Discussion Board

As I travel across the U.S. on my job, it is difficult to see all the lack of information/misinformation re nutrition. I was at a church school down south having a fundraiser for breast cancer- selling cupcakes loaded with frosting and other sugar items. These were well-intentioned, uninformed adults negatively influencing their children in the school helping with the sale. I didn't have the heart to tell them that processed sugar promotes the growth of cancer cells and other diseases. I wish I could've suggested they sell healthy treats like oranges, apples, dates, anything wonderful that promotes good health.

Walking out of a grocery store in a southern state, girl scouts and their mothers stopped me asking if I'd like to buy girl scout cookies. I didn't have the heart to say, "If you were selling healthier treats I would buy some. Have you ever looked at the ingredients in the cookies you're selling? Your cookies are promoting disease. Please sell something healthier."
Standing in line at the grocery store yesterday an obese woman was buying white bread, pop/soda, jello, and candy bars. Yikes. How do you confront that? That just can't be the time to inform. Maybe she glanced at the fruit and veggies I was buying.
In Minnesota where I live, last summer outside a grocery store, well-intentioned folks were selling bratworsts and pop/soda to raise money for cancer. I did have the guts to tell them the items they were selling actually promote cancer. You should've seen the looks I got.

I think that being "in the know" about what is healthy and what is not should also bring responsibility to share with others whenever we can our info learned, as hard as it is sometimes. If we're not going to do it, who will? We all have to have courage. Whenever the door is open, we must enter it.

When I see these "Walks For Cancer" or "Walks For Diabetes" again these are well-intentioned, uninformed people. Think of all the energy and money wasted on these fundraisers. It's like people hitting their heads against the wall with these fundraisers- literally accomplishes nothing!
Do people really think there's going to be a "magic pill" scientists will discover to cure cancer and other diseases?! Obviously what is needed is McDougall and the like information spread into the general public, on TV and in the news especially- the RIGHT info/news.

We should have "Walks For Healthy Eating", including workshops on The Starch Solution before the walks.

We are still in the stone ages folks.

http://peopleforplants.blogspot.com/

Added thought: People in the Stone Ages most likely ate better than us today! As Dr M states, past civilizations were raised on a starch based, plant based diet! Maybe it would be better if we WERE back in the Stone Ages...ha!

If people want to know they will ask, and then I will gladly discuss it with them; but I don't go around ambushing people about what they are eating, selling, or buying. It's just not appropriate.

Thinking more about this thread...
Before I started McDougalling, I was aware that vegetarian or even vegan eating was a healthy way to go, but I was very resistant to the idea of "giving up" meat and dairy. I didn't think it would be truly healthy to do so, and felt like there were too many fanatical plant-eaters out there. I didn't want to be the "weird one". I honestly think that if anyone had leaned hard on me at that time to accept a vegan diet, I might still be eating my Sally Fallon "Traditional" diet. I had to come around to it in my own way and my own time. I had to fight against it before I was ready to embrace it. So maybe that just makes me unusually stubborn, or something (gee, ya think?!); but I really don't think you can badger anyone into healthy eating unless they are already set to make the switch, and even then you need to tread lightly. You can offer a good example, and maybe point them toward some good books, but it has to be done gently. You can encourage and support them once they take the plunge, but it has to be their own decision.

I totally agree. I also possess the "stubborn" gene, and contrary is my middle name. The decision to change has to come from within.

New ideas generally don't grow well with the steamroller approach. Remember, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

The people who would participate in things like "Walks for Healthy Eating" and Starch Solution workshops would probably be people who either already have made these changes in their lives or people who are ready for their own reasons to change. Preaching to the choir?

I think blogs are a good way to reach people. Reading a blog is totally voluntary info gathering. People can read and absorb it at their leisure and apply it or not. Vegan Epicurian is a woman who's had cancer, changed her diet, and is now reaching many people with her message for healthy diet. Fatfree Vegan has also reached tons of people. Happy Herbivore. There are many, including some people from these boards who have blogs devoted to McDougall's diet and recipes. I'd be much more inclined to change my mind via this self-directed type of info gathering than I would be if accosted by someone waving a "your diet sucks" sign at the supermarket. Come on. Who wouldn't? True change can't be forced. It has to come from within. Has somethin' to do with free willy.

Next time there's a Walk for Diabetes, you could go there with your message and hand out free potatoes. Sure. Why not? Some people will eat them. But others will sell them and take the money and buy Cheetos. That's life.

...and we'll continue to be in the stone ages for longer than our lifetimes. I've heard the mamby pamby approach many times- just let them get sick you say?

I don't see it. We're making our earth unhealthy with our unhealthy diets not to mention making the phamacautical companies rich. I've heard the reason our economy is "as good as it is" is because so many people eat unhealthy. So you continue with your "let them continue on their own path" approach and I'll continue with mine. Best of luck-

Greg,
Did you view the video that vgpedlr put up here?
http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25096&p=248637&hilit=tomato+effect#p248637
I think it really explains why we find ourselves where we are.

Well I admire you Greg for saying to the people that selling those products actually promotes cancer. I don't have the guts - maybe I will in the future. All these pink campaigns and walks for diseases irk me no end when they are serving crap food there.

Let's see. Whom have I told? My mom, who is a size 18 and has done yo-yo dieting her whole life says "But I love my butter" and doesn't change even though she's seen the results for me.

My sister, who was a vegetarian for years and is a strong, extremely fit athlete says "it's clear we were meant to eat meat: We have canine teeth!" and she's gotten to the point where she doesn't feel any dinner is complete without meat AND she feeds milk to her kids every day, including her youngest who was lactose intolerant when she was a baby. Her thinking is "Some people have the metabolism meant for vegetarian eating, and some must have meat"

A client whose health, and that of his mom and dad, was so bad due to chronic stress and extremely bad food choices. I saw these people three times a week, knew them well, and they saw the change in me when i started McDougalling...even when I said "It's just as fast and easy to nuke a sweet potato and mash it up, as it is to nuke a bowl of mac n cheese and stir it up to feed yourselves and your boy" All they said, from their haze of extremely bad health was "I can't give up my milk" and "what do you do for protein?"

So, yeah. People I know and care about, who know me and can see the benefit this way of life has had for me, who maybe even care what my opinion is...even THOSE people don't listen to me. Why would a girl scout I've never met before hear what I have to say?

but I love the idea of handing out something at a Walk for the Cure starting point. A flyer or a booklet about the Starch Solution or something. THAT is a great idea. These are already people who may be interested in maximum health. They are maybe just a bit more likely to hear something that has to do with ACTUALLY curing breast cancer or diabetes.

I have actually written an email to the Canadian Cancer Society and asked them (very politely) why they are selling the very foods that cause cancers at their fundraisers......never got an answer back.
Guess big buisness is overpowering ethics there too!


edited for spelling.....cut out coffee a week ago and still getting used to it

Good for you Mountain! I give only token amounts of money to the Canadian Cancer Society once a year, because I think they should be sending out the real message. However, they have quit recommending breast self exam, and that stirred up a flak in the media - I guess they don't dare mess with mammogram recommendations, even though I follow Dr. Mcd's recommendations about that.

This is why I no longer donate to these organizations anymore. They know the facts and refuse to make ethical changes to their sponsors and fundraising efforts.

Taking it a step further, there are many animal shelters who have BBQ fundraisers! I mean, come on, make the connection! Imagine if farm sanctuaries cooked dog and cat meat to raise funds! Outrage! Yet, there is no difference.

Healthyme2010, I could never understand how someone can have a pet animal (horse, dog, cat birds...whatever) and treat them extremly well....but then go around the corner and eat McBarf

I sincerely hope that medical science will eventually find effective treatments - even cures for cancer. I do believe that someday a shot of a genetically modified virus, some injected nanites, or some kind of immune system stimulation may very well cure someones cancer in hours.

At this point I'm not foolish enough to hope such miracles will happen in my lifetime. No doubt the McDougall program offers the best bang for the buck in the near term for curing/avoiding disease and alleviating human suffering.