Change Your Genetic Destiny: The Revolutionary Genotype Diet

The promotional literature for the book promises that individuals would be able to determine one of 6 genotypes he or she belongs to. Having completed a series of objective body measurements readers would be able to use this information to identify their genotype. Genetic strengths and weaknesses would be identified showing how their underlying genetic information was used to create the changes in gene function that were manifested in their body. The information would be used to direct future gene expression. These two make up the science of epigenetics. With the addition of blood type an overall health plan would be created including diet, exercise and lifestyle. Does the book satisfy its goals? Lets see. The first part of the book is spent on theory. It clearly presents and defines epigenetics in simple clear language for the non-technical person. Epigenetics is revealed as an objective-measurements-based science with roots that go back over 60 years. Ample references are given as is usual in all D'Adamo books citing his sources and with many of them including references from respected refereed technical journals. The state of the art is also presented revealing epigenetics as mainstream science carried on at major American Universities and throughout the world.In this last regard see for example:Nutritional Genomics: The Next Frontier in the Postgenomic Era by Jim Kaput and Raymond L. Rodriguez[...]Dr. D'Adamo has eclipsed his own work by merging the science of epigenetics with his earlier blood type diet. He saw that by using individual family history; blood type; fingerprint analysis; body length measurements; dental characteristics; finger ratios, and the like he could map individuals into one of 6 genotype diet and lifestyle plans. All of the measurements can be done with the instructions in the book using a few household items. Three levels of confidence are possible in the determination of genetic profile. - The lowest level does not require blood type. The next level requires ABO type, and the highest level requires additionally the blood type qualities Rh factor and secretor status. This highest level gives the most confidence in the result and the most information. All of the above is straight forward and makes fascinating reading even if the actual work of determining genotype isn't done.Are there any areas for improvement? Curcumin is listed as a suggested supplement for three of the six genotypes in the book while all of the commercial genotype supplements contained curcumin. Thus, traceability is lacking from the book to the commercial formulations both being ostensibly from the same source. Curcumin is apparently an important supplement for its ability to control gene expression yet quantitative dosage information is also lacking in the commercial preparation. Superfoods are to be eaten until the body reacts to the new diet and food categories can be broadened. This is of course a good thing since everyone wants to get well as quickly as possible. Teacher genotypes are supposed to eat carbohydrates 2 to 5 times a day from a selection of four super foods where realistically only one or two of these foods are likely to be available in a given area. It would seem that food lists such as this one could be broadened. The material is well presented and motivates the reader to dig into the references to find out more about this fascinating subject. In this regard perhaps it would be useful for one or two tables relating body measurement results to the types of underlying strengths and weaknesses they imply.Something should be said here for the Genotype Website since it is intimately connected with the book. First, much of the information in the book is repeated in identical form on the Web site. To get the benefit from the Web site, a weekly fee is required. This buys you the same information that is in the book in an easy to bring up and peruse format. Secondly, there is assistance for meal planning, and discussion forums. Finally, for an additional fee users can also have the advice of a personal trainer to assist with their individualized programs. Depending on how this works, the cost/benefits are certainly potentially there considering the down side costs of poor health. Additionally, once you acquire the information you are interested in you can cancel on a week by week basis. For the average person though, who knows how to cook to start with and doesn't want a personal trainer, the book is perfectly adequate and is all one needs to realize the potential that is to be gained there.Does the book come through on its promise? Yes, it does in spades. Dr. D'Adamo satisfies the requirements specified in his promotional literature as summarized above. Food categories and lists are given with suggested daily/weekly frequencies making meal planning straight forward. The potential benefits of use of this technology based on the solid science that went into it, make this book a great bargain particularly considering the thousands of person hours that of necessity go into a product such as this one. Many people may find the idea that lifestyle change, eating habits and supplements can effect epigenetic change is something new and intriguing. The science is only likely to improve giving still another round of applications to the technology.Why with the above glowing review why have have I switched to just 4 stars? On trying this diet for several years I have retrospectively had more health benefits from the original blood type diet. Dr. D'Adamo makes the point in his original book that certain foods are not absorbed well according to blood type. For example corn is not particularly good for type Os resulting typically in weight gain . As a type A and a Teacher I noticed that many of the cheeses suggested for Teachers as super foods caused me to put on weight. I also found it strange that for type As via the original book tofu was mentioned as a staple . However, tofu and tempeh for Teachers in the new book are no longer super foods - that is presumably the equivalent of Highly Beneficial in the old book.. I also wonder who put together the foods list. For example, quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth are known to be complete proteins yet they are mentioned under carbohydrates. This seems significant since there are no red meats listed for teachers with the exception of mutton and goat. Kidney beans are avoids in the old book, but now become reintroducable after three months. However, Kidney beans have never worked for me.

My grandmother had strictly followed the "Eat Right for your Type" diet, cooking seperate meals for my Grandpa as they were different types. I was skeptical of the idea growing up, but being a gatherer have tried a whole bunch of things to try to be healthy and lose weight. I kept hearing more about blood type diets, and from everything I was learning, I could understand how people are not all the same in what works for everyone. While there are similartities in what we all need, I noticed how some people would be very similiar in their tastes for food. For example my Dad loved blueberries, black berries, rare steaks, spicy food, mustard and many other things and had certain tempermant and traits that were so similiar to my fiance. It turns out they are both hunters. I noticed some people would do great on a vegan diet and others would be sickly. Reading this book made it all make more sense, and I cannot deny that there is some real truth to some of the specific foods he assigns for each type. I may not be like some and follow this like a religion, because if there is a food i just love I am going to go with my gut instinct and eat it. But it is very interesting how many foods I adore on this list, as do my fiance and my son(who is a nomad). I was never a big fan of vegetables so i was wary of looking at my list, but when i saw tomatoes, onions, mushrooms on the list, to me those are not vegetables those are just delicious foods i add to everything! Now to me this book is not perfect. The red meats on my list are either impossible to find in pennsylvania, or I do not like them. (Although my mom insists i will like lamb chops if i try it properly cooked.) I find myself naturally loving the foods on my list otherwise. It's so ironic how when i tried to follow common advice for diet foods, i would eat foods that i didn't much care for such as yogurt or just so many others. This list has really helped me embrace what i already loved and feel okay about eating the foods i love. I really wish there was more out there about this such as infor about excercise or cookbooks. Gatherer's have it so rough because everything in me says eat more and conserve energy! I knew there was a reason i was never one for much sports and excercise was a dirty word! I tried thinking of ideas to trick myself into excercising, such as doing things i already love in nature hiking or fishing(food for later), picking berries or mushrooms(more food for later), having fun like dancing, just going out more in general to move(maybe for groceries or for fun), and i try to just do alot more cleaning to stay active. Excercise and dieting for me comes in spurts, i can't ever stick to the same things and my fiance and son always pick on me for it. I refer to this book alot. I cannot say I have lost weight, because i still have trouble finding some of the good foods. I do not know what kind of bread around here would be okay to eat, and I need my oaty grain fix to feel good. Also getting away from sugar is a whole other problem, althought I am happy that honey and maple syrup are on there to add back when you are healthy, can't put those in coffee though.Update: Over the last few years I have consistently come back to this book. The food and exercise list steer me in the right direction towards a healthier me. Also I find it a source of comfort. I find it comforting to know that there is a reason i struggle to exercise and lose weight. I find it helpful to know for gatherer's stretching exercise are great. I love to do that anyway! Maybe not in excess but it feels good to me. I might not like every single food on the list, but I think like he says it also has to do with what your grandma ate. I also have the eat right for your type cookbook, which I haven't used much but I am going to give that more of a try. I do wish they had specific cookbooks for types I would find that incredibly helpful, although they do have recipes on the site. Anyways, I wanted to just say after years of owning this book, no other diet book compares for what I need like this one. I would highly recommend this. With all the mixed advice about what is healthy and what is not, it can be confusing. And I think overall this has helped me stop shameful dieting (punishing myself with health foods I don't even like such too many cold foods or yogurt) and pointed me in a direction to start paying attention to what my body is telling me. Not everyone will like the same foods. Chances are some of those comfort foods your mom made may actually be good for you. I thought I'd never eat vegetables, but there are many foods like herbs, onions, mushrooms you can add to make your food healthier! Good luck on your journey :)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found the theories very interesting and they seem to make sense from a practical view. There is a lot of science in the expanations but I didn't find it overwhelming. Rather I feel the book is very well written as it's organised well and points are made clear without being condesending to those of us that don't have a back ground in genetics or nutrition.I ordered the genotyping kit to use the advance method to determine my genotype;I wanted to be 100% sure I got it right as I have certain health issues I'm wanting to address. With the kit I was able to find my partner's genotype with just the measurements as described in the book. I, unfortunately, had to also determine my secretor status to finalise my genotype (Explorer) as it was between Explorer & Hunter. I did strongly suspect I was an Explorer from the checklists provided in the book.I decided on the genotype diet rather than the blood type diet because it seems to break the categories down into more specific groups. I love that the book focuses on the foods you should be eating for your genotype in order to enjoy good health, rather than just focussing on what you should avoid.I very happy with the purchase and would recommend it to anyone that wonders why the diets they've tried haven't made them feel better / healthier / slimmer, etc.I should note I didn't have a problem adjusting to the diet recommendations (still a work in progress) as I was already a healthy eater. If someone eats nothing but processed food and minimal vegetables / healthy protein, then they may find the adjustment much more difficult.

Dr. Adamo has gone way to far with this one. Determining 6 standard genotypes for the whole mankind doesn't seem like an easy task to do but the author did make it look easy. Or at least simplistic. How could he precisely define and test how each genotype reacts to hundreds of foods in such a short period of research time? It would already be spectacular if he had determined with confidence how one single common food, like milk or potatoes, would interacts with one single large group of the population, say one of the six genotypes. Did he undertake serious epidemiological studies? How many people did he use in the studies and did he use control groups? How many years did the studies take? Did he compensate for other variables like environmental influence, age, medical condition, lifestyle and even other foods that might bleed the results? He doesn't mention how exactly he got to his conclusions. Thousands of people would be necessary and many, many decades of controlled research. I mean, if D'Adamo's findings were in fact valid, this would one of the greatest scientific achievements ever! I have never heard about such typification of the human genome and what an astronomic job it would be to accomplish it. "The genotype of an organism is the inherited map it carries within its genetic code. Not all organisms with the same genotype look or act the same way because appearance and behavior are modified by environmental and developmental conditions. Likewise, not all organisms that look alike necessarily have the same genotype." from our favorite Wiki....just to illustrate one of the problems with this kind of research.Besides that, he doesn't speak a word about how he's new knowledge on genotypes integrate with he's previous blood-group theory. For example, I am blood-group B and at the same genotype Explorer. With this particular combination there are major contradictions between the foods recommended for both, so if I was to follow both diets at the same time I would be left with a ridiculously small amount of foods to eat.The Genotype Diet doesn't convince. Two stars for some interesting dissertations on human evolution.

I admire Dr. Peter D'Adamo for his research work, dedication, and to let us know moreabout our genetics, in this book we get to explore more about who we are and theconnection to our ancestors, the blood types helped tremendously to improve the healthof lots of people, now we have another tool to communicate better with our genes andwe are in a better position to prevent illnesses, have an ideal weight, take advantageof our genetic strenghts and quiet the threatening genes. It is truly a revelation toknow we can do this. I truly recommend this book to anyone who wants to maximize theirhealth, finally lose weight, look seriously into prevention and reversing disease. Toknow the strengths and weaknesses of my genotype as well as the corrections to my dietand lifestyle helped me so much to get into balance, I just feel like I am in controland it feels great.

Ich würde dieses Buch all denjenigen empfehlen die sich bereits mit der Paleo-Diät beschäftigt haben, und ein grobes Verständnis für ihren Körper und die Auswirkung von diversen Lebensmitteln auf den Stoffwechsel erlangt haben.Ich selbst benutze das Buch um meine Ernährung weiter abzustimmen.Ohne Frage werden neue Forschungsergebnisse mit Sicherheit noch besser auf das jeweilige Individuum zugeschnittene Diäten hervorbringen, eines zeichnet sich jedoch bereits jetzt schon deutlich ab, sogenannte "Einheitsdiäten" welche für jedermann gelten sollen haben ausgedient, und was für den einen nahrhaft ist kann den Organismus eines anderen stark belasten.Je mehr an unseren Körpern geforscht wird desto deutlicher werden die Zusammenhänge zwischen Ernährung und Stoffwechsel, und das Potential welches sich hieraus für das gesundheitliche Wohlbefinden ableiten lässt.Kritikpunkte:Die Einordnung des Genotyps erfordert Geduld, und Erfahrung, und es ist ratsam sich der Diät langsam anzunähern und auf seine Körpersignale zu achten. Es wäre wohl ebenfalls keine schlechte Idee sie mit einem Ernährungsberater abzusprechen und seine Blutwerte regelmäßig untersuchen zu lassen.Zwar wird in dem Buch aufgelistet und grob erklärt welche Lebensmittel sich für welchen Typen eignen, aber einen detaillierten Ernährungsplan mit Kochrezepten sucht man hier leider vergebens.Fazit:Ein Diät-Buch für Fortgeschrittene, auf der Suche nach Anregungen für den letzten Feinschliff.Dafür, dass D'Adamo hier Pionierarbeit leistet, und es ihm gelingt seine Diät plausibel und wissenschaftlich zu untermauern wäre ich gewillt die volle Sternzahl zu vergeben.Allerdings steht und fällt dieses Machwerk mit der Zuordnung der Genotypen, und solange es hierfür keine zugänglichen und vor allem eindeutigen Verfahren gibt, wird es wohl für viele schwierig sein sie Umzusetzen.Daher vergebe ich 3 Sterne, da ich von dem Potential dieser Diät überzeugt bin, die Barrieren aber nicht unter den Tisch fallen lassen möchte.

Combining ancient naturopathic knowledge with cutting edge research - only Dr D'Adamo has the intelligence to bring us such complex information in an easy to follow instruction book for life! Just do it! It is the only 'diet' that makes sense as we are all different and need different food, supplements and lifestyles. Ignore all the doubters out there - they haven't read it - they have formed their opinion and have buried their heads in the sand,