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Costa Rica McDougall Adventure July, 2010
  
The following are edited comments
from our July, 2010 Costa Rica Trip:
This was the second Costa Rica trip we have done with McDougall
Adventures. Andrea and I enjoyed ourselves immensely. The Hilton
Papagayo resort hotel and its staff were great. My complements to the
chef for really great food meeting the starch based diet criteria. I
lost 5 pounds during my visit and I really ate a lot at meals. The
snorkeling, river rafting, and canopy zip line tours were fun. Working
out with jogging, stair climber, free weights and other exercise gear in
the Hilton's fitness center then swimming in the pools or at the beach
were a great way to spend the day when not on one of the daily adventure
trips. Kayak paddling on the Gulf of Papagayo was another fun activity
provided by the Hilton Papagayo. It was a great no hassle way to get
away and relax for a week.
Richard & Andrea Davis
It hardly seems like it has been over 2 weeks since we left Coast
Rica. The trip will provide wonderful memories for the rest of my life.
Thanks to you and Mary for making all aspects of the trip run smoothly.
As I mentioned to you, I have taken students abroad several times and
have always done 100% of the planning and work to make sure everything
runs smoothly. I know it sometimes takes several iterations before you
can minimize the chance of something not going as planned, but it is
always an ongoing process as there never fails to be something that
taxes your pre-planning. If there were glitches in Costa Rica, neither I
nor anyone I knew was aware of them. All was perfect! Kudos! Again,
thanks for the great time!
Cordially, Scott Harris
Thanks for a beautiful and healthy vacation to Costa Rica. When I
think about all the many things that I did during the course of just one
week I am amazed. Kayacking, snorkeling, zipline (upside down even!),
rafting, jet skiing with dolphins, volcanic mud treatment followed by
hot springs, massage, horseback riding and a water slide. I'm sure I'm
leaving things out and will remember more when I see the pictures!! I
saw tons of wildlife, including two turtles mating in the middle of the
ocean (they must have some seriously well-developed ab muscles). The
resort was truly beautiful with a genuinely kind and efficient staff. I
got my exercise in by walking around the resort but the shuttle was
there if I needed it. The best part of the trip was the food—healthy and
insanely delicious at every single meal. I discovered new food
combinations that I wouldn't have thought of and it was all high quality
and beautifully prepared and presented at each meal. I can't believe
that with all of these activities there was time for learning, too! A
daily lecture helped to reinforce the material I learned during the
10-day program. I would recommend this trip to McDougall alumnae and
skeptical friends and family as well. It's not possible to have a bad
time on this trip!
Connie Geahart
My highest regards to Marys' creative genius via tropical style
recipes and Johns' informative and entertaining guidance spiced up with
a wide variety of tropical activities in the setting of a calming and
healing hotel while being cared for by super hotel staff and the worlds'
best wildlife guides. If you need other words, I found this trip just
what I needed to begin the healing process and lifetime commitment to
health and happiness and you all delivered the most wonderful time one
could dream of. I look forward to meeting you and others once again in
the future on other McDougall Adventures!
Peace, Julie McFadden
Coming to Costa Rica was beyond my expectations. Everything was so
well coordinated; all activities went off without a hitch, thanks to
Tiffany who is quite an asset to your program. She reminds me of the
Energizer Bunny she keeps going N going. I had a stroke in Jan 2010. Age
68, Weight was near 200 Lbs, waist was 41", Cholesterol was high 217. I
needed to change the way I was eating. I did, by switching to the
McDougall plan. In four months, still 68, weight 175, waist 37, and
cholesterol 146. Feeling great. It works try it! The week I was in Costa
Rica I was out of my normal exercise routine. The way the McDougall's
fed me was again beyond my expectations. I normally don't eat this much
food and you know how we all are when we are at buffets eat, eat, eat.
So that's what I did. Many more sweets than the norm. But, I'm only
getting a little exercise, the pounds are going to pile up on me once
again. Upon arriving home and facing the scale I stepped on and was I
surprised "I LOST WEIGHT". It works try it!
Thanks for all the great tours especially the tree top tour. What a
fun ride.
Thanks to all support staff and especially the COOKS. Thanks for the
great lectures you gave.
A job well done.
Dh
P.S. My Spanish speaking horse understood me, I pulled on the reins
and he stopped.
I have wanted to go on this trip for many years. Every detail of the
trip surpassed my expectations. It was indeed an adventure of a
lifetime. The outings were amazing. The people of Costa Rico were warm
and generous. Dr. McDougall and Mary McDougall were open and friendly.
Tiffany is a great organizer keeping everything flowing smoothly. The
guides were knowledgeable and fun. The food and education was out
standing. Last but not least our fellow travelers were people I will
never forget. I hope to go again.
Barbara Worrall
What a wonderful way to spend a week—talking with a diverse,
interesting group of people, being escorted by knowledgeable,
entertaining guides who fortunately for me, are bilingual, eating a wide
variety of delicious food. Dr. McDougall's presentations were a pleasure
to attend. He made the extremely important information easy to
understand and did so in an entertaining way. James had told me he
didn't think he would attend all the lectures but he loved listening &
learning! I can't wait to hear more from Dr. John and Mary McDougall!
Tiffany did an excellent job keeping all of us on track, being sure we
made it to our bus for the adventure of the day. And she kept us up to
date on all the activities. She was readily available to answer any &
all of our questions. It is impossible to pick my favorite adventure.
Snorkeling for the first time was great and the zip lining through the
tree tops unbelievable fun. I can't recommend this trip enough! I hope
to go next year with my daughter.
Thank you so much!
Cheryl Duvall
Thank you Dr McDougall and everyone else who made this trip such an
enjoyable and memorable experience for me. I came along on this trip to
accompany my longtime vegan friend, Barbara. What I ended up
experiencing on this trip was far beyond any of my expectations. I had
no idea I was signing up for such thrilling experiences of zipping on
tree tops, snorkeling with the most beautiful colorful fishes, kayaking
on the ocean for the first time, slathering myself with volcanic mud and
relaxing on hot mineral springs. What was even more amazing was the
camaraderie that developed within the group of people in all age ranges
from 10 year old to 80 year old. Our shared interest in wellness and
health created a welcoming forum for everyone and such great stimulating
conversations. I have to confess, as a non-vegan I was a bit concerned
how I was going to make it through a whole week on vegan diet. Well it
didn't take me very long before I completely fell in love with the food.
I found myself looking forward to every meal with gusto and gladly
filled my plate with 2nd and 3rd servings! My exposure to the McDougall
diet had been very minimal through my occasional conversations with
Barbara. So when I began to hear the evening lectures on dairy and
supplements, I felt I was in shellshock. Just like my view of the
underwater world in my snorkeling trip, I was seeing a whole new world
about food and nutrition. I certainly had not expected this 'awakening"
call from this trip. I must add here a recent experience after my trip.
Red Lobster had been a long time favored restaurant of mine. I went for
lunch with a group of friends. To my surprise, I kept looking at the
menu and none of the colorful pictures of the varied dishes could
tantalize my senses as they once had. I thought to myself, what happened
to me? My trip to Costa Rica has opened a whole new path in front of me
that I had not expected and I look forward to this new journey on
"starch"!
Thank you for making this trip happen!
Hafsa Rahman
This was our first McDougall adventure trip. I say "first" because I
hope to go again! We had fun, truly relaxed, met new people with similar
interests, stretched our boundaries and learned a tremendous amount
about nutrition and Costa Rica. For us a big deciding factor to go on
this trip was the low fat vegan meals that are part of the packaged
deal. Anyone practicing a low fat vegan diet is familiar with how
frustrating it can be to eat out. Locate yourself in a foreign country
and compound the frustration. Another deciding factor was basically all
we had to do was show up, unpack and jump right into vacation mode.
Everything was so carefully organized and orchestrated (thank you,
Tiffany), including gratuities. The guides regaled us with natural and
Costa Rican history peppered with humorous stories. The friendly resort
staff saw to our every need. The McDougalls were approachable, easy
going and genuinely cared that we had a good time. Dr. McDougall was
available to discuss food & medical topics including your own personal
health issues.
Worries I had (in case you have them, too):
- Too much structure with not enough free time. There are 5
different adventure excursions that take place in the mornings.
Usually you are back by lunchtime and have the rest of the afternoon
to do as you please.
- McDougall lectures will be a repeat of information already
learned and put a damper on vacation time. I was glad I attended
every one. I learned a tremendous amount and came away with a better
grasp of the McDougall philosophy. This has helped us fine-tune our
eating habits. We found the guide presentations valuable as well.
- The weather will be too wet, hot and humid. The rain did not
hinder our enjoyment in any way. I treasure the ocean swim we took
during a thunderstorm the last night. I can't remember ever being
uncomfortably hot or sweaty. It was much more humid than the dry
climate at home in Montana, but I found it an interesting new
experience.
- Weight and fitness concerns. The McDougall adventure trips are
designed to accommodate all ages and fitness levels. However, I
think you will have a better time if you prepare yourself with
regular exercise beforehand. And (sadly but truthfully): Very few
people look great in a swimsuit.
(A suggestion: Bring old clothes for the canopy zip-line tour. An
experience of a lifetime!
Diane Harris
I am so happy to write a note about our fabulous time with you in
Costa Rica. Thank you for everything!! Our week in Costa Rica was the
best family vacation we have ever had!! Our family consisted of our two
daughters, their husbands and five grandkids. The teenaged grandkids
were afraid that the food would be sparse and strange. However, their
eyes lit up upon seeing the abundant and delicious choices on the buffet
table. One grandson gave the food two thumbs up and said if he had three
thumbs he'd put that one up too! The Hilton Papagayo Resort was
absolutely beautiful and offered many options for teenagers to be
entertained. Besides jet skiing and snorkeling, they participated in
soccer on the beach, volleyball and water polo in the pool, basketball,
bicycling and salsa dance lessons. The tree top tour, the
ocean/snorkeling and the mud baths were our favorite McDougall tours.
Dr. McDougall's evening lectures were a highlight and both He and Mary
were so generous with their time making themselves available to visit
with us and answering our many health questions. We have come home with
renewed enthusiasm and determination to follow even more closely the
McDougall diet and enjoy the many health benefits.
Morris and Marcia Holtzclaw
The July 2010 Costa Rica trip can only be described in superlatives.
The Hilton Papaguayo location and staff were superb. The Adventure
guides shared their geologic, political, avian, botanical, and mammalian
wealth of knowledge amiably and eloquently. The food buffets were
intriguing and delightful, and the nutrition/health talks were
evidence-based and thoughtful. You and your staff may perhaps best be
described as the human organizational equivalent of WD-40.
Doug and Grace Arbon
"How do we love these trips? Let us count the ways". This was
probably our seventh or eighth trip with Mary and John. Each one always
has something special and we can hardly wait for the next one! Yet there
is one constant thing that always stands out. That is this couples
honest concern for our health. Is there any need for us to say more?
Marcia and Bob Bailey
When we returned last Wednesday from the McDougall Adventure we would
have turned around and gone back if you would have called us. We already
have five family members ready to go for next Summer. Please continue
the trip. We loved everything about it. The food was incredible. We were
sure that we would be the first to write and say we gained weight, but
not so. We called all our children and told them that when they changed
their diet to the McDougall plan, and they would when they woke- up,
they would wish it would have been a lot sooner. We travel a lot and
have seen a lot of countries but this was our favorite trip. Our
adventure trip to Costa Rica was marvelous. I'd recommend it highly to
anyone thinking about participating in the future.
Here's why:
- The Hilton Papagayo was clearly designed to merge with the
tropical environment rather than dominate it. There is beauty
everywhere you look. The hotel rooms are well-appointed, clean and
very comfortable. The hotel service is excellent.
- Our adventures were great fun. We rode horses, searched for
plant and animal life from a river raft, soaked in volcanic baths….
Three expert guides accompanied us from place to place. We benefited
from their knowledge of the tropical environment, history and people
of their native Costa Rica.
- The food on this trip was exceptional! We were truly stunned by
the quality and the variety of foods and dishes provided to us. No
one will be disappointed in this regard! The dishes were created and
prepared by Costa Rican chefs following the McDougall dietary rules.
Hats off to them! The food was amazing.
- Dr. McDougall's daily nutrition talks were a highlight. They
were interesting, very informative and often amusing. Dr. McDougall
is a charming and witty speaker who keeps everything interesting.
Both he and Mary McDougall kept themselves accessible to us to
answer any questions we might have.
- Last but absolutely not least, my husband and I thoroughly
enjoyed the company of the other participants on this adventure
trip. We felt honored to have the opportunity to make some very
special new friends.
Shelley Zafran
This was the third time I took an adventure trip. It was the first
time at this resort. The resort was beautiful, the staff outstanding and
the food yummy. At 80 plus I didn't swim with the fish or go on the zip
line. I enjoyed the other adventures. Everyone should take a trip like
this.
Vita(vivien) Pennachio
We had read in comments by previous satisfied travelers that their
Costa Rica holiday was "the best vacation we have ever had" and now we
can add our voices to that chorus! It is hard to select the ‘best bits'
to share but here are some things we really appreciated: We made new
friends. It was a great opportunity to meet people with common
interests. There were many opportunities to socialize over the meals, as
part of groups organised for the adventures, and as we took advantage of
the happy hour every evening, with drinks supplied for free. It was a
great inspiration to meet people who have overcome huge health
challenges by changing their diet rather than going under the surgeon's
knife. The talks by Dr McDougall were eye-opening and thought-provoking,
with his latest research and ideas. We also appreciated the fact that
Mary and he were around for so much of the time for us to ask any
questions we wanted to. The meals were fabulous, and we enjoyed the
exotic new fruit and vegetables we were served in such abundance. Coming
from Australia where ‘tipping' is not a way of life, we really enjoyed
not having to worry in Costa Rica about tipping at every stage – such a
relief to be able to do it all in one go, and as a group to show our
appreciation of the cheerful hotel staff who were always smiling and
helpful – it didn't feel like a standard ‘hotel' but more like a
friendly homely atmosphere! Overall, the Costa Rica tour was extremely
well organized, everything was taken care of and we didn't have to worry
about a single thing - great way to experience a great place!
Ananth and Valli
The Costa Rico trip was very nice in many ways but I'm afraid that
the best part for me most likely won't convince anyone else to go. I
first attended the program in 2000 – three months after my
hospitalization for gross congestive heart failure preceded by a major
heart attack, preceded by an automobile accident that crunched my heart.
4 trips to my doctor over 5 weeks failed to convince him I was injured.
Anyway, I loved the program and was a believer. Living with a person who
was not supportive and often obstructionist made my attempts very
difficult. Feeling the need for reinforcement after a 5-month road trip
to Alaska where the diet was thrown out the window, I attended the 10
day program at Santa Rosa. Again, I couldn't do it alone. Each year I
would try to talk my husband into attending one of your "fun" trips.
Thinking if only he could meet the "real" people who follow your diet
and eat 3 meals a day, he might start to understand. Until this summer
he has always refused. A series of "vascular events" (no sidedness so
they tell me they weren't officially TIAs) that left me whacked out for
hours to days made him realize that I won't always be here. So this year
he agreed to go to Costa Rico with every intention of supplementing his
dead animal diet in other restaurants. Guess what? He never went
anywhere other than the McDougall buffet to eat. He is a "born again" if
ever one existed. We have been home for two days and I have been cooking
up a storm. While we were with you I kept track of the dishes he
particularly liked and have been making them in freezable quantities.
The soups were especially appealing to him. Talking to our table and
activity companions exposed him to many "miracles" and he is determined
to stick with it strictly until September. I feel confident that life
will be much easier with support on the home front. Dave especially
enjoyed the lectures and did not ever want to be late for them.
Thanks for a great time.
Donna Ray
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