Olive Oil okay to use?

[Jack Monzon]

My problem is with Dr. McDougall's own language in his foreword to Gary Null's cookbook. He could have chosen any words he liked, but he chose to use the words "wholehearted" endorsement. According to Websters, wholehearted means "marked by complete earnest commitment: free from all reserve or hesitation."

This.

[DonnaB]

I already emailed Dr. McDougall and he replied, and I paraphrase, that he didn't think anything was wrong with his foreword to the book. I'll let that comment speak for itself, except to conclude that I think it is a shame that Dr. McDougall chose to tarnish his own reputation and potentially mislead those who use Gary Null's cookbook, whatever his reasons, which it seems we will never know.

[Jack Monzon]

I already emailed Dr. McDougall and he replied, and I paraphrase, that he didn't think anything was wrong with his foreword to the book. I'll let that comment speak for itself, except to conclude that I think it is a shame that Dr. McDougall chose to tarnish his own reputation and potentially mislead those who use Gary Null's cookbook, whatever his reasons, which it seems we will never know.

Interesting. Hopefully he'll reply here with his explanation/clarification soon.

[Katydid]

I note that Gary Null will be one of the speakers at the September ASW. Perhaps this issue will be discussed in depth then.
Kate

[nayasmom]

If I found Gary Null's website first, and tried his diet, and was successful, I would probably pooh-pooh Dr. McDougall's diet. It's all a mindset. We find a program that works, and it feels just right to us, and we stick with it.
Now, if Gary Null had written an avid endorsement of Dr. McDougall's diet, I still wouldn't change, because I'm very happy with Gary Null's diet. Do I have less respect for Gary Null? No, because his diet works for me.
So the reality for me is that I have the utmost respect for Dr. McDougall because what he writes, and his diet, all work for me. I'm on board with his plan because I've improved not just in my overall physical health but also mental health.
So if Dr. McDougall avidly endorses Gary Null's diet, and I look it up and see there are some differences, I'm not going to fix what's not broke, and jump the McDougall ship and swim on over to the Null ship. Maybe other people will do that. That's fine.

And those who decide to switch over, and find success, that is wonderful. If some switch and find they're worse off, then they've learned something about themselves and that's wonderful as well, c'mon home to the McDougall side.
The big picture, the forest, is regaining whole health, and plant based whole food is the vehicle, even though among the trees there'll be more of an emphasis on protein, and/or more emphasis on added fat. Plant based whole food is the goal; the rest is ... sorry... small potatoes.
Robyn

[DonnaB]

It's not small potatoes to those who end up with cancer or heart disease by following McDougall sanctioned Gary Null recipes. Not small potatoes at all.

[nayasmom]

I'm sure there are McDougallers who "end up with cancer and heart disease", too. What's the causality in that case? It would be awfully difficult to pinpoint when a cancer started, for instance, to be able to blame the present diet or some past event/impetus. If someone on Gary Null's diet develops heart disease or cancer or anything else, it's pretty easy to then say the diet is the cause, but in reality it's much harder to say with certainty.
I am thinking of Dr. McDougall's article about Steve Jobs and pancreatic cancer.
Without actually looking at the recipes in Null's cookbook, I have a tough time deciding if the fat allowed on his plan is reasonable or not.
I'm also thinking of Dr. McDougall discouraging alcohol consumption, yet a few posters mentioned he has a bottle of beer in one of his video cooking episodes.
Robyn

[ANGELOJ]

I've been following this post trying not to get involved. Too late, here I am.
I assume you are all adults. You can see that there is a massive amount of conflicting evidence out there.
The people who believe Paleo is good for you are as passionate about their diet as we are about ours.
So read the information and select the bits that you want to go with.
If you just want to give up meat and dairy and keep using oil, and that helps you, cool.
If you want to use a small amount of oil now and then, cool.
If you want to follow every single thing that Dr M says to follow and then you get confused, make up your own mind. Re-read the information.
He endorsed a book and that book has some recipes with some food stuffs Dr M normally says to avoid. And all of a sudden he is selling his reputation!! Really!
I agree with Nayasmom - see the bigger picture.
I would NOT buy that book -it has recipes with olive oil. I don't use that.
Some folk are just thinking about changing their diet - this might be the book that gets them off meat and dairy. And they might read the forward. And they might wonder who this McDougall chap is. And they might watch Forks Over Knives and then they might.....
You get the rest.

So make your own minds up!

[DonnaB]

Either Dr. McDougall believes what he writes, his own conclusions, or he does not. I am asking him to be consistent so that the waters don't get any muddier than they already are in the diet world. Not too much to ask I would think. And yes, I believe his wholehearted endorsement of Gary Null's cookbook is definitely inconsistent with his own conclusions and recommendations.

[Katydid]

Let's turn this around a bit. On the back of The Starch Solution is a wholehearted endorsement from Dr. Neal Barnard of the PCRM. While Dr. Barnard is a supporter of the low-fat whole-food plant-based diet, he and Dr. McDougall disagree on some fundamental points concerning the appropriate diet for diabetic patients. Dr. Barnard forbids white potatoes, white and wheat bread, and uses the glycemic index (which Dr. McDougall poo-poos) in the selection of fruits, starches and other carbohydrates. And in the PCRM cooking videos, they have even been known to use PAM . Did Dr. Barnard risk the life and limbs (literally) of his diabetic patients by daring to endorse Dr. McDougall's book where potatoes are an integral part of the diet? Did Dr. McDougall betray his principles by allowing the endorsement by someone who actually believes in the GI system? And don't get me started about the endorsement by John MacKey .

The point is, if someone were to switch from a SAD diet to Gary Null's version of WFPB, or Pritikin's or Fuhrman's or _________ they would dramatically LOWER their risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. That SHOULD be endorsed, even if not our version of the perfect diet.

Kate

[Dougalling]

I agree with Katydid. Great reply.

[Jack Monzon]

After reading Dr. McDougall's "wholehearted" endorsement in the foreword of Gary Null's "Anti Arthritis, Anti Inflammation Cookbook" which contains many recipes that include olive oil, I am now thoroughly confused as to whether olive oil,

He states his anti-oil stance THREE TIMES in the 2 pages of the forward he wrote to this book! He is NOT endorsing the eating of oils.

Can someone please post, word-for-word, the entire foreward in question?

Thanks.

[VeggieSue]

Can someone please post, word-for-word, the entire foreward in question?

Go to Amazon.com and use the Look in the book feature. It's right in the beginning, before the table of contents, IIRC.

[Jack Monzon]

Can someone please post, word-for-word, the entire foreward in question?

Go to Amazon.com and use the Look in the book feature. It's right in the beginning, before the table of contents, IIRC.

I did that. Thanks. Here's the link for anyone else who wants to read the McDougall endorsement: http://goo.gl/frE7gK

Click on the "Look Inside" graphic, which appears above the book cover, then start scrolling through the book using the right arrow.

[olindaspider]

I am pretty sure that this falls under the Fair Use provision. Besides, it is Dr McDougall's writing, so I believe he owns the copyright to that text, and this is his site.