Congratulations, James!

McDougall has a web page describing how the medical industry, once again, passes off advertising as research:

“For this study nearly 90,000 people were examined, and most of them were identified as being at increased risk for a heart attack, stroke, and/or premature death. Rather than choosing professionalism and treating the underlying causes of their health problems: their diet and lifestyle; these researchers chose commercialism; creating the most effective pharmaceutical advertising campaign ever devised.  And they have succeeded,” McDougall says.

PCRM: Red Meat Again Linked to Colorectal Cancer

A recent study from the Ontario Family Colorectal Cancer Registry, established by the U.S. National Cancer Institute, compared the diets of people who had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer to the diets of people who did not have cancer. It turned out that those who ate the most red meat had a 67 percent higher risk of colorectal cancer, regardless of any genetic factors they may have had. However, some people with specific genes had a much higher risk from meat-eating—up to four times the cancer risk—compared to people who avoid meat.

Every year, 160,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer. About half of all cases are already incurable when they are found.

Cotterchio M, Boucher BA, Manno M, Gallinger S, Okey AB, Harper PA. Red meat intake, doneness, polymorphisms in genes that encode carcinogen-metabolizing enzymes, and colorectal cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention. 2008;17:3098-3107.

PCRM: Egg Consumption Linked to Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

In a new study including about 57,000 men and women from two large, completed randomized trials, researchers found that daily consumption of eggs increased the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. Daily egg intake was associated with a 77 and 58 percent increased risk for women and men, respectively.

Djoussé L, Gaziano JM, Buring JE, Lee I. Egg consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in men and women. Diabetes Care. Published online ahead of print November 18, 2008. DOI: 10.2337/dc08-1271.

Dr. McDougall recently started putting video profiles of his Star McDougallers online. Here are the first two entries:

In the latest McDougall Newsletter, Dr. McDougall compares the health of the presidential candidates, based on reports of their diet, exercise routines, medications, and other factors. To be fair, the conclusion isn’t too surprising: “While it is impossible to predict with certainty any person’s future health, time of death, or degree of disability, the evidence at hand clearly says John McCain is in relatively poor health and Barack Obama is in excellent health. All politics aside, no one could conclude otherwise. To McCain’s credit he appears to be holding up well during this grueling campaign, but his current appearances do not negate the medical facts.”

McDougall also reviewed his recent Advanced Study Weekend, including a photo slideshow.

And, of course, some more recipes. The Garden Potato Medley sounds great.

Congratulations, Nettie!

Taylor says: “In September 2006 at age 58 I found myself sitting in the parking lot of my favorite fast food restaurant, crying to God to help me with my food addiction. I was stuffing down a sandwich, fries, brownies and a Diet Coke. I had failed again to keep the promise to myself to do something about my weight, but I felt helpless to do anything about it. I felt like I was 98 instead of 58. I weighed 282 pounds.”

Dr. McDougall says: “Like Nettie, until you discover the central role of starches in your life, you will remain out of control, and likely overweight and burdened with bad health. Once starch becomes your predominate calorie source, then the appetite correctly regulates the amount of calories consumed.”

By Jeff Walsh

Of all the McDougall DVDs, his latest is the one that I really want to carry with me at all times and whip it into DVD players everywhere I go whenever these questions come up.

“Dr. McDougall’s Common Sense Nutrition: The Truth About Protein, Soy, and Fish” is really a tour de force, and watching it will make it harder for soy burger-loving vegans, fish-eating vegetarians, and people whose defensive “But where do you get your protein?” to stay on these paths.

The disc features three individual lectures on the three main topic areas of protein, soy, and fish.

“When Friends Ask: Where Do You Get Your Protein?” does more than show the absurdity of this often-asked question, which wouldn’t take long to disprove on its own, but looks into why so many people believe what they do about the importance of protein. It also shows how long all of this information has been known, with studies dating back multiple decades coming to conclusions that hold up today but are still largely unknown. I’m not saying the “Where do you get” people will be converted by this lecture, but they’ll certainly have to look for new material after watching this.

“Soy Is Food, Not A Poison or A Miracle Drug” addresses a lot of the controversy and myth around soy that exist online. McDougall has always been consistent that he considers soy foods OK very sparingly and in small portions. On the McDougall plan, soy foods include tofu, edamame, tempeh, miso, soy milk, and other things that have a minimum level of processing. What he’s always been against (although he admits to having tried and loving a lot of) is the processed soy foods, where the soy protein no longer resembles its origins, because the protein has been entirely removed and reconfigured to make burgers, hot dogs, deli meats, and is also put into “health” bars and other stuff where the high amount of protein is used to help sell the product. Ifyou have any questions about soy, I can’t imagine it will be left unanswered after watching this lecture.

“Fish Is Not Health Food” is also nothing new as far as major topics go. We’ve overfished the oceans, it has no unique benefits for heart health, contains toxins, and we’ll run out of fish the way it’s available today in about 40 years. The major benefit given for eating fish is actually because the fish eat the seawood and algae which has the omega-3 fatty acids, so we’re eating the fish to get what the fish eats and, of course, there are other superior sources. McDougall also addresses the fallacy of fish being health food, better for you than other animal muscles, and necessary.

These are all topics that come up repeatedly and it’s good to know such concise, informative lectures are just a DVD away when they do. But the thing that’s really important to emphasize is that Dr. McDougall is an amusing lecturer, so a lot of what could be dry, boring medical study results are peppered with anecdotes, jokes, and even the occassional comic strip. So, showing these lectures to people will never be a bore.

If you want the complete word on these common themes, this is a great DVD to have on hand. If you don’t know the ins and outs of these topics, these lectures will be eye-opening, make you question your choices, and give you all the information you need to live a healthier life.

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You can find more information about this DVD on the McDougall website. It costs $24.95.

McDougall says it’s time to stop scapegoating standalone salt: “The overpowering taste of salt tricks us into eating foods that innately repulse human beings.This flavoring will disguise the repugnant tastes of animal flesh and cow’s milk secretions, which are the real sources of body damage. Eighty percent of the salt consumed by people following the Western diet is irreversibly intermingled with our processed foods.”

McDougall shares more recipes from Celebrity Chef Weekend, including Gazpacho Verde, Smoky Refried Bean Soup, Skillet Gardener’s Pie, White Miso Soup, and Chai-Spiced Oat Crepes with Grilled Mangos or Nectarines and Citrus-Almond “Ricotta” Filling.

Congratulations to the latest Star McDougaler Donna Byrnes: “The hardest part of changing my diet was being different. So much of life is centered around food. While I am the only one I know that eats this type of diet (aside from the people I have met on the McDougall Costa Rica adventures and on the McDougall discussion board), I was fortunate to have the support of my family and friends.”

McDougall talks about the four obstacles to following the McDougall Diet:

• Change is difficult: “People are always amazed by how many of their incurable ills are fixed after only a few days of eating right. They are equally surprised by how forcefully their problems return when they slide back into their old ways.”
• McDougall is not about vegetables: “The primary purpose of eating is to obtain life-giving energy. This is accomplished safely only by whole plant foods plentiful in carbohydrates. These special plant foods are known as starches.”
• Failure to appreciate the body’s efficiency: “Give up the nuts, seeds, cold-pressed olive oil, dried fruits, refined flours, and all the other rich treats you have been pampering yourself with since your gave up meat and dairy. Right, they are all vegan (not from an animal), and even more holy, they are mostly “raw.” But they are still “calorie bombs,” which are guaranteed to stop weight loss and cause fat gain.”
• No one responsible is fixing your food: “The cost of doing nothing could be as expensive as a $100,00 heart bypass operation. Now does that make financial sense to a businessperson like yourself?”

There’s a new McDougall DVD coming out soon, all about protein, soy and fish. Should be good, look for a review in the future.

Recipes from the McDougall Celebrity Chef Weekend include a lot of gems, such as Vietnamese-Style Stuffed Grape Leaves, Easy Macaroni and Cheeze, Red Lentil and Bulgur Salad Balls in Lettuce Cups with Creamy Basil Dressing, and No-Bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie.

Congratulations to the most recent Star McDougaler, Mary Splady: “People often tell me that they could not do what I do because they love to eat. Well, I really love to eat too, and that is what first led me to become vegetarian, then vegan. In counting calories, I quickly figured out that I would rather eat a big bowl of cauliflower than a small piece of meat. It is really quite simple: Vegetables are not as calorie dense, and therefore I can eat more of them.”

In his recent McDougall newsletter (free, so sign up!), Dr. McDougall urges people to stay out of the medical business, but also says your health plays a big role in your financial stability. His four considerations, all explained in great detail in the newsletter are:

• Healthy People Attract Employers and Customers
• You Can Regain Lost Health and Appearance
• Reduce Medication Costs
• Buy Only the Medical Insurance You Need

McDougall also shares some of the comments he received to his assertion that Bill Clinton is showing signs of brain damage that might be a result of his heart-bypass surgery.

And, no newsletter woud be complete without recipes! The Southwest Jambalaya sounds especially good.

Dr. McDougall recently released some Breaking News to his e-mail list, under the headline “Bill Clinton’s Madness: A Consequence of Heart-Bypass Surgery Brain Damage.” I was sort of surprised the headline didn’t end with a question mark but, in his article, McDougall compares the Clinton that stood against impeachment and being known for his wit, charm, and ability to stay calm under his pressure to the one out stumping for his wife’s campaign:

“Now, he is easily angered by hecklers, and makes factual mistakes and racial slurs while aggressively defending his wife’s campaign for presidency. Everyone sees his mental and emotional decline, yet to date, no medical professionals have spoken out about the cause or offered help.

Not a single one—not one bypass surgeon, cardiologist or psychiatrist—has stepped forward in his defense; even though all of them are trained to recognize “post bypass surgery cognitive dysfunction.” One of the best-kept secrets in medicine is the brain damage caused during bypass surgery.

McDougall gives a lot of facts and figures about the procedure, and finishes up by saying:

“I am saddened to see our former president suffer from public humiliation, but I am disgraced that my profession has thus far failed to come forward with a long over-due explanation and an apology to the Clintons and our nation for the harm they have done and the secrets they have kept.”

Wow, interesting stuff from Dr. McDougall… Definitely worth a read.