Customer Reviews

The GenoType Diet: Change Your Genetic Destiny to live the longest, fullest and healthiest life possible

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1 star:		(9)

 

 

I have been a huge fan and advocate for the blood type diet for years. I swear by it, and recommend it to many of my family and friends. It made a big impact on how myself and my husband eat and excercise. The Geno Type diet honestly has me a little thrown off (although I am trying to keep an open mind) because some of the changes in my diet are pretty significant. I am a type A- and with the Blood Type Diet I was to avoid most dairy, which I honestly felt was very beneficial for me and I saw results. Now, by the GenoType Diet I can all of a sudden have all this cheese, many are now actually considered superfoods for me. And the cheese I could eat before is now toxic. When you have been living and believing a diet for years... it kind of turns your world upside down. I also noticed Ezekiel bread which is a staple in my house because of the BTD is not even mentioned in the GenoType. There is also a lot less stressing of soy. I really don't know what to think. Many other things are the same, but I do feel a bit puzzled. I would also like to mention that the website for the Genotype diet is pushed throughout the whole book. It costs 65 dollars to sign up for it (although I did get a special discount e-mail today). The book refers you to the website quite often and the book does not explain why things are good and bad for you, like the BTD book does. I can't help but feel, that Dr. D'Adamo is really out to make a buck here. I feel the book is not as informative as his other work.

I've been really curious about DNA testing to determine my susceptibility to disease, among other things. I've wanted to order genetic testing and "SNiPS," but they're really expensive. So I was intrigued when I saw The GenoType Diet in the bookstore.

Here's what really got me when I picked up the book: Instead of relying on thousands of dollars of genetic tests, Dr. D'Adamo makes a strong case for instead using widely accepted biometric data for discovering your GenoType. In the process, you not only discover your susceptibility to disease, but also your most effective diet for your health and weight.

Dr. D'Adamo makes a compelling promise: "Turn off the bad genes and turn on the good ones." And Dr. D'Adamo fulfills this promise, by explaining the basics behind the emerging science of epigenetics--naturally changing the expression of a gene without altering its DNA. I was skeptical there could be anything truly new out there--but I was surprised at how truly groundbreaking this book is. In the end, what really sold me on this concept is how well Dr. D'Adamo nailed my state of health and the genetically-sound reasons behind my strengths and weaknesses. What makes this book different from all the others are the genetically personalized diets and lifestyle plans that really make sense.

One would think that a doctor is bound to lose some of the nuance when compelled to simplify a complex message like epigenetics for a lay audience. But after finishing this book, I can only ask: How can something that initially on the surface appeared so "simplified" also be so profound--and helpful? My wife and I both thank Dr. D'Adamo for his confident, enlightening first step into breaking down this complex science for "the rest of us," and then making it relevant and useful for real people.

Now about that DNA testing: I'm all for saving thousands of dollars on genetic testing, so I did the simple self GenoType calculators found in the GenoType Diet book (there's also a home GenoTyping Kit I found here on Amazon), and discovered I'm a "Hunter" GenoType. My wife is a "Gatherer." We both read our individual sections of the book, and were amazed at how detailed and accurate Dr. D'Adamo's descriptions were of both of our health challenges. As a Gatherer GenoType, my wife has a difficult time losing weight. Turns out there are food choices for her that help quiet her genetic tendency to hold on to those extra pounds. And me, I don't have to lose weight, but as Dr. D'Adamo describes my "Hunter" GenoType, I am so burned out and exhausted all the time because my genetics have a tendency to over-react to stress and overwork my adrenals. There are targeted food choices for my type that help my body quiet and balance out these genetic tendencies.

A diet book that actually gives you hope--not just for losing weight--but actually feeling better? How rare is this?

The GenoType Diet is eerily similar to the blood type diet. Instead of 4 blood types, he has broken everyone into six genotypes. Foods are still broken into superbeneficial, beneficial, neutral, and avoids. D'adamo just uses different wording. Type Os will be a Hunter or a Gatherer, most type As will be a Teacher or a Warrior, Most Bs will be a Nomad or a Gatherer, and ABs will most likely be a Warrior or a Nomad. The Explorer is the only free-for-all type. The test itself is very particular, it includes leg size, teeth shape, finger length and wrist size. It does not take long but I can see where someone could pick the wrong type.

I think he has tried to fuse a body type diet approach with his blood type theories, which isn't a new approach, but to his credit, this plan is laid out much better than previous attempts (Gittleman's Your Body Knows Best, Gabriel Cousen's Conscious Eating, etc). There is a lot of good information, but I have read Eat Right for your Type, Cook Right for Your Type, Live Right for your Type, Allergies:Fight it with your Blood Type, and Diabetes: Fight it with your Blood Type. Most of the information is recycled, there is some updated information. I think the diet is healthy to follow, and I will give it a whirl, but if you have read any of the Blood Type Diet Books, chances are you will be disappointed.

Most annoying are the countless references to visit his website, which by the way, you have to sign up and pay, no thank you.

Mailed June 2009, never received any response...

Dr. D'Adamo,

I'm troubled by, not subtle, but blatant inconsistencies in your books. I write not to prove a point but to express my disappointment in what seemed like an interesting and worthy theory. Unfortunately the inconsistencies discovered in your recommendations give more credence to those who would claim that your work is pseudo-science. I'm certainly open-minded to that which scientific orthodoxy dogmatically dismisses, and I'm certainly forgiving of the occasional misprint, but if your recommendations can't even manage to be internally consistent then pseudo-science might be too high of praise.

I've just bought and finished reading the following three of your books:

#1 Blood Type "O" Food Beverage and Supplement LISTS
#2 Eat Right 4 Your Type Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia
#3 The GenoType Diet

I'm blood type O+ and fit into your category of the "Hunter" GenoType.

Considering the following facts just focusing on the "Fruits" category:

1. According to the logic tables in your "Advanced GenoType Calculator Tables" in the Appendix of Book #3, there are only three GenoTypes categories, out of six total, that an "O" blood type can be a member of: {"Hunter","Gatherer","Explorer"}.

In other words, if one is blood type "O", then they are a member of {"Hunter","Gatherer","Explorer"}, or more simply...

blood type "O" = {"Hunter" or "Gatherer" or "Explorer"}.

2. Books #1 and #2, which are indeed consistent with one another, go out of their way to list the following foods as "Highly Beneficial", not "Neutral", and are explained to "act like medicine" to blood type "O":

"Highly Beneficial" medicinal for blood type "O" in Books #1 and #2:
A. Cherries (all)
B. Plum (all types)
C. Prunes
and
D. Banana
E. Blueberry
F. Fig

3. Book #3 lists the following foods as not "Neutral" but "Toxins to Limit or Avoid" and it is explained that members of {"Hunter","Gatherer","Explorer"} would be "wise to avoid" them, with these recommendations being consistent throughout the set {"Hunter","Gatherer","Explorer"}:

"Toxins to Limit or Avoid" for {"Hunter","Gatherer","Explorer"} (blood type "O") in Book #3:
A. Cherry
B. Plum
C. Prune

Additionally we see that the following are listed as "Toxins to Limit or Avoid" for 2/3 of the blood type "O" GenoTypes:

"Toxins to Limit or Avoid" for 2/3 of {"Hunter","Gatherer","Explorer"} (blood type "O") in Book #3:
D. Banana... Listed as toxic for {"Gatherer","Explorer"}
E. Blueberry... Listed as toxic for {"Gatherer","Explorer"}
F. Fig... Listed as toxic for {"Hunter","Explorer"}, listed as neutral for {"Gatherer"}

4. Consider as well that Raisins, go from being listed "Neutral" normal food for blood type "O" in Books #1 and #2, to being listed as "Toxins to Limit or Avoid" for {"Hunter","Gatherer","Explorer"} (blood type "O") in Book #3:

These facts raise some very uncomfortable questions about your work:

1. Did the nature of Cherries, Plums, Prunes or Raisins change between books? How can you simultaneously recommend them as "superfood" for blood type "O" while warning against them as toxic? I can understand recommendations moving one step, say from Neutral in either direction, but the 180 degree extremem turn after a decade is flagrant. Are you prepared to recall your books #1 and #2 as they recommend foods as superfoods to the same people that you claim they are toxic for?

2. Did the nature of Bananas, Blueberries or Figs change between books? How can foods that you've listed as "superfood" for blood type "O" simultaneously be toxic to 66% of blood type "O" people? Did you have more than one person in your original sample set? Because if you did then there is a very good chance that you would have been wary of listing these foods as "superfoods" while watching them act as toxins for 66% of your sample.

3. Why you would praise a food (Cherry) in a chapter meant for all GenoTypes...
p.188 of Book #3: "The best fruits for each are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber. In particular, berries and cherries are super antioxidant foods."
... and then, not only never so much as list it as a superfood for ANY of the GenoTypes, but actually claim that the food (Cherry) itself is toxic to 84% of your GenoTypes {"Hunter","Gatherer","Explorer","Teacher","Warrior"}, within the scope of the SAME BOOK, simply boggles the mind.

After reading books #1 and #2 I've been eating ample amounts of the above mentioned fruits and was very happy with the dietary changes that your books inspired for me. You can imagine my dismay this afternoon when reading in your book #3 that you've recommended that I eat a set of food that you also claim as toxic for my system. How am I supposed to trust any of your recommendation after this? What other flagrant inconsistencies lurk throughout your tables/books? For all I know you are just rolling a six-sided die to decide your GenoType recommendations.

I'll be pleasantly surprised to receive a response to this message, however the lack of integrity that produced such a unmistakably, ridiculous mutual exclusion in recommendations will not want to claim any responsibility.

Disappointedly yours,

I hardly even write reviews here. But, the Genotype diet has revolutionized my life. I was allergic to everything and struggled with persistent compulsive habits, even though I'm conscientious and disciplined by nature. When I was in college, I tried the Blood Type Diet and had great results, but couldn't stick with the program. In my early 30's, I returned to D'Adamo's works and discovered the Genotype diet. It turns out I'm a "non-secreting O+ warrior," which means I'm uber-sensitive to chemicals. I really had no idea... I'd always thought I was hardy!

Some people I've talked to changed their diet "cold turkey" and experienced the Genotype benefits within a week. For me, it was a slower process, because I was so dependent on caffeine and sugar. But, I stuck with it. It took about 2 weeks to get all the "avoid foods" out of my life, and even during that time, I started to see benefits. Once I eliminated the last of the "avoids", I felt like a new person. And, my health has only continued to improve. My allergies went away, my digestive problems vanished, my mood and hormone difficulties got-up-and-went. I have no difficulty sticking with this. I think my initial fear was that other people would complain about my being a stick-in-the-mud, unable to eat at most restaurants. The opposite has happened. I'm so upbeat and joyful now, that people love being around me! Everyone supports this lifestyle decision.

I'm a hardcore devotee of anything health-related, be it exercise, supplements, diet, spiritual practices, meditation, you name it.... but the Genotype diet is among the most helpful resources I've ever found.

Even if you can't stick with the plan in detail, check out the book (I literally checked it out from the library) and make a few changes! Even the most minor of interventions will make all the difference in the world. :) Oh, and it's helpful to have a friend or loved-one serve as a 2nd (or 3rd) opinion for your type. Sometimes, it's hard to see ourselves objectively.

I read this book a couple of weeks before Christmas and what a boon to all of the excesses of the holidays. Best of all it gave me hope and a boost. I'm a mid-aged female Gatherer, o+ , and the first thing I noticed was I didn't feel hungry or have the cravings for bread and sweets. I've lost about 10 lbs and feel so much better, especially my joints. I've stopped taking ibuprofen for osterarthritis which was giving me an ulcer. While I continue to fine tune this new way of eating, I think I've finally found a lasting new way to eat and look forward to a Genotype cookbook.

This book explains why popular diets such as Atkins or vegan work for some people and not for others. I was gaining weight & losing muscle on a vegan diet, even while drinking green spinach smoothies Green for Life all day! After reading this book and discovering my genotype, now I know that my body also requires lean meats. My digestive problems are gone already and I'm not even following the diet 100% yet. I can meet the requirements at my grocery & health food store without investing in expensive products. I'm happy that by simply adding the healthy foods suggested for my genotype and staying away from the ones that produce harmful "leptins", I'm practicing smart preventive medicine and losing weight.

For those who followed the blood type diet, this is more or less the same but with much more attention to detail. Even in Live Right for your Type, Dr Dadamo mentions blood type plays only a piece of the overall puzzle. This is where the GenoType diet comes into play as it combines not only blood type, rh factor and secretor status BUT also your genetic makeup from when you first started in the womb!

I'm a type O and so as a hunter my diet is pretty similar but as I had suspected all along, I just have to steer clear of gluten and I'll be ok. I've been on this hunter diet for a few months and I'm LOVING it!

This book is so precise in its prescriptions that if Dr. D'Adamo was giving out just another one-dimensional "for dummies" diet it would be obvious. This is not just a diet book but a work of anthropology and evolutionary theory. His recommendations are very specific to your type, substantially more specific than his previous Blood Type Diet.

The reviewers who are complaining about how "difficult to understand" must be joking, this diet is crystal clear, that is one of its strengths. It is also not a just a rehash of the Blood Type Diet, there are marked differences.

I am an "Explorer," O+, and used to do the BTD "Hunter Diet", there's a huge difference, less meat, more lentils, focus on clearing toxins and keeping blood levels strong. This book is a culmination of 11 years of statistical work and research working with real people and real data.

It's hard to believe there are people are out there listening to the Bob Greenes of the world and other one-size-fits-all-ers who are still touting the benefits of soy and whole wheat which make over half the US population sick.

Color me confused. I was following his prior book for a blood type diet. (TYPE A)

And getting some small results.

The diet in this new book is similar. But some food guidelines are turned backwards.

Which should I follow? Why should I follow one over the other?

Are the recommendations based on science or wishful thinking? With blood type diet I was under the impression that you mix some of a food with the blood of a type and got a reaction you could see under a microscope for the food you should not eat.

Please don't palm me off to web site where I have to pay more for information that seems based on rolling dice.