[Kontessa]

I was wanting to get opinions on this diet as I am a type O and so far am doing well as far as weight on it.

Soon after we found out I was pregnant we started the blood type diet in our house. I am an O meaning mostly meats, and Hubby is an A meaning mostly veggies. No dairy really or wheat. Now I always gain at least 60 lbs and get GD, that has proven true in three pregnancys, not this one though! I have not gained any weight (Good as I am not tiny) and no GD! I also only losely using the diet now since we moved 2 months ago and things have been nuts. I am now getting into the eat right 4 your baby book about blood types from the same person. I hope it helps me recover and breastfeed.

Now I have been sick for 2 dang weeks, family has been as well but not as bad. So I start to wonder and worry about my diet. Healthy people do not tend to get sick I have noticed. So this Alkaline diet showed up on a list and I looked into. We got PH strips and sure enough, Hubby and daughter are ok and I am REALLY not. Meat has lots of Acid in it but the other part of the Blood type diet is lots of greens that I know I am not eating soooooooo I think those could balance out the meat.

Anyway, thoughts would be great!

Blessings,
Kimmy

 

[Poddi]

I don't know much about those diets, just want to say remember you're pregnant. Pregnant women have weaker immune systems to accomodate babies (foreign protein) living in them. It's normal to get sick when other people in your family are just fine. Of course if you think changing your diet will help then try that.

 

[alicia622]

I just saw melissa Ethridge on Martha's new talk show and she was talking quite a bit about balancing acids and alkaline foods. She said she started doing this when she was getting treatment for breast cancer. It sounds interesting and is actually an ancient way of looking at ones diet/health.

 

[Leanie]

Macrobiotics was one of the first 'diets' to stress the acid/alkaline balance of the body. No, it's not some crazy diet by a bunch of hippies or people trying to be hip (Hip chick's guide to Macrobiotics is a pretty good book to start with). This practice has been around for thousands of years in some form in ancient Eastern medicine. Think of Yin and Yang.

The very basic tenants are that eating foods that are at either extreme create inbalances in the body, making it suseptable to illness and disease. Typical foods that are eliminated are meats, eggs, dairy, sugar, alcohol, spices, and anything artificial (sweetners, flavors, colors, etc.).

After losing several family members to cancer and my dearest friend of 28 years (Breast cancer at 36 with no history and no tobacco use) over the course of a few years, I went looking for something to improve my health. I wasn't unhealthy, but had smoked for years (quit 10 years ago) and was starting to notice a decline. My older sister joked that things just start to fall apart once you hit 40, but I didn't want to accept that I should be feeling little aches/pains etc as a now permenant part of my life.

I have been following a macrobiotic diet for almost a year now. My cystic acne is GONE (on perscription meds and oral antibiotics for years), PMS that included bloating, a 5 pound weight gain, very sore breast and headaches...GONE, swollen knees joints (running)...GONE, Cellulite...greatly diminished...and I wasn't overweight to begin with (5'9'' and 130 lbs), brittle hair and nails...GONE, the flu/colds...everyone else in the house gets and I don't (even with a toddler that coughs and sneezes direct into my face for days), and headaches...GONE.

Am I sold on it, 100%! I haven't felt this good since I was in my 20's. It is a major life adjustment, but so is heart disease and cancer. A great place to get information is The Kushi Institute. Good books are the one mentioned above and 'Making the transition to a Macrobiotic Diet' for starters.

Good luck to you and thank you.
Eileen