Can I Do The Blood Type Diet® and the Ketogenic Diet Together?
If you’ve been wondering whether you can combine The Blood Type Diet with the Ketogenic Diet (also known as the Keto Diet), you’re not alone. In fact, it’s one of our most frequently asked questions. Both popular diets offer well-documented health benefits, so it’s certainly a natural question to ask. The answer is yes, it is possible to incorporate both diets together, but it will be easier for some blood types than others. That’s the short answer. For a more complete answer, let’s look at both diets a little closer.
What exactly is the Keto Diet?
The Keto Diet has been getting a lot of press lately for its health benefits, especially with regards to weight loss. But what exactly is the Keto Diet? Well, it involves keeping your body in a state of “ketosis,” which is when your body switches from burning glucose for energy to burning ketones, which come from the breakdown and metabolism of stored fats. In simpler terms, it’s a very low-carb, high-fat diet. In fact, most people will need to reduce their carb intake to less than 50 grams a day, and some people even less depending on individual biology.
Historically, the Keto Diet was used to control seizures in people diagnosed with epilepsy. But more recently, evidence points to broader health benefits, such as improved heart health, reduced risk of cancer, hormone balancing and of course weight loss.
If you’re a follower of The Blood Type Diet, many of these benefits may sound familiar to you. So, how are the two diets different?
The differences between the Keto Diet and The Blood Type Diet
One of the main differences between the two diets is in how foods are determined to be included (beneficial) or excluded (foods to avoid). The Keto diet is based largely on the nutritional content of food. Meals are comprised of high-fat, low-carb foods with moderate amounts of protein. While there is a list of foods to be avoided, for example grains, lentils and peanuts, this list applies universally to everyone following the diet.
The Blood Type Diet, however, is more personalized in that it considers the biochemical individuality of each person. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, The Blood Type Diet takes into account the reaction between our blood and the foods we eat. The key to our individuality lies in our blood type, and knowing our type can help to understand why certain foods are Right 4 Your Type® and others are not. While both diets are based on whole foods and share the goal of overall health, The Blood Type Diet, rooted in science, is based on the benefits of personalized nutrition.
So, can I combine a Keto Diet with The Blood Type Diet?
It’s definitely possible to follow both diets simultaneously, however some blood types will have an easier time than others. If you are Blood Type O, it should be quite easy. That’s because this blood type produces higher amounts of stomach acid and intestinal enzymes to help digest and metabolize high fat, protein-rich foods. A personalized nutritionally complete diet for someone with Blood Type O already includes animal meats and fats. So to successfully combine both diets, Blood Type Os would simply need to increase their intake of beneficial higher fat foods, maintain protein intake and and restrict carbohydrate-rich foods.
For Blood Type Bs, a combined diet would also be possible but it may take a bit more work. Someone with this blood type can best be described as a “balanced omnivore,” and a personalized diet for a Type B includes certain meats, seafood, dairy and grains. Individuals with Blood Type B do produce a fair amount of stomach acid and intestinal enzymes, although not as much as those with Blood type O. But restricting carbohydrates as required by the Keto Diet, while maintaining the balance most beneficial for Type Bs, does make it a bit harder. It is possible for Blood Type Bs to follow both diets, but it might require a little extra planning and a dash of creativity.
Unfortunately for those with Blood Type A, combining the Ketogenic Diet with The Blood Type Diet could prove to be quite difficult. Type As have difficulty digesting and metabolizing meat protein and therefore thrive on a largely vegetarian diet. The levels of stomach acid and intestinal enzymes produced by Type As is quite low in comparison to other blood types, which would make a high fat, animal protein rich diet challenging. But for those who are very determined, there are vegetarian versions of the Keto Diet. Reaching ketosis is possible by relying on high-fat plant products like avocados, nuts and seeds, but would require significant planning and may be quite restrictive and repetitive.
The fourth blood type, Type AB, is quite rare and found in less than five percent of the population. People with Blood Type AB carry tolerances and predispositions of both Type As and Type Bs. So what does this mean for Type AB individuals who want to combine The Blood Type Diet with the Keto Diet? They will have an easier time than Type As, but will still need to plan carefully and pay close attention to their beneficial food list.
No matter what your blood type, if you decide to combine a Ketogenic Diet with The Blood Type Diet, a great place to start would be to download The Blood Type Diet app and cross reference the beneficial and neutral foods that are Right 4 Your Type with high fat, low-carb Keto-friendly foods. Working from those lists, let the meal planning begin!