We often think about "dieting" as a way to shed weight, but the truth is, finding and following the right diet for your body and lifestyle can benefit you tremendously.
Typically, we'll see diets that are tailored specifically for people who want to improve on certain parts of their mental health and wellness, or for people who have food intolerances.
But what if there were such a thing as eating right for your unique blood type?
Your blood type can reveal not only truths about your personality, but it can also give you insight into how you'll benefit from eating particular foods.
In an exclusive look below, we consult naturopath Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo's Blood Type Diets guide, and examine the strengths, weaknesses, and diet suggestions for each blood type out there.
Scroll further to read more about your own blood type and recommended foods, and let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The Type A Profile
According to the Blood Type Diets guide, created by naturopath Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo, people with Type A blood are very grounded people, and crave a life with structure, rhythm, and harmony.
Those with Type A blood strive to attain a peaceful state of mind, and thrive when they surround themselves with positive, helpful, and supportive people.
At times, they tend to get easily stressed, which can trigger unwanted hormone imbalances.
Suggested Diet For Type A's
Type A's can benefit greatly from following a pure and simple diet, coupled with gentle exercise.
An organic, vegetarian diet will work especially well and help decrease natural risk factors for health issues like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even cancer.
It can be tough to move away from meat and starches, and transition into healthier soy proteins, veggies, and grains, but these healthy foods will nourish and soothe sensitive immune systems.
Type A's should try incorporating more fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and whole grains into their diet.
The Type B Profile
The key characteristic of Type B's is that they are extremely adaptable, malleable, and can thrive in tough, ever-changing conditions.
They are likely the least stubborn among all their family and friends, are highly open-minded, and can see the pros and cons from both sides.
The primary focus, then, should be to find the right balance in life. Type B's are known to produce higher cortisol levels when they are stressed, and can fall prey to various health issues and autoimmune diseases.
However, when Type B's strive to live the healthiest lifestyles possible, they almost always end up having fewer risk factors for disease, and turn out to be more physically fit and mentally balanced than any other blood type.
Suggested Diet For Type B's
Type B's are huge foodies. But in order to optimize their metabolic process, and to stave off consequences like fatigue and fluid retention, they should try to cut things like corn, peanuts, lentils, and buckwheat out of their diet.
To maintain healthy blood sugar levels, especially after meals, Type B's should add more green vegetables, eggs, and low-fat dairy to their diet.
When it comes to meat, chicken can be a little problematic, says Dr. D'Adamo. Though it is a lean meat, chicken contains an "agglutinating lectin" in its tissue, which can cause problems for your bloodstream, and lead to strokes and other disorders.
The doctor suggests replacing chicken with other proteins like goat, mutton, and lamb.
The Type O Profile
Type O is the only blood type that carries two polarized blood type antibodies (types A and B), and those who have an O- blood type are universal red blood cell donors.
Out of all blood types, type O's have the best ability to digest both protein, fat, and calcium, because they tend to have higher amounts of chemicals and enzymes in their digestive tracks to help with absorption.
However, there is a downside to this. Type O's tend to be more predisposed to certain illnesses and disorders, like thyroid problems, ulcers, and inflammation, and are likelier to have higher levels of stomach acid.
Suggested Diet For Type O's
As with the other blood types, the key is in managing stress levels. Type O's are more likely to be impulsive and a little temperamental, so they can experience dramatic highs and lows.
Dr. D'Adamo suggests implementing a high-protein diet of lean meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, and fruits.
Go lighter on wheat, dairy, and beans, and try to avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can raise your already high adrenaline.
The Type AB Profile
Type AB blood is extremely rare, and is found in less than 5 percent of the entire population. In fact, until 10 or 12 centuries ago, there was practically no one with this blood type.
This blood type is a result of the intermingling between other blood types, and not of evolution or environmental factors. Therefore, type AB's share the characteristics, challenges, and strengths that both types A and B have.
A lot of the time, Type AB's tend to have mixed feelings and attitude toward things.
Usually, they like meeting new people, and are open and trusting. However, they can feel isolated and alienated from others at times.
Generally, AB's are very intuitive, emotional, passionate, and empathetic.
Suggested Diet For Type AB's
Type AB's have lower levels of stomach acid, but are less efficient at metabolizing proteins, which can end up being stored as fat.
Dr. D'Adamo suggests that type AB's do their best to avoid caffeine and alcohol, especially if they're already stressed out.
Type AB's should incorporate more foods like green vegetables, seafood, tofu, and dairy into their diet. Try to stay away from smoked and cured meats, which can be detrimental for those with low stomach acid.
The doctor also recommends eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day, and to avoid eating starches and proteins in the same meal, in order to metabolize foods more efficiently.
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