• Thrive on a meat-based diet and vigorous activity.dish from meat image by Sergey Goruppa from Fotolia.com
  
  In his book "Eat Right for Your Type," Dr. Peter D'Adamo provides a blueprint for living. He believes that a single drop of blood contains enough information to customize a diet and exercise plan. If you have type O blood, your ancestral prototype was an aggressive predator who thrived on a meat-based diet and vigorous activity, according to D'Adamo. You have a genetic predisposition to be strong, lean, productive and optimistic.
  
  

Meat

• According to Dr. D'Adamo, you have a higher level of stomach acid than the other blood types; as a result, you can digest most meat. Buy high-quality, lean, organic cuts of beef, lamb, mutton and veal. For the best results, cook the meat medium to rare. If you prefer to charbroiled or well-done meat, use a simple marinade of lemon juice, spices and herbs. Avoid bacon, ham, goose and pork.
  
  

Fish

• As a Type O, you may have insufficient levels of iodine and, as a result, experience low levels of thyroid activity.This can result in fatigue and weight gain. D'Adamo recommends a diet rich in kelp and saltwater fish--cod, herring, mackerel-- to help regulate the thyroid gland. Avoid barracuda, catfish, smoked salmon and caviar.
  
  

Fruits

• Dark red, blue and purple fruits, such as plums, prunes and figs, help balance the high acidity of your digestive tract and reduce stomach irritation. Avoid highly acidic fruits--oranges, tangerines, strawberries, rhubarb--that can irritate your stomach. You may also be hypersensitive and prone to allergies. Avoid fruits that contain high mold counts, such as melons, cantaloupe and honeydew.
  
  

Vegetables

• According to D'Adamo, Type Os may lack several clotting factors. Vegetables, such as kale, collard greens, romaine lettuce and spinach, can assist in this process. Avoid the following vegetables which inhibit thyroid function: cabbage, brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Avoid alfalfa sprouts, mushrooms and fermented olives; these vegetables have a high mold count and can irritate your digestive tract.
  
  

Herbs, Spices and Condiments

• Use iodized salt and kelp-based seasonings to help regulate the thyroid gland. D'Adamo recommends the use of bladder wrack, a herb that helps normalize a sluggish metabolic rate and produce weight loss. Spices such as parsley, curry and cayenne pepper have mild to moderate medicinal properties and can be soothing to the digestive tracts of Type Os. Avoid white and black pepper, vinegar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  
  

Grains and Starches

• Grains and starches, especially corn, wheat and barley, can aggravate inflammatory conditions and increase body fat in Type Os. D'Adamo recommends only one type of bread: essene or manna bread.
  
  

Beverages

• Eliminate coffee, chocolate and all other caffeine products. These can increase stomach acid and cause chronic heartburn. Instead, have green tea, seltzer water and club soda.