McDougall's Recommendations for Fasting?

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McDougall's Recommendations for Fasting?

Postby NorCalAl66 » Fri Jun 02, 2017 6:27 pm

With my current condition (Insulin resistant since 2004, 300+ lb weight, sedentary lifestyle) I think it would be wise to start with a serious fasting period before jumping into the program, as well as re-sensitizing myself to low-sodium plant based whole foods. I cannot exercise routinely at this time and being exclusively on insulin now I find myself in the "pleasure trap" that isn't doing anything for my health.

I understand the McDougall program completely; I have the Forks Over Knives app on my phone and while I'm not sure if it's good or bad, I love to cook and invariably I find myself slipping going for the bad stuff for various reasons. No matter how much I try I just can't seem to ween myself off of the fat and salt, I believe just as someone who is trying to quit smoking goes back to cigarettes after using the patch rather than just going cold turkey. It's more like torture when I try to eat these days so I honestly believe that just going with a calculated fast for a few days would be a more effective way to really get started at this point. I have no problem avoiding the fridge, I just have a problem when the door opens.

That being said, does he have recommendations for hydration, vitamins, duration, etc?

Thanks for your help.

Al
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Re: McDougall's Recommendations for Fasting?

Postby VeggieSue » Sat Jun 03, 2017 4:33 am

When looking for a certain topic, you can always use the Search feature in the dark green bar at the top of the page. That will take you to any mention of the word used anywhere on the entire Dr. McDougall web site, including any newsletter article. You'll see the word "fasting" is used in many instances in treating various ailments.

Dr. McDougall has mentioned how to fast a few times, but usually always in conjunction with True North Health Center, where a person is monitored 24 hours a day and visited by doctors multiple times each day. It's important to have vital signs and labs monitored if fasting, especially if you have various medical issues, and fasting does leave a person very weakened and prone to fainting spells and falls.

And in True North, not everyone is allowed to fast, either, depending on your medical history. Some are allowed to do water fasting for anywhere from a few days to a few months, other are on juice fasts, others just get healthy foods.

The only vitamin recommended by Dr. McDougall is B12.

As for the FOK app recipes - many of them are higher fat and not appropriate for people wanting to lose weight. You're currently posting to the Maximum Weight Loss forum - have your read the McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss or read the stickie on page 1 of the forum with the particular rules of the Maximum Weight Loss Program? Just following that version of the McDougall Program should help solve all your problems without resorting to something drastic like fasting.

Fasting for a day or 2 by yourself should be safe for most people, though. Not Dr. McDougall, but Dr Joel Fuhrman has a book out on fasting (Fasting and Eating for Health: A Medical Doctor's Guide for Conquering Disease). His food plan is similar, but allows way more fat and less starch than Dr. McD, so the book is a good guide to how to fast, but use Dr. McD's for food advice afterwards. But if you do still want to fast for more than a day, your best bet is to do it in a facility like True North in Santa Rosa California. Other fasting places that follow the WFPB, no SOS (sugar, oil, salt) way of eating are Dr Gracie's Wellness Center in Ohio, run by Dr. Gracie Yuen and Ocean Jade Health Retreat in Florida, run by Dr Frank Sabatino. Both of those doctors previously worked with Dr. Goldhamer in True North and teach this way of eating.
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Re: McDougall's Recommendations for Fasting?

Postby Sagefemme » Sun Jun 04, 2017 2:26 pm

Would your doctor support a fast for you? You will need some advice/management I would think because you are insulin dependent. Although maybe you would be ok for a few days without insulin, I think some sort of medical management might be in order. I'm guessing you are in Northern California from your screen name; the best thing to do would be to go to True North Health Center in Santa Rosa and have medically supervised fasting. They will take good care of you and get you off to the best possible start in turning your health around. If you fill out their forms online Dr. Goldhamer will call you and do a phone consult.
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Re: McDougall's Recommendations for Fasting?

Postby VeggieSue » Mon Jun 05, 2017 5:35 am

Sagefemme wrote:Would your doctor support a fast for you? You will need some advice/management I would think because you are insulin dependent.


Whoops. I saw the phrase "insulin resistant" in the above post but somehow didn't notice the "insulin dependent" one.

So I need to change my reply slightly:

You cannot fast on your own at home. You do need to be under a doctor's direct supervision. Don't even try it!

The rest of my post about True North, etc. still stands. Thanks, Sagefemme, for pointing that out.
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