And Lose the Weight for Good! - Eat the Foods You Love

Dr. McDougall makes a case for complex carbs as an essential to a healthy diet. He has been consistent in his approach and as many have come and gone his work remains. It is a true path to healthy eating. "The Starch Solution" is Dr. McDougall's signature work. It brings together decades of research and personal experimentation.

When I bought this book my yearly blood work showed I had a total cholesterol of 201. After one year my total cholesterol fell to 141. One part of my blood work was so low it was off the chart. I am proof that this book works....but you have to commit to it. No one I know was willing to join me. Get this book and stop living your life for your next meal.

Our family has been eating plant based and mostly whole foods for a few years, but with this book Dr McDougall is taking us by the hand and gently leading us into better health with this book. It's not as hard and scary as it seems to our friends and family, and it really is simple. I especially liked the chapter titled The Fat Vegan, because it spoke to why I was stuck losing weight - I needed to cut way down on the nuts and added oils. I'd gotten into sautéing veggies in olive oil and snacking on cashews, and with this book I've shifted to cooking in veggie broth and snacking on a bowl of plain brown rice. Not hard and it tastes good once you get used to it. I've read a lot of plant based nutrition books, and Dr. McDougall is definitely my favorite. He is practical, has common sense, backs things up with science. His idea of starch based meals has made plant based eating a joy. Oh, and the recipes - the mushroom stroganoff is divine, and thai noodles is my husband's new favorite dish (the man who would never eat such things before our switch). This book is such an excellent resource that I've already reread the book and marking up my copy.

This "new" idea of actually being able to eat all the potatoes, oats, corn, rice & pasta has me wondering why I haven't heard of this before. I grew up on potatoes & oats & corn and had a very healthy life. I always thought I could or should be a vegetarian. Now I have a reason to live without meat, dairy & fats in all forms. My osteoarthritis had me incapacitated and in just 2 days of following "The Starch Solution" I could move again. After 4 weeks I have lost 10 lbs. I have a new lifestyle now. Very informative.

I really like this book. It just made sense to me that most of the world lives on a starch diet. I have been able to reduce my blood pressure, I have not had my cholesterol checked yet. The diet is hard to get use to. I have eaten a lot of dairy in the past. I have lost about 6 #, not a lot. It has taken 3 months. But I do feel good.

I would recommend this book to anyone trying the vegan diet, or who wants to be healthy. It is easy to follow, and is informative, it inspires you to continue to live and eat healthy without being hungry.It helps you understand how easy it can be to eat healthy without searching for "the right" food. I wished all my loved ones would try this lifestyle for one week to see how easy it is, and how much better you feel!

I thought I was eating a healthy vegetarian diet. I see that it wasn't as good as it could be - and now I eat more and am more full and satisfied after meals. There are even delicious dessert recipes so if I feel like something sweet, it isn't completely off limits. The best thing is I've been losing about 1- 1.5 lbs a week and feel full and happy!

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their health and diet!

My niece told me about this approach to healthy eating, so I checked it out. She was so right! My health is returning and small issues that I thought I would have to live with forever, are resolving. Who knew that the foods I've always wanted to eat are the very foods that would save me! Thank you Dr. McDougall,

This book it amazing. I have been following this doctor for years and I am so glad he has a new book out. I needed a little motivation to start eating a little better and this book did it. The recipes are delicious too!

Excellent, sensible, coherent. I loved this book! Life does not need to be incomprehensibly complex in all it's parts. Diet and nutrition can be simplified and can resonate with common sense. Starchy foods are delicious. They will help you to be healthy and trim and save money! Eat them. And read this book to find out why!

When I bought this book my yearly blood work showed I had a total cholesterol of 201. After one year my total cholesterol fell to 141. One part of my blood work was so low it was off the chart. I am proof that this book works....but you have to commit to it. No one I know was willing to join me. Get this book and stop living your life for your next meal.

Our family has been eating plant based and mostly whole foods for a few years, but with this book Dr McDougall is taking us by the hand and gently leading us into better health with this book. It's not as hard and scary as it seems to our friends and family, and it really is simple. I especially liked the chapter titled The Fat Vegan, because it spoke to why I was stuck losing weight - I needed to cut way down on the nuts and added oils. I'd gotten into sautéing veggies in olive oil and snacking on cashews, and with this book I've shifted to cooking in veggie broth and snacking on a bowl of plain brown rice. Not hard and it tastes good once you get used to it. I've read a lot of plant based nutrition books, and Dr. McDougall is definitely my favorite. He is practical, has common sense, backs things up with science. His idea of starch based meals has made plant based eating a joy. Oh, and the recipes - the mushroom stroganoff is divine, and thai noodles is my husband's new favorite dish (the man who would never eat such things before our switch). This book is such an excellent resource that I've already reread the book and marking up my copy.

This "new" idea of actually being able to eat all the potatoes, oats, corn, rice & pasta has me wondering why I haven't heard of this before. I grew up on potatoes & oats & corn and had a very healthy life. I always thought I could or should be a vegetarian. Now I have a reason to live without meat, dairy & fats in all forms. My osteoarthritis had me incapacitated and in just 2 days of following "The Starch Solution" I could move again. After 4 weeks I have lost 10 lbs. I have a new lifestyle now. Very informative.

I really like this book. It just made sense to me that most of the world lives on a starch diet. I have been able to reduce my blood pressure, I have not had my cholesterol checked yet. The diet is hard to get use to. I have eaten a lot of dairy in the past. I have lost about 6 #, not a lot. It has taken 3 months. But I do feel good.

I would recommend this book to anyone trying the vegan diet, or who wants to be healthy. It is easy to follow, and is informative, it inspires you to continue to live and eat healthy without being hungry.It helps you understand how easy it can be to eat healthy without searching for "the right" food. I wished all my loved ones would try this lifestyle for one week to see how easy it is, and how much better you feel!

I thought I was eating a healthy vegetarian diet. I see that it wasn't as good as it could be - and now I eat more and am more full and satisfied after meals. There are even delicious dessert recipes so if I feel like something sweet, it isn't completely off limits. The best thing is I've been losing about 1- 1.5 lbs a week and feel full and happy!

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their health and diet!

My niece told me about this approach to healthy eating, so I checked it out. She was so right! My health is returning and small issues that I thought I would have to live with forever, are resolving. Who knew that the foods I've always wanted to eat are the very foods that would save me! Thank you Dr. McDougall,

This book it amazing. I have been following this doctor for years and I am so glad he has a new book out. I needed a little motivation to start eating a little better and this book did it. The recipes are delicious too!

Excellent, sensible, coherent. I loved this book! Life does not need to be incomprehensibly complex in all it's parts. Diet and nutrition can be simplified and can resonate with common sense. Starchy foods are delicious. They will help you to be healthy and trim and save money! Eat them. And read this book to find out why!

My favorite quote from the book sums up Dr. McDougall's philosophy on health, "I have often been asked, "You are a doctor, so why do you speak against the practices of fellow physicians?" The answer is simple: I never took an oath to protect the financial interests of the medical industry." Dr. McDougall dares to to tell us how to become healthy, and therefore put doctors, hospitals, and big pharmaceutical companies out of business!
The book details plant based eating that give you plenty of protein and vitamins, low fat, ZERO cholesterol, and nothing but pure energy. I have been eating this way thanks to Dr. McDougall, Dr. Caldwell Esslestyn, and Dr. T. Colin Campbell after I saw the Forks Over Knives Documentary in June 2011. I have never been healthier or had more energy - probably not even as a kid! I have completely reversed my obesity and type II diabetes and am off all my Metformin, now I am a diet controlled diabetic eating exactly as outlined by Dr. McDougall. I have lost 95 pounds, lowered my total cholesterol from 390 to 100, and am also off my high blood pressure medicine with a bp of 110/70.
The book includes a 7-Day Sure-Start Plan backed up by practical information on how to ready your kitchen, your family, and your life for this change in the way you eat, and includes nearly 100 easy-to-prepare recipes to suit every taste. The Starch Solution is different because it offers a way of eating that keeps you feeling satisfied. You won't feel hungry or deprived, because starches are not only healthy, they're also comforting and filling. This is a plan you can follow indefinitely--even when you stray by not following it 100 percent--and its benefits will be with you for a lifetime.
You owe it to yourself to read this book, and give it a try. You will definitely be glad you did!

This is an outstanding book that America is more than ready for. As we move into our modern lifestyles, we are doing so at the price of killing ourselves. This book shows how we can regain (or not lose) our health while still enjoying the good life.

i like this book. It has helped me on my personal endeavors to lose weight. I am losing it more slowly than the book says, but, I am also not following the book totally to the letter. I am liking the results and the guidelines established by the book, very helpful, thanks!

Plant base (Vegan) for a couple years and this book is my starch bible. John McDougall is brilliant, he makes healthy eating easy, no counting calories, measuring portions. Just eat! The Starch Solution explains why starch foods such as potatoes that most of us grew up eating are good for us.

Many diet books on the market for us to try but you are exhausted after reading them. I can't figure out where to begin and feel hungry before I start. Simple, recognizable foods, as it use to be works best. McDougall has done his homework and personally I agree 110% with his thinking, Foods in a package with preservatives are not making us healthy.

Starch Solution book takes the stress out of eating!

This is a great antidote to the sickness and obesity so many people live with due to consuming the Standard American diet. It explains how starches, vegetables, fruits -- whole foods -- are what we are designed to eat and how all animal products -- including fish -- are disastrous to our health. It doesn't leave you hanging, but presents many great recipes so you know you're not faced with a lifetime of eating steamed plain veggies, and gives you plenty of tips on how to live with and eat with the many other people who continue to consume unhealthy foods. A fast, easy read.

Many already understand that Dr. McDougall has spent his entire career bucking a very well entrenched medical system. I have read other books by Dr. McDougall (one particularly good read is "Digestive Tune-up") and "The Starch Solution" does an outstanding job of tying his many teaching-points together in a very readable and understandable book.

Dr. McDougall is an extremely generous teacher--as is evident by visiting his website: [...]. "The Starch Solution" is packed with a career-full of information with wonderful recipes and personal stories of those he has helped (both directly and indirectly through his writings, videos, and other MDs and nutritionists who have worked with him).

Most diet plans are complicated, involving counting calories, or buying a certain brand of food. But Dr. McDougall, better than just about anyone I have read, shares a very clear message: avoid fats (all plant foods contain all the fat we need with none of the cholesterol found in animal-based foods), eat mostly starches (potatoes, beans, corn, etc.), vegetables and fruits.

There are so many misconceptions about a health promoting diet and most of the confusion originates in the industries providing us with our food supply. The message offered by the media is that the key is moderation and if you are overweight, it is your fault for over indulging. This could not be further from the truth; the food industry and a lack of government oversight is the primary reason many Americans are now fighting a losing battle with both their weight and their health. Dr. McDougall has seen this first hand through patients moving from more healthy populations (Japan for instance) to the U.S. and observing the subsequent generations who replace their traditional plant-based diets with the standard American diet. Obesity and chronic disease become the only "reward" for adhering to the more opulent American diet.

Dr. McDougall offers a change of habit from a diet rich in animal-based foods, which nearly all of us grew up with, to a diet rich in flavor that provides a wealth of complete nutrition, which is a diet one can grow old with.

"The Starch Solution" is a wonderful book by one of the most courageous and important doctors now practicing medicine in the U.S.

Dr. McDougall writes a down-to-earth book on overall health and nutrition. It is easy to read and understand. He gets to the point quickly and backs it up with real science. When we come to our senses, this is how people are going to live in the future. Read this book just to learn the truth. Don't change anything about your diet. If you just educate yourself you will have the knowledge to fix yourself when you are ready. You can do it little by little if you want. But in the end you can't cheat human biology and you will want the maximum health, wellness and beauty the starch solution will provide.

I was on Atkins long before Atkins. :-) I ate very little starch and was about 25 lbs. overweight. I committed to the Starch Solution 13 days ago. I have lost 14 lbs.in 13 days.

I almost quit the 1st day. I never ate oatmeal. The first time I tried to cook the natural stuff, it boiled over. Gag! it looks horrible. But I succeeded in the simple task of cooking oatmeal. It is delicious, and I ate 2 serving and a banana. No coffee! Just water! That is the most filling and energizing meal I have ever eaten. I did not eat again for about 8 hours. The I ate a baked potato wirh salsa and backed spinach patties and a sliced tomato..I took a B-12.
Next week, I will have the lab work done. I an encouraged by the weight loss and tremendous energy. About 30 years ago, a good friend told me to quit the meat. I wish I had listened. What do they say? "Too soon old...too late smart". Very true..

I don't ever leave reviews but honestly I've never felt this way after reading a book. I watched Forks over Knives, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, Supersize Me, Engine 2 Diet and countless other health documentaries. I've read The China Study and tons of other health books, but for some reason this just tied it all together for me. I'm 32, never been overweight (180-200 @ 6'2") people call me skinny (those that haven't seen my gut), but I do have the typical high BP and high cholesterol that come from eating the typical "western" diet.

In about a week without meat and basically no dairy (very little cheese) my BP is down to under normal levels and the brain fog is gone. I feel more rested, more focused, more productive, less achy, no more lightheadedness, I can breathe better, it's crazy! I'm curious if my cholesterol levels will improve at my next doctor visit (can't imagine why they wouldn't) something that hasn't improved in 10 years even with gym training or cardio. The gut is slowly fading, and my weight has remained basically the same, so either I'm losing fat, gas, water, or all the above, unlikely that any muscle is wasting because I don't feel a slight bit weaker. Whatever it is my body is beginning to like me again, and I can't wait to see what a year on this program could do.

Do your body a favor and read this book today, like right now!

Excellent background information to base on one's diet on starch. Clear and fun facts from the past, and present researches. Plenty of studies to back the claim, that we need starches to satisfy our caloric needs. I tried eating fruits only, thinking that is the best nutrition there is, high in calories to satisfy and plenty of nutrition. The trouble is, today's fruit is not ripe most of the time when picked and shipped, thus lacking in flavour, taste, and calories majorly. So my other alternative that is still very healthy and easy to maintain is starch based living. Love the sweet potato/yam, potatoes and rice daily with yellow/green veggies and some beans/lentils! I used to literally struggle to get my calories in with fruits and greens, now it's a breeze! Feeling happy and satisfied every day, now I can focus on other things too, not just my diet.
Thank you Dr. McDougall for making my life so simple and easy to manage!

Dr. John McDougall is one of the geniuses leading the health revolution that is based in the commonsense principle that food affects everything. His thoroughly researched recommendation is that we should eat what slim and healthy people eat, which is starch! The healthiest people around the globe base their diets on such starches as rice, potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, and grains.
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. McDougall, Dr. William Campbell and many other experts have been saying this for decades!
Read it! You can also see many video shorts of cured patients on Dr. McDougall's website.
- Eat Starch, fruits and vegetables - as much as you want, as often as you like. These cause health.
- Do not eat animal flesh or consume their glandular secretions (milk). These cause disease.

This book has helped me overcome so many health issues I wish more people would read it. 2 months and I've lost 13 pounds without exercise or starving myself. I feel sooo good. Were starchivories for sure! :)

I would recommend this book to anyone, who wants to regain his/her health and lose weight, if needed or desired. Since implementing The Starch Solution principles and practices, specifically the section on maximizing weight loss, I have found that my excess weight seems to be sliding off with ease. I have been attempting a whole-foods plant-based eating approach for some time, however this book gave me a needed jolt of rejuvenation toward regaining my overall health.

Mother was a diabetic back in the 40's and starch was raising her sugar.. BUT there are different kinds and these are understood today... Red potatoes. , whole original real grains, root vegetables with lots of nutrients.. Wonderful. I am now free to be "full" in my dinners and not wanting to "cheat for a sweet. after dinners.

I have spent my life paying out Vegetarians and Vegans - mocking their lack of animal products in their diet and now I'm strictly following Dr McDougals plan myself. I'm a 47 year old female and the results have been incredible for me. My energy levels have soared physically. And mentally I'm feeling incredibly clarity. This book is so easy to understand. I've always had very hair trigger blood sugar levels which led me to believe starch was not suitable for me - so I've always tried eating low carb and animal protein to try and keep my blood sugar stable. But I'm amazed at how even I feel eating this complex starch based diet with no animal products. I can't tolerate gluten or nightshades so potato isn't suitable for me either and that limits my choices to predominately brown rice - most people won't be as limited as me - but I'm happy to eat like this because the trade off in feeling so well is really worth it - I also had my blood tests done and my sugars were down - and my cholesterol was great ! I really recommend this book to anyone - but especially if you're health isn't great and you want to improve your digestion and energy levels.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Dr and Mary McDougall for this new book. I have been vegan for over a year now, and though I initially dropped 40 lbs by becoming vegan, my weightloss stalled. I have seen several videos on YouTube by Dr McDougall, but was hesitant to restrict my diet further for fear of some nutritional deficiency. This book made everything so clear to me. If protein and fat were the wonder nutrients that we have always been led to believe they are, then Americans would be the fittest and healthiest nation on earth. I have only been following this for one week and not following any of the recipes. I've been eating potatoes, roasted squash, homemade chili, oatmeal with fruit....simple foods from the approved foods list. First thing I noticed was a huge increase in my energy level. I worked a 60 hour week due to staff shortages at the hospital and was worried that the lack of sleep would drag me down. Not so! I have been more efficient than ever. Getting off work at the normal time today, I thought I would want to crash when I got home, that was 4 hours ago and I'm not tired at all. Best part, lost 13 lbs this week!!! Wow! I can't wait to try some of the recipes this weekend. For the work week, I made a huge batch of baked potatoes, roasted squash, brown rice, and chili so that all my food was prepared ahead of time. I have really been testing it with the portions. He tells us to eat until we are full and I have. I don't have any desire for in between meal snacks either. Love, Love, Love this plan and plan to stick with it for life.

For health reasons, i've had to change my diet. This book tells me all i need to know for preparing foods. And it has been really good in helping me with my weight loss also. I expect to see my cholesterol greatly changed for the better. Thanks for the store, it's a great place for ordering books.

This book will set you on a new path to health and nutrition. It is well worth reading and implementing into your life. The author, John McDougall is a well-known and competent physician and nutrition expert.

Dr. McDougall is brilliant and explains so well in this book why we need carbs in our diet for optimal health! The low-carb craze is destroying our people & our planet and we need people like Dr. McDougall to be the voice of truth to a confused world!

I had been eagerly looking forward to read John McDougall's Starch Solution. Not only am I delighted about the contents of this book and the important message it conveys but also the production is impeccable. McDougall's writing is so captivating and makes so much sense that it would be almost impossible for the reader not to want to apply this knowledge at once.

44 years of "hands-on" medical experience packaged into a 200 page educational resource everyone can understand.(plus 150 pages of practical recipes to make healthful living even easier) A total must-read for medical students and health practitioners. THIS is the missing piece of education you've been looking for.

It's almost as if Dr McDougall wants to do himself out of a job because once you read this book you probably never need see a doctor for any of the dreaded (and costly) "western" diseases so commonly assumed to be the inevitable course of ageing in our affluent societies.

Old = sick? Not so, and there is plenty of proof included.

In my opinion, Dr McDougall's book highlights the connections between food, health, lifestyle, and the "sickness economy" in the most accessible manner and belongs into absolutely every household.

To first seek the truth and then to bring it to the public takes courage.

Thomas A. Edison the great inventor said 100 years ago: "The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease."

Well, the future has arrived. Dr McDougall, you have truly enriched my life with this book.

Thank you.

D Frost (NZ)

History shows that members of royalty suffered many health issues and problems from eating rich foods and the obesity present in the American population reflects the same issues and problems. Dr. McDougall's approach, plus 44 years of experience of simplifying his patients diets is an excellent overview of the solution.

I believe this is Dr McDougall's capstone book. It is right on as all his work has been. I have followed his recommendations for years and I believe that is a good part of why I enjoy great health at seventy plus years of age. This book is a great resource for those who want to lose weight or just simply enjoy better health and longer life free of the diseases that plague most Americans. I cannot recommend this book too highly!

I tried to follow the diet protocol and felt weak and tired as well as finding that my blood sugar nearly exploded from all that starch. One size does not fit all, so I don't trust doctors that think their particular diet protocol will solve everyone's health issues.

I am 69 YO and allergic to many meds and so am hoping to stay well and not need any meds. This is a great book that is easy to read and understand. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a lifestyle change to better health.

As a long time vegan I recently had the bad idea to try adding cheese back in my diet and what a surprise, I put on weight and felt like junk. So this book was just the reminder I needed to knock it off. Just a couple days into it but will post again on results.

I follow Dr McDougall and trust his research and opinions. This is a must read! And then a must follow for optimal health.
If you are not sure about a food (or medical problem), I highly recommend Dr. McDougall's books and website.

I learned about Mcdoudall on youtube and was very impressed with his insights and clear communication skills. This book is a concise reference work that I keep close in order to stick with the plan. I've lost 30 pounds over the course of a year with the help of this book and as he promised, indeed, I feel great.

Dr. McDougall's life changing and life saving advice on adapting a healthy vegan diet. The weight loss I am experiencing is nothing compared to how good I feel and the energy this diet provides. A must read for its simplistic and compelling explanations on how diet causes disease and can reverse it too!

Together with my "Bitch Coach", my vegan mentor, I did the Starch Solution in the month of August and lost the weight and had a good time. I know the recipes because I've done so many of them but I concentrated on doing page 216 for maximum weight loss and it worked. And I felt satisfied. :)

This book is well written and researched and loaded with references. I already eat a plant-based diet, but I learned many things that I was not aware of before reading this book. I've been following McDougall's simple guidelines for the past month and I find it easy and satisfying, and I feel great!

if not, this book might be the impetus for your dietary delving into this branch of vegan heaven. Dr McDougall explains his theory re diet so clearly, and the recipes will become the staples for your domestic culinary adventures.

For the longest time I have thought that all the "experts" out there with all their different program cant all be right. Humans must have a basic diet that they do best on. Like all other creatures that have a basic diet. We I think Dr Mcdougall has hit on it. I know there are exceptions like there are to any rule but I think his book describes the fuel for our engines to keep us running at our best. After 3 weeks I have lost 16 pounds and it has certainly been the easiest program to stay true to.

I started following McDougall's plan during the Christmas celebration. Straying off the diet was inevitable! But, getting back on the next day was very easy. I look forward to the meals and that is part of my battle. There is stress eating that is satisfying and it is the McDougall way. You will love the recipes and looks for his other books. I feel energetic and am loosing weight!

The Starch Solution will explain in an easy-read manner why everything you think you know about food, nutrition and particularly dieting has not been accurate, and therefore didn't work. Dr. McDougall's life has been spent helping people stay well or get well, not with meds and surgery, but by eating well - and plenty. I couldn't lose weight no matter what I did. Then I followed The Starch Solution. In 10 days I lost 5 pounds, my cholesterol dropped 28 points, and I flushed my bp meds. For the first time in my life I'm not hungry, my weight has stabilized at pre-college weight, and I feel terrific.

I call myself a 'heat and eat cook' meaning I do it the easy way; no recipes needed. Mash some potatoes (white or sweet), steam some veggies, make a salad, and have some seasonal fruit for dessert and I'm satisfied. Boil some pasta with tomato sauce, add some veggies and a salad and another meal is ready.

The Starch Solution is a departure from what we're accustomed to seeing on our plate, but how we feel and how we look will be worth whatever effort it takes to make the change. Give it a try, you'll be glad you did.

The updated info is very helpful and I was shocked at how good the recipes are. You would think that a low fat, plant based diet would be boring but it isn't. I've lost about 13 pounds so far and haven't been hungry or bored with the food yet. This is the perfect book to go along with the Forks Over Knives documentary.

I never thought I could be a vegetarian, no less a vegan! The thought of giving up dairy and seafood always made me run in the other direction. Well, after reading the Starch Solution all that changed. I love my new way of eating, and don't miss what I thought I would. There are so many awesome recipes and so much to eat! I feel great and have already lost 5 pounds. This is a must read for anyone looking for a lifelong path to good health.

I have been a vegan for about 3 years now, following the Mcdougall plan. The new book and recipes really add tastier and easier choices, plus more to date solutions. I love the testimonials, brings you back to reality and shows true results that this really isnt a diet but a new way of thinking about your health and well being.

Written in an easy-to-read style. Covers the health benefits of eating a plant-based diet for yourself and the planet. Highly recommended! I really enjoyed learning from this book and the eating guidelines and recipes have improved my health immensely.

I wanted permission to eat starch and this book gives it to you! But I just couldn't get excited about eating starch if I wasn't allowed to have any oil. I mean - no wonder you lose weight. I like spices on things and I suppose you could bake some potatoes with spices but sooner or later, I don't know, I just didn't think I could keep this up. What I did take away from this, though, is to completely cut down on the amount of animal protein I eat and try to have vegan meals. So, I can have my starch and eat it too! I just couldn't give up oil as well as meat. But if I eat oil and starch, I think I can stay away from meat. There's always a middle ground - though I doubt Dr. McDougall would agree!

This one of the best books I've read and I would say a "must" have for those who want to re-gain their health and retain it. McDougall's very readable,down to earth writing is easy to follow. Dr McD has been healing his patients for over 40 years with a simple plant based starch diet.He tells you how he arrived at this way of eating and the science behind it. No gimicks , no pills ,in fact he gets you off those expensive pills as soon as safely possible. A diet of 70% starches like potatoes, brown rice, beans, grains and 30% fruits and veggies what could be simpler.What to cook? There are tons of delicious recipes included to tempt anyone's palette. Not only healthy but delish! I've been following this diet for about 2 years and I'm enjoying excellent health, and do tons of walking and riding uphills and down. I lost some excess weight about 15 lbs and feel 20 years younger then my 61 yrs. Believe me this is do-able and fun! I've been able to help many of my students to get healthy by directing them to Dr McDougall's books and website. This book will be tops on my list to recommend. Donna Dickson

The level of detail and informatioin in this book is very helpful for people who viewed Forks Over Knives and want to practice plant-based eating. You may be surprised to learn how easy the transition is!

This simple solution saved my life. I had tried vegan but was missing two critical elements which were driven home to me by this book. What McDougall calls a starchivore, I now understand is a Low Fat, No Oil, Vegan.

As much as I fought this, it is the only thing that has worked to stop my symptoms of coronary artery disease. And when I regress even a little by allowing the higher fat foods and oils into my vegan diet, I suffer the consequences.

This diet is maintainable and sustainable. It satisfies. It is easy. It is inexpensive.

This book addresses many of the nagging questions I have had regarding prevailing diet wisdom. Easy to understand and exceptionally well sourced. Absolutely makes sense! Recipes are easy and delicious. Love love love the potato enchiladas!

Loved the book. I was raised on milk, eggs, all dairy and all meats. I have changed my diet to be more in keeping with Dr.
Mc D. recommendations and feel great, good energy and am losing inches/fat and weight about 2 lbs per wk.

Have been increasingly plant-based for two years, reading The China Study (Campbell), Stopping/Reversing Heart Disease (Esselstyne). But this book was the motivation I needed to go all the way. Simple, clear, well-written. Do-able diet plans. Rice, potatoes, veggies and fruit...can't beat it for satisfying meals. I've lost weight, sleep great, gave up all my supplements, feel great. I won't be going back.

If you asked me when I first started the McDougall Diet how I enjoyed the book, I would have defended it to the grave. In fact I recommended it to many people. Unfortunately after months on a whole food plant based diet my otherwise good health started to deteriorate. I can't say a vegan in total is to blame but I do believe that a low fat diet and specifically a McDougall diet lacking more nutrients is not for everyone. I can say this confidently in that once I started including animal products again my health came back to normal and all the negative symptoms I had for over 2 months went away.

I was very pleased with The Starch Solution. This book is easy to read and interesting while also being packed with hard science to back up Dr. McDougal's claims. I love the fact that he cites reputable studies and journal articles to validify his recommendations. This is a book promoting a way of eating that contributes to vibrant health and a feeling of satisfaction.

The Starch Solution is one of the most important books in my library. Dr. John McDougall and his wife Mary, who is a nurse and celebrated chef, have produced a gutsy, non-preachy work that debunks the claims of the beware-of-carbs brahmins, as it invites you to enjoy the pleasures of consuming plant-based comfort foods. This awesome writing team reveals how populations throughout the world throughout time have thrived on diets rich in potatoes, corn, rice, wheat, beans and other starch staples. Concerns about protein and calcium are addressed, and 100 zesty recipes for burgers, soups, stews, sauces and even chocolate brownies are included. You have nothing to lose by reading this book and eating the delicious foods, with the exception of unwanted pounds.

My son was trying the Starch solution and wanted someone to try it with him. Having grown up in the mid-west I was a meat and potato person all my life, so I figured I'd last about a week. Here I am 2 months later and without counting calories or watching what I eat I am losing an average of a pound a week!

This book was really interesting read but the best part is when you take on the challenge to see for yourself. I've been following the book for a week now and I've lost about 5lbs, one entire dress size and about 2 inches from my waist. I don't even want to call this a diet because it isn't, it's a way of life. Just follow the instructions in his book and you will see the results. So easy to follow! It does take some time to adjust to a pretty much vegan diet but you feel amazing everyday. I haven't felt tired all week. Exercise is really important. I run about 3 miles every morning and play about 2-3 hours of tennis at least 4 times a week, so I'm losing weight effortlessly. But my aunt is also doing this lifestyle change without much exercise and she has lost close to 4lbs now. Buy the book and see for yourself, good luck!

This book was recommended to my by my doctor and a reference to increase my education of vegitarian diet and nutrition. It does increase your knowledge if your considering a change in your diet and it broadens your choices.

The book is well written and presents a good case but I took off one star for personal reasons. I was scared to try this approach because I have diabetes. I tried it for a week and my blood sugar did go down but I felt like it was causing my body to have to produce way too much insulin and would eventually burn out my pancreas so I got scared and backed off. Wish I could find out if this diet is safe for the long term because I was loving eating all those starchy foods .... potatoes, cream corn, bread. McDougall claimed it was good for diebetes, even could "cure" it, but it is so radical compared to what we are taught about starch. If anyone knows for sure that eating all this starch is okay, let me know. [email protected]

Keep It Simple. Dr. McDougall's book is a logical, science-based exploration into the fundamentals of nutrition. It reminded me that eating, as a natural activity, should be as straightforward as breathing air and drinking water. We don't need pollutants in either our air or water and we don't need a diet that pollutes our bodies.
The starch-based diet that he recommends provides optimum nutrition and clean fuel to keep us in optimum health.
If you want to enjoy eating full, satisfying, easy to prepare meals that are not full of unneeded calories and health harming ingredients, this book is a must read.
If you are desirous of changing to a health supporting way of eating, you may find that your biggest challenge is to overcome the way you have been socialized about food. Your nemesis will be the insidious nature of the conditioning of your thoughts and emotions resulting from a life-long exposure to advertising from the meat and dairy industries.
The Starch Solution is a practical method for switching to a diet that promotes health and helps you understand the benefits of terminating continuation of a "normal" American diet that promotes disease.

This book covers so much useful information. From the history of our eating patterns to debunking all the false nutritional information out there, to how to eat to prevent and reverse disease. Plus the recipes are really good! I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to lose weight and avoid and reverse disease.

Why do I love this book? Let me count the ways...

First you have it written by THE LEADING EXPERT in nutritional-medical science backed by 40 years of practicing medicine, scientific studies and hard facts, and the thousands of people who have lived his lifestyle program and reversed their maladies. Hmmm, sounds like a winning combination to me!

I love that Dr. McDougall has presented us with another new book and not a re-hash of past books, like so many authors' do. He has thoroughly and brilliantly researched the scientific facts and presented them to us in an enjoyable and easy to understand scribe peppered with his famous humor.

It was fascinating to read about the falacies of the glycemic index and what actually happens when you consume a diet rich in starches. Equally as fascinating was the information on diabetes and how to reverse and elimate it from your life. But, this holds true for other diseases of affluence such as obesity, cardiovascular problems, digestive problems, and the list goes on and on.

Dr. McDougall is a giant in this field and many doctors, both young and old, owe him a wealth of debt (and their own health) because they stood on his shoulders first and foremost. He doesn't get the recognition he so rightfully and richly deserves but he is not in this to turn a quick buck. He stands up for what he believes in and what he knows to be true to make a significant difference in our lives. He turns lives around. He saves lives. By educating us and giving us the correct information and tools we can then make intelligent and informed decisions related to our livelihood. In my book, this is the real meaning of physician!

After soo much nutritional misinformation in the media, this book tells the reader finally and logically the truth. I live as an Expat for a multinational company in Asia and what I see here every day confirms exactly what is written in the book. People eat rice several times a day and are slim and fit. What else prove do you need that the Paleo diet and other low carb fads are wrong.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading Dr McDougalls "history" and all the recipes. Have implemented his ideas, and now waiting for the results. Very good book. The recipes are simple and inexpensive, so people can see it does NOT cost more to eat a starch/plant based diet.

Wow... finally a book I can recommend without reservation for my patients and friends as the best single resource to jump-start a journey to improved health. In my 35+ years as a busy Family Medicine physician, I have always looked for resources that were based on sound reasoning, the best science, and were practical, simple, and effective. John and Mary McDougall's book meets all these requirements in an easy to read, well-organized format. Their recommendations, in addition to being based on peer-reviewed science, reflect their "practical wisdom" gained from years of clinical success with the residential 10-day McDougall program and the more recent residential 8-day McDougall Whole Foods program. Dr. John McDougall's 40 years of experience provide real life case studies for the book as well as concise answers to the questions that often arise regarding diet and health. He addresses the environmental and moral dimensions of eating a starch-focused diet as well.

The Starch Solution will also be most useful to patients with chronic diseases. Scientific studies over the last 20 years have shown that by using the proper nutritional approach many chronic diseases can be stabilized, reversed, and often cured. Chronic diseases and their associated complications account for about 80% of health care costs and a huge amount of suffering not only for patients but for their families. This book lays out a proven approach to reduce these costs and suffering.

This book provides a foundation for other outstanding resources that target specific chronic conditions. Examples that I have found useful in my practice are Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes (Type 2 Diabetes), Caldwell Esselstyn's Preventing and Reversing Heart Disease (Arterial Disease), and the DVD by Jeff Novick RD "Calorie Density: Eat More, Weigh Less, and Live Longer" (Obesity).

My recommendations are grounded in years of experience working with patients. Most recently I have participated in residential and nonresidential programs applying the diet advocated by Dr. McDougall and have been amazed at the results. Although still writing new prescriptions, I spend most of my time reducing and taking patients off their medications. It has been a very rewarding experience for all involved.

This book was recommended to my by my doctor and a reference to increase my education of vegitarian diet and nutrition. It does increase your knowledge if your considering a change in your diet and it broadens your choices.

The book is well written and presents a good case but I took off one star for personal reasons. I was scared to try this approach because I have diabetes. I tried it for a week and my blood sugar did go down but I felt like it was causing my body to have to produce way too much insulin and would eventually burn out my pancreas so I got scared and backed off. Wish I could find out if this diet is safe for the long term because I was loving eating all those starchy foods .... potatoes, cream corn, bread. McDougall claimed it was good for diebetes, even could "cure" it, but it is so radical compared to what we are taught about starch. If anyone knows for sure that eating all this starch is okay, let me know. [email protected]

Keep It Simple. Dr. McDougall's book is a logical, science-based exploration into the fundamentals of nutrition. It reminded me that eating, as a natural activity, should be as straightforward as breathing air and drinking water. We don't need pollutants in either our air or water and we don't need a diet that pollutes our bodies.
The starch-based diet that he recommends provides optimum nutrition and clean fuel to keep us in optimum health.
If you want to enjoy eating full, satisfying, easy to prepare meals that are not full of unneeded calories and health harming ingredients, this book is a must read.
If you are desirous of changing to a health supporting way of eating, you may find that your biggest challenge is to overcome the way you have been socialized about food. Your nemesis will be the insidious nature of the conditioning of your thoughts and emotions resulting from a life-long exposure to advertising from the meat and dairy industries.
The Starch Solution is a practical method for switching to a diet that promotes health and helps you understand the benefits of terminating continuation of a "normal" American diet that promotes disease.

This book covers so much useful information. From the history of our eating patterns to debunking all the false nutritional information out there, to how to eat to prevent and reverse disease. Plus the recipes are really good! I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to lose weight and avoid and reverse disease.

So I ordered this book out of desperation to get off my Type II meds. I tried for two months and didn't lose any weight. My Type II is worse and I am more tired than I've ever been. Type II people beware! Going back to no bread or pasta.

Why do I love this book? Let me count the ways...

First you have it written by THE LEADING EXPERT in nutritional-medical science backed by 40 years of practicing medicine, scientific studies and hard facts, and the thousands of people who have lived his lifestyle program and reversed their maladies. Hmmm, sounds like a winning combination to me!

I love that Dr. McDougall has presented us with another new book and not a re-hash of past books, like so many authors' do. He has thoroughly and brilliantly researched the scientific facts and presented them to us in an enjoyable and easy to understand scribe peppered with his famous humor.

It was fascinating to read about the falacies of the glycemic index and what actually happens when you consume a diet rich in starches. Equally as fascinating was the information on diabetes and how to reverse and elimate it from your life. But, this holds true for other diseases of affluence such as obesity, cardiovascular problems, digestive problems, and the list goes on and on.

Dr. McDougall is a giant in this field and many doctors, both young and old, owe him a wealth of debt (and their own health) because they stood on his shoulders first and foremost. He doesn't get the recognition he so rightfully and richly deserves but he is not in this to turn a quick buck. He stands up for what he believes in and what he knows to be true to make a significant difference in our lives. He turns lives around. He saves lives. By educating us and giving us the correct information and tools we can then make intelligent and informed decisions related to our livelihood. In my book, this is the real meaning of physician!

After soo much nutritional misinformation in the media, this book tells the reader finally and logically the truth. I live as an Expat for a multinational company in Asia and what I see here every day confirms exactly what is written in the book. People eat rice several times a day and are slim and fit. What else prove do you need that the Paleo diet and other low carb fads are wrong.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading Dr McDougalls "history" and all the recipes. Have implemented his ideas, and now waiting for the results. Very good book. The recipes are simple and inexpensive, so people can see it does NOT cost more to eat a starch/plant based diet.

Wow... finally a book I can recommend without reservation for my patients and friends as the best single resource to jump-start a journey to improved health. In my 35+ years as a busy Family Medicine physician, I have always looked for resources that were based on sound reasoning, the best science, and were practical, simple, and effective. John and Mary McDougall's book meets all these requirements in an easy to read, well-organized format. Their recommendations, in addition to being based on peer-reviewed science, reflect their "practical wisdom" gained from years of clinical success with the residential 10-day McDougall program and the more recent residential 8-day McDougall Whole Foods program. Dr. John McDougall's 40 years of experience provide real life case studies for the book as well as concise answers to the questions that often arise regarding diet and health. He addresses the environmental and moral dimensions of eating a starch-focused diet as well.

The Starch Solution will also be most useful to patients with chronic diseases. Scientific studies over the last 20 years have shown that by using the proper nutritional approach many chronic diseases can be stabilized, reversed, and often cured. Chronic diseases and their associated complications account for about 80% of health care costs and a huge amount of suffering not only for patients but for their families. This book lays out a proven approach to reduce these costs and suffering.

This book provides a foundation for other outstanding resources that target specific chronic conditions. Examples that I have found useful in my practice are Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes (Type 2 Diabetes), Caldwell Esselstyn's Preventing and Reversing Heart Disease (Arterial Disease), and the DVD by Jeff Novick RD "Calorie Density: Eat More, Weigh Less, and Live Longer" (Obesity).

My recommendations are grounded in years of experience working with patients. Most recently I have participated in residential and nonresidential programs applying the diet advocated by Dr. McDougall and have been amazed at the results. Although still writing new prescriptions, I spend most of my time reducing and taking patients off their medications. It has been a very rewarding experience for all involved.

Absolutly love this book. Couldn't put it down until I was done with it. Looking forwarding to trying many of the recipes in the book. Want to buy a copy and give to all my loved ones, but figure first I'll show them the results ... then when they ask me how I did it, give them their copy of the book...Thank you Dr. McDougall for another great book!

Dr. McDougall is one of my heroes....His books show you how to eat to prevent and reverse many chronic diseases caused by the "SAD" (Standard American Diet) way most Americans eat...My husband has reversed his colitis and is keeping his diverticulitis and gall bladder disease at bay by eating a low-fat, plant based diet. No more constipation with this way of eating...I know, TMI, but it's one of the many benefits of eating this way. And Mary McDougall is a genius in the kitchen! Her recipes make it easy to stay on track. Thank you, Dr. McDougall and Mary!

I bought this book when I joined a 30-day vegan challenge to try this diet. I'd lost a great deal of weight on the Ornish plan years ago, and thought this was similar. I think this is not as well thought-out as Ornish, or even the old Susan Powder work (remember her?). I'd buy the Ornish book, or the Barnard "Reversing Diabetes" book instead of this one.

It finally made sense why eating dairy and meat is extremely bad for people. Read this book and discover why the Western diet causes cancer, heart disease, diabetis 2, etc. E.g., 1 in 5 men in US get prostate cancer and in countries where plant-based diet is consumed, only 1 in 10,000 contract the disease!

Enjoyed the update version of McDougall's original weight loss book, and I always enjoy the testimonies. However, I could have done without the crusade for animals and sea life. I know these things have their place but I just don't think it is appropriate when we are talking about health and the benefits of eating a plant based diet.

Dr. McDougall has written his best book so yet. He lays it all out clearly and supports it with research quotes and his personal experience with thousands of people over the past several decades. I can happily report that I have eaten this way for decades myself and have not been to a medical doctor since my discharge from the Marines in 1970. I attribute my ongoing outstanding vitality to a combination of my plant-based whole foods diet and daily vigorous primal movement. At 62 years of age I am stronger than ever.

If you are looking to get all the essential details about how to eat well, feel great, and do it right I highly recommend this book.
Many of my clients sat down and read it cover to cover the day it came out.

I read the book in one sitting. That wasn't hard to do since half of the book is vegan recipes. There isn't much here that he hasn't covered in prior books. I did notice that he focused more heavily on extracted vegetable oils. I'm glad he did since I read a research paper presented at the annual convention of the American Oil Chemist Society (can you believe the world has become this specialized?) on 5/6/2012. These are the guys that work with vegetable oils and figure out how to shove this stuff in every processed food in your grocery store. The health hazards of vegetable oil have proven to be even more harmful than animal fat. The discovery that heating vegetable oil repeatedly (there is a slight cooling and heating of the oil each time a basket of food is dropped into the oil) to temperatures used for frying and holding the oil at that temperature produced HNE's in as little as 3 hours. This should be devastating news to anyone with an ounce of sense. HNE's are some of the most carcinogenic elements known to science.

As I read the book the doctor eliminated one food after another on a typical Western diet, I had to ask myself, can I do this; the answer was yes. It was yes until I got near the end and he started to caveat the starch solution. After telling me that it would be difficult to limit those forbidden animal products to some lower safe level and better to exclude them, he announces that the Starch Solution won't work well if you have a chronic disease, are near to having a chronic disease or wanted to lose weight unless you do the same with some vegan foods.......what? Hey, why would I want to give up all the food I grew up with unless I was fat, sick or near dead? Now we learn that many other non-animal food items including any product made from flours including whole grain flours "will substantially slow down our progress to good health and normal weight. " Yet, what do I find in his quick start diet section; meal after meal with items like pancakes, whole wheat bread, whole grain tortillas and pasta. I'm confused! What also confused me is his statement that the Japanese eat less than 2 ounces of soy products a day and that maybe eating soy at the level that American Vegans do might not be healthy (7th Day Adventist vegan women who eat soy more than 2 times per week have higher breast cancer rates than those women eating the standard American diet). But then he loads his recipe section with soy. Either this stuff is good for you or it isn't. And if it isn't why feature so much of this product in so many recipes. If meat isn't healthy even in small quantities as he says, well, shouldn't the same apply to soy? You would have thought that instead of coming up with a "wildly popular" (among his family) soy burger he would have come up with a Vegan bean burger instead.

I started eating pretty much as he suggested six months ago. Based on blood work my kidney function has improved substantially. Cancer (multiple Myeloma) and the chemo used to hold it at bay caused a 53% loss of kidney function. I spent the last eight years killing my kidneys even further with a high protein diet thinking this was the way to health. It was not! First, I couldn't eat high protein/high fat with minimum carbs long term (l love my carbs). Second, it damaged my kidneys even further. I never realized how heavy a load protein puts on the kidneys, and my doctors never informed me, or suggested a change in diet, nor questioned my eating habits. My doctors tried solving the problem with numerous medications, each having their own side effects when a simple change in diet would have saved me a lot of pain and grief.

The doctor focuses heavily on the fact that throughout history ALL major populations were based on a starch diet. This is fact and it cannot be disputed. But what is also fact is that none of these populations were Vegan, or even close to it. He points out that as long as a population stayed on their traditional diet (and it follows that means regardless of what that was. Doesn't this start to sound a lot like Weston Price?) they stayed healthy. The further they strayed from that path the fatter and sicker they got. This makes sense since research shows that as little as 20 generations are required for adaptation to any pattern of eating. In my case coming from a Northern European background, fruit as much as I love it presents a problem. The single month that I went on a 100% ultra-low fat (about 6%) Vegan diet I gained one pound. I was also cycling one hour a day five days a week. I discovered it was the fruit. Once I cut fruit consumption to one piece each day I started to lose weight again. I assume the reason was my ancestry didn't have access to fruit year round and therefore genetically I'm not programed to burn it effectively. In Northern Europe fruit was available in two very small slivers of time, spring for berries and fall for berries and apples. Fruit is one carbohydrate that my body loves to store as fat.

Oh, you also need to be just a little skeptical about some of the health claims of the plant based doctors. They claim they can cure everything from cancer to a broken heart and have testimonials to prove it. Plus they can do it in record time. Ornish tells you he can cure type 2 diabetes in just over a year and it might take up to two for tough cases, Neal Barnard says he can do it in 22 weeks, Gabriel Cousens does it in 8 weeks, Pritikin used to do it in 28 days, and Dr. McDougall can do it in his 10 day live in program. Kind of like "Name That Tune", each doctor can do it in fewer notes.

Another recommendation you need to be careful about is ultra-low protein (less than 10%). I see nothing wrong at keeping protein (plant based of course) as high (it is difficult to get beyond 15% eating low fat vegan) as 10 to 20 percent (the old Atkins at 30% was nuts and hard on the kidneys). The focus in the book and the on-line site is to keep protein as close to the minimum required as possible. The doctor tells you NOT to eat more than one cup of beans a day in order to keep the protein number as low as possible. I know all the plant based doctors give you the same recommendation. They use the Okinawans, Kitavans and Tarahumara peoples as the pictures of perfect health. And from a heart disease perspective I guess they are, but the average height of the males in these societies is under 5-4 with the Okinawa Centenarian men at 4-10 and their women at 4-6. I'm sure you don't want you male children to be this tiny. That's why I believe that feeding this kind of diet to a growing child is dangerous to their development. If you're going to go low fat vegan make sure it's AFTER your final growth spurt....unless as a mother of a male child you don't mind him looking up at his dates.

In the end I do believe he has something of value to say; a something that would make us all healthier if we listen. The push to be 100% Vegan isn't necessary unless you want to do it for environmental or personal reasons. But of course if nothing else Vegans are passionate about their food.

Update:

After being on this new way of eating for almost a year and participating in the on-line website you discover the contrary to what the doctor says you CAN'T eat large quantities of starches and lose weight; in fact you gain weight. You'll find that it's a low calorie diet with many people eating in the 1000 to 1400 calorie range (called MWL, Maximum Weight Loss program in the book and on-line) and if they eat more than that they don't lose weight and some gain. Yes, you don't COUNT calories, but by eating less starch and more green and yellow vegetables and salads you're doing the same thing with a trick they call calorie density. The folks on Weight Watchers don't count calories either: they count points. You've got all these gimmicks trying to convince you that somehow calories don't count or need to be counted: they do! According to their on-line Nutritionist (Novick) it all comes down to "food density;" if you stick with large amounts of green and yellow vegetables and salads and keep the starches relatively lower you lose weight and the fiber from the vegetables fills you up. I've found in practice this just isn't true. You need the starch to keep you satiated and under these circumstances the weight might come off at a snail's pace; one pounds every couple of months. I still think from health perspective it's the way to eat, but from a weight loss point of view it's hardly a quick solution. I've found if you add eight ounces of egg protein shake to your meals it leaves you satisfied without the fat that would come with most animal sources which is the real villain in most chronic diseases. This has allowed me to eat only two or three meals a day instead of every three hours and pooping three times a day. On the program you feel like you spend your entire day either preparing food, eating it or sitting on the toilet. Most of the people on the program cook a half dozen baked potatoes at one time and keep them in the frig to munch to get past the constant cooking. They do the same with rice, beans and most other grains. The idea of cold baked potatoes just doesn't appeal to me. The other down side is the gas problem. Eating that much volume and fiber makes you a one person greenhouse gas disaster. Forget about eating out unless you're satisfied with dry salad (remember that oils are a no, no) and social events will find you going hungry or bringing your own food. From a weight loss perspective the book would be better called the green and yellow vegetable solution with starch added. The shear volume of food required on the program is other than starch.

Is it hard to do the McDougal program? Yes, if it was easy you wouldn't need a support board to keep you on track. The question you have to ask yourself is how far are you willing to go for health and is a program this strict really necessary to achieve it?

11/22/2013

2nd update

Yes, I'm still eating vegan, but not ultra-low fat. I've added seeds and nuts to the diet plus vitamin D, B12 and Flax for the Omega 3. The seeds and nuts allowed me to knock off the protein shake and gave me the same satiation as the shake AND finally dropped my Triglycerides to 87 from their near 300 level and finally reduced my fasting glucose from 110/113 to 78/82. This higher fat way is starting to get closer to the recommendation of another plant based doctor named Fuhrman. My hair was starting to thin and fall out and after some research I figured out it was the D. Doctor McDougall doesn't believe in added vitamins except for B12, but if you give it some thought the only way of getting vitamin D on this diet is via the sun. For those of us living north we are a little short of sun for vitamin D. Your other option is to eat "junk vegan" with lots of processed food that has vitamin D added. What the doctor fails to realize is that in the standard American diet packaged foods like bread, cereal, juice and even milk and cheese have vitamin D added by the processor or manufacturer as does processed vegan food. If you follow the book's instruction and eat only a whole food plant based diet you're eliminating all these sources of vitamin D. There is another vegan doctor named Greger who posted a YouTube video called "40 year vegan dies of heart attack" or something very close to this. He reviews various vegetarian and vegan studies and points out that they die at the same level of heart attacks, strokes, and a higher death rate from brain disorders. He goes on to point out why, and that why is a lack of vitamin D, B12 levels that are too low and an omega 3 to 6 ratio that is wildly (40 to 1, instead of from 4 or better yet 2 to 1) out of whack. He points out that adding these supplements to a vegan diet puts it back into the super healthy range. The reality is that the McDougall program hasn't changed a lick in 40 years and there have been an average of 16,000 studies produced each year. Can we believe there hasn’t been one credible study done out of the 640,000 studies done during that period that would require a modification of his program? At some point Dr. McDougall will be required to modify his program (as Dr. Ornish did by OKing fish) based on today's science instead of what was known 40 years ago. Let's look at reality; all the plant based doctors took what Pritikin first came up with in the 60's and modified it a bit. Pritikin made sure his body was autopsied upon his death and what they discovered were arteries that were almost as clean as when he was born. Yet, Pritikin ate fish several times a week and chicken from time to time, proving you don't have to be full blown vegan to reap the health benefits of a plant based whole food, no oils diet. Sadly, seafood has always made me gag and therefore I've never eaten the stuff.

By the way, if you join the McDougall site I wouldn't question any of the information put into the book on-line, or the studies done by plant based doctors like Campbell. If you disagree on minor points or dare to simply question what's been written the site manager, will allow three or four of the board's cyber bullies to work you over on any posts you make. If you stand up to these bullies he'll immediately step on you while at the same time allowing them to insult and demean you and your opinion. If you don't take the hint and leave the board voluntarily, you’ll ultimately be banned from the site. The purpose of a support group should be to provide a SAFE environment where people can open up and talk about what they really feel and any doubts they may have; help that allows them to stay on the diet and new life style. When the board administrator allows cyber bullies to take over and enforce their own version of what's right he damages the entire concept of compassionate support. It's natural to have doubts and questions when you first start something as new and radical as this way of eating. Don't allow these bullies and poor management of their actions by the administrator to turn you off to this way of eating. The message is sound even though those in charge of it aren't. Veganism at this level is closer to a religion than simply a dietary change and deviations won't be tolerated. Of course the average person should know that diets this strict whether McDougall, Pritikin or Atkins are not going to be followed to the letter. But then the world isn't about perfection and some deviation is expected, you simply can't admit to it on-line. I still believe this is a healthy way of eating once you add the vitamins and fats I mentioned. This still complies with the heart of the book which is a whole food plant based diet.

May 2014 Update

It's now be over two years that I've been eating a plant based vegan no oils diet. Do I eat the McDougall program? NO! I'm eating closer to 15/20 percent fat depending on the day. The additional fat comes from seeds, nuts and coconut products. My protein intake is higher than 10% max based on the amount of beans I eat. I'm guessing it's closer to 12/15%. I'm also taking supplements like vitamin D, K2, zinc and fish oils. All of which are against the McDougall program. At some point I as an individual came to realize that thousands of studies have been done since Dr. McDougall came out with his modified Pritikin requirements and called them his own 40 years ago. Those studies have pointed out the flaws in his 40 year old program and how to get around those shortcomings. It truly is sad that the doctor has so much emotionally invested in wanting to be right that there is no room to admit that science has progressed in those 40 years. What's even sadder is the fact that he and his people make every effort to suppress those finding on his site and they ban anyone who points out those shortcomings or even comes to that conclusion and posts it. We have 31/38 vegans in our meeting group and seven joined the McDougall site over two years ago, six have been banned or pushed out. Joe, the sixth member was banned in April for posting that based on a dozen studies it would seem that how much you ate had as much impact as what you ate. Sue, our seventh is still a member because she has only posted a couple of times at most. I made it until October of 2013 after pointing out that the Okinawan diet was neither vegan, nor low oil and certainly not low salt. All six of us are still vegan but no longer welcome on the McDougall site.

There have been some interesting developments since I last reviewed the program and website. Dr. Campbell has written an article now stating that saturated fat DOES NOT cause heart disease and there hasn't been even one study that shows it does. Is this the same Dr. Campbell of the China Study? Yep! What's more he has published at least six new studies based on re-analysis of the original China study data that directly conflicts with his original analysis of that data in the book. It seems that meat isn't all that bad and doesn't cause certain cancers but wheat is correlated more with cancer. It would seem Denise Menger has been right all along. Additionally, Dr. McDougall's MS study results have been leaked by one of the researchers a year after completion. It was a total bust. Not only were there no regression of MS lesions, they didn't even slow down. In fact they grew and new ones formed with the McDougall diet at the same rate as the control group. The conclusion? Diet has no effect on MS. Of course they are excusing the results by saying we don't have all the facts; the study was too small or we don't know how it was set up and followed, or it wasn't long enough to tell. The reality is that it was Dr. McDougall and his people who came up with the study, selected the members, its parameters including length and requirements and therefore they had it exactly his way and it still busted flat.

My final conclusion is that veganism isn't necessary and creates its own problems, BUT all can be handled with supplements. Those supplements wouldn't be necessary if you ate fish a few times a week as the Japanese and Okinawans do. Sadly, I can't stand seafood and I'm stuck with supplements. What are the real evils in the modern diet? Extracted oils are the number one killer, processed grain products come next, followed by too much meat.

Plant based but not necessarily plant exclusive is the way to real health.

May 13, 2015
Another year has passed and I’m still a vegan, but not because I still think meat, fish and fat are bad. I’m a vegan on a modified version of whole foods diet. I eat about 20% in fat from nuts and seeds instead of under 10, and 12/15% in protein versus the recommended under 10%. I’m a vegan because I dislike meat and just can’t stomach fish.

I’ve come to determine that energy overload is the primary cause of type 2 diabetes and obesity. That’s why both high fat (vegan and omnivore) and low fat ways of eating show “cures”. They all are associated with weight loss. There isn’t a single study that has shown a cure for type 2 without weight loss: eliminate the energy overload no matter what diet you use and diabetes disappears in the vast majority of people.

If you keep pumping tons of starch or sugar into the body it will protect itself by becoming insulin resistant and in time you’ll develop type 2. High levels of glucose are dangerous to the body and it will do everything (burn excess carbs as heat and pump in all they insulin it can produce) to reduce those levels. It first stores glucose in the liver and muscle cells and once those are full it starts burning as much of the excess as it can as heat in the muscle cells. But the cells can only do this for so many years. You can’t keep pumping massive amounts of high octane fuel into the cells year after year generating high levels of heat without damaging them. The body will protect itself by forced conversion of carbs to fat through insulin resistance (that’s why high carb vegans end up with very high trig levels. Trig are the storage form of fat). The body burns fat slowly and effectively. It is after all the storage medium of the body. If saturated fat is dangerous to heart health and causes type 2 the body wouldn’t be converting every calorie of excess glucose into saturated fat? Then there is the fact that our mothers’ feed us breast milk with more saturated fat than cow’s milk.

The excess of glucose produces high levels of heat which causes inflammation in the cells that contributes to heart disease and the reason why so many with type 2 have heart attacks.

Contrary to vegan beliefs carbs are not the preferred fuel of the body; the brain yes, but not the body. The reason the body uses carbs first isn’t because it prefers carbs, but because carbs as glucose sitting for long periods in the blood are toxic. The body does everything in its power to get blood glucose down.

All sub-caloric diets are high fat diets because you’re burning lots of your own fat (most of it saturated). So, you might be eating under 10% fat but you’re burning 40% of your calories daily as fat. The body can’t differentiate fat coming from the body versus fat from your diet.. And all diets are also low carb diets. It isn’t the percentage of carbs in the diet that counts, but the absolute value of carbs per gram of ideal body weight that makes a difference. If you need 2000 calories a day to fuel your body and If you eat 100% of your calories from carbs (I’m ignoring the normal fat and protein in all foods just to make the math easy) at 2000 calories a day you’d eat 500 grams of carbs. When you go on a very low fat vegan diet you’ll be eating say 1200 calories which equals 300 gram of carbs. That’s a sixty percent reduction in the absolute amount of carbs you’ll be eating. Where does the additional 800 calories that are required to fuel the body come from? Yep, from your body fat. That translates into 40% of the calories required to fuel your body will come from fat. That’s a high saturated fat diet. Do you really think the body cares if the fat comes from your food or from your body? Of course not, fat is fat.

What finally convinced me that it’s not the meat or saturated or oils that cause heart disease (maybe there is some correlation with cancer) was discovered by pure accident. It all started the day I read Dr. McDougall’s take on why the autopsy studies on soldiers killed in action showed 70 percent blockage in some arteries for those killed in Korea and 40 percent for those who died in Viet Nam? Dr. McDougall’s answer was it’s the meat and other animal products. I thought, yeah that makes sense….until I ran across the autopsy study for guys killed in action from the Afghan and Iraq conflict a few months ago. Their blockage was 8 percent. We’ve been eating more meat (red meat started to drop in the late 70’s but it’s still higher than in the 50’s), animal products like cheese and yogurt each decade since 1900. We’ve also radically increased our extracted oils consumption since the 70’s. So, why has each decade shown a reduction in artery blockage of our young men killed in action when meat, saturated fat and oils has gone up each of those periods (hey, but remember obesity and type 2 has gone way up, but we’re talking heart disease as the moment)? Obviously it wasn’t the meat and other animal products or the oils. We’ve got to be very careful before we start assigning disease to a single cause.

Is beef and chicken in reasonable quantities bad for you? Besides what I’ve already concluded I’ll answer it in this way: people are allergic to many foods, but have you ever heard of anybody allergic to beef or chicken? The answer is NO. Why is it that people can be sensitive to stuff like peanuts, grains, the nightshade family and almost any other plant food, but you never hear of them being sensitive to beef or chicken? The answer is simple. Man has been adapted to meat over the last three million years. Those who couldn’t tolerate meat were selected out over a million years ago. On the other hand since various plants have only left their country of origin in the last few hundred years many people haven’t adapted and therefore have problems.

The conclusion I’ve come to is that all vegan doctors got it right and also got it wrong. Each has figured out a piece of the puzzle, but none are about to admit they might have part of it wrong. These guys are intelligent men I’m sure most have figured it out, but after decades of making a living off of their version of the truth they just can’t bear to come out and say they’ve got parts of the story wrong. They’ve all got the eating of greens and veggies right, McDougall got the starch part right, Fuhrman gave us the beans, Cousen the nuts and Ornish/Pritikin the fish. If you combine their stories you end up with a lower carb, higher protein diet (1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight). Add fish to the mix, up your fruit and vegetables dump most of your flour products and you’ve got it right. The cravings disappear on lower carbs/higher protein and the amount of calories you’ll eat will naturally be just what your ideal body weight wants to see. You’ll get enough protein to maintain your muscle and bones while slowly losing the excess weight and you won’t be hungry because the higher fat, protein and starch will satiate. After all, the healthiest and longest lived people in America are the subgroup of Seventh Day Adventists who consider themselves vegan, but eat fish. Based on a 2000 calorie diet they eat 34% of their calories from fat that comes from fish, nuts and oils, and 15% to 17% of their calories from protein and the balance as carbs. Even the real vegans eat 29% of their calories from fat in the form of nuts, seeds and oils. It’s interesting to note that based on the Adventist 2 study that those considering themselves real vegans still eat animal products once or twice a month ( want to guess what that animal product is? Ice cream). These folks are NOT low fat vegans, and neither is any other population including the longest lived Okinawans when viewed from a fat gram per kilogram basis.

My biggest concern about Dr. McDougall is his increasing fear of the medical profession he’s been a part of for fifty years. Last year he became faint and collapsed moving from his bed to the bathroom. He fractured his hip, two lower vertebrae, and had a spiral fracture of his upper tight bone. Yet, he refused to go to the hospital. His claim was a fear of having his heart stented without his permission. Since you can refuse any medical procedure I highly doubt that was his fear. It’s more likely he feared the x-rays that would be required prior to being treated for his fractures would be leaked to the public as were Dr. Atkin’s records. Various vegan Doctors used Dr. Atkins hospital records after his death to attack his way of eating. Dr. McDougall having that much bone damage from a simple collapse in his bedroom speaks to severe osteoporosis. If that information were to have leaked it would have spelled disaster for his program and his income. You can read this story in his own words by going to the McDougall site and checking into to the monthly newsletters.

If you’ve read ALL my thoughts on The Starch Solution you’ve lived with me through three years of a N=1 experiment. You’ve listened to my original thoughts and how they’ve changed over that period based on my body’s reaction to the food on the program. I hope this will be of benefit and allow you to avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made. As someone once said, “a smart person learns from his mistakes, but a wise person learns from the mistakes of others.” Where exactly am I and where did I come from? My high weight was 263 at 5-9 and when I started the program it was 241. My current weight is a muscular 165 thanks to my new way of eating and lots of weight work. My total cholesterol is 157 with LDL at 79 and HDL of 63. My blood pressure came down from 162/95 to 110/72, my Trigs from 298 to 76 and my fasting sugars from roughly 110 to 79, after meals they never move above 128.

May good health bless you all.

9/16/2016

Last week I had a major heart attack and was lucky to survive. The chemo from my cancer treatment over a decade ago damaged my heart and this attack did more damage. I had a stent placed and am doing well. So much for being heart attack proof by having very low cholesterol, perfect weight, great blood sugar, wonderful blood pressure, exercised and ate right and still almost died. No one is heart attack proof.

In T. Colin Campbell's Nationally Bestselling book, "The China Study"-- what the New York Times has called the "Grand Prix" of epidemiology Campbell has this to say about Dr. McDougall. "Dr. John McDougall's nutrition and health knowledge is phenomenal, greater than any other doctor I've met and greater than any of my nutrition colleagues in academia." Where nutrition is concerned, Dr. McDougall is the man. Epidemiology is the study of health in well-defined populations.

This, Dr. McDougall's latest book, "The Starch Solution" is not just another fad diet book. Other than a few tweaks here and there over the years this is basically the same diet he has been advocating for over 40 years. A whole plant food diet that centers around the starches. Fruits and vegetables are also part of the McDougall Diet but starch is the main course. Starches are the energy foods of the plant world-- rice, potatoes, corn, beets, squash, beans, carrots, tomatoes, pasta,... There are three basic types of carbohydrates--sugar, cellulose, and starch. For a sudden burst of energy nothing beats simple sugar. Cellulose is also a form of sugar, glucose, that is bonded to indigestible parts of plants. Cellulose doesn't provide much energy but does provide fiber.

According to Dr. McDougall the Gold Medal for the most beneficial carbohydrate for humans goes to starch. Starch--complex carbohydrates, is valuable to us because we can break them down into simple sugars that provide sustained energy and keep us feeling full and satisfied. Unlike most other diets there is no need to go hungry on the McDougall Diet. It is not how much we eat so much as it is what we eat. Starches are filling without being fattening. The starch based diet is imminently practical. Most diets are not practical for they are starvation diets that at some point most of us will give up on and go on a binge, the unhealthy cycle of yo-yo dieting. A starch centered diet is the best way to get off the roller coaster ride of the typical overfed but undernourished Western Diet. We are biologically "Starchivores". We have a plant eaters Teeth. Tongue. Throat. Stomach. Intestines. Liver. Kidneys. Around the globe healthy populations, past and present, get most of their calories from starch. For such groups of people the chronic diseases that are the product of the typical Western Diet that is high in meats, fats, and processed foods, are in most cases all but unknown. Type II Diabetes is by definition a disease caused by one's diet. A proper diet cures Type II Diabetes. For many if not most of us the "Starch Solution" is the cure for nearly everything that ails us. There are exceptions to every rule but this rule. In my opinion any of the Whole Food diets are far superior to the typical Western Diet. To each his or her own.

"Let thy food be thy medicine." Hippocrates.

I took him the book and had him see the Forks over Knives video- He got a preview of the book; was no longer depressed; and knew that the book could help him overcome and remove cancer from his body. Other's within the book had had cancer - changed their way of eating and the cancer departed.

An excellent book; has features on all of the diseases from heart disease, diabetics, cancer, diseases of the brains that had been overcome by switching from the American Diet to the diet of the world; planet earth where the poor eat a diet similar to what Jesus ate. The book tells the stories of those who try to take shortcuts and fails.

Bruce

Dr. McDougall is all over the internet sharing his decades of research of starchy foods as staples of many cultures. It is hard to argue with his findings, but I am still going to limit my intake of potatoes and white rice.

Dr. McDougall has written his best book so yet. He lays it all out clearly and supports it with research quotes and his personal experience with thousands of people over the past several decades. I can happily report that I have eaten this way for decades myself and have not been to a medical doctor since my discharge from the Marines in 1970. I attribute my ongoing outstanding vitality to a combination of my plant-based whole foods diet and daily vigorous primal movement. At 62 years of age I am stronger than ever.

If you are looking to get all the essential details about how to eat well, feel great, and do it right I highly recommend this book.
Many of my clients sat down and read it cover to cover the day it came out.

I read the book in one sitting. That wasn't hard to do since half of the book is vegan recipes. There isn't much here that he hasn't covered in prior books. I did notice that he focused more heavily on extracted vegetable oils. I'm glad he did since I read a research paper presented at the annual convention of the American Oil Chemist Society (can you believe the world has become this specialized?) on 5/6/2012. These are the guys that work with vegetable oils and figure out how to shove this stuff in every processed food in your grocery store. The health hazards of vegetable oil have proven to be even more harmful than animal fat. The discovery that heating vegetable oil repeatedly (there is a slight cooling and heating of the oil each time a basket of food is dropped into the oil) to temperatures used for frying and holding the oil at that temperature produced HNE's in as little as 3 hours. This should be devastating news to anyone with an ounce of sense. HNE's are some of the most carcinogenic elements known to science.

As I read the book the doctor eliminated one food after another on a typical Western diet, I had to ask myself, can I do this; the answer was yes. It was yes until I got near the end and he started to caveat the starch solution. After telling me that it would be difficult to limit those forbidden animal products to some lower safe level and better to exclude them, he announces that the Starch Solution won't work well if you have a chronic disease, are near to having a chronic disease or wanted to lose weight unless you do the same with some vegan foods.......what? Hey, why would I want to give up all the food I grew up with unless I was fat, sick or near dead? Now we learn that many other non-animal food items including any product made from flours including whole grain flours "will substantially slow down our progress to good health and normal weight. " Yet, what do I find in his quick start diet section; meal after meal with items like pancakes, whole wheat bread, whole grain tortillas and pasta. I'm confused! What also confused me is his statement that the Japanese eat less than 2 ounces of soy products a day and that maybe eating soy at the level that American Vegans do might not be healthy (7th Day Adventist vegan women who eat soy more than 2 times per week have higher breast cancer rates than those women eating the standard American diet). But then he loads his recipe section with soy. Either this stuff is good for you or it isn't. And if it isn't why feature so much of this product in so many recipes. If meat isn't healthy even in small quantities as he says, well, shouldn't the same apply to soy? You would have thought that instead of coming up with a "wildly popular" (among his family) soy burger he would have come up with a Vegan bean burger instead.

I started eating pretty much as he suggested six months ago. Based on blood work my kidney function has improved substantially. Cancer (multiple Myeloma) and the chemo used to hold it at bay caused a 53% loss of kidney function. I spent the last eight years killing my kidneys even further with a high protein diet thinking this was the way to health. It was not! First, I couldn't eat high protein/high fat with minimum carbs long term (l love my carbs). Second, it damaged my kidneys even further. I never realized how heavy a load protein puts on the kidneys, and my doctors never informed me, or suggested a change in diet, nor questioned my eating habits. My doctors tried solving the problem with numerous medications, each having their own side effects when a simple change in diet would have saved me a lot of pain and grief.

The doctor focuses heavily on the fact that throughout history ALL major populations were based on a starch diet. This is fact and it cannot be disputed. But what is also fact is that none of these populations were Vegan, or even close to it. He points out that as long as a population stayed on their traditional diet (and it follows that means regardless of what that was. Doesn't this start to sound a lot like Weston Price?) they stayed healthy. The further they strayed from that path the fatter and sicker they got. This makes sense since research shows that as little as 20 generations are required for adaptation to any pattern of eating. In my case coming from a Northern European background, fruit as much as I love it presents a problem. The single month that I went on a 100% ultra-low fat (about 6%) Vegan diet I gained one pound. I was also cycling one hour a day five days a week. I discovered it was the fruit. Once I cut fruit consumption to one piece each day I started to lose weight again. I assume the reason was my ancestry didn't have access to fruit year round and therefore genetically I'm not programed to burn it effectively. In Northern Europe fruit was available in two very small slivers of time, spring for berries and fall for berries and apples. Fruit is one carbohydrate that my body loves to store as fat.

Oh, you also need to be just a little skeptical about some of the health claims of the plant based doctors. They claim they can cure everything from cancer to a broken heart and have testimonials to prove it. Plus they can do it in record time. Ornish tells you he can cure type 2 diabetes in just over a year and it might take up to two for tough cases, Neal Barnard says he can do it in 22 weeks, Gabriel Cousens does it in 8 weeks, Pritikin used to do it in 28 days, and Dr. McDougall can do it in his 10 day live in program. Kind of like "Name That Tune", each doctor can do it in fewer notes.

Another recommendation you need to be careful about is ultra-low protein (less than 10%). I see nothing wrong at keeping protein (plant based of course) as high (it is difficult to get beyond 15% eating low fat vegan) as 10 to 20 percent (the old Atkins at 30% was nuts and hard on the kidneys). The focus in the book and the on-line site is to keep protein as close to the minimum required as possible. The doctor tells you NOT to eat more than one cup of beans a day in order to keep the protein number as low as possible. I know all the plant based doctors give you the same recommendation. They use the Okinawans, Kitavans and Tarahumara peoples as the pictures of perfect health. And from a heart disease perspective I guess they are, but the average height of the males in these societies is under 5-4 with the Okinawa Centenarian men at 4-10 and their women at 4-6. I'm sure you don't want you male children to be this tiny. That's why I believe that feeding this kind of diet to a growing child is dangerous to their development. If you're going to go low fat vegan make sure it's AFTER your final growth spurt....unless as a mother of a male child you don't mind him looking up at his dates.

In the end I do believe he has something of value to say; a something that would make us all healthier if we listen. The push to be 100% Vegan isn't necessary unless you want to do it for environmental or personal reasons. But of course if nothing else Vegans are passionate about their food.

Update:

After being on this new way of eating for almost a year and participating in the on-line website you discover the contrary to what the doctor says you CAN'T eat large quantities of starches and lose weight; in fact you gain weight. You'll find that it's a low calorie diet with many people eating in the 1000 to 1400 calorie range (called MWL, Maximum Weight Loss program in the book and on-line) and if they eat more than that they don't lose weight and some gain. Yes, you don't COUNT calories, but by eating less starch and more green and yellow vegetables and salads you're doing the same thing with a trick they call calorie density. The folks on Weight Watchers don't count calories either: they count points. You've got all these gimmicks trying to convince you that somehow calories don't count or need to be counted: they do! According to their on-line Nutritionist (Novick) it all comes down to "food density;" if you stick with large amounts of green and yellow vegetables and salads and keep the starches relatively lower you lose weight and the fiber from the vegetables fills you up. I've found in practice this just isn't true. You need the starch to keep you satiated and under these circumstances the weight might come off at a snail's pace; one pounds every couple of months. I still think from health perspective it's the way to eat, but from a weight loss point of view it's hardly a quick solution. I've found if you add eight ounces of egg protein shake to your meals it leaves you satisfied without the fat that would come with most animal sources which is the real villain in most chronic diseases. This has allowed me to eat only two or three meals a day instead of every three hours and pooping three times a day. On the program you feel like you spend your entire day either preparing food, eating it or sitting on the toilet. Most of the people on the program cook a half dozen baked potatoes at one time and keep them in the frig to munch to get past the constant cooking. They do the same with rice, beans and most other grains. The idea of cold baked potatoes just doesn't appeal to me. The other down side is the gas problem. Eating that much volume and fiber makes you a one person greenhouse gas disaster. Forget about eating out unless you're satisfied with dry salad (remember that oils are a no, no) and social events will find you going hungry or bringing your own food. From a weight loss perspective the book would be better called the green and yellow vegetable solution with starch added. The shear volume of food required on the program is other than starch.

Is it hard to do the McDougal program? Yes, if it was easy you wouldn't need a support board to keep you on track. The question you have to ask yourself is how far are you willing to go for health and is a program this strict really necessary to achieve it?

11/22/2013

2nd update

Yes, I'm still eating vegan, but not ultra-low fat. I've added seeds and nuts to the diet plus vitamin D, B12 and Flax for the Omega 3. The seeds and nuts allowed me to knock off the protein shake and gave me the same satiation as the shake AND finally dropped my Triglycerides to 87 from their near 300 level and finally reduced my fasting glucose from 110/113 to 78/82. This higher fat way is starting to get closer to the recommendation of another plant based doctor named Fuhrman. My hair was starting to thin and fall out and after some research I figured out it was the D. Doctor McDougall doesn't believe in added vitamins except for B12, but if you give it some thought the only way of getting vitamin D on this diet is via the sun. For those of us living north we are a little short of sun for vitamin D. Your other option is to eat "junk vegan" with lots of processed food that has vitamin D added. What the doctor fails to realize is that in the standard American diet packaged foods like bread, cereal, juice and even milk and cheese have vitamin D added by the processor or manufacturer as does processed vegan food. If you follow the book's instruction and eat only a whole food plant based diet you're eliminating all these sources of vitamin D. There is another vegan doctor named Greger who posted a YouTube video called "40 year vegan dies of heart attack" or something very close to this. He reviews various vegetarian and vegan studies and points out that they die at the same level of heart attacks, strokes, and a higher death rate from brain disorders. He goes on to point out why, and that why is a lack of vitamin D, B12 levels that are too low and an omega 3 to 6 ratio that is wildly (40 to 1, instead of from 4 or better yet 2 to 1) out of whack. He points out that adding these supplements to a vegan diet puts it back into the super healthy range. The reality is that the McDougall program hasn't changed a lick in 40 years and there have been an average of 16,000 studies produced each year. Can we believe there hasn’t been one credible study done out of the 640,000 studies done during that period that would require a modification of his program? At some point Dr. McDougall will be required to modify his program (as Dr. Ornish did by OKing fish) based on today's science instead of what was known 40 years ago. Let's look at reality; all the plant based doctors took what Pritikin first came up with in the 60's and modified it a bit. Pritikin made sure his body was autopsied upon his death and what they discovered were arteries that were almost as clean as when he was born. Yet, Pritikin ate fish several times a week and chicken from time to time, proving you don't have to be full blown vegan to reap the health benefits of a plant based whole food, no oils diet. Sadly, seafood has always made me gag and therefore I've never eaten the stuff.

By the way, if you join the McDougall site I wouldn't question any of the information put into the book on-line, or the studies done by plant based doctors like Campbell. If you disagree on minor points or dare to simply question what's been written the site manager, will allow three or four of the board's cyber bullies to work you over on any posts you make. If you stand up to these bullies he'll immediately step on you while at the same time allowing them to insult and demean you and your opinion. If you don't take the hint and leave the board voluntarily, you’ll ultimately be banned from the site. The purpose of a support group should be to provide a SAFE environment where people can open up and talk about what they really feel and any doubts they may have; help that allows them to stay on the diet and new life style. When the board administrator allows cyber bullies to take over and enforce their own version of what's right he damages the entire concept of compassionate support. It's natural to have doubts and questions when you first start something as new and radical as this way of eating. Don't allow these bullies and poor management of their actions by the administrator to turn you off to this way of eating. The message is sound even though those in charge of it aren't. Veganism at this level is closer to a religion than simply a dietary change and deviations won't be tolerated. Of course the average person should know that diets this strict whether McDougall, Pritikin or Atkins are not going to be followed to the letter. But then the world isn't about perfection and some deviation is expected, you simply can't admit to it on-line. I still believe this is a healthy way of eating once you add the vitamins and fats I mentioned. This still complies with the heart of the book which is a whole food plant based diet.

May 2014 Update

It's now be over two years that I've been eating a plant based vegan no oils diet. Do I eat the McDougall program? NO! I'm eating closer to 15/20 percent fat depending on the day. The additional fat comes from seeds, nuts and coconut products. My protein intake is higher than 10% max based on the amount of beans I eat. I'm guessing it's closer to 12/15%. I'm also taking supplements like vitamin D, K2, zinc and fish oils. All of which are against the McDougall program. At some point I as an individual came to realize that thousands of studies have been done since Dr. McDougall came out with his modified Pritikin requirements and called them his own 40 years ago. Those studies have pointed out the flaws in his 40 year old program and how to get around those shortcomings. It truly is sad that the doctor has so much emotionally invested in wanting to be right that there is no room to admit that science has progressed in those 40 years. What's even sadder is the fact that he and his people make every effort to suppress those finding on his site and they ban anyone who points out those shortcomings or even comes to that conclusion and posts it. We have 31/38 vegans in our meeting group and seven joined the McDougall site over two years ago, six have been banned or pushed out. Joe, the sixth member was banned in April for posting that based on a dozen studies it would seem that how much you ate had as much impact as what you ate. Sue, our seventh is still a member because she has only posted a couple of times at most. I made it until October of 2013 after pointing out that the Okinawan diet was neither vegan, nor low oil and certainly not low salt. All six of us are still vegan but no longer welcome on the McDougall site.

There have been some interesting developments since I last reviewed the program and website. Dr. Campbell has written an article now stating that saturated fat DOES NOT cause heart disease and there hasn't been even one study that shows it does. Is this the same Dr. Campbell of the China Study? Yep! What's more he has published at least six new studies based on re-analysis of the original China study data that directly conflicts with his original analysis of that data in the book. It seems that meat isn't all that bad and doesn't cause certain cancers but wheat is correlated more with cancer. It would seem Denise Menger has been right all along. Additionally, Dr. McDougall's MS study results have been leaked by one of the researchers a year after completion. It was a total bust. Not only were there no regression of MS lesions, they didn't even slow down. In fact they grew and new ones formed with the McDougall diet at the same rate as the control group. The conclusion? Diet has no effect on MS. Of course they are excusing the results by saying we don't have all the facts; the study was too small or we don't know how it was set up and followed, or it wasn't long enough to tell. The reality is that it was Dr. McDougall and his people who came up with the study, selected the members, its parameters including length and requirements and therefore they had it exactly his way and it still busted flat.

My final conclusion is that veganism isn't necessary and creates its own problems, BUT all can be handled with supplements. Those supplements wouldn't be necessary if you ate fish a few times a week as the Japanese and Okinawans do. Sadly, I can't stand seafood and I'm stuck with supplements. What are the real evils in the modern diet? Extracted oils are the number one killer, processed grain products come next, followed by too much meat.

Plant based but not necessarily plant exclusive is the way to real health.

May 13, 2015
Another year has passed and I’m still a vegan, but not because I still think meat, fish and fat are bad. I’m a vegan on a modified version of whole foods diet. I eat about 20% in fat from nuts and seeds instead of under 10, and 12/15% in protein versus the recommended under 10%. I’m a vegan because I dislike meat and just can’t stomach fish.

I’ve come to determine that energy overload is the primary cause of type 2 diabetes and obesity. That’s why both high fat (vegan and omnivore) and low fat ways of eating show “cures”. They all are associated with weight loss. There isn’t a single study that has shown a cure for type 2 without weight loss: eliminate the energy overload no matter what diet you use and diabetes disappears in the vast majority of people.

If you keep pumping tons of starch or sugar into the body it will protect itself by becoming insulin resistant and in time you’ll develop type 2. High levels of glucose are dangerous to the body and it will do everything (burn excess carbs as heat and pump in all they insulin it can produce) to reduce those levels. It first stores glucose in the liver and muscle cells and once those are full it starts burning as much of the excess as it can as heat in the muscle cells. But the cells can only do this for so many years. You can’t keep pumping massive amounts of high octane fuel into the cells year after year generating high levels of heat without damaging them. The body will protect itself by forced conversion of carbs to fat through insulin resistance (that’s why high carb vegans end up with very high trig levels. Trig are the storage form of fat). The body burns fat slowly and effectively. It is after all the storage medium of the body. If saturated fat is dangerous to heart health and causes type 2 the body wouldn’t be converting every calorie of excess glucose into saturated fat? Then there is the fact that our mothers’ feed us breast milk with more saturated fat than cow’s milk.

The excess of glucose produces high levels of heat which causes inflammation in the cells that contributes to heart disease and the reason why so many with type 2 have heart attacks.

Contrary to vegan beliefs carbs are not the preferred fuel of the body; the brain yes, but not the body. The reason the body uses carbs first isn’t because it prefers carbs, but because carbs as glucose sitting for long periods in the blood are toxic. The body does everything in its power to get blood glucose down.

All sub-caloric diets are high fat diets because you’re burning lots of your own fat (most of it saturated). So, you might be eating under 10% fat but you’re burning 40% of your calories daily as fat. The body can’t differentiate fat coming from the body versus fat from your diet.. And all diets are also low carb diets. It isn’t the percentage of carbs in the diet that counts, but the absolute value of carbs per gram of ideal body weight that makes a difference. If you need 2000 calories a day to fuel your body and If you eat 100% of your calories from carbs (I’m ignoring the normal fat and protein in all foods just to make the math easy) at 2000 calories a day you’d eat 500 grams of carbs. When you go on a very low fat vegan diet you’ll be eating say 1200 calories which equals 300 gram of carbs. That’s a sixty percent reduction in the absolute amount of carbs you’ll be eating. Where does the additional 800 calories that are required to fuel the body come from? Yep, from your body fat. That translates into 40% of the calories required to fuel your body will come from fat. That’s a high saturated fat diet. Do you really think the body cares if the fat comes from your food or from your body? Of course not, fat is fat.

What finally convinced me that it’s not the meat or saturated or oils that cause heart disease (maybe there is some correlation with cancer) was discovered by pure accident. It all started the day I read Dr. McDougall’s take on why the autopsy studies on soldiers killed in action showed 70 percent blockage in some arteries for those killed in Korea and 40 percent for those who died in Viet Nam? Dr. McDougall’s answer was it’s the meat and other animal products. I thought, yeah that makes sense….until I ran across the autopsy study for guys killed in action from the Afghan and Iraq conflict a few months ago. Their blockage was 8 percent. We’ve been eating more meat (red meat started to drop in the late 70’s but it’s still higher than in the 50’s), animal products like cheese and yogurt each decade since 1900. We’ve also radically increased our extracted oils consumption since the 70’s. So, why has each decade shown a reduction in artery blockage of our young men killed in action when meat, saturated fat and oils has gone up each of those periods (hey, but remember obesity and type 2 has gone way up, but we’re talking heart disease as the moment)? Obviously it wasn’t the meat and other animal products or the oils. We’ve got to be very careful before we start assigning disease to a single cause.

Is beef and chicken in reasonable quantities bad for you? Besides what I’ve already concluded I’ll answer it in this way: people are allergic to many foods, but have you ever heard of anybody allergic to beef or chicken? The answer is NO. Why is it that people can be sensitive to stuff like peanuts, grains, the nightshade family and almost any other plant food, but you never hear of them being sensitive to beef or chicken? The answer is simple. Man has been adapted to meat over the last three million years. Those who couldn’t tolerate meat were selected out over a million years ago. On the other hand since various plants have only left their country of origin in the last few hundred years many people haven’t adapted and therefore have problems.

The conclusion I’ve come to is that all vegan doctors got it right and also got it wrong. Each has figured out a piece of the puzzle, but none are about to admit they might have part of it wrong. These guys are intelligent men I’m sure most have figured it out, but after decades of making a living off of their version of the truth they just can’t bear to come out and say they’ve got parts of the story wrong. They’ve all got the eating of greens and veggies right, McDougall got the starch part right, Fuhrman gave us the beans, Cousen the nuts and Ornish/Pritikin the fish. If you combine their stories you end up with a lower carb, higher protein diet (1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight). Add fish to the mix, up your fruit and vegetables dump most of your flour products and you’ve got it right. The cravings disappear on lower carbs/higher protein and the amount of calories you’ll eat will naturally be just what your ideal body weight wants to see. You’ll get enough protein to maintain your muscle and bones while slowly losing the excess weight and you won’t be hungry because the higher fat, protein and starch will satiate. After all, the healthiest and longest lived people in America are the subgroup of Seventh Day Adventists who consider themselves vegan, but eat fish. Based on a 2000 calorie diet they eat 34% of their calories from fat that comes from fish, nuts and oils, and 15% to 17% of their calories from protein and the balance as carbs. Even the real vegans eat 29% of their calories from fat in the form of nuts, seeds and oils. It’s interesting to note that based on the Adventist 2 study that those considering themselves real vegans still eat animal products once or twice a month ( want to guess what that animal product is? Ice cream). These folks are NOT low fat vegans, and neither is any other population including the longest lived Okinawans when viewed from a fat gram per kilogram basis.

My biggest concern about Dr. McDougall is his increasing fear of the medical profession he’s been a part of for fifty years. Last year he became faint and collapsed moving from his bed to the bathroom. He fractured his hip, two lower vertebrae, and had a spiral fracture of his upper tight bone. Yet, he refused to go to the hospital. His claim was a fear of having his heart stented without his permission. Since you can refuse any medical procedure I highly doubt that was his fear. It’s more likely he feared the x-rays that would be required prior to being treated for his fractures would be leaked to the public as were Dr. Atkin’s records. Various vegan Doctors used Dr. Atkins hospital records after his death to attack his way of eating. Dr. McDougall having that much bone damage from a simple collapse in his bedroom speaks to severe osteoporosis. If that information were to have leaked it would have spelled disaster for his program and his income. You can read this story in his own words by going to the McDougall site and checking into to the monthly newsletters.

If you’ve read ALL my thoughts on The Starch Solution you’ve lived with me through three years of a N=1 experiment. You’ve listened to my original thoughts and how they’ve changed over that period based on my body’s reaction to the food on the program. I hope this will be of benefit and allow you to avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made. As someone once said, “a smart person learns from his mistakes, but a wise person learns from the mistakes of others.” Where exactly am I and where did I come from? My high weight was 263 at 5-9 and when I started the program it was 241. My current weight is a muscular 165 thanks to my new way of eating and lots of weight work. My total cholesterol is 157 with LDL at 79 and HDL of 63. My blood pressure came down from 162/95 to 110/72, my Trigs from 298 to 76 and my fasting sugars from roughly 110 to 79, after meals they never move above 128.

May good health bless you all.

9/16/2016

Last week I had a major heart attack and was lucky to survive. The chemo from my cancer treatment over a decade ago damaged my heart and this attack did more damage. I had a stent placed and am doing well. So much for being heart attack proof by having very low cholesterol, perfect weight, great blood sugar, wonderful blood pressure, exercised and ate right and still almost died. No one is heart attack proof.

In T. Colin Campbell's Nationally Bestselling book, "The China Study"-- what the New York Times has called the "Grand Prix" of epidemiology Campbell has this to say about Dr. McDougall. "Dr. John McDougall's nutrition and health knowledge is phenomenal, greater than any other doctor I've met and greater than any of my nutrition colleagues in academia." Where nutrition is concerned, Dr. McDougall is the man. Epidemiology is the study of health in well-defined populations.

This, Dr. McDougall's latest book, "The Starch Solution" is not just another fad diet book. Other than a few tweaks here and there over the years this is basically the same diet he has been advocating for over 40 years. A whole plant food diet that centers around the starches. Fruits and vegetables are also part of the McDougall Diet but starch is the main course. Starches are the energy foods of the plant world-- rice, potatoes, corn, beets, squash, beans, carrots, tomatoes, pasta,... There are three basic types of carbohydrates--sugar, cellulose, and starch. For a sudden burst of energy nothing beats simple sugar. Cellulose is also a form of sugar, glucose, that is bonded to indigestible parts of plants. Cellulose doesn't provide much energy but does provide fiber.

According to Dr. McDougall the Gold Medal for the most beneficial carbohydrate for humans goes to starch. Starch--complex carbohydrates, is valuable to us because we can break them down into simple sugars that provide sustained energy and keep us feeling full and satisfied. Unlike most other diets there is no need to go hungry on the McDougall Diet. It is not how much we eat so much as it is what we eat. Starches are filling without being fattening. The starch based diet is imminently practical. Most diets are not practical for they are starvation diets that at some point most of us will give up on and go on a binge, the unhealthy cycle of yo-yo dieting. A starch centered diet is the best way to get off the roller coaster ride of the typical overfed but undernourished Western Diet. We are biologically "Starchivores". We have a plant eaters Teeth. Tongue. Throat. Stomach. Intestines. Liver. Kidneys. Around the globe healthy populations, past and present, get most of their calories from starch. For such groups of people the chronic diseases that are the product of the typical Western Diet that is high in meats, fats, and processed foods, are in most cases all but unknown. Type II Diabetes is by definition a disease caused by one's diet. A proper diet cures Type II Diabetes. For many if not most of us the "Starch Solution" is the cure for nearly everything that ails us. There are exceptions to every rule but this rule. In my opinion any of the Whole Food diets are far superior to the typical Western Diet. To each his or her own.

"Let thy food be thy medicine." Hippocrates.

I took him the book and had him see the Forks over Knives video- He got a preview of the book; was no longer depressed; and knew that the book could help him overcome and remove cancer from his body. Other's within the book had had cancer - changed their way of eating and the cancer departed.

An excellent book; has features on all of the diseases from heart disease, diabetics, cancer, diseases of the brains that had been overcome by switching from the American Diet to the diet of the world; planet earth where the poor eat a diet similar to what Jesus ate. The book tells the stories of those who try to take shortcuts and fails.

Bruce

Dr. McDougall is all over the internet sharing his decades of research of starchy foods as staples of many cultures. It is hard to argue with his findings, but I am still going to limit my intake of potatoes and white rice.

Wonderful book! It takes a deep look into diet and nutrition with the western downfalls and lack of quality health. Most of this book is information on western diet, a portion is of his diet and how to get started and the back of the book is filled with recipes from dinners to making dairy free mayo and sour cream. I would recomend this book to everyone especially those with children.

Dr John McDougall redefines humans as "Starchivores", and presents a comprehensive argument to support his claim. In classic McDougall style, he exposes the vested interests and institutions that perpetuate the myth that animal foods are essential or good for our health. He uses his vast knowlege of human nutrition to dispell the fears that plant based diets are inadequate. I admire his boldness in naming the book The Starch Solution, complete with potato on the front cover, in defiance of our current neo-Atkins era.

Good idea. Putting it in to practice is another. Everything takes time...like shopping, preparing, reading case studies. While meanwhile back in Gotham City you lazily eat what you want and wonder, why did I buy this?...Oh! that's right, for my health. A perpetual cycle. Well, I still need to go to the store. :>}

I plan to apply some of the principles in this book, but I plan to practice a whole food plant bases diet without canned or processed foods which this plan allows. Cereal , bread, flours, pastas, even if they are whole grains they are still processed foods. Minimally process but still processed.. I purchased the book a few years ago and recently donated it to the library. When I purchased the kindle version and started reading I couldn't understand why I didn't hold one to this book until I got to the chapter, Living The Starch Solution, then I remembered why I gave the book away, hopefully someone will benefit but it's not for me.

Best.Book.Ever. All Americans and school children should be required to read this and get educated on the plethora of scientific research offered in this book.

Fact: Carbs are GOOD for you.
Fact: It is impossible to be protein deficient without being calorie deficient on this starch based diet.
Fact: All 8 essential amino acids (the protein that our bodies cannot synthesize and must be obtained through diet) are readily available in the most commonly consumed plant foods and grains, and in the amounts which we need.
Fact: A low fat, starch based diet consisting of whole plant foods with absolutely no calorie restriction, and a lifestyle with a little exercise leads to healthy weight, well being, and healing.
Fact: Fat causes diabetes, not sugar.
Fact: High glycemic index foods from whole plant foods and starches are the way to cure and prevent diabetes type 2.
Fact: Eating "too many carbs" does not contribute to the storage of fat. The idea of "too many carbs" is simply a redunant one. Carbs are the #1 main source of our energy supply, the cleanest form, and starches are the best form of energy for the human organism. If you want to stay lean and trim, full of energy, and healthy, then eat lots of carbs, including rice, wheat, barley, potatoes, oats, corn, etc, as well as fruits, and vegetables. If you want to ruin your body, promote disease, cancer, and kidney failure, weaken your bones, and be at risk for osteoperosis and negative calcium balance, then eat lots of protein and animal products. If you want to gain lots of weight, clog up your arteries, and promote heart disease or gallbladder disease, then eat lots of fat and cholesterol.

It started with Forks over Knives, and reading the China Study. My wife and I have spent the last year slowly modifying our diets. I still had lingering questions...how bad is oil? Can I eat lots of bread? What about salt and alcohol? Reading The Starch Solution has been extremely informative and has helped us make more of the changes that will insure a lifetime of excellent health. This book is readable even by those without a scientific background. Dr. McDougall, thank you for your pioneering work and the significant contributions you've made to clarifying exactly what a healthy diet consists of.

Want to lose a few pounds in a couple weeks?
Read a diet book, ANY diet book.
Want to become healthy, lose weight and feel great for life?
Read The Starch Solution.

When a friend or patient asks "where do I begin" This book will be at the top of my recommended reading list. I will tell them to begin their journey with The Starch Solution.

On a chance mountain bike ride, I met a physician that said he could only cure one condition, bacterial infections. The diseases that are so common to our world are only managed. However, he shared, that through nutritional counseling, he is beginning to help people heal themselves.

Rather than preach throughout our ride, he said, "Watch Forks over Knives and read The China Study."

I began there. Then I discovered Dr. McDougall and his wife, Mary. Soon the value of the words I was digesting became crystal clear. My mother was diagnosed with uterine cancer and patients, friends and family began sharing recent medical afflictions. In the four months that I have been on my journey, I have seen one friend die of bladder cancer, another has grade 4 pancreatic cancer.

I am committed to a Starch Solution lifestyle.My cholesterol has dropped 60 points, BMI is 24 and I feel great. The hills I climb on my bike seem shorter. This month I turn 55 and I am loving life.

I believe The Starch Solution is the book Dr. McDougall has always wanted to write. He pulls no punches, is direct, and presents a plain and simple argument for making changes that will promote health. He challenges you but includes enough footnotes and quoted research to satisfy the skeptics, providing ammunition for those scientifically inclined. The personal tales of the "Stars" will make it real for those that want to let their heart guide them to an answer.

Rather than skirting the issue by saying we should eat a "plant strong," or "whole foods" diet that has a "Spectrum" of choices, this book is clear when it states:

"The diet that best prevents disease, best supports the body's innate healing mechanisms, and best promotes sustained weight loss is a low-fat diet based on starches, with added vegetables and fruits, and with no animal products or free oils.

A giant step toward health and spontaneous healing is yours for the taking."

Thank you Dr. John and Mary.

I believe that Dr. McDougall has a strong theory. I have heard of Indian tribes who eat corn and beans and are strong enough to run for 100 miles. That wasn't in today's society. The problem that I have is with the recipes is that they aren't contemporary. The corn crop is 90% GMO So when you list vegetable and fruit ingredients they should be listed as organic. Corn, especially should be organic in any corn product you eat. Beware of cornstarch and cornmeal. If you buy meat or any dairy products, be aware that the cows have been fed corn. I have a recipe for corn chips and you had better believe that they will be organic. Monsanto has made the grocery store, a mine field. They have made potatoes, apples, zucchini, and many others a GMO product. Soy is another GMO, which is found in tofu and soy sauce. Make sure they are organic. Wheat is now a hybrid. It is no longer the product that God has made. It has been corrupted by man and your body does not recognize it as food. If your food isn't organic it has been sprayed with pesticides. If it kills insects, what will it do to a human -- not good. Agave nectar is high fructose. And, that is what is the big complaint about corn sweeteners. We need to ask Dr. McDougall to upgrade his recipes. They should, above all, be healthy. The best thing you can do is to grown your own food.

I was pretty excited to eat potatoes, rice, and my other favorite natural carbs all the time on this plan, and for the first two weeks I felt great. Then came the dizzy spells, no matter how much I ate. I powered through, seeing that others had experienced this but only for a short period. Still, after over a month I was still getting dizzy and lightheaded whenever I stood up, and then I started seeing blood in my stool! I never lost any weight with this plan, but I didn't gain any either so in that respect it was a wash. Once I went back to a more normal way of eating with more fat and protein, the dizziness and digestive issues disappeared. This plan may work great for some people, but if you're one of those people who generally does well on a low carb diet (much as I would prefer not to be, I am), this may not turn out well for you.

When McDougall started writing his starch-based book (and I use the singular on purpose - if you've read one, you've read them all), he was pretty much the only game in town. Although his program is strongly based on the work of those before him (Dr. Walter Kempner, Dr. Roy Swank, Nathan Pritikin), he was able to popularize it in a way that no one else had, at least partly because he had a good story - his work as a doctor on a sugar plantation, which enabled him to see differences in health in various generations of immigrants. I think a lot of what he says is correct - the foods he forbids (all animal products, all oils) are not good for you, and you're probably best off avoiding them to a great extent. However, he also has a tendency to twist facts to suit his own purposes (for instance, he's fond of pointing out that all large populations have lived on starch-based diets, while ignoring the fact that no population has followed his diet and that some of the longest-lived people in the world - those in the so-called Blue Zones - eat diets that are very high in fat). And he will not acknowledge that there have been any scientific advances in nutrition knowledge since he first came up with his plan, which hasn't changed in 40 years. In addition, if you go to his discussion boards (and be cautious about that - see below), you will discover that many people don't lose weight on the program presented in this book - they are advised to go to the much more restrictive maximum weight loss program.

If this sort of diet appeals to you, I would recommend passing on this book (or get it from the library if you feel you must read it) and reading Dr. Michael Greger's "How Not to Die," as Dr. Greger is devoted to keeping up with the current science. Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Caldwell Esselstynn, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, and Dr. Thomas Campbell have all written excellent, more scientifically based books. Dr. McDougall has amassed a cult following, and like all cult leaders, he is used to dealing with people who just accept whatever he says without question. (If you want to be appalled by his arrogance and rudeness, find his interview with low-carb advocate Jimmy Moore on Moore's website.)

Now a lot of people who want to follow Dr. McDougall will eventually find their way to his discussion board, so I'd like to say a word about that. If you question whether Dr. McDougall is right about anything at all, you will probably get a nasty PM from f1jim, one of the moderators. If you do it a second time, you will be on f1jim's radar. You will be branded as a troublemaker, and anything you say after that will be misread and misrepresented - there is no coming back from this. It's downright Kafkaesque. In my own case, I was eventually banned for citing a study about the usefulness of Vitamin D supplements, which Dr. McDougall opposes. I'm not foolish enough to think there should be "free speech" on a private message board, but this particular message board is run like a cult. Also, anytime a celebrity under 90 dies of anything at all, there will be a thread about how that person should have followed the McDougall diet - I find this ghoulish and creepy - and it gives you an idea of the mindset there. In addition, programs like Weight Watchers are criticized because people can't stay on them - but there's no acknowledgment that many people cannot stay on McDougall's restrictive diet.

Edited to add: I see Dr. McDougall's fans have already begun voting my review down. No surprise there. That's how religion works.

Although some parts were redundant I guess to get his point across and aside from the historical garb, I actually can see the process worth a try. I do want to regain my health, eat the right foods, and lose weight for good as the title says. I then thought about the book (Day Begins with Christ) I wrote a bit on health and how Eden diet originally was for the first two people on earth ate--plant-like just fruits, seeds (not nuts), and everything grown was plant food not animal food or dairy (drinking from the animal).

I also enjoyed many of the testimonies of weight loss and how one woman tried to go back to eating fries, burgers, etc. and got back sick and then went back on McDougall's diet with a never-again attitude. I could also relate to many of the stories and symptoms since I am undergoing some recent and some for quite some time and wondered what is wrong with my BODY! Well this book clearly driven those symptoms causes--meat and dairy! I know I am also lactose, so cutting out the cheese and yogurt may be a task but worth it in the end. I already gave up pork over 10 years ago and beef this year (2015) so now have to work on chicken, fish, turkey but man I do love some shrimp. Moreover, I will see how things go the first week starting April 1 (yes I may seem like a fool to try it but not a fool to care about my well-being overall) and hopefully make it through the month before May 2nd birthday.

I was advised to read it from a fitness trainer at the gym and how she lost 50 lbs, got rid of heart disease, cancer, and other ailments related to obesity.

I actually bought this book after trying his free diet on the website and losing 25lbs in 2 months. My doctor says I'm his healthiest patient and a nurse proudly proclaimed my blood pressure was amazing because it's "so loud". I've had to put a new hole in my old belt and none of my clothes fit now so unless you'd rather not upset your status quo be prepared for some serious results. It wasn't hard to switch from the SAD after watching movies like Forks over Knives & Cowspiracy. Eating like this is no longer an option it's becoming a patriotic duty. Until I went vegan I never knew what it was like to feel full a whole day and a half after a meal. Comfort foods are your friend when whole/unprocessed, organic and GMO free.

I'm actually only confused about one thing; on a site article he states "For example, rice alone would provide 71 grams of highly useable protein and white potatoes would provide 64 grams of protein." [...]

That can't be right. What am I missing?

I love it!!! I would recommend this book to everyone that wants to start a low fat whole foods plant based diet. You will lose weight and feel awesome! ! Dr. Mcdougall is one of many best plantbasked Doctors and has many YouTube discussions on the Starch Solution. He has scientific evidence to back up his book. Thumbs up!!

The Starch Solution is an incredibly fun and easy read. John McDougall gets right to the point. McDougall is a doctor by profession. What inspired his career choice is having suffered from a stroke at the age of 18. His parents suffered through the Great Depression of the 1930s. During this period they had no choice but to eat a high starch diet which consisted of beans, peas, corn, potatoes amongst other starches because that is all they could afford. His mother's painful memories caused her to vow that her children will have a richer palette. She kept her promise and fed all her children high fat animal laden foods(which was well intentioned of course). However this led to McDougall's stroke and unfortunately the doctors had no idea why he had a stroke at such an early age. Then and there in the hospital he knew that there was only one profession for him.
John McDougall graduated from med school and began residency in Oahu, he received glowing reviews at first but later realized that his patients grew considerably worse even though he was doing his best. He also realized a trend in the people of Oahu. The first generation settlers who were about 80-90 years at the time kept to their diets of high starch which was reminiscent of typical Asian diets. In fact the popular greeting in China translates in English to "Have you had rice today." On the other hand John found that the 3rd generation Oahu residents were consuming typical standard American diets which put them at risk of obesity and diabetes even in their youth.
After observing the correlation between diet and health in the people of Oahu. John McDougall followed this trail and established an admirable body of research to back this hypothesis. That high starch foods with minimal or no animal proteins was the most healthful. One of which was a review of 57 studies where the benefits of diary where being investigated to find out if the Diary industries claims about bone health and general health from "Got Milk" campaigns are actually viable. More than half(57% to be precise) of the research which showed that there was no significant benefit from diary, 29% showed a positive benefit of diary, and 14% confirmed that diary actually does harm bones. McDougall suggests that if you plan to began The Starch Solution Diet, cutting diary out first will do you a lot of good, as it produces an over load of acid in our body which makes your bones work over time to neutralize the acidic environment. In trying to get rid of the acid, the bones draw calcium from themselves in order to do this. Conversely consuming high alkaline foods help neutralize acids as well preserve the bones from being drained by the demanding work.
There is a general notion that without diary or animal products human beings cannot have enough energy to do rigorous activities. Vegan-ism is stereotyped as being for wimpy hippies and bums. However, gladiators in the temple of Artemis ate a mostly vegan diet. IN fact they were referred to as hordearii(barley men). IN addition people like John Mackey, Bill Clinton and Mike Tyson continue to prove that stereotype wrong. Also in the hunter gatherer days a majority of calories that were eaten then were from plants not animals so we should be more appropriately described as "starchivores," as Nathaniel Dominy suggests in the first chapter of the Starch Solution.
In line with these findings, human beings can consume as many calories from starch(with no free oils or fat) as you can manage and you will not gain a single pound. Granted if you go ridiculously over your "threshold" you might store up to 2 pounds of fat invisibly in the muscles and liver in the form of glycogen. You will burn the rest off as heat even if you do not purposely exercise. That is why the starch solution is the most reasonable plan out there. You can eat till you are satiated and still maintain a healthy weight as opposed to counting calories and starving. Eating freely is not the only benefit of the Starch Solution. You will also look and feel your best.
Looks are very important in today's society. We are often attracted to health first in a potential partner and companies want to hire healthy attractive looking people to represent them. Not only that, you open more doors for personal development and advancement when you are healthy and vibrant- not to mention you age gracefully. Optimum health without the need for supplements like Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids or vitamins. The only supplement that you need if you are vegan is B12, even that is not a requirement(but to be on the safe side). And all your protein(including the 8 essential amino acids) are readily available in plants. That in a nut shell summarizes the first part of the book.
The second part is a collection of John and Mary McDougall's delectable recipes. These include tofu mayonnaise, tofu sour cream, tofu loaf( John states that it is okay to eat about 5%(2oz) of your daily calories from unprocessed soy like tofu, edamame, miso, tempeh and soy milk. Stay away from fake meats like soy boy and other meat replacements). McDougall's program is quite liberal, he encourages supplementing your diet with enough salt and sweet to ensure that your food is tasty and you do not feel deprived. However if your aim is mostly weight loss, his advise is to consume the bare minimum or nothing at all of( flours, nut butters, fruit and vegetable juices, seeds, simple sugars, dried fruit and avocados). You can however have the regular amount of condiments like jam, jellies, among other easily accessible pantry items which are non processed and do not contain animal products or added fat.
The McDougall diet is tried and tested. John and Mary are the pinnacle of good health and fitness. Not only that, they have a myriad of testimonials, some of which were included in the book and most of them can be found on John's website( [...]). John McDougall is hoping that you would care to make it interesting by going on a 7 day bet if you will. Have your doctor draw up your blood work(he has a prepared lab requisition form on page 209 and a diet plan in the successive pages), if your LDL, TSH and Glucose levels do not miraculously improve in 7 days, then the earth is a flat surface and the pope is in fact Buddhist.

This book has changed my life. After not being able to lower my blood pressure from dangerously high levels, kidney stones, weight issues, acne, hormones, and arthritis, I have been able to reverse all of these issues. I am still working on my weight, but my blood pressure came down within the first month, the pain in my joints is nearly completely gone and I don't need pain killers. There is a reason we are fat and sick in America and I will never go back to eating the way that I used to.

A family member changed his life by following dr mcdougall's recommendations to the strictest of his ability. For over a year, all I heard about was this diet and his 60 lbs weight loss. he even went off several meds etc etc. it sounded crazy and difficult. A low fat vegan diet? No olive oil?! I mean I am thin and in good shape. I love cooking etc. This family member stayed with my husband and me for two weeks and we cooked the recipes and read his copy of this book. I've been transformed!!!!!!! The food is amazing. I have always wanted to become a vegan for the environment and the constant scares of sick animals and awful images of how factory farming mistreats animals. Etc. The transition was so simple and I am eating a ton of food. I suffer from a rare connective tissue disorder (ehlers danlos syndrome) and doctors never have any nutritional advice for any of my symptoms including easy bruising, chronic pain and plenty of fatigue. I have only be eating this way for a few weeks but I am hopeful it has some impact on my health as well. So far my size 4 shorts are loose and I have never enjoyed as much food in my life. I want everyone to read this book.

I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with my blood sugar when I began, but 2 weeks and it’s going great. 5 1/2 pounds gone and this truly is the most painless way of losing weight I have ever experienced. I have 30 to go. I am eating corn flakes with soy milk for breakfast like I did when I was a kid and loving it. I tried this diet because I saw a lot of people actually reached their goal weight and I am tired of never quite getting there. But, the biggest motivator to not cheat has been the surprising reduction in fibro pain. I no longer get out of bed and stumble around feeling 90 for the first hour. I’m 47 and getting fitter by the day now. I work out 30 min, 6 days a week. Let me share my personal theory about why this works for some and not others. I am a blood type A and also eating the foods recommended for my type by that diet. Which means I haven’t eaten one potato, because potatoes are supposed to be poison for A’s. I stick to the right kind of beans and starches (rice, pasta, bread) for my blood type and there is plenty of food to choose from. I no longer have uncontrollable cravings, even when I get really hungry. I LOVE being full enough after a meal and not worrying about when I will be starving next. Oh, and I have enjoyed wine almost every night and still have my coffee every morning. It’s also wonderful not to have to eat cups and cups of vegetables. Starch based meals are much better than veg/meat ones for me. I do think some of the success stories look too thin, so I will enjoy treats and nuts when I get to my goal.

I was pretty excited to eat potatoes, rice, and my other favorite natural carbs all the time on this plan, and for the first two weeks I felt great. Then came the dizzy spells, no matter how much I ate. I powered through, seeing that others had experienced this but only for a short period. Still, after over a month I was still getting dizzy and lightheaded whenever I stood up, and then I started seeing blood in my stool! I never lost any weight with this plan, but I didn't gain any either so in that respect it was a wash. Once I went back to a more normal way of eating with more fat and protein, the dizziness and digestive issues disappeared. This plan may work great for some people, but if you're one of those people who generally does well on a low carb diet (much as I would prefer not to be, I am), this may not turn out well for you.

When McDougall started writing his starch-based book (and I use the singular on purpose - if you've read one, you've read them all), he was pretty much the only game in town. Although his program is strongly based on the work of those before him (Dr. Walter Kempner, Dr. Roy Swank, Nathan Pritikin), he was able to popularize it in a way that no one else had, at least partly because he had a good story - his work as a doctor on a sugar plantation, which enabled him to see differences in health in various generations of immigrants. I think a lot of what he says is correct - the foods he forbids (all animal products, all oils) are not good for you, and you're probably best off avoiding them to a great extent. However, he also has a tendency to twist facts to suit his own purposes (for instance, he's fond of pointing out that all large populations have lived on starch-based diets, while ignoring the fact that no population has followed his diet and that some of the longest-lived people in the world - those in the so-called Blue Zones - eat diets that are very high in fat). And he will not acknowledge that there have been any scientific advances in nutrition knowledge since he first came up with his plan, which hasn't changed in 40 years. In addition, if you go to his discussion boards (and be cautious about that - see below), you will discover that many people don't lose weight on the program presented in this book - they are advised to go to the much more restrictive maximum weight loss program.

If this sort of diet appeals to you, I would recommend passing on this book (or get it from the library if you feel you must read it) and reading Dr. Michael Greger's "How Not to Die," as Dr. Greger is devoted to keeping up with the current science. Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Caldwell Esselstynn, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, and Dr. Thomas Campbell have all written excellent, more scientifically based books. Dr. McDougall has amassed a cult following, and like all cult leaders, he is used to dealing with people who just accept whatever he says without question. (If you want to be appalled by his arrogance and rudeness, find his interview with low-carb advocate Jimmy Moore on Moore's website.)

Now a lot of people who want to follow Dr. McDougall will eventually find their way to his discussion board, so I'd like to say a word about that. If you question whether Dr. McDougall is right about anything at all, you will probably get a nasty PM from f1jim, one of the moderators. If you do it a second time, you will be on f1jim's radar. You will be branded as a troublemaker, and anything you say after that will be misread and misrepresented - there is no coming back from this. It's downright Kafkaesque. In my own case, I was eventually banned for citing a study about the usefulness of Vitamin D supplements, which Dr. McDougall opposes. I'm not foolish enough to think there should be "free speech" on a private message board, but this particular message board is run like a cult. Also, anytime a celebrity under 90 dies of anything at all, there will be a thread about how that person should have followed the McDougall diet - I find this ghoulish and creepy - and it gives you an idea of the mindset there. In addition, programs like Weight Watchers are criticized because people can't stay on them - but there's no acknowledgment that many people cannot stay on McDougall's restrictive diet.

Edited to add: I see Dr. McDougall's fans have already begun voting my review down. No surprise there. That's how religion works.

Although some parts were redundant I guess to get his point across and aside from the historical garb, I actually can see the process worth a try. I do want to regain my health, eat the right foods, and lose weight for good as the title says. I then thought about the book (Day Begins with Christ) I wrote a bit on health and how Eden diet originally was for the first two people on earth ate--plant-like just fruits, seeds (not nuts), and everything grown was plant food not animal food or dairy (drinking from the animal).

I also enjoyed many of the testimonies of weight loss and how one woman tried to go back to eating fries, burgers, etc. and got back sick and then went back on McDougall's diet with a never-again attitude. I could also relate to many of the stories and symptoms since I am undergoing some recent and some for quite some time and wondered what is wrong with my BODY! Well this book clearly driven those symptoms causes--meat and dairy! I know I am also lactose, so cutting out the cheese and yogurt may be a task but worth it in the end. I already gave up pork over 10 years ago and beef this year (2015) so now have to work on chicken, fish, turkey but man I do love some shrimp. Moreover, I will see how things go the first week starting April 1 (yes I may seem like a fool to try it but not a fool to care about my well-being overall) and hopefully make it through the month before May 2nd birthday.

I was advised to read it from a fitness trainer at the gym and how she lost 50 lbs, got rid of heart disease, cancer, and other ailments related to obesity.

I actually bought this book after trying his free diet on the website and losing 25lbs in 2 months. My doctor says I'm his healthiest patient and a nurse proudly proclaimed my blood pressure was amazing because it's "so loud". I've had to put a new hole in my old belt and none of my clothes fit now so unless you'd rather not upset your status quo be prepared for some serious results. It wasn't hard to switch from the SAD after watching movies like Forks over Knives & Cowspiracy. Eating like this is no longer an option it's becoming a patriotic duty. Until I went vegan I never knew what it was like to feel full a whole day and a half after a meal. Comfort foods are your friend when whole/unprocessed, organic and GMO free.

I'm actually only confused about one thing; on a site article he states "For example, rice alone would provide 71 grams of highly useable protein and white potatoes would provide 64 grams of protein." [...]

That can't be right. What am I missing?

Glad to know potatoes, rice and bread can come back into my eating regime! Have been eating whole foods for two years but always felt something was missing. It was the starch! Love the fact that I can have potatoes and gravy again without animal fat! No longer underlying cravings for anything! Unbelievable!

The Starch Solution is an incredibly fun and easy read. John McDougall gets right to the point. McDougall is a doctor by profession. What inspired his career choice is having suffered from a stroke at the age of 18. His parents suffered through the Great Depression of the 1930s. During this period they had no choice but to eat a high starch diet which consisted of beans, peas, corn, potatoes amongst other starches because that is all they could afford. His mother's painful memories caused her to vow that her children will have a richer palette. She kept her promise and fed all her children high fat animal laden foods(which was well intentioned of course). However this led to McDougall's stroke and unfortunately the doctors had no idea why he had a stroke at such an early age. Then and there in the hospital he knew that there was only one profession for him.
John McDougall graduated from med school and began residency in Oahu, he received glowing reviews at first but later realized that his patients grew considerably worse even though he was doing his best. He also realized a trend in the people of Oahu. The first generation settlers who were about 80-90 years at the time kept to their diets of high starch which was reminiscent of typical Asian diets. In fact the popular greeting in China translates in English to "Have you had rice today." On the other hand John found that the 3rd generation Oahu residents were consuming typical standard American diets which put them at risk of obesity and diabetes even in their youth.
After observing the correlation between diet and health in the people of Oahu. John McDougall followed this trail and established an admirable body of research to back this hypothesis. That high starch foods with minimal or no animal proteins was the most healthful. One of which was a review of 57 studies where the benefits of diary where being investigated to find out if the Diary industries claims about bone health and general health from "Got Milk" campaigns are actually viable. More than half(57% to be precise) of the research which showed that there was no significant benefit from diary, 29% showed a positive benefit of diary, and 14% confirmed that diary actually does harm bones. McDougall suggests that if you plan to began The Starch Solution Diet, cutting diary out first will do you a lot of good, as it produces an over load of acid in our body which makes your bones work over time to neutralize the acidic environment. In trying to get rid of the acid, the bones draw calcium from themselves in order to do this. Conversely consuming high alkaline foods help neutralize acids as well preserve the bones from being drained by the demanding work.
There is a general notion that without diary or animal products human beings cannot have enough energy to do rigorous activities. Vegan-ism is stereotyped as being for wimpy hippies and bums. However, gladiators in the temple of Artemis ate a mostly vegan diet. IN fact they were referred to as hordearii(barley men). IN addition people like John Mackey, Bill Clinton and Mike Tyson continue to prove that stereotype wrong. Also in the hunter gatherer days a majority of calories that were eaten then were from plants not animals so we should be more appropriately described as "starchivores," as Nathaniel Dominy suggests in the first chapter of the Starch Solution.
In line with these findings, human beings can consume as many calories from starch(with no free oils or fat) as you can manage and you will not gain a single pound. Granted if you go ridiculously over your "threshold" you might store up to 2 pounds of fat invisibly in the muscles and liver in the form of glycogen. You will burn the rest off as heat even if you do not purposely exercise. That is why the starch solution is the most reasonable plan out there. You can eat till you are satiated and still maintain a healthy weight as opposed to counting calories and starving. Eating freely is not the only benefit of the Starch Solution. You will also look and feel your best.
Looks are very important in today's society. We are often attracted to health first in a potential partner and companies want to hire healthy attractive looking people to represent them. Not only that, you open more doors for personal development and advancement when you are healthy and vibrant- not to mention you age gracefully. Optimum health without the need for supplements like Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids or vitamins. The only supplement that you need if you are vegan is B12, even that is not a requirement(but to be on the safe side). And all your protein(including the 8 essential amino acids) are readily available in plants. That in a nut shell summarizes the first part of the book.
The second part is a collection of John and Mary McDougall's delectable recipes. These include tofu mayonnaise, tofu sour cream, tofu loaf( John states that it is okay to eat about 5%(2oz) of your daily calories from unprocessed soy like tofu, edamame, miso, tempeh and soy milk. Stay away from fake meats like soy boy and other meat replacements). McDougall's program is quite liberal, he encourages supplementing your diet with enough salt and sweet to ensure that your food is tasty and you do not feel deprived. However if your aim is mostly weight loss, his advise is to consume the bare minimum or nothing at all of( flours, nut butters, fruit and vegetable juices, seeds, simple sugars, dried fruit and avocados). You can however have the regular amount of condiments like jam, jellies, among other easily accessible pantry items which are non processed and do not contain animal products or added fat.
The McDougall diet is tried and tested. John and Mary are the pinnacle of good health and fitness. Not only that, they have a myriad of testimonials, some of which were included in the book and most of them can be found on John's website( [...]). John McDougall is hoping that you would care to make it interesting by going on a 7 day bet if you will. Have your doctor draw up your blood work(he has a prepared lab requisition form on page 209 and a diet plan in the successive pages), if your LDL, TSH and Glucose levels do not miraculously improve in 7 days, then the earth is a flat surface and the pope is in fact Buddhist.

This book has changed my life. After not being able to lower my blood pressure from dangerously high levels, kidney stones, weight issues, acne, hormones, and arthritis, I have been able to reverse all of these issues. I am still working on my weight, but my blood pressure came down within the first month, the pain in my joints is nearly completely gone and I don't need pain killers. There is a reason we are fat and sick in America and I will never go back to eating the way that I used to.

A family member changed his life by following dr mcdougall's recommendations to the strictest of his ability. For over a year, all I heard about was this diet and his 60 lbs weight loss. he even went off several meds etc etc. it sounded crazy and difficult. A low fat vegan diet? No olive oil?! I mean I am thin and in good shape. I love cooking etc. This family member stayed with my husband and me for two weeks and we cooked the recipes and read his copy of this book. I've been transformed!!!!!!! The food is amazing. I have always wanted to become a vegan for the environment and the constant scares of sick animals and awful images of how factory farming mistreats animals. Etc. The transition was so simple and I am eating a ton of food. I suffer from a rare connective tissue disorder (ehlers danlos syndrome) and doctors never have any nutritional advice for any of my symptoms including easy bruising, chronic pain and plenty of fatigue. I have only be eating this way for a few weeks but I am hopeful it has some impact on my health as well. So far my size 4 shorts are loose and I have never enjoyed as much food in my life. I want everyone to read this book.

I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with my blood sugar when I began, but 2 weeks and it’s going great. 5 1/2 pounds gone and this truly is the most painless way of losing weight I have ever experienced. I have 30 to go. I am eating corn flakes with soy milk for breakfast like I did when I was a kid and loving it. I tried this diet because I saw a lot of people actually reached their goal weight and I am tired of never quite getting there. But, the biggest motivator to not cheat has been the surprising reduction in fibro pain. I no longer get out of bed and stumble around feeling 90 for the first hour. I’m 47 and getting fitter by the day now. I work out 30 min, 6 days a week. Let me share my personal theory about why this works for some and not others. I am a blood type A and also eating the foods recommended for my type by that diet. Which means I haven’t eaten one potato, because potatoes are supposed to be poison for A’s. I stick to the right kind of beans and starches (rice, pasta, bread) for my blood type and there is plenty of food to choose from. I no longer have uncontrollable cravings, even when I get really hungry. I LOVE being full enough after a meal and not worrying about when I will be starving next. Oh, and I have enjoyed wine almost every night and still have my coffee every morning. It’s also wonderful not to have to eat cups and cups of vegetables. Starch based meals are much better than veg/meat ones for me. I do think some of the success stories look too thin, so I will enjoy treats and nuts when I get to my goal.

This is an excellent book. I have been eating this way for a few years and I have lost weight and have great energy. I've started jogging and I think that it's because of the weight loss and all the strong energy that I have. I don't eat The Starch Solution diet 100%. I eat some fish twice a week. And when I'm with friends I'll eat some pizza, chicken or what they are having. I think that you can eat The Starch Solution Diet 80 or 90% of the time and get good results. I would also recommend watching the Forks Over Knives documentary and also the Forks Over Knives cookbook. Also The China Study is a good read --- this book got me started on a plant based whole foods diet.

What a liberating book! We've been interviewing author after author for our Inspire Nation Show, and have seen a trend, and then we ran into John McDougall's book and WOW! He builds an incredibly compelling case, backed by science for eating starches again. I know three months ago both my wife and I did this on medical advice, and it's been life-changing, energy changing, and helped her kick a long-term illness (mold toxicity) that was hanging tough. But adding back in starches to her diet (along with LOTS of high-nutrient foods such as fruits and veggies) made a world of difference.

I am so happy to be able to eat the humble potato again. Contrary to common wisdom I've lost weight, instead of gained it, and feel the healthiest and most energized I've felt in years. I can't recommend this book enough, and trying the Starch Solution for yourself!

I'm not able to recall exactly when or where I first heard about Dr. John McDougall's book The Starch Solution, but it was either from a manager at my local Whole Foods Market, a documentary film, or a vegan YouTuber. Regardless of what my first introduction to the book actually was, I can honestly say that this is the most accessible book on the whole foods plant-based diet that I have read thus far.

The book is similar to Dr. T. Colin Campbell's book The China Study in that the first sections of the book cover the scientific data that supports a (high-carb low-fat) whole foods plant-based diet, and a later section explains how to put that knowledge into practice. However, The Starch Solution has an extra trick up its sleeve—the last section includes a large selection of yummy recipes, similar to Rip Esselstyn's book The Engine 2 Diet.

So what exactly makes this book the most accessible of those that I have read so far? Well, The China Study was a bit thick on the science for an average reader and The Engine 2 Diet is geared mainly toward men. However, The Starch Solution is easy to read for the average person, being light on the scientific findings and featuring inspiring testimonials throughout, and it remains gender-neutral in its approach. This is not to say that the other two books are impossible to read or "not for women", but I believe that The Starch Solution is a better fit for most people.

The material is essentially the same across all of these books, though. They all advocate for a whole foods plant-based diet that eliminates (or at least reduces) items like meat, dairy, eggs, processed foods (including vegetable oils), caffeine, and alcohol. This stands in the face of much of the dietary advice that is proposed by the mainstream, which advises people to eat whatever they like, but with smaller portions (or "moderation"). Or when "experts" try to place the blame on salt and sugar (there is an entire chapter in this book debunking this claim, with scientific evidence). We can see that the mainstream advice hasn't been working for the majority of people, at least not for the long term. People seem to seek out any advice that will encourage them to eat a low-carb high-fat diet, but in all reality that just makes them gain weight and/or get sick. It's high time for a global dietary revolution, and The Starch Solution is an excellent guidebook to help that occur.

The first section of the book discusses the benefits of starch and our relationship with it, the five major poisons found in animal "foods", the politics of nutrition education and the USDA's role in it, and the environmental impact of the Standard American Diet (SAD). The second section of the book is an FAQ that covers the questions that friends and family might ask if one switches to a starch-based diet, such as "Where do you get your protein and/or calcium?", the dangers of eating fish, the concept of "the fat vegan", the harms of supplementation (McDougall advises vegans to only supplement with Vitamin B12), and why salt and sugar have become the scapegoats of the Western diet (even though they are not inherently unhealthy). The third and final section of the book gives some advice for putting the information into practice, and includes a collection of recipes to try out.

Among the things that I learned from the book were that processed soy foods far more unhealthy than I once thought they were. (As a reminder, just because something is technically "vegan" does not mean that it is healthy!) In addition to that fact, I was fascinated by the long and healthy relationship that humans have had with starches in our history. This book (along with other books I have read and research I have done) has solidified further for me the true benefits and ease of eating a whole foods plant-based diet. I highly recommend reading this one, and I'm looking forward to learning more from Dr. McDougall (and others spreading the same message) in the future.

This is a cogent and coherent discussion of why humans survive best on a Whole Food, Plant-Based (WFPB) diet with an emphasis on starch. On a WFPB diet I improved my blood work to an ideal range within one month. Over a period of two years, I lost 100+ pounds without hunger. Neal Barnard also recognized that injected oils/fats quickly convert to fat tissue. Starches are mostly burned as fuel. This book rates right up there with "Whole" and "The China Study." If I had just one diet book I could give to an obese friend, this would be my choice.

Starch! How come no one ever told me?

After trying a high starch, low fat diet I agree with the author that we in the West would probably be well off eating more starch and less fat. I feel more energized, my years of severe chronic fatigue seem to have been replaced with a stream of great reliable energy (not crashing badly like I used to, and recovering quicker), and it's incredibly cheap, easy, and tasty. I've seen many doctors for fatigue who had diagnosed me with depression and put me on antidepressants which didn't help. I'd like to see more eyes on this book in the chronic illness community in general (spoonies) perhaps folks with fibromyalgia, "adrenal fatigue", or maybe even some CFS/ME folks to see if any of them get similar results from a starch-based diet.

That being said, while more starch may be a cure for some ails (aside: I came across this book while reading about the Tarahumara, the Kalenjin of Kenya, Bernando LaPallo, and Joe Cohen's recommendation of dietary starch for gut health. Which led me to this book and ultimately to try out the diet) I think the author gets ahead of himself at parts and I'm not sure how well-founded the rest of his dietary recommendations are. For example, thoughts like "Meat and fish don't belong in a healthy diet" or "Olive oil/all fat is bad". I find declarations like that hard to believe from the sorts of epidemiological data that he bases this book on. Or that starch will save the world type talk. I don't think it's a diet for everyone. But for me, it's doing much more for me than any diet I've tried so far, including keto and other diets I thought were supposed to be healthy. If I end up finding something a little better out there than this I'll try to come back and edit this review.

After watching Forks Over Knives on Netflix, I started researching more into a plant based lifestyle. Through researching, I kept finding the same names on many articles, Dr. John A. McDougall, Dr. T. Campbell, etc. Out on a limb, I decided to purchase this book in the hopes of understanding how food either hinders or helps our health. I was not disappointed. This book is a great continuation after watching the Forks Over Knives documentary. It would be one thing if a critic said this was the best or worse diet to go on, it's another thing to have all of the science behind it. It makes sense. The more sugar I took in, the more frequent sinus infections and upper respiratory infections I would get. No one ever thinks or believes that all too famous saying "You are what you eat" is true, because if we thought for a second that it was true, it would mean what we were eating was wrong, what we've been told our whole life was wrong this entire time. I'm 33 years old, I just recently changed to a plant based lifestyle after reading this book, How Not To Die, and after watching many documentaries. This is not a diet book, this is not a how to lose weight and then go back to whatever you were eating book. This is a pure lifestyle change book. One of my favorite sayings that I say up to this day is, those who change and never look back, those who read this book and run with it are those seeking great health. You have to get tired of being sick and tired before you make that change. One foot in is not enough, you need to be selfish and make the change for yourself. Decide that you are important, your life has meaning, and you will become healthy. This book is very informative, it will make you question your eating habits and current lifestyle. This book is helping me become a better me. The Starch Solution is a way to help you gain your life back, I hope maybe one day my family picks this book up too and chooses to have good health.

3.5 stars, actually. This book is interesting, mainly because starch is yummy, and this tells you how you can eat all you want of it without being fat. It is certainly not very scientific though and ignores a vast body of research that contradicts many of his claims (Not to say that he is necessarily wrong, but simply that he isn't rigorous at all). I tried this way of eating for a few weeks and felt mostly good. I liked the feeling of lightness and energy I got from it, but I feel much more calm and grounded on more fat and protein. Also it was very difficult for me to feel full, even when my stomach was stuffed. I did not lose weight or feel better overall. Prior to this diet, I was already eating a 95% whole foods, traditional diet (Weston Price style, but low on the meat). I was already healthier and leaner than most people but was just hoping to lose the last 10 pounds and feel even better. I enjoyed my previous diet more though, and didn't weigh more on it, so I will be going back to that way of eating. The one thing I will continue is to eat less oil overall. I was eating a lot of EVOO before, and never really thought that much about it. I don't think that eating extremely low fat is ideal, but reducing fat might be a good idea for many of us. I will probably eat a lot of McDougall style meals in the future, interspersed with higher fat and protein meals.

I'm really glad I tried this and learned some things from it, but I certainly won't be espousing low fat vegan 100%

I've read Dr. McDougall's book for years, and also books by Drs. Fuhrman, Barnard, Ornish, and others. This one is very similar to most of the other plant-based diet books, except for the extra emphasis on eating starch.
The diet works well for me. In 2001, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. I don't think it was a coincidence that, at the time, I had been on a very high-protein, Atkins-style diet for over a year. After my diagnosis, I started reading and learning more about nutrition, and decided a plant-based diet was best for cancer. I had a lumpectomy, but no chemo and no radiation. My cancer was under control (did not grow appreciably) until about three years ago. At that time, I had been eating small quantities of animal products because I guess I just couldn't really believe, on some level, that I didn't need meat. After another lumpectomy, I decided I needed to stick strictly to eating vegan, and I have (except for the occasional egg or dairy I accidentally consume when eating out). The cancer seems to be under control again. My cholesterol, weight, all numbers are excellent, and I feel healthy. I recently added a bit more starch and I lost five pounds!
I do think that a few supplements are necessary when eating vegan. I take Vitamin D, iodine, zinc, B12, and a small dose of calcium and magnesium. B12 is especially important, and I wonder if some of the people who say the diet made them feel worse neglected to take it. I felt much better once I added the supplements.
For those who want to see the research supporting veganism, I highly recommend Dr. Michael Gregor's site, "NutritionFacts.org". He spotlights the research showing which foods are healthiest and least healthy with brief, daily videos of no more than 5 minutes each. I've learned a lot from him.

The truth is simple and therefore easy to understand. Eat more plants and eat less (or better yet, no) animal and processed foods for optimal health, fitness and longevity. I had already been eating plant-based for years before reading The Starch Solution but learned a lot from this book, in particular the importance of keeping starch as the centerpiece of meal planning, something I'd never really thought about before. Needless to say, any irrational fears one may have about the supposed 'fattening' effects of eating bread and pasta will be put to rest after reading this book.

I think the starch solution is a good plan for health. It promotes more veggies, less processed food and less heart Unhealthy fat. But some of the things that he is against just don't make sense. For instance, he doesn't like smoothies. Granted some smoothies are very high calorie, but for people who enjoy green smoothies made with low glycemic fruit like strawberries, blueberries, etc. it just doesn't make sense. A green smoothie for breakfast is a good, healthy option, but don't bring it up if you are in a McDougal group. The problem with Dr. McDougals plan is that people have elevated Dr. Mcdougal to a guru. Lots of his ideas are great, but eating potatoes all day makes some gain weight. I personally gained an inch in the first 2 weeks on Starch Solution. Dr. Mcdougal refuses to acknowledge that, and is downright nasty when people bring it up. So take what works for you- the low fat, low sugar, low salt, vegan ideas, but don't feel like you have to eat potatoes, beans and rice at every meal if it is not working for you. Many of the people who are Mcdougalites have come from very unhealthy lifestyles. Of course, sticking to his program is a miracle. But for those of us who have been eating healthy foods prior to Starch Solution, you may have to tweak his diet to include lots more raw greens, and salads, if you want to loose weight.

Sorry Dr. McDougall, but the eat-all-the-starch-you-want program does not work for us with Type O blood. We do best on meat and vegetables. Some of the primary sources of weight gain for Type O's (who comprise approximately 45% of the population) are wheat, corn, potatoes and dairy. Fat is not the enemy for us; the lectins found in wheat are particularly troublesome. I tried a vegan/vegetarian diet (very low fat) for a year and gained weight AND inches. Also had a horrible rash on my legs which didn't go away until I added meat and butter back into my diet, I couldn't last through the night without getting up to use the bathroom 4-6 times, felt hungry most of the time, craved sweets, was ready for bed at 9 p.m., etc. Maybe this works for other blood types (A, perhaps?), but should not be marketed as a one-size-fits-all program.

I am beyond disappointed with Dr McDougalls books. I gained 12 lbs during only the first half of this year, felt like crap, and so going low carb high fat again - not necessarily Paleo. You can be low carb and high fat and still be vegan. Remember there are the healthy nuts and avocados Dr McDougall seems to demonize and which are actually vital for your heart and brain health.

I love this audio version of the book because as a freelance writer, I don't really have much time to read anything that does not pertain to my medical research. That said—Dr. MgDougall and Mary McDougall authored a great book based on science and experience. Thus far, I have lost 12 pounds in under a month. Although weight loss should be slow, I feel the fat melting off my body and even more importantly, this diet is not a diet but a lifestyle that I can maintain for the rest of my life. Now my whole family has adopted a plant-based diet. Even my PALEO husband has given up meat. I am totally shocked about that!!!

This diet needs someone to develop recipes that taste good. It certainly will help you with weight loss because the weight just falls off.

I am not a believer in all of the research. Some is doubtful in mine and worried me enough not to continue with the program.

Well worth reading if you are serious about becoming healthier and enjoying a better life. Dr. McDougall's plan holds the answer to your cravings and does so without making you feel you won't get enough to eat. If you do, it's your own fault as you just aren't following his guidelines! Enjoy a guilt free, well thought out and simple plan on your road to a better health. The 7-day plan in the book will impress you and show you that starchy, plant-based foods (including snacks and desert!) is fun and easier than you expect. Not only that, but your grocery bills will be lower! Who could ask for anything more? This is easy to read, interesting, educational and well written. No more SAD (Standard American Diet) for me. Your turn!

Love all Dr. McDougall's books, The starch Solution is the solution for me. I love this way of eating and never knew that I could live without my burgers and fries, but I have found out that it's not only possible, it's deliciously possible. Love this way of eating. Resonates with me down to my toes. It reminds me of the way we ate growing up on a farm in middle Tennessee.
I am a believer! Yippee for potatoes and brown rice...Life is good...Alexandra

I've been reading several books in this topic for a couple of years. This is my new favorite for several reasons. It's a good read, flows well and the Doctor's way of putting things really hits home. Everything just makes such sense. I've been worrying about high blood pressure for a while, as its in my family and my numbers having starting rising. My resting pulse has also been higher than it needs to be. I've been following the starch solution for a week and I'm already feeling better and the numbers are going down. My weight is stabilizing, too, and I'm hoping to shed the last few stubborn pounds soon. I'm very glad I read this book and I'm recommending it to friends and family. I especially hope my father, who is dealing with fibromyalgia, will give this a serious try because I really believe he will see positive results.

I love it!!! I would recommend this book to everyone that wants to start a low fat whole foods plant based diet. You will lose weight and feel awesome! ! Dr. Mcdougall is one of many best plantbasked Doctors and has many YouTube discussions on the Starch Solution. He has scientific evidence to back up his book. Thumbs up!!

Very disappointed, but not surprised as it seems that everybody has a diet for intestinal problems that contain high fiber as it seems that constipation takes priority over all other issues. I do not need fiber. I have a different problem which causes constant attacks of colitis. I am trying to find a diet that would coounteract this and I have found that starches offer hope, but I do not want to become diabetic in the process which is not difficult. This book was a sad waste of money for me. My doctor told me it is not what I eat but the simple act of eating that is a trigger. Not too helpful.

Written clearing with tons of information and recipes to improve your health forever. This is a way of eating,- a way of life not a diet. You will manage your weight or any other health problems in a safe healthy way. Whole food, plant based eating with no added oil. Eat lots of Starchy vegetables, potatoes, sweet potatoes , grains, greens and beans and fruit ....so easy. Dr John McDougall gives you plenty of background and good scientific references and studies for this way of eating. He has been treating his patients with simple diet changes to restore their health for over 40 years. There are lovely recipes included from his collaboration with his wife Mary McDougall a former RN. I was glad I bought this book and others by Dr. John McDougall. I have improved my health and I'm now at the weight I was in high school many moons ago. Healthy fit and happy. My husband and I have been Starchivore fans since 2006. This is a must read.

I read this book a while back. It was life changing. I have dropped nearly 30lbs and have kept it off since. I don't have to count calories and I eat as much food as I want. This is the healthiest diet on the planet. I'm almost 40 and I'm in the best shape of my life. My blood work is all perfect and my blood pressure stays around 109/60. Do yourself a favor and buy this book and adhere to it. You will not be sorry.

Dr Mcdougall preaches eating starches such as rice, potatoes wheat bread along with vegetables are the solutions to solving the diabetes problem. Other books I've read say the opposite. They say stay away from starchy foods such as rice, potatoes etc because they tend to elevate your blood suger. Even the so called experts can't agree on anything!

While I don't want to trash this diet- I do believe it's absolutely beneficial, when compared with a standard American diet- I will say this. Anyone who has read The China Study or 80/10/10 is going to find very little in the way of new material here. Much of the book is padding and success stories, rhetoric, and tearing down "the establishment". It's probably nothing you haven't heard already, if you're into plant based diets. Having read the former two books mentioned, I saw no reason to keep this book, and returned it for a refund. In fact, I would wager to say that this book is an attempt to capitalize on a much simpler fact; people who switch to whole food, plant based diets lose weight and are often healed from chronic disease. Whether you eat 3/4 of your plate in potatoes or rice doesn't matter. You could also eat a bunch of fruit. This book arbitrarily limits fruit consumption, which is pretty stupid, other than for the sake of trying to push its own gimmick. Fruits have similar glycemic indexes to cooked grains and starches, so if you wanted to eat a few bananas for breakfast instead of oatmeal, you could do that and be just as healthy as the person who eats oatmeal.

I say that this is dangerously and annoyingly close to the fad diets that the book criticizes, and pushes for a particular dietary staple, which may actually not be required in such heavy quantities. Indeed, eating a variety of plants- not JUST starches- is probably going to result in much better nutrition than eschewing veggies and fruit in lieu of a ton of potatoes. The only takeaway you need from this is that carbs are not your enemy. That kind of thinking is from fad diets, and high fat and protein consumption lead to increased body fat and poor health. Get The China Study. You'll come out of it understanding why this diet works, but also about how to eat in such a way that you won't want to puke if you see another potato or bowl of rice after a few weeks, because you won't be on a diet telling you to stuff your face with them at every single meal. Grains and starches are a great component of a whole, plant based diet, but forcing yourself to eat grains at every meal is totally unnecessary. Eat some fruit. Have some bigass salads or a veggie soup or an entire head of steamed cabbage, if that's your thing. Whatever you want. A gimmick is a gimmick, even if it's just to trick you into eating a whole food plant based diet. Don't encourage this crap. Don't encourage gimmick diets.

Solid health advice from a medical doctor with decades of experience using a starch-centered, low-fat vegan diet to help people improve their health. Not a lot of new information for me since I've read most of the author's previous books and monthly newsletter, but I do enjoy McDougall's writing style, and the fact that he backs up his recommendations with references in published, peer-reviewed medical journals. Mary McDougall's recipes are great too.

Same old same old. Eat fruits and vegetables and you will lose weight! Well, as a yo-yo dieter their 'promise of easy weight loss'! This is the final solution! - 'they' got my money, again. What's the definition of crazy?

I was pretty strict about the diet. No sugar, no oil, no meat, no dairy. I did eat some nuts and avocado. In just one month, my triglycerides went from 351 to 242, my total cholesterol went from 252 to 195, HDL stayed about the same 39, LDL went from 143 to 108. I did not count calories, ate whenever I wanted, didn't really do too much exercise and still lost 7 lbs. I started on Dec. 1 and got my bloodwork done again on Dec. 28. Since it was Christmas, I had plenty of stuffing and mashed potatoes and never went hungry. My doctor had presrcibed medication but I decided to try this diet first as the side effects could be pretty nasty (like liver damage). He was very sceptical when I went to see him on the 28th and told him I had not taken any meds and just dieted. When he called me with my blood results he told me I would not need to take any medications, just keep doing what I was doing. He even gave me a "great job."

So let's say that this book converted a hardcore steak and dairy addict to switch to a vegan diet (we will see for how long but I'm going on a month now). Some of the concepts in the book are positive and great ideals to live by but I would have appreciated a little more scientific background/explanations. Yes, we can all cite studies to support our particular point of view but that is exactly the problem with nutrition information in this modern age, there is a study to support every point of view. This diet may work for some people but it didn't accomplish the goals I was looking for (burning fat and building muscle) but that doesn't mean it won't work for certain goals (i.e. Extreme weight loss). Every body is unique.

This may be the most recent book of the many books about personal nutrition and diet authored over the years by John McDougall, MD. This book at minimum contains Dr. McDougall's most recent thinking on personal nutrition.

The primary nutritional role of starch in human physiology is to serve as an energy - ergo, fuel - for the body. Starch, as the body's primary energy source, is the SINE QUA NON of the body's ability to function.

SINE QUA NON: "Without which is not," meaning something absolutely indispensable or essential.

People need starch for energy. Protein can be converted to carbohydrates (ergo, energy), but only after a body's carbohydrate supply is depleted. Vegetables and fruits are not a major source of calories (ergo, energy).

Dr. John McDougall - a physician - is a very important and needed national voice of reform in the field of healthful nutrition.

See the DVD entitled FORKS OVER KNIVES: THE EXTENDED INTERVIEWS, which contains a major "interview" of Dr. McDougall, in which Dr. McDougall in effect discusses the central subject of this book. If one has a copy of FORKS OVER KNIVES: THE EXTENDED INTERVIEWS, go to the "scene selection" feature on the main menu, then select the interview feature of Dr. McDougall.

Dr. McDougall's "starch" - i.e., healthful forms of nutritional starch (i.e., "whole," non-processed starch) - angle to a healthy diet, involving low-risk, low-fat, high calories/energy, is an interesting and clever idea to promote nutritional health to the public.

Dr. McDougall's "starch" angle also pertains to an extremely important and practical - but neglected - dietary factor, i.e., one's feelings of satiety, or stomach fullness, when consuming food. Feelings of satiety are a foil to a person's desire to indulge in consuming excess amounts of food, i.e., in excess calories that cause unhealthful weight gain - obesity.

Healthful forms of starch are the most appropriate category of food to consume to produce personal feelings of satiety.

Kill two birds with one stone: fill yourself up (achieve satiety) on low-fat, high-calorie/energy foods, to your 'heart's" content, while obtaining requisite energy, the sine qua non of living.

Dr. John McDougall appears, as a commentator, in the critically-acclaimed DVD entitled FORKS OVER KNIVES, and contributes a much lengthier appearance in the follow-up DVD entitled FORKS OVER KNIVES: THE EXTENDED INTERVIEWS, where he specifically discusses the subject of starch as a food. Viewing Dr. McDougall's appearances on these two DVDs should resolve any ambivalence anyone might have regarding healthful forms of starch as a beneficial food to consumers,

Suggested additional reading: T. Colin Campbell's book entitled THE LOW-CARB FRAUD - to debunk disbelievers in starch (carbohydrates).

T. Colin Campbell is one of the two central stars, and apparent original catalyst, in FORKS OVER KNIVES: THE EXTENDED INTERVIEWS.

Its now that quite clear due to the fact that the USA is number in Heart Disease and Diabetes .... Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and now Dr. Mcdougal have proved that Plant based diets can reverse heart disease and Diabetes...MEAT sure hell won't stop heart disease or diabetes... 500,000 a year die from Heart disease in the USA and millions mores have surgery and are on meds from heart disease..... One day we will wake up once 80% of the population is sick and overweight.... I mean when you think about, has any plant they we can eat ever killed us? But we sure know that fat from animals along with cholesterol does!!!!!

It has taken me a lot of years to figure out to avoid extremes. It seems human nature to swing from one extreme to another. Here is what I believe I have figured out over twenty plus years since I was in my late teens/ early twenties. Extremes are only beneficial for a short time until you swing too far in that direction. I grew up on a very fat and protein and junk food heavy diet. I had health problems I wanted to heal. I came across vegetarian philosophies which sounded good and made sense to me at the time. First it was Harvey Diamonds Fit For Life. He wasn't a rabid vegetarian, just encouraged it as an ideal to reach, but taught if you had to eat some meat to eat only with non starchy veggies. Food combining was the big thing in that book. Doing this way of eating I lost some weight due to less fat and protein consumption. Then I went vegan. I can't really remember why I did that. Maybe I took Harvey's encouragement about veganism to heart. That must have been it because I don't remember reading any other vegan literature. For a period of time I felt well doing this but after a number of months I began to have problems: gum and tooth problems, immunity problems and looking gaunt and pale. So after a couple of years trying to make it work I went back to more of a 4 food groups no junk food balanced approach. Of course this ends up being heavy in the animal foods because they are half the food groups. I gained weight, which I probably needed to do a little bit but it began to be too much. Then after a number of years I tried low carb. It worked initially but stopped after awhile and I developed problems with adrenal and thyroid function from lack of carbs. Now I'm thinking that had I tweaked the vegetarian eating a bit, when I ate vegetarian it was very similar to this McDougal plan to include small amounts of animal products to boost my protein and iron and fat soluble vitamins I could have struck a healthy balance. What comes to mind is Asian style eating. By that I don't mean Americanized Asian style eating but mainland china lower middle class most likely. In traditional Chinese medicine eating too little animal products is believed to weaken digestion and cause deficiency particularly blood deficiency. TCM dietary principles are all about balance and start from the base of a plant based diet. The foundation is rice, tubers, beans and veggies augmented by a small amount of fats and animal proteins.

So my plan is to use the McDougal diet for awhile to swing my body back in the other direction from the excess of protein and fat and then after a bit add back in small quantities of animal proteins. I really like stir frys so that will probably become a staple since it is easy, tasty in the correct proportions

I've seen great results in my health from turning to a plant based diet 3.5 years ago, but I was always so hungry.
A salad-based vegan diet was easy to implement and a delicious experience. After loosing 40 lbs on a salad based program, I found myself getting much too thin and totally exhausted. The new book by John and Mary McDougall, The Starch Solution, explained just why that was so. Although green leafies are vital to building a foundation of health, starches like potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, and brown rice contain the calories we need to maintain a proper weight and energy level.

Certainly, people enjoy eating animal products, but the modern degenerative health epidemic necessitates a paradigm shift. If Alexander the Great's army could conquer the known world on plant foods, a sedentary society can thrive on them. When people learn to eat and cook according to Mary's recipes, they will discover how liberating it is to be thin and delightfully full after meals. Plus, the money saved by eating cabbage, onions, carrots, beans, rice, and potatoes over beef and cheese is substantial. Not only that the hidden savings of avoiding degenerative diseases could save the world's failing economies. It is possible to eat this way on about $3 per day. Yes, it is!

Based on oodles of research, the Starch Solution isn't just Dr. McDougall's opinion. It arms me with answers for all the questions I get from friends, family, and students concerning health and diet. I wish everyone would read the book and give these ideas a try. Dr. McDougall has had so much success reversing degenerative disease with these principles. Replacing meat, cheese, and olive oil with lentils and rice is so much easier than taking blood pressure pills every day for life or recovering from open heart surgery. Plus, it's way more effective.

For me this works so well! I love the normal "bad for me" foods including meats. But my body is apparently a vegan and when I use this diet method, I feel so good, loose weight and my blood numbers get good again. I like it that he explains why each factor is good or bad, and also that I can eat all I want of the good foods, when I want to. He shows a lot of data and studies, real peoples experience with before and after photos. I actually read it though twice. I found the facts interesting and useful. This is not a cook book, but rather information on why it is good, which is why I can stay on this for my good health. He had a cook book available, but I have not purchased it yet.