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| From: | Sparky (ip24-254-234-229.hr.hr.cox.net)
| | Subject: | Re: Dr. Fuhrman and Dr. McDougall | |
Date: | April 23, 2007 at 6:12 am PST |
In Reply to: Dr. Fuhrman and Dr. McDougall posted by Diane on April 19, 2007 at 9:53 am:
Yes, they both claim to reverse diabetes and heart disease. The link given below is to info at Dr. F's site, which naturally makes his plan sound so much better than anyone else's. From testimonials I've read at the McDougall boards and at the Star McDougaller's page at Dr. McD's site, I don't agree with the statements under "Grain or Starch-Based Vegan Diets." Here's why: Statement #1: Dr. McD has two plans -- the regular plan and the maximum weight loss plan. With the MWL plan, more non-starchy veggies are eaten and starchy foods are cut back, enabling those who store fat easily to lose weight. Statement #2: Dr. McD's plan is effective for reversing heart disease and lowering cholesterol. When someone is eating almost nothing but whole foods with no animal products, that's a natural consequence. The McDougaller testimonials show a different story than Dr. F's statement. Statement #3: Dr. McD's plan is not "totally vegan." He does allow honey, and he also allows meat on special occasions. I started out three years ago with the McDougall plan, since that was the first whole-foods, almost vegan plan I found. I started in January at 149 pounds and climbing (I'm 5' 5-1/2" tall) and by June I was down to 121 pounds, with very little exercising (I know I should exercise regularly, but I'm lazy). I was very strict in McDougalling, and only ate about six M&M's at a time sometimes when I got a craving for chocolate. In June, dh and I wanted new life insurance policies and had to have blood taken. My cholesterol was 153 (I wonder if it would have been lower if I hadn't eaten a fast-food chicken sandwich and fries the day or two before, my first unhealthy meal since changing my diet) and my triglycerides were 81. A lot of other things were tested, too, and my results were so good that I was given the highest rating by the insurance company, much to the surprise of the agent, who had never known any of his clients to get that rating, if his reaction was any indication and who stated, "the insurance company must think you are in fantastic health." The cost of my insurance was half of what the agent told me to expect it to be. Dh's results weren't so good. His cholesterol was 233 and his triglycerides were 521 (yes, that's five *hundred*...). His insurance cost 40 percent or so more than he was told to expect. Unfortunately, I don't know what my cholesterol was before the test, but considering I ate almost identical to dh before changing my diet and was just as overweight as he was, I probably had much higher cholesterol back then than when I was tested. My mother and grandmother had Type 2 diabetes, and I used to have problems due to blood sugar, so I was probably on my way to developing diabetes, but I stopped having problems after my diet change. I think Dr. F's plan sounds good, and he has good points about the nutritional density of fruits and veggies. However, I would find it extremely difficult to follow his plan exactly. I need starches to keep me full, and I need quite a few calories. I love salads, but I find them very time-consuming to prepare. My husband and children eat the standard American diet (my husband is a meat and potatoes man who hates almost all fruit and veggies, loves sweets and thinks he has to daily eat cookies, and is unsupportive of my desire to have our children eat a healthy, whole-foods, veggie-rich diet (if that was required of the children, he would have to set an example). So, I have to cook their regular meals like I did before by diet change, plus I have to fix my food. When I do fix salads (my kids like them but quickly get tired of them if I serve them several times a week), I usually eat a very large serving, since I love them and know that they are very healthy. Since I don't think either doctor (or anyone else) has the single best eating plan for every person on the planet, I've taken info from both doctors (and from Neal Barnard and T Colin Campbell) to do what works for me and don't follow any plan exactly. I found that I could not stay on a strict McD diet. Dr. McD's plan does not allow for added oils and also restricts nuts and seeds, so my skin became very dry. I went from suffering acne for almost 30 years to having dry, flaky skin on my face and shriveled up skin on other parts of my body (like on my wrists -- how odd). I had to add nuts and seeds to my diet, so I eat them daily. I love fruits and eat more than recommended by Dr. McD (I think he limits it to two per day). I eat beans almost daily, even though Dr. McD recommends limiting them because of the high protein content, and I try to eat more veggies as recommended by Dr. F. My diet is probably closer to that recommended by Dr. Neal Barnard, although it has been so long since I've read one of his books that I'm not certain. So, I think both plans are good, but you need to find what's right for you. It may take some trial and error, but that's okay. Either plan will help you get healthier, so you can't lose either way -- except lose weight, of course. :-> Try Dr. F's plan. If you can stick to it without too much difficulty and you feel great, that may be the plan for you. If you find that you're hungry constantly, even after giving your body enough time to adjust to that way of eating, you may want to try McD's plan or just add in more starches, like potatoes and grains, or eat beans at more meals.
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