A Brief Summary of The McDougall Plan

A place to get your questions answered from McDougall staff dietitian, Jeff Novick, MS, RDN.

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A Brief Summary of The McDougall Plan

Postby JeffN » Wed Aug 02, 2017 4:52 pm

This was in the latest Newsletter. It is a an excellent summary of the program and the closest I have seen to what we actually do and teach at the 10-Day program.

In Health
Jeff

A Brief Summary of The McDougall Plan
The New York Times National Bestselling Book The McDougall Plan was published in 1983 (there have been no fundamental changes in 35 years)

The McDougall Plan encourages you to adopt the diet and lifestyle that best supports your natural tendencies to heal and stay healthy. This supportive lifestyle is based on proper foods, moderate exercise, adequate sunshine, pure air and water, and surroundings comfortable to your psychological wellbeing.

The primary component, the diet, is centered on a variety of starchy plant foods such as corn, pastas, potatoes, rice, and wheat, with the addition of fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. Animal-derived foods and plant products that are refined or otherwise processed are not "health-supporting" and are placed in the category called "delicacies." Plant foods that are also considered delicacies are those high in fat, such as nuts, seeds, and avocados; and foods high in unprotected simple sugars: for example, table sugar, honey, molasses, and maple syrup. These delicacy foods are to be reserved for special occasions and consumed only by healthy individuals. There are relative kinds and degrees of harmfulness among delicacies. No portions are recommended for the meal plan except that a starch should provide most of the calories (about 90% by eyeball). The quantity consumed each day is variable among individuals and their activities and surroundings, and governed by our highly efficient hunger drive. Foods that support your health easily make the most interesting and delicious meals you can imagine.

Additions and modifications of the basic meal plan include:
Supplementation of a non-animal source vitamin B-12 after three years on the plan or if you are pregnant or nursing.

Addition of foods concentrated in calories (dried fruits, nuts, seeds) to the basic diet of healthy individuals with unusually high caloric needs.

Elimination of foods that cause adverse reactions, such as an allergy, an irritation, or any other noticeable intolerance.

Limitation of foods high in protein (legumes) to one cup a day for most people and further restriction in persons with certain illnesses (osteoporosis, gout, kidney stones, liver or kidney failure).

Fruits may have to be limited in people who are very sensitive to simple sugars (those with elevated triglycerides and hypoglycemia). In general three servings of fruits a day is a reasonable amount for most people.

One-half to one teaspoon total of added salt over the surface of the foods is permitted in the daily diet of those who do not suffer from salt-sensitive conditions (high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, and edema).

Simple sugars, such as white or brown sugar, provide pleasure and can be used sparingly, such as a teaspoon over oatmeal.

Gluten intolerance is found in less than 1% of people. In this case, wheat, barley, and rye must be avoided.

Weight loss can be enhanced by several means, such as including 25 to 50% of the food as non-starchy green and yellow vegetables. Be careful, however; with too little starch, satisfaction of the hunger drive is impossible and adherence to this kind of "nutrient-dense" diet is nearly impossible.

There are exceptions that are not fully covered in this summary. However, even with very unusual metabolic and genetic problems, a starch-based diet should be considered before moving along to fat and protein as primary sources of energy.

Ideally, children are solely breastfed until the age of six months, and then solid foods are supplemented; but breast milk still constitutes 50-25% of the child's diet until age two. After this age, starches, vegetables, and fruits provide for the basic nutritional needs.

In Health
Jeff
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