McDougall says Vitamin D recommendations are too high: “Widespread recommendations for testing vitamin D levels using a standard that is too high to achieve is another example of disease mongering—where healthy people are turned into patients.”

McDougall picks his five favorite articles from recent medical journals, covering topics including acne, baby formula, hidden vegetables, harmful PSA velocity, and blood pressure pills.

And this month, he features recipes from Veganomicon goddess Isa Chandra Moskowitz, including chickpea piccata, miso udon stir-fry, mango BBQ beans, five spice delicata squash, and a Goddess Nicoise salad.

McDougall on the proper diet for pregnancy: “Over the past four decades doctors and dietitians have successfully persuaded expectant mothers to eat ‘a well-balanced diet,’ and as a result, pregnancy has become synonymous with sickness. Women spend nine months in misery: fat and fatigued with chronic indigestion and constipation.”

McDougall says world security is threatened by hunger caused by gluttony: “In practical terms, this means Westerners living on and dying from their meat- and dairy-centered diets will simply switch to a starch-based meal plan so that there is sufficient rice, corn, wheat, and potatoes to feed the world’s population.”

McDougall features some recipes from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s new book, Color Me Vegan.

In this newsletter, McDougall weighs in on sleep apnea: “The analogy between diabetes and sleep apnea is apropos since both are caused by the obeseogenic effects of the rich Western diet. The fatter people are, the more they suffer from sleep apnea and type-2 diabetes.”

And, of course, there are recipes.

McDougall discusses the potential positive effects of a low-fat vegan diet on Parkinson’s Disease, taking Michael J. Fox’s foundation to task: “Even though he has been reported to have an interest in vegetarian diets, his foundation has focused on stem cell research, which has been, and will likely continue to be, a dead-end path.”

This newsletter also features a lot of holiday recipes from chef Miyoko Schinner, including: Pumpkin Chestnut Soup, Squash Stuffed with Kale and Almond Risotto, Earthy Farro Risotto with Mushroom Medley, Yuba Turkey Loaf with Roasted Mushroom and Chard Stuffing or Wild Rice and Fennel Stuffing, Roasted Mushroom and Chard Stuffing, and Pumpkin Bread Pudding.

McDougall talks about recent vegan converts, including Steve Wynn, Bill Clinton, Mike Tyson and others.

He also discusses the effects of diet on the prostate.

For people doing holiday planning, here is a guide to McDougall recipes that are perfect for holiday meals.

He reviews recent medical studies that are of interest, including mammography, statins, arthritis, mood and calcium.

And September’s recipes include Creamy Golden Gravy, Creamy Black Bean Soup, Baja White Bean Stew, African Yam Stew, Sambhar with Carrot and Zucchini, and Rava Uppma. October’s recipes include Corn Chowder, Roasted Vegetable Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing, and a Raw Apple Crumble.

McDougall shows how you can identify the bad guys: “But my guess is that Avandia will, unfortunately, remain on the market. The people keeping this medication on the market do so because of profits, and disregard the harms caused by it. Most of them work directly or indirectly for the drug maker, GlaxoSmithKline. Investors are worried because the company could face even more lawsuits than they currently have if the drug is pulled from the market by the FDA.”

McDougall debates fats versus carbs again: “Pointing the guilty finger away from fat and towards carbohydrates is self-serving for those diet-experts who themselves refuse to give up their high-fat diet.”

And, of course, recipes: Baco-yuba, Edamame Surprise, Chipotle Sauce, Mushroom Sauce, Gallo Pinto, Pico de Gallo, Fresh Corn Tortillas, and Costa Rican Mango-Avocado Salad.

McDougall weighs in on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: “Except for a few hopeful sentences, the committee presents a report filled with fear mongering, doubletalk, omissions of major topics, consistently biased views of the scientific literature, and inexcusable factual errors that favor the livestock industries.”

Dr. McDougall challenges claims by Dr. Andrew Weil in a recent Huffington Post article: “Pointing the guilty finger away from fat and towards carbohydrates is self-serving for those diet-experts who themselves refuse to give up their high-fat diet. Food industries buy scientific research published in respectable journals because it is one of their most effective marketing tools.”

McDougall says Don’t Take Vitamins: “Health problems from excesses cannot be corrected with treatments useful for deficiencies. Have you ever known a person who has lost 100 pounds by taking supplements or cured their arthritis, hypertension, colitis, or type-2 diabetes through vitamin and mineral therapies? I bet you haven’t and neither have I.”

He also says you can breathe better by changing your diet: “An unhealthy diet will increase a person’s susceptibility to known causes of lung disease, such as allergens, tobacco smoke, infectious agents, and air pollution. One of the best examples of the importance of diet and lung health is demonstrated by the low incidence of lung cancer among Japanese cigarette smokers. The risk of lung cancer in the United States is at least 10 times higher than in Japanese living in Japan despite the higher percentage of smokers among the Japanese.”

And, of course, recipes. This time we get BBQ Pulled Jackfruit, Creamy-style Coleslaw, Dilled Coleslaw, Tofu Sour Cream, Quick Coleslaw, Golden Sautéed Onions, Inside-Out Lasagna, Tofu Ricotta, Beans & Greens Salad, and Spinach, Fennel and Mango Salad.

McDougall weighs in (pun intended) on The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: It’s the food! Until the spotlight shines on the cause of most chronic illnesses there will be no real solutions. Recommendations for a better diet, which are currently considered prudent, sensible, and reasonable—such as to eat chicken, fish, and low-fat dairy products—have not and never will in the future bring about worthwhile improvements in people’s health.

McDougall debates whether you should be taking a daily aspirin.

This month’s recipes include: Tofu Lasagna, Jeff’s Longevity Soup, Polenta with Lemony Asparagus and Chickpeas, Lovely Collard Wraps, Double Chocolate Brownies, Kale Slaw, Asian Greens, Sesame Greens, and Noodles and Greens.