Book Review: Eat Right For Your Type - Dr. Peter J D'Adamo

A few weeks ago (in the blog Food For Thought) I first mentioned the book, Eat Right For Your Type by Dr. Peter J D'Adamo and the results I am reaping from his research on the topic.  About 10 days I wrote  a follow-up (Food For Thought, Part 2) to that with the darkside of NOT eating well.

Today will be a quick lesson learned and then the review of the book.

MY BABBLINGS

In addition to following the guidelines set out by Eat Right For Your Blood Type I am just about to complete week #2 of P90X (an INTENSE 90 day exercise program).  On Tuesday, I completed the exercise routine and promply drank my 'Recovery Drink' (a protein shake of sorts formulated by the P90X group) and then, after a much needed shower, enjoyed your standard protein shake. 

About an hour later I found my energy levels crashing and soon my drive to do any work.... followed by my drive to do anything.  I found myself staring at my computer with no drive or desire to do any of the things I know are important or like to do. I did a few techniques to snap myself out of this brain fog, but alas, nothing was working for more than a short burst. Very frustrating considering a) I am a Coach and b) I am eating and exercising to have MORE energy.

Then the obvious dawned on me, the protein shakes are whey based which is derived from milk.  Being Blood Type O, I need to avoid dairy.  The next day I did my routine without the powders and I felt great! No brain fog, no drop in energy or mental clarity!

The fundamental awareness gained was the impact the most powerful drug we consume every day has on not only our body, but our mind.... that drug being food.  The effects are obvious (both immediately and the next day) when it comes to things like alcohol, so why not see food in that same light? 

THE REVIEW

And if you are interested in finding out what foods can give you super powers and which may be your kryptonite, Eat Right For Your Type is THE book to read.

I would highly recommend that EVERYONE read this book.  Even if you don't end up applying the guidelines, at least you can start making informed choices. Its the equivalent of going to the gas pump and having the knowlesge of choosing between Diesel, Biofuels, or the different octanes of gas.

What I love about this book is that it is written for a broad range of people.  For those of you who like to cut right to the chase, you can open to your Blood Type section and your customized guide is laid out for you breaking down food into 16 different sections (with charts) as well as Meal Plans, Recipes, Supplement Advisory, Exercise Guideline, and Personality Traits. Furthermore, the food categories are then clearly broken down into which foods (with an extensive list) are Benefitial for your blood type, Neutral, and which to Avoid.

For those of you that need a little more convincing and like to understand the method behind the madness, there is a very interesting history of blood type evolution alongside the human race.  It also dives into the scientific side of things as well.

Dr Peter D'Adamo does an incredible job of condensing TONS of information into an easy to read book and does an equally amazing job of balancing the scientific mumbo jumbo with common everyday language. This book will not make it to my bookshelf as I will be refering to it WAY to often.  Instead, it will be the perfect coffee table book.

Our bodies and our minds effect one another and we are all unique.  This book is a crucial piece of the puzzle in understanding the bigger picture of how we function as indivudals.

Go get it!

Your friend and Coach,
Bryce

Food for thought, Part 2

Only 2 posts ago I wrote about the strange effect 'Eating Right For My Blood Type' was having on me (all positive).

Well, over the weekend I had the opportunity to become aware of the effects of NOT eating well. Two of my friends were married over the weekend in Owen Sound, which is about an 8 hour drive from Ottawa. As is my excuse with most road trips, this meant I got to take a break from my usual strict routine and endulge in the greasy... carb filled... processed side of the food chart. You remember the Food Groups right??? Pizza (Bread), Milkshakes (Dairy), French Fries and Onion Rings (Vegetables), and Hamburgers (Meat) and Alcohol (Liquids).

To be honest, yes, it was fun to endulge! But not without consequence (to me and others).  First the obvious ones:
- Fuzzy thinking (lack of mental clarity).  Although the serious case of the stupids made for an amuzing trip home, it was actually hard to pull together a cohesive thought.  In fact, I still feel this.
- Lack of energy. More precisely, my energy was a lot more volatile. I would feel short burst of high energy followed by long periods of burnt out exhaution.  Any motivation would come and go very quickly.  I also noticed my moods were starting to follow this pattern.
- Digestive challenges (i'll spare you the details)
- Weight gain (5 lbs in 4 days... )

THE TWO SURPRISE ONES:
- Nightmares.... lots of them.  I can't remember the last time I had nightmares, let alone consistently.  For 3 nights in a row I had anxiety driven nightmares which woke me up throughout the night. It also meant I slept much longer than usual to get the same feeling of being rested.
- Muscle fatigue. On Monday, I did my P90X routine, and although I had the energy to complete the video, my muscles felt weak.

By now, we all know the importance of eating right. However, most people still don't pay nearly enough attention to this area of their lives and the immediate and long lasting benefits one will receive from doing so. In my opinion, it is simply because we associate too much immediate pleasure by endulging cravings and pain in not doing so and/or eating the alternatives.

If you never stop (even if temporary), you will never be able to realize the benefits which await you.

SOOOOoooooo...  I challenge you to eliminate one thing from your diet for 14 consecutive days. Chose something you know you shouldn't be eating AND (this is very important) decide on at least 3 alternatives you will use instead of this AND buy these alternatives before you start.

If I have learned anything about nutrition (and life) it is to prepare. Quite often we turn to unhealthy alternatives because they are convenient, so make your healthy choices convenient.

Set yourself up for success and let me know how it goes.

Dream your life. Live your dream.

Your friend and Coach,
Bryce

Food for thought

If you have felt something all of your life, how would you know if it is good or bad?

In my on-going pursuit to live life to the fullest, 2 weeks ago I switched my diet according to a book called Eat Right for Your Blood Type.

It makes sense that that not all diets are meant for all people.  In this book Dr. Peter J D'Adamo goes into great detail to list the foods that are either beneficial, neutral, or harmful depending on if your blood type is O, A, B, or AB.

So again, 2 weeks ago I switched my diet to take out things like Corn and Potatoes (2 of my staples ever since I was born!!!) and eat according to my O blood type. I had a very good nutrition plan in place before this, so I didn't notice any major differences right away. However lately I have started noticing small things such as not feeling any little aches in my bones/back as much, more mental clarity, and what can only be described as a more stable flow of energy (i.e.: less ups and downs.. peaks and valleys). 

But the biggest difference and adjustment has been that its rare I feel trully full!  All my life (or at least as long as I can remember), I would eat... eat... and eat some more and then feel full for about 30-60 minutes afterwards.  You know... that feeling that you get after a nice big turkey supper (just not that extreme! ha ha).

Now, there'll be a big plate of food in front of me, which I devour in my usual ferocity, but when I am done I don't feel full.  The hunger is gone and I don't have any real desire to eat any more, but I don't feel full. Even now, I question if I should keep eating until I feel this feeling of full I have been feeling all my life. After all, feeling full used to be the signal to me to stop putting food in my mouth.  Could this have been wrong all my life?  Is this how you are meant to feel?

All very strange and gets me curious as to what other feelings I may be experience which are either wrong or misleading.

What thoughts or feelings have you had your entire life (or a long time) which you have just accepted as life but in reality may not be appropriate?

Your friend and Coach,

Bryce