current progress of diet and exercise

[flabingo]

I started three years ago by reading the China Study, and my weight was 187, my total cholesterol was 189, my HDL was 42. and was taking 10 mg of Crestor. Today I am a vegetarian plus fish in reasonable amounts, and I work out on the treadmill most every day for 60 minutes. Today my weight is 158, my HDL went up to 58 from 42, and my LDL is 51. And my Crestor is only 5 mg. I have had A-FIB for 30 years and my cardiologist recommends I stay on the 5 mg of Crestor. His theory is that 70 is the magic number for LDL. Also my range on the treadmill of my heart rate, using a heart monitor strap, most every day is between 85 and 130, very seldom much higher. I visited Santa Rosa to see the McDougall program two years ago, and was impressed. Observations,
1. Raising my HDL from 42 to 58 surprised me.
2. My sleep apnea is gone
I am 78 years old, and start off every morning with 4 juices and oatmeal with berries.
Many years ago I was at a seminar where Jack LaLanne was there. At cocktail hour he had more than two martinis, but at 7 the next morning he conducted an exercise class, and made himself a big big veggie cocktail. I think he lived well into his 90s. Recently I was at Costco watching a VitaMix demo, and have researched the other company named Blendtec that makes a similar product, which creates a smoothie. I have visited a few Jamba Juice units, and it seems that the shelf life of a smoothie is quite long. So following LaLanne's idea with current technology a person could come up with a fortified drink that could cover all the bases easily, and consume it for lunch, four hours later. I hope that the McDougallers can come up with THE recipe for the smoothies.
In closing I have my medicare supplemental insurance with Humana, a for profit company, who pays for me to go to a gym. FREE. Through most of the country. I happen to go to 24 hour fitness, but have gone to others in other cities. It is called their Silver Sneaker program They have figured out that it is in their economic interest that I go to a gym. I am told Blue Cross has a similar program.
Appreciate your thoughts

[Spiral]

flabingo,

Sounds like you are doing excellent on your diet and exercise program. You have the right role models and "The China Study" is perhaps my favorite nutrition science book.

I should point out that smoothies and fruit juices are not encouraged by Dr. McDougall and Jeff Novick. They are of the opinion that fruits and vegetables should be consumed by eating, not drinking.

All in all, however, you are doing a fantastic job in maintaining your health. Keep up the good work.

[flabingo]

Thank you for your response. I can understand Dr. Mcdougall's reaction to juices, because of the preservatives and emulsifiers used, but in the case of the smoothies there would be no preservatives or emulsifiers, since the air would be the emulsifier. And a group of nutritionists could take advantage of the process to retain skins that otherwise are not used, when eating the food raw. My idea is that companies could provide this at a nominal cost to their employees, to suggest they are interested in their health. Many years ago I owned a company with 35 people in the office, nine of which smoked. I announced that anybody that did not smoke in the office would get $25.00 per month. In three months all nine stopped smoking in the office. I did pay everybody the $25.00. Then I had a Christmas party at my house and after a few drinks one of the people, who quit smoking at the office, asked me, "Are we still at the office"? Good news three of nine did quit completely. If I am correct the delivery costs of a very healthy smoothie would be very low in cost and time, and would send a message that management cared about their health. I hope that Dr. McDougall would respond to the idea. Intellectually I do not understand why this idea would not work, but I am not an expert in any way.

[JohnLarson]

http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=22483

This is some good reading with links to more good reading.

[flabingo]

The more I read about having a good diet, the more convinced I am that employers should consider a program to provide free smoothies for lunch, that are designed to provide nutrients that contribute to the health of their employees. I have read the suggestions that smoothies have limitations, but it would seem to be a big step in the right direction. I am reading Forks over Knives, which suggests that eating red meat is an act of treason against humanity. It is hard to argue with their thesis. We can live without a lot of things, but not clean water. Since lunch is normally at the same time, the willingness of a company to provide a healthy smoothie, that is well conceived and processed, sends a powerful message to their employees that they care about their health. The cost in terms of time and cost is very small, particularly when you consider the alternative of fast food. It would require a qualified company to design the components to be included, but that should not be that hard. Every journey begins with one step, and I think this could be a first step. The economic forces that would oppose this are very very powerful, but that could be our challenge.

[flabingo]

Thank you for your thoughts. I do not have a weight problem. But I want to quit drinking the Naked Juices and V-8, and make my own smoothie using fresh or frozen fruit, with adding the necessary green leaf, kale spinach, etc. I have been told that the Vitamix process does not eliminate fibers, but by getting away from the juices I can eliminate the preservatives and emulsifiers that they use in the process. In addition nothing would be pasterized. Dr Neal Barnard who is well respected seems to support the idea of a smoothie. If the fiber is cut into small pieces, it would seem that it is still there, as opposed to a juicing process that eliminates it. It would seem I could have total control of what I put in the blender. I intend to contact some local RDs to get their thoughts. It would seem that if I bought all organic items from Whole Foods, I would be know exactly what I am consuming, taking advantage of their quality control. This would be like the cocktail that Jack LaLanne made for himself. I was at a seminar about 35 years ago with him , and after consuming a lot of booze in the evening he conducted his exercise class after he drank his magic cocktail. His assistant was his young wife. I was impressed.

[EvanG]

I'd say if you like the smoothies - go for it. Intellectually, the reasons for not blending are that blending increases the glycemic index of a sweet smoothie, and people eat it faster. Also, for whatever reason, the smoothie doesn't curb appetite as much as regular food. Maybe it doesn't hang around in the stomach as long. The blender does to veggies what a flower grinder does to grains.

But as you say, many people recommend them. It would be much better to eat a veggie smoothie than most people's usual fare, etc. It sounds like a good program to me.

Arguing about whether or not to blend your veggies is really nit-picking, IMO. If you like it, do it.

[flabingo]

First of all, I want to compliment Dr. McDougall and his staff for the quality of his website. The response times and information are outstanding. I went back over to Costco today where they are having their road show until Sunday. They sell the 6300 blender at $600.00, which costs about $140.00 less than Amazon during this time. They also offer a 30 day money back guarantee. I am continuing to educate myself about the wisdom, advantages, and limitations. It seems for me, that it is a excellent way to prepare, process and consume my fruits, seeds and vegetables in a healthier way than buying the fresh blueberries from Chile along with the Naked juices. It would also cause me to expand my menu in a healthier way.. Also if a group of four or five people of like mind got together and formed a smoothie club, they would cut their costs significantly, and expand their consumption of different nutrients. The cost of organic blueberries from quality sources are half the cost of fresh. To do it right you would need a separate freezer to store the supplies for a week. But you could limit the consumption to breakfast and a snack two hours later. I am told that it will maintain it's quality for at least two hours. I admit I have a great deal to learn, but with the 30 day money back guarantee, I would have time to confirm the wisdom. I also observe that the Costco fruit and vegetable prices are much lower than anywhere else.
I also visited two smoothie bars and they are not the right idea for me.
Thanks again.

[Steve]

Dear Flabingo,

Congratulations on the improvement. By the way if you ever go really McDougall (no fish or maybe a small piece once a year) you may see greater drop in your cholesterol. Your doctor would probably have to take you off of the Statin altogether. As it is, you total cholesterol I am guessing is very low. Does Crestor have a warning regarding muscle weakness being a serious side effect? If you experience the side effect contact a doctor immediately. I had a friend that went McDougall and stayed on the Statin a little too long and was chewed out by the doctor for not reporting the muscle weakness. What is your total Cholesterol level now? You might consider using ground flax seed for omega 3 to replace the fish.

Steve

[flabingo]

Thanks for your response. My HDL is 58 and my LDL is 51. But I have A-Fib and my doctor wants me to stay under 70, so I take a half dose of Crestor(5mg). My glucose level is 95 which seems OK, but I want to see if I can lower it, by getting rid of the Naked juices. I still go to the gym every day and do 45 minutes on the treadmill, to compensate for my sedentary life. I am 6 feet tall and only weigh 160 lbs, and would like to gain a little weight in a healthy way. Before becoming a vegan plus a little fish I weighed 187. But I totally believe in the McDougall/Campbell/Esselstyn program. When you read Forks over Knives, and learn about the effect that cattle have on our air quality, it is scary.

[ETeSelle]

Thanks for your response. My HDL is 58 and my LDL is 51. But I have A-Fib and my doctor wants me to stay under 70, so I take a half dose of Crestor(5mg). My glucose level is 95 which seems OK, but I want to see if I can lower it, by getting rid of the Naked juices. I still go to the gym every day and do 45 minutes on the treadmill, to compensate for my sedentary life. I am 6 feet tall and only weigh 160 lbs, and would like to gain a little weight in a healthy way. Before becoming a vegan plus a little fish I weighed 187. But I totally believe in the McDougall/Campbell/Esselstyn program. When you read Forks over Knives, and learn about the effect that cattle have on our air quality, it is scary.

You might be able to get your numbers down where you want them if you actually followed the plan 100%. Eating fish is NOT following the plan. There is no reason to worry about your HDL (here's an article on why http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougal ... pufav5.htm ) -- but you will probably drop your LDL down further if you get off the fish.

[flabingo]

I am satisfied with my cholesterol and blood pressure numbers , that I believed changed by changing my diet and exercise program. That fact that I eat a small amount of fish is not a concern. My primary interest is to cause others to change their health reality. When you read Forks and Knives, and think that he may be right about the threat to our water supply and emissions caused by cattle, it is not a big leap to accept that it is something to be very concerned about, if you care about our grand children. Many people associate health and weight as the way to judge a person's health, and I agree basically. I am sure that there are exceptions, but statistics support the thesis. In Oklahoma City the Mayor started a program to lose 1,000,000 pounds, and was successful. But Rome was not built in one day, and my thought is for people to have a healthy smoothie at least once a day.
Buying either a Blendtec or a VitaMix could be the best investment a family could make for their health and pocketbook. The ability to prepare a healthy meal quickly, and at a low cost, would be a big step in the right direction. What if school lunches were free for a healthy smoothie, but charged for the alternative. What if the state gave free driver's licenses to people that had healthy BMI numbers. Obesity is a national problem, of significance. The concepts of McDougall/Campbell/Esselstyne/ Fuhrman have to be adopted by the many, not the few! When your neighbor has a bill for $50,000 because he did not take care of himself, that is out of all our pockets. This is not a Tontine (Thomas Costain)where the guy that lives the longest wins.This is about the future of our society and world.