I recently became acquainted with this idea of "blood type dieting". It started with one of my colleagues, who quite visibly lost some weight. Everyone noticed and started asking her what the secret was! Seems like she was sticking very strictly to the blood type diet!
In a nutshell, every blood type reacts differently to the lectins (powerful proteins) in common foods. That is why sometimes after eating certain kinds of food, you will start to feel bloated or experience indigestion. For example, people with A blood type will feel bloated after eating any wheat products. The idea then is that by eating the right kinds of food, you will get the right kinds of lectins for your body, and in turn get a leaner and cleaner body.
I was never one to believe in dieting (that explains my not so stick thin figure), and I never particularly watch what I eat, except to ensure that I don't overeat. God the amount of food pictures on my blog and facebook should give you some idea!!
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| Byebye giant fried chicken :( |
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| Any more ice cream and I will look like a pile of chocolate dung!!! |
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| Wahpiang. No wonder I have indigestion. |
Trust me, I've tried diets, I always fail miserably after 1 week. Even for this diet, I haven't stuck to it strictly, but I've seen it work on others, so...thought I'd share and document it here. Also, a lot of my friends were curious about it after I posted something on my Facebook and instagram, so here's more information I found for each blood type!
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Blood Type A (that's me!)
Also known as the agrarian, suitable for a diet free from meat with lots of vegetables. When I first round out, I was like, please kill me now. I'm the most carnivorous person of all the carnivores I know. Apparently A blood types have fragile digestive systems and cannot tolerate animal protein, hence we are better off as vegetarians.
Good: I'm supposed to eat lots of greens, lots of tofu (thank goodness I love tofu), seafood and fruits. Soy products and pineapples can aid in weight loss. Bye bye quarter pounder and juicy steak!
Avoid: Meat, dairy products and wheat products. Smoked meats are also bad for us (sobsob no more smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich!) Cripe does that mean no more beer?! Haha.
Type of exercise: Calming and centred exercises like hatha yoga, golf and taichi are best for A blood types.
Blood Type B
Also known as the nomad. If you are of this blood type, you would thrive on dairy products like milk and cheese. Your digestive system is also pretty tolerant, although there is something in chicken which is bad for you. So no more KFC, no more McSpicy, no more Popeyes, no more Boon Tong Kee, no more Five Star Chicken Rice. Wah quite sad leh.
Good: If you are thinking of losing weight, drink lots of licorice tea and water with lemon juice. Red meat like venison, lamb, rabbit and liver are also good, as well as eggs. You can enjoy a pretty balanced diet with meat (except chicken), grains, fruits and veggies. So lucky!!
Avoid: Chicken, if I haven't emphasized enough. Also products with gluten (most prevalent in wheat products) don't get digested too well in your body, so best to not eat them. Ok we get it, beer is bad.
Type of exercise: Choose something which can release tension and focus your mind, like swimming, jogging, yoga and taichi.
Blood Type AB
Also known as the enigma, and is somewhere in between blood types A and B. Interestingly, only about 5% of people in the world have this bloodtype. The diet then is a cross between A and B blood types. Unlike A which has to avoid meat totally, you still need meat, so portion is key.
Good: Tomatoes, those red juicy round things are good for you! A diet of pineapple, veggies, dairy, seafood and tofu is the best.
Avoid: Most foods which are bad for A and B blood types, are also bad for AB blood types. My first thought: isn't that everything? Eat air la! But if I have to prioritise the must-avoid foods for AB types, it would be red meat, beans, corn and wheat.
Type of exercise: Since you are somewhere near A, somewhere near B, the key is to find a balanced exercise routine, such as a regular morning yoga routine, followed by late afternoon aerobics.
Blood Type O
Also known as the hunter. I wish I was in this category, mannnnn. People here need to have a high protein diet with lots of meat. Their digestive system is like metal, anything also can!! You generally have a high-acid level in your stomach (that's why meat is easily digested), but for the same reason you should wave good bye to Starbucks and Nespresso. Metabolism is low, so avoid carbs and eat more seafood!
Good: Visit Jack's Place and Aston's every week for that juicy steak, cos you need it!! Instead of coffee, drink more green tea to balance out the acid in your stomach. If you're sick of meat, supplement with lots of seafood and fruits. Nuts have lots of protein but are also fatty, so generally good but don't eat too much!
Avoid: Take no or less rice with every meal. Same goes for noodles, bread and prata. Dairy products will generally wreck havoc for you, so avoid yogurt, ice cream, cheese and mayonnaise. You think veggies are good for all, but cauliflowers and Brussel sprouts are bad for O types!
Type of exercise: Nettie would beg to differ, but O types are known as the Athletes. LOL!!! You need super high energy exercises like martial arts, Zumba, body combat, muay thai, hiking and biking. Go sign up and train for that marathon or biathlon or triathlon, it's got your name written all over it.
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OMG wordiest post ever but I hope you learnt something new that you can implement in your lifestyle! The key is not to change your diet 360-degrees overnight, but to just be aware and make small changes so your body can adapt. Drinks lots of water and don't overeat! Go for evening strolls instead of nua-ing on the couch after work. And maintain a healthy and positive disposition in your mind, it does help to live life with a smile!!
