February 2018

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The Power of Heart

by Martha D'Adamo

The year started out with a bang! On Sunday, January 7th at 5:30 am, we got a call from our alarm company that there was an issue at the D'Adamo Personalized Nutrition offices. Peter and I rushed over in -10 degree temperatures, and we were greeted with a sight that we could never have prepared for. The sprinkler system on the top floor of the building ruptured, and pumped close to 10,000 gallons of water throughout the building. The exterior of the building was like an ice palace, which, in retrospect, was quite beautiful.  At that time, though, it was terrifying to look at.

We immediately assembled the DPN team and our first concern was to secure the warehouse. Products were moved and protected, and we incurred no significant damage to our inventory, although we lost some of our packing and shipping materials. 

The business side of the building, which houses administration, finance, customer service and marketing, did not fare as well, although our server and key computers were secured. We spent two days on high alert, and Peter led the staffers, armed with a fleet of shop-vacs, as we did emergency water removal. This was a critical piece in our ability to recover, as had we not done that in that critical 48-hour time period, we would have had to move offsite for 3 months, as many of the other tenants have had to do. I’ve always known Peter to be a visionary and a handy man, and these two qualities were the hallmark of how he catalyzed our team and got us through this crisis. 

In Chinese, the symbol for crisis and opportunity is the same character, and it is very true in this situation. This event was an opportunity for us to pull together as an organization, and I have never been more proud of DPN than I am today. A round of applause to Peter, Bob Messineo, Melissa Cybart (and her husband, Gary, who jumped right in to help out), Augusto, Forrest (and his brother Zephyr who lent helping hands) for the first 24 hours of the reclamation project! And more thanks to all the DPN staff, who worked in less than adequate space or worked remotely to take orders, process, package and ship so that our customers got their products.

As we head into February, it is important to remember to support our immune systems and stay healthy. We’ve included a shout out to Peter’s favorites for immune support and don’t forget to include Vitamin D. Take care of your cardiovascular systems, and remember to “show the love,” on Valentine’s Day …and get excited, as you are going to have some new “Datapunk Diet Buddies” soon.

Thanks to all our great DPN customers! You are the reason we love our jobs and have purpose in the world.

Martha

Your blood type can influence your cardiovascular system in many ways. There's a strong correlation between blood type and the ability to metabolize fats and oils. Blood type affects the thickness of the blood and reactivity of blood vessel walls. It also affects the body's chemical response to stress. Since stress is an important factor for heart disease, these blood type-specific variations can be a key factor in cardiac health. There are also risk factors, such as smoking cigarettes, that have nothing to do with your blood type.

Heart Health - the Blood Type Influence

Heart disease is more common among blood types A and AB, although nobody is immune. The main difference is that As and ABs tend to have problems with high cholesterol, while Os and Bs tend to have high triglycerides, formed by eating too many carbohydrates. The higher rates of As and ABs in heart disease patients can skew the results of dietary studies. If 75% of cardiac patients in a study improve with a low fat diet, most researchers don't worry about the other 25%. They simply recommend the low fat diet for all heart disease patients. That's why the "conventional wisdom" about what constitutes a "heart healthy diet" differs so much from what I recommend for Blood Types O and B.

Intestinal alkaline phosphatase, or AIP, is an enzyme produced in the small intestine that breaks down dietary cholesterol and fats. It is released in response to ingesting proteins and fats, especially saturated fat. Blood types O and B release far higher quantities of AIP than blood types A and AB. This means that meals high in animal products are more fully digested in Os and Bs, and do not usually spike blood cholesterol levels.

But a low fat, high carb diet often leads to Metabolic Syndrome for Os and Bs. Metabolic Syndrome is a clustering of conditions that raises your risk for heart disease and other health problems. These factors include abdominal fat, high triglycerides, low HDL ("good" cholesterol), high blood pressure and high blood sugar.

Effects on Clotting

The ability of blood to clot, or harden, is important so we don't bleed to death after an injury. Blood is fluid, but contains platelets and inactive clotting factors. The clotting factors are activated when there's an injury, so they can make platelets stick together to form clots. These clots are good when there's a wound that needs mending, but can be harmful when there are only slight damages to blood vessels. The clots themselves can build up and inhibit proper blood flow, like a layer of scabs inside the blood vessel. Sometimes a clot can break off and get lodged elsewhere in the body, blocking blood flow there. This can lead to heart attacks or strokes if the clots cause blockages near the heart or brain.

Blood type influences a clotting factor called Factor VIII. This factor is higher in blood types A and AB, and lower in blood types B and O. Types A and AB are also more likely to get arterial inflammation, which damages artery walls. Irritated skin inside the vessels means more spots for blood clots to form.

Type Bs and ABs have trouble regulating nitric oxide, a compound which allows blood vessels to relax and open up. The foods for these types are chosen to be high in arginine to promote nitric acid production. B-specific lectins, such as those found in chicken, interfere with fat metabolism and can directly thicken blood. Avoiding the harmful foods helps to promote healthy blood vessels.

Beneficial Exercises for Your Type

The heart is a muscle, and regular exercise helps to keep it strong and able to keep pumping efficiently. Exercise also helps to maintain a healthy weight, and can lower stress levels.

• Type As have naturally high levels of cortisol and difficulty lowering it. Gentle exercise such as walking, tai chi, and yoga can help lower stress levels and promote fitness in As. Over training or heavy aerobic exercises can cause additional stress to the A body, causing more harm than good.
• For Blood Types B and AB, stress regulation and overall fitness are achieved with a balance of moderate aerobic activity and mentally soothing, stress-relieving exercises. Such activities as hiking, martial arts, swimming, cycling, tai chi, yoga, Pilates, and brisk walking are good choices.
• Exercise is key to cardiovascular health, and this is especially true for blood type O. Strength training builds up muscle mass, which aids in metabolic efficiency. Type O requires regular, high intensity exercise to maintain optimal physical health and emotional balance. But any amount of movement is better than none, if you're not currently healthy enough for intense workouts.

For more information, including details about diet and exercise recommendations, you can refer to my book Cardiovascular Disease:Cardiovascular Disease: Fight It With the Blood Type Diet.  The checklists below are excerpted from my book and are great guidelines to get started on the path to better heart health. A complete listing of current food values for the Blood Type Diet can be found on the TypeBase. If you need any supplements specific to cardiovascular health, visit our Cardiovascular Support page. 

(Click the charts below to enlarge)

News from Dr. Peter D’Adamo

Dr. Peter D'Adamo has been busy. He helped educate our audience with tips for protecting against seasonal illnesses in this recent blog post. He shared this article from Harvard about the positive impact Vitamin D supplementation can have to help protect against colds and flu. He continues to see patients and oversee the student teaching shift at the Center of Excellence in Generative Medicine. And, most exciting of all, he has been working diligently on developing the Datapunk Diet Buddy, a soon-to-be-released web app that allows you to track adherence to any of his current D'Adamo Diet Systems (Blood Type Diet, GenoType Diet and SWAMI) using a simple and quick 'diet diary' input system. Then you can track foods and compliance, manage your diet plan, and even interact with other dieters to support one another. Stay tuned!

To stay up to date with Dr. D’Adamo, be sure to follow him on Facebook & Twitter!

Beba A.

Blood Type Diet Success Story

Like most people, I didn’t take my health too seriously until I got older. When I turned 40 I was 230 pounds and increasingly concerned about the history of diabetes that ran in my family. After looking at lots of different diet plans, I decided to try the Blood Type Diet for my Type O blood. The weight began to melt off at a pace I could hardly believe. All I did was eliminate the foods that were problematic for my type; I wasn’t even exercising or doing anything extra!

Recently, I found out that I was having heart trouble when I went to the doctor. Part of the problem was tied to how my body manufactured and used insulin improperly. I trusted Dr. D’Adamo’s guidance and picked up his book on the topic, Cardiovascular Disease: Fight it with the Blood Type Diet. By following the more specific protocols in the book for only six months (which included carbohydrate and sugar reduction), all my heart health issues have improved by leaps and bounds. I also supplemented with Deflect O, which blocked a lot of harmful lectin reactions in my body that wreaked havoc on my insulin levels and subsequently, my heart health.

I am now 48 years old and weigh around 165 pounds, the same weight I was when I was 18! I have more energy and have regulated ominous issues that were looming from my family history. I can’t thank Dr. D’Adamo enough for his diet guidance that goes so far beyond the over-inflated goal of weight loss. The weight reduction has just been one excellent component of my overall better health that I will be enjoying and maintaining for years to come.

Blood Type Diet in the News

​Why Men With This Blood Type Are More Likely to Have a Heart Attack

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Harvard University

Dr. Peter D’Adamo recently shared an article from Harvard University about the importance of Vitamin D for warding off colds and other illnesses.

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People Magazine

Chris Pratt mentioned being on the blood type diet recently on his social media. The star is trying to be in top shape for the upcoming blockbuster “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.”

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South Norwalk, the beautiful town where we are headquartered, gets a lovely writeup on bbook.com!

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Blood Type Diet Shepherd's Pie Recipes

Right 4 All Types

Shepherd's Pie is a warm and savory comfort food that has been a staple in country homes for decades. Though it can normally be a tricky dish to cook in a Blood Type Diet household because of the need for dairy, meat and baking ingredients, three things that tend to vary noticeably between blood types, we created two versions of the dish that will complement any blood type’s needs. For Types O & B, we have a delicious take on the classic with sweet potato and beef, while Type A & AB can enjoy our variation featuring cauliflower and turkey. Both are sure to give you that soothing, “stick to your ribs” feeling without the need for the guilt that usually comes with it!

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie [O & B]

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Cauliflower Shepherd's Pie [A & AB]

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