November 2014

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Take A Look At Our New Better-Than-Ever Website

At ABO Essentials, Canadian Distributior for D'Adamo Personalized Nutrition, we're all about you! If you've stopped by our webstore in the past week, you may have noticed some changes.

• First, since we know that many of our customers are always on the go, we've upgraded our layout and design to be just as user friendly when using your smart phone or tablet as when you're using a desktop computer.
• We've created functions that allow you to re-order the products you love with just a tap of your finger or create a wish list of the products you want to try in the future.
• Our search functions have been upgraded to now allow you to search for articles as well as our incredible products.
• After your order has been placed, our advanced tracking functions let you see where your products are at any stage in the shipping process – and if you're not completely happy when they arrive – you can initiate their return right from your account.
• We now have a rewards program for registered customers that commenced Oct 1st 2014. If you were a registered customer with a store account on our old look site you may find that your login info does not work when you log in. DO NOT RE-REGISTER...simply click here to reset password.
• Some of our advanced educational features include a "Newbie" page with tips for getting started on the Blood Type Diet and a Articles page that provides links to all the tools you'll need to achieve your health goals.
• Have a question about one of our products, or simply want to know more about the Blood Type Diet, GenoType Diet, or SWAMI Xpress individualized diet software? We now offer a Live Chat feature that allows you to speak with one of our expert Customer Service Representatives in real time.
• And if you haven't tried Dr. Peter D'Adamo's SWAMI Xpress program, it's now available as a digital download – a faster way to get started on the ultimate individualized nutritional journey!

This month, we're offering 15% savings on our entire store so there's no better time to visit us & check out our exciting new features and innovative products.

Falling Leaves

By Martha D'Adamo

When our older daughter, Claudia, was younger, she took piano lessons, and both Peter and I loved to watch her play the piano.  Fingers flying over the keys, intent on the music, for the moment, transported to a place of otherness where nothing belonged except Claudia and the music.  One of Claudia's many gifts are her hands…playing piano, coding computers, knitting, baking…since she was small, her hands have always been active.

A special recital piece she played was called "Falling Leaves," a difficult and challenging piece, emblematic of the plaintiveness of the fall season…. the trees preparing for winter, the leaves, enjoying their final burst of life with colors beyond description, and then slowly losing their suppleness, drying out, and falling from the sky.  We always had tears when she played, so proud of her and her accomplishments, as well as being moved by the symbolism of the music.  The changing seasons, the life cycle, the impermanence of life and how inspiring it is to witness these processes as well as experience them. 

Peter posted something recently about righteousness, and the sense of being better than someone or something else.  It was a beautiful poem by Kahil Gibran about leaves and blades of grass.  If you missed it, I'm sharing it here:

At different times in our lives, we are the blades of grass and the leaves.  We might do well to learn to live in the moment for others and ourselves and to accept our unique individuality, at every stage of our lives.

This fall seemed to arrive more quickly than in the past, as if the clock has sped up at the same time I want to slow down and enjoy each moment.  Acutely aware of time's passage, I am doing my work to insure that I can age as gracefully as possible with flexibility and suppleness as well as grace and wisdom.  Flexibility and suppleness are more tangible things to strive for.  Daily exercise, eating right, supplementing areas that need support are very doable.  I've refined my SWAMI to support some joint achy-ness and increased stress levels; I've added in Methyl B-12 to support healthy energy levels and detoxification; Catechol to provide stress support (I am an O!); and Scienca for healthy joint support. 

Grace and wisdom are not found in supplements or foods, but they can be found by looking within each of our life experiences and learning from them.  Any experience, good or bad, is our experience, and if we fully embrace what life brings our way, we can cultivate the inner balance and equanimity that yields grace and wisdom. 

This month, my goal is to continue building outer flexibility while cultivating inner grace.  I plan on using the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday as part of this process, as I give thanks for all that I have, for the people in my life, for the life lessons, which have made me more resilient, and hopefully more wiser.

Martha

When it comes to D'Adamo Personalized Nutrition products, everyone has a favorite – even our staff. From ARA 6 to Trehalose, we've had the opportunity to try the complete line of D'Adamo supplements and although we love them all, we do have a few that we just couldn't live without. We asked our staff which products were on the top of their must-have list - here's what they said.

Success Story: Frank Bouc

A year ago, I embarked on a complete overhaul of my health. It was more than the ulcerative colitis, at the age of 35 my body was literally falling apart internally and externally. In reviewing my diet back then and my workout techniques, I tend to wince; after all had I started this journey years ago perhaps I would not had fallen down the rabbit hole so deep. I digress. When my son was just four months old, I entered lumbar spinal surgery. It was completely invasive and a surgery that conquered the day, and my wife's frazzled nerves who was handling our newborn, her oldest son, work and school. Here I was with a spine that stopped cooperating; I would walk and get drop-foot, I experienced numbness in my leg so frequently, it nearly crippled me from moving. Atop of my colitis, I was a mess; until one day, a diet and a new way to exercise literally changed my life and I started living again.

Let's get this out there – I am not being paid for this review, I wasn't asked to try this diet. I instead did my research. Let me give you some history, the issue and the final resolution that is now my life solution.

History

I never struggled with my weight terribly. I was a weightlifter, benching 430 for five reps was a winning night. I wore a weight-belt when I tackled the bar for dead lifts; 550 pounds in six reps, sure. My shrugs were right up there and I was rippling with thick muscles. I also wore a size 38 at the time, because when you're lifting like that, fuel is essential. It became a job to eat. Back then slamming a steak, potatoes and loads of veg was ideal.

Once my back was operated on, and I was back on my feet, I resorted to my old ways. Including flare-ups. Those familiar with ulcerative colitis know what I am talking about. To offset the madness, I was prescribed deadly dosages of sulfasalazine for years. My hair was falling out, my skin felt dry, my nails were brittle, all because the amount of meds I was taking, plus my diet was not working for me.

Injuries became problematic, sleep became an issue and before you knew it, I was falling apart at the age of 35.

Something's Gotta Change, Right?

My wife has a passion against pharmaceuticals. Sure, she takes them when she absolutely, no choice about it, needs to, but her angst is pretty deep. The fact I was falling apart had us both searching for another way to conquer this. All the doc wanted to do was raise my dosage, but my flares continued, and before you knew it, a biopsy was requested. It turned out benign, but it made me realize I had to change.

My pops left this world too young, when I was 13-years-old I lost him to a tragic work accident. The thought of leaving that same grief to my own son, for something that was potentially avoidable, made me rethink what I was doing. My wife and I stumbled upon the Blood Type Diet.

The Blood Type Diet

After doing some research, we realized a local naturalist carried books for each blood type. While not the full book, the blood type brief books provided a "what foods to eat and avoid" guideline. After some work, I found out I was an A blood type, but I was eating like I was an O blood type. As an A blood type red meats were dangerous and aiding a path towards colon cancer, potatoes a poison, and cow milk pure garbage for my system.

The milk was the hardest. I was an official semi-cow due to the amount I drank.

So, we reviewed what foods I could eat, and I can tell this, it was disheartening. Yogurts, oats, flaxseed, organic chicken, veggies galore, fruits, raisins, various nuts and other very healthy items. Where was the ice-cream? The chocolate cake? Hell, where was the steak?

Body Reboot

Nevertheless, I was dedicated and for a year I eat oats in yogurt, mixed kale and spinach with blueberries in smoothies with water and ice. My wife, who is an amazing cook, did wondrous things to chicken and various veggies and fruits. Gone were the greasy foods, gone was the excessive bad starch and in its place was spinach pasta with shredded, basil chicken. Gone was the chocolate cake for blueberry tinged spinach smoothies. Gone was the steak - and in its place tuna salads with light, homemade dressing. Instead of cow's milk, I was enjoying almond and rice milk.

Then something happened at the gym. I was tired of the pains and aches, so I stopped lifting so heavy. I still touch the weights, but have learned to adopt more reps, less weight and squeezing my muscles. Gone was the weight-belt and in its place were core exercises. Additionally, I visited a local Earth Fare and purchased powdered wheatgrass, a true elixir for living. Eight to 16 ounces daily had me feeling energized. Then something else happened.

I stopped taking sulfasalazine. In its place, I was juicing spinach, kale and various veggies and fruits three times a day. I was feeling good, lighter and the drastic grogginess that afflicted me lifted. I slept a bit less, but better. I could run again.

Granted, this didn't cure my back pain, or nerves that still create some pain for me, but it stopped compounding those elements. A year later, I am down 65 pounds, and I actually have a 6-pack, wearing a size 32. I don't starve myself, I still enjoy a late night snack of yogurt, raisins and raw oats. It's pretty delicious. Every now and then, I splurge on sherbet for my sweet tooth to settle down. For once, I feel in control of my life, and its destiny.

When it comes to the holidays? My wife mentioned instead of mashed potatoes, she is going to create a mashed carrot dish. Instead of bacon on the green beans, we are opting for grilled mushrooms and a light sauce. It can still be enjoyed, but in a way that helps and doesn't harm.

Final Lesson

I learned dieting works, but the type of diet is essential. Are we eating food that fuels us or kills us? Not all diets are created equal. Oats and yogurt are horrible for my wife, who is an O blood type, so she stays away from it. Her recommendations call for lean meats, sweet potatoes and green veggies. Diet and rest are 90 percent of the battle; exercise is the remaining 10 percent. Take the time to study what works for you, and honestly? Just get it done. This is my review on the Blood Type Diet. Above are before and after pictures of me, and I feel pretty great.

Could Blood Types
Be Linked With
Patterns Of Disease?

Watch the video

No Corn Cornbread

Right for All Blood Types Recipe

Cornbread is a typical Thanksgiving family favorite, but what do you do when corn is a no-no on your Blood Type or GenoType Diet? You improvise, of course!  Kristin O'Connor, co-author of our Eat Right for Your Type Personalized Cookbooks, designed this amazing cornmeal-free recipe that will trick your taste buds into thinking you're indulging in something decadent! Whip up a batch and re-create grandma's cornbread stuffing on Thanksgiving, or serve it throughout the winter as a hearty side with chili or soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup millet flour
• ½ cup quinoa flour
• ¼ cup brown rice flour
• ¼ cup almond flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• Pinch turmeric
• 3 large whole eggs
• ¾ cup rice milk
• 4 tablespoons of ghee, melted and cooled plus more for greasing
• 2 tablespoons agave

Directions:

• Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish with ghee.
• Start by combining dry ingredients in a large bowl: millet flour, quinoa flour, rice flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and turmeric.  Mix until well blended.
• In a separate bowl, whisk wet ingredients: eggs, milk, ghee, and agave.  Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until free of lumps.
• Pour batter into the greased baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean.
• Once bread has cooled, you can achieve a toasty crust by turning the oven up to 400 degrees and cutting the bread into 1 inch cubes. Place cubed bread on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast 6-8 minutes, flipping once so that bread becomes evenly toasted and slightly browned around the edges.

Find more delicious, simple to prepare recipes in the Eat Right for Your Type Personalized Cookbooks (great budget-friendly gifts at only $19.75 each).