McDougall Diet

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  • andersenkristen
    andersenkristen Posts: 2 Member
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    Wow. Quite the backlash. You already did the diet (VEGAN) and obviously had a good result. I have done it on and off and would like to commit to it. The trick is not to eat meat substitutes very often (too processed) and the hard part is giving up ice cream although there are better alternatives now. Having said that: Don't be a junk food vegan, you will stay overweight!
  • andersenkristen
    andersenkristen Posts: 2 Member
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    The problem with oils is the processing. It uses nasty chemicals. Stick to cold pressed.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    misch_ka wrote: »
    feisty_bucket ... yeah, idiotic. Anything that advocates for more meat-consumption is idiotic in my book. I don't see him as a quack. There are more reasons to go vegan besides weight loss. Believe it or not, some of us don't actually need to lose weight nor want to, yet they still want to improve their health / health of the entire planet.
    I'm not particularly low carb, and I'm heavily plant based. A diet that's high in starches would be a disaster for me. So, as the other poster said: to each his/her own.
  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 653 Member
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    I would recommend checking out Dr. Joel Fuhrman. He has a book called Eat to Live. It's also about the vegan way of life. And the recipies this guy has on his site are AMAZING, and there are thousands.

    I'm a meat eater myself, but I learned so much reading his books.
  • misch_ka
    misch_ka Posts: 31 Member
    edited May 2017
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    GottaBurnEm ... I see what you are saying. That said, the man has so many testimonials from folks that saw a major decline in their symptoms especially in those with RA (rheumatoid arthritis), that I simply can't overlook that. I also don't see how he could be a quack considering all he advocates for is pretty much a vegan diet, minus the vegetable oils. I mean, even on his website, folks are recommending me another author's books for recipes and inspiration ... He just doesn't strike me as a charlatan. There are others that do (they usually are not actual medical doctors + internists), but he seems legit to me. Can I vouch for that? No, but I've never been a diet follower. I've actually never ever followed a diet in my life. I've only been a vegan because of animal welfare before.

    I myself actually believe that most of our ailments come from food. I know how food affects me. I know how I feel after I eat a huge sugar filled candy bar vs. salad with no dressing or oil. I can totally see that if the lining of our intestine gets eroded, it allows things to enter our bloodstream that were never meant to and that can kick off an autoimmune reaction. This is something that not only McDougall says, there are a plethora of other docs that say the very same thing.

    What would it cost to follow a vegan diet for a month to see if anything gets better? Can't hurt. Literally - cannot hurt.

    IN my case, my psoriasis was kicked off by a strep throat infection. I have it super mild - it persists only on my scalp, but it's not bad, if I leave it alone, it doesn't bother me, if I start digging, I'm digging myself into a hole... I have a spot or two somewhere on my body from time to time, but nothing that actually bothers me. I've recently started having an issue with my big toe joint, which can also be due to bad shoes and a shoulder pain that can also be due to imbalance of my spine due to my scoliosis/lordosis that I've had since I was born ... I don't really want to find out what is causing it, I just want to lower the level of inflammation (or completely eliminate it) in my body and going vegan sounds great to my animal loving ears (except the vegetable oil - what's up with the vegetable oil). :)

    I'm a little let down because I started this thread to get more support, not to have people talk me down from it and call the author of the diet a quack ... without an iota of proof.
  • misch_ka
    misch_ka Posts: 31 Member
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    YvetteK2015 Thanks! Finally someone without a bunch of negativity to throw my way! I've also seen a talk by him - Dr. Fuhrman. I will look into this :)
  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 653 Member
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    There is nothing wrong with a vegan diet. As long as your keep up with your protein. Forget everything else. If this is what you want to do because you want to see if it makes YOU feel better, then just go for it. What do you have to lose? Worse case scenerio, you feel the same. Best case scenerio, you feel great.

    Go for it, and good luck!
  • misch_ka
    misch_ka Posts: 31 Member
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    VintageFeline ... I have psoriasis guttate (that's an autoimmune disease) and I've recently been having issues with specific joints where I have mild but persistent pain.

    I don't go to doctors, I usually try to take care of whatever issue I have on my own and go to a doctor only if it's gotten so bad I cannot manage it on my own. Plus, most doctors do one thing and one thing only: prescribe medication.
  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 653 Member
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    crazyycatladyy1 wrote: »
    Athijade wrote: »
    Like Doctor Oz, the man is simply out to make a name for himself and to put money in the bank. Sorry, but no way would I just believe what he has said. Where is the scientific proof? Oh right, he has none because his claims can't be backed by science.

    Yep, this. I eat a mostly whole foods, plant based diet based on actual, legitimate research/studies. I'd never count McDougall/Furhman/Esselstyn etc as legitimate resources though, because of what others have pointed out-they're trying to make a buck by preying on people's fears and desperation. Nothing wrong with a plant based diet if it's done right (one that's balanced and nutrient dense), but I'd steer clear of any guru who claims any certain way of eating is a 'miracle' and is making money off of those claims.

    Op, if you're feeling led to become a vegan I'd highly recommend reading from Virginia Messina. She's a dietician who's a vegan and approaches veganism much differently than McDougall. She has a new book out that addresses health and veganism, Even Vegans Die. Her website has lots of great info as well http://www.theveganrd.com/


    I don't know about the other guys, but Furham is good. He has a family practice and has no problem medicating his patients if they need it. He just advocated a plant based diet. I've used his cook books and I can tell you, they are very balanced, and nutrient dense.
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