The last couple of articles I’ve written have been on the basics of your eating plan. I have received quite a bit of feedback on what people feel is the best way to eat. Let me say that I believe that a Mediterranean style diet based on your blood type is an excellent choice. Having said that, what works for you and benefits your health is the correct choice.

            A primarily vegetarian fare, with a “limited” amount of animal protein is a very well balanced plan for most people. If you are an O blood type, I find the data that these types of people will do well with animal proteins, to be accurate. But please note, I said a “limited” amount of animal protein. And even if you are an O blood type, some folks in this category do better on a purely vegetarian or possibly a vegan format. Blood type A or B are more natural vegetarians (from a metabolic standpoint) and find animal protein can cause a problem with their digeation . It really depends on what works best for you. You will have to try it out for yourself, and then make the determination.

            Personally, when I eat animal proteins, it is from an organic source which bypasses the abhorrent conditions that most of our animal proteins are derived from. By this I mean that I have my own chickens, just two, and they provide me with enough eggs to meet my needs. I do my best to buy free range meats, and most of my vegetables come from my own garden.

            A strictly vegan diet is pretty restrictive, in my opinion. I personally do well with a small amount of animal protein in my diet. Remember, the human body is made up of proteins; we are not a plant-based life form. But again, based on your blood type, and how you feel when you eat certain foods, whatever works best for you to maintain weight, energy levels and proper immune response is the correct choice for you.

            There is an interesting study out called the China Study. In it, control groups were given high levels of aflo-toxin, which is the natural occurring fungus that grows on peanuts. Now, understand that this study was using high amounts of this toxin. What they found in a nut shell is that high amounts of this substance can contribute significantly to liver cancer. The really interesting part of the study shows what animal protein will do to the body’s response to this toxin. Levels of over ten percent dietary protein caused the cancer to rapidly progress. Levels below ten percent (five to ten percent being ideal) reversed the affects of the toxin, and reversed the pathology of the cancer. I find this to be an excellent argument for limiting the amount of animal protein in your diet.

            I do not believe animal protein to be the demon that some people make it out to be. The caveat to this though is that you should make your choices wisely. Choose organic when you can. If you have the means, grow or raise as much of your food as possible. It not only gives you a healthier source of food, but it also has a sense of accomplishment attached, in that you have provided for yourself, a far healthier alternative than most of the store bought, commercially produced non-foods.

            So, what is the best choice? Again, I say that what works best for you is what is correct. Do your homework. Read about vegan, vegetarian or Mediterranean style diets. See what it would take to convert over to that particular type of eating. Try one or the other over a period of time and see how you feel. That is the ultimate proof of what is best for your own body type and constitution. Consult with a nutritional professional and find out what foods can be unbalancing to your system.

            Like a fine tuned engine, your body has the capacity to perform like a high performance car when given the right fuel. A certain amount of “tweaking” will take place as you find the right balance. The one critical component to all of this, whether you eat vegetarian, vegan or a protein-based diet, is getting some form of exercise and eliminating what gums up the engine.