I am curious about the lectins referenced in Dr. D'Adamo's
book. Amazingly enough most of the "avoid" foods suggested for my blood type, I do in fact not eat. After years of paying attention to what works for me or not. However, there some of the avoids I do specifically comsume for various reasons and haven't had any adverse "reactions". My understanding of the book is about the digestive and immune systems. If the foods to avoid do not affect me adversely on a physical level, what "reaction" am I looking for on an "immune" level. Is the only way to eliminate? I am not necessarily willing to eliminate some things because I take them for health reasons and they have been beneficial, e.g., blue gree algae and Kombucha tea. If it's on a digestive or "insulin insofar as turning into fat" level is the only way to test "reaction" by elimination? But, I am not overweight. I am full blooded Sicilian, B+ type. If you take my family back 500 years, we are Albanians. I do eat, naturally, tomatoes! I take blue green algea and I drink Kombcha tea (for 4 years now, everyday and haven't been sick), and I eat garbanzo, black, pinto, and lentils. All which are not good, apparently, for my blood type. But I don't notice any problems with digestion? I naturally eat a bit of meat because I know for me I need those proteins.
I guess, basically, I want to know where I can learn more about these lectins, and agglucinates (sp?) and I am sure you will advise to try eliminating those foods to see if there are any noticeable differences in my digestion or optimal performance, energy etc.
Or is there some further "balance" and investigation that can be done via the Metabolic references in you site? I am curious about the ancesty elements. I cannot find the book on the site.
Thanks, CMD
Follow Ups:
Re: Lectins
Posted by Robert McFerran on October 06, 1998 at 23:41:49:
In Reply to: Lectins posted by CMD on October 06, 1998 at 20:40:02:
Bill,
Why do you want to rock the boat? It seems as if you have a paradigm of understanding already in place as to how foods impact your already good health -- and more importantly you state that you don't need or really want to part with it.
You can discuss lectins directly with Dr. Peter D'Adamo himself at his website -- www.dadamo.com
For more information on metabolism and the impact of heredity you might order BioBalance by Dr. Rudolph Wiley at your local bookseller.
Good Luck,
Bob
Follow Ups:
Re: Bob: Lectins
Posted by CMD on October 07, 1998 at 16:38:44:
In Reply to: Re: Lectins posted by Robert McFerran on October 06, 1998 at 23:41:49:
Dear Bob, thanks for your response. I don't quite understand it however. "...rock the boat", do you mean if it ain't broke don't fix it?
I am willing to "part with" those foods if I had a further understanding of what it is I am looking for insofar as adverse affects. But since I am not adversely affected "physically", I do not know what it is I am looking for, if anything, on an immune level. Or must I simply take Dr. D'Adamo's word for it? Do you follow?
My understanding of the book addresses digestive and immune systems but unfortunately on the immune level I cannot "see with the naked eye". In other words one has to rely on what is outlined in the book and/or on the ever changing website (which by the way I have attempted to contact Dr. D'Adamo to no avail). And this is some pretty specific chemistry/scientific stuff.
So I thought perhaps you could help me to better grasp this approach. My understanding thus far is that the lectins travel via various routes throughout the blood stream and other systems of the body and attach themselves, so on and so forth, impeding digestion and immune fighting factors. Without being a scientest/doctor, is there any way to tell how, if at all, the "avoids" are truly to be avoided by my particular system since I do not seem to be have any adverse reactions. Is this a bit clearer? One can only rely on the word without being able to draw blood, extract lectins, combine, and observe. And what's good for the goose insant necessarily good for the gander. If 5% of the folks who read the ER4YT book cannot benefit from it, then wouldn't it stand to reason that there are some other identifying, individualizing, factors that separate out the blood type applications? And if so, HOW, do I determine how to apply this approach to my individual self, if at all, without having the knowledge of a doctor?
I don't want to take up your time, but you and Dr. Stoll are the only ones responding and I want to open a dialogue up with someone knowledgeable who could possibly help me to further educate myself and get a better understanding to my curiousity.
Thanks for your references, I have been reading your wealth of information throughout. Reagards, CMD
Follow Ups:
Re: Bob: Lectins
Posted by Robert McFerran on October 07, 1998 at 18:18:13:
In Reply to: Re: Bob: Lectins posted by CMD on October 07, 1998 at 16:38:44:
Bill,
Many of the questions that you ask are related to Dr. D'Adamo's theories and I cannot comment on any of those except to say that I have a different perspective on how one might find their 'best' diet.
First and foremost ALL the foods in anyones BEST diet need to be whole foods. EVERYBODY will feel improvement if all refined foods are taken out of the diet.
Second -- hidden food allergens need to be removed (the elimination diet will help to detect most of them). You cannot understand what a hidden food allergy is UNTIL you run a proper elimination diet.
Third -- the individual needs to move to eating the foods that are appropriate for their inherited metabolism. Once again the body/mind is a better judge than any predictive biochemistry. You will try three very different diets (mainly different in fat, purine and carbohydrate content) and go with the one that simply delivers you the MOST ENERGY.
Finally you remove a handful of known lectin containing foods that react negatively with your blood type (many of these foods will be the same foods that you found to be food allergens in the elimination diet phase.
So you see I tried long ago to give up any intellectual arguements for or against certain foods and instead tried to find a testing protocol that would let your mind and body be the judge. I've often been accused by friends of trying to over-analyze things, but in the case of determining what food is right for me I've been forced to rely more heavily on personal experience and intuition.
Bob
Follow Ups:
Re: Bob: Lectins
Posted by CMD on October 07, 1998 at 21:21:46:
In Reply to: Re: Bob: Lectins posted by Robert McFerran on October 07, 1998 at 18:18:13:
Okay, thanks for your time and efforts.