Diet for Blood Type A Positive

Dr. Peter D'Adamo, a naturopathic physician, developed a diet based on blood types, which he describes in his book "Eat Right for Your Type." D'Adamo postulates that each blood type possesses inherent, genetically encoded characteristics that influence the type of diet best suited for the dieter. Based on this theory, each type -- A, B, AB or O blood types -- operates best on a different diet. Research to support the blood type theory is lacking, however.

D'Adamo theorizes that your blood type provides a distinctive marker for which foods are best for you, based on the diet of your ancestors with the same blood type. This means a nutritious diet for one blood type may include different foods than a nutritious diet for another blood type. Based on D'Adamo's theory, by eating the right foods based on your blood type, you can optimize your health and reduce the risk of developing certain diseases. D'Adamo's blood type recommendations are the same regardless of whether your blood type is positive or negative.

D'Adamo recommends everyone with blood type A eat a mostly vegetarian diet. The bulk of the diet consists of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans and other legumes. This doesn't mean that meat is completely off limits, just that it should make up a smaller part of your diet. He recommends that if you choose to eat meat or poultry, limit it to three servings or less per week. In addition, D'Adamo recommends limiting dairy and eggs to no more than four servings weekly.

On the blood type diet, a good breakfast if you're type A is whole-grain cereal, such as steel-cut oatmeal, along with fresh mixed fruit. Typical snacks for type A are foods such as fruit, nuts, seeds, rice cakes and peanut butter. For lunch, it's typical to have a large, hearty salad with lots of fresh vegetables. A typical dinner if your blood type is A is steamed broccoli, with whole-grain pasta and tofu, topped with pesto sauce.

Almost all Americans can benefit from improving their eating habits, since the typical American diet is high in sodium, added sugar, saturated fat and processed foods. Regardless of your blood type, D'Adamo offers basic dietary tips for everyone to follow. He recommends choosing fresh, whole, natural foods as much as possible and reducing your intake of processed foods. The doctor also advises that you limit coffee, alcohol, chocolate and other such indulgences.