Go Workout official says to ditch cow's milk

Richard Pojeta knows how to get people's blood going.

Director of personal training at Go Workout exercise facilities in Lansing, Pojeta wrote a column for Health & Fit magazine's June issue that generated controversy.

Pojeta believes people should eat according to their blood type, and that they eliminate all dairy products except yogurt (yes, that includes cheese and cow's milk) and drink 1 ounce of water each day for every pound they weigh.

Pojeta said there are certain foods a body doesn't need because they cause a drop in energy and just make a person feel lousy.

"It's like putting the right gas in your tank. I've noticed when you start to get a handle on what your body needs and eliminates, everything goes smoother," he said.

There are a number of books on the market about eating according to your blood type, and one of the most well-read is "Eating Right For Your Type" by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo, a "naturopathic" physician who believes our blood type is a road map to our inner chemistry.

Many health experts, including those at the Mayo Clinic, say there is no scientific evidence that

shows this to be true.

But Pojeta and his trainers have accumulated anecdotal evidence from their own lives and those of their clients that following a nutritional path according to blood type pay offs in weight loss and higher energy.

Likewise, there have been many books about cow's milk not being good for humans -- and nutritionists debunking that theory, as well.

But, according to Pojeta, "When I cut out milk from my diet, my sinuses cleared up and I wasn't as gassy."

Calcium, he said, can be consumed by eating fruits and vegetables.

The water recommendation will likely result, at first, in frequent trips to the bathroom.

However, getting up from your desk and going to the bathroom will help you burn a few extra calories every time, which add up over the course of a day.

"After a while, your body will get used to the water intake, and you'll be more efficient at processing that water. Your kidneys will get cleaned out, your skin will feel appropriately moist, your lips may never need chapstick and your skin won't need lotion," he said.

Pojeta, 32, who has a degree in kinesiology from Michigan State University, and his wife, Kadi, decided to change their eating habits about three years ago.

"I used to think I needed supplements like powders, shakes and weight loss pills. But as I got older, I looked at different ways of eating," he said.

The changes initially created sinus attacks and a feeling like he was coming down with a cold, he said. It took about a month before that calmed down.

"My workouts and energy level got much better," he said. "Then I started fine-tuning my diet, and I dropped from 258 to 216 pounds."

He and his trainers stress to clients to keep a food journal, which Pojeta continues to do for himself. They suggest you record the food you eat, the time you ate it and how you felt later -- full and sleepy, for instance, or satisfied and alert.

Pojeta said he and his trainers use an Apex nutritional system with clients, created by North Carolina nutritionists, but they never give their clients an ultimatum. They also suggest they visit their physician before starting a new health regimen.

"I give people guidelines and let them sort it out. When they notice changes and start to feel better, then I help them fine-tune their eating. It has to work for them," he said.

-- Monetta Harr's column appears every Monday in the Food section. To contact her or contribute to the recipe/information exchange, call 768-4972, fax 787-9711, e-mail mharr@citpat.com or write to her c/o the Jackson Citizen Patriot, 214 S. Jackson St., Jackson, MI 49201-2282. Please include a daytime phone number and the city/township where you live.

Via mlive.com