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The Starch Solution: Eat the Foods You Love, Regain Your Health, and Lose the Weight for Good! Kindle Edition

by John McDougall (Author), Mary McDougall (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 7,882 ratings

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Pick up that bread! This doctor-approved method lets you keep the carbs and lose the pounds!

“The Starch Solution is one of the most important books ever written on healthy eating.”—John P. Mackey, co-CEO and director of Whole Foods Market, Inc.

Fear of the almighty carb has taken over the diet industry for the past few decades—from Atkins to Dukan—even the mere mention of a starch-heavy food is enough to trigger an avalanche of shame and longing. But the truth is, carbs are not the enemy!

Bestselling author John A. McDougall and his kitchen-savvy wife, Mary, prove that a starch-rich diet can actually help you attain your weight loss goals, prevent a variety of ills, and even cure common diseases. By fueling your body primarily with carbohydrates rather than proteins and fats, you will feel satisfied, boost energy, and look and feel your best.

Based on the latest scientific research, this easy-to-follow plan teaches you what to eat and what to avoid, how to make healthy swaps for your favorite foods, and smart choices when dining out. Including a 7-Day Sure-Start Plan, helpful weekly menu planner, and nearly 100 delicious, affordable recipes, The Starch Solution is a groundbreaking program that will help you shed pounds, improve your health, save money, and change your life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Dr. John McDougall is on a mission to make us healthier. Read The Starch Solution. It may save your life and your brain.” ―Dennis Bourdette, MD, Chair and Roy and Eulalia Swank Family Research Professor, Department of Neurology

“The Starch Solution is an easy and powerful way to achieve the very best of health. Dr. McDougall's unparalleled knowledge and experience have brought us the best possible way to help people lose weight, lower their cholesterol and blood pressure, boost their energy, and change their lives.” ―Neal Barnard, author of the 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart

“You'll be doing the happy dance when you read this book! Hallelujah, and bring on the pasta!” ―Kathy Freston, author of The Veganist

“Bold, honest, and ringing with truth, The Starch Solution will show you exactly how to reclaim your health and your life. Nobody has ever delivered this message so clearly. Dr. John McDougall's latest contribution is destined to become a classic.” ―Douglas J. Lisle, Ph.D., co-author of The Pleasure Trap

“This maverick physician has a wealth of knowledge that could be the key to a tremendous improvement. I personally know many people who have found the McDougall program to be the key to vastly improved health for themselves and their families. This book lays it out clearly and without compromise.” ―John Robbins, author of No Happy Cows, The Food Revolution, and Diet For A New America

“Dr. McDougall and Mary have done it again. The Starch Solution is a thorough and absorbing explanation of the health benefits and nutritional excellence of a plant based diet. In addition to being healthy, the food was delicious and satisfying.” ―Robert A Rosati, MD, co-author of the New York Times bestseller, The Rice Diet Solution

“John McDougall, M.D. has once again produced an outstanding book with recommendations gleaned from his decades of medical experience and strongly supported by the scientific literature. He has the courage to tell the truth about both the business of medicine, which largely ignores the role of diet , and the forces of evil that sell the promises of fractionated foods and diet fads. The information in this book can provide the reader the power needed to lose weight and regain health.” ―Alan Goldhamer, Director, TrueNorth Health Center, Co-author of The Pleasure Trap

“The Starch Solution is one of the most important books ever written on healthy eating. As Dr. McDougall shows us in his book, human beings flourish on starch foods from whole food sources. When combined with healthy servings of vegetables and fruits we have the perfect diet to prevent and reverse the lifestyle diseases that are now killing 80% of Americans obesity, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and cancer. The recipes included in the book are easy and delicious. The Starch Solution will change your life. Read it and live it.” ―John P. Mackey, co-chief Executive Officer and Director, Whole Foods Market, Inc.

“This time the Star McDougaller is John himself joining with Mary in creating a masterfully crafted nutrition guide that destroys harmful myths and enhances the enduring capacity of whole food plant based nutrition as the foundation to our long overdue health revolution.” ―Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D., author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease

“Eat all you want; any time you want. Statements that sound too good to be true usually are... too good to be true. But John McDougall's new book "The Starch Solution", richly referenced for science, but gracefully written for consumers, just might be both good and true.” ―George D Lundberg MD, Editor at Large, MedPage Today; Former Editor in Chief of JAMA., Medscape and eMedicine from WebMD

“Great news! Thank you John! Now we can eat carbs guilt-free and maintain our figures.” ―Elizabeth Kucinich, Director of Public Affairs for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

“The Starch Solution is a viable approach to solving many health problems including obesity, heart disease, and type-2 diabetes and will have a positive impact on our environment. I highly recommend it.” ―Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich

“John McDougall has done it again. This time, clarifying the issue of starches and the important role they play in human nutrition, improving our health and the health of the planet.” ―Jeff Novick, Vice President for Executive Health Exams International and lectures at the McDougall Program

“The option is pretty simple. Meat and potatoes and later angioplasty and bypass or a plant-based (starch diet) and medicine-less and procedure-less health and happiness. The 12th McDougall book shows the way. It is highly recommended.” ―William C. Roberts, MD, Editor in chief, The American Journal of Cardiology, Executive Director, Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas

“[Dr. McDougall's] new book stands to get him more attention than any of the others. Much of what's in The Starch Solution, which came out earlier this year, is excellently researched, scientifically-backed...and totally contradictory to what most Americans think they know about food and weight loss.” ―Bliss Tree

About the Author

John A. McDougall , MD, has coauthored many bestselling books with his wife, Mary, and is featured in the documentary and book Fork over Knives. He serves as associate professor at Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Vallejo, CA, and teaches medical students at his clinic in Santa Rosa.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 1

Starch: The Traditional Diet of People

Have you had your rice today?

This Chinese greeting--the equivalent of our how are you?-- reminds us that, for the Chinese, whether you've eaten rice is the ultimate measure of well-being. Rice is that essential to the Chinese diet. Throughout most of Asia, the average person eats rice two to three times daily. Rice is also an important food in the Middle East, Latin America, Italy, and the West Indies. After corn it is the second most produced food worldwide, and the world's single most important source of energy, providing more than 20 percent of calories consumed by humans around the globe.

In China, the word for rice and food are one and the same. Likewise, in Japan the word for cooked rice also means "meal." Buddhists refer to grains of rice as "little Buddhas," while in Thailand the call that brings the family to the table is "Eat rice." In India, the first food a new bride offers her husband is not cake but rice. It is also the first solid food that will be offered to her baby.

The story is the same the world over. Whether rice in Asia, potatoes in South America, corn in Central America, wheat in Europe, or beans, millet, sweet potatoes, and barley around the globe, starch has been at the center of food and nutrition throughout human history.

What Is Starch?

Plants use water, carbon dioxide, and energy from the sun to form simple sugars through a process called photosynthesis. The most basic carbohydrate is the simple sugar glucose. Inside the plant's cells, simple sugars are linked into chains, some of them arranged in a straight line (amylose) and others in many branches (amylopectin). When these sugar chains gather in large quantities inside a plant's cells, they form starch grains, also called starch granules (amyloplasts).

Plants store in their roots, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds, and fruits the starch they produce. The stored starch provides them with a source of energy when they need it later, keeping them alive through the winter and fueling their reproduction the following spring. It's what makes starchy vegetables, legumes, and grains so healthy to eat: Their high concentration of carbohydrates not only sustains the plants but also provides the energy needed to sustain human life.

Starch should be our primary source of digestible carbohydrate. The enzyme amylase in our saliva and intestine breaks down the long carbohydrate chains, turning them back into simple sugars. Digestion is a slow process that gradually releases these simple sugars from the small intestine into the bloodstream, providing our cells with a ready supply of energy.

Fruits offer quick-burning energy mostly in the form of simple sugars, but little of that slow-burning, sustaining starch. As a result, fruits alone won't satisfy our appetites for very long. Green, yellow, and orange nonstarchy perishable vegetables contain only small quantities of starch. Their most important role is to contribute flavor, texture, color, and aroma to your starch-based meals. They offer a bonus in the additional nutrients (such as vitamin A and C) that come along for the ride.

The American Diet

The Starch Solution

Why then, here in the states and increasingly around the world, as all populations undergo economic development, have we become so afraid and ashamed of this most elemental food? And what price are we paying for shunning the most basic dietary staple known to humankind?

STARCH IS THE KEY INGREDIENT

Diet and nutrition advice is often focused on how much we ought to eat, and misses the point: More important than how much, how often, and when we eat is what we eat. Different kinds of animals require different types of diets. We humans are built to thrive on starch. The more rice, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and beans we eat, the trimmer, more energetic, and healthier we become.

Starch? Really? Isn't that for laundry? Yes, but it's also the key to optimum health and satiety. We hear a lot about carbohydrates and whether or not we should eat them, but we don't hear enough about the most valuable type of carbohydrate, starch.

There are three basic types of carbohydrates--sugar, cellulose, and starch-- each made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in specific configurations. The simplest of these--sugar--includes sucrose (the granulated sugar you bake into cookies), fructose (which makes fruit taste sweet), lactose (found in milk), and glucose (the simple sugar that comes together in chains to make cellulose and starch). Sugar provides quick and powerful energy because it is so efficiently broken down in the body. (You'll learn more about sugar in Chapter 12.)

The second type of carbohydrate, cellulose, is made up of chains of glucose bonded together by indigestible linkages. It is found in the cell walls of plants and in wood and other organic matter. Our digestive system doesn't have the enzymes to break down cellulose to use it for fuel, but termites do, which is why they can eat through the wood beams of your home. Although we get no energy from them, indigestible carbohydrates like cellulose are valuable to us for their dietary fiber.

The gold medal for the carbohydrate most beneficial to humans goes to starch. Like cellulose, starches are made up of long-branching chains of glucose molecules. Starch is valuable to us because we can break it down into simple sugars that provide us with sustained energy and keep us feeling full and satisfied. Starchy foods are plants that are high in long- chain digestible carbohydrates--commonly referred to as complex carbohydrates. Examples include grains like wheat, barley, rye, corn, and oats; starchy vegetables like winter squash, potatoes, and sweet potatoes; and legumes like brown lentils, green peas, and red kidney beans. Starch is so important that an international scientific journal--Starch--is dedicated to its study. Starch is at the core of my health-enhancing diet. If you take away just one message from this book, it should be: Eat more starch. Basic to our human nature is the scientific fact that we are, and have always been, primarily starch eaters. According to the world-renowned anthropologist from Dartmouth College, Nathaniel Dominy, PhD, "A majority of calories for most hunter-gatherer societies came from plant-foods, not animal-foods, thus humans might be more appropriately described as 'starchivores.''' Think of yourself as a starchivore, like a cat is a carnivore and a horse is an herbivore.

McDougall's Classification of Common Foods

Starches

Grains: Barley, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, rice, rye, sorghum, wheat, wild rice

Legumes: Beans, lentils, peas

Starchy Vegetables: Carrots, Jerusalem artichokes, parsnips, potatoes, salsify, sweet potatoes, winter squashes (acorn, banana, butternut, Hubbard), yams

Green, Yellow, and Orange (Nonstarchy) Vegetables: Bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chives, collard greens, eggplant, garlic, green beans, kale, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, okra, onions, peppers, radishes, rhubarb, scallions, spinach, summer squashes, turnips, zucchini

Fruits: Apples, apricots, bananas, berries, cherries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, loquats, mangoes, melons, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, persimmons, pineapples, plums, tangerines, watermelons

You've probably heard about the benefits of a plant-based diet--one that reduces or eliminates animal foods like meat, dairy, and eggs. This concept does not go far enough. Without the addition of starch, a diet of low- calorie leafy greens like lettuce and kale, crucifers like broccoli and cauliflower, and fruits like apples and oranges will leave you feeling hungry and fatigued. Nonstarchy green, yellow, and orange vegetables are good for you to eat, but on their own do not give you enough calories to sustain your daily activities and keep you feeling satisfied. Your natural hunger drive may lead you to fill up on something else at the expense of your weight and health.

THE REAL PALEOLITHIC DIET

Look at a globe--any region with a large population of trim, healthy people reveals the same truth: Healthy populations get most of their calories from starch. Eat a traditional meal in Japan, China, or most any Asian country and you will find your bowl filled with rice, possibly alongside sweet potatoes and buckwheat. The same truth dates back throughout recorded human history. The Incas of South America centered their diet on potatoes. The Incan warriors switched to quinoa for strength prior to battle. The Mayans and Aztecs of Central America were known as "the people of the corn." The ancient Egyptians' starch of choice was wheat. Throughout civilization and around the world, six foods have provided our primary fuel: barley, corn, millet, potatoes, rice, and wheat.

If the map hasn't convinced you, science documents it well: Over at least the past 13,000 years, starch has been central to the diets of all healthy, large, successful populations. In fact, new discoveries show evidence of starch-based diets even earlier.

Starch Eaters throughout History

Archeological research shows that starches have been the primary food source throughout the world for 5,000 to 10,000 years, or even longer.

At Ohalo II, an Israeli site dating back 23,000 years, archeologists found wheat, barley, acorns, almonds, pistachios, berries, figs, and grapes among the huts, hearths, and a human grave.1 Other documentation shows that bulbs and corms (an underground plant stem similar to a bulb; taro is an example) were a major food source for Africans almost 30,000 years ago.2

Countering the widely held belief that the European Paleolithic diet consisted predominantly of animal foods, starch grains from wild plants recently were found on grinding tools at archeological sites dating back to the Paleolithic period in Italy, Russia, and the Czech Republic. These findings suggest that processing vegetables and starches, and possibly grinding them into flour, was a widespread practice in Europe as far back as 30,000 years ago, or even earlier.3 Other recent evidence suggests that those living in what is now Mozambique, along the eastern coast of Africa, may have followed a diet based on the cereal grass sorghum as long as 105,000 years ago.4

Recent studies show that even the Neanderthals ate a variety of plant foods; starch grains have been found on the teeth of their skeletons everywhere from the warm eastern Mediterranean to chilly northwestern Europe.5 It appears they even cooked or otherwise prepared plant foods to make them more digestible.

THE DIETS OF WEALTHY ANCIENT EGYPTIANS

Proponents of a high-protein diet have suggested that reports showing heart disease in Egyptian mummies prove that their largely vegetarian diet was responsible for putting them in their graves.6 Is this true?

CT technology uses multiple x-rays to give scientists a three-dimensional view of the body that's almost as good as peering inside. An April 2011 report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Imaging used CT scans to show that 20 out of 44 Egyptian mummies whose cardiovascular systems could be viewed had evidence of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.7 The same kinds of calcification from atherosclerosis can frequently be seen in the CT scans of modern Americans and Europeans.

You would think that people in such early times, around 3,500 years ago, would have been reasonably healthy, with no fast food or tobacco and plenty of exercise. Yet the evidence shows that those selected to be embalmed as mummies ate a diet far richer than that of their less wealthy contemporaries.8 In addition to atherosclerosis, these wealthy ancient Egyptians showed signs of other diseases we associate with modern diets, such as obesity, dental disease, and gallstones.9-11 Spina bifida was found in a mummified child.12 Since the spinal abnormalities typical of spina bifida result from insufficient folate in the womb, the child's mother likely ate a diet heavy in animal foods and lacking in folate-rich starches, fruits, and vegetables.

The gallstones are an interesting case: Stones typically form when there is too much cholesterol in the bile, owing to a diet rich in animal foods. Scientists who analyzed a mummy buried 3,500 years ago found bile acids that looked like those we see today.11 Those aristocrats were indulging in the same rich foods.

The evidence indicates that only the wealthiest citizens--typically royalty and priests--became mummies. These privileged few were entitled to the most indulgent foods and, predictably, those foods produced diseases in the elite that were absent among the mainly vegetarian common folk. Hieroglyphics on Egyptian temple walls reinforce this finding with images of royalty feasting on beef, sheep, goats, wild fowl, rich breads, and cake. These foods have been excavated from the Egyptian pyramids, where they were buried alongside the deceased in hopes of providing for them in the afterlife. The diet of the elite has been conservatively estimated at more than 50 percent fat, much of it saturated, not unlike our typical modern Western diet.8 Hair analysis of mummies (one of the most reliable indicators of diet, even long in the past) likewise shows their diet to be similar in composition to that of modern Westerners.13

The meticulously preserved Egyptian mummies provide unequivocal evidence that these highly placed individuals who ate the richest diet available suffered from heart and artery disease, obesity, and other illnesses, just as we do today. And for the same reason: a diet based on animal foods and deficient in starches. Fortunately for most ancient Egyptians, extravagant feasting was available only occasionally. If only we were so fortunate. Now, as then, a life of excess comes at great cost.

THE WARRIOR'S DIET

Throughout history, men and women who ate diets based on grains, vegetables, and fruits have accomplished history's greatest feats. The ancient conquerors of Europe and Asia, including the armies of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) and Genghis Khan (AD 1162-1227), who conquered the known Western worlds during their respective times, consumed diets based on starches. Caesar's legions complained when they had too much meat in their diet and preferred to do their fighting on grains.14

The remains of 60 Roman gladiators who fought and died more than 1,800 years ago in Ephesus, in western Turkey, were recently found in a 200- square-foot plot along the road that led from the city center to the Temple of Artemis.15 Analysis of their bones for calcium, strontium, and zinc showed that the world's fiercest fighters followed an essentially vegan diet. In contemporary accounts, the gladiators are sometimes referred to as hordearii, or barley men, since barley provided the bulk of the nutrients that gave their remarkably strong muscles and bones the strength and endurance to compete in the ultimate sport of life and death.

OUR DNA PROVES WE ARE STARCH EATERS

Experts have long concluded that primates--humans included--are designed to eat a diet based on plant foods. Our anatomy and physiology require it. The natural diet of our closest relative, the chimpanzee, is almost purely vegetarian, made up mostly of fruits, leaves, and perishable vegetable matter. In the dry seasons, when fruit is scarce, chimps eat nuts, seeds, flowers, and bark.

Genetic testing has demonstrated that humans thrive best on starch.16 Human and chimpanzee DNA is roughly identical; one of the minor differences is that our genes help us to digest more starch, a crucial evolutionary adjustment.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B007PF7MGS
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rodale Books; 1st edition (June 4, 2013)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 4, 2013
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 12412 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 437 pages

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John A. McDougall
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John McDougall, MD, is a medical maverick who challenges medical and pharmaceutical businesses when they prioritize profits over patients. For the past 30 years he has countered mainstream misinformation with the fad-free truth and nutrition and your health.
Dr. McDougall, along with his wife Mary, offers his life-changing approach through national-bestselling books, DVDs, semniars, and the McDougall Live-In Programs in Santa Rosa, CA.
Other books include The McDougall Program for a Healthy Heart, The McDougall Plan: 12 Days to Dynamic Health, and The McDougall Program for Women.
Photo by User:Cteitgen (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
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Mary McDougall
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Samyama

Love love love this book!

Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2015

Verified Purchase

Love love love this book! I also purchased Dr. McDougall's earlier book "The McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss" & recommend both. This book has been life-changing & I've only been implementing this vegan way of eating (WOE) for 4 days. I was a vegetarian for a decade about 15 years ago & loved running marathons at that time. Since then I've experimented with everything from low carb to very low carb--from paleo to keto to intermittent fasting & honestly my body lost its resiliency for running. I missed running (the runner's high is no myth)--it is so calming & energizing simultaneously. But I really believed that carbs were the bad guys & chalked my running challenges up to needing more "strength" etc. Well guess what? Since implementing McDougall's WOE, running is back in the picture & my enjoyment, ease, passion & split times are better & better. Running is like a dear friend that I'm able to welcome back into my life. Plus my "weight/eating issues/stresses/concerns" have vanished, I'm not hungry, I feel great, I'm less bloated, more free & soooo happy not to eat animals (or animal products). I cried this morning because this is a magic wand for me--a best case scenario all around. I love whole plant-based foods--veggies of all kinds, quinoa, lentils, buckwheat, oat groats, millet, amaranth, pintos, the list goes on & on. Rice cookers make preparing meals a delicious no-brainer (I highly recommend getting at least one or two--mine are from amazon & used daily). Based on how I feel, my athletic performance, mood, appetite satiation, outlook, energy, happiness quotient, inspiration, inner calm, etc. etc., I suspect that this is a long-term "Yes please!" For those of you who aren't sure you find this WOE doable/palateable--take heart! McDougall addresses this. From the Maximum Weight Loss book, I quote, "You must take into consideration 3 important factors that will support you once you begin: 1.) how good you will feel; 2.) how the nutritional balance of the diet supports your sticking with it; & 3.) how easily you will lose weight." Give it at least 10 days. Check out the success stories on his website--you may see many aspects of yourself, as I did. As a reviewer of Maximum Weight Loss said, "You never have to be fat or hungry again." What a relief that the WOE that feels best in my heart & to my spirit also feels best to my mind & body. Win-win-win-win! I also recommend the documentary "Forks over Knives" (great starting place) & also ordered Esselstyn's "Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease" & Campbell's "The Campbell Plan the Simple Way to Lose Weight & Reverse Illness." Both are due to arrive today. Thank you McDougall & wishing all of you the best on your chosen path!

2-week Update: It's been over two weeks & I have nothing but good things to report. I'm sleeping better, sated, energized, I feel cleaner, kinder & happier. Plus I'm more adventurous & confident. I'm sold! Food is my friend & I love eating in the way that teachers of non-violence have practiced throughout the ages. I feel congruent, fueled & thankful. I still recommend getting a rice cooker. I use mine for pulses/grains (my current favorite is an equal mix of green lentils, red lentils, oat groats & quinoa) with a tray of steamed veggies on top (e.g. kale, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts). Delish! Also canned organic pumpkin is a great convenience to have on hand (especially if, like me, you tend to be sensitive to night-shades (such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers)). Find what works for you & go with it--your body will thank you profusely!

3-week Update: Even though I thought I was sensitive to nightshades (which includes potatoes), I'm not so sure. I decided to try an experiment (b/c I love experiments). I'm currently eating only potatoes & vegetables. The experiment is going so well (in terms of optimal performance, energy, mood, satiety, etc.) that I've decided to continue it. I'm simultaneously experimenting with a new strength training program which is going awesome. I look forward to every workout (I tend to love exercise--now more than ever.) One day, when I'm patient enough, I'd like to start sprouting legumes & grains again (as one of my next experiments). I'm having so much fun with this WOE! Thanks again & again Dr. McDougall.

4-week Update: Although this review is getting long, I'll update about the potato experiment. The good news is, my system seems to love potatoes (nightshades or no). I've had excellent energy, sleep, mood, satiation, but my digestion seems to prefer more variety. My favorite way to eat potatoes is to slice & bake them for 90 min. at 350 degrees (the skin is chewy-crispy & so delicious with nothing added) or in cabbage-potato(-yam if available) soup.

What I'm noticing--steady abundant energy, good sleep (especially ability to fall back asleep if awakened), resilient mood, new ideas/inspirations easily implemented, optimism, enjoyment of food, satiation, less anxiety, more patience (with myself & others) & confidence. It surprises me that I didn't realize the beauty of this vegan WFPB WOE sooner. I echo what others have said that this is very simple to do, as long as you prepare ahead. Keep things you know you like on hand & have cooking tools that work for you.

Another aspect of this WOE I'm curious about is how it will positively impact my body composition. I'm in my mid-40's, about 17-18% body fat & about 20-21 BMI. I'm generally very healthy. I'd love to be a bit leaner for running & sports. (That said, feeling good & being balanced are bigger priorities). I've been experimenting with a new kind of strength training (Callanetics & SuperCallanetics) for the last few weeks as I recover from a sprained ankle. Between Callanetics & McDougaling I feel like the sky's the limit. A very very good feeling. I mention the body composition thing b/c I'm being especially careful/disciplined with how I eat (SOS-free (salt-oil-sugar-free if you're new to this term), no fruit, no processed foods, etc.). The awesome thing about this WOE is how it's infinitely tailor-able & adaptable while at the same time having a clear grounded basis.

The thought of eating animal products & fats now turns my stomach. For years I misunderstood the "necessity" of a high protein/very low carb/paleo/keto WOE. It's a relief to return to my roots. All is well. No doubt the Universe is unfolding as it should. I now know better how to take care of my body-mind as well as how to live in harmony & congruence with life & the planet. I'm learning more every day. McDougall's work (as well as that of Esselstyn, Campbell & other visionaries in this field) is a gift & a treasure. I'm considering (eventually) experimenting with a vegan diet for my dogs. They love pumpkin, yams, broccoli, carrots... I understand that dogs can thrive on this WOE.

Thanks again Dr. McDougall & all other pioneers willing to blaze new paths with ancient wisdom :-). Best to all!

8-month update: I LOVE this WOE more & more everyday & would be remiss if I didn't share the discovery of the Instant Pot (available here on amazon) about 6 months ago. How does this WOE get *even* better? Check out the Instant Pot & find out. We now have 3 in our household, & they're well-used & well appreciated on a daily basis. It's essentially the only cooking apparatus I use. It cooks quickly, doesn't need to be monitored (has a timer & automatic shut off), & something about the pressure cooking infuses food with ideal flavor & texture. I continue to be delighted as ever more ways to make this WOE even more simple, easy, delicious, nourishing & beneficial are revealed. It's the opposite of feeling deprived--it's incredibly fun & liberating & allows more joy is all areas of life. If you're compelled by "sattvic" eating (light & nutritious--& satisfying to boot), you'll likely feel sincere gratitude for the Instant Pot too. Kitchari's my latest favorite (super simple--my version is short grain brown rice with mung beans & veggies sometimes oat groats, buckwheat, quinoa, blackeyed peas, lentils). The Instant Pot cooks everything to perfection--better than any restaurant I've been to :-). I feel so blessed in every way every day. Awareness, patience & love are fed by this WOE. Oh, one more note: Dr. Greger rocks! Check out his website & new book. His perspective is incredibly valuable, entertaining & sweet. My menu contains a hybrid of McDougall & Greger wisdom augmented with a few other favorites for well-being (like kala msm, magnesium, optizinc, ginger, fennel, peppermint...& off topic--I also love applying essential oils topically & recently discovered a natural vegan progesterone cream which seems to be a boon for me & many other women... I digress. However the point is that this WOE allows you to listen to your body with ever more subtle awareness.) Simplifying my WOE has allowed me to recognize the variables in my daily routine that really make a slam-dunk positive difference. Best to you on your chosen path! Be who you are, do your best & know it's unfolding perfectly.

Body composition update: Weight, body fat% & BMI are all going down of their own accord--which is a bonus. Most importantly, I feel healthier & happier than ever. My relationship with food is much more pleasant. I enjoy athletic endeavors, yoga/bodywork/somatics/embodied movement & meditation more than ever. This WOE pairs beautifully with non-duality/Self-awareness/Advaita/Samyama/stillness-in-action/cleansing the inner windows of perception. Looking forward to seeing what continues to unfold... Enjoy!

21-month update (just shy of 2 years)--I remain thrilled & delighted with this WFPB vegan WOE. The instant pot is indispensable. I use it daily, sometimes multiple times. 2 happy discoveries to offer: 1.) Pintos, garbanzo beans, oat groats, millet, short-grain brown rice (i.e., any legumes/pulse with longer cook times) are delicious when cooked *2 hours* in the instant pot (with current favorites: cumin seeds & pepper) with a 4:1 water:grain/legume ratio. This is a personal preference yields an awesome, smooth, very tender, end product. 2.) Harmony House Foods offers delicious Earth-friendly dehydrated vegetables. I'm crazy for their cabbage (I often don't cook the cabbage rather simply rehydrate it like cole slaw with some added apple cider vinegar & spices as desired). Their broccoli, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, etc. etc. cook up beautifully in the instant pot. Check out their website. Best wishes to all! p.s. Every day in every way I feel better & better. :-) Sincere gratitude & best wishes!

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Thomas Bertka

The Most Important Book Dr. McDougall Has Written

Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2022

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The Starch Solution is a book to read from start to finish. I have read two other books by Dr. John McDougall and I keep referring back to them. I have seen and listened to Dr. McDougall speak in person, and over the years I have read and referred frequently to his newsletters. I am a 28-year vegan following his dietary guidelines. So, when he published The Starch Diet over ten years ago, I asked myself, do I really need to buy and read this book? Ten years after its publication, I finally bought the book. I am reading it, and I can tell you this is the most accessible and readable book Dr. McDougall has written, and perhaps one of the most important books on dietary health available to the public in print today.

Dr. McDougall makes his case on the merits of the starch-based, whole foods, plant-based diet. In this book he has extracted the most important and vital information from his long career of medical research and practice and made it easily comprehensible and usable. From having written many books, articles, and newsletters, he has honed his writing skills, and has now produced his most informative and enjoyable-to-read publication yet.

Especially noteworthy is his clear and concise discussion about the documented hazards of vitamin supplementation. The book is worth having on your bookshelf for this section on vitamin supplementation alone. He presents the most informative discussion I have ever read about vitamin B12 and identifies which type of B12 is optimum. He thoroughly discusses the importance of naturally acquired vitamin D from sunlight for overall health. And he describes a natural and recurring phenomenon in the human body which he refers to as "spontaneous healing" to illustrate the point that the human body has immense capability to recover from injury and illness. The title of the book "The Starch Solution" is meant to convey that Dr. McDougall has included a wealth of essential information describing a complete and natural dietary approach to achieve optimum health, making this book essential reading for every health-conscious person.

The book is thoroughly footnoted and referenced to scientific research sources. The book also include 97 pages of the McDougall family's most favorite and simple palate pleasing recipes that anyone can prepare. Expert culinary skills are not required.

Knowledge is power. The Starch Solution informs with facts, scientific research, and noble intent. Dr. McDougall's motivation is to educate and empower his patients and the public on how to avoid ill health and maximize optimum health in their lives.

To quote Dr. McDougall from the introduction to this book: "I never took an oath to protect the financial interests of the medical industry. I did, however, take an oath to care for the sick and to keep them from harm and injustice, and to never give a deadly drug or procedure. I fully realize that the views I advocate cause people with vested interests to dislike me. But I can live with that unfairness. Too many physicians and dietitians pay allegiance to the big businesses of food and pharmaceuticals rather than to their customers, the patients."

I highly recommend Dr. McDougall's book The Starch Solution.

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Rw

Foundational book

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2024

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One of the best books on this topic. It’s concise and interesting. I recommend it to everyone. People are very resistant to this topic bc it challenges many conventional norms but he makes a very compelling argument!

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Adriana

Buen producto

Reviewed in Mexico on April 3, 2022

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Esta bien. Lo compre de 2nda mano estaba en buen estado.

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JD

A real eye opener.

Reviewed in India on April 25, 2024

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Contains lots of recipes to try at home. Also easy to understand facts for the scientifically minded, that completely debunks modern myths about diet and health.

For any urban Indian, like me, who lives on a mix of oily desi food, and western junk food, this was a real eye opener.

A must read for anyone who wants to improve their health with food alone. Not just loose weight, mind you, but reverse most modern heath problems as well.

Wish I'd found this book 10 years earlier.

hagen09

Approccio convincente

Reviewed in Italy on August 18, 2019

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Dopo aver letto una recensione su un sito americano ho ordinato il libro in lingua originale (è disponibile anche una traduzione italiana). Non ho ancora finito di leggerlo, ma l'approccio seguito mi appare molto convincente. Quali sono le cause di tante malattie e del soprappeso di tante persone nelle nostre società del benessere e dell'opulenza? Mangiamo troppo e soprattutto troppe cose che una volta potevano permettersi solo i ricchi. Possiamo mangiare a sazietà(!) riducendo drasticamente la parte proteinica della nostra alimentazione. Perché tante diete non mantengono le loro promesse o le mantengono solo a costo di grandi sacrifici e se vengono seguite con una disciplina quasi maniacale e masochista? Perché insistono su un falso criterio di alimentazione ben equilibrata con troppe proteine e troppi grassi che non fanno bene a nessuno - fanno bene solo ad un gigantesco mercato agroalimentare asservito da un battage pubblicitario che ci innonda quotidianamente invogliandoci a mangiare, a mangiare, a mangiare e a continuare di mangiare cose che continuano a contribuire all'aumento delle malattie (in primo luogo tumori e malattie del cuore) collegate a questo tipo di alimentazione.

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Jodi

Informative

Reviewed in Australia on April 21, 2024

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Infomative and life changing book.
Easy to read
I keep it for reference