Eat Right 4 Your Type (by Peter D'Adamo)

(Amazon UK link)

I had been introduced to Peter D'Adamo's blood group theory of eating by a friend. It sounded surprisingly realistic, especially when she guessed my blood group successfully. Moreover, she explained that this was why I wasn't particularly keen on eating a lot of meat.

I had been feeling quite tired and 'brain fogged' at that point. The friend - who was trained as a chemist and biologist - assured me that the blood group diet was based on sound science as well as general nutritional principles. It was not, apparently, anything to do with weight loss, but intended for optimum health.

So, somewhat cynically, I put the book on my wishlist and received it for Christmas.

'Eat Right 4 Your Type' was the first book to be written about this theory. It gives some historical background into the author's research, and some fairly amazing testimonies of increased health amongst dozens of clients. The theory, in essence, is that the four different blood groups have four different optimal diets. In addition, there are some foods that are beneficial to all, and some that should be avoided by all.

Much of the advice is just general good nutrition: cut out junk food, aspartame, highly-processed foods, and so on. Eat top quality meats, grains, fruit and veg, and cook them in interesting ways using the best and freshest ingredients. I imagine that many people who buy this book could improve their health merely by following these recommendations. The majority of Westerners seem to eat far too much junk food that does them no good at all.

However, I was intrigued by the individual recommendations for eating plans, as well. I tried cutting out one or two of the foods I was supposed to avoid for my blood group, and cutting down on others. I was surprised to find that I did feel fitter and more alert. Coincidence? Possibly.

The book is interesting and well written. I would recommend it in a low-key to anyone who is struggling to find a good way of eating. But I'm not entirely convinced about the validity of the author's claims. Still, it's unlikely to do any harm, and the book is well worth reading, even if you end up rejecting the ideas.