In the previous articles in this series, we looked at how Type As, Type Bs, and Type Os should eat to maintain optimum health. Type AB, you’ll round out the series as the baby of blood types.
The entire theory of eating for your blood type is based on the way each blood type is said to process lectins. Lectins are a kind of protein that bind to a particular kind of carbohydrate in the gut.
A common way to remember how lectins work is to look at the lectin as a protein key which fits into a specific carbohydrate lock. When the right key fits into a lock in the digestive tract, it breaks the cell membrane, which damages the cell.
The goal of the blood type diet is to avoid the lectins that are most attracted to your blood type while eating the foods that nourish the body. Here’s your history and recommendations, Type AB!
History of Type AB
You’re a rare breed, type AB! Of course, I’m sure you knew that, but statistically speaking, you comprise less than 5% of the world’s population. Dr. D’Adamo suggests that your blood type has only existed for the last millennium or so, making you the baby of our blood type family.
What’s so cool about you is that your blood type came about as a result of Type As breeding with Type Bs, rather than an environmental adaptation like the other types did.
You’re the chameleon, combining characteristics of both As and Bs. From A, you get the low stomach acid, but from B you get the adaptation to a meat-eating diet. Therefore, the meat you eat is metabolized poorly and gets stored as fat as opposed to being used immediately for fuel.
AB, you’re the enigma. In Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type, Dr. D’Adamo recommends that you combine not only Type A and Type B diet suggestions, but also exercise and stress-management techniques to create a perfect-for-you lifestyle!
Foods to Avoid
You’re supposed to skip all red meat and pork, without fail. You should also skip chicken, cornish hens, and goose. For you organ meat lovers out there, heart is also on your no-no list.
Exotic seafoods such as beluga and octopus are outlawed, along with bass, flounder, sole, haddock, lox and halibut. You should avoid all crustaceans, as well. Aim to eat some form of animal protein zero to two times per week, with a portion size from three to five ounces each time.
You can have most nuts and seeds, hooray! The ones ones you need to skip are hazelnuts, along with poppy, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds. Otherwise, feel free to go a little nuts on your consumption of these nutrient-loaded foods.
Type ABs tolerate grains better than most types. The only grains you need to avoid are corn, Kamut, and buckwheat. Remember that Japanese soba noodles are made from buckwheat, and some gluten-free pastas are made of corn.
Along with those two pastas, you need to skip artichoke pasta. Artichokes are, sadly, one of the foods that aren’t great for your blood type. Avocado, lima beans, mushrooms, black olives, all peppers, and most sprouts are out for you.
Fruits to skip include bananas, coconut, guava, mango, orange, starfruit (carambola), persimmon, pomegranate, prickly pear and rhubarb.
On the beverage front, you should nix orange juice, soda, black tea, and distilled liquors. Many herbal teas are out, so be sure to check the “foods to indulge” section for the best herbal teas to use for your type.
Because of your low stomach acid, you should skip vinegar (replace it with lemon juice), pickles, pepper, capers, anise and allspice. As for additives, be sure to look for foods that are free of cornstarch, corn syrup, gelatin and almond extract.
Foods to Indulge
Now comes the fun part, foods that you can enjoy to your heart’s content! The best meats for you are lamb, mutton, rabbit, and liver. You can also have turkey.
When it comes to seafood, be sure to get albacore tuna into your diet. Cod, mahi mahi, mackarel, perch, red snapper, salmon and sardines are all excellent choices as well. Eating an egg a few times per week is encouraged.
You’re clear to have all kinds of dairy, but goat’s milk and kefir are the best for you, according to the diet. Cottage, ricotta, and farmer’s cheeses, feta, mozzarella, along with goat cheese and yogurt are healthful additions for you.
Almost all nuts are fantastic, with the mostly highly recommended being almonds, walnuts, peanuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, pine nuts, and pistachios. You also get to have tons of lentils, navy and pinto beans, and cannellini.
Millet, one of my personal favorite grains, is high on your list of positive foods. Spelt, amaranth, barley, oats, wheat, rice and quinoa are permissible and positive for Type ABs.
You’ve got tons of choices when it comes to fresh fruits and veggies, so be sure to take advantage of them! Berries, cherries, figs, plums and grapes are wonderful choices from the purple fruits category, and you’ll get lots of antioxidants from them, as well.
Aside from those, be sure to have pineapple and papaya to enhance your digestive system. Kiwi, grapefruit, and lemon will get you a great vitamin C fix.
In the vegetable category, you can go bananas (not literally, bananas aren’t for you). Beets and spinach will get you plenty of iron on your non-meat-eating days. You can have as many kinds of greens as your little heart desires, but kale, dandelion greens, and mustard greens should be the ones you indulge most frequently.
Cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cauliflower are great, as are the alliums (onion, leek, and garlic). Celery and cucumber are great green vegetables for you, as are green, string, and snap beans. Are you getting hungry yet?
Be sure to drink lots of water. In addition to water, you may have coffee, green tea, beer and wine, and many varieties of herbal tea. Chamomile, echinacea, ginger, licorice root, and strawberry leaf tea are the most recommended types.
Tamarind is a cool, exotic flavor perfect for you. You’re welcome to use curry, garlic, horseradish, mayonnaise, mustard, miso, and salad dressing (preferably made from olive oil) to season your foods.
Lifestyle Considerations
You’re passionate, friendly, empathetic, and trusting. You are able to see past rigid social systems which may get you labeled a dreamer (if not a liberal). It’s best for you to work in teams but avoid competitive situations, which are stressful to you.
As you can swing from procrastination to impetuousness rapidly, it’s best to develop a plan and a set of goals for yourself regularly, with some major milestones being weekly, monthly, and annual goals.
On the exercise front, be sure to get 90 minutes to 2 hours of intense exercise per week. You should also be sure to do yoga, Pilates, tai chi, or meditation on the days you’re not exercising vigorously.
Community involvement is important for you, as belonging to a group is part of what allows Type ABs to be at their best. Having alone time in the form of a hobby or solo sport will help you develop more fully as an individual.
Well, that wraps up our series on eating for your blood type. I hope you’ve learned something about your diet and yourself over the last few weeks. I can’t wait to hear how this individualized eating plan changes your health!