list of recipes for blood type A people. My dad was on a kick for a year and we ate buckwheat pancakes a lot. Since cherries and pineapples are good for you I was thinking about my pineapple cherry crisp dessert - a can of crushed pineapple plus a can of cherries covered with some dry white cake mix (or sometimes I add oatmeal and brown sugar) and some butter on top - cook for 25 min - really goood, add whip topping if allowed. Looks like soups might be a good idea for lunches. Quizno's has a really yummy turkey sub that might pass the test. Hope this helps!
April 2, 2011 at 7:09 PM
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