Developed by Dr. Peter J. D'adamo, the Blood Type diet is based on the premise that your blood type -- O, A, B or AB -- determines how you should eat and exercise to manage your weight, prevent or treat disease and promote overall health and longevity. The diet includes eating healthy foods and exercising regularly; however, it also recommends cutting out certain food groups based on your blood type, which means it does not align with national nutrition guidelines that encourage balanced nutrition from all the food groups. If you decide to try the Blood Type diet, do so only after speaking with your doctor.

Type A Diet Basics

People with Type A blood do best on a vegetarian diet, cutting out meat and most dairy. Because Type As are prone to heart disease, diabetes and cancer, they should eat fresh, organic whole foods whenever possible.

Type As should get their protein from nuts and seeds and beans and legumes, except for copper, garbanzo, kidney, lima, navy and red beans, which they should avoid. They should also avoid Brazil nuts, cashews and pistachios. Type As can eat fish; the most beneficial types include salmon, sea trout, red snapper, rainbow trout and salmon.

Flaxseed and olive oil are healthy fats for Type As, and they should choose whole grains such as amaranth and buckwheat over refined grains.

Type As can enjoy abundant amounts of all vegetables and most fruits, except for melons, mangoes, papaya, bananas, coconuts, oranges, rhubarb and tangerines.

Type B Diet Plan

Type Bs are sturdy and more resistant to modern diseases like cancer and heart disease, but they are more susceptible to immune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, lupus and chronic fatigue syndrome. Type Bs should eat a balanced and wholesome diet that includes a variety of foods.

The top foods for Type Bs to avoid are corn, buckwheat, lentils, peanuts and sesame seeds because they can cause weight gain. Type Bs should also avoid chicken, most nuts and seeds, wheat, shellfish and tomatoes. They can enjoy all types of ocean fish, and most types of dairy, except for American, blue and string cheeses and ice cream.

Olive oil is best for Type Bs, who should avoid canola, corn, cottonseed, peanut, safflower, sesame and sunflower oils. Certain fruits and vegetables should also be avoided, including most beans and legumes, artichokes, avocados, olives, pumpkins, radishes, sprouts, tempeh, tofu, coconuts, persimmons, pomegranates, prickly pear, rhubarb and starfruit.

Type AB Diet Details

Type ABs are a mixture of Type A and Type B, so their diet should reflect that. They should limit their intake of meat to small portions eaten infrequently, and they should avoid chicken. Nuts, seeds, beans and legumes should be eaten in the same manner.

Tofu is an especially good source of protein for Type ABs, and they can eat most types of dairy and grains, even wheat -- but they should still limit their intake, favoring rice over pasta. Type ABs should avoid shellfish, as well as anchovies, flounder, haddock, halibut, herring and sea bass.

Type ABs should choose olive oil over other oils and nut butters over whole nuts because of a tendency toward gallbladder problems.

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is important for Type ABs who tend to have a weaker immune system, but they should avoid artichokes, avocados, corn, lima beans, black olives, bell peppers, radishes, mung bean sprouts, radish sprouts, mangoes, guava, coconuts, bananas and oranges.

Type O Diet Regimen

Type Os can indulge their craving for meat because their bodies are able to efficiently metabolize it. However, they should choose lean, chemical-free meats, poultry and fish. Grains and dairy can be problematic for Type Os, so they should be eaten sparingly.

Foods that cause weight gain for Type Os include whole wheat and wheat germ and certain beans and legumes, such as lentils and kidney beans. They also tend to have unstable thyroid function, so they should avoid thyroid-inhibiting foods such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and mustard greens.

Olive and flaxseed oils are the best choices for Type O, and they can eat most nuts and seeds except for Brazil nuts, cashews, peanuts, pistachios and poppy seeds. The best vegetable choices are those that are high in vitamin K, such as kale, collard greens, romaine lettuce, broccoli and spinach, to assist with blood clotting. Grapefruit and berries are the best fruit choices.

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